The Flower Among the Flames

Chapter 26

 "GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

"HOLY F–"

"AIM FOR THE EYES! AIM FOR THE EYES!"

"I CAN'T SEE 'EM!"

"AIM FOR SOMETHING!" Yul screamed, grabbing the arms of Choi and Bao He, who stood on either side of him, and dragged them along towards the center of the hall. They made no words in protest towards his actions, their minds in a daze at the unimaginable sight. The sound of gunfire reverberated in the building as the line of soldiers began unloading on the monstrous being. But it went downhill very quickly. A roar akin to thunder rumbled through the entire building. A sudden gale of wind followed, forcing the troops in front of the gate to the floor or even fly fifteen meters backwards. The sounds of their thunderous weapons ceased, and the wall exploded from a massive impact of brute force.

"MOVE!" Jiang Hua ordered, dodging the cascade of falling debris speeding towards the line. Screams of terror were heard as Sheng and Joseon troops alike ran, jumped, rolled, and ducked for their lives. Massive stones and shattered wood rained down on them like arrows let loose from a volley. Guan Liang hollered out curses as he and his wyvern were struggling to safety. The debris pummeled soldiers left and right. Some were killed instantly in a explosion of red mass whereas others were left pinned to the floor.

When the violent downpour ended, what was left was a dreadful silence. A cloud of dust and ash that concealed whatever lay in front of them. Yul let go of Bao He and Choi and immediately went for his sword Zhèngyì. A shrill sound of steel being drawn from a scabbard brought the life back into the troops. He barked out an order. "Reform on me!"

Joseon troops grunted in response and formed another line of shields and muskets behind their commander, their eyes set forward towards whatever monstrosity lay ahead. Bao He glanced at the rapid response from Yul's troops and was quietly impressed. Even in times of supernatural crisis, it seems they are extremely organized. He thought to himself with a slight pang of jealousy. Bao He looked towards his own men. Some were bending over in exhaustion whereas others were standing idle, staring warily towards the gates. He was not going to be outdone. He would show them that the Sheng were a fighting force to be feared too.

"Form up!" Bao He shouted, raising his sword in the air to gain the attention of his own men. Though slower, the Sheng troops gradually formed up into their own ranks, spear-points jutting out from behind a wall of iron. Jiang Hua and Shao Li took up positions on either side of Bao He with their own weapons drawn.

Jiang Hua's face was a pale sheet of white. She had nearly been crushed by a large chunk of rubble, and were it not been for Shao Li, she would be dead. It was moments like these were she remembered that the woman was on her side, despite their quarrelling and disagreements. Her hands were twitching with a mixture of anticipation and fear as the tremors from earlier resurfaced. It was coming.

Yul held his breath, his heart roaring against his ribs. He took on a defensive stance, his hands pulling his massive sword close to his chest. The sound of cocking hammers echoed behind him, and the straining of bowstrings whispered hoarsely to his left where the Sheng line was. He could hear clanging up ahead now. Soo-Won.

"That idiot," Yul muttered. "He's still out there."

Choi gave him a sidelong look. Will he die?

"No clue." He hated to admit it, but Yul seriously doubted Soo-Won was capable enough to handle what they were facing all alone. There was a muffled battle cry and the sounds of rapid footsteps approaching them. A figure emerged from the dissipating ash at frantic speed with a trident in his right arm. Soo-Won's armor was a mess with a massive rent through the front, his helmet was gone, but otherwise was virtually unharmed. Shao Li raised her eyebrows. What the hell? How did he manage to survive without as much as a scratch?