Chapter 60: EBON


    <hr>


    Another volley of cannon fire tore further up the beach as I sat in my perch in the tallest banyan tree on the island. The platform we''d built gave me the perfect vantage point while safely out of range.


    "Sora, you''ve got about a hundred heading your way. Split evenly—archers, infantry with those taser spears, and heavy knights in full plate."


    "Understood," Sora''s voice came through clearly in the crystal. "Moving through the tunnels with Kitty now. Almost at the first ambush point."


    "Cragmarr?"


    "I have Jon. He is stable." Cragmarr responded. "Fight well, Em, and return to us."


    "You too, big guy. Stay safe down there."


    I settled back against the trunk, keeping my eyes locked on the approaching force. The main ships continued their barrage.


    * * *


    I watched as the sun slowly descended, painting the sky in deep oranges that merged with the flames consuming a third of the island. The fires provided an eerie illumination across the devastated landscape.


    Sora''s voice crackled, "Another group down. That makes twenty-eight." Her breathing was labored. "Few close calls, but Kitty''s healing helped."


    I gripped the crystal tighter, picturing Sora and Kitty working in tandem through the jungle. Even without Sora''s Jingozi abilities, they systematically dismantled the invasion force. The Emperor faction forces might have been expecting me but got her instead—a nightmare.


    "Half of them retreated to the beach," Sora reported. "They''re regrouping. I''ll rest for now."


    "Nice work, Sora."


    The cannon fire hadn''t ceased all day, the explosions becoming background noise.


    Cragmarr checked in as usual—he and Jon were fine.


    Movement on the water caught my eye—smaller vessels launching from the main ships. I counted eight soldiers per boat, and the flotilla grew by the minute.


    The sight gave me pause. We''d held them off this long, but this was just the beginning. I grabbed my sword and slipped down the tangled trunk, landing softly on the packed earth because of my armor''s resistance to falling damage. The nearest tunnel entrance was only a few feet away.


    Dropping into the darkness, letting my eyes adjust, I approached the beach access point. It was time to do my part in this fight.


    * * *


    I watched the boats approach through a gap in the tunnel''s entrance. The first vessel was close enough. I focused on a soldier rowing in the rear, his outline clear in the fading light.


    The world shifted, and I blinked between the eight of them. My blade sliced through an archer''s neck before he registered my presence. Three more fell quickly, their bodies toppling as I moved like water slashing between them. In the dark of night, I heard the spatter of blood against the wooden planks.


    Two soldiers near the bow spun, raising their crackling electric spears. I ducked under a wild swing, feeling the charge buzz past my ear as the weapon sliced through empty air. My sword wedged between the first soldier''s ribs, the blade finding its mark between the plates of his armor. The second managed to evade my strike, but I swept his legs out from under him with a low spinning kick. As he fell backward, arms pinwheeling, I finished him with a swift thrust through his throat.


    The remaining knights were more of a challenge—their heavy armor deflected my blade with metallic clangs. One lunged forward, surprisingly agile despite his plate mail. I sidestepped and rammed my shoulder into his chest, using his momentum to tip him over the side. His hand found the boat''s edge, but I severed it with a quick strike. The knight vanished beneath the waves.


    The last knight stood his ground, but his head was exposed with his helmet on the bench. I feinted left, then drove my sword through his eye socket when he moved to block. He crumpled instantly.


    All those brutal hours of practice had paid off. The way she''d forced me to fight without powers and rely on pure skill and instinct had transformed me. I couldn''t have handled those knights so efficiently even a week ago.


    I surveyed the carnage with a strange calm. The other vessels were far enough away that the darkness and cannon fire had concealed my attack. Perfect.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Blood pooled around my feet as I arranged the bodies to appear as if they were still manning their positions. Two were propped against the gunwale, positioning their heads to face forward. I concentrated on the image of an archer''s uniform. The fabric of my Ninja armor shifted and transformed, matching the gear of the dead soldier beside me.


    Grabbing the oars, I dipped them into the water. The weight of the bodies made rowing slightly more challenging, but I maintained a steady pace to avoid drawing attention.


    I could make out the next boat about thirty yards away through the mist. Four soldiers were visible, though more might be lying low. I adjusted my course, angling to float toward their position while keeping my movements natural.


    As I approached, I focused on a soldier near their stern. His outline grew more defined with each row, and the distance between our boats narrowed.


    I flexed my fingers around the oar handles, preparing myself. Almost there. Just a little closer...


    * * *


    After eliminating crews from eight more vessels, shouts of alarm erupted across the water. The remaining boats clustered together, soldiers standing with weapons raised.


    It was time to switch tactics.


    I blinked onto the nearest boat, driving my blade through a soldier''s spine before vanishing to the next vessel—another quick kill, then gone. The pattern continued—appear, strike, disappear—leaving confusion in my wake.


    I grabbed a fallen archer''s bow and launched an arrow at the neighboring boat. Return fire came immediately, arrows whistling through the space I''d vacated.


    I kept low, blinking between vessels, staying just long enough to be glimpsed and firing arrows before vanishing again. The soldiers'' shouts grew more frantic as they tried to track my movements.


    Slipping into the Jingozi arena, I focused on their minds.


    "They''ve turned against us," I whispered to each one. "Watch how they''re trying to kill each other… I''m going to die unless I fight back…"


    Back in the material world, accusations flew between the boats.


    "You''re shooting at us!"


    "They''re traitors!"


    "Kill them before they kill us!"


    Arrows flew between the vessels as paranoia took hold, all their coordination dissolving into chaos.


    Taking advantage of the mayhem, I slipped over the side of the nearest boat. My feet left ripples on the water''s surface as I sprinted toward shore with the sounds of combat behind me.


    * * *


    At the shoreline, I reached for my crystal shard to contact Sora—


    AUTODODGE FAILED


    Card Discarded [4/6] 66%


    A massive weight slammed into my back, driving me face-first into the sand. Searing pain exploded through my shoulder as razor-sharp teeth tore into muscle and flesh. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth as I bit back a scream.


    Rolling hard to the right, I broke free from the beast''s grip, triggering my armor''s invisibility. I scrambled and ran for the nearest tunnel entrance, pressing my back against the cool stone wall.


    My heart pounded as I recognized the enormous black wolf prowling the beach—Ebon, Kyra''s dire wolf familiar. The beast''s nose twitched as it tracked my movement, following an invisible trail—my Zii signature. The wolf could sense it just as clearly as seeing footprints in the sand.


    If Ebon was here, that meant Kyra had survived the cannon fire. She had to be close, probably watching.


    The wolf''s paws padded closer to my hiding spot, its yellow eyes scanning methodically. My blood dripped from its jaws. There''d be no escaping or hiding. It would track me relentlessly.


    I had no choice but to load my Jingozi cards. This wasn''t a regular opponent stalking me. Kyra was a Jingozi apprentice, and her wolf was less than twenty feet away, each step bringing it closer.


    I had to end this.


    Dashing up to the tunnel entrance, I ripped away the net of vines covering our hidden weapon. The repeating crossbow, loaded with dozens of steel bolts, sat ready on its tripod mount.


    I cranked the firing mechanism and unleashed a barrage at the approaching dire wolf. The bolts struck true, piercing Ebon''s thick hide, but the beast barely slowed. Each impact only seemed to enrage it further. In the flickering firelight from the burning jungle, he looked like a monstrous porcupine bristling with projectile shafts, yellow eyes blazing with fury.


    Spinning for momentum, I hurled a [7/3] card with [Curse Strike] and charged with 10 Zii. The card transformed into a writhing shadow bolt. The wolf leaped toward me, jaws open—


    My card struck it mid-air.


    Ebon crashed to the sand, howling as necrotic energy consumed him like a disease. Flesh began dissolving, melting away to expose blackened bones beneath. Eyes bulged grotesquely before liquefying into a dark fluid. Within seconds, the horse-sized dire wolf collapsed into a pool of bubbling black viscera.


    A piercing scream of anguish cut through the night. Kyra''s spear whistled past my head—not even close—embedding into a tree trunk.


    My stomach churned at what I''d done to her companion as I blinked into the Jingozi arena. It was easy to find Kyra in the jungle following the trajectory of her weapon.


    I reached for Kyra''s mind.


    "Please, Kyra. This isn''t you. Whatever they did to you at the reforging grounds—"


    "The sanctification opened my eyes to truth." Kyra''s mental voice dripped with cold conviction. "The Amazons alone are worthy to fight alongside the Jingozi. All other factions are impure and corrupted. They must be cleansed."


    "Listen to yourself! You''re spouting propaganda. The Kyra I knew questioned everything, fought against—"


    "That weak-minded child is dead. I am purified." Her thoughts hammered into my consciousness. "The Ninja faction breeds chaos and disorder. Your existence offends the natural order. The Jingozi have shown us the way."


    My heart sank. The passionate, defiant princess who''d traveled with us was gone, replaced by an Amazon zealot. The reforging grounds hadn''t just broken her spirit—they''d remade her entirely.


    Fine. If reason wouldn''t work, maybe rage would.


    "You know what offends me? How pathetically easy it was to kill your… what was its name? Oh yeah, Ebon, right?" I let cruel laughter echo through our mental connection. "Poor doggy. He melted like butter, didn''t he? Some mighty dire wolf."


    Kyra''s thoughts exploded with hatred.


    "I will tear your heart out!"


    "Try it." I blinked out of the arena, materializing twenty feet from her position. "And remember, you asked for this."


    CHALLENGE KYRA TO A JINGOZI MATCH?


    [Yes/No]


    YOU HAVE CHALLENGED KYRA TO A JINGOZI MATCH


    Krya Accepts