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Fear wasn’t a new thing to March. She had felt it many times before; facing the Doomsday Beast, watching Stelle be stabbed through the chest, fighting Phantylia, discovering the truth of Penacony’s dreamscape, confronting Sunday and the remnants of The Order. But this fear- this terror - was something entirely different. It ran hot and sharp through her veins, sending all her nerves firing and all her muscles shaking. She could feel her heart pound in her chest. She was terrified, she couldn’t deny that.
Even so, March was no stranger to fear.
With hands shaking and pulse racing, she raised her left sword toward the looming figure of Hoolay. The borisin let out a deep scoff. He took a step toward her, baring his fangs in a toothy smile. Adrenaline rushed through her system, screaming for her to run , but she refused to move.
Hoolay stopped, head tipping casually to the side, “How curious. You should be quivering with fear by now. I see it in your eyes. I can smell it too. You’re afraid . And yet you remain standing, unlike the other two whelps.”
March glanced behind her. Both Yunli and Yanqing were kneeling on the floor, trying their best to recover from the lupotoxin. Yunli had a furious look on her face. Despite the terror locking her body in place, March could see her hand slowly creeping toward her sword. Her lips were curled back in a scowl, displaying her aggression despite her inability to act on it. Yanqing, in contrast, had a much calmer expression. His face twitched with effort as he kept his eyes closed. March saw the slow rise and fall of his chest. Under his fingers, a thin film of ice was spreading. The air near him was noticeably colder. If March was reading the two’s signals right, they were readying a counterattack.
She just had to buy them time.
She turned back to Hoolay, feeling a fresh wave of resolve flow through her veins. She straightened her posture, holding her sword a little bit higher.
Hoolay gave a deep, scratchy laugh, “Are you sure there isn’t a bit of borisin in you, pup?”
“As if!” March exclaimed, “The Astral Express has faced worse threats than you before! It’ll take more than that to scare me!”
Hoolay laughed again, the hint of a growl working its way in, “I see! Perhaps you will give me an entertaining fight then, before the true competition arrives. Come, whelp . Give me a real challenge!”
The borison lunged, claws lashing out in a green blur. March yelped, managing to dodge out of the way just in time. His scimitar then slashed toward her, and she jumped back to avoid it. They grazed just by her face, slicing through the very ends of her hair. She barely had time to register Hoolay’s attacks before another was coming her way. March ducked under his snapping jaws. Looking up, she saw his neck exposed. Using both legs to propel herself, March slashed upward with a sword, keeping the other in position to block. The blade sliced through fur and flesh. Dark red bloomed from the open wound. Hoolay roared, bringing his sword down on March. She raised her swords to block, but the force of his strike was too powerful for them to be of use. He flung her backwards, March landing hard on her side. She climbed to her feet, swallowing back a hiss of pain. Hoolay grinned and lunged forward. His claws tore through her shoulder, ripping through fabric and flesh alike. She gasped, barely stopping herself from falling over. The pain burned like liquid fire through her arm. She clutched the wound, praying for it to stop bleeding.
Hoolay walked slowly toward her, licking the blood from his paws, “Not bad, for a whelp. But you’re still no match for me.”
March glared at the borisin. She bent down to pick up her swords, gripping them tightly in her hands. Trails of blood still trickled down her arm, but she ignored the feeling. She had to fight. She had to buy her mentors time. She couldn’t give up now!
March inhaled a deep breath, digging her heels into the ground. She leveled her gaze to meet with Hoolay’s. A shiver of fear crept down her spine, but she pushed it down. She wouldn’t let him win, fear be damned!
Hoolay lunged forward with teeth stretched into a maniacal grin. March tracked his movements, waiting for him to start swinging before thrusting her sword into the joint between his arm and torso. He growled, trying to wrench his arm away. March followed, preventing him from removing the sword. She felt the air flutter behind her, and, just as Hoolay’s other arm moved to strike her, she jumped. She used the handle of her sword to push herself up, flipping forward. As she flung herself over Hoolay’s shoulder, she reached down and slid her sword out of his arm with a twist.
Hoolay snarled, snapping at March with his jaws. She twist her torso to change direction mid-air, landing on her feet. She stumbled slightly before stabilizing herself. Hoolay whipped around to face her, an angry growl in this throat. March met his gaze, simply pointing her swords toward him.
“You have some clever tricks, pup,” He spat, breathing hard, “But tricks are not enough to defeat me. ”
March didn’t answer. She stood as still as possible, watching for when his muscles tensed. Hoolay, taking her stillness as fear, grinned. He bounded forward at her, both hands and feet crashing against the ground. March stood her ground, following his path with her eyes. He pounced at her, powerful legs leaving dents in the floor as she jumped. She calmly turned her gaze to look upward.
Wait, March. You just have to wait.
He fell down toward her, a manic howl tearing itself from his throat. Closer he came, then closer, close enough for her to clearly see the fur of his underbelly, close enough that he was almost upon her-
A voice, piercingly clear, spoke a single word.
Strike.
Her blade swept through the air, through Hoolay's fur, through his skin, and through the flesh below. An enraged scream tore through her ears, but she could hardly hear it. All she could hear was that piercing voice.
Step forth.
She dashed forward, blade spraying an arc of brilliant red. Droplets stained her face and hands, but she didn't care. She turned to face Hoolay. He lifted a blood-soaked hand from his stomach, looking at it with something akin to surprise.
The voice gave a pleased hum. Good. Now, wait.
March settled into a relaxed stance, eyes locked on Hoolay. He met her gaze, fury lighting on his face as he charged. He raised an arm to crush her with his claws.
Slash right.
She swung her right sword across Hoolay's chest. Fresh drops of ruby red flung from the cut. Hoolay roared, rearing back.
Step left.
She ducked under him, darting to the side.
Slash up.
She dragged her right sword across his abdomen, letting momentum create the force for her. Hoolay howled, crashing to the ground. He gripped his stomach, blood slowly leaking past the gaps in his fingers.
March was about to attack him again, but a feeling in her gut told her to stop. She backed away, moving in the direction opposite her masters. Behind Hoolay, she could see the two of them getting up. Yunli was already lifting her sword, eyes burning with rage. Yanqing clasped his hands, fractals of ice forming between his fingertips. They met eyes, and she could feel cold air whip past her.
You see, my hunter?
Hoolay staggered to his feat, glaring at March with undisguised rage. He began walking toward her, his trot breaking into a run.
He believes himself predator.
Light bloomed in her vision. Suddenly, she could see the channels of energy running through Hoolay’s body. Every line, every point, now revealed to her in full. THEIR voice whispered in her ear as THEIR hands guided her, showing her each weakness, each place to strike. Adrenaline roared through her veins, only now, it came not from fear, but from triumph .
Make him prey.
March darted forward, blades sinking into flesh. Hoolay roared, attempting to fling her back. Before he could, a glowing greatsword slammed into his side. Yunli peeked out from behind it, grinning at March. She reciprocated the smile, “Good to see you up, Master Yunli!”
“Good to be up!” The girl shouted back, “No time for talk now! March, to me!”
“Yes ma’am!” March slid into place beside Yunli, brandishing her twin swords. The Xianzhou native surged forward, swinging her sword in a wide arc. March slipped in between her and Hoolay, slicing his stomach as he tried to block the greatsword. She slid between his legs as he stepped back, trying to slash Yunli. His sword slammed against the girl’s broad blade, rendered ineffective. He growled with frustration, pushing against the sword to try and get to her. March darted behind him, then toward him, plunging her swords into his back. He burst upward, trying to shake her off. She hung on as tightly as she could. A twisting nausea formed in her gut, only to disappear as soon as it came.
You may feel your wounds later, but not now. Do not cease your hunt.
March nodded to the voice, digging her heels into Hoolay’s back. Try as he might, he wasn’t able to remove her. Yunli charged at him, slamming her sword into his face. March jumped off as he fell backward, dispelling her swords before summoning them back to her hands.
“Damned whelps !” Hoolay roared. He stood up, turning his attention toward the two girls. His face twisted into a maddened smile, “I’ll devour you all!”
He charged toward the pair, the ground shaking from the sheer force of his steps. March grit her teeth, bracing for impact. Yunli did the same, planting her sword firmly in the ground.
But, before he could reach them, the unmistakable crackling of ice echoed through the air.
Hoolay stopped dead in his tracks, a rough breath tumbling from his throat. A blade, crystalline blue, pierced through his chest. A faint blue light rose up from behind the borisin. Yanqing levitated in the air, a circle of swords spinning behind his back.
“Don’t forget about me, abomination .”
Ice crystals grew out from the exposed blade, climbing along Hoolay’s skin until they covered the entirety of his chest. The borisin head was immobilized, snarling and growling but unable to act. Yanqing floated to where March and Yunli were, looking at Hoolay with a steely gaze.
Hoolay laughed, sounding breathless, “I admit, pups, you’re stronger than I gave you credit for. However,” his laugh grew louder, more crazed, as the ice around him began to crack, “You still aren’t strong enough to beat me!”
He lunged forward, swiping his sword at Yanqing. It fell, coming close enough to slice through the boy’s hair.
That was as far as it got, however, as a red-gloved hand came up and knocked it from Hoolay’s grip.
Feixiao stood before Hoolay, staring at him with piercing green eyes.
Hoolay looked up, a strange look in his eyes as he saw her, “So, you’ve finally come. Good. I was starting to lose interest here.”
Feixiao’s face hardly changed as she spoke to him, “That’s enough boasting, Hoolay. You know you’ve lost.”
“Have I?” The borisin laughed, the manic grin from before returning to his face, “Perhaps. But that does not mean you have won.”
With his free arm, Hoolay plunged his claws into his chest. March stepped back with a gasp, eyes widening at the tearing of flesh and snapping of bones.
“If I shall meet my demise, then so shall all of the Xianzhou Luofu!”
Hoolay laughed as blood poured to the floor. His hand came free with a sickening crunch, a bloody red orb resting in its palm. It glowed with a sickly light, floating into the air. As it rose, the sky around it turned crimson. March couldn’t help but stare at it in horror.
Feixiao leapt into action. Summoning her winged spirit, she soared upward to consume the deadly light. As its crimson faded from the sky, so too did the General fall toward the earth.
Do not lay your weapon down yet. THEIR voice whispered to her. Your battle is not yet over.
Stride forth, my hunter, and slay this beast once and for all!