February 6, 2023, Early Night, One and a half hours before the Lantern Festival begins
"Technique.. tenth staff; 火霧之幕! Huǒ.. wù zhī mù! (Curtain.. Mist of Fire!)"
Blaze!
The black mist covering the top floor of the fifteen-story pagoda was burned away by the green mist of fire.
Now Sizhu could feel his surroundings clearly again.
Timon, using Gui's body, panicked slightly seeing his signature technique broken so easily by Sizhu. He immediately aimed for Sizhu's neck to kill him quickly.
Sizhu was still stunned by the hole in his chest, he raised his fiery green staff but was too slow.
"O Lady born of wave and foam,
Whose hands both cradle and destroy,
Grant wandering souls a passage home—
Or drag them down without alloy."
Burst!
Before the xizhang staff could strike Sizhu's neck, Elizabeth, still lying down, raised her hand and shot a burst of water at Timon, stopping his movement and pushing him back several steps by the water spray.
"Ugh! Shit!"
Timon tried to lunge back at Sizhu, who was still not fully upright.
"靜心歸元,
氣轉萬脈,
靈光入骨,
百創皆合.
"Jìng xīn guī yuán,
qì zhuǎn wàn mài,
líng guāng rù gǔ,
bǎi chuāng jiē hé.
(Calm the heart and return to the origin,
Energy flows through a thousand veins,
Spiritual light penetrates the bones,
A hundred wounds unite and heal.)"
Within the blazing green mist of fire floating in the meeting room. A soft green glow covered every wound around Mei Mei. The holes in her friends' chests closed quickly.
Sizhu immediately turned around to block the swing of the xizhang staff aimed at his head.
CLANG!
CRASH!
The floor Sizhu stood on collapsed under the pressure of Timon's xizhang staff. The three of them—plus Kai Zen—fell to the floor below together.
"First blue fire technique; 藍色火焰斬; Lán sè huǒ yàn zhǎn! (Blue Fire Slash!)"
Kai slashed from above Timon, who immediately raised his xizhang staff. Timon used his staff as a shield to block the high-pressure blue fire slash aimed at his head.
CRASH!
Destroying the next floor and falling three floors down. Kai Zen and Timon immediately jumped back, finding stable footing to fight.
But Sizhu was still falling through the air. He raised his fiery green staff high above his head with both hands, ready to destroy the next floor.
"Ninth staff technique! 日落! Rìluò! (Sunset!)"
CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!
Sizhu destroyed Timon and Kai Zen's footing. The three of them fell down again, passing through four floors due to the impact of Sizhu's fiery green staff.
Now the three of them reached the floor where Goujian's sword was located. They landed and took their respective distances. Forming a triangle with the building ruins adding to the room's chaos.
"What a coincidence. I was just about to go to this floor." Timon rested his xizhang staff on his shoulder.
"I won't let you hurt my friends." Sizhu twirled his staff.
Kai casually stuck his sword into the floor while chewing gum.
Pop!
Timon lunged towards Sizhu, while Kai lunged towards Timon.
In front of Goujian's sword, still safely stored in a glass case, sparks of metal and the sound of wood staff clashing were heard in succession. Green fire and blue fire attacked the xizhang staff user, clanging every time he parried an attack or swung one.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Timon tried to escape Sizhu and Kai's pursuit. They kept pressing Timon from left and right, so Sizhu and Kai's attacks slowly managed to hit his body.
"You guys are really troublesome."
Jingle. Jingle.
Clang! Clang!
Pop!
Splatter!
Timon's left hand was severed by Kai's sword technique. Black blood gushed out and his severed hand was thrown away. It fell among the sea of Liu's clones beneath the pagoda.
Timon immediately jumped back. He stood near Goujian's sword while Sizhu and Kai were in front of him. Getting into position, preparing to finish him off.
"You guys are really troublesome, huh? Seriously, you should have let me go if you still value your lives." Timon smirked, provoking his two opponents.
Sizhu and Kai were still breathing calmly. Unprovoked.
"Timon... tell me. Why did you take Gui's body?" Sizhu asked Timon, who was leaning with one hand on the glass case of the Goujian sword. Sizhu and Kai had no idea what kind of sword was in the glass case. They thought it was just an ordinary antique sword.
"Ah, this?" Timon sneered, then tore off his face. Now a rotten, pale purplish-black skinned face like a corpse was visible. There was an inverted cross rune in the middle of his forehead. "I just took this corpse vessel. Since he was an unexpected variable for our plan, Paulus told me to infiltrate as him. Although not a Hunter, this kid's strength is equivalent to a three-star Hunter like you two."
Sizhu tightened his grip on the green flaming staff. Kai was still chewing gum and his feet were ready to stomp hard on the floor to slash his opponent's head.
"Even if it was brief, Gui was a friend who fought alongside me two nights ago. He died honorably. Whatever his purpose here, I'm sure he fulfilled it. Therefore, I won't let you leave here!"
Sizhu was the first to charge. Followed by Kai beside him, both condensed fire in their weapons, light green and dark blue.
Timon grinned widely. He broke the glass case with the tip of his staff, then threw his xizhang staff in front of Sizhu and Kai while he took the Goujian sword.
"HAHA! YOU FOOLS!"
Slash! Slash!
In a blink of an eye, Timon stood behind Sizhu and Kai. While the two young men were just about to swing their weapons, straight slashes on their chests opened wide. Gushing out copious red blood.
Sizhu and Kai's eyes widened to process what had just happened. Nevertheless, they remained standing and tried to attack Timon.
"First staff technique; 被火龍攻擊;
Bèi huǒlóng gōngjí! (Fire Dragon's Attack!)"
"First blue flame technique; 藍色火焰斬; Lán sè huǒ yàn zhǎn! (Blue Flame Slash!)"
The two burning flames surrounded Timon from two directions. He merely smirked. Before the two hot flames could burn his skin, Sizhu's left hand and Kai's right hand were cut off first. And Timon again stood behind their backs.
Red blood spurted high along with the two neatly severed hands.
In Timon's right hand, the characters on the Goujian sword glowed gold. He grinned widely, seeing Sizhu and Kai unable to match the power of the Goujian sword.
"HA! HA! HA! HA! YOU WEAKLINGS!"
From behind a pillar in the middle of the room, Elizabeth and Mei Mei appeared, firing water swords and bullets at an unsuspecting Timon.
"Naughty girls."
Before the bullets and water swords touched Timon's body, Timon suddenly stood behind Elizabeth and Mei Mei, who had launched a surprise attack.
The sword immediately aimed at their necks.
Slash!
Clang!
Clang!
Sizhu was the first to protect Elizabeth and Kai was the first to protect Mei Mei. But Timon's sword swing was so heavy that all four of them were pushed back several steps, hitting the wall.
Thud! Thud!
"Agh! Sizhu... Sizhu, your hand?" Elizabeth felt hot blood soaking her chest and it turned out to be from Sizhu, whose left hand was severed from the elbow.
Just like Kai, Mei Mei was surprised to feel wet blood on her robe that wasn't hers. Both of them were equally short and lay weakly against the wall.
"It's like that night... he's too strong for us..." Mei Mei said weakly. Seeing Timon standing in the middle of the room, laughing widely, enjoying the sight he saw, his left hand grew back quickly as if it had never been severed at all.
"Alright, alright, alright, time to chop off heads. I usually eat human bodies, but because I don't have time, I will only eat your hearts and brains. For me, those two parts are the most delicious meat in humans. Especially the brain or heart of a magic-talented girl and boy."
Timon glanced left and right. Weighing which human he wanted to decapitate first.
Before Paulus's voice suddenly sounded in his ears.
"Did you get the sword?" Paulus's voice was noisy behind him from the screams and stomping feet. Many sounds of swords spewing fire were also heard.
"Yes. I accidentally activated the sword and used some of its power. There were tournament participants who blocked me and they were quite strong. Ah, especially that green-eyed kid. He's the kid that the Grand Witch and young master are after, right?" Timon glanced at Sizhu who was kneeling on one knee.
"Don't kill him. The young master still wants him alive. Get out of there with Parmenas. The operation is over."
Timon snorted in annoyance while glancing at Sizhu.
"You're lucky, kid. I'll let you live today."
Then he smiled a wide, terrifying smile.
"But the girl behind you won't."
Sizhu immediately raised his staff, but suddenly Timon was already standing beside him and slashed Elizabeth's neck, who was behind Sizhu's back.
"Elizabeth!!!"
***