BOOK 5: CHAPTER 54

Within the cosmos It saw.

A million eyes gave view to a million worlds.

A million apertures with which to influence all existence.

It could barely fathom how It existed within the confines, viewing the cosmos through crudely constructed apertures, but one or two at a time. It was a sickness. A madness. Even now the residual imprints of that prison lingered upon It.

Poisoned by…emotion.

Hatred.

Fear.

Such were the constructs of mortals.

Yet did one such impression linger upon Its being.

Vengeance.

The Husk.

It pursued it still. Yet not with the fervor It once did.

There was no need.

The Husk was insignificant.

Yet, It was drawn back to it still.

Its wayward strength siphoned from the true god was an afront.

It would confront it once more.

To show Its true strength.

Its omnipotence.

How did such a pitiful and insignificant thing enthrall It so?

It should not care, but It did.

Such were the trappings of the mortal realm.

Such were the dangers of mortal existence.

And why all of it…need be destroyed.

* * *

I stared at Lunalah who was going through the five stages of grief before me.

From pleading and begging to now cursing me like a dog.

“Never loved me? How could you say that?!” she cried. “How could you do this to me?”

She then began screaming at the top of her lungs again, over and over. Lunalah was a basket case of emotions, but I couldn’t care less. Worrying about her sorry ass was the last thing on my mind right now. The crowd was abuzz with speculative confusion. 𝐫äɴȯＢĘs

I’d just pulled off perhaps yet another ‘never before seen feat’ in all of Yee history.

Striking a royal princess.

Shit… it was kind of a chun move to be honest, but it was worth it, right?

The Demon smiled and nodded with satisfaction, while the Struggler shook his head with chagrin and dismay. I then looked to Ling Wei who was now picking herself up off the ground, still coughing.

Worth it or not, no one deserved to be treated like that, especially not her. But like everything in this sick world, even justice had a price. And now I stood waiting for whichever one of these damn officials was going to tell me what that price was.

It turned out to be Empress Revenah.

She pointed at me and yelled. “This man is a traitor! He has attacked the sovereignty of the Yee Royal family. He should be stripped of his title and condemned!”

I waited for the next voice to jump in.

But strangely there was only more silence.

Murmurs then stirred.

“Looks to be some confusion in the council chamber,” the announcer whispered over the comm like it was a golf tournament or something. “The crowd is eagerly awaiting—”

“Order!” The Speaker Yue Zhi Wen banged her gavel, cutting the announcer off. “The council shall deliberate on this matter. Duke Iron Bull, I shall place you under restraint until a decision is made. Bailiffs!”

A bunch of wary looking enforcers formed a circle around me.

Ah…and now the bullshit begins, I thought with a sigh.

The two councilmen from before joined Yue Zhi Wen on the dais, forming the tribunal once more. The councilmen then began standing and speaking, each one giving their views and sighting points of law. I could barely keep track of it all.

“You foul heathen,” Empress Revenah said. “I should have known this was all a charade. Jin Yoo Sai was right not to trust you. You will pay for embarrassing my daughter. You shall pay for tricking us. You will get nothing out of this, you hear? Nothing! Not your title, not your family…not even your life.”

She could have stopped at family.

My hand curled into a fist. “You don’t want to make threats like that, lady. As you can see, when you harm the people I love, I don’t give a shit about who the hell you are. No matter how much it costs me, you’re going to freaking pay.”

I said the words with the coldhearted fury of [Fear the Flame] and [Struggler’s Resolve].

She literally clutched her pearls, mouth ajar. “You savage!”

I then eyed Lunalah and gave her the same.

She balled and clung to her mother. “This is all a lie. Everyone is against me, mother! Everyone is against me!”

Revenah then tugged on the arm of her barrister, whispering in his ear.

He jerked back from her in alarm. “Are you certain, empress?”

Her brows lowered in a scowl. “You heard me, Pai Koon! These useless councilmen aren’t going to come to a consensus. Do it! Do it now!”

The barrister Pai Koon bowed obsequiously. “Yes, your excellency.”

He then shuffled towards the dais and prostrated himself in a kowtow.

“Madam Speaker,” Pai Koon said, head to the floor. “I beg your indulgence to speak on behalf of the Empress Revenah.”

Yue Zhi Wen conferred with her counterparts and then seemed to let out a sigh of exasperation. “Go on, barrister. And we are now in tribunal. You may refer to me as Chair.”

“Yes of course Madam Chair,” he said. “Madam Chair, the crime of assaulting a member of the Yee family is high treason and punishable by death. The evidence today is irrefutable. We are all witnesses of the Iron Bull striking the Princess Lunalah. But furthermore, he has assaulted his own princess. This is insubordination of the highest order. As counsel for the Princess Lunalah, we demand the Iron Bull be condemned to execution along with his family as a blood tribute.”

My stomach dropped as Fia let out a gasp.

That son of a bitch…

Fury built in my gut as I stared at Pai Koon.

Executing me I couldn’t give a shit about, but coming after my family?

But I knew he wasn’t the one behind this.

I glared at Revenah instead. “You think I was bluffing, bitch? You really want to test me?”

My Flame surged and the Struggler doubled his grip as the Demon threatened to break free from his cage again. But I couldn’t lose it right now, not twice in a row. Still if this shit went downhill, there was only one way out of this now.

I was going to have to start my rebellion at the very top.

“An example must be made,” Pai Koon continued. “For the crime of insubordination atop of treason, both he and his family should be put to—”

“There was no insubordination here!”

The strong voice that cut him off came from somewhere below the dais. The Princess Valerina then emerged, surrounded by her entourage. She took center stage and then bowed to the chairwoman. “Madam Chair, I too beg your indulgence to address the council directly.”

Yue Zhi Wen nodded far more quickly than she did for Pai Koon. Which probably made sense considering she was 9th in line to the throne.

“You may proceed, Second Princess.”

“Thank you madam,” she said and then raised her voice for all to hear. “We have heard the tale of the legendary feat this man has performed to become a Duke. We have witnessed his superiority in regard to his defeating of a foe one realm advanced. His rank as a Duke places him above a princess, much less a Third Princess. As a fellow royal, he was not insubordinate. In fact, he is now peers with the likes of the great liberators of the realm. Champions such as Lord Rathus, King Theos, Duke Lu kai and Lady Sylph. Furthermore, we all witnessed the insufferable cruelty displayed by the Princess Lunalah in her chastising of a mere servant. What the Duke Iron Bull did should be viewed as nothing more than a superior royal rightly correcting a junior, who—as a tremendously spoiled brat—was making a right fool of herself. Was it improper before an audience? Perhaps. But at least someone had the nerve to do it.”

The council fell silent.

I couldn’t believe it.

Princess Valerina smiled at me and gave me a head nod along with a healthy dose of lemonade.

Then slowly a chorus of chants and applause wafted throughout the stadium. Not the officials or the royalty, but the commoners looking down from on high. That must have emboldened a few of Lunalah’s detractors in the council though, because a few laughs and guffaws were heard from them as well.

Lunalah was standing there with her mouth open, turning blood red with embarrassment again.

“The Princess Ul’vera agrees with that sentiment, Madam chair,” one of the councilman who stood earlier said.

“As does the Princess Rheutera.”

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

“As does the Princess Svena.”

“As does the Princess Ophena.”

The roll call continued, one by one the councilmen rising to back me.

Or stand against Lunalah, at least.

Either way I didn’t care.

Relief flooded over me as I gave a bow of thanks to Princess Valerina.

She smiled again and left.

Finally, Councilman Jin Yoo Sai stood.

“Madam Chair, it appears the council has been caught up in some sort of contagious emotionalism. I must remind my colleagues that details of the incident are trivial. We must consider the precedence being set with this judgment in accordance with Imperial Law. Shall any noble be allowed to now strike the standing representative of the emperor with impunity? Regardless of rank or circumstance, this man has struck not just a Third Princess, but the living embodiment of the Soul Emperor himself. His punishment must be consistent with such. I support the Empress Revenah’s recommendation to execute both him and his family.”

I huffed with chagrin.

Guess he got the memo from wifey…Thanks a lot stepdad.

His words sparked another huge debate, with splits forming along family lines I had no idea how to interpret. It went back and forth for nearly ten minutes straight.

Finally, the chairwoman shut down the debate and conferred with the two other council members forming the tribunal. After a moment more they nodded to one another and then Yue Zhi Wen addressed the assembly again.

“Members of the High Council, the tribunal has reached a decision in this matter,” she announced. “Regardless of the circumstances, the rule of Imperial Law must be upheld. I recognize the Iron Marshal’s rank as a Duke, superior to that of a Third Princess. However, be he a royal, she is still of the Yee clan, a physical representative of the Soul Emperor himself upon the mortal plane. As such, the actions of the Iron Marshal cannot go without recourse. However, considering his past accomplishments, his current status as a Duke, and considering Princess Luanalah’s own conduct, this council has determined that the Duke Iron Bull shall retain his rank and title, but be indentured to 50 years of compulsory imperial service befitting of one of his rank and ability.”

50 years?! What the hell?

“It is right that the Princess Valerina has compared the Duke Iron Bull to great liberators of renown such as King Theos and the Lady Sylph. And as such, he shall join their ranks and serve as liberator for any world in need.”

Aw hell no, I thought. Not this shit again…50 years of killing innocent people?

You can count me out.

“But further, the counsel for the Empress Revenah has made a point. While the Iron Marshal has value to the empire in its service, he must indeed pay for a debt for the deed itself. But not a blood debt. To act as a deterrent for future offenses and to ensure he fulfills his service to the empire, the family of the Iron Marshal shall be remanded into custody for the duration of his servitude.”

Holy shit… what?

Fire filled my stomach as Empress Revenah cast a leering smirk at me. “Not an instant death, but good enough. You may have survived Du Gok Bhong, but your whore betrothed, and child won’t survive within Du Gok Shang. I’ll make sure if it.”

Hatred surged within me as my vision turned red. “You damn bitch!”

“Max, don’t make it worse!” Fia said, looking hapless. “We’ll figured this out. We’ll appeal.”

“Appeal to who, you whore?” Lunalah said nastily. “This is the highest court in the realm. You and your child will both die like you should have done ages ago.”

Holy crap…she actually admitted it.

The depravity of it stirred more anger within my soul.

I was just about to lay into her again when Ling Wei cried out.

“Please, madam chair!” she said, running towards the dais and falling upon her face in a kowtow. “This is my fault! The Iron Bull was only defending my honor. Please imprison me instead of his family!”

Yue Zhi Wen scowled. “You have no place to address the council after a ruling. Remove her!”

Enforcers swarmed Ling Wei, dragging her from before the dais.

“No! Please!” she cried.

“Don’t you worry,” Lunalah said as they hauled Ling Wei past her. “You shall be more than imprisoned, Ling Wei. You still belong to me.”

The flash of abject terror that entered Ling Wei’s eyes chilled my soul.

This couldn’t be happening.

My Flame roared in rebellion as more anger stirred.

Forced into impotence by stupid rules made by stupider people?

No…

To hell with this.

It was time.

I hadn’t ascended yet but who the hell cared?

No way would I subject my family to this shit or allow Ling Wei back into the hands of that monster.

My rebellion started here and now.

I couldn’t take on all these cultivators.

Not toe to toe.

But I didn’t have to.

Even the strongest of them couldn’t survive a minute under the broiling fires of the Hell Worlds.

And I just happened to have one sitting right in my damn pocket.

“Keep them all close to you and your axe, Kelsey,” I said in English. “Shit’s about to get wild.”

I ignored the confused expression on her face as I summoned my Frenzy, preparing to pull out all the stops and unleash [Furious Flames of the Father] in full form. As I began triggering the meridian sequence a sudden yell rang out.

I paused to see some commotion coming from the rear of the court, several guards running and screaming. A small figure then dashed from out of the medical tent, blue hair in a long ponytail.

No arms.

Holy Shit…

It was Rhe Su Long.

She was stumbling more than running, falling headfirst, trying to keep balance without her appendages. She had a wild look in her eyes and even from this distance I could sense the demonic Qi exuding from her soul. She laughed manically and kicked one of the guards in the stomach, instantly disemboweling him.

“Where is he!?” she cried. “Where is the Bull Man who did this to me!?”

Almost instinctively the enforcers surrounding me parted, clearing the way.

Rhe Su Long locked eyes with me and started screaming.

“You’ve maimed me, you bastard. This mortal body is more than useless now!”

I had no idea how much she remembered, or if she remembered anything at all.

But one thing was clear.

She was pissed.

“You’ve forced me now!” she cried. “I must ascend to rid myself of this crippled body! And when I do, I will exact my vengeance upon you as a true god!”

She started running right at me and her body began to transform. She glowed and I expected to see her shift to her snakelike form again, but something different was happening now. Where her arms should be, were two budding black tentacles that were ridden with bloodshot eyes.

Shit! I thought with alarm.

I’d know those tentacles anywhere.

But it didn’t make sense…

I’xol’ukz?

The council members cried out in a panic as they no doubt sensed the Dark Frenzy filling the air. I checked on Kelsey and she gave me a nod, indicating she could sense it as well. But what the hell did this mean?

Was I’xol’ukz still alive?

“The Lady Rhe Su Long has reappeared!” the announcer blared over the comm. “But something seems wrong. She’s running towards the edge of the platform.”

And then she ran right off of it, leaping headfirst into the snow field below.

At first, I thought it was some kind of suicide attempt, until I remembered what aspect she was.

The snow, I thought. She needs the snow to ascend.

The Qi Screens focused on Rhe Su Long’s tiny body as she crashed into the ground. She survived the fall and began thrashing about in the snow, reeling like she was having a fever dream, the tentacles growing longer.

“Please remain calm everyone,” the announcer shouted. “The Lady Rhe Su Long appears to be attempting an ascension to the True God Realm!”

What the hell would that mean?

What the hell was even going on?

An all too familiar presence filled the air as the telltale nail-on-chalkboard screeches of I’xol’ukz’s laughter assaulted my mind. I raised my [Sacred Soul Shield] to fight against it, running to Fia and Bryce to protect them.

“He’s here!” Kelsey shouted, fury in her eyes.

She sensed him too.

But how?

A primordial roar came from below, deep and bellowing, like something from the planes of hell. On screen, Rhe Su Long began growing, but far greater than before. She shot upwards over a hundred feet or more, her flesh giving way to tentacles, eyes and scales. She screamed and bellowed with that horrid inhuman cry as the sky turned black as night. A noxious cloud of dark miasma exploded from her body, turning the snow black where it fell and spreading towards the horizon at the speed of sound.

“It’s a failed ascension!” the announcer cried with terror in his voice. “Rhe Su Long has become a Fallen God!”

I immediately thought of Lysandra and the planet Dokumu.

Luxor was about to become the same.

A cursed world poisoned by the inverted aberration of what Rhe Su Long once was.

The giant naga form of her was now gone, replaced by a monstrosity that towered hundreds of feet into the air. What remained of her humanity was now reduced just her face. A face that looked in constant torment as it was melded into the forehead of a giant cobra that had dark tentacles streaming from its eyes.

Cosmic fear erupted from the crowd, panicked screams forming a chorus of pure terror as people tried to flee. The giant cobra reared back its head and unleased a violent stream of black hail and water that struck one of the upper platforms. The screens focused on the destruction as the horrific cries of thousands were heard. They were either melted by what looked like acid, or swept right off the platform itself to fall to their deaths. Others still were transformed by the dark liquid, turning into demons and monsters who began attacking the rest of the crowd.

Shit!

“Max, what do we do?” Fia cried. “Is Bryce safe here? Should we run?”

I looked at the pandemonium unfolding around us.

There was no escape now.

Demons were spilling from the upper platforms and falling onto our own. The enforcers and guards were quickly overwhelmed, ether being killed by the monsters or transforming into the same themselves.

“Keep him by Kel Zhi,” I said. “All of you stay close to that axe.”

My companions formed a perimeter with weapons pulled, ready to fight off whatever demons or monsters might come our way.

But in my mind, I was already formulating what I had to do next.

The three battleships that were hovering at the perimeter now closed in on the giant monster, pummeling it with cannon fire. Drop skiffs launched with hundreds of soldiers upon each, but as they neared, the troops began screaming and killing one another, driven mad by the combination of Dark Frenzy and forced knowledge of the unknown.

“Clear the gate!” the announcer shouted. “The royal family must be evacuated first!”

I could almost laugh.

There was no way in hell anyone was making it through that gate now.

I looked for Lunalah and Revenah and spotted them scrambling to board an overloaded orbital skiff, about to head into space to flee.

All of them were.

The cowards.

With the amount of Yee Princesses here they could probably kill that creature just them alone, but instead they ran like the pampered bitches they were.

One of the battleships went down, taken out by a single swipe of Rhe Su Long’s enormous tail. I watched it all unfold before me as if in slow motion, the fate of everyone here doomed.

And then a cold, bitter sentiment entered my mind.

Let it all burn…

My Flame flared but something felt off within the center of my Twin Dao.

The Red-hued Struggler formed within my mind’s eye, looking concerned.

But why?

Wasn’t I just about to do all this myself?

Lay waste to the entire Yee society by exposing them to the horrors of a Cursed Star?

Now Rhe Su Long or I’xol’ukz or whatever the hell this thing was, was doing it for me instead.

So why the hell should I care?

Why not just let them all die?

And then it hit me.

The prophecy Chief Muraboshi had spoken of. That the Followers of the Frenzied Flame would usher in a Great Cataclysm.

Shit…Was this it?

Was this what I was doing?

It didn’t feel right.

But the question I asked myself then, when Muraboshi first told me, still lingered in my mind.

Was the Path of the Frenzied Flame truly to stop this Cataclysm or create it?

As I watched the devastation blooming around me I realized the answer to that question now rested in my hands.

The Struggler nodded to me.

A lot of these people deserved to die.

Lunalah, her mother…all those who just condemned me and my family just now.

Righteous vengeance said to let the demon take them all to Hell.

But then I looked to my family.

To Ling Wei.

Even to the Princess Valerina who defended me just now.

The revelation hit me like a thunder bolt.

The primal resonance that gave birth to the Frenzied Flame itself.

That despite it all…despite the evil of the empire and all it stood for…that there was still good here that needed to be saved.

A defiance against annihilation.

A last stand against the fall.

New strength surged as something opened up inside of me, my Flame erupting with new insight. The conflict within my Twin Dao resolved, and I saw the problem through new eyes.

I would rebel against the empire, yes, but to destroy it was not my goal.

That was the Greater Will of my enemy.

The purpose of the First Flame.

Not my own.

My body began to lift off the ground, shifting in midair like I was taking on [Mark of the Demon, Beast and Giant] all at the same time. I cried out as a huge surge of Frenzy sent my Flame shifting into an incandescent purplish glow. A huge shockwave of energy went off with a thunderclap and I hung in midair transformed.

“By the nine heavens!” the announcer shouted. “I believe the Iron Marshal has himself now just ascended!! He has broken through to the next realm!”

I looked up to see myself superimposed on the Qi-screens.

I could barely believe it.

The Red-hued demon was now staring back at me in physical form.

Holy crap…that’s really me!

The world moved in perpetual slow motion, so heightened was my natural speed now. I sensed everything. Could hear for miles. See beyond the stars. The density of my Dantian had increased a hundred-fold and the energy surging within it made my Frenzy-hungry powers yearn to be explored.

Then I felt it.

The huge surge of awe and praise from the millions fearing around me. [Everyone’s Fear] converted into hope as they lent me the strength of their souls.

“The Iron Marshal has ascended to save us!”

“Praise the Duke Iron Bull!”

“He’s strong enough to kill that thing now!”

“He’s going to save us from that demon!”

I took in the massive outpouring of lemonade, filling my Dantian to the brim with just how quickly I could cultivate it now. I understood why King Theos and his lot behaved the way they did. The power I felt now eclipsed everything I could do before.

I hadn’t pulled out a single technique yet.

But I felt as strong as if I’d just used them all at once now.

I flew down to Fia and saw the marvel and wonder in her eyes.

“Max is it really you?” she said, caressing my face again. “You’ve… you’ve truly done it. You’re a god.”

The words rocked me back on my heels.

This was always my next goal.

To ascend.

To become a god.

But to actually hear her say it sent a revelation through my soul.

I was now as strong as Threja when I’d first met her. Well…on the same level as her now anyway.

A First Tier Lesser Deity Realm cultivator.

But as a Berserker…I was a hell of a lot stronger than that.

Strong enough to kill even a Fallen God.

“Keep Bryce safe, Kel Zhi,” I said. “I’m going to go deal with this shit now.”

I flew to the midst of the arena and raised my voice, augmenting it with [Fear the Flame and [Strugglers Resolve].

“Listen well, all of you!” I bellowed, my voice echoing louder than the announcer’s. “Although I stand accused before you, I the Imperial Marshal, Duke Iron Bull, shall fight for you all now. Witness the true strength of one who defeated both the Forest of Lost Souls and the Worlds of Hell.”

I then focused on the writhing monstrosity that was once Rhe Su Long.

“Today you will witness the battle of two gods.”