༺༻
s i x
☽✧☾
The deep stillness of the bamboo grove shattered in Lu Hua's room. She slept soundly, tangled in quilts when the door slid open without a sound. Cold air rushed in.
A figure filled the doorway, unnaturally tall and hunched. Two points of red light – eyes like burning coals – glowed in the blackness. A low, hungry growl rumbled from its chest as it crept forward on all fours, claws scraping the wooden floor.
It reached the bed. Hot, rotten breath washed over Lu Hua's face. A rough, clawed hand brushed her cheek.
Then, *smack!* A heavy palm clamped over her mouth and nose, crushing her lips, stealing her breath.
Lu Hua's eyes snapped open. Terror choked her. Inches away, a nightmare face leered: skin like charred leather stretched over sharp bones, a gaping maw lined with jagged, yellowed fangs. Glowing red eyes bored into hers.
She thrashed wildly, kicking and bucking. A searing pain ripped through her shoulder as the demon sank its claws deep. She tried to scream, but only muffled grunts escaped the suffocating hand.
Yan! Aunt Mei! HELP! her mind screamed.
Gritting her teeth against the agony, Lu Hua coiled her legs and kicked upwards with every ounce of strength she possessed. Her bare feet slammed into the creature's chest.
A sickening sound of breaking bone echoed in the small room. The demon howled, a guttural roar of pain, and flew backwards, crashing hard against the far wall. Plaster dust rained down.
Lu Hua scrambled up, gasping, clutching her bleeding shoulder. "YAN! AUNT MEI! HELP" Her voice finally ripped free, raw and terrified.
The demon shook its head, snarling. Broken ribs jutted grotesquely under its dark skin. It lunged again, faster than Lu Hua could dodge. Razor claws raked down her arm, drawing fresh lines of fire. She stumbled back, crashing into a small table, sending a ceramic bowl shattering.
The creature pounced, pinning her against the wall. Its jaws gaped wide, dripping foul saliva, aiming for her throat. Lu Hua threw her arms up, straining against its monstrous strength. The stench of decay filled her nostrils. Teeth scraped against her forearm.
The hairpin!
Her hand flew to her braid, fingers closing around the smooth, cool wood of the pin Li Chen had given her. With a desperate cry, she yanked it free and drove it upwards with both hands, plunging it deep into the center of the demon's forehead.
An unearthly shriek tore from the demon. It reared back, clawing frantically at its face, black, tar-like blood oozing around the embedded pin. Lu Hua didn't hesitate. She planted her foot on its chest – right over the broken ribs – and shoved with all her might.
The demon staggered back, tripping over the shattered pottery. It fell heavily into a shaft of moonlight streaming through the window.
Lu Hua froze, her breath catching.
The creature's face… twisted, monstrous… but beneath the stretched skin, the sharp bones, the glowing red eyes… she saw the sharp jawline, the shape of the mouth, the set of the brows. It was Yan. Or what was left of her.
"Yan...?" Lu Hua whispered, horror drenching her voice.
The door exploded inwards.
Mei Lin stood framed in the doorway, not frail, but radiating fury. Her eyes blazed, her silver hair loose around her shoulders. In her hands, she held a long, gleaming sword that hadn't been there before. Her gaze locked on the demon wearing her niece's face.
"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Mei's voice was a whip-crack of command, filled with a grief so deep it burned like ice.
The Yan-demon snarled, forgetting Lu Hua, its red eyes fixed on Mei. It crouched, broken ribs grating, claws flexing. Then it launched itself at the older woman with a guttural roar.
Mei moved. Her sword flashed like liquid moonlight. It wasn't fancy. It was efficient, deadly, and terrifyingly fast. Steel met demonic flesh with a sickening *thwack*. Black blood sprayed. The demon screamed again, a sound of rage and pain, but pressed its attack, claws slashing wildly.
Lu Hua pressed herself against the wall, heart pounding against her ribs, she watched the horrifying scene. The cozy bamboo house had become a battlefield.
The demon's glowing red eyes locked onto Mei Lin. With terrifying speed, it swung a massive, clawed fist. The punch connected with Mei's side like a falling tree.
CRASH!
Mei Lin cried out, flying backwards. She smashed through the thin wooden wall of the small room, splinters exploding everywhere. She landed hard on the damp grass outside, groaning, her sword clattering beside her.
The demon turned back to Lu Hua, saliva dripping from its fangs. Its broken ribs stuck out sharply, but it didn't seem to care anymore.
Lu Hua's heart hammered against her ribs. Fear was cold ice in her veins, but underneath it, something else stirred – a fierce, familiar heat. She didn't think. Her body moved.
As the demon lunged, claws outstretched, Lu Hua dropped low. She slid sideways like water, the claws whistling over her head. The monster stumbled past her, surprised.
Lu Hua grabbed the only thing nearby – the sturdy wooden stool she'd smashed earlier. One leg was broken, but the seat was heavy. She swung it like a club.
THWACK!
The stool slammed into the demon's back, right below its broken ribs. It let out a pained grunt and staggered forward, crashing into the wall Mei had just been thrown through.
It whirled around, snarling, more furious than hurt. It charged again.
Lu Hua didn't try to hit it this time. She ducked under its swinging arm, spinning around behind it. As the demon roared in frustration, Lu Hua sprang.
She wrapped her arms around its thick, corded neck from behind, locking her hands together like a vise. At the same time, she hooked her legs around its waist, squeezing tight with all her strength. Her injured shoulder screamed in protest, but she ignored it.
The demon choked, a wet, gurgling sound. It thrashed wildly, trying to buck her off. Lu Hua held on like a burr, tightening her grip.
Squeeze. Hold. Don't let go.
The demon weakened. Its struggles became slower, clumsier. Its clawing hands lost their power.
Lu Hua felt its neck muscles tense one last time. She knew what she had to do. Planting her feet firmly against its lower back for leverage, she twisted her entire body with a savage, powerful jerk.
SNAP!
A sharp, final crack echoed in the ruined room.
The demon went completely limp. Its head lolled at a sickening angle. The red light in its eyes died out, leaving only empty, dark sockets. The monstrous body slumped heavily to the floor, landing with a dull thud.
Silence crashed down, broken only by Lu Hua's ragged gasps and Mei Lin's faint groans from outside.
Lu Hua scrambled off the dead demon with her hands shaking. She saw the wooden hairpin still sticking out of its forehead. She yanked it free and wiped the black ooze on the demon's ragged clothes. Then she ran, stumbling over broken wood, out through the hole in the wall.
Mei Lin lay on the grass, clutching her side. Her face was pale, her breathing shallow. She looked up as Lu Hua knelt beside her, her eyes wide with shock and pain… and disbelief.
"Lu Hua…?" Mei whispered, her voice strained. She stared past Lu Hua at the dark shape inside the broken house. "You… you killed it?"
Lu Hua nodded, pressing a hand gently on Mei's injured ribs.
Mei grabbed Lu Hua's wrist weakly, her gaze intense despite her pain. "Lu Hua… how? How did you… fight like that? Where… where did you learn that?" Her eyes searched Lu Hua's face, seeing the fierce focus that hadn't quite faded, the way she held herself ready even now.
Lu Hua looked down at her own hands, still trembling, but capable of such deadly force. She met Mei's questioning gaze.
"It's… it's what I was taught," Lu Hua said simply, her voice flat. "Since I was a little kid."
The terrible quiet after the demon's death didn't last. Shadows shifted at the edge of the broken bamboo grove. Figures stepped into the moonlight – five of them. They looked almost human, standing tall and walking on two legs. But their skin had a strange greyish tint, their eyes glowed a sickly yellow, and sharp, pointed teeth showed when they grinned. They carried swords, held with easy confidence. Soldiers. Demon soldiers.
Mei Lin gasped, pain forgotten as she dragged herself painfully upright. She shoved Lu Hua firmly behind her, shielding the girl with her own body despite her injured ribs. Her voice was tight with fury and fear. "What do you want?"
The demon in the center, taller than the others, chuckled. It was a dry, scraping sound. "Simple request, old woman. Give us the girl." He pointed a clawed finger directly at Lu Hua, his yellow eyes gleaming with hunger. "Our scout told the truth before it… expired." He kicked the ruined body of the demon near the broken wall. "The girl carries a scent on her blood. Sweet. Powerful. Our masters crave it."
Mei's face hardened. "Yan! What did you DO to her?"
The tall demon shrugged, a careless, cruel movement. "Met her on a mountain path last week. Put up a decent fight. But in the end?"bHe grinned wider, showing more teeth. "We killed her. Took her skin. Useful disguise, wasn't it? Got us close to the prize."
A raw sound tore from Mei's throat – grief and rage mixed into a single, terrible cry. "MONSTERS!" She snatched up her fallen sword, ignoring the agony in her side, and launched herself at the tall demon leader. The other four demons surged forward.
Chaos erupted. Steel clashed against steel as Mei, fueled by fury and pain, fought desperately against the tall leader and another demon. Her movements were sharp, precise, but slowed by her injury.
Lu Hua stood frozen for a split second, the horror of Yan's fate washing over her. Then instinct took over. She scanned the fight. One demon had peeled off from the group, moving silently, circling wide around the battling figures. Its yellow eyes were fixed on her, a predator locking onto prey. It was trying to get behind her.
Lu Hua heard the faint crunch of a twig under its boot just as it lunged. She spun, dropping low, and lashed out with a powerful leg sweep aimed at its ankles.
The demon was fast. It leaped backwards, easily avoiding the sweep. It landed lightly, a cruel smirk twisting its grey face. "Oho! Feisty little morsel! You know how to play? This will be more fun than I thought!" It drew its sword, the blade glinting wickedly in the moonlight.
The demon attacked. Its sword sliced through the air towards Lu Hua's head. She threw herself sideways, rolling clumsily on the grass. The tip of the blade caught her upper arm, slicing through her borrowed robe and drawing a thin, stinging line of blood.
"See?" the demon taunted, advancing. "Sweet smell already! Makes my mouth water!" It swung again, a horizontal cut aimed at her waist.
Lu Hua scrambled backwards, the blade whistling past her stomach. Too close. Anger burned away the fear. She watched the demon's feet, its shoulders. As it stepped forward for another thrust, Lu Hua didn't dodge back. She darted in, ducking under the thrusting blade. Before the demon could react, she hooked her leg behind its knee and kicked its supporting ankle hard.
"Agh!" The demon stumbled, caught off balance. Its sword arm dropped for a second.
Lu Hua saw her chance. She surged upwards, driving the heel of her palm straight up under the demon's sword wrist with brutal force. The impact jarred the demon's arm. Its fingers spasmed open. The sword flew from its grasp, clattering onto the stones near the house.
The demon snarled, pure rage replacing the smirk. "Fine! Hand to hand, little human! I'll tear you apart!" It lunged, claws outstretched, aiming to grab and crush.
Lu Hua moved, she sidestepped the clumsy grab, her fist snapping out to crack against the demon's jaw. It staggered before swinging a heavy punch. Lu Hua deflected it with her forearm, the impact stinging, and drove a sharp elbow into its ribs. The demon grunted, surprised by her speed and precision.
"Impossible!" it gasped, swinging wildly again. "How are you so fast?"
Lu Hua didn't answer. She saw an opening. As the demon recovered from a missed swing, she planted her feet. She spun her body in a tight circle, building momentum. Her leg snapped out, whipping around like a cracking whip – a perfectly executed tornado kick.
CRACK!
Her heel connected solidly with the side of the demon's head. The force was so brutal the demon's head snapped sideways. It stumbled, eyes rolling back. A high-pitched ringing filled its ears. The world swam, blurring into dizzying colours and pain exploded in its skull. It swayed, disoriented and vulnerable while clutching its head.
Across the garden, Mei was locked in a desperate struggle with the tall leader. Seeing his completely disoriented companion about to be finished off by the human girl, the tall leader made a snap decision. He parried Mei's thrust violently, creating a tiny opening. With a roar, he hurled his own heavy sword like a spear, straight at Lu Hua's back.
"LU HUA!" Mei screamed, too late to intercept.
Lu Hua heard the whistle of the blade through the air. Years of drilled reflexes took over. She didn't turn to look. She simply reached out behind her, fingers snapping shut like a trap.
THWACK!
Her hand caught the heavy sword's grip perfectly, the force of the catch jarring her arm but stopping the deadly point inches from her spine. She didn't hesitate. In one smooth motion, she reversed her grip, stepped forward towards the dazed, reeling demon in front of her, and drove the captured sword straight through its chest with all her strength.
"GURK!" The demon's yellow eyes bulged in shock and agony. It looked down at the blade protruding from its chest, then up at Lu Hua's cold, furious face. It choked, black blood bubbling from its lips and collapsed to the ground.
Lu Hua yanked the sword free. She turned, breathing hard, the captured weapon held ready, her eyes blazing as she faced the remaining demons. Mei was bleeding and exhausted but still standing. She stared at her, a mixture of shock, awe, and desperate hope in her eyes. The fight wasn't over.