Universal Warrior: Before Red Morning

holding the shreds of her clothes to her body. A dark thought flashed through Lihua’s mind. She could easily slice the man’s throat. She could swing the blade across his exposed neck and he’d never harm anyone ever again--

  The hesitation cost her. The two agents to the right had recovered.

  She thought fast, her training kicking in.

  She drove a palm into the open ribs of the agent whose sword she’d just stolen. The force of the blow was enough to send him flying back over the table, where he crashed to the ground in a heap. Lihua then crouched, bending her front knee and straightening her rear leg behind her as she thrust her sword arm back. Her reward was a surprised yelp as the tip of her sword caught the oncoming agent in his leg. Lihua quickly rose, shooting her right leg almost straight into the air behind her. The impact was solid, shattering the agent’s mask and dislodging teeth as he flopped backwards. Lihua then turned, facing the last agent, who was in a blindly angry charge. The man was stronger than she was, and rather than try to stop his attack, she went with it. As he tried to barrel into her, Lihua crouched; taking the man on her back and then rising up, sending him to the ground head-first. Before the agent could get to his feet, Lihua delivered a quick stomp to his head, and the agent went still, save for breathing.

  The agent she’d sent over the table grunted as he slowly got to his feet. Lihua remembered what she’d seen when she first entered the house and grasped her sword.

  She’d been in the young girl’s position too many times herself.

  The agent barely had time to gasp before Lihua sneered, raising her sword high above her--

  “STOP!!” Lihua was nearly knocked off balance by the young girl catching her in a bear hug, preventing Lihua from killing the agent.

  Shocked, Lihua looked down to the young girl, who was a few inches shorter and several years younger. The girl looked up at her with desperate, tear-laden eyes. “Don’t. Don’t do it.” She pleaded.

  Lihua was in disbelief. “Do you know what he’s done?”

  The agent remained cowered on the ground before her. “I know, but killing him isn’t gonna make it better.”

  “He won’t hurt anyone ever again.” Lihua said flatly.

  The girl pointed at Lihua’s necklace. “We don’t hurt people when they’re helpless.” The girl declared, “That’s not what we’re taught.” She raised imploring eyes to meet Lihua’s. “Kill him and you’re the same as him.”

  Lihua had heard the lessons her entire life from Ai, and she’d taken her adoptive mother’s faith as her own. Yet now, standing in front of this coward who had no way to defend against her killing blow, the lessons made a strange sort of sense.

  And despite everything she’d been through, Lihua had survived by staying true to herself. She was surrounded by monsters, but she was not one herself. She had sworn she’d never be as bad as these people.

  The agent began to chuckle. “You can’t do it, can you?” He taunted, lowering his hands, “You women will always be too weak to--”

  He went silent, suddenly facing the tip of Lihua’s sword. “Shut up.” She seethed, “And take off your armor.”

  The agent was silent.

  “You heard her.” It was the girl’s mother speaking now, having risen from her position on the floor, “You were about to rape my daughter in front of me. Do you have any idea how I can make you suffer for that?”

  The agent grumbled and then complied. Lihua turned back to the girl’s mother and offered her the sword hilt-first. “Put him down if he moves.”

  The woman nodded, fiery eyes fixed on the agent, who was naked save for loincloth. Lihua had spent years getting Shihong’s men in and out of their uniforms, so getting dressed was easy. Within moments, she’d donned all of his armor, except his mask. Outside, she could still hear the town burning, and women screaming. She was running out of time.

  Lihua took the sword back from the woman and turned back to the agent. She held the hilt up high and then jammed it into his jaw, and he fell to the floor unconscious.

  “Can you escape?” Lihua asked the woman.

  She nodded quickly, casting a quick glance outside. “Each of the homes is built with an escape route. We have a plan for this sort of thing…” She trailed off, smiling. “Thank you for saving my daughter.”

  “I think your daughter saved me…” Lihua smiled back, “But I’m sorry I brought this down upon you. Go. I’ll make sure you’re not followed.”

  “Tell her about the last resort, mom.” The little girl urged as her mother wrapped her in what was left of her clothing.

  “What last resort?” Lihua asked.

  “I hoped we’d never have to use it, but we’re overrun.” The woman sighed, “If you are unable to keep the enemy back, there is a panel in the ground at the center of town. Press it, and you will release several dams built into the mountain. The avalanche will bury White Village in three tons of snow.”

  Lihua nodded. “I see why you call it the last resort. Thank you for telling me. Now go.”

  The girl watched as mother and daughter scurried to the escape hatch built into the floor and disappeared.

  Lihua stepped to the door and sighed. Most of White Village was becoming a smoking ruin, with several black columns of smoke billowing up into a cloud overhead. The town was strewn with the naked bodies of its residents, who had been discarded after Shihong’s agents had finished with them. Most of them had died with eyes open and in great pain, as evidenced by the slash marks across their backs.

  Lihua could still hear screams, and as long as one person was left alive, she had a purpose.

  She sprinted to the right, again pressing away the heated sickness that welled up within her. Following the shriek around a corner, she happened across three more agents and two more women. Lihua leapt, thrusting her foot into the back of the first agent’s neck. As that agent splayed forward, Lihua took hold of the one left of her. She kicked the heel of her foot into the back of his knee, forcing him down. She then grabbed his neck and hurled him into ground.

  There was the unmistakable schwing sound of metal on leather; the last one had drawn their sword. Lihua turned and raised her weapon, blocking an attempt to cleave her in half. As she’d been taught, she pushed him off and advanced, swinging downward at his neck. He deflected the blow with more force than necessary, but Lihua spun with the impact, extending her arm as she returned and pointing her sword at his gut. He blocked the attack, pushing her to the outside and then swinging for her legs. Lihua leapt and spun horizontally to avoid the attempt.

  She landed, very aware of her racing heartbeat. The agent screamed like an enraged animal as he flew at her, bringing his sword down on her head. Instead of blocking it, Lihua allowed the agent to complete his swing, stepping to the side to avoid it. He fell off balance and stumbled, and Lihua brought her blade upward, catching him cleanly across the side of his face.

  His mask was sliced in two and he was sent reeling, screaming and clutching the side of his face. Lihua stepped in, spun, chambered her right leg and then unloaded it into the man’s stomach. As he doubled over, she took her sword with both hands and brought the hilt down on the back of his head. He fell to the snow and was still.

  Panting, Lihua looked at the women. “Go!” She yelled.

  One of the women pointed behind her with a shaky hand. “Look out!”

  Lihua realized the attack was coming too late. A gloved hand struck her cleanly across the face, the owner of the hand cursing her as Lihua crumpled to the ground.

  She’d been hit before, slapped numerously, but never like this. Her entire world was sent spinning, and as she was heaved from the ground by her hair, she repressed the urge to throw up. It took all of her concentration to hold onto the agent’s hands as he lifted her off the ground.

  Then she spat in his face.

  He looked at her with cold, merciless eyes through the death mask, and then he began to chuckle. With his free hand, he began to undo the lower half of his armor.


  Enraged and horrified, Lihua screamed; “NO!!!” her voice was powerful enough to shake the valley, echoing throughout the mountains. She brought her rear leg back and slammed her foot squarely between the agent’s legs.

  The agent let out a sound like a hurt cow and dropped Lihua, clutching his groin. Lihua leapt back up, wrapping her ankles around his neck and then twisting, jerking them both to the ground.

  He was barely moving after that. Lihua rose, catching her breath and reclaiming her sword.

  As someone began applauding behind her, Lihua rose slowly, allowing fear to pass through her. Even before she turned around, she knew who it was.

  Sure enough, flanked by four of his agents, was Ro.

  He had removed his helmet, revealing that he was bald now. He’d had a tattoo inked over his left eye sometime during the journey. His eyes were narrow and black, like a hawk’s, and his smile was upside-down. “Lihua!” he spoke, his voice deep and grating, “I had no idea you were so…capable.”

  “There is much about me you don’t know, Ro.” Lihua whispered back, just loud enough to be heard. “Apparently so!” Ro replied proudly, “You just took down what, six of my men?”

  “Seven.”

  “I didn’t believe it when Shihong told me to watch out for you, and Ai…” He continued, “I have never been more pleased to be wrong. You are quite the capable warrior, aren’t you?”

  Lihua kept a firm hold of her weapon. “What do you want,