We formed a tight circle—Liwei and Prince Yanxi on my right, Wenzhi on my left. My father took up the other side, with Shuxiao and the Celestial Empress beside him. My mother was tucked in the center, along with Prince Yanming, while the soldiers wound around us like a monstrous serpent, trapping us in its coils. The air rippled with the force of their energy slamming against our shields—holding fast—yet it felt like being kicked in the gut.

It was a clumsy, hacking, brutal battle. Streams of fire shot from Liwei and me, lightning from my father, while Wenzhi and Prince Yanxi deflected the blows that rained upon us. Each wound we inflicted was hard-won, like wood scraping at stone. Still, the soldiers advanced, missing limbs, skin smoking—until my gut cramped with horror.

“Watch out!”

I spun around just as Wenzhi’s blade plunged into the soldier before me, striking the disc on its armor. Its tip scraped the jade as Wenzhi’s knuckles whitened around the hilt. I gripped his hand, channeling my power into his weapon, flames surging along the metal into the soldier’s chest. Cracks streaked across the jade disc, breaking apart with a clink, as Wenzhi’s sword drove clean through its body.

We did not relent, arrows of lightning and waves of fire surging forth. Slowly, more soldiers fell back, the light winking from their eyes, their bodies shattering like glass—until the beach was strewn with those glittering shards, the air shimmering with gold dust.

Yet how long could we keep this up? Our movements were growing sluggish, a numbness sinking into my limbs. Our formation had long fallen apart—we were scattered into a thin line, wedged between the sea and Wugang’s soldiers. There was no concerted strategy, no planned attack. We were a brawling, graceless mess—a hasty stab here, a quick strike there. General Jianyun would have thrown a book at us had he witnessed our haphazard assault. But all we could do in this moment was to fight to draw another breath.

My mother gasped. I whirled to find her standing alone, unprotected, as two soldiers bore down upon my father. A glint caught my attention, a guandao thrust toward her with unerring accuracy. I lunged forward, a scream forming in my throat—but then, the blade stilled. The soldier’s eyes glowed brighter, cocking its head as though listening to something only it could hear.

Abruptly, it turned away, slashing at Wenzhi instead. Wenzhi’s sword swung up to deflect the blow, his face taut with strain. As more soldiers rushed forward, our shields wavered against the relentless horde. Fear reared high, yet I forced it back down. Each soldier struck down was one less to fight.