Having traveled in peace for an entire day through the Demonic Realm, we reach the border where X's sea of mud has yet to reach. Surfacing from the tunnels, we set up camp in an open field near a creek, hunting down animals to cook and eat for dinner.
Geming is going to kill Lu Hi and take the Tiger's trial before becoming the Zodiac, but as a winner of the Heaven and Earth tournament, it should be pretty easy for him.
Sitting down around the campfire, we eat a deer that we had caught.
"If the sea of mud has yet to reach the Demonic Realm's border, doesn't that mean over half of the world is free from it's grasp?"
"Not exactly," Cheon Ma says. "By being stationed at the Murim Alliance, we meant the Southern wall, the one that is montering the Demonic Realm. So in reality, we have lost over 60% of the world."
"And over 80% of the world's population" Qinge chimes in.
"So Geming here is the next wall of defense…"
Looking over at him, he seemed uninterested in our conversation, or rather it's that he's purposely trying to avoid it.
"Geming…" Jiayang pats Geming's head, consoling him. "He's actually quite afraid of becoming the Tiger."
"J- Jiayang! You weren't supposed to tell him…"
"He's working with us, so it's best we be open and honest with each other."
"But shouldn't he be proud?" I ask, only to receive sorrow gazes.
"Xing, you're a first rate warrior," Cheon Ma askes, "Correct?"
I nod, "Yeah, I am."
"And what do you think of dying on the battlefield for honor?"
"Well I think it's stupid, honor is not worth one's life, so it makes them nothing but a fool to die in the name of honor."
"Then why do you think becoming a Zodiac is any different?" Cheon Ma tosses his bone into the flame, letting the fire consume it. "If honor is not worth dying for, then becoming a Zodiac is no reason to either. This isn't some joyous occasion where we witness the birth of a new Zodiac or ally, but rather the cycle of life and death.
Our old comrade Li Hu must now die, and Geming will soon take his place in that hell hole, fighting tooth and nail every single waking moment for our sake."
He's right… Being a hero is no different from a soldier. One is just more glorified than the other.
"Then do you fear death Geming? Or dying in vain?"
A winner of the greatest fights in all the realm, power to shake the earth and rule it in stealth. Yet he hesitates…
"I fear death."
"But do you not fight with your life on the line everyday?"
"This is different, Xing." Geming pauses, fidgeting with his hands. "This isn't the same as fighting with your life on the line anymore, this isn't an educated bet. This is simply the same as selling my soul for more time for humanity to survive.
I must kill my own master… And then take his place as one of humanity's walls. I will die. There is no if, no when, no how. I will die, I will die soon, to the hands of a beyonder."
I see… What a cruel world.
"Then please forgive me for my words of ignorance. It must be a tough choice to make…"
Even if sworn to protect humanity, even if the choice was an obvious one to make… Choosing to hand over your life for the sake of others will always be a scary one. Are heroes really all fools?
Is giving up your own life, the most precious thing that you own for the sake of the entire world foolish?
Closing my eyes, I lean back into the cold grass, a gentle breeze passing by as the stars shone down on us.
Yes, it certainly does make you a fool, but it doesn't ruin your honor nor chivalry. If heroes are fools, and fools are people that make the most noble choices… Then perhaps being a hero ain't too bad.
"Did you just have an enlightenment, Xing?"
I sit back up to face Cheon Ma who had just asked. "Perhaps. But still, do not consider me a fool."
As the nearby trees ruffle with some intensity, everyone jolts up in guard. "What's wrong?"
"Has Ehuang told you of our enemy yet?" Jiayang responds.
"X?"
"There's another, we've seen him around a few times. He was the one that had killed Horse and Ox."
One that could face the Zodiacs? At this point I shouldn't be surprised by anything.
"Then I have not."
Getting up, I join the other four in their defensive formation, wary of any movement in the cover of the night. "What does he look like?"
"We don't know. All we know is that he walks around in a dark worn out cloak and has a mask made of gold."
"I mean, with a mask of gold, he surely can't be hard to mi-"
And in the corner of my eye there was a glint that had not been there before, one that tried to imitate the stars with its beauty. But instead of charging at us with his blade, he stood still and simply stared at me.
"Everyone! On your guards." Cheon Ma said as he took the front with Qinge acting as our tanks.
"You," the man pointed at me. "What is your name?"
"Huh? It's Xing."
The man remained in silence before putting away his blade. "I see… So this is where it ends. Good." Raising his arm, he slides his mask a little to the side, using the moonlight's reflection to blind the others just enough for them to be unable to see what he had revealed.
A crack in the side of his pale face. A crack seeping with cold and death, almost like a mouth in wait to devour something. But there was something else that caught my eye more so than that. It was his left eye.
A star… A desaturated blue four pointed star. The same one found in those born with this accursed ability. But how rare is that? Did he perhaps steal Cheon Ma's right eye which explains why me and Cheon Ma have the same eyes, or was he perhaps born with two?
No, what if Cheon Ma bested him and got away with one of his eyes?
Shaking my head, I snap out of my thoughts and prepare myself to defend from one of his attacks.
"Worry not… Xing. You and Cheon Ma will have a throne at the world's end. Only then when the truth is revealed to all who bear to witness will the dragon rise into the heavens. For now, the cycle shall continue."
"What are you talking about?!" Geming brings forth his blade, "Are you going to fight or not!"
"Patience, Cub. Your time will come, just not now."
With his final words of parting, the masked man picks up his blade and creates a cut into space, walking through it and disappearing with ease.
"He's gone… Ouroboros is gone just like that…" Jiayang finally lets go of the breath she had been holding, falling onto her behind as everyone else lets down their guard just a little.
Cheon Ma kicks out the fire, "Everyone sleep. I'll stay guard."
Everyone ends up agreeing and settles down on a few mats, dozing off to sleep as I remained deep in thought.
He said that only I and Cheon Ma will survive till the end. But why us two? What connects us? What makes us special?
Is it our eyes? That's the only connecting line here, but I can't even be sure of that because I'm supposed to be dead. I don't know what timeline this is, or if this is even the same world. All I know is that the voice I spoke to mentioned something about the truth and this being a time hidden behind space.
There are so many questions, so many things I have without answers.
Who is Cheon Ma, what is his real identity? Who is Ouroboros, why is he helping X? What is X, why is X consuming our world with its mud?
When will I get the answers to all of this… When can I go home…
Turning to my side, I clamp my eyes harder in an attempt to sleep, but I couldn't. I miss my family. Yao Ji… Tue-Mei… Yue Liang… Even Yu Yang.
I don't want this… I don't want the truth or this journey. I just want to be happy…
"I just want to go… Home…"