February 5, 2023, Past Midnight
Dim yellow light. Its glow revealed blood dripping from half of a severed left ear in the air.
"Sizhu!"
Mei Mei and Elizabeth shouting together. That was a close call. The severed half of Sizhu's left ear fell and landed on the blood-soaked floor. If Sizhu hadn't slipped and bent down, it wouldn't have been half of his left ear that was cut off, but his head.
Assuming a low stance while stabilizing his almost-slipping body, Sizhu raised the staff in his left hand behind his shoulder. He didn't even bother at the severed half of his left ear. He focused on observing the opponent's next move after the chained cleaver was pulled back into the Butcher Witch's hand.
That last attack, it was so fast I almost couldn't react to dodge. I need to focus more, that cleaver has a long reach. Especially since we're trapped in this narrow room. That Witch really created a special room for his attack range. As long as we stay here, his accuracy in throwing or cutting us is almost like the sun rising in the east.
Sizhu glanced at the three doors on the wall in front of him, and one behind his back.
Elizabeth just shouted to check the doors one by one, because one of them is the exit from that fat Witch's reality marble. That way, He will have a hard time fighting us in the open field and his attack range will be limited.
In that case...
"I'll distract this fat Witch! You two!" Sizhu turned to Amon and Reza in the corner of the room. "Immediately check the contents of the doors on the wall!"
Amon and Reza nodded in agreement; in this situation, they momentarily forgot their group rivalry. It was better to cooperate to survive the Arch Witch's threat.
Elizabeth and Mei Mei on the other side also nodded, they understood the simple plan Sizhu shouted.
Sizhu tightened his grip on his staff, stomping hard on the blood-slicked floor. He began to prepare himself.
"Now!!"
Just as Sizhu lunged like a wolf towards the Butcher Witch, who greeted him with two wide cleaver swings from overhead.
Elizabeth, Mei Mei, Amon, Reza immediately ran to the door in the middle of the wall. The four of them immediately opened the iron door in the middle of each wall.
As soon as they opened them...
CLANG!
The sound of a very loud staff impact clashing with two large chained cleavers, sparking. The Butcher Witch grinned widely, while Sizhu resisted the heavy thrust of the two cleavers that were about to mince his face.
"NAUGHTY MEAT WILL NOT BE ABLE TO LEAVE HERE!"
The sound of chains moving was heard, then in an instant, as Sizhu's four companions were opening the iron doors wide, their feet were entangled by blood chains from the floor and flipped their bodies were hung from the ceiling of the basketball court-sized room.
"Ah!?"
"Ugh!?"
"Argh!?"
"Huh?!"
Mei Mei, Elizabeth, Amon, Reza, did not expect that what was behind the doors was just a pile of bricks. Not a single door led out. It was merely a trap for anyone desperate enough to try to escape.
Just as their bodies hung. The Butcher Witch spun her leg to the side, thinking he would throw Sizhu's body, Sizhu took one step back, but he did not expect that the Witch in front of him intended to cut all four of his companions entangled by the blood chains at once.
"HAHAHAHA!"
His body spun quickly while throwing the two large chained cleavers in his hands.
"على الأرض التي خلقت الحديد والصلب! أعطني قوة صلبة مثل الماس!
ʿala al-ard allati khalaqat al-ḥadīd wa al-ṣulb! aʿṭinī quwwa ṣulbah mithl al-mās!
(On the earth that created iron and steel! Give me strength as hard as diamond!)"
"Vāyuḥ mama mitram, pakṣi-svatantrya-ātman, kṣipatu mama śarīram!
(The wind is my friend, spirit of the freedom bird, blow my body away!)"
"Sacred vow of mountain river, take my vow and shield me!"
"八神護天—
bā shén hù tiān—
(Eight gods protect the heavens—)"
No time!
Two large, rapidly spinning chained meat cleavers attacked the four young people hanging upside down.
"Argh!"
Just as Amon finished casting the body-hardening spell, the chained meat cleavers almost severed Amon's hands that were protecting his neck, cutting so deeply that they scraped his arm bones.
"Egh-uhuk!"
As soon as a pigeon head-sized wind spirit appeared in front of Reza's face, the chained meat cleaver flew and cut his front neck halfway. But his body was first thrown by the flapping wind of summoned pigeon spirit.
"Ugh!"
A sphere of water formed to protect Elizabeth, but it was not strong enough against the fast-flying, sharp chained meat cleaver. The meat cleaver easily sliced through the water sphere, then cut Elizabeth's stomach quite deeply.
"Ah!"
Meanwhile, Mei Mei, who was late in casting a protective spell, accepting herself to seeing the chained meat cleaver flying towards her face. She didn't even have time to blink, but someone's back was quicker to protect her than the meat cleaver.
CLANG!
The sound of the meat cleaver hitting a staff echoed throughout the room. Sizhu was just in time to save Mei Mei, who was behind his back. Even so, he was still thrown back by the hard spin of the meat cleaver. His back and head hit the wall quite hard. Sizhu coughed several times.
"Cough! Cough!"
Amon, Elizabeth, and Reza, who had survived the deadly attack, immediately broke the blood chains that entangled their feet. Amon kicked the blood chain, Elizabeth threw a water sword, Reza told the pigeon wind spirit to break the chain on his foot.
They fell to the blood-soaked floor, gasping for breath due to their injuries and severe bleeding. Their hands immediately moved to cover the cut skin that was gushing blood.
Meanwhile, Mei Mei was still hanging upside down in the air. She had no talent for using offensive magic.
"Sizhu!"
Mei Mei squirmed, trying to free her feet from the blood chain's grip.
The butcher Witch, who had just pulled back her chained meat cleaver, smiled broadly at Mei Mei, who was still hanging.
"BEAUTIFUL FRESH GIRL MEAT! I WANT TO SKIN YOU AND EAT YOUR HEART LIKE BEFORE!"
The two-meter tall, fat Witch ran towards Mei Mei, who was squirming harder. For some reason, the Witch seemed to want to skin Mei Mei rather than chop her up as she usually did.
"Ah! Ah! Sizhu!" Mei Mei screamed, her body writhing, trying to escape the chains that bound her feet. The fat Witch ran quite slowly, but that only making Mei Mei more terrified. Sizhu, who was sitting against the wall, immediately got up upon hearing Mei Mei's terrified scream.
"LET'S SKIN THE FRESH GIRL MEAT!"
Blood flowed from the back of Sizhu's head. Sizhu wiped the blood from the back of his head, then smeared it on the wooden staff.
Without casting a spell, Sizhu's blood turned into small Chinese character runes that filled the entire wooden staff Sizhu was holding. It glowed blood red, especially on the carved letters on the staff.
His right foot stepped on the wall, he stomped his foot hard on the slippery blood-soaked floor.
"Third staff technique; 三龍尾睫毛!
Sān lóng wěi jiémáo. (Three Dragon Tail Whips.)"
TRAK! TRAK! TRAK!
As soon as the meat cleaver had just split Mei Mei's robe in two, Sizhu appeared in front of the butcher Witch's face, delivering three quick left and right blows to the head, stomach, and right thigh. The blows were so powerful that they tore flesh, and broking bone some cracked severely.
Finally, Sizhu delivered a kick in the air while his staff pierced the floor, providing a push from behind. It hit the Butcher Witch right in the solar plexus. The large body was thrown ten steps backward. Witch back landed on the blood-soaked floor.
Breaking the blood chain that entangled Mei Mei's feet, Sizhu immediately caught Mei Mei's body. Half of her torn robe fell to the floor, revealing Mei Mei's skin, who was only wearing underwear.
"D-don't look!" Mei Mei said, covering her chest. Her face flushed red even though Sizhu seemed not to care at all. His eyes were more focused on the Butcher Witch who was starting to get up.
Lowering Mei Mei's body so she could stand on her own, Sizhu pointed forward.
"I will kill that Witch. Mei Mei, if you can, quickly heal Elizabeth and the two young men over there." His green eyes shone brightly. He looked a little angry at seeing Elizabeth injured and Mei Mei almost killed. For the first time in his life, he felt angry when seeing someone hurt.
Mei Mei looked at Sizhu's frowning face and nodded. "I will heal them. Make sure you don't get fatal injuries, Sizhu."
"生命之女神,賜恩於其所造.願分微恩,以施於彼.
Shēngmìng zhī nǚshén, cì ēn yú qí suǒ zào. Yuàn fēn wēi ēn, yǐ shī yú bǐ.
(The goddess of life bestows grace upon your creations, give a little of your grace to him.)"
Mei Mei's small hand touched the back of Sizhu's head, which was bleeding. She chanted a low-level healing spell. Stopping the bleeding in Sizhu's left ear and the back of his head.
Sizhu felt a little better, his eyes more focused, waiting for the fat Witch to stand upright. His legs struggled to lift his big body because his right leg was not functioning properly. Sizhu's attack earlier had caused the Butcher Witch's left cheek swell inward, several of his internal organs rupture, and his right thigh bone break.
His face no longer wore a wide grin; now he had an open mouth full of anger. That rotten face stared deeply at Sizhu while his two hands tightened their grip on the chained meat cleavers.
"YOU ROTTEN BASTARD MEAT! I WILL CHOP YOU INTO PIECES UNTIL THERE'S NOTHING LEFT!"
The Butcher Witch threw his chained meat cleavers. Sizhu immediately became alert, but the direction of the throw was not at Sizhu. Instead, it was at the lamp that illuminated the room.
CRASH!
The sound of the lamp breaking, now there was no more dim yellow light, only thick darkness accompanied by the sound of heavy footsteps and rattling chains.
Sizhu, who was used to the lamplight, needed about several tens of seconds to re-accustom his eyes to the darkness.
But it was too late, from behind his back, a meat cleaver bounced off the wall beside him and slashed Sizhu's back, deep, from his right shoulder to his left waist.
Sizhu didn't expect it and immediately regulated his breathing, using the bleeding-stopping technique his teacher had taught him. Just like when fighting Muzhe.
The patient's shirt he was wearing torn at the back, showing a long cut line from the meat cleaver that flew from an unexpected direction.
Just as Sizhu finished regulating his breathing and using the bleeding-stopping technique. Another meat cleaver appeared right in front of his face without any sound of rattling chains.
Clang!
Amon's fiery kick deflected the meat cleaver that almost cut off Sizhu's head. Although Amon's two hands could no longer move, he still had his two legs.
"Hey! Hey! Hey! If you think you can kill that Arch Witch alone, you are very arrogant. I really hate arrogant people."
Amon stood in front of Sizhu, who was kneeling on one knee. He grinned, his two legs blazing with knee-high red flames, providing temporary light for the entire room.
His almost severed hands he had already burned to stop the heavy bleeding while Sizhu was busy saving Mei Mei.
Sizhu stood up, raised his staff, and took a stance beside Amon. "Don't block my way."
Amon grinned, lifting one leg to his stomach.
"I should be the one saying that. Don't die, kid!"
The butcher Witch ten steps ahead growled in annoyance. In his hands, two blood-stained chained meat cleavers.
"DAMN MEAT! YOU ARE NOTHING BUT USELESS MEAT!"
The two chained meat cleavers flew again, but this time sideways. The two cleavers bounced off the wall, creating unpredictable ricochets around the room.
However, due to the sufficient firelight, this time Sizhu could see where the cleavers were heading. He gracefully dodged, jumped, and lunged forward. Just like Amon beside him, who focused on avoiding the chained cleavers flying from behind his back, bouncing off the wall towards his stomach, dodging, then the cleavers bounced from the floor to the far wall and back again.
Two steps, they were in front of the two-meter-tall fat Witch. Sizhu spun his blood-glowing staff and struck towards butcher Witch's head, as did Amon, who jumped high, kicking towards the Witch neck beside Sizhu.
CRACK! THUD!
Both attacks were blocked by the butcher Witch's large, muscular, chained hands. While pulling back the two chained meat cleavers that were bouncing all over the room, almost hitting Mei Mei, who was healing Elizabeth's stomach wound, or Reza, who was sitting, controlling his breath and covering his heavily bleeding neck.
Sizhu and Amon did not stop and delivered a continuous barrage of attacks. The sound of impacts echoed. But the butcher Witch's hands were quick enough to parry every kick and staff blow, either of which could shatter a rock with one hit.
Until Sizhu and Amon focused their attack on the center of the butcher Witch's stomach. But it was blocked by the chained meat cleavers that were already back in his hands.
The Witch was forced to step back three paces.
Then he grinned once his cleavers were in hand, seeing Sizhu and Amon not stopping their continuous attacks.
He prepared another attack technique, one cleaver in front of his face and the other hand on his stomach.
"Meat cutting technique: BONE-BREAKING CUT!"
In one swift motion, faster than Sizhu's staff swing and Amon's kick aimed at the Witch's right thigh, both chained meat cleavers were thrown to the ceiling and bounced back as quickly as they were thrown. Severing Sizhu's left arm right at the elbow and Amon's right leg right at the knee.
Then pulling the chained meat cleavers back into his hands, while Sizhu and Amon were shocked, unable to feel their body parts that were severed so quickly, the butcher Witch with both hands aimed at Sizhu's and Amon's necks simultaneously.
Both eyes widened, seeing the sharp blades of the cleavers almost touching their necks.
However, the wind first slammed the Witch's body against the wall.
It was Reza's wind pigeon spirit, which Reza forced to unleash all of its spiritual power to throw the large body of the butcher Witch, saving Sizhu and Amon, who were almost killed.
The wind pigeon spirit immediately disappeared after expending all its abilities.
Both immediately jumped back, despite feeling immeasurable pain. Amon, especially, struggled to stand with only one left leg. The fire on his leg began to diminish. He forced himself to cauterize the heavily bleeding wound on his right leg. Until it stopped dripping.
"Sizhu!" Mei Mei and Elizabeth shouted simultaneously. She had just finished healing Elizabeth, while blood again flowed down her small nose. Dripping onto the blood-soaked floor.
The five youths stood side by side in the middle of the room.
With Reza almost losing consciousness due to heavy blood loss, Sizhu regulated his breathing to stop the bleeding on his left hand, and Amon fell to the ground, unable to stand up again.
I have to use that even if it makes me pass out for a whole day.
Mei Mei saw the chaotic situation, and Elizabeth, who had already begun to cast her best spell, decided to do whatever they could.
"Elizabeth, please give me two minutes to cast a high-level healing spell."
Elizabeth nodded, she stood in front of Sizhu and the three dying men.
"I'll try."
Meanwhile, the butcher Witch was now standing at the end of the wall again. Separated by a distance of fifteen steps.
While covering her bleeding nose, Mei Mei extended her right hand forward.
"天上女神,造生光,賜氣息於群生,賦魂於世間之器,創靈於所居之器.
予祈福於吾命所承之流,聽吾之請,賜傷魂以癒與力,以抗幽冥.
吾以己命之一部分,易彼破器之生.
Tiān shàng nǚshén, zào shēng guāng, cì qìxī yú qún shēng, fù hún yú shìjiān zhī qì, chuàng líng yú suǒ jū zhī qì.
Yǔ qífú yú wú mìng suǒ chéng zhī liú, tīng wú zhī qǐng, cì shāng hún yǐ yù yǔ lì, yǐ kàng yōumíng.
Wú yǐ jǐ mìng zhī yī bùfèn, yì bǐ pò qì zhī shēng.
(Heavenly goddess who creates the light of life, gives breath to every living creature, gives spirit to vessels in this world, creates souls in every vessel filled with spirit. I ask for your blessing from the mana flow within my life, hear my request, give healing and strength to wounded souls to fight against darkness. I exchange a part of my life for their broken vessels.)"
"於汝,造化之女神,應吾之召.
Yú rǔ, zàohuà zhī nǚshén, yìng wú zhī zhào.
(To you, goddess of creation, answer my call.)"
***