Solflare: The Painter's Secret

Dust drifted through the skeleton of the Qing white mansion as Leon walked through the collapsed front gate.

Rubble crunched under his boots and scattered across the cracked black tiled floor. Beams of steel jutted from the broken concrete like the ribs of a gutted beast.

A metal cracking sound echoed from the ceiling. Live wires extended, sparkling with electrical current. Iron-filled air flowed in and out of the chandelier as the blades of the fan, held by a thin wire, spun slowly.

Dark blue lights flickered fifteen meters away. Leon shifted his blackened gaze from the ceiling to the figure standing before a large portrait.

Andrew Storm’s face flashed in Leon’s mind. He saw the picture on the wall like a worshipped god who never received the chance to be worshipped.

A mix of black and blue lights snaked around the Eclipse Sect war suit Hu Qing wore. The crystallized edges sparkled under the faint moon rays hitting the collapsed mansion. A double-layered collar rose behind his neck like ancient wings, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Andrew Storm." Hu Qing spoke in a sharp voice. He moved his right arm forward and placed it on the portrait. "Your boy has come."

The half-collapsed walls shook as a faint gust of wind rattled the iron bars stretched like a dead trap. A cloth-flapping sound echoed as the wind carried torn curtains damp from the floor and sent them flying between Leon and Hu Qing.

With a sharp exhale from Hu Qing, a cold breeze flew from him, darkening the base of the portrait as it settled on the wool surface. He wore the face of a man who had found his end as he focused on the fearless version of Leon. ’He looks just like you, Andrew.’

A bone-crackling sound echoed as Hu Qing placed his right palm on the hilt of his death sword, which swallowed every light that touched it. He hissed as he squinted at Leon’s black glowing eyes. ’The same eyes you had when you fought against the gods, when they first tried to kill your son and wife.’

A crunching sound filled the room as Leon moved a step forward. Hu Qing did not flinch. ’Except you were afraid to give that self of yours the full power, but your son has chosen to live in it.’

The last air in the ruined mansion died as Hu Qing tightened his grip on his sword. "Leon Storm." His eyes blazed with a black fury similar to Leon’s, but weaker. "Do you know who I am?"

The blazing black glow in Leon’s eyes moved like smoke, while the cloth around his neck calmed. "Hu Qing. Head of the Qing Clan. Eclipse Sect Overlord who used his power to take over the Prime Minister seat of Thule."

A sharp clang echoed as Leon closed his eyes and inhaled once. In a blur, the drift shield that had crumbled under Angelo reassembled itself, dashed into the mansion like light, and stopped by his side. Heat flew into the room and set the torn pieces of the scattered curtains burning. "The man who gave his family the power to poison mine."

Hu Qing smiled and nodded. "And how is your paralyzed mother fighting the poison? I can say your little sister’s immune system can fight it slightly, but bear in mind you have to prepare a coffin for both of them, once you leave here."

Leon’s mind flashed back to the hospital, then returned to his current state. A sharp, cunning laugh escaped him as he lowered his gaze and shook his head. "It won’t change anything."

Hu Qing lifted his hand and shoved the blade of his sword into the ground with a loud blast. "It won’t change anything for you. Are you sure?"

Leon’s chest heaved under the tight black war suit as his dual hearts pounded heavily against his ribs. In his head, little Athena’s face flashed with a faint, laughing voice. ’Brother, don’t mind him. We will be here waiting for you.’

A magnificent crystal light waved out of the hilt of Hu Qing’s death sword and formed a black glowing seat. "Isn’t that concerning for your emotional health, Leon Storm?"

As soon as he sat, another version seeped out of Hu Qing and dashed toward Leon like light. The black cloth unraveled from Leon’s neck and formed a halo behind him as he sidestepped the clone.

Just as Leon thought he had dodged the kick, a crystal blow drove through his sternum and sent him skittering backward. Sparks splashed in the air as Leon’s boots scraped on the ground, but he caught himself right in front of the half-collapsed wall filled with sharp iron rods.

"Aww, I should have told you there were two." Hu Qing crossed his legs and folded his hands. The second crystal clone moved toward the sapphire clone and watched the dust and sparks spiraling around Leon.

Leon’s black blazing eyes sharpened as he shifted his gaze to the two clones and back at the original Hu Qing sitting in such a relaxed manner. A grim grin tore across Leon’s face as he straightened himself and brushed his palms on his sternum. ’I have seen more than this.’

The war disc moved under telekinesis and remained spinning in the air. Leon blinked at it. ’I won’t need to use you to fight them.’

Hu Qing squinted at his clones when he saw Leon’s war disc flying out of the mansion. ’Is he asking for death?’ He shook his head and brushed his palms on his face. ’I thought your son had some sense to at least fight me with full gear.’ He shifted his gaze to the portrait and grinned. ’Now that he is leaving some of his gear, I cannot just wait here and let my clones destroy him, like you did to the other versions I had, Andrew.’

...

A sharp crystal glowing sword materialized in the sapphire clone’s right arm as it dashed forward.

Leon closed his eyes and raised the Hi-no-Kami. The moment the sharp movement of a boot slamming on the ground hit his ears, he cracked his eyes open and turned. A metal-to-metal crashing sound echoed as the blades of the clone’s sword collided with Leon’s.

Just as sparks flew, the black crystal clone also dashed forward, aiming sharp fingers toward Leon’s chest. A blinding light blasted, causing every remaining wall to vaporize. A white mist of dust fogged the room.

Leon stood in the center of the white void and watched as the black crystal clone reached him. The sharp fingers slashed through the air and carved a groove in Leon’s war suit, but Leon did not move. Part of the black cloth lashed out, whipped the clone’s arm, and severed it. A glass-shattering sound echoed as the arm hit the floor.

Instead of dying or bleeding, the clone shivered and dissolved into a blue light. The light dashed into the sapphire clone, increasing its muscles. The moment the clone raised its crystal sword, Leon stepped into its guard. He drove the hilt of his Hi-no-Kami into the clone’s forehead and shattered it into crystal fragments.

The fragments dashed around like darts. They pierced the floor, the debris, and blasted the seat the original Hu Qing was seated on. Hu Qing floated upward as his crystal chair vanished. The ground where his sword was planted parted open, setting the humming weapon free as he pointed his fingers toward it.

When the sword reached him, a blinding black void appeared before him and swallowed everything, leaving both him and Leon in a deserted land. "You are fast, Leon Storm. But you lack your father’s hesitation."

Leon’s dual hearts pounded like a war drum the moment the taste of ozone touched his lips. His father’s face appeared before his eyes as he looked at brown dust splashing at Hu Qing’s face. Hu Qing swung his sword in a horizontal arch that left trails in the brown frost as he dashed forward.

Leon ducked, but the frost burned his skin, causing his temperature to drop. When he slashed upward, the Hi-no-Kami met the heavy blade and sent a concussive wave splashing out like a curse. The dusty ground beneath the two hovering, crashing beings snapped and dropped into the darkness of the basement level of the Qing mansion.

...

Debris fell from the tunnels leading to the Qing safe house and shook the building’s foundation.

"Dad..." Darian turned with fear-filled eyes as he saw the tunnels collapsing inward.

...

Hu Qing dashed forward in a blur of blue and black smoke. He swung his sword in countless round strikes, but Leon blocked every one and sent him backward with trembling arms and bleeding cheeks.

’You can’t beat me, Leon Storm!’ Hu Qing exhaled sharply and dashed forward with a kick aimed for Leon’s forehead.

He smiled when he kicked Leon once and sent him crashing into a cloud of scorched earth. But when he dashed forward for a second kick, his heart slackened. ’How did he?’

Leon pushed himself upward and caught Hu Qing’s ankle. The halo of black cloth around Leon’s back splashed with heat when Leon focused on the welled up tears in Hu Qing’s eyes.

The crystal armor on Hu Qing’s legs groaned when Leon twisted the leg backward, letting the bones pierce through the skin like tree branches.

The moment Leon heaved and hurled the Overlord crashing against the ground, a loud death cry tore out of Hu Qing: "AHHHH!"