Legend of the Divine Archer

The atmosphere around Wei Xi was heavy with despair as he huddled beside Meng Xiao, feeling the weight of his failure pressing down on him. He couldn't bring himself to look up, his body trembling under the burden of loss and the sting of shame. The battle had left him defeated, his spirit crushed by the relentless cruelty of fate.

Then, a voice pierced through the suffocating gloom, a voice both familiar and comforting. "Don't lose faith," the figure said softly, appearing beside him like a beacon in the darkness. A warm robe was gently draped over him, covering him and Meng Xiao, shielding them from the harsh light of the world.

It was a small gesture, but one that carried the warmth of a brother's love, a love that sought to shelter him in his darkest hour.

Wei Xi recognized the voice immediately. It was his big brother, not by blood, but by bond. The man who had been a pillar of strength in his life, who had always stood by him through every trial. Yet, even though he knew who it was, Wei Xi couldn't bear to lift his head.

The shame of his defeat weighed too heavily on his shoulders, pinning him to the ground as if gravity itself had doubled its hold on him.

The voice continued, unwavering and filled with a kind of strength that was born from experience. "Your father was like a brother to my uncle, and you have called me big brother for so long," the man said, his tone gentle yet firm. "Let this big brother give you a life lesson."

Wei Xi felt a lump in his throat as he listened, the words penetrating the fog of despair that clouded his mind.

"The strong make the rules, and the weak are left to endure the consequences. It's an unforgiving truth, etched into the bones of this world," his big brother began, his voice calm but carrying the weight of harsh reality.

"The powerful dictate the course of history, while the powerless are swept away by the tides of their decisions, their lives reduced to mere footnotes in the grand narrative of those who hold sway."

The words struck deep, each one resonating with the pain Wei Xi felt, yet there was something more beneath them—an unyielding resolve, a truth that was as old as time itself.

"But here's the thing," his brother continued, his voice steady, almost as if he were imparting a sacred truth. "Strength isn't just about brute force or sheer might. It's not just the ability to dominate or destroy. True strength lies in resilience, in the refusal to bend to the whims of those who believe they can shape the world in their image.

The strong may set the rules, but it is the will of those who refuse to be broken that determines whether those rules will stand."

Wei Xi's heart ached with every word. He could feel the truth in them, could feel the challenge they posed to him. The world was cruel, yes, but it was not invincible. It could be challenged, could be defied by those who were willing to stand up, no matter how many times they were knocked down.

"It's okay to cry," his brother said, and the gentleness in his voice nearly broke Wei Xi. "In fact, it's necessary. Tears are not a sign of weakness; they are a representation of the depth of our humanity, to the pain we feel when faced with the injustices of this world. Crying is an acknowledgment of the wounds we bear, the losses we suffer, and the burdens we carry.

It is a way to release the pain, to cleanse the soul of the grief that threatens to consume it."

Wei Xi felt the tears well up in his eyes, his vision blurring as he clutched the robe tighter around him. It was okay to cry—he needed to cry. The weight of his loss, the pain of his failure, it all needed to be released, to be let out before it could eat away at his very soul.

"But to give up?" His brother's voice hardened, taking on a steely edge. "That is something we cannot afford. To give up is to let the strong win, to let them dictate not only the rules but the very essence of our existence. We owe it to those who have sacrificed for righteousness, who have stood up against tyranny and oppression, to keep fighting.

Even when the odds are against us, even when defeat seems inevitable, we must not surrender."

The words struck a chord deep within Wei Xi, awakening a flicker of something he thought he had lost—hope. He couldn't give up. He couldn't let his father's sacrifice, the sacrifices of all those who had fought before him, be in vain. The battle might be lost, but the war was far from over.

"Revenge is not just about retribution," his brother continued, his voice now filled with a quiet determination. "It is about justice. It is about setting things right, about restoring balance to a world thrown into chaos by the greed and cruelty of the powerful. When we lose, we do not simply accept our fate. We regroup, we plan, and we set our sights on the objective of revenge.

Not out of malice, but out of a deep-seated need to honor those who have fallen, to ensure that their sacrifices were not in vain."

The flicker of hope within Wei Xi grew stronger, fueled by the fire of his brother's words. He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms as he felt a renewed sense of purpose begin to take root in his heart.

"The strong may think they are invincible, that their power gives them the right to impose their will on the world. But they forget one crucial thing: the weak are not powerless. We are many, and in our shared pain and determination, we find a strength that the strong can never truly understand. We may cry, we may fall, but we will rise again.

We will fight, not just for ourselves, but for those who came before us, for those who will come after us."

As the words washed over him, Wei Xi could feel the pieces of his shattered spirit beginning to mend. The weight of his failure was still there, but it no longer felt insurmountable. He wasn't alone in this fight—he had his brother, he had the memory of his father, and he had the support of all those who had survived.

"So, let the strong make their rules," his brother said, his voice filled with a quiet, unwavering resolve. "Let them bask in their temporary triumphs. We will endure, and in time, we will rise to challenge them. And when we do, we will not only seek to topple them from their thrones but to reshape the very world they tried to dominate. We will seek revenge."

Finally, the dam within Wei Xi broke. A wail of anguish, of pain and sorrow, erupted from his lips, resonating within the confines of Pine City. It was a cry that carried the weight of all his suffering, all his loss, and yet, it was also a cry of defiance, of determination.

The sound echoed through the streets, reaching the ears of the survivors who had been hiding in the shadows, waiting for the inevitable end. One by one, they began to emerge, drawn to the sound of Wei Xi's wail like a call to arms.

"Wei Xi, it's okay, even if you don't win, it is fine," a voice called out from the distance, filled with compassion and understanding.

"Yes! Your family has done so much for Pine City. It is our turn to protect you," another voice joined in, and bit by bit, the survivors began to surround Wei Xi, makeshift weapons in hand, their faces set with grim determination.

Wei Xi looked up, his eyes red and swollen from crying, but within them burned a fire that had been reignited by his brother's words. He was no longer alone. He had a family, a city, and a cause to fight for.

"Find and help the survivors," Yan Jin commanded, his voice cutting through the noise with clarity and strength. "Then move as far away from here as possible."

The survivors, who had moments before been paralyzed with fear and uncertainty, suddenly found purpose in his words. It was as if they were receiving orders from a general on the battlefield. Without hesitation, they began to move, organizing themselves into groups to search for others who might still be trapped or injured.

Yan Jin had given them a mission, a reason to keep going, and they clung to it with desperate determination.

Turning to Wei Xi, Yan Jin allowed a brief smile to soften his stern expression. "Cover your ears," he advised, his tone light but with an underlying seriousness. Wei Xi nodded, a glimmer of hope in his eyes as he followed the instruction, though he still couldn't shake the dread that weighed heavily in his heart.

Suddenly, a sound like no other split the air—a bird's cry so powerful it resembled the crash of thunder. The very ground beneath them seemed to shudder in response, as if Pine City itself was reacting to the arrival of something immense.

Sacha, who had been gathering his strength for another devastating assault on the defenders, paused in his tracks, his expression shifting from confident fury to startled confusion.

For a moment, the battlefield fell into a stunned silence as all eyes turned skyward. From the swirling clouds above, a massive form began to descend, its silhouette growing larger and more defined with each passing second. It was another Garuda, its majestic wings slicing through the air with an authority that commanded respect. Scar had returned.

Without waiting for any further signals, Scar dove towards Sacha, the air crackling with energy as he closed the distance. With a powerful flap of his wings, Scar unleashed a gust that sent Sacha tumbling backward, crashing into the ground a few distances away. The force of the impact was enough to shake the surrounding buildings, sending debris scattering in all directions.

Scar let out another earth-shaking cry, a roar of defiance and challenge that announced his arrival in the battle with undeniable finality. The sound reverberated through the city, echoing off the crumbling walls and reaching the ears of every soul within Pine City. It was a declaration of war, a signal that the tide of the battle was about to turn.

Yan Jin levitated delicately into the air, his newfound soul energy allowing him to rise with an effortless grace that seemed almost otherworldly. As he ascended, he met Scar at eye level, his expression calm but resolute.

"Did you like flying into the clouds?" Yan Jin asked, his voice carrying a warmth that contrasted with the intensity of the battle around them.

"It was awesome," Scar replied, his voice filled with a mixture of exhilaration and satisfaction. "The blue sky, the wind under my wings, it's so vast and wide..."

Before Scar could continue, a roar erupted from below—Sacha had recovered from Scar's initial assault. His eyes burned with rage as he prepared to launch himself back into the fray, his body coiling like a spring ready to snap.

Yan Jin's gaze shifted towards the source of the roar, his eyes narrowing slightly as he measured the distance. "Go," he said to Scar, his tone calm but commanding. "I will be there in a jiffy."

Scar hesitated for only a moment, understanding the importance of this battle . With a powerful nod, he flapped his wings and surged forward, diving back into the fray with Sacha.