The Game Before the Fall

Chapter 37: An Ode to a Hero. (Part 3)

Ardent Friend:

I made it in time to see Zen's head being squeezed. My body acted before my mind did but just before I could throw myself to help her, Zen yelled.

"Stop!" Through sheer effort of will she managed to push the Clan Leader away and gain some distance. Her stance was broken and her body clearly bordering dysfunction. "Don't... I see it now. I see it." Her eyes met mine through the crowd and a smile split her lips, a laugh emanating when no one could expect it. "I see it now.... This is mana."

Her words immediately sent a shiver down my spine and like a heart beating for the first time, it began weakly, then stronger pulse, and another. I could feel it. The Aura within her body was focusing within her chest, spinning together to form something new. At first I thought I had to stop her. She had no mana. Creating a mana heart would kill her. But then I felt it. A wave of energy springing forth from her body. An energy blessed by the world and controlled by the world. She was exuding mana.

"That's-," impossible. I wanted to say it was impossible, but I was seeing it right before my eyes. Zen was converting Aura to mana, and it wasn't filling just her body but the space around her to the point even I felt it. From what I knew, Zen had never learnt that technique. It was special to those who learnt from Ratansi Concurser, and though I practiced it in game, using it in the current world was impossible for me. Yet Zen was doing it, and I could barely fathom how. Her wounds began to heal and before long she was standing fresh, the only damage to her clothes. Not only had she created her Mana Heart, she had filled it.

"Impossible," Callus remarked what everyone was thinking in the room. "A trick! You-."

"Just shut up," Zen appeared before him, even faster than before. Her fist collided against his chest, both Aura and mana intertwined together. The Clan Leader jumped back on instinct, barely saving his life as there on his chest, a hole had appeared, right where Zen had struck him.

Callus began to bleed and he roared in fury, forcing his Aura to seal the wound, "No! I refuse. You were done! You should be on your knees begging for your life! Begging for me to-."

Zen appeared again, this time at his side. Callus reacted faster, shoring his defence but was unable to stop himself skidding and bouncing off the cracked stage floor as Zen kicked him away.

"You've lost," Zen said simply, eyes staring at him pitifully.

Callus struggled to a stand, "I... I have not lost." Anger marred his expression, and his eyes scanned the crowd. They locked on to me.

"Oh shit!" I reacted instantly and pushed Stella who had been supporting me away. Callus charged through the clansman in between us, his hand reaching for my neck. He wanted a hostage. He needed a hostage. It didn't matter who was in the way as they were stomped and thrown to the side. My body couldn't move quickly enough but before he could grip my neck, Zen appeared beside us, holding his hands inches from my face.

"Don't you dare touch him," she squeezed, snapping his fingers before throwing him back to the centre of stage. She looked at me affectionately, "Ardent, it'll be over soon."

"Yeah... I see that," I almost couldn't believe it really. If this was Zen's strength now... how strong would she be after the Merge?

Zen smiled and leapt back onto the stage where Callus laid bleeding. The Clan Leader coughed and pulled his knee forward, trying to stand.

"It's over Callus. Admit your loss and we can end this cleanly," Zen stood over him, eyes burning bright purple.

"I-I!" Callus began but the words couldn't follow. He coughed again, blood and bile slipping out his lips. "I refuse."