Bab 25: Chapter 24: Dance of Ink and Light
The air crackled with tension as Surya and Ma Liang faced off in the vast ink-drenched realm. Around them, shadows twisted and writhed like living things, while the inky landscape continued to shift and change with every breath, forming jagged cliffs, gnarled trees, and bottomless pits, only to dissolve into a flat, endless sea of darkness again. Both men stood their ground, each a stark contrast to the other—Surya glowing with a faint golden light, while Ma Liang seemed to absorb all light around him, his brush glowing with dark energy.
Without warning, Ma Liang made the first move. With a swift stroke of his Magic Brush, he sketched out a dragon—its body long and serpentine, scales shimmering with a dark, metallic gleam. The ink swirled and congealed, and in seconds, a massive dragon of pure shadow burst into existence, roaring with a sound that could shatter mountains. It lunged at Surya with fangs bared, each tooth as sharp as a spear.
Surya didn't flinch. With a casual flick of his wrist, he extended his staff into a long pole and spun it in a wide arc. As the dragon closed in, he slammed the staff against the ground, and a wave of golden energy rippled outwards. The energy formed into a colossal golden lotus flower that bloomed right in the dragon's path. The dragon crashed into the lotus, and for a moment, its shadowy form struggled against the radiant petals before being shredded apart into wisps of ink that faded away.
"Not bad," Surya quipped, his lips curling into a grin. "But you'll have to do better than doodling overgrown lizards."
Ma Liang's eyes narrowed behind his silver mask. "Always so smug, Surya. Let's see how you handle this." He swiftly drew a series of jagged lines in the air, and the ink coalesced into a storm of razor-sharp blades—dozens, then hundreds of them, hovering in the air like a swarm of angry wasps. With a flick of his brush, the blades shot toward Surya, whistling through the void like deadly arrows.
Surya's eyes glimmered with excitement. Instead of dodging, he raised his staff and drew a quick circle in the air. As he did, a swirling vortex appeared before him, a portal into another dimension. The blades were sucked into the vortex, disappearing one by one into its spinning depths. With a playful wink, Surya flicked his staff, and the vortex reversed, spitting the blades back out in all directions, scattering them harmlessly across the inky terrain.
"Impressive!" Surya laughed. "You've really gotten the hang of that brush. But remember, I've had a bit more practice at this."
Ma Liang, unfazed, continued to draw with furious speed. He painted a towering mountain range, and immediately, enormous peaks erupted from the ground, jagged and imposing. The mountains shot up like the teeth of some enormous beast, trying to crush Surya beneath their weight. With another swift stroke, he brought forth a tidal wave, a wall of black water surging down the mountainside to sweep Surya away.
Surya grinned, his eyes twinkling with mischief. He tapped his staff on the ground three times, and with each tap, he shrank to the size of an ant. The gigantic wave roared above him, but to the miniature Surya, it was no more than a puddle. He zipped around the base of the mountains, using his reduced size to slip between the cracks and crevices, making his way to Ma Liang with a speed that seemed almost comical.
"Look at you, going big and bold," Surya called out, his tiny voice barely a whisper. "But sometimes, the smallest things cause the biggest headaches." He tapped his staff once more, instantly returning to his normal size, standing right behind Ma Liang.
Ma Liang spun around, his brush already moving. He drew a chain of meteors hurtling from the sky, each one ablaze with a dark fire. The meteors came crashing down, aiming to flatten Surya. But Surya was faster. With a nimble leap, he shot into the sky, riding a gust of wind he summoned with a flick of his fingers. The meteors collided with the ground below him, sending up explosions of ink and shadow, but Surya was untouched.
"Your artistry has definitely improved, Ma Liang!" Surya shouted from above, a grin still plastered on his face. "But I'm afraid you're still missing that personal touch!"
With a wave of his hand, Surya conjured a flock of glowing paper cranes. Each crane emitted a soft, golden light, folding and unfolding its wings with delicate beauty. But as they neared Ma Liang, they exploded like firecrackers, releasing bursts of blinding light and concussive force. Ma Liang shielded himself, narrowly avoiding the flashes.
"You mock me with your tricks, Surya!" Ma Liang growled, his voice echoing in the void. "You think you're so clever with your illusions and sleight of hand. But this—this is true power!" He slashed his brush through the air, and the ink formed a colossal tiger, its muscles rippling with barely contained energy. The beast leaped toward Surya with a deafening roar.
Surya spun his staff in front of him, and it split into a dozen identical staves, each one spinning like a propeller. The tiger collided with the spinning staffs, and the force of the impact sent it crashing back, disintegrating into a pool of black ink.
"True power?" Surya retorted. "True power isn't just about brute force or flashy displays. It's about understanding the flow, the rhythm, the dance of combat." He twirled his staff again, sending out a series of shockwaves that turned the ink below them into solid glass.
"Then dance with me, you fool!" Ma Liang snarled. His brush became a blur as he painted a twisting, serpentine dragon, but this one was different—its body was composed of countless scrolls, each one inscribed with ancient, powerful runes. It darted toward Surya with impossible speed, weaving through the air like a ribbon caught in a gale.
Surya, in a burst of inspiration, pulled out a small, folded paper fan from his robe. He flicked it open, revealing it to be covered in intricate ink drawings. "I've always wanted to try this," he said with a smirk, waving the fan. To Ma Liang's astonishment, the fan's ink drawings sprang to life—thousands of paper butterflies fluttered out, each one exploding like a tiny bomb as they collided with the dragon.
The force of the butterflies' detonations tore the dragon apart, its scroll body unraveling and burning away into nothingness. Ma Liang's frustration was palpable; he could feel his grip on the dimension slipping.
"Fine! Then I will end this with one final stroke!" he declared. Ma Liang's brush became a furious blur, and with a mighty stroke, he drew an entire landscape of twisted mountains and roaring seas crashing toward Surya.
But Surya stood his ground, his voice calm and confident. "One final stroke, huh? Well, let's make it count."
He raised his staff high, and a soft golden light began to emanate from him, brighter and brighter until it engulfed his entire being. "For I am Rebel Buddha," he whispered, and the light exploded outward, clashing with Ma Liang's creations.
The ink realm trembled, the blackened skies split open with a roar, and the mountains Ma Liang had drawn began to crumble. Light and darkness, ink and gold, clashed in a dazzling display of power and will. Ma Liang gritted his teeth, pouring every ounce of his strength into maintaining his world, while Surya stood like an unyielding beacon against the tide of darkness.
The battle between ink and light continued, each man's spirit unbroken, as their duel shook the very foundations of the dimension they stood within.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone