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Jiang Cheng thinks he has reached his limit. His energy is depleted, and no matter how many times he slashes at this beast, it doesn’t seem to want to go down.
No matter how fiercely both Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji play, the beast refuses to slow down.
In one last desperate attempt to end this damn fight, Jiang Cheng gathers up every last bit of his strength and charges once again at it, whipping Zidian. It confuses the creature for a second, creating an opening.
He takes it, and still he falters. He truly has reached his limit, Jiang Cheng thinks as he chuckles bitterly.
If this is how he meets his maker, then so be it.
Everything happens way too fast. He’s not sure why he thought that when faced with death, things would slow down all around him and he’d just watch his life flash before his eyes in a painful and agonizing prolonged time. He was wrong, but then again…
Someone, Wei Wuxian he thinks, calls his name in anguish. And look at that, you would think the man was genuinely worried for him.
Ridiculous.
It’s not his turn to greet death that night it seems, for in a blink of an eye an immense strength collides against him launching him across the clearing. Were it not for him digging Sandu into the ground, he’d of likely ungracefully tumbled away on the ground.
His legs give up on him, and suddenly Wei Wuxian is behind him as he topples backwards into his awaiting arms.
Jiang Cheng watches in horror as a giant furred paw comes down with a horrible force and slashes open Lan Wangji’s shoulder.
He’s not sure why, but Wei Wuxian holds him back, his grip tighter on him the minute Jiang Cheng tries to launch himself forward to help him.
“Wei Wuxian” Jiang Cheng despairs, “he’s going to die, are you insane?”
“Hanguang-Jun is stronger than that, Shidi, you know that” Wei Wuxian says, but even his voice wavers with worry.
“Just let me—“
“You’ve reach your limit, a-cheng, I can’t—you can’t go back out there”
“Excuse you” Jiang Cheng sneers, “I can—“
“I can’t lose you, a-cheng!!” Wei Wuxian growls.
“And we can’t lose him ” Jiang Cheng pleads, “Wei Ying, please”
Wei Wuxian let’s him go, albeit somewhat reluctantly and Jiang Cheng charges back to where Lan Wangji is valiantly fighting against the beast, staggering slightly when he sees Jiang Cheng.
“Look, his movements are getting sluggish, help me crowd him towards the tree. I’ll give you the opening you need” Jiang Cheng pants.
“Mn” Lan Wanji says and together they set about cornering the creature until it’s as close as it can get to the tree Jiang Cheng had pointed out.
Jiang Cheng does some swift maneuver that even Lan Wangji doesn’t fully catch before Zidian is coming to wrap around the beast’s neck. It wails in desperation as Jiang Cheng pulls it until the creature is hanging by the tree.
Lan Wangji understands.
With a burst of qi, he flies up to impale the creature right in the chest, ripping it apart all the way down to it’s belly.
The roar of agony is deafening, but when Jiang Cheng let’s go if it, it withers on the ground for a few seconds until it stops moving completely.
Unable to even bask in their victory, Jiang Cheng’s heart sinks in his chest when he catches a very sweaty and pale Lan Wangji crumble to the floor. Wei Wuxian screams his name and is rushing to his side immediately.
Through blurry vision, Jiang Cheng staggers and drags himself towards them.
Wei Wuxian is now holding his head on his lap, reassuring him help is on the way. Jiang Cheng swallows the lump in his throat and on his knees shuffles closer to him.
“Hanguang-Jun” he whispers, “you’re such an idiot. Why?” he asks, pleading eyes searching his dull honey golden ones.
“Wanyin is very important to A-Ying” Lan Wangji tells him, and Jiang Cheng scoffs. “Wanyin is very important to me” he adds before coughing up blood.
Jiang Cheng grips Lan Wangji’s hand in a tight vice moving to press his forehead against his.
“You can’t die” Jiang Cheng tells him fiercely, “please don’t die”
Lan Wangji’s faint smile is the last thing Jiang Cheng recalls before everything faded to black.