Avatar - Conquering the Elements-Chapter 137. Old Iron.

Yui Bay. The edge of the cliff where the colossal statue of Lady Tienhai stood. Yuki-Roku-Wan-Yo.

As I slowly climbed to the top of the towering cliff, my thoughts kept returning to the event that had occurred a couple of hours ago. The confession had been hard for me, or rather, I was more afraid of the consequences... I didn't want to lose any of them, as each one was precious and invaluable to me.

- "Alright, I guess I shouldn't burden myself with these thoughts," I mused. Besides, my legs had almost carried me to the statue of Lady Tienhai, and I could already feel the oppressive gaze of someone incredibly powerful. – "Strong!" – I exclaimed to myself. The last time I attended the festival, my abilities were weaker, and I couldn't fully appreciate the spiritual power. Now, its heavy aura felt like a boulder pressing on my shoulders.

- "Seems like he doesn't like uninvited guests..." – I sighed, already anticipating trouble, though my intuition remained silent, offering some hope for a favorable outcome. – "Most likely, during festivals, he restrains his presence so people can properly honor Lady Tienhai."

- Speak! – His voice boomed for miles, shaking even our temporary camp far below. Soon, a massive figure emerged from the clouds—a humanoid spirit encased in metal plates covered with skin. It resembled samurai armor, lacking only a katana, one of the key attributes of any samurai. With heavy steps, he approached the cliff, towering even above the already impressive statue. His red face gave the impression that he was perpetually angry about something or someone. His hair, tied into a ponytail, seemed to have a life of its own, glowing with a red light...

- This is the first time I've encountered such an enigmatic being, combining so many different elements, – he said after subjecting my body to his strange ability. His third eye, located on his forehead, glowed red, and it seemed he had thoroughly examined all my channels, sources, and chakras. Honestly, it was unpleasant, like a hundred tiny worms crawling under my skin. – I suppose you're the one Van Shi Tong told me about, – he muttered quietly.

Struggling to keep my back straight, I swallowed the saliva that had gathered in my mouth. Despite General Old Iron being a light spirit through and through, he had once destroyed an entire city, with all the casualties that entailed. After all, being light or dark doesn't determine whether a spirit should love humans.

- I came to say that, thanks to Van Shi Tong, we've found Lady Tienhai, – I said, trying to appease him with good news, though my voice trembled slightly.

- Where is she?! – He asked excitedly, lowering himself to my eye level. A strong metallic scent hit my nose immediately—his breath was saturated with it.

- The Plain of Gleaming Stones, – I replied, quickly shutting off my sense of smell. As the name suggests, there are many colorful, gleaming stones there. Spirits don't complicate names...

- All this time, I thought she would reincarnate as a human, – he said thoughtfully. Now it was clear why he had spent centuries here, on this land he so despised.

- "I almost feel sorry for him... It seems Lady Tienhai friend-zoned him for life," – or perhaps the General himself lacked the confidence to confess his feelings. It's hard to imagine such a rugged spirit, exuding masculinity, fidgeting nervously, afraid even to look a lady in the eye, causing his heart to race.

- I trust Van Shi Tong, – he said, regaining control of his emotions. – But I don't believe all this was done for no reason... – Why are all ancient spirits so perceptive?!

- The thing is, we'd like to build a city here, – I said the last few words much quieter, feeling an ocean of energy begin to pour out of the General. Along with the energy came a wave of his emotions, and they were far from positive.

- I knew humans never keep their promises! – He roared angrily. Because of the General's unleashed power, a strong wind began to swirl around us. Gray clouds appeared out of nowhere, though the day had promised to be sunny and cloudless. – It's been barely any time since Avatar Yangchen's death, and you're already breaking our agreement! – I wanted to shout that it had been centuries since Yangchen's death, but knowing how time flows for spirits, I held back.

- I hope you're ready to face the consequences! – Wait a minute... Though his words sounded menacing, I didn't sense any real aggression behind them. It was just a thought in my head, but what if he simply didn't want to lose face? Surely, he was eager to return to the Spirit World, but his nature wouldn't let him walk away without consequences.

- "Alright, let's get this over with," – I sighed to myself. Now I'd be beaten, and not just once.

The sudden change in weather, the loud voice, and the massive figure of some armored guy couldn't go unnoticed by the people below. Soon, countless eyes were watching us from a respectful distance.

- "No, don't intervene, and don't even approach! This is more like... a friendly sparring match," – I said, not very confidently. My message, sent through our connection, was enough to calm Suyuki and Yui. They, in turn, relayed the words to everyone else. It was damn nice to see that, despite what had happened a couple of hours ago, they all cared deeply about me.

Stepping back, the General began drawing iron toward himself. Literally from everywhere, huge chunks of ore, sunken iron ships of the Fire Nation, and countless smaller particles flew to him. In less than a minute, his entire body was encased in iron.

I wasn't idle either, but unfortunately, I couldn't acquire such a cool armor. The General had taken all the iron within my range of sensitivity, and there weren't many other metals around. So, my body began to cover itself with ordinary chunks of earth and stone. Soon, tons of water joined them, serving not only as a second line of defense but also allowing me to control the created giant more smoothly, as two elements were at play—they helped each other act faster.

- "Let's move further from the shore; I don't want to destroy such a beautiful landscape," – I told the General. – "We might accidentally break her statue too..." – Only after these words did he start moving farther into the sea. – "...A little further, please. I want to build a proper Air Temple on this island," – I awkwardly requested, standing next to the islet where the flying bison were found.

Shooting me a deadly look from his mysterious third eye, he began walking even faster.

- "Can we start now?!" – He asked irritably, seeming to grow tired of my "punishment." And just as I nodded in agreement, his fist was already centimeters away from my stomach—or rather, the stomach of the giant stone body I had encased myself in. I couldn't dodge or defend in time; all I could do was add more bones around my internal organs.

- "And he's still holding back..." – I thought sadly, feeling a warm, metallic-tasting liquid rise to my throat. No wonder—it felt like all my insides had been thoroughly shaken. – "It's scary to imagine what would've happened without the bony protection," – Messing with ancient spirits is definitely not an option.

The General gave me some time to recover, which I took full advantage of. Soon, a massive fiery sword appeared in my right hand, forged from my strongest flames. In my left hand, air began to swirl, forming a round shield.

Removing air resistance, I swung my sword swiftly. The General caught it with his hands, holding me in place, and executed a nasty move... He swung his leg, aiming straight for my groin! Even though this body was just a scaled-up construct, I felt a phantom pain...

The shield I raised in time absorbed some of the damage, but it was still unpleasant, and blood filled my mouth again. My life energy was being drained at an alarming rate. Later, the General himself realized that at this pace, he'd kill me. And as far as I know, Van Shi Tong had already warned him about the impending catastrophe in the form of Vaatu, so he had no reason to seriously harm me.

For several minutes, we exchanged blows, but only his were successful. He outclassed me in everything: speed, strength, and even technique. It was bitter to acknowledge my weakness, especially after spending countless hours in virtual battles. The last couple of times, I aimed for his head, as that's where his weak spot was. More precisely, it was his ponytail, where most of his power was concentrated. Van Shi Tong—that old trickster—had gathered all the dirt on even the light spirits. When I asked him why, his answer was straightforward: "You never know when one of them might fall to the dark side."

Due to our clashing energies, the weather worsened completely, and lightning struck our bodies periodically. Seizing this heavenly gift, I began redirecting the lightning into the spirit, finally inflicting some damage. After half an hour of what I considered an intense battle, my energy reserves began to run dry. Apparently, the General realized this too, as after landing another solid blow, he no longer sought to attack.

- For your displayed skill and courage, this General will spare you! – He said, more to finally detach himself and head to the Spirit World. – I permit the human race to build their settlement here, but... only if they name it Tienhai!

- Hmm... Agreed! – I replied, after healing my body somewhat. The next moment, the spirit's body began to dissipate into the air. Despite the serious damage, I felt good, as I didn't want such a powerful spirit walking this land, even if he was supposedly on our side.

As soon as he left, weakness overwhelmed my body. Everything hurt—channels, organs, joints... It was easier to list what didn't hurt.

With my fading consciousness, I saw the worried girls running toward me.

- "Seems like I overdid it..." – The thought crossed my mind before I slipped into unconsciousness.

This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.

*

Same place, same time.

The unconscious guy was swiftly taken into strong female arms.

- How is he? – The question had been asked countless times in the last minute, each time by a different girl's voice.

- He's fine, – Yui reassured everyone, as she and Katara had diagnosed Yuki's condition. Maybe they weren't yet at the level of Kai's healing mastery, but they were definitely above average in this field.

- I knew nothing happened to him, – Toph bravely declared, though they all saw her quickly wipe away a few tears.

- "They all still love Daddy!" – Seline smiled. As soon as their father was hurt, they all immediately gathered around him, genuinely worried about his condition.

Azula snorted irritably, trying to figure out how much she had revealed her emotions. She couldn't have rumors spreading about the Fire Nation's ruler being unsuitable. And it was all because of that... jerk! Who had stolen her heart, and apparently not just hers... Well, let him wake up, she'd give him a piece of her mind. Of course, after feeling his warmth...

- "So, Kaya has already given birth to his child..." – Shizuka thought, absentmindedly rubbing her flat, firm belly. – "I want one too," – The thought lingered in her mind, refusing to let go.

The next day, Yuki would grudgingly thank General Old Iron. Because of their battle, and as a result of his condition, the girls had reconsidered everything, deciding not to act rashly.