Final Battle
Final Battle
Yuan Shun ripped his shirt to bandage the gaping hole in Shi Yen's shoulder. He guarded her, watching the heat of battle to protect her from any oncoming attacks. But he was frustrated. Goddamn, where is everyone? He needed Dr. Su Xiang and Dr. Xun Zichen of the Phoenix flock. They were the best physicians, and it wasn't like he could call an ambulance from another hospital. Too many questions would have been asked.
"Shun…" His wife said weakly. "Go help them. I'll be fine."
"No," he refused. "You're his ultimate target. He wants you dead for ruining his plan, and he might not stop at you. He will kill us all."
Shi Yen thought about it. "He's a madman."
Yuan Shun let out a low laugh, even though it wasn't amusing at all. "I'm sorry you had to deal with him all these years. I should have been there more for you."
Now wasn't the time to blame yourself, she thought but was too weak to say.
"He was the only family I had left…I trusted him."
Yuan Shun gritted his teeth. His desire to kill Shi Ma was great, even though he had to stay behind to protect Shi Yen. But he trusted Shi Ailin to get the job done; she had been fighting with everything she had. Yuan Shun expected it, though, since she was the girl he saw in the picture.
…
Shi Ailin was growing tired.
She had not used her muscles in years—not like this—and the exercise was straining her body. What kept her going was her determination, the desire to protect her friends and the adrenaline that coursed through her body to survive.
Shi Ma wasn't giving her any time to think. He came at her left and right, up and down. His sword jabbed various parts of her body, and some of them were deep enough to leave scars. But the way she moved gave him some room to graze her, but not enough to run through her, which was all she needed until she was able to devise a plan.
Shi Ma lunged forward, and she leaned aside, kneeing him in the groin. Shi Ailin widened her eyes as she realized he did not react. He only laughed.
She backed away, and he kept laughing menacingly.
Shi Ailin clenched her jaw. He must be on some type of drug to keep him going. No wonder she felt like she wasn't getting anywhere.
He swung at her, and she ducked, but he cut her cheek. She then bowed, running past him to grab two knives, abandoning the sword.
He laughed again.
"Stupid girl," he said, "How can you use that to deflect this." He waved the long blade in the air.
Shi Ailin knew this move was risky. She watched Shi Yen do it to immobilize Yuan Ning, and if done right, she can hit somewhere vital against Shi Ma. But she had to do it before he reached her.
Shi Ailin lifted the handle of the small blades to guard her face. She then observed his position, and she propelled herself forward. He swung his sword on a vertical angle, meant to cut her down, but she whirled and swayed, and she brought the knife to meet his chest.
Shi Ailin gritted her teeth as she jabbed the blade between his ribs. The sword in his hand clanged to the floor, but Shi Ailin realized that she felt a warm stinging sensation around her belly.
Her hands shook as she looked down at the knife protruding from her body. She realized that she had left an opening the moment she stabbed him. He dropped his sword so that he could slip a knife from his pocket to drive it in her at the same time she attacked him.
She staggered back, her breath caught.
Shi Ma took a step forward with the knife sticking out of his chest. He looked as if he could keep going; that he wasn't finished with her while Shi Ailin was left trembling.
Shi Ma then pulled out a gun from his back pocket.
No! She thought.
"Using a gun?" she scoffed, stepping back. "Are you too scared to fight me? I'm not dead yet."
"Shut up," Shi Ma said.
As Shi Ailin backed away cautiously, Yuan Ning had come running ahead, ready to attack him. Shi Ma then pointed the gun at him and took the shot.
Genji came from nowhere, shielding his body, taking the force of the bullet. It landed on her waist. Yuan Ning caught her in his arms, gently laying her down on his lap. She gazed up at him with amber eyes, holding onto the blood that seeped through her shirt, as if she could somehow stop it.
Yuan Ning looked at her, eye-wide. "Why'd you do it?" he asked her softly.
"To be honest," she responded, her voice weakened, "I don't know."
He stared at her, his arms trembling.
Shi Ailin gritted her teeth. "You're the lowest!" she shouted at Shi Ma.
She then launched herself forward in a desperate attempt to get him. She knew running ahead towards him, only asked for death. But with the last knife she had, she could throw it directly at him before he took the shot. She could take him down with her—
Shi Ma pointed the gun at her as she ran towards him. Another shot sounded, but it didn't hit her, and the bullet didn't come from Shi Ma.
Shi Ma screamed as Luo Wanting shot his hand, faithful to his aim. The gun fell from his wounded hand and onto the ground. He then shot both of his legs, and Shi Ma toppled over in agony.
Her other friends swarmed in from behind him, relief overcoming her. "Sorry we're late," Fang Qi shouted. "We've stumbled across some obstacles, but I also went to call for some backup. "
All of their allies came: Fang Qi, Luo Tian, Master Wong, and—
Her eyes widened.
Luo Wanting stepped forward, towering Shi Ma as he held his bleeding and torn-up hand. Luo Wanting tilted his head before he kicked him to the ground. Shi Ma groaned, and Luo Wanting stepped on his bleeding hand, crushing it. He screamed.
Luo Wanting bent down; his foot held him firmly against the ground. "I didn't kill you because I shouldn't be the one to do it. My friends have vendettas against you."
Shi Ma groaned.
"Ai," Luo Wanting called. "Do you want to kill him?"
Shi Ailin winced. "No," she replied. "I have no more reason to kill him." She glanced at a shocked Yuan Ning who had given his companion—Genji—to Dr. Su Xiang and her husband when they arrived. "Let him."
Yuan Ning gave her a nod of gratitude.
Luo Wanting stepped back from the wounded and unarmed Shi Ma.
Yuan Ning rose with a knife, his eyes holding a murderous glint as if he was going to skin him alive. He looked down at Shi Ma. "For Qin Li…" he said, "And for Wu Genji." He lifted the blade, driving it down through skin and bone and into his heart, twisting it until he coughed blood and drew his last breath.
When Yuan Ning finished, he turned to realize that the rest of Shi Yen's backup had arrived and took care of the rest.
Shi Yen was going in and out consciousness, but she felt a warm hand press against her forehead, soothing her sweat-soaked skin.
"Darling…" she heard someone's voice say. "You're going to be okay."
Her vision swam, and her head lolled asleep.