Garden Of The Abyss

Exhaling a plentiful breath as hot as steam from his maw, Hongse's kind eyes fell to an animalistic sense as he hunched over, swaying slightly before bursting forth with an incredible speed unfitting for an entity of his size.

A cloud of sand was kicked up in his wake, seemingly charging forth not with unmatched brazenness, but the ferocity of a beast--running towards the murderous dome with a roar escaping his jaws.

Crashing against the dome with his shoulder, a thunderous impact traveled through the perimeter of the arena, brushing against the magical barriers that protected outsiders. The integrity of the durable shield of wood was tested as Hongse began slamming his fists like a wild beast against its form, shaking it immensely with each hit.

In response to this quickly-launched assault, the viscous roots once more shot out towards the beastly demi-human, stretching forth and zipping in the air to encircle the panda with a sea of root lances.

"What is this strength…? The quick succession of blows couldn't be from the usage of that heavy hammer. He's doing this with just his body?"

From within the dome that remained full of shadows as it was isolated from light, Mencius was surrounded by the vibrations of the panda's repeated blows.

"You fool, I can sense exactly where you are if you attack like that…!"

Opening his verdant eyes with a sharp glint present in them, the scholar pressed his hand forward towards the direction of the resounding, blunt impacts..

Protruding from the spot directly in front of Hongse, a large, condensed bundle of roots shot forward with the intent to pierce his flesh.

Though, the spectators once more found themselves agasp, this time at the sheer agility of the brawny demi-human as he swung himself around the large formation of nature, using his sharp, powerful claws for leverage. Due to the unnatural, unforeseen movement, the incoming roots missed their mark--either landing against the ground or directly against the very dome they protected.

It was with those very claws, encircling the radius of the newly formed spiky defense of the dome, that the spear was cut away--leaving a vulnerable layer to the persistent shield.

"What's he planning? The once hammer-wielding demi-human is now on a melee-filled assault!"

Coming from the announcer's all-encompassing voice, even his words fell second to the long, drawn in breath taken in by Hongse as his chest puffed out.

The steamy breaths that trickled from the sides of his maw became hints of flames before he finally parted his jaws in full, revealing a burning, crimson essence bubbling from the bowels of his being.

Out from his mouth poured the viscous, roaring flames, laced with his animalistic nature as they wildly danced across the surface of the sturdy dome. Pressing and tearing against the vitally unprotected spot of the structure of intertwined roots, the bright, crimson flames are impossible to be ignored.

"Flames…? From his mouth? How?..."

Witnessing this, Aiko's question uttered in disbelief seemed to be shared with Ren as he watched in shock and awe alongside the girl, "I guess he really does possess a subset of fire magic, huh? Still...shooting it from his mouth!?"

Feeling the heat of these newly birthed flames eat away at his protective dome, Mencius began to sweat as the dome wasn't built to handle such wild temperatures, loosening the buttons that led his collar to cling close to his neck.

I can't manipulate the roots any longer, save for ridding the dome altogether...if I do that, those flames will swallow me up right away, he thought.

The steam from the rampant flames began to slip through the slightly exposed openings in the previously tight structure, filling the interior and rising to its ceiling as the heat swelled up.

"Forgive me, Hongse...but I'll be using this sword a bit brazenly now."

With a nervous smile and a body clad in sweat, Mencius tore away his flower-decorated robes and headpiece, now wearing only his baggy, olive pants and slippers as he lifted his jeweled blade up with a heavy breath.

Taking on a radiant glow, the blade's radiance pierced the steamy, isolated room as the mixture of savage roars both from the panda and the flames he birthed pelted against the structure of nature.

"Graaah---!"

With a heavy swing of his thin arm, Mencius yelled out as the renowned blade released forth an unknown pressure.

The light that released from it was as if peering into a kaleidoscope, dazzling and bright enough to take hold of one's senses; though all magnificence was set on the overwhelming force unleashed from a simple slash of the blade against the air.

Unleashing towards the center of the flame's wrath, the luminescence of Juque didn't pierce or cut away at the dome, but instead burrowed through it with its destructive essence--crashing against the form of Hongse as the light crashed against the other end of the arena.

"Hongse…!"

"Hongse!"

"No…!"

All at once, those who rooted for the panda found themselves swallowed by the harrowing reality of the match.

As the tunnel of twirling lights that emitted an ear-drilling set of vibrations through the space of the massive arena faded, Hongse was left slumped against the wall with his maw agape.

"Is he…?"

"No way he's dead; it'd take a lot more to take him down…!"

Answering Aiko's tear-lined utterance, Ren gripped the sill of the viewing window tight enough to begin to crack it as he watched with a beating heart.

Get up, Hongse! This was the shared wish of every Weltwanderer who watched so intently.

Coughing up smoke from his mouth, the panda miraculously began to stand up, wobbling and swaying--but standing up nonetheless as he shook the sand from his fur.

"Hongse!"

Calling out in unison, Ren and Aiko smiled like children on Christmas morning at the sight of their comrade rising to his feet.

"I knew it, the tough bastard wouldn't go down like that!"

Macheo smiled, slapping the bicep of his only flesh-bound arm as he clenched his fist tightly at the reassuring scenery.

Leaving the bounds of his desecrated, flaming dome, Mencius coughed out the smoke that traveled into his lungs, wiping the sweat from his chin as his long, flowing, verdant locks were swayed in the passing winds within the arena.

Lecherous whistles came from the stands at the sight of the man who would more accurately be described as beautiful than handsome.

"What a powerful showing of power from Mencius! Things aren't looking so great for the savage Hongse!"

Though the neutral words from the announcer hurt to hear, those who favored Hongse knew it was true.

"I underestimated you, Hongse. That wasn't a bad maneuver."

Standing atop a mound of sand as he held his treasured sword at his side, Mencius looked down at the demi-human who seemed like a strengthened gust of wind would blow him over.

"But you're finished."

Catching a glimpse of the iridescent blade he held between his fingers, Mencius paused for a moment.

Why am I hesitating? I could strike him down right now...but seeing him like that; standing up by sheer will. Can it be...I've grown to enjoy fighting? I wonder when that started…? He thought.

"Wrong, wrong, wrong!"

Following each statement of the word, a smack on the head with a fan made of light-blue parchment was enacted against the boy.

"Sorry, Teacher…"

Sitting on his knees on the damp stone amidst the secluded garden, the young man apologized with his head slumped down.

As a child, the surrounding scenery of Quitudi, the region carved off from the rest of Jinyue solely for the Jingpohuai, was burned into my memory. Towering statues stood so tall, lining the land like watchful mountains as clouds passed through their form; I listened to tales of the "Old Watchers of Quitudi" and how they would wander on some nights--which was just an explanation for quakes.

Still, that of mysticism still existed in Quitudi--the region experienced extremities at a frequent rate; tremors, storms, all alike, across all seasons.

Despite this, the land was beautiful, vibrant with flourishing nature as the hills stood lathered in flowers, yet I couldn't appreciate this as a young apprentice.

My thoughts were flooded only with meeting the expectations of my teacher--a man well renowned within the Jingpohuai.

"I don't want apologies, Mencius, I want results. You're a savant with the quill, but the moment a blade is in your hands, it's like you turn into a drunk toddler!"

The man scolding him wore shenyi possessing an all-black base, decorated only with designs of flowing waterfalls of azure waters. Holding the fan up to obscure his mouth, the figure of authority looked down at the reprimanded boy with his sharp, magenta irises as his matching locks were dampened by falling rain.

"I am sure you haven't forgotten the promise I made you?"

"...No, teacher; I'm not to return to my quarters until I can land a clean strike on you."

"That includes me as well! The longer you take, the longer I am kept from the warmth of my bed, Mencius!"

I feared it everytime I woke up each morning; my "tyrant teacher" I thought of him--though I wouldn't dare have ever said that to his face.

I was naturally gifted in intellect, I mastered reading and writing at a young age, delving into many books; this gift led to a quick understanding of magic.

However, when it came to my prowess physically--I was lacking. Each time he scolded me, each time he smacked me with that fan I had grown to despise, I thought to myself "he doesn't understand", or "he won't listen". I thought he was ignorant of my shortcomings as a warrior--however, more than anyone else, he believed in me.

"Wrong, wrong, wrong!"

Speaking out while swiftly evading the unrefined jabs of the wooden sword the young man wielded, the strict teacher countered with a slap of his fan upon the boy's cheek, causing him to drop the training sword to the ground.

"Teacher...I can't…"

As his pained tears mixed in with the cloud's showers, Mencius found that fan he despised so much placed against his chin, guiding him to look up at his teacher. He expected to be looked down upon by eyes of contempt and disappointed, but those magenta irises held only the same, unwavering hope as always.

"Mencius."

"...Yes?"

"Let's continue."

"Yes, teacher!"

No matter how many times I failed, he helped me stand on my feet once more to try again. Time and time again I watched others of the Jingpohuai toss their students away like rubbish to wind, discarding them like broken tools.

However, Mingyuan was a virtuous man. A man I hold above any other.

That's why I love it; growth in knowledge, growth in swordsmanship--I want to prove to the Jingpohuai the man they executed wasn't wrong!

I'll head the Jingpohuai, I'll reform it, I'll turn your discoveries into common knowledge, my teacher, Mingyuan.