Knock, knock…
After dinner, just after I rinsed the dishes, a knock came, rhythmic like a drum under a quiet night.
“Coming.”
I sprang up, feet light as a cat, and opened the door.
“So it’s Yuyi Mengliu. You here to challenge me?”
She stood outside in a red kimono, a tachi in hand, crimson like maple and steel like moonlight.
“Correct.”
Yuyi Mengliu bowed, then spoke with formal heat, a warrior’s candle under winter wind.
“Forgive my rudeness. I’m here to ask for a duel.”
“Oh! Yuyi, that was fast.”
Xinuo, Hill, Eastern Moon Aixue, and Faya drifted to my back like four quiet stars.
“Mm.”
Yuyi Mengliu nodded, gaze steady as a lake.
“Are you ready?”
“Already ready. You pick the place; we’ll follow.”
“No problem. Please come with me.”
“Right.”
We followed Yuyi to the first floor and left the dorm, footsteps like reeds brushing moonlight.
…
On a wide open field, Yuyi and I faced each other, two blades like mirrored moons.
Xinuo and the others sat farther back, spectators among shadows; Xinuo even set out snacks and black tea like a picnic.
“Isolation.”
Xinuo pointed forward, finger light as a falling petal.
“What the—?!”
Space around us shivered like ripples on a pond, then settled into glassy calm.
“Xinuo, what did you just do?”
I turned to her, curiosity pricking like frost.
“Nothing big. I set a barrier.”
“Why set a barrier?” The question hung like mist.
“Because if your fight gets intense, a tide of people will flood in. That’s annoying, so I sealed this pocket of space.”
She sipped her tea, calm as moonlight on still water.
“Enough talk. Begin.”
“Got it!”
I drew a deep breath; the bracelet on my wrist flared gold, flowing back into the Shattered Light Sword.
“My blade’s name—Flame Edge: Netherflame. Please advise.”
Yuyi slid her tachi from its scabbard, voice cool, steel singing like a night bird.
Her tachi was about a meter long, its body dark red; under moonlight, its edge gleamed with winter chill.
Heat swam around the blade, waves shimmering like desert air; how was she not burning?
“My sword’s name—Shattered Light. Please advise.” I smiled, steady as sunrise.
“Then let’s begin.”
Yuyi raised Flame Edge and snapped her wrist, sparks like fireflies springing free.
“Yuyi Style: Foxfire Form—Ignition!”
Boom!
Flame roared up the blade, a hungry banner that wrapped the steel.
“Excuse me!”
She burst toward me, speed like wind off a cliff, the flaming blade lifted high.
“Not good!”
Unprepared, I whipped up Shattered Light and tilted it to meet the fall.
Clang!
Gold glow met raging fire; steel sang, a bell struck under storm.
“Mm. You’re strong.”
She looked small as a doll but carried strength like coiled spring.
“Spinning Thrust!”
A deadlock meant danger; I twisted Shattered Light, knocked her blade aside, and stabbed, a comet seeking.
Too bad.
Yuyi’s slash burst out, a wave cutting mine and washing it away.
“Again!”
Her fighting intent rose like dawn; she hammered out several slashes, each a breaking tide.
“This won’t do. No room to cast a sword art.”
I blocked and backstepped, a rain of blades drumming my guard.
“Now’s my chance—Flash Shadow!”
Her rhythm paused, and I launched the art, breath tight as a bowstring.
“Foxfire Form—Flame Cut!”
Before my slashes flew, her blade-flames flared hotter, and she chopped down, a falling sun.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Every Flash Shadow strike turned to parry, sharp notes ringing across the dim field.
“Hah—didn’t expect your swordplay to be this strong!”
I meant it; praise rose like warm smoke.
“You’re not bad either. You’ve only used half your strength against me.”
Yuyi tightened her grip on Flame Edge, eyes nodding like a respectful bow.
That half wasn’t held back; it just refused to come. The thought made me smile, bitter as tea dregs.
“Break’s over. Continue!”
She darted in, feet whispering like swallows.
“Now—Draw Sword Technique!”
During those few seconds, I’d been quietly gathering Sword Aura, coiling it like a dragon under skin.
I swung Shattered Light in a draw-cut motion, loosing a near-solid gold arc of Sword Aura.
“Damn!”
Seeing that brutal gleam, Yuyi didn’t hesitate; she sprang, body light as flame.
“Skyfire Form—Abyssal Chill Rageflame Slash!”
Flame on Flame Edge turned ice-blue; blazing heat flipped to cold that bit like midnight snow.
She raised the blade and cleaved at the golden arc, a glacier striking a river.
Crack—boom!
The Sword Aura split; in that instant, the blade-flames shattered like ice, falling as tiny blue chips.
Yuyi didn’t care; she rushed me, momentum like a hawk’s dive.
“Sword Qi Storm!”
Centered on me, a tornado of Sword Aura spun out, howling like a winter wolf.
“Skyfire Form—Iceflame!”
In front of Yuyi, icicles wreathed in blue flame formed, each a spear born from frostfire.
“Go!”
She flicked Flame Edge; the spears screamed through air, arrows of frozen fire.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! …
The tornado chewed them to shards, glittering snow in a storm, yet its spin slowed under the growing hail.
Three seconds passed; the last spear burst to ice dust, and the whirlwind guttered out, fuel gone.
Off the field.
“Master, isn’t Yuyi Mengliu’s affinity ‘Flame’? Why does she wield ice?”
Hill stared, confusion puffing like breath in cold air.
“Nothing strange. Her fire isn’t ordinary fire; it’s Netherflame.”
Xinuo ate a sweet, voice smooth as silk.
“Netherflame? What’s that?” Eastern Moon Aixue and Faya traded puzzled looks, like sparrows on a branch.
“Netherflame, simply, is fire born of fire and ice elements fused. It appears in lands of killing cold and killing heat.”
“I didn’t expect Yuyi to master Netherflame. That’s a surprise.”
“Uh, is Netherflame that strong?” Eastern Moon Aixue leaned forward, eyes bright as stars.
“Of course. It’s top-tier flame. It can freeze lava and melt ten-thousand-year glaciers.”
“Well, it still depends on who wields it.”
“Wow! That’s insane!”
…
