Four masked figures collided with two determined partners.
Ren shot his arm out, spear thrusting forward—blocked by one—as another's mace glided through the air.
Ren smirked and sidestepped, the ground crushed under the strength of the strike. He retaliated with a sweeping strike of his spear, but didn't let it end there. A vortex of wind spiraled out from his free hand, launching one of the attackers backward.
His spear, however, met resistance—the figure blocking it with his blade, grunted beneath the force, struggling to hold his footing. Ren dropped the spear.
The attacker's eyes tracked the falling weapon—a critical mistake.
A fist cracked against his cheek, followed immediately by a blow to the liver. He gasped out in pain, just barely raising his arms in time to block a third strike. His mask splintered, revealing a half-exposed face wearing a calm frown.
"Didn't expect that, did ya?" Ren grinned.
But before he could capitalize further, the one who had been flung back returned with orange lightning wrapped around his form, blitzing behind Ren.
Ren chuckled, lifted his spear again, stance wide—
CRASH!
The mace came down.
Ren blocked it.
Steel clashed with stone and Qi. The impact sent a tremor through Ren's body. His arms strained under the weight of the blow as he grit his teeth, footing holding firm while the ground fractured beneath.
"Arrogance will be your undoing," the masked figure growled, pulling a hooked dagger from his waist.
Before it could pierce him, Ren laughed.
"Way to act cocky when it's two against one handsome fellow."
He blocked the dagger with a burst of wind palm—but his focus split just long enough for a third opponent to slide in.
Thud!
A foot slammed into Ren's back, sending him stumbling forward—straight into the next mace strike.
---
Su was facing the two others, using both rapiers to block and counterattack.
"Ugh!"
A gauntlet-wielding figure struck her gut, making her stagger.
'They're the same realm as my husband. I'm too weak to face them head-on.'
Staggering back, Su suddenly threw one rapier into the air.
It spun upward.
The gauntlet-wielder and the whip-wielder glanced upward, confused.
She then raised her other rapier. As the two swordpoints aligned—
A radiant white beam shot between them.
"WATCH OUT!" the sword-wielder fighting Ren shouted.
"HUAA!"
Su slashed.
The beam seared through everything in its path.
SPLATTER. CRACK.
The house cleaved in half.
Everyone ducked.
Ren peeked out, laughing breathlessly, proud.
The attackers remained crouched, stunned. Their gauntlet-wielding comrade lay in two halves, blood bubbling from his ruined torso.
The mace-wielder's eyes sharpened. 'How did such a variable not come up in clan intel?'
"Aggh!" Su screamed.
The arm she had used to channel her Qi through the rapier now hung mangled.
Ren frowned. 'Focusing all your spiritual energy into a single arm at Qi Gathering… your body will break under the pressure.'
The mace-wielder charged.
Ren leaned back, the mace slamming into stone.
He spun, blocked the sword-wielder's strike, and forced both back with a sweeping counter.
"Tch, this is taking too long," the swordsman scoffed.
AGH!
Ren turned—
The whip-wielder lashed out.
Su missed the dodge.
Her arm was ripped off clean, flying and thudding onto the bloodied ground.
"SU!"
BOOM!
The mace struck Ren's stomach. His body launched backward, crashing into the remains of their home.
He coughed blood, slamming his palm onto the ground.
WHOOOM!
A wind burst upward.
The swordsman blitzing forward was flung skyward—
Ren smirked.
A wind lance formed and pierced upward, skewering the man through the gut and pinning him like meat on a stick.
He gasped, eyes wide, blood foaming—but still managed a dying smirk.
BOOM!
An explosion rang out.
Ren's foot had triggered a trap hidden in the rubble.
His body flew back—shredded, scorched, half gone.
One leg. One arm. Half a face.
Gone.
He coughed, sitting amidst rubble, burned flesh and torn muscle.
The mace-wielder rushed in, mace raised.
Time froze.
Ren saw Su.
Kneeling, shaking. The whip-wielder stood over her, mask removed, rugged face leaning in—
Closer.
Lips nearing hers.
"...Ren," Su whispered. A ghost of a breath. Maybe it was the wind.
CRACK!
The mace landed—on the house floor. Ren was gone.
"Ghost Step."
He appeared beside Su and the attacker, balancing on one leg; already in this midst of falling.
Something cracked inside him.
Before the man could kiss her—
SLASH.
Ren swung.
Su's head flew clean off.
"Su… I'll see you soon."
Her head thudded, rolled to his foot.
The whip-wielder staggered back.
Ren smirked.
"You thought I'd let that happen?" He wheezed out, bood dripping down onto his chin, his body flopped down.
CRACK!
A blow from behind.
His head smashed into the ground.
Thoughts stopped. The fire in his chest—gone.
The mace-wielder stood over him, weapon soaked with Ren's remains.
"That was harder than it was supposed to be."