Legend of Lu Chao

By C. A. E. Jones 

Chapter 3

Lu Chao trudged on through the forest, drawn to the awful chee held at its end.

When finally he found a clearing, one hundred armed guards greeted him. One of them stepped forward.

"This is what the reserves were called for?" He laughed mockingly, "This is not even a challenge." He raised his hand and projected a wave of ging. Lu leapt to the left and knocked a guard in front of him to the ground.

Lu created a blast that melted the sword of the downed guard. The liquid metal washed over him, incasing him in his own tomb. Lu then turned to the forty-nine guards to his left. He leapt and made it look like he was drop kicking one of them. The guard raised his sword, but Lu instead of kicking, grabbed the sword and flipped over the guard, throwing him into his comrades. Lu threw the guard's sword at the downed ones. It speared two of them.

Not waiting for an applause, Lu turned and confronted the fifty left. The one who spoke at first stepped forward again.

"Impressive," he said, "But not worthy of my time. Men, finish him off."

With that all forty-nine guards rushed him. He pulled out the sword and swung it in a peri swipe. He spliced one guard and removed the left arm of another.

Lu jumped back and focused his energy into the sword. He threw it. It flamed and stayed straight. It went through twenty of the guard’s chests. The remaining thirty-nine were burned by the energy. The sword clattered to the ground. The lead guard, who was the only one left, came forward and peaked up the sword.

"You're better than I thought," he said, "But I see no cause to worry. In fact," he threw the sword to Lu Chao, "You can have that back."

"You'll regret that mistake," Lu said.

"Will I?" The lead guard said sarcastically, "And how is that, does that clunker slow you down?"

Lu Chao lay the sword on the ground, and faced the challenger.

"Laughing now?" he asked

"Are you surrendering?" The guard gasped.

Lu focused his energy into his hand and windmilled it counter clockwise. The energy could finally not keep up and formed an ark. Lu straightened and launched the ark.

"Feel my shock wave!" he shouted over the explosion. When the dust settled, the hilt of the sword was all that remained. Lu turned and picked up the Shio Ken sword. He started walking toward the castle. He knew something was wrong.

He walked toward the open gate. It was there that he saw it. The body lying face down barely within the castle. The familiar shape, the uniform, the sword on the ground beside it.

The blood all around.

"No!" Lu uttered, "It can't be,"

The guards in the room turned to face him. Lu's hands glowed and there was a massive

eruption of light. Another and another,  until the guards were all gone.

"Who is responsible for this?" Lu yelled, "If you survived, show your self!"

"Very well," A voice echoed