Kai

  He wasn’t sure how he’d react if he ever encountered the warrior who struck down Van again. He expected anger. Maybe a burning vengeance similar to Emil’s. Or perhaps he’d took a more righteous route, compelled by a sense of a duty to right the shame of causing a superior’s death. Kai barely knew Van and he had plenty of grievances about how the man warped their mission in the Saar into a personal affair. But at the very least, he knew that the frivolous man truly tried to protect them before he met his untimely end.

  That meant something. For Kai who rarely received kindness as a Gharian in Ardair, this level of sacrifice had to be repaid. Who cared if he was dealing with the Zal’Khari’s strongest warrior? In Kai’s mind, Van’s death was a fluke. The man was distracted. He was exhausted from the sandstorm and sandworms. He was occupied with Kai and Liesel’s impending deaths. In the midst of that chaos, his would-be executor had snuck up on him unawares.

  So when Nasir appeared before the bloodied corpses of several Dhazara warriors, Kai didn’t expect his own reaction.

  He was focused. Every sense was honed in on the Zal’Khari Exalted. His eyes traced every twitch of his muscles. His mana perception narrowed only to Nasir’s vicinity.

  Kai was trembling. Sweating. His throat felt dry. He hesitated to swallow as though a single unintended motion would distract him for just a moment. A moment long enough to result in his death. Every instinct of his body screamed at the Zal’Khari’s presence. Mixed signals stormed his subconscious.

  Run. Fight. Run. Fight. Run. Run. Run.

  The dread was debilitating. Murderous energy warped around Nasir in a thick, sharp veil. Kai felt like he was staring down a forest of spears, ready to decapitate and maim at a moment’s notice if he let his guard down. The entire battlefield around him seemed to freeze. Everyone’s attention was drawn to Nasir.

  How? How could a single person command this much attention? Was this how the Zal’Khari felt before Emil’s warpath?

  Emil. Where was he? He needed to be here—

  Cabi was the first to move. The broad-chested man slammed his fists into the ground with a thunderous roar. A chunk of the ground splintered off into the air. Mana shrouded his palms as he blasted the heavy fragment forward with the power of cannon fire.

  Nasir vanished. His body suddenly disappeared from sight as the stone chunk crashed into the ground. But his suffocating bloodlust never vanished. The weight of his pressure loomed like an ever-present threat.

  Squelch!

  The harrowing crunch of bone and flesh rang in the air. Kai glanced to the side. Cabi was hunched over. A wide and incredulous gaze in his eyes as blood spilled from his mouth. The left part of his broad chest suddenly had a massive hole tore through. Glimpses of flesh and sinew were ripped apart, dangling in the empty space. The inside of Cabi’s body was exposed and its interior was mangled beyond description. Nasir stood at the man feet with an outstretched arm. From hand to elbow, it was soaked in blood.

  Kai realized he hadn’t even seen him move.

  “Argghhh!”

  Cabi let out a ferocious roar. The war cry of the dying man was mired in pain and anger. With his final breath, he stomped the ground with a last act of rebellion. A column of stone rose around Nasir’s lower half, caging him to the ground.

  “Fire!” Inaya ordered immediately as if Cabi’s suicidal attack had been part of the plan all along. Her arms were extended, weaving a violent blast of energy. The Dhazara warriors unloaded their crossbows.

  Time seemed to slow. Kai watched as Nasir grabbed Cabi’s colossal body with both hands. With an astonishing ease, he flung the man in Inaya’s direction like a rag doll. Inaya released her energy blast at the same time.

  The projectile detonated the instant it made contact. It was unleashed too early. Caught in the blast radius, Inaya was tossed backwards into the wall from the impact. Gore sprayed into the air, drenching the vicinity in Cabi’s mutilated remains. Blue haze fumed in the aftermath. Kai could see Inaya’s silhouette slumped against the wall—her fate unknown.

  Nasir turned his attention to the remaining Dhazara warriors. He raised his arms in a cross guard to cover his vitals as the steel bolts punctured his body. A trail of scarlet raced down his torso. Aside from that, however, he appeared unfazed. His face was blank without a hint of pain. His gaze unchanged. He rose to his feet, brushing off the attack, unhindered by the apparently trivial wounds. With a swing of his hand, a storm of razor-thin projectiles came towards the Dhazara warriors.

  The effect was instant.

  The warriors screamed in pain as needles latched on their skin. Inexplicably, they all fell to their feet despite the apparent lack of lethal injuries. But Kai soon noticed something was off. All of them were convulsing. Their hands shook uncontrollably. Snot and bile foamed at their nose and mouth. The disturbing sight soon turned into a cacophony of suffering. They choked and vomited and cried before succumbing to a harrowing end.

  Poison.

  Whatever Nasir had used was extremely potent. Kai had never seen anything like it.

  Everyone is dead.

  The realization struck him like a crashing wave. The entire confrontation had only lasted a few seconds. Somehow, he was the only one alive. Inaya might have been still breathing, but she was incapacitated.

  I have to move.

  He could still get out. Nasir would not risk letting Inaya live. Even now, the Zal’Khari Exalted stalked towards her like a predator relishing in the thrill of the hunt. Kai had a few seconds. He just had to run.

  But his legs refused to move. Why? Did he not want to live?! It should have been simple. He finally had a chance to make his escape. All he had to do was fight his way past the crowd of Zal’Khari warriors and then sprint down the closest passageway. He could do it. It would be easy. Right?

  Deep down, he knew his escape was impossible. The Zal’Khari would not allow it. Nasir would hunt him down with his terrifying speed. Even if he managed to create some distance, the Azurite mine was a labyrinth of branching paths. He would be never able to find his way back out and rendezvous with everyone else before being caught. It just wasn’t impossible.

  But I still have to try.

  Right?!

  He felt himself slump to his knees. Every limb in his body was weak with fear. Despair engulfed his subconscious, swallowing what little resolve he had left. It was pathetic. Humiliating. No matter how much he tried, he couldn’t wrestle back control. His body had already decided to give up.

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  The air around him suddenly burned.

  Fire rained down in the shape of lances. Nasir raised his guard against the conflagration. Several flame lances stabbed into his arms before his immediate proximity was purged in a scorching maelstrom. Emil landed into the fire. Flames trailed his limbs. His skin flared red as his muscles were infused with the strength supplied by Blaze.

  The two Exalted instantly plunged into melee. The thunderous sound of their punches resonated across the subterranean chamber. Kai struggled to track their movements. Everything was a blur as a flurry of attacks were exchanged with incredible power.

  Boom!

  A deafening hit sent both combatants flying backwards. Emil’s feet skidded across the platform, leaving behind a line of scorched earth in his trail. The flames attached to his body flared with vengeance. His clothes were torn and burned to rags.

  Across his exposed skin, Kai found several stingers embedded in his arm.

  Emil

  Poison.

  The stinging sensation of the needles lingered. Emil focused on the discomfort, tracing the feeling of the foreign substances invade his bloodstream. His head felt woozy. His throat itched. His heart palpitated with an abnormal cadence. And then suddenly, everything ceased. He took a deep breath and felt the discomfort wash away.

  His Steiger training took effect.

  Thanks to weeks of vomiting and torture under Hortensia’s watchful eye, he had gained immunity to most known poisons and toxins. It was ambiguous whether or not his body could fend off the effects of a poison produced by a Gift, but he still had options. If his natural immunity was insufficient, he could always forcefully burn away the toxins with Blaze. It would have hurt immensely and degraded his ability to fight, but at least he would have lived. Still, not a preferable choice given who he was up against.

  Nasir.

  The Exalted with the Smiling Mask who murdered Van. The Zal’Khari’s strongest warrior.

  A fitting title.

  Their brief exchange proved it. He glanced down. His arms and torso were maimed with bloody incisions. A few of the joints in his fingers had been dislocated and several bones in his ribcage were broken. A mild sting throbbed against his chest each time he breathed.

  Three things came to mind as he analyzed their initial brawl.

  One, Nasir was exceptional in close combat. Two, he had partial resistance to his flames. Not complete immunity. He definitely suffered damage from Blaze, but the effects were diminished compared to normal. And three—

  He’s a shapeshifter.

  Something was responsible for his disturbing physical capabilities and his otherworldly durability. It had to be the result of a Gift. At the same time, the poison stingers that he fired at him was unnatural. The projectiles were also a Gift, not a physical weapon. He was sure of it. He felt a distinct mana signature when the needles plunged into his skin.

  An Exalted’s Gift usually fell under a rigid scope. Blaze commanded flames. Bulwark controlled earth. Van’s manipulated shadows. The exceptions were shapeshifters. Being able to transform their bodies into creatures and beings of mythology seemed to break the established convention. A shapeshifter had access to a wider scope of abilities depending on their understanding and belief of said transformation. Since most shapeshifter became beings of legends, they were generally also imbued with enhanced strength.

  Needless to say, they were incredibly difficult opponents.

  Not only were the limits of their Gift challenging to predict, but their devastating physical strength also gave them few weaknesses to exploit.

  And he’s already this strong without transforming.

  Out of all the shapeshifters that he had the displeasure of fighting, Nasir was likely one of the strongest.

  Emil felt the corners of his mouth lift. He was elated. Nasir lived up to the rumors. He expected nothing less from the man who killed his senior. The taste of vengeance would be so much sweeter.

  Blocking his attacks is out of the question.

  Nasir’s strength likely exceeded his own. Even with his body fortified by Blaze’s infusion, his arms had come out of the exchange mangled. Just like in his fight against Melody, he had to rely on his instincts and evade any direct clashes. Blaze would gradually whittle away the Zal’Khari’s advantages. And when an opportune moment arrived, he could use Bulwark to overturn the momentum of the fight. The key to this confrontation then, laid in his ability to read Nasir’s tendencies.

  The two of them glared at each other, focused, processing the minute details of their initial bout while honed in on any sudden movements from their opponent. Frankly, time wasn’t on Emil’s side. The Dhazara contingent led by Inaya had been cut down in an instant. The slave revolt at the bottom of the chamber was losing momentum in his absence. Kai was behind him, going mad over the bloodshed while desperately trying to hold back the oncoming Zal’Khari warriors. Inaya, incapacitated.

  Everything had gone to shit.

  If he was being honest, he knew this was the likely outcome. The Dhazara contingent’s ambush was the sacrificial lamb to draw out Nasir. He couldn’t have cared less for Inaya’s fate and the overarching conflict between the Gharian tribes. There was no need for pretenses. Nabil wanted to use them to fight his own war for him—why shouldn’t he do the same?

  As for Kai, well, he’ll figure it out. He had to, if he wanted to survive this hellish battlefield. If he refused to change and continued to be a burden, then so be it. Van had already died for his sake.

  It was subtle. Barely noticeable. But Nasir’s knees suddenly dipped. A precursor to action. That was enough to trigger Emil’s reaction. Blaze erupted, creating a flaming perimeter around Emil’s position. There was no use trying to hit Nasir at range. His speed and mobility were too fast for any projectiles to land. Instead, Emil offered him a conundrum—engage him in melee and risk being burned or relinquish the initiative.

  The Zal’Khari lunged headfirst into his conflagration without hesitation. Blaze latched onto his body and began ravenously feasting on his flesh. Nasir’s gaze never changed. There was not a single hint of pain across his face as he unleashed a lateral cross.

  Emil leaned back. Wind cut the space above his head as Nasir’s attempt went wide. His arm was like a blade, sharper than any forged steel. Caught in a precarious position, Emil triggered an ignition beneath his feet. The force of the spontaneous combustion sent him upwards as he flipped back onto an upright stance. Nasir was upon him instantly.

  “Burn!”

  The word turned into reality as flames shot out of his mouth in a narrow cone. The scalding burst engulfed Nasir’s face. The Zal’Khari faltered for a second as though taken aback by the intensity of the fire. But his arms lashed out regardless.

  Pain exploded from the top of his shoulder blades as a chunk of flesh was ripped apart by Nasir’s errant attack. Emil dipped his body at the last second, but his reaction was slow. His flames should have stolen away the Zal’Khari’s sight, but Nasir’s rampage continued unimpeded. Attacks were tossed out with reckless abandon. Emil did his best to dodge, but the speed of the assault was unrelenting. Blood sprayed. Meat cleaved away as he barely managed to avoid lethal blows.

  Is he immune to pain?!

  His flames were working. He could smell the nauseating fumes of scorched flesh in the air. Nasir’s skin had boils all over, the texture bubbling as if the skin was on the verge of being melted off. A portion of his body had started to black from enduring the intense flames. But the man refused to slow down. Just how much abuse could he take?

  I don’t have a choice. Consequences be damned.

  As he was forced to step back in retreat, Emil channeled mana into his feet. The ground before Nasir caved in. The space disappeared and the sudden lack of solid footing disrupted his stance. For an instant, Nasir’s relentless assault stopped. It was barely a blip, but the split second of breathing room was enough for Emil to contest the initiative.

  Stone spikes erupted from all cardinal directions around Nasir’s position. The Zal’Khari’s head swerved around in disbelief at the unexpected phenomenon. A desperate swing cut down the stone projections. But the opening was enough. Nasir was a step behind as Emil lunged in for the kill. A blade of stone emerged in his hand. He slashed, aiming for the throat.

  Squelch!

  Emil clicked his tongue as he narrowed his eyes through the spray of blood.

  Nasir had lowered his head and tucked his chin at the last second, resolved to protect his neck from the lethal strike. A nasty incision was drawn across his face. The flesh drooped and peeled back to exposed bone. His Smiling Mask had also been severed. The mask fell and the lower half of his face was unveiled. One half of his mouth and jaw appeared to be disfigured, mauled to the point where his gums and teeth were permanently on display.

  Emil took in the disturbing sight without reaction. If anything, the hideous sight made the enemy in front of him even more compelling to kill. Without missing a beat, he unleashed a torrent of flames and fragments.

  Nasir’s body glowed a brilliant blue.

  The ambient mana stirred with violence. A wave of exploded outwards. All of Emil’s attacks were blown away and he himself was pushed back by the ensuing force. Amidst the blue radiance, Nasir’s silhouette began to change. His form grew monstrous. Bestial features emerged. He got taller. His frame broadened.

  When his transformation was complete, he was on all fours. His grisly face remained, now attached to the body of a lion and decorated in an ebon mane. Scaly wings sprouted from his back and a large tail covered in venomous spines appeared at his rear.

  Well, isn’t this something?

  Emil could only smile in the face of his adversary’s new form.