Chapter Twenty Ethan #2
“Fine,” I concede less than graciously. “But will he agree to fight you instead?”
“You need to accept his challenge, then assign me as your champion,” Jihun explains. “Per the Code of the Realm, the general cannot back out once you accept his challenge. And the fighter has the right to select a champion.”
“General Gim.” I project my voice, hoping I sound stronger than I feel. “I will accept your challenge under one condition. If you win, swear to spare the lives of my soldiers.”
“I swear it,” he says much too swiftly for him to mean it. “Do you accept my challenge, Your Majesty?”
“I do.” But before the general can gloat, I add, “And Captain Song Jihun will fight as my champion.”
“That pup doesn’t stand a chance against me.” General Gim’s face turns splotchy with anger. “Isn’t that right, Captain Song?”
“You can console yourself any way you wish.” Jihun sounds almost bored, the cocky son of a bitch.
I chuckle when the general sputters, and I turn to Jihun with a sardonic grin. “You got this, right?”
“Right.” A corner of his mouth curls up. “Now kindly remove yourself to the spectator zone.”
“Asshole,” I say with gruff affection, then do as I’m asked. Two of my soldiers flank me as soon as I step into the woods.
“Since your soldiers have collapsed over your ring, why don’t I draw us a new one?” Jihun suggests.
Without waiting for the general’s response, my royal adviser extends two of his fingers and spins in a slow circle, using his power of wind to clear out a ring in the ground, about fifteen feet wide. Then he stands to one side, clasping his hands loosely behind his back.
“Per code, I presume?” Jihun asks casually. When the general responds with a curt nod, Jihun inclines his head in a mocking bow. “Whenever you’re ready, General.”
General Gim leaps lightly into the circle in front of Jihun and draws his sword, his movements almost too fast to follow. My eyes narrow in accusation at my sneaky adviser. The general is much more formidable than I was led to believe.
He attacks without delay, and Jihun evades his blade at the last minute with a nerve-rackingly slow shift of his torso, his hands still clasped behind him.
“All right, show-off,” I mutter under my breath.
With a frustrated growl, General Gim swings his sword in quick succession, and Jihun at last frees his hands and dodges the blade like he means it. Then in a lightning motion, he drops to the ground in a low, sweeping kick, throwing the general off his feet.
The general lands on his back with an oomph but immediately flips to a stand. “Enough. I’m done with games.”
“Watch ou—” Before I can get my warning out, the male throws a handful of dirt at Jihun.
“By games, I assume you mean fighting fair?” Jihun drawls.
The dirt falls to the ground two feet away from his face. His wings of wind glimmer in the faint light of early dawn, and his shoulder-length hair flutters as he draws his wings away from his face. Then he finally summons his long sword with a twist of his wrist.
“Now then.” He smirks. “Where were we?”
“You arrogant bastard,” General Gim snarls.
Sparks burst as their swords meet in the middle of the ring, one warrior to another, and they battle in a dance of brutal beauty.
Jihun blocks the general’s blade over his head, spins out of its trajectory, and slashes his sword down the general’s side in a long, diagonal line, cutting open his armor.
General Gim stumbles back, a hand pressed to his side, before Jihun can mark an X on him. His palm comes away bloody. “You little fuck.”
“I don’t appreciate being called little,” Jihun murmurs.
He has definitely upped his comedy game. I shift restlessly on my feet and notice that my legs feel stronger. I clench and unclench my fists and grunt softly in satisfaction. My strength is returning.
I’m jumping into the ring if anything goes wrong. To hell with the Code of the Realm. I will not watch another brother die.
Silver flames burst to life in the general’s eyes, and I think I hear Jihun say, “There it is.” Then General Gim slashes his sword through the air and sends lightning hurtling toward Jihun. He leaps to the side, but the lightning bolt sears a jagged line down his arm.
“Jihun,” I shout, taking a step forward. Everything happened too quickly for me to react, but even I know that use of magic in single combat violates the code.
My royal adviser gives me a subtle shake of his head. I stop advancing toward the ring, even as magic gathers in my chest.
“You have violated the Code of the Realm.” Jihun shifts his shoulder with a wince.
“Who is to know? I will kill you and every one of your soldiers.” The general flashes a slimy grin as the smell of ozone fills the air and electricity sparks along his body.
“As for your king, I shall spare him, since he might prove useful. But he wouldn’t need his tongue for what we have planned for him. ”
“Even if your violation of the code wasn’t punishable by death, you signed your death warrant with that threat against my king.” Steel glints in Jihun’s eyes as he sheathes his sword. “A coward like you doesn’t deserve to breathe the same air as him.”
I hear the flap of his wings as wind gusts from them, gaining power until I have to shield my eyes. Jihun spreads his arms wide, and a dust storm rises in the woods.
“Y-you can’t use magic,” the general stutters like the hypocrite he is. “It . . . it’s against the code.”
“You forget, I am a suhoshin. I am better versed in the Code of the Realm than you.” Jihun’s voice echoes through the woods. “The moment you used magic, you gave me the right to protect myself by any means available to me.”
Jihun slowly draws his hands together, his lips peeling back from the effort, and gathers the wind and dust between his palms until a churning, basketball-sized sphere forms in front of him.
Fear flashes across the general’s face before he throws his head back and releases a shrill battle cry.
Electricity zapping through his body and in his eyes, he raises his sword high and funnels the current into his blade.
With another shriek, he brings down his sword, and lightning streams out of its tip and blazes straight toward Jihun.
“No.” The roar of the wind swallows my cry. Covering my face against the flurry of dust, I take a step toward the ring, only to be pushed back by a powerful gust. “Jihun.”
Teeth clenched, I shoulder through the barrage of wind by sheer force of will. My eyes tear up as I squint to see past the dust storm.
Jihun launches the ball of wind and dust at the lightning bolt, swallowing and neutralizing it in the air. But the ball’s trajectory doesn’t slow as it spins and expands until a twister whips toward the general.
General Gim’s mouth parts in horror, but I don’t hear his scream as the tornado surrounds him and lifts him into the air. Electricity bursts and crackles inside the cyclone, lighting up the twister like an inverted Christmas tree, and the smell of burning flesh fills the air.
Jihun strains to hold his arms up in the air, silver fire blazing in his eyes. And he steps one leg behind him, both knees bent and shaking. A guttural shout explodes out of him as he leans his torso forward, and his back leg slides until his knee hovers mere inches above the ground.
At last, the lightning slows to sporadic bursts. I hold my breath until the sparks die out altogether. With a faint moan, Jihun drops his arms and falls to his knees. The tornado dissipates, and the general’s charred body lands on the ground with a dull thud.
I run toward Jihun and help him to his feet before pulling him into a tight hug. “Don’t ever pull a bullheaded stunt like that again.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” He weakly pats my back.
I step away from him and turn to face the last standing enemy soldiers.
“General Gim has colluded with General Bak to poison and imprison the Queen of Sky.” I project my voice, and uneasy whispers rise from the soldiers. “If you are loyal to the Kingdom of Sky and your queen, put down your blade and surrender.”
A soldier steps forward, flipping a dagger around and around in his hand. “I’m afraid my orders were to put my blade . . . inside you.”
Shit. He’s an assassin.
I throw a shield over me and Jihun, and not a second too soon. The blade embeds itself into the dome, less than an inch away from my right eye. Then the shield flickers and dissolves. My gi hasn’t recovered enough to form a proper dome. And Jihun can hardly stand on his own.
But our soldiers pour out of the woods and surround us, and our archers aim their arrows at the assassin, stopping him in his tracks. Air rushes past my lips in relief. But the unconscious enemy soldiers stir on the ground. I can’t let this turn into an all-out battle.
“Soldiers of the Kingdom of Sky,” I shout. “I can end this war without any more bloodshed. Surrender now, and your lives will be spared. I swear it.”
The enemy soldiers steal uncertain glances at us, their nervous murmurs growing louder. When we make no move to attack, some of them cautiously help their dazed comrades to their feet.
This just might work.