Chapter 12

"You fucking bitch!" He growled, kicking her face.

She fell back, spitting out a mouthful of blood and a tooth.

"Stop this Hei Long!" Hua Ren shouted, alarmed. Although Liara was an Alpha, she was no match for Hei Long. "Stand down Liara! Stand down!"

But Liara didn't listen. She couldn't let Hei Long ruin her best friend's reputation. She had been by Hua Ren's side since they were children. She knew how much Hua Ren had sacrificed to be a General. She knew how devoted he was to the Emperor. She could not let anyone tarnish his image. His years of hardwork.

Drawing out the pins from her hair, she charged at Hei Long.

Hua Ren's heart surged to his throat. The vision of Liara's imminent demise played before his eyes. "No, Liara! Stand down!" Despite his attempts to rise, the soldier beside him restrained him.

In a swift motion, Hua Ren leaped up, incapacitating the soldier. With a well-placed kick, he sent a sword flying, catching it seamlessly. Rapidly, he sliced through the binding ropes and sprinted towards Hei Long but it was too late.

In agonizing slow motion, Hua Ren screamed; "No!!!!!," as he witnessed the irreversible moment unfold. Horror gripped his heart as Hei Long's sword mercilessly plunged into Liara's chest.

"You should have listened to your General, you fucking bitch!" Hei long spat hatefully.

Her eyes widened, and she expelled a mouthful of blood, leaving Hua Ren devastated by the tragic sight.

Hua Ren's eyes locked onto Liara's body as Hei Long withdrew his sword and she crumpled to the floor, her blood soaking the sand.

Memories of their shared moments flashed in his mind - from when they were young to the present moment. The shared meals, hunts, disagreements, competitions, and fighting side by side on the battlefield.

"Hei Long!!!!!" He shouted, overwhelmed with rage and bloodlust.

The heavens mirrored his fury. Thunder brewed ominously overhead, resonating like the enraged drumbeats of nature. Strikes of lightning cracked across the darkened sky, illuminating the battlefield in flashes of electric intensity. The wind howled fiercely, seemingly echoing Hua Ren's wrath as it whipped through the surroundings, carrying the weight of the impending clash between adversaries. Nature itself seemed to respond to Hua Ren's rage, amplifying the intensity of the approaching confrontation.

His once pristine white hair, now a chaotic dance in the wind, strands scattered like ethereal threads of fury. His eyes, once serene, were now windows to a maddening rage, gleaming an unsettling white. The white robes that draped him were no longer a symbol of purity; they bore the grim testimony of battle, dyed a haunting red with the blood of his adversaries and himself.

In this visage, Hua Ren appeared as a pale vengeful ghost, a spectral force unleashed to claim Hei Long's life. His presence, both chilling and relentless.

With a surge of fury, Hua Ren charged towards Hei Long, launching into an immediate and ferocious attack fueled by grief and anger.

Hei Long, confronted by this formidable specter, felt a shiver of fear coursing through his veins. Unable to properly hold his sword, the once-confident warrior now stood scared shitless, his heart gripped by an overwhelming terror in the face of Hua Ren's unleashed wrath. He had never seen Hua Ren so angry before.

CLANG!!!

Their swords clashed, and the force of it sent Hei Long flying but Hua Ren followed, onslaught intensifying, each strike heavier and sharper than before.

"Hua Ren, wait!" Hei Long pleaded, finding it difficult to keep up with the barrage of attacks. "Wait, listen to me!" It was like Hua Ren was using a 120% percent of his strength. He never knew Hua Ren was so strong. Despite how big he was, he was having trouble defending himself against someone that wasn't even half as tall as him.

Hua Ren did not give him a single moment to breath. He kept attacking and attacking. His only goal was to kill Hei Long for killing Liara.

'Hei Long must die! Hei Long must die!' was the only thing playing on repeat in his mind. 'Die! Die! Die!'

Hei Long, desperately attempting to block, found himself overpowered by the sheer force of Hua Ren's blows. The relentless assault proved too much for Hei Long's defenses, causing his sword to shatter under the weight of Hua Ren's fury.

In a moment of vulnerability, Hua Ren seized the opportunity, his sword plunging into Hei Long's left shoulder.

Hei Long grabbed Hua Ren by his hair and yanked, attempting to throw him away but Hua Ren withdrew the sword from Hei Long's left shoulder and with a clean swipe, sliced the hand gripping his hair.

A loud horrid scream erupted from Hei Long's throat as he stared at his severed hand in shock and disbelief.

"Shut up!" Hua Ren snapped, stabbing his throat with the tip of the sword, making Hei Long go mute.

Hei Long held his throat, blood gurgling, finding that he was unable to speak. He gazed at Hua Ren in absolute terror. The pupil of his one eye trembling. 'Fuck fuck fuck!!!!!' He screamed in his mind. He never knew Hua Ren was so powerful. He shouldn't have tried to kill him. It was all the Emperor's fault! Why did the Emperor set him to do such a task?!!!

He wanted to beg Hua Ren to spare his life. He wanted to grovel on the ground and beg. He wanted to tell Hua Ren the truth but his voice, his voice was gone. One hand was also gone. One eye had been taken a long time ago. All by the same person. He loathed Hua Ren. He loathed him so much! If only he was stronger.

Hua Ren glared hatefully at Hei Long. "I was already on my knees." He said, pointing his sword at Hei Long's chest, right over his heart. "You knew she was no match for you. You could have just knocked her unconscious but no. You robbed her of her life!"

'I'm sorry.' Hei Long cried in his mind. 'I'm sorry Hua Ren. I'm sorry. It's the Emperor. It's all the Emperor. He told me to do this.'

Unfortunately, Hua Ren could not hear the voice in his head.

"Now, you shall meet the same fate. This is the end of your road, Berserker." And with that, Hua Ren thrust his sword straight into Hei Long's chest, piercing through his heart.