Chapter 34 Yiran
Yiran
Yuki shrieked. Crimson fire was engulfing his shirt. He released Yiran and retreated with a cry.
The uneven tarmac cut into Yiran’s palms as he collapsed. His lungs filled with air, and the heady feeling dissipated. Through
the fog, a thin figure emerged, his black coat rolling behind him like a storm. His eyes were dark and wild, his lips muttering
a string of spells. He stopped a few feet away and turned to Yiran.
Zizi.
Yiran didn’t think his heart could pound harder or faster, but it did. Why was he suddenly more afraid of the mage than the
Hybrid standing right next to him?
“Stay out of my way,” Zizi commanded, as if Yiran were an ant to be crushed under his unforgiving boot.
The flames around Yuki had died down. He was largely unharmed and very pissed off. “Who are you?”
Zizi grinned. “Your worst nightmare.”
“Another Exorcist?” Yuki snarled.
“Please, don’t insult me.” Zizi wriggled his fingers and several talismans appeared above his hands.
“You’re the mage,” Yuki said. “Seems like you’re going to be more trouble than I thought.”
Teeth bared, Yuki tilted his head to the night sky. There was a sound of bone breaking, bone growing, bone forcing itself
out in ways it should not.
Violet shards sprouted from Yuki’s spine like panes of broken glass. They melded together into two separate wings, one on each side of his spine, the left smaller than the right. Unlike the mutated Revenant at the Night Market with its slimy tentacles, Yuki’s jagged wings were beautiful—and deadly.
Zizi tilted his head, fascinated. “What are you?”
“He’s a Hybrid,” Yiran said. He’s still human, he almost added. No. Yuki wasn’t human. He was a Revenant.
He was the enemy.
“Shut up.” Yuki growled. But he didn’t attack. Instead, he reared up and flashed his wings.
Yiran had seen this sort of posturing in schoolyard fights; Yuki was afraid.
“I’ve never fought a Hybrid before,” said Zizi, looking a little feral himself. “I’m dying to have a go.”
“If you wish to die, then your wish is my command.”
Yuki flung his wings back. Violet spikes burst from them, hovering in the air above him.
Yiran covered his head and face with his arms as spikes rained down in staccato flashes of light. But the glass-like bullets
never reached him.
Yuki was only aiming at Zizi.
The mage had spread his arms. A glowing circle three times the size of his body formed in front of him. The spikes fizzled
when they touched the shield, but not before they burned holes in it.
Yuki launched into the air, twisting his wings. Another hail of violet bullets shot down. Again, Zizi braced with his shield.
“Is that all you got?” Zizi called out.
Yuki cackled. “Seems like more than what you can handle.”
Yiran glanced at the mage. Sure enough, Zizi had taken damage.
A few stray bullets containing Yuki’s yinqi had burned through his shield, slicing through his clothes.
Blood seeped from a gash on his leg. Yiran had no idea how good of a fighter Zizi was.
Exorcists worked in teams, each member a complement to the others.
If Zizi’s main mode was defensive spells, it was Yiran’s role to back him up on offense.
But here he was, sniveling on the ground like a useless hack.
Yuki swerved right, prepping for another attack. “Let’s see how long you can hold out.”
“That depends on who’s the one-trick pony here.” Zizi laughed. “Is it me? Or is it you?”
In response, Yuki spun in the air, throwing momentum into his attack. The night sky lit up in violet as a hundred jagged pieces
burst from his wings.
Every single fragment was pointing at Yiran.
Before he could react, the violet shards assailed him.
Yiran shrunk back. A crimson shield appeared in front of him—just a second too late. He felt something hot on his face and
smelled his own burning flesh. He yelped in pain, curling into a terrified ball behind the shield.
Moments later, the attack stopped. Zizi’s shield had taken most of the damage, but the heat on Yiran’s cheek was almost unbearable.
“You okay?” Zizi asked. His shield shimmered and disappeared.
Yiran nodded, not daring to touch the part of his skin where Yuki’s yinqi had torched.
Zizi shouted at the Hybrid, “That was dirty. Leave him alone—I’m your opponent.”
“There is no fairness in the fight for survival,” Yuki said, breathing heavily from the effort of his attack. “You are both
my enemies.”
“In that case, let’s end this.”
Zizi threw off his coat and extended his left arm, dragging his right hand down pale skin. Something emerged when his hands
met.
His spiritual weapon.
It was a thin sword that looked like the night on fire. The steel was pure black, its edges gleaming red. But the weapon was
unfinished; the top part of it was serrated like it’d been sawn off, and it was only half the length of Zizi’s arm.
A broken sword.
If a spiritual weapon reflected the wielder’s character and ability, what did that say about Zizi?
“A new toy?” said Yuki. “What other secrets do you have?”
“If I told you, it would ruin the surprise.” Almost leisurely, Zizi pointed his sword at Yuki. “Any last words?”
Seething, the Hybrid flared his wings.
Zizi rolled his eyes. “Not that again.” He whispered two words under his breath.
There was a sharp whistle of metal slicing through air.
Yuki cried out. Half of his left wing had shattered, the violet spikes strewn on the road, fizzing out.
Yiran hadn’t seen the blow coming either. It was as if the other half of Zizi’s sword had appeared from nowhere, slamming
down with a force so large, there was a split in the tarmac.
“Surprise!” Zizi whooped, brandishing his broken sword.
Yiran gawked at him. “What the hell?”
Zizi grinned. “Told you I was gifted.” He lowered himself, whispering quickly, “Each hit takes a lot out of me. I can’t keep
this up for long. You should run if you can.”
But Yiran stayed where he was. He wasn’t helping the fight, but he couldn’t abandon Zizi.
Sweat dripped down Yuki’s face as he strained to re-form his wing. He barely made any progress when the sharp whistle sounded
again.
Yuki sprang aside.
But he miscalculated the direction of Zizi’s blow.
He collapsed as Zizi’s sword took out his other wing.
“Say your prayers,” Zizi sang, flinging his sword arm out.
Yuki struggled on the ground, writhing in pain. It was becoming clear that he would not win this fight.
I’m tired of being hunted.
Instead of relief, Yiran felt a pang in his chest, even as his face was still hurting from Yuki’s assault. The Hybrid boy had seemed so alone, so bitter. And he would disappear from this world, just as alone and bitter.
Yuki’s eyes found his.
Yiran didn’t, couldn’t look away in Yuki’s last moments. Yuki seemed to smile at him, and just when Yiran thought it was the last time he would
ever lay his eyes on this beautiful Revenant boy, the night sky exploded with light.