700 years ago.
The Borisin Invasion of Thalassa.
Hoolay relished in the bloodshed he created throughout his life.
He had taken countless lives by his own hand, devoured their bodies, and brought war and scourge upon all worlds he had ravaged. He took pride in ravaging other civilizations.
Until that day, he finally met a bigger mountain.
'Disgraceful.'
The warm blood poured down his chest and the stream of fire burning the surface of his skin jolted his senses.
Hoolay felt pain that reminded him of that invasion all those years ago.
Injuries that caused his body to go limp. The taste of blood that was different from the prey he devoured. It all came back to him.
'Utterly disgraceful.'
The defeat that stained his pride as a Borisin Lord. Supreme Warhead of his people.
Hoolay felt nothing but anger.
*THUMP*
A crimson moon within him began to beat.
Yuuto wiped his mouth filled with blood and frowned when a thick layer of crimson malice grew from Hoolay.
It resembled a blood moon.
He knew that his attack had injured Hoolay severely.
[Anamnesis: Echo]
An ability tied to his connection to memories that recalled fragments of the 'past' within an individual or place.
This was what Yuuto thought when thinking about how he should fight using memories.
Leaving behind a memory fragment after attacking, then activating said fragment once more.
It wasn't overwhelmingly strong in the beginning, but once memories start to stack up, that's when its true strength begins to show itself.
Imagine attacking once, but then several powerful strikes immediately follow right after. Injuries weren't an exception as well.
The world doesn't forget, so he took advantage.
That battle with Jingliu, who was a swordmaster and the one who ultimately defeated Hoolay. Memories of her attacks were still present.
Yuuto activated his ability and made the injuries from those attacks resurface.
It proved to be effective. Highly, even after considering the gap between him and Hoolay.
Though, while it was highly effective, it didn't leave him unaffected either.
"It took almost 90% of my entire energy reserve."
Yuuto felt drained after recalling those memories.
Those memories were not recent. The attacks he personally made were recent, so it cost him almost zero energy and time to recall.
The constant damage from the Stellaron's fire helped with negating Hoolay's regeneration, so he wanted this constant attack to stick.
But Jingliu's attacks, on the other hand, were made almost 700 years ago. There was also the severity of the injuries she made, which led to his defeat.
Taking these two into account, it was already a surprise that the backlash he got wasn't worse.
Yuuto was lucky enough that he didn't pass out.
Or worse, suffer injuries on par with the fragments he attempted to recall.
"I thought I had enough energy, but it appears that I'm still very high maintenance."
His Stellaron began beating faster as it tried to restore the energy he quickly used up.
A few seconds passed, and his weakness began to slowly relieve itself.
'Stelle, let me give you lots of snacks when I come back.'
For giving him such a great gift, Yuuto will smother her with all the treats she asked him to buy.
Focusing on his Stellaron, Yuuto gripped his sword tightly before Hoolay, who remained in a terrifying state.
Blood-soaked skin that turned darker and his white hair that transformed into a deep crimson hue.
Yuuto could only think of one thing.
"A second phase…? Or maybe third…"
Transformations were almost always an indicator of a boss fight, so seeing Hoolay in this state. Yuuto let out a few curses under his breath.
Hoolay really wanted him gone.
His moonlight-infused steps burst forward, and he dodged the giant saber aimed at his body. Hoolay's movements were even more vicious compared to before.
"I knew that you'd be faster, but this is cheating."
Yuuto twisted his body and the moonlight around his body grew brighter as he increased his speed.
[Illumine] shone through his sword and he attacked the surface of Hoolay's weapon to deflect the heavy strike. Faint trails of swords followed behind his strike.
CLANG!
CLANG!
His body shifted as he tried to adjust to Hoolay's new transformation.
Hoolay was already fast due to being a Borisin, so now that he was in an enhanced state, his speed had almost doubled.
For now, it was manageable but he noticed that the longer he was in this state, his bloodlust continued to grow.
The air was getting heavy, and the pressure he released amplified his state.
"How long will this last…"
A wound appeared on Yuuto's waist before he eventually conjured his mist to temporarily seal the injury.
Yuuto created some distance and switched his sword. Gathering a vortex of golden flames at the tip.
His eyes flickered as he scanned the battlefield and saw the sea of fragments that contained his previous attacks.
A few were sparkling as if calling out to him, but there were also a few that were dimmed out.
'A cooldown? I guess memories have rules that they need to follow…'
Recalling a past memory to the present is already a broken hand to have, so it wasn't a surprise to him that these fragments follow some sort of law.
Memories may obediently listen to him, but there seems to be a higher order they are bound to for creating a sense of balance.
Yuuto focused.
Hoolay noticed the distance and rushed him to close this gap.
"[Echo.]"
The Stellaron inside him churned and several fragments near Hoolay's feet began to emit a faint glow.
Taking his step forward, Hoolay felt his body move and within the empty space, a wave of sword marks appeared.
"Urgh—!"
His thick hind legs felt the sensation of cold ice glide across his flesh multiple times before eventually disappearing as if nothing was there.
Hoolay's momentum was thrown off.
"About 40% of my energy has returned."
Yuuto mentally calculated his reserves and gripped the handle of the greatsword forward.
The stream of flames forged upwards and at the last second, he swung.
BOOM–!
A burst of concentrated fire poured onto Hoolay in an attempt to bury him. The area in front of Yuuto was covered in a wave of light and heat that caused the room they were in to tremble.
"How much power does this thing have?"
Beads of sweat covered Yuuto's face and a few strands of his hair stuck to his forehead.
For a moment, he had time to catch his breath.
Before he heard a voice he'd rather not listen to.
"Unexpected. Are you sure you're human? How can a feeble body like yours bring out so much destruction?"
"Can't you just stay down?"
Hoolay licked the blood off his lips and moved his remaining arm that survived after getting a direct hit from Yuuto's attack.
A clean severed left arm from the shoulder downwards. Strands of muscles at the end squirmed but there was a lingering sense of corrosion that prevented it from growing.
"You think after getting locked down here I will remain the same as I was 700 years ago? Getting defeated by someone related to her at that?"
Hoolay clenched his left shoulder and his thick claws dug into his flesh before ripping off the defective stump.
A giant cavity remained, but in an instant, Hoolay's arm began to regenerate. "You underestimate my hatred and disdain."
Yuuto wanted to curse.
Great. Just great.
Hoolay was like a persistent cockroach.
Perhaps a few more attacks would dwindle him down, but Yuuto didn't have time for this.
He glanced at Bailu, who was still in the ritual, and remembered that Phantylia and even Sparkle were waiting for him outside.
There was no time for him to entertain this grudge of his.
'Victory conditions…'
He thought about what was needed to win.
Yes, he could defeat and maybe even kill Hoolay, but it would take a bit longer and there were implications of executing a prisoner without a direct order.
Yuuto could probably pass it off as self-defence with the help of Jingyuan, but this is a prisoner that is under the jurisdiction of the other flagships of the Xianzhou.
He was not familiar with them.
Victory conditions…
Yuuto then recalled how he was first trapped inside the cell when he woke up.
His brain began to speed up, and a plan was quickly formulated.
Let's just seal him back up.
"So shall we continue? I think that—-"
"How many times do I have to tell you, leave me out of your petty grudge."
Hoolay frowned when he heard Yuuto's tone, and it was as if he was tired of hearing him talk.
Fine by him. Hoolay grabbed his saber along with another one in his other hand.
Baaang!
His roar filled the room.
Moonlight filled the ground while a crimson fog sank into the air.
The two contrasting colours were left behind while both Yuuto and Hoolay aimed their weapons at each other.
Yuuto's sword flowed smoothly, disappearing before reappearing in places [Illumine] deemed as weak points.
Hoolay, with his vast combat experience, quickly adjusted to mistakes and even counterattacked before realizing that he had avoided the attack.
Both his sabers were filled with a crimson aura.
Shwaaaak!
It was cut.
The crimson aura had cut Yuuto's chest. Satisfaction bloomed inside him, seeing the colour of his blood.
A deep scarlet with specks of gold and black hidden within.
Rather unique hues.
Hoolay was satisfied, but a sense of unease remained.
Yuuto raised his hand and reached towards his back; light flashed and out came a thick chain with cuffs attached to the end.
"How do you have something like—-"
His words ended after the cold metal wrapped around his arm and Hoolay opened his jaw to bite downwards.
Yuuto's neck and torso were within range, and being a race that was built on attacking ruthlessly, Hoolay attempted to bite the part that connected the head to the body.
It was logical. The sharp jaws of a Borisin against a human's fragile skin.
There shouldn't be any resistance.
Hoolay's jaws snapped shut, but instead of piercing flesh, he was met with metal that was hard for him to bite through.
"Aren't you acting a bit too ruthlessly?"
Without thinking for a second, Yuuto dug the chain deeper into and around Hoolay's mouth and made a makeshift restraint.
'This fits him much better.'
A dog that bites back needs a muzzle.
These chains managed to restrain his energy when he was first locked up, so he took them on whim. Who would have thought they would bring a perfect opportunity to be used.
The rest of the chain quickly poured out of his storage, and after reaching twice the length of Hoolay's body, Yuuto began wrapping this chain.
His act was fast. Binding the legs, arms, and chest.
"How dare you—!!"
The victim didn't find his actions amusing and shook his body around. Making it difficult to even stand still.
If Yuuto wasn't careful, the binding would loosen, so he held the chains as tightly as he could.
Veins around his arm began to bulge from the force he was applying.
Hoolay was putting up a fight.
"Stay still, dammit!"
Yuuto pushed his mist outwards and created a couple of spears in the air. He immediately willed them down, and they dug into Hoolay's body.
The spears didn't just pierce but near the shaft, sharp and cold wind began to form, causing more damage.
"Throw him over here!! It contains a seal for prisoners like him!"
Hearing a voice behind him, Yuuto didn't think twice and twisted his body while carrying Hoolay.
Using all his strength and momentum, he lifted Hoolay and threw him into a cell that was pointed to.
At that moment, he could hear curses aimed at him but it quickly drowned out when the thick iron door was closed. Green sigils lit up from the door.
"The sigils will begin restricting his power and eventually seal him like before." The unknown voice explained.
Yuuto wiped his sweat and looked towards the ritual Bailu was being held within.
"No…no. Nononononono—-NO!"
Taoran watched as the red light began to fade and his bloodshot eyes stared at the cell Hoolay was thrown in.
"Acting so arrogant just to end up like that!? A disgrace to your title and race!!"
He would not normally say these types of things, but having to put up with Hoolay's disdain this entire time just for his plan to be ruined was a breaking point for him.
There was also the fact that Hoolay couldn't hear him, so he was safe.
"This mutt just had one job!!"
Seeing the crimson light fade as he got closer made his chest heavy with anger.
All his planning and the humiliation he went through.
Being at the final step.
But ultimately watching it fail and slip through his fingers. Taoran's thoughts were a mess.
Dan Heng dispatched another member of the Vidyadhara and watched his back.
His thoughts were complicated.
Seeing as the other Vidyadhara didn't move and having the life drain from their faces, Dan Heng went to grab Taoran.
"It must not end here…"
"I must obtain it…"
Blood dripped as he bit his lips. His eyes turned dark, and he raised his arm.
"The Vidyadhara race will not end like this."
Water poured from his fingers and condensed into two large blades.
Yuuto and Dan Heng watched as they anticipated a final attack out of desperation, but it didn't happen the way they expected.
"URGH!"
A Vidyadhara beside Taoran collapsed as the blade pierced his chest, and Taoran threw him into the center of the ritual.
"It will not end like this."
The second blade floated beside him and in a blink of an eye, both of his arms were cut off.
Yuuto and Dan Heng were stunned.
"I must take it."
Through his shaky voice, Taoran smiled brightly as the red light sparked and flashed upwards.
"Hurry and stop it!"
Yuuto and Dan Heng ran towards the ritual to quickly grab Bailu.
"ARGHHHHHH!"
But they were too late.
Red and black veins spread throughout Bailu's body before eventually reaching towards the center of her chest.
Her skin was pale, and the light converged towards her chest.
There, a crimson object the size of a pill appeared.
Faint inscriptions that glowed were moving on the surface, and Taoran let out a mad laugh.
"Finally… It's here!!"
He crawled towards the pill.
"The Transmutation Arcanum!!"
Taoran looked into the space above him and yelled.
"I have done my part. Complete your end of the deal!"
There was silence for a second.
Then a voice that Yuuto recognized appeared.
[You have done well.]
A smooth and arrogant voice.
"Phantylia…"
Yuuto muttered as he watched Taoran disappear along with the crimson pill.
[Well done, boy. But it's too late now.]
Phantylia left him a message before finally leaving.
'What does she mean by that—'
"She's not breathing!"
He snapped out of it and quickly moved towards Dan Heng, who was holding Bailu.
Her pulse was turning weaker by the second.
"Her blood essence was stripped from her. The amount is unknown, but the damage is too much for her body to handle."
The two stared at Star, who was one of the first people to reach Bailu.
"What does that mean?"
"It means that if we don't do something, then she might… not end up being able to reincarnate."
The air turned heavy.
The three looked at Bailu, whose breath was turning shallower.
Yuuto and Dan Heng began thinking, but before they could speak out, Star hovered over her chest.
"I… think I can do something…"
She was unsure, but something was calling out to her.
Her eyes stared at Yuuto.
As if asking for permission.
"Do… you trust me?"