Chapter 30: The Surging Wind

Human and demon forces alike held their breath as Ghostface—eyes closed behind his mask—danced between the Fiend Generals’ onslaught.

Kra’thok’s spear pierced sound barriers. Vorgath’s sword split the sky. Yet Li An flowed like wind, slipping through the killbox with eerie grace.

“Impossible!” Xido snarled as Li An breached the Generals’ guard, fists blazing toward him. The demon prince crossed his arms—a futile shield against the Supreme Fist’s wrath.

CRACK!

Xido hurtled backward, scrambling to summon his Generals. But blue light flared in Li An’s eyes—

Dreamscape Engaged.

Xido’s world inverted. Hellfire rained over a crimson wasteland as Li An loomed godlike above. “You lunatic!” Xido spat, psychic energy erupting to counter the inferno.

Outside, reality warped. Vorgath’s greatsword cleaved earth where Li An had stood moments prior, the shockwave hurling him skyward. Kra’thok’s spear followed—a coiled viper awaiting misstep.

Li An’s gaze sharpened. Tenfold deceleration.

The spear thrust—

He leaned left, three centimeters from impalement.

Gasps rippled through the armies.

“Too slow,” Lin He muttered above, hands still submerged in medicinal sludge. Frost Snow huffed—why play with prey?

Back in the Dreamscape, Xido roared. Twin psychic tsunamis collided—Li An’s hellfire met demonic backlash. Both winced, neural pathways screaming.

“Madman!” Xido seethed, splitting his focus to command the Generals.

Reality snapped back. Li An twisted midair as Vorgath’s blade sheared past his spine—

Trust the wind.

Muscle memory overrode doubt. He pivoted blindly, the sword’s edge grazing his ribs.

“Hah!” Li An exhaled, momentum unbroken. Kra’thok reeled from another point-blank fist—

Crack.

The Fiend General’s helm fissured.

“Threshold breach detected,” Li An’s instincts sang. Fivefold force. Shatter.

Vorgath charged from behind. Li An didn’t turn.

Surging wind—left flank.

He crouched, fist coiling like a spring. One second—

BOOM!

Fourfold amplification erupted as he spun, fist meeting sword mid-swing.

Metal screamed. Vorgath’s blade snapped.

CRUNCH.

The follow-through punch atomized Kra’thok’s skull into dissipating mist.

Xido vomited black blood—his psychic tether to the General severed.

“Now!” Li An lunged, Supreme Fist igniting.

The demon prince raised a trembling hand—

Too late.