"Brother Thien…!"
Bao Uyen's voice drifted down from the deck. It was thin and trembling, but it was enough to pull Thien's consciousness back from the brink. He stood in the middle of the river, his breath heavy, blood dripping with every heartbeat.
The four black-clad soldiers still surrounded him.
"…Don't stand in my way," he growled. His voice was no longer frantic; the panic was gone. There was only pure, unadulterated will.
VUT!
One soldier lunged first, a wind-splitting punch aimed directly at Thien's face. Thien didn't dodge. His hand clamped firmly around the attacker's fist, the water beneath his feet dipping into a crater. The soldier froze.
"…!"
"…Got you."
BOOM!!
A point-blank counter-punch exploded. The soldier was blasted back, his body spinning horizontally across the water's surface.
Thien didn't stop. Two others closed in from his flanks.
SLASH!!
Blades of pressurized air tore through the space. Thien dropped low, skidding across the water. He wasn't necessarily faster, but he could see it now. He pivoted. With one hand, he parried a strike; with the other, he drove a fist straight into his opponent's gut.
THUD!!
There was no massive explosion, just a strike of lethal precision. The soldier doubled over, gasping for air. The other lunged from behind with a high kick.
KICK!!
The blow caught Thien in the ribs, knocking him off balance. Blood sprayed from his mouth, but he didn't fall. He spun in that exact moment of impact.
WHAM!!
A soaring hook connected squarely with the soldier's face, sending him tumbling into the dark water. The last remaining soldier took a step back, his eyes wavering.
"…Impossible…"
Thien stepped forward. Slow. Heavy. Unstoppable.
"The Lord is waiting…!" the soldier roared, lunging for one final desperate strike.
Their strikes collided head-on. One second. Two seconds. Then—
CRACK.
The soldier's guard shattered as his arm was forced aside.
BOOM!!
The finishing blow landed. The final attacker fell, and the water's surface gradually went still. Thien stood alone, his breath ragged, his shoulders trembling, his fists still clenched tight. He looked up at the warship.
"Bao Uyen… I'm here."
He gathered his remaining strength and leaped.
VUT!!
His body soared toward the deck. But just as he was about to reach the ledge—
BOOM!!!
An explosion of black energy erupted.
"!!"
Thien was blasted backward, crashing into the water once more.
SPLASH!!
The atmosphere grew suffocatingly heavy. A slow, deliberate footstep echoed. From the deck, a figure emerged—clad in a black cloak, long hair swaying in the sea breeze, and eyes of a haunting crimson. Deep. Cold. Inhuman. He looked down, his gaze settling on Thien
Silence. One second. Two seconds. Then—
"You…" The voice was low, yet it vibrated through the air. "…surprised me a little."
The water rippled; the wind shifted direction. Thien slowly stood up, his body feeling like lead. As he looked up, a familiar face triggered a flash of memory:
A field.
Cracked earth.
Blood.
His pupils contracted. "…It's you."
The man on the deck tilted his head slightly. "Oh… so you still remember me." A cold smirk played on his lips. "I thought you might have forgotten… that field. You escaped once.
His smile deepened into something more sinister. "But this time… there will not be a second time."
Thien stared back, his eyes unwavering, devoid of doubt. "...Release her."
The man tilted his head again, as if observing a fascinating specimen. "Fine." A single, whispered word. "Take her… if you can."
BOOM!
Without a movement, without warning, a crushing pressure descended upon the entire river. Thien's breath hitched; his chest felt as though it were being crushed. The waters of the Bach Dang River parted to either side, and space itself seemed to warp.
Thien's pupils narrowed. This was different—an entirely different level of power. His necklace vibrated violently, not in warning, but in confrontation. He tightened his grip, his breathing finally stabilizing.
"…Fine then."
He took a step, the water dipping beneath his foot.
"…I'll take her myself."
In the distance, the water shifted again. As if… waiting.