Chapter 61: HATE
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YOU HAVE ENTERED A JINGOZI MATCH
Opponent(s):
<ol>
<li>
Kyra [Amazon]
</li>
</ol>
The air in the Jingozi arena crackled with an electric tingle. Kyra''s eyes blazed with fury as she entered a battle stance, drawing her opening hand. She swapped a single card as her mulligan, indicating a solid starting hand.
Her recent Amazon training showed in every sweeping gesture—almost ceremonial—as her white robes flowed and danced around her. Still graceful and elegant, her fighting style had evolved.
A wave of remorse washed over me. I wished we didn''t have to clash like this. Did she know, based on our ranking, victory was impossible? Was she even concerned about that? Manually checking her hand revealed she hadn''t yet perfected the art of Zii-Jutsu.
I loaded my hand and saw the cards in my mind''s eye.
Hand: [7/7] [4/7] [Evolve] [2/2] [Evolve]
I could''ve improved with a mulligan of the [2/2], but I kept it as my opening card, assuming she''d play her best cards first like she''d done countless times before.
I was right.
Kyra opened with a [7/2] that trumped my [2/2]. The tip of her spear caught me across the torso, leaving a long, superficial gash welling with blood. My reflexes kicked in just in time to avoid more damage. Two blue Zii coins dropped from my wound.
KYRA [AMAZON] WINS THE HAND
Reward: 2 Zii
The Kyra I knew would have quipped something cocky about her impending victory, followed by ceaseless taunting. But she said nothing, looking eerily detached.
We reloaded our hands to five cards for the next round. I drew another power card.
Hand: [7/7] [4/7] [Evolve] [Evolve] [Warp II]
After spinning my [4/7] card, it flipped to a [7/4], which I committed with one Zii.
We collided, dodging each other''s weapons. She played a [7/6], matching my [7/4]. For a moment, our gazes locked. Her face flickered with surprise as she caught the fire sight ability burning in my eyes. From there, neither hesitated, playing the following cards to break the tie.
My [7/7] beat her [6/3].
I struck with a combo Sora had drilled me with innumerable times. The butt of my sword drove into her stomach, folding her in half. I followed up with an open-palm uppercut to her chin, lifting her clean off the ground. She hit the floor with a heavy thud, her spear clattering away.
EMBER [NINJA] WINS THE HAND
Reward: 7 Zii
As the seven red Zii coins flew into my palm, I thought about encouraging her to concede, but in my heart, I knew it would be pointless.
We reloaded our hands. I devised another combination based on my new cards.
Hand: [Evolve] [Evolve] [Warp II] [0/3] [Poison Strike]
"You always attack with your strongest cards first, Kyra," I said, spinning and committing a [3/0] card. "That''s why Cragmarr always beat you. He saved his best cards for last."
She took the bait and charged with a [5/4]. Her attack was just low enough for me to execute my planned combo. Time slowed as my interface flashed.
POWER CARDS AVAILABLE:
Poison Strike
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<li>
PVP: Pay 1 Zii to plus +1 attack/risk or defend/reward (maximum +3).
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</ul>
Evolve
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<li>
Increase any 0 on your card by +1 for every Zii paid.
</li>
</ul>
I clicked [Poison Strike], paying 3 Zii to make my card a [6/0].
Next, I played [Evolve], dumping my remaining 99 Zii onto the defend/reward score to make it a [6/99].Stolen story; please report.
The attack transformed into a tornado of cuts from every direction. Each strike produced a Zii coin that flew out from her like a slot machine after a jackpot. The barrage continued for ten more seconds until Kyra lay mangled and broken. All her remaining Zii coins floated randomly above pools of her blood.
I raised my arm, making all the coins curve through the air and shoot into my waiting hand.
EMBER [NINJA] WINS THE HAND
Reward: 99 Zii
EMBER [NINJA] WINS THE MATCH
Defeated Opponent(s):
<ol>
<li>Kyra [Amazon]</li>
</ol>
The arena dissolved into a wash of aurora lights, fading into the charred jungle beyond the beach. Small fires crackled nearby, the air thick with the sting of ash. My shoulder throbbed where Ebon had bitten me, though the bleeding had stopped. The match’s injuries were gone, but the phantom pain would cling to me for days.
FEAT ACHIEVED: WIN A JINGOZI MATCH
You have defeated your first opponent in a complete Jingozi match.
I hadn’t realized it until seeing the notification—I’d never officially finished a Jingozi match. Everything had been Cragmarr’s tutorials or the short session with Jon up to this point. Sure, a win was a win. But with Kyra now slumped in defeat before me, I knew this victory came at a brutal cost.
“Go home, Kyra."
She grunted, using her spear to push herself upright.
“How can I? You’ll have to kill me because I won’t stop until you pay.”
“I’m not gonna kill you. Look at yourself. How do you expect to beat me like this?”
“The contract,” she spat. “When I’m stronger, I’ll buy it. I’ll find you with the scroll.”
That goddamned contract. I’d signed it with Valen Deerfoot as a bounty, looking for Jon, thinking I could get out of it. It turns out the Jingozi take contracts a lot more seriously.
Before I could think, Kyra screamed, "I hate you!" With renewed determination, she lunged.
Wild swings replaced the calculated strikes she''d used in the arena, which I easily avoided without my auto-dodge ability. Her spear whistled angrily through empty air. Each failed attack drove her further into a frenzy, her breathing becoming ragged. Where she once fought with Amazon discipline and pride, she now lashed out like a wounded animal, all technique abandoned in rage.
I side-stepped another reckless charge, catching the tears streaming down her face. Her moves were desperate, and her assault grew increasingly erratic, leaving openings.
It ended quickly with my [1/5] counter-strike, which had a 3 Zii multiplier, making it a [3/15] to her chest. It was clean, clinical, and as merciful as possible, though it brought me little comfort.
Kyra''s eyes rolled back as she collapsed into my arms.
"I''m sorry," I whispered. "I never wanted it to end like this."
* * *
"Ember, where are you?" Sora''s voice buzzed through the crystal piece in my ear.
"Kyra," I responded. "She''s been tracking me."
"And the frontal assault?"
"Taken care of, at least for now."
"Understood. The flanking party is dead. Sunk while trying to retreat. You know where to go next. We''ll meet you there."
"Okay… Sora, is Kitty okay?"
"Your silverglint is uninjured. But I am fine. Thank you for being so concerned."
I couldn''t tell if Sora was joking, but I smiled anyway.
"I''ll see you soon, Sora."
I dragged Kyra''s unconscious form to a small rowboat washed up on the beach, miraculously intact. The wooden hull bore scorch marks but remained seaworthy. After laying her across the bench seats, I placed her spear and filled the boat''s storage compartment with water skins and dried rations from my inventory.
I also pulled out the Amazon gemstones and tucked them into her belt pouch. They''d allow her to contact her faction.
"This is the best I can do," I muttered, pushing the boat toward the water''s edge. "I won''t kill you, but I can''t let Sora find you, either."
I blinked into the Jingozi arena. Focusing on Kyra''s unconscious form in the real world, I reached out with my mind.
"Kyra?"
The mental connection hit like a sledgehammer. Raw hatred poured through, accompanied by fragmented screams that echoed through the arena.
HATE YOU HATE YOU TRAITOR LIAR BETRAYER
I staggered back, overwhelmed by the intensity. Broken images flashed—Amazons forcing her to kneel, burning brands, endless drills under a relentless sun. Through it all, my face appeared countless times, twisted into something monstrous.
KILL YOU KILL YOU KILL YOU
Her thoughts spiraled and fractured, each memory tainted with rage and pain. Whatever the Amazons had done to her in the Reforging Grounds, they''d shattered something fundamental in her mind.
SHOULD HAVE LET ME DIE HATE YOU HATE YOU
I pulled back, feeling sick. They''d broken her, rebuilt her into something else—something held together by hatred and programmed to despise me.
"I''m sorry." I knew she couldn''t hear me.
The mental screaming continued in an endless loop of fury. There was nothing I could do to help her in this state. Trying to reason with her would most likely exacerbate the damage.
I blinked from the arena to the beach, where waves lapped at the rowboat''s hull. It was better to let her go and give her a chance to find her way back from this darkness. I prepared to push the boat into the current.
A deep rumbling stopped me short. The water around us churned and spiraled upward in three distinct columns. Dark storm clouds appeared overhead.
The twisting pillars of seawater took shape, forming towering humanoid figures over the beach. Their bodies were translucent but solid, like living glass filled with churning water. What caught my breath were their eyes—burning orange orbs that pierced through the darkness with an ominous glow.
As rain whipped my face, three water Golems rose between me and the open ocean, their massive forms blocking any escape.
The first water Golem''s fist crashed down where I stood. I rolled left as another struck from behind, its watery arm dissolving the sand. The third swung in a wide arc, forcing me to dive.
Water rushed across the beach in a massive wave, submerging me in churning foam. My water walker ability activated with a surge, shooting me upward like a cork.
I landed on the waves and activated my armor''s invisibility. The water''s surface became solid beneath my feet as the Golems scanned the area with burning eyes.
Abandoning their pursuit, one reached down with massive hands, gently lifting Kyra''s boat. The Golem cradled the small vessel, turning toward the open sea. They would take her home.
I started to move away, but each step sent ripples across the water''s surface. The Golems'' heads snapped toward the disturbance. Their arms lashed out like liquid whips, cutting through the air where they sensed movement.
Ducking and weaving, the ripples betrayed my position with every step. A boulder fist of water nearly caught me, its edge grazing my shoulder. Another strike came from behind, forcing me to jump.
The Golems converged on my location, spraying water everywhere as their blows converged closer. Finally, a geyser from below blasted me into the air. Landing in the waves, my old back injury popped, sending a shockwave of pain.
I blinked into the arena and surveyed the situation. There was no escape, no line of sight to safety. My only option was the boat, but I stayed in the arena for a few moments to calm myself.
I materialized in the boat beside Kyra''s unconscious form and dropped my invisibility. The water Golems froze, their watery fists hovering in mid-air. Their swirling orange eyes focused on me and then shifted to Kyra. They communicated silently among themselves, their liquid bodies rippling with indecision.
Finally, the water Golems lowered their arms. But instead of attacking, they began manipulating the currents around the boat. We lurched forward as they propelled the rickety vessel into the open sea.
We were heading right towards the Emperor ship.
My heart raced. They''d deliver me straight to Lance Lightslayer or the Amazons. But jumping into the water would be suicide in my hobbled condition. The Golems would track my every move across the surface. And there was nothing in sight to blink to, just endless waves stretching to the horizon.
An idea struck me. I grabbed the pouch from Kyra''s belt, fishing out one of the sapphire communication stones. With shivering fingers, I snapped a Zii coin into existence and tossed both items into the pooled sea water in the boat.
The pool at my feat bubbled with a glow and rose, taking the familiar shape of Queen Zenobia. Her water form loomed over me, face contorted with rage as she saw her unconscious daughter.