Chapter 207 - Old World, Old Blood, and Old Grudges...

Where did it all go wrong?  If I had to answer that question, then I would definitely have to say that it all went wrong the moment that we broke our timeless traditions.

Had we stayed the course and firmly rejected the improper succession of predestined rights, we would have not ended up where we are right now. False kings beget doomed futures... 

— Meditations on the Great Failure of the Fourth Cycle

Though the stone floor beneath her feet was cold as ice, she did not mind it all. If anything, the chill underneath her feet was a grounding element for her; the cold, sharp pain kept her from thinking too much about extraneous matters. 

But it wasn't as if she was a stranger to the cold chill of the stone floor either, so it did not affect as much her as the first time she had stepped upon it. 

Lu'um took a deep breath and recollected herself as she gazed at her poorly illuminated surroundings. Though they could have set up conventional lighting for what was to come, simple torches and large flaming spires made of dried stalks of grasses and wood had been constructed instead.

Aside from these rudimentary fires, the only other form of illumination they would be receiving would come from the three moons and the faintly twinkling stars above. 

The ritual spilling of blood had been demanded for Lu'um's impertinence — without a reprieve from the person she had offended or authority higher than her, the law demanded punishment be meted out for her crime of insubordination. 

Usually, this would be conducted through bloodletting by whipping or even flaying, depending on the severity of the crime but Lu'um's case was unique, so to speak. 

Lu'um was not a member of the lower class and was, in fact, a high noble of the royal household. Moreover, her formal title as the Daughter of the Moon granted her an even higher status than most could dream of in the Mulian Empire.

She was effectively the future Empress, only held back by the fact that she had not yet formally married the Crown Prince, who was tentatively considered the Regent Emperor in absence of the previous Monarch and Empress...

As such, only a small handful of people actually outranked her in terms of authority or status, and one could even safely say that she was nearly uncontested in terms of power and rank. 

Unfortunately, even with all of her power, there was still one person who surpassed her in terms of rank... and it happened to be the person she despised the most — her dear mother, Shaali. 

Shaali bore many titles, each one of them was more prestigious and imperious than the last.

Her formal name was Acuecucyoticihuati, after a powerful goddess of the seas, rivers, and storms — that alone should have been enough for anyone to understand that Shaali was not a woman to be trifled with. 

This was, of course, not counting the familial rights a parent had over their child. It went without saying that the concept of familial piety supported Shaali's authority over Lu'um.

That was how terrifying Shaali was to Lu'um and others — though she was not Empress herself, there were only two people who were currently above her in rank; Ulbo, the Father of the Stars, and His Highness the Regent Emperor.

Only when Lu'um officially became Empress would she finally outrank her mother, but certainly not before then...

"The ancient laws are absolute; Lu'um was in the wrong, so the call for blood was made, but since she is of such a high rank, the punishment of bloodletting through whipping would be..." said Itotia as she struggled to finish the sentence. 

"I get it," said Reed, chuckling at Itotia's awkward hesitation, "You can't just make the future Empress get down on her knees and get whipped like a common peasant. It'd destroy the precious dignity of the royal family and then some, right? Yet she still has to be punished..." 

Itotia silently squirmed in her seat and Reed laughed some more. Bullseye. 

Hence, the decision had been made that Lu'um's punishment would be carried out through honorable combat — which was, in essence, a glorified, bloody duel. 

Built inside of at the bottom of a large natural sinkhole, the Altar of Blood was a sacred ritual ground that the Ancient Mulians had preserved since the dawn of civilization. It was a religious site where a great many important rituals and formal events were held over countless generations. 

It was an exceedingly fierce trial by combat for those who had been chosen to potentially become... the Daughter of the Moon. 

To become Empress was to embark on a lengthy journey across an ocean of tears — that was what every young girl was informed when they had been selected to become a candidate. 

It was an honor in the extreme to be considered as the potential future Empress, for both the candidate and the family involved. Such a thing was the exact product of several dozen careful alliances — political marriages — resulting in a distinguished pedigree worthy of being Empress. 

Lu'um was special in the sense that she was not a product of the aftermentioned process. She was a child who had been born from a side branch of the royal family and was, therefore, exempt from the pedigree checks the other girls were forced to go through. 

This special privilege, naturally, fostered a certain kind of resentment from the other candidates. 

A string of vibrant blood formed a triumphant arch as it raced toward the sky.

It was undoubtedly captivating how the crimson droplets contrasted against the azure sky above, but that euphoric sensation faded once the... shrill screaming began to echo across the arena. 

After all, it was not just blood that had taken flight toward the heavens, but also... an entire arm. 

Everyone who entered the arena knew about the risks, the suffering that they would have to endure. Still, that did not mean that they were prepared for it — the pain.

Lu'um's opponent, a young girl no older than her — barely twelve or thirteen — writhed in agony as she clutched onto her left shoulder where an arm had once been attached. She, like Lu'um, was someone who had been selected as a candidate, but it seemed that she would not last much longer. 

Not once during their sparing sessions had she managed to win against Lu'um, much less the other girls. She lacked the resolve to fight seriously, to spill the blood of other people for her own d.e.s.i.r.es.

And that was why Lu'um was sure that she would drop out within a week or two.

She was unfit to be a warrior, as she did not possess the grit to make a kill. This did not mean that Lu'um looked down upon her unfavorably, though. She even considered her a good friend. But that did not affect Lu'um's assessment of the poor girl. 

She dropped out three days later. A superior pedigree was not enough to become Empress; the position of Empress was not for cowards, beautiful but empty vases, or weaklings. 

Only the strongest, the boldest, the sharpest... the finest would become Empress.

This arena at the bottom of the Altar of Blood was where Lu'um had spilled a great deal of blood for her own d.e.s.i.r.es. Where she had mastered her emotions, sharpened her abilities, and traded away her childhood to achieve true greatness as a warrior and a leader. 

And now Lu'um would have to face a woman who had very nearly conquered the Crucible of the Moon in her own generation. Her own mother. 

Everyone who was present turned their attention toward a stunning figure as it emerged from the darkness on the other side of the arena. Though she did not possess the youthful beauty that Lu'um had, Shaali was overflowing with a m.a.t.u.r.e type of charm that her daughter could not emulate. 

Reed frowned when he saw what they had both been wearing — simple cloth tunics that only covered what was absolutely necessary to protect their honor.

They were barefoot and only had antiquated, physical weapons, despite the fact that they were both virtuoso practitioners of Anima-based techniques.

It made no sense to him why they had both decided to seal their prodigious abilities with Anima shackles for their upcoming duel. If they wanted to really show their expertise in combat and have a serious fight, then it only made sense to fight with Anima. 

After all, Anima-based combat was only limited by an individual's imagination and their Anima tolerance. A high-level fight with Anima could be infinitely complex, but simple physical combat had a set number of variations.

Naturally, Reed did not account for the fact that fighting with Anima would also endanger the Altar of Blood. There was a high probability of unintentional destruction to the holy site, hence the ban on using Anima. 

It also detracted from the stakes; there was no second thought to wild, suicidal attack strategies when one could always regenerate wounds and limbs mid-battle. Fighting with Anima shackles made sure that both opponents would have to carefully weigh their options before attacking. 

Sure, there were not as many possibilities and permutations in a physical fight, but the stakes were far higher than they could ever be than in a fight with god-like powers. 

Death would be around the corner in this fight and if neither of them were careful, it was entirely possible that a fatal accident could occur. 

Though it was somewhat of a rare occurrence, it was not that uncommon to have a couple of people die during the Crucible of Moon. 

Considering that a victory was only declared when one forced their opponent into submission or if they surrendered themselves, it was not too uncommon that situations had arisen where neither party wished to give up, even if it meant dying in battle. 

In fact, that was how Lu'um had won back then — she had been forced to kill her final opponent since she had chosen to neither submit nor surrender to her. 

And that was exactly why Lu'um despised her mother so much. It should not have been her job to make amends for her past regrets. If her mother had wanted to earn the right to become Empress, she should have not faltered at the very end...

A single moment's hesitation cost her the life she had d.e.s.i.r.ed. And from then on, she had lived her entire life in the shadow of the woman who defeated her, like a jaded ghost of the past. 

That lingering obsession would later define the relationship she had with her youngest daughter, as she thrust her greatest wish onto her when the opportunity presented itself again...

But no more. Tonight, I will free myself of this condemned wraith once and for all. I will no longer let myself have this wretch project her life onto me anymore. I am myself and no one else. 

Lu'um gripped the primitive obsidian sword in her right hand until she saw her knuckles turn white. 

"It's high time for you to accept the truth — I've already surpassed you in every single way. You should feel proud, mother," said Lu'um as she pointed her blade at her mother. "Yield now and save yourself the humiliation of actually losing to your own child." 

Shaali pointed her own blade at Lu'um and said, "Your capacity for self-delusion is extraordinary. Have you forgotten? Not once have you bested me since you were born. And what you have accomplished thus far is the result of my careful tuition, you ungrateful little girl." 

"....Said the failure who lost on this very arena when it mattered most. Not to worry though, dear mother. Unlike you, I possess no defects. I am flawless. That is why I am the Daughter of the Moon," said Lu'um with quite possibly the most brilliant smile in her life. 

"It seems I failed you as a mother for not teaching you to respect your superiors," said Shaali in a disturbingly calm voice, "To think that I'll have to re-educate you at your age. No matter... I will simply break you and teach you from the start until you understand your place."

The time for discussion had ended. They both understood that nothing would come of any further conversation. 

The mother and the daughter took their respective stances and locked their eyes upon the other as they waited for the sound of the war horn that would signify the beginning of their duel. 

And then a deafening roar — akin to the crack of thunder — resounded across the Altar of Blood. 

The duel had begun.