The Origins of a Soldier [Job/Chain/Solo]

heizhi's eye scanned the crowd of troops, his disappointent gaze masked by a stoic expression. Out of the gathered men, the commander could have only picked a hand-ful of individuals whose abilities stood out. Despite this statement, the only soldier Pheizhi could imagine relying upon was a certain red-haired devil. While it was no lie that she was an annoyance to deal with, he could not doubt her skill with a blade nor herphysical prowess. He had seen the strength she threw about and there was no question that he would never want to see the end of her sword.

Resting the palm of his hand on his katana, the commander was dressed in his uniform armor as he addressed the company set before him. He informed them of their upcoming mission, to raid a small stronghold held by Yoshirou's forces and clear their path to their deployment station. Once their meeting was closed, they scrambled to prepare themselves and pull apart the camp they had set up the night prior. Little time had passed before they were on their way towards the stronghold. There would be no need for secrecy; they would be knocking right on the front door of their enemies' house.

The sound of hooves beating against dirt could be heard as they curved along the mountain trail in a linear order. Rocks threw up by their passing tumbled off the pass and down hills, disappearing into the surrounding forest. Along passes, they were forced to slow down lest they ran straight off their pass and down the side of the very cliff the path wound about. After long, their road widened as the forest grew denser about them. The light became dappled as trees reached for the skies. They passed a hastily built lookout tower without batting an eyelash, their leader pressing themselves forwards.

Pheizhi called out to his men as a barricade appeared in their line of sight, each slowing down their respective mount as their collective hearts sped up in anticipation. Wooden spikes pointing out towards them circled outwards from a makeshift gate that was placed in their path. They next noticed the ringing of bells, and a line running through the trees and disappearing behind the barricade. A warning system to warn the opposing soldiers of their approach, if the alarms being sound were of anything to note.

Jingyi dismounted from Dullahan before patting her loyal beast's neck as a sign of affection. As her comrades around her followed suit, the soldier unsheathed both Yu Chang and Chun Yu, the handles twirling between her skilled fingers. Her swords lowered before the bulkier of the blades were pointed at the gate, a whistle escaping the redhead's lips. At her order, Dullahan stomped his hooves before charging forwards as electricity gathered around his horns. He smashed through the defenses, leading the charge as Jingyi promptly followed behind him, the rest of the company at her heels.

The yells of enemy soldiers pierced the air as men threw themselves at Pheizhi's troops, their weapons unsheathed and prepared to draw blood. With another whistle, Dullahan was given the command to let loose. The Ferrum Carpa charged at a foe, ramming massive horns into the poor man and tossing him away. While the goat-beast was fighting, Jingyi launched into the fray herself.

he sounds of men fighting rang in Jingyi's ears as she moved about. Grunts, yells, the clashing of metal. One one hand it was extremely unpleasant, the type of noises that would haunt her in her sleep. But on the other hand, they excited her. Her heart fluttered without missing a beat as she weaved about, careful to not allow a steel edge to mark her skin and draw crimson. Not only that, the soldier was dimly aware of the smile she wore, though it was formed from anxiousness and exhilaration. It would be a lie if Jingyi claimed she enjoyed hurting others. It was just an unfortunate part of her career.

One step, two steps, three steps, Jingyi neatly stepped around the downwards chop of a sword, her eyes narrowed as she pivoted on her heel and raised Yu Chang. With a swipe of her sword, its cold metal was brought down upon her target. There was a guttural grunt of pain, the man biting his teeth as he kept hold of his pride as a soldier. But his grip on his weapon relinquished as his fingers grasped at his sides, his hands unable to block the flow of crimson blood released by Jingyi's blade. She watched pitifully for a moment before turning her attention away, willing herself to not breathe in the stench of rancid blood that always filled the air during a skirmish.

The sound of a yell caught the redhead's ears, her eyes turning upon a rushing soldier. He lunged at her with a raised sword, his knees bent in excellent form. Closer and closer the blade came to Jingyi as he launched an Armor-Breaking Jab at the woman. Bold eyes watched as it neared her, the heels of her boots digging into the mushy earth beneath her. She jumped to the left, her Power Step allowing her to pass harmlessly by the man. With a burst of speed, Jingyi closed the gap between her and her foes' back. The air whistled as Chun Yu lashed forwards, slashing horizontally across the man's back.

With nimble feet, she danced back. Her body was shaking as she sucked in a breath to steel her nerves. A confident smile flashed across Jingyi's face as her knuckles turned white around the handles of her twin blades. In the corner of her eye, she saw a charging member towards a man dressed in Gao's armor. With a sharp whistle, Dullahan sped forwards only to whip around and buck out his hind legs with all of his strength. The blow sent the man flying away, and a grateful look was sent towards the beast and his owner. As Jingyi nodded her head in welcome, a stinging sensation of fire raking across her back was felt. Jingyi bit her tongue, feeling iron flood her mouth as she stumbled forwards. Turning on her heels, she threw up her sword in a clumsy block of a sword strike, the blow forcing her back. Her breaths came out in gasps as the redhead adjusted to the feeling of pain, her eyes narrowing at the man who dared attack her.

Clearing her head of the fire that had entered it from the blow to her back, Jingyi sheathed Chun Yu. Yu Chang switched to being held in both hands, her fingers interlocking around the handle as she pressed the menuki into her palm. Her knees bent as she took on her fond Mamushi Stance before the girl threw herself forwards. She could hear the rings clanging together as she stepped around her foe, weaving about him as the tassel spun around her form. His eyes followed its crimson streak against his will; he was a charmed snake, almost helpless as Jingyi lunged forwards. He snapped back to reality as Jingyi swung her sword, slashing it diagonally across his torso. Mamushi: Iridescent Petal had done its work, the man stumbling back as he took in the brunt of her blade's power and skill.

he ground was littered with the corpses of a couple foes, their lives ebbing away as their blood was soaked by the earth they laid upon. Pheizhi sheathed his sword as he grabbed the reins of his horse, his fingers curled into fists as he ignored the biting sensation of a shallow cut in his side. With a motion of his hand, he directed his men towards the "stronghold" ahead. It wasn't much but a building built into the trees on the side of the path. It was hastily made, a stopper that was recently built in an attempt to slow Gao's forces. An attempt that was futile due to their presence.

Already, a tall man dressed in monochromic armor that had a touch of red to it was exiting the building. His stride was full of arrogance and swagger, his body language loose but unrevealing. His hand rested on a sword's handle, light flashing off the polished sheath. Behind him were several men, each wielding their own weapons and dressed in lesser armor. A distance away the commander paused, a smirk gracing his features as he coldly looked over what they had done to the rest of his group. There was a hint of anger in his eyes, one masked by plastic politeness.

"I see you had already made yourselves at home," he spoke sharply as his gray eyes narrowed, his fingers tightening around the hilt of his sword. "But what did I expect of a brigade of criminals? How can anyone follow a leader who aligns himself with common thieves and murderers," Fengfay insulted as he raised his free hand, seemingly studying his nails.

Pheizhi's eyes narrowed, forcing himself not to bristle at the other's comments. He motioned for his troop to stay back as he adopted the expression of calmness. "Childish remarks aside, I ask that you forfeit. We don't have time to waste on coddled nobles,"" Pheizhi shot back cooly, taking small pleasure in the look of hostility that arose in Fengfay. The man scowled, his brows furrowing together as he drew his blade in one, clean motion.

"I afraid that I must be the one who asks that you lay your weapons aside or surrender your lives," he warned with an icy tone as he took a step forwards, the men around him unsheathing their weapons likewise. Pheizhi's only response was to pull out his sword in silence as his own troop readied themselves for the continued skirmish.

The tension snapped like a string pulled too tight, and both sides charged. Once more, metal clashed against metal as Pheizhi took on Fengfay. Jingyi busied herself with the grunts, leaving her capable commander to defeat their foe.