King James' Conquests (CH 23: Sun And Moon (2))

I put away my cape.

Xia Qingyue came out swinging like Mike Tyson, except instead of punching my skull in, she created enough ice to freeze a lake and kindly sent it my way. It's not quite yet Christmas time... but she very much was in a gifting mood.

I used my profound energy, creating a barrier of wind around me and expanding it outwards. The ice mostly shattered apart in the impact, flying in the opposite direction. Xia Qingyue gracefully stepped to the side and evaded the blow. An ice lotus formed where she had taken the step...

Having been in the company of Chu Yuechan, I knew the Frozen Cloud Arts like the back of my hand... minus actually comprehending it and using the art. My body would likely combust from a chaotic combination of wind, fire and water.

Xia Qingyue took several more steps in the air, creating a beautiful formation of ice lotuses... the Fourth Stage; Ice Lotus Realm.

Amusingly enough, she was the only person who didn't shout her attack out loud...

I drew Zabimaru and enveloped it in wind-attribute energy. Simultaneously, I formed a dozen balls of wind profound energy. Xia Qingyue raised her sword, pointing it at me as all the lotuses flew my way.

I smacked several balls with Zabimaru like a baseball bat, shattering every lotus in the way. Even so, a few made it close. I covered myself in wind energy and flew in the opposite direction alongside my balls.

My balls are pretty damn precious...

I focused on enhancing my wind balls with each passing moment while legging it from Xia Qingyue's onslaught of beautiful yet chilling ice. I really was flexing my track star abilities because she couldn't even touch me.

She stopped targeting me and went for my balls... pretty kinky, I must say. I wasn't about to let her detonate a single one, however, and kept them out of her ice's reach.

After only a minute, the Sword Discourse Arena looked like the Ice Realm Arena.

'Is that... her strategy?' I raised an eyebrow. 'Fill the arena with ice?'

She knew that if I could charge up a wind ball for long enough and it hit, I'd easily win...

But, since I kept them close, detonating them beforehand would potentially screw me over and prevent her defeat...

She stopped using her ice sword and swapped it out for the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace's Ice Phoenix Snowflower Ribbon, its sole Sky Profound artefact. It coiled around her like a snake, further enhancing her ice energy.

I was never a winter person, but the sparkling ice spirits around Xia Qingyue, the falling snow and ice covering the arena truly was a sight to behold. It was beautiful, indeed.

The entire arena grew cold... and even the windballs around me started bringing that cold.

It might be time to bring out the fire...

I decided to toss my balls away, sending them towards her from different angles. She raised her ribbon, and the ice energy around her grew tremendously in both strength and quantity. All of the ice she had formed suddenly rose in her defence... forming a wall around her.

A coffin, to be exact. The Frozen Heaven Coffin.

I retracted them right before they struck.

"That's how you wanna play, huh..."

I sheathed Zabimaru.

I did some yin-yang shit, forming a wide circle with my hand as the wind balls condensed and began to develop into one at the very centre... drawing in all the energy around it.

All the while, the Frozen Heaven Coffin seemed to fortify itself.

I recalled the feeling I had against Ling Yun when I turned his lightning against him...

However... the fusion carried way too much risk for my liking. I wasn't entirely confident.

I strengthened it further before slowly tossing the ball towards her Frozen Heaven Coffin.

Then I dashed between them with the Star God's Broken Shadow, purple flames igniting all around me.

"... Are those... purple... flames!?"

"He is capable of using... two elements!?"

I heard a wave of shock wash over the crowd, electing to ignore it completely. I recalled all the uses of the Burning Heaven Arts I had witnessed, my training to replicate it, some tips from Itachi... and my process of turning it into my weapon.

I formed nine fireballs, propelling them towards my small windball of mass destruction. The fireballs spiralled deadly close around the windball, leading to it absorbing its energy like a black hole.

'The Determined Flames of Ambition... and the Universal, Regal, Wind that draws all towards it...'

I focused, trying to control both elements at once from a distance...

"Spiral... fuse... expand..."

"Become one and decimate all your obstacles!"

Whether it was my overwhelming charism or skill in profound energy manipulation... both attacks had obediently fused into one right before coming into contact with Xia Qingyue's coffin. The result was a terrifyingly powerful and giant purple flaming orb spiralling like a shuriken, gusts of flame dancing around it.

It shattered and evaporated the arena's surrounding ice remains... even before hitting the coffin directly, some of it had turned into liquid.

"... ADVANCE!!!"

I used more profound energy... finally pushing the orb full force into the coffin.

To avoid spectators dying from the explosion, a vast array of powerful experts flew ahead and formed a wall... further enhancing the barrier that would usually protect spectators.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM.

...

The clash between my Inferno Whirlwind Shuriken and Xia Qingyue's Frozen Heaven Coffin caused an explosion that was not something that third-stage Sky Profound Realm experts should be capable of...

Even after thoroughly melting and shattering the Frozen Heaven Coffin, the purple flames continued to rage on with quite the ferocity. It was impossible to see through them.

Xia Qingyue emerged from those flames, ice lotuses forming at her step and thawing the fire around her. The ice spirits began to dance again as the Ice Phoenix Snowflower Ribbon rose. Her veil was nowhere to be seen, and her beautiful appearance was left for all to see.

Even though part of her face was burned, its beauty was hard to miss.

Miraculously, my flames had missed the most... essential parts of her clothing. Her sleeves had been burned to nothing alongside part of her lower robes up to her knees. The places my flames did burn through did not look pretty, however. They were still glowing red.

The look in her eyes, however, was not one of defeat. They shined with a particular determination and brilliance...

Those eyes...

I felt a rush of emotions I did not want to explore... my grip on Zabimaru loosened, my heart trembled, and my resolve wavered.

“You… changed.”

I heard those words again, though I was sure Xia Qingyue hadn't opened her mouth. Even if she did, there was no way she could speak English.

"It... doesn't feel the same."

'Please shut up...'

She dashed towards me, and I hastily engulfed my sword in flames. Ice lotuses formed along her path and split apart - flying towards me in all directions.

"Every time I'm with you, I feel strained."

I couldn't get her words out of my head... no matter how hard I tried.

I increased the intensity of my flames, turning them purple and surrounding myself with them. The ice lotuses struck ferociously, carrying a solid wave of profound energy.

"It's just too much... you make everything about you. You think the universe revolves around you."

Despite my wall of flames, I had taken a good couple of hits.

"When I wanted to focus on myself, you took that as an insult and started acting even worse."

In the split second after, I felt the air around me grow incredibly cold...

"I just... don't want to be around you every waking second of the day."

The massive Ice Phoenix Snowflower Ribbon wrapped around me, freezing out any flame I could manage. My body felt so weak... my will to fight had crumbled with each moment.

Why... do I care so much?

"Especially with the way you are now..."

For the first time in forever... I felt defeated.

“You should realise that… my life… does not revolve around yours.”

"Frozen Cloud Domain."

The world... was still.

Silent... eerily tranquil.

The only thing I could hear were my own thoughts.

'I lost... didn't I?'

As the realisation set in, I sighed.

I... sighed?

Was I not frozen?

I blinked, realising that I could move.

What the hell was this...?

I broke free from the ribbon and floated around. Everything was, indeed, frozen. Everything but me. I looked around and observed the expressions of all the spectators. From the Burning Heaven Clan to the Heavenly Sword Villa, there was quite a selection.

Lastly, I landed next to Xia Qingyue.

"Frozen Cloud Domain, was it? A domain in the Sky Profound Realm... an ability that should be exclusive to thrones and above. Quite the trump card... must be that Nine Profound Exquisite Body you possess." I poked her cheek, and my hand went through her head like she was a hologram. "You cunning girl, you got me with that one. Now, why don't you thaw the ice before I lose my mind?"

After a few long seconds of silence, nothing changed.

"What is this?" I questioned out loud, looking around. "Am I in the afterlife already?"

"Heh... hahahahaha... muahahaha..." I laughed. "Imagine... that would be some good karma after killing that Xiao cunt."

Only silence followed.

I tried flying further out, but there was an invisible barrier. I was stuck in the boundaries of the Sword Discourse Arena. I couldn't use profound energy, either.

I sighed, this really was a hassle...

If it was over, why not let it be done?

Why am I still here?

More time passed...

To kill my boredom, I began to sing.

"I've spent all of the love I saved; we were always a losing game. Small town boy in a big arcade... I got addicted to a losing game."

"Oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh... all I know, all I know, loving you is a losing game."

...

"Sometimes, all I think about is you... late nights in the middle of June. Heat waves been fakin' me out, can't make you happier now..."

...

This world... whatever it was, I found it strangely calming. All my life, I had been so focused on making the most out of my time. Surpassing everyone in my path had been of paramount importance to me during this life... and even the last.

I always wanted to be the best... at everything. Despite my heavenly talent, that meant I barely had any time to myself.

But here?

It didn't matter. I could sing for a century.

"It won't be long, before I get you by my side. And just hold you, tease you, squeeze you, tell you what's been on my mind."

I embraced Xia Qingyue and phased through her.

"I wanna make up right now, na- na, I wanna make up right now, na-na... wish we never broke up right now, na-na. We need to link up right now, na-na."

I laughed, stopping myself.

Akon had some excellent songs... my father had them blasting everywhere. I ended up learning them involuntarily after my mother's passing.

In the end, I just laid down on the ground.

"You were right, Caroline..." I managed a smile. "Your life... did not revolve around mine. You had your own ambitions, yet I selfishly wanted to keep you down with me. I wasn't mature enough... I only cared about myself. My feelings."

"I should have been stronger." I chuckled, shaking my head. "My family members passing by... my mother being taken away from my life? I shouldn't have been depressed. I should've taken it like a soldier, right. Like a man."

"My dad wasting away before my eyes, making life at home insufferable? Who cares?" I laughed. "My life has no correlation to yours. I'm King James, I should keep walking forward... alone if I have to."

"You breaking up with me because I was an asshat? Deserved, I suppose... I shouldn't have had my heart ripped out. I should have moved on like nothing happened."

"Even so... even if I... was better... who would it all be for?" I questioned, looking up at the sky. "If I was the greatest footballer of all time... the greatest musician, performer... whatever I wanted... who would be there to see it?"

"The people I cared about... had already left my life."

My body wanted to let out a few tears... but that was the last thing I wanted to do.

Crying never led to anything.

"Even now, I sound like a sarcastic prick." I laughed, sitting up. "If I really did die in my first life, did you feel anything? Regret? Heartache? If so... I'm sorry. I... hope you did achieve your dream, at the very least."

"Oxford University... I think they have a diversity quota now?" I chuckled. "Since you're Chinese, that might buff up your chances."

Her expression remained the same.

"Zhao Hui Guang..." I remarked, tilting my head. "Your real name. See, I can say it now without butchering it. The benefits of being born in a Chinese world."

Still silence...

"... No matter how hard I try, I can't ever erase you." I sighed, dropping back down and closing my eyes. "You will always be my first love and my first heartbreak... nothing can ever change that."

Since I have all the time in the world...

Maybe I should dream...

In this way, I can find some peace.

...

Xia Qingyue observed the colossal pillar of ice formed around the Ice Phoenix Snowflower Ribbon, trapping James within indefinitely. She tried to cancel out her burns with ice, but they still lingered.

Even so... it seems that she had guaranteed victory.

"One..." Ling Wugou began to count. "Two..."

If a participant can't get up after ten seconds, they'd lose automatically. Being frozen in ice was under that umbrella of rules.

"Three..."

"Chao'er... lost?" Cang Yue's eyes trembled slightly as she turned to Dongfang Xiu, who sighed.

"It would seem so. The Ice Phoenix Snowflower Ribbon is a genuine high-grade Sky Profound artefact. Since it coiled itself around His Royal Highness with such strong, dense, profound ice energy... I see no way of him turning it around." Dongfang Xiu shook his head. "The most likely outcome is that he remains frozen until the match is settled."

"... That ice is not nearly enough to thaw my liege's flame." Beatrice countered. "The ice girl merely got lucky."

"Three... four... five..."

~

Let's start at the beginning...

I was born as James King, a bridge between two very different families. The King family, my father's, was a long lineage of warriors and soldiers. As far as the tree was documented, my ancestors were knights... yeah. Medieval knights and all of that fancy business. I even had a bit of royal blood.

But... who didn't?

Anyway, my great-grandfather was a World War II veteran who had earned enough medals to make my trophy room look empty in comparison. He was a prominent Lieutenant General, a war hero... a walking legend. Whatever he was made of, it was the finest material in the universe.

My grandfather didn't live long after having my father, so I didn't have any aunts or uncles when I was born. From what I know, he was a young police officer who got shot to death by cowardly criminals. His wife killed herself after his death, so my dad was taken care of by my great-grandfather.

Since he retired, he got interested in football... so he encouraged my father to compete and went to all of his games. Turns out my dad was pretty good at it. He was a prodigy, actually. He broke plenty of scoring records for youths (which I would break after him) and rapidly rose to prominence.

He got scouted by plenty of big clubs and even got to play for the one he wanted to the most... Manchester City. He suited up for them and didn't look back. In his first game, he had a hat trick.

In his second... nothing.

Why?

He tore his achilles.

No big deal; the best players can come back from that...

Then, he tore his MCL after a year of recovery.

His career was stripped away from him in what was no more than three games played. It was as if God had seen enough brilliance and took it all away.

In his suffering, he had plenty of meetings with beautiful and elegant doctor. A kind and caring lady. She comforted him many times and gave him hope.

You should know how that went...

She was my mother, of course, and during his months... years... of recovery, they got very well acquainted. My dad had some rizz, of course, my golden hair and charm did come from someone.

Even after he recovered, the team tossed him away like a piece of garbage they didn't want anymore. To be fair... he wasn't the same player they signed. No Premier League team wanted him anymore, so he played in the lower leagues.

Even though he wasn't the same, even though his body couldn't keep up with his demands... he balled his heart out. It was his love, his passion. How could he let it go so easily? All the while, he could often meet with my mother, and their bond would blossom. Soon enough, they got married...

I came not even a year after.

I had the best of both worlds... my father's physical talent and my mother's intelligence. By all means, I was a genius in all aspects. Anything I wanted to learn, I would.

I stood up faster than others, learned to walk faster, and learned to talk faster... my genius showed itself very early on.

My great-grandfather took me in, you could say. He treasured me more than any of his other descendants.

I was the golden child of the family.

He taught me to have supreme confidence in myself, be proud, be strong, and possess peerless fortitude... he hammered me into the same steel that he was made of.

He taught me to be a winner.

Most of all... he wanted me to avenge the fall of my father, passing on the dream of being Manchester United's striker. Yeah, he was so petty that Manchester City waived my father that he raised me to play for the rival team.

Not that I'd complain... Manchester United was a far superior club with a legendary history that City could only dream of. Still is.

My first years of life were magical...

I remember everything so fondly. My parents' love passed onto me seamlessly; we were one happy family. My grades were always perfect, I was the most popular kid around pretty effortlessly and... even though I did get into some fights... I never lost one and settled the beef afterwards. No hard feelings.

In the summer, after graduating from primary school, my great-grandfather finally lost to age. So many illnesses and pains plagued his body... yet he had fought on for so many years. He wanted to see my dreams realised... but couldn't...

That was the first time I cried...

"It's alright, sweetheart..." My mother embraced me. "It's okay to cry. Let it all out..."

I cried rivers of tears, wishing that he'd come back... but he never did. My father was also deeply affected, probably even more than me.

"Will you leave me too?" I cried, shaking my head. "Will everyone... die?"

"Death... is not something any of us can predict. It just happens." Rather than sugarcoating it, she said it how it was. "One day, it'll come for everyone."

"... Why do people have to die?" I questioned, shaking my head. "Why can't... everyone live forever?"

"... We're not made to last forever." She managed to smile as I looked at her. "We have to make the most of what time we do have, James. It might be a day, a week, months, years, decades... whatever it is, it should never be wasted."

I... didn't want to accept that reality.

"I'm going... to kill death."

From my anger, I made that pledge. It was silly, really, but I genuinely hated that my great-grandfather was taken away from me. Eventually, I realised how stupid it was... and my determination fell on fulfilling his dream.

I practised football almost every waking hour of the day, making plenty of friends along the way. We'd have matches in the park, and I found myself getting better... far better than those of my age and even the kids older than me.

I was always a prodigy... but I had really started unlocking my latent potential.

"Are you ready for your first day of secondary school?" Before fixing my blazer, my mom brushed my hair, making it all nice and tidy.

"Mhm." I nodded, excited by the prospect of moving up in the world. I was becoming a young man.

"Do not get into any fights... none at all." My mom smiled slightly.

"If you do - make sure you win them!" My father added, shouting from the living room. He was watching a game on the TV. "I'm not letting a loser back in the house."

"I sure will." I smiled with confidence.

"As I said... no fighting." My mother had a more stern expression. "Do you understand?"

"What if they start it?" I pouted slightly.

"You're a smart boy." My mother smiled. "Use your words. Make everyone your friend so you won't have to fight at all. If anything... people would fight for you."

"... Okay." I nodded, shrugging my shoulders. "But if talking doesn't work, I'm going to defend myself."

"That's alright, as long as it's your last resort." She nodded, kissing my forehead. "You're a very handsome boy... so you'll have all types of girls crowding you sooner rather than later."

"I already do." I rolled my eyes. "They're annoying."

"One day, you'll fall in love with one..." She looked at me with a radiant smile, touching my face gently. "You'll love her more than anything in the world, and she will feel the same. You will get married, live happily and grow old together. No matter what, she will always be there for you..."

"Love her more than anything?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, even more than me." She smiled. "As long as you fall in love with the right one. Don't just pick the prettiest one unless you're sure she's meant for you."

"How do I know if she's the right one?" I blinked.

"If she loves you like I love your dad..."

"So... someone like you, mom?" I stroked my chin.

"Mhm... and, one day, you'll make little James' together." She chuckled, stroking my hair. "But... don't start until you're all grown up."

"Huh... I'd like a lot of children." I remarked, grinning slightly. "I'd have eleven boys, enough for a football team."

"Eleven..." My mom's expression was one of horror before she chuckled, shaking your head. "Maybe... not that many-"

"Poor wife." My father added.

"The striker will be James King Jr, the wingers; Wilfred and William... the midfielders; Chad, Christian, Robin and Robert... the defenders; Alfred, Drake and Ward. As for the goalkeeper... Richard. He's so greedy he never lets anyone score in his goal."

"... That's my grandfather's protegee, alright." My father laughed. "You better have a big house for all those kids because they're sure as hell aren't all living here."

"I'll be the best football player in the world," I replied confidently. "I could buy a house for all of them."

"... Reach that point first, then talk."

"You should get going." My mother changed the subject, looking at the time. "The worst day to be late..."

"-Is the first day." I nodded. "I have to make a perfect impression, don't I?"

"Mhm." She nodded. "If you give a terrible first impression, that's how everyone will see you for a good while... and it won't be easy to wash away. It might even stay for the five years to come."

"Don't worry, I know how to act good." I nodded.

"Don't just act good... be good."

"Okay, okay... I'll be good."

"Oh, and..." She grabbed my hand. "Are you sure you want to go alone?"

"I'll be fine." I shook my head. "I'm a young man; I can handle myself."

"My baby boy is growing up..." She smiled, sighing. "Alright then... be careful."

And so, I ran off to my first day at secondary school...