The Strongest Shape

**The Strongest Shape** is the twenty-eighth chapter of *Iron Widow*.

## Synopsis

Zetian feels her wrath collide with that of Shimin as they connect with the Vermilion Bird. They scream in rage with the Bird's throat, both of them in control as indicated by the glow of its eyes—one Metal-white, one Fire-red. An Lushan orders them to move out or they will be terminated. They begin flapping the bird towards the battle. Zetian feels something like another layer in her mind. She focuses on it and finds herself in the yin-yang realm, facing Shimin's spirit form. She tells him they should just eject the soldiers from the cockpit, but he asks what they would do after that. Zetian realizes that they don't really have a choice; too many of their options end in their deaths. The only chance they have to survive is to fight the battle and hope they live. However, their qi didn't have the chance to fully recharge from the last battle, so their control over the Bird is sluggish. The first Hunduns appear and Shimin begins fighting them off with the Bird. Zetian lets him take the lead in the fight since he has more battle experience. Unfortunately the Bird is not suited for melee attacks, so they have to rely on qi attacks that drain their ever-dwindling supply. They reach the main battle, where other Chrysalises and Hunduns are engaged in a struggle. Zetian freezes when she sees the Headless Warrior, flashing back to when Xing Tian tried to kill her. Zetian is certain that he will try to kill them, avenging Yang Guang and tributing them at the same time. She realizes there is no hope of surviving, so what's the point of obeying orders? In the yin-yang realm, her spirit form lunges for Shimin and knocks him to the ground. She wraps her hands around his throat but doesn't press down. Instead, she tells him to let her take control. He does. Zetian immediately shunts the soldiers out of the Vermilion Bird, probably sending them falling to their deaths. She charges the Bird straight towards the Headless Warrior and knocks it off balance. She prepares to impale it through the cockpit, before remembering that there's a concubine-pilot in there along with Xing Tian. She hesitates and the Warrior fights back. Shimin realizes this is the guy who tried to kill Zetian and takes control of the Bird again, lunging it towards the Warrior. Zetian manages to stop him before he lands a fatal injury, but their mutual frustration causes the Bird to begin taking its Villainous Form. Zetian rips both of the Warrior's legs off, causing immense pain to Xing Tian and allowing the Bird to syphon off some of his qi. Zetian flies the Bird back towards the Great Wall and prepares to destroy the Kaihuang watchtower, but a voice suddenly calls out over the speakers for Zetian and Shimin. It's Yizhi. He urges them to calm down and tells them to wait for him. Zetian gently sets the Bird down next to the watchtower and after a moment Yizhi runs out into the rain. He holds a hand out, offering his qi to them. Zetian and Shimin make the simultaneous decision to bend the Bird's head down so Yizhi's hand is on its beak. Zetian uses the precision of her Metal qi to pierce Yizhi's qi meridians with tiny acupuncture needles. His Earth qi begins flooding into the Chrysalis. Yizhi touches his forehead to the Bird's beak. In the yin-yang realm, the golden qi wraps around Zetian and Shimin. Their spirit forms shatter into butterflies and the Vermilion Bird shifts into its Heroic Form for the first time ever. It becomes a huge humanoid with a bird mask and enormous wings, looking more similar to their spirit armor. The Fire-red spirit metal of the Bird is highlighted with Metal-white and Earth-yellow. They pick up Yizhi and let him into the cockpit. He tells Zetian to go fight; he'll do what he can for her wound. She and Shimin charge the Bird back towards the battle, pulling their weapon from their breastplate: a longbow. They aim at the biggest Hundun in the field and destroy it with a single piercing shot. The battle rages on as they kill more Hunduns while leaving their husks in good enough condition to be salvaged. The battle ends, but Zetian feels her mind growing fuzzy. She watches her qi drain from the Bird's body. She hears voices calling her name. She feels cold.

## Character List

### Appearing

* An Lushan
* Gao Yizhi
* Li Shimin
* Wu Zetian
* Xing Tian

### Mentioned

* Dugu Qieluo
* Gao Qiu
* Sima Yi
* Yang Guang
* Yang Jian
* Zhuge Liang

## Places and Terms Mentioned

### Chrysalises

* Headless Warrior
* Vermilion Bird

### Places

* Great Wall
* Hundun wilds
* Kaihuang watchtower
* Mind Realm
* Sui-Tang frontier
* Tiger Cage training camp
* Yin-Yang Realm

### Terms

* Central Command
* Chrysalis
* The Council of Sages
* Gao Enterprises
* Human Liberation Army
* Hundun
* Pilot
* Qi
* Spirit metal
* Spirit pressure
* Yin and Yang
* Yin-Yang Butterfly

## Trivia

* Final appearance of the Headless Warrior.
* The Vermilion Bird transforms into its Heroic Form for the first time.