Lips and fingers taste bitterm

I love the store bought biltong or pre-packaged biltong online and grew up loving beef jerky, so I thought I'd go ahead and try making biltong homemade as everyone seems to say it tastes better. I bought this biltong box on amazon and followed this recipe online to make it.
For the meat I just bought a 1.5 kg picanha from a local butcher and raced home, immediately unsealed it and cut the pieces into thin strips, and began the vinegar / spice coating process (following the recipe using 1.5kg). I put the pieces in a ziploc bag and left it in the fridge untouched for 24 hours, then removed it and hung them to dry for ~5 days at 20 degrees Celsius and with the fan lightly on.
I just recently cut up the pieces, and while on the outside and from a distance they look perfect (I think), the taste is honestly hard to put down. The center of each bite of meat just tastes like a combination of sour and raw meat - I can't exactly put my finger on it what hte taste is exactly, but its not great. I love steak, jerky, and basically any meat related products, but I'm having a really hard time even stomaching small pieces of this.
Did I do something wrong or am I just not used to the homemade taste of biltong.
Thanks!
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Sometimes I like to do a make up look and then run my fingers down my eyes and lips sometimes just the whole face 😅 Anyone else do anything like that? I also sometimes love the look more
Products: Primer - One Size Secure the Blur; Foundation - Haus Labs; Concealer - Hourglass; Bronzer - Anastasia Beverly Hills shade Mahogany also use it for nose contour; Blush - Make Up Forever; Brows - ABH brow wiz; Highlighter - ABH Glow Seeker; Lashes - Kiss cut them; Lip - Fenty Uncensored; Powder - One Size; Setting Spray - One Size; Eyeshadow - ABH Sultry palette (I also use the black shadow for Liner)

(Disclaimer: English is not my first language, and I have only been writing for a few years as a hobby. In this fanfic, selective_breeder will be denoted as Ruan Mei.)
He admired her very being.
It was not the sway of her hair nor the determination that welled up in her eyes every time she picked up an apparatus nor the outlandish goal she kept secret within her that attracted him. The way she would spend days on end furthering her research in the Simulated Universe and seemingly coming out perfectly kempt and organized would remain a forever secret.
Nay, it was not an individual virtue of hers that drew him to her radiant light. It was the culmination of every single trait that made Ruan Mei, Ruan Mei that only served to raise her to even greater heights. He had searched the stars far and beyond and yet not once was he able to look at himself in the mirror and confidently utter the words ‘I do not love her.’ That would be a forced betrayal of his very beliefs.
Visits to the scholar were few and far between. Ruan Mei’s fervent desire to understand why everything in reality happened the way it did made any sort of attempt to court her difficult. He wasn’t one to dismay at such circumstances, but rather, it only worked to help him relish the little time they could spend in the occasion that she could scrape an hour or two from her research.
Today, he had bought her flowers. Handpicked from a distant evergreen planet, the bouquet he had purchased was specially picked to speak wonders in flower language.
Heaving a hefty breath to psyche himself up, he tapped thrice on the hardwood door. Over the months they had spent, both of them had picked up on the special way he knocked—two quick taps, a slight pause, and a firmer tap—made it easy for the scientist to recognize the loyal determinant and his frequent visits.
There was a short silence before the door pulled itself open with a slight creak. He stood straight, making sure he appeared as approachable and good-looking as possible. He knew she didn’t particularly value the way he would dress up formally each time he visited, but he figured the little bit of seriousness was good when courting someone as grand as her. With a wide smile, he waited as the door slid fully open, revealing the woman inside.
“You’re here,” said the scientist. A barely distinguishable smile flickered momentarily on her perfect face before fading away. “I was beginning to think you had given up on me, Rune.”
Rune shook his head, staring down the elegantly dressed Ruan Mei. Compared to their prior meetings, she had arranged herself in a dark green qipao that flowed down well past her thighs and to her legs. The frontal design was left mostly open, as qipaos usually were. A singular moment had passed, and yet his eyes seemed to glance past her lower half a billion times. “I would never,” He replied. “You’re dressed well today.” Another smile and a light chuckle left Ruan Mei’s lips. “Well, given how well-dressed you always are when you come to meet me, it would be a shame if I weren’t to follow suit.” She retreated a few steps behind the door, gesturing for Rune to enter. “Come in.”
“Thank you. These are for you, by the way.”
Her eyes widened as she received the bouquet of flowers. “A beautiful assortment of colors. I’m not the most learned in floriculture, but I can recognize the meaning behind placing Tear’s Joy, Kanavas, Cerulean Lily, and Qaasnan in a bouquet together. It is very much like you to be this forward.”
Slowly, she brought the flowers over to a nearby coffee table that had an empty glass vase, filled to an approriate height by water. She took the red Kanavas, placed it in between her fingers, and brought it to her nose to smell. A sigh of joy followed, before she placed the rest of the flowers into the vase.
Once that was done, the two of them sat down opposite each other. “Can I get you something to drink?” She asked.
“No, that’s okay.” Rune shook his head. “If it’s alright with you, I’d like to hear your answer.”
“You mean in regards to the bouquet, yes?” As if reading lines from a book, she muttered her next words. “A simple question. ‘Will you be mine?’ How forward of you, Rune. But as to my answer… I will have to refuse.”
His expression immediately darkened. He knew all along her actual answer, from the very first day he had tried to court her, and yet he relentlessly pursued her anyways. Perhaps something inside him coerced him to continue onward despite knowing the answer from the start.
“Can I ask why?”
“Please do not think you are the cause. You are very lovely, but… I do not see the benefit behind becoming yours. I will only become tied down by marital affairs, and I am already spread thin as is. If we were in another reality where I wasn’t the Ruan Mei I was today, then maybe I would’ve given you a positive answer.”
She continued. “Where I am going, there is no place for you, Rune. That is why… I felt it would be wise to end your persistent courting of me today. I hope you understand.”
“...No, I understand,” He nodded. “In the back of my mind, I knew you there wasn’t any other way this could’ve gone. But I’d like you to understand as well. A Ruan Mei different from the one in front of me would not be the object of my affection. It was you who captured my heart and stole it. However many Ruan Mei’s there may be, none of them would be you.”
“But if we are fated to be separated, then will you humor my last request?”
“What is it?”
“A woman as beautiful as you surely has dipped her toes in everything that has to do with life. You research the wonders of life, trying to understand why, how, and what it is. Your hunger for understanding fuels you to continue ever forward, and that is also part of why I loved you. So, please, won’t you honor me by partaking with me in the most sacred of rituals, the only way you could produce life naturally?”
She knew instantly what he was referring to. Reclusive and introverted as she was, she knew of the deeper meaning behind his final request. It was ludicrous. But she could not refuse. “I am not as wonderful as you think I am,” She replied. “But if that is your final wish, then I am willing to fulfill it for you.”
A small blush creeped onto her face. “I, too, am eager to lay witness to the very process that brought me to this world.”

As Arthur concluded his speech, there was a silence across the battlefield. As Nezha blinked a few times whilst properly processing the king's words, slowly he lifted his spear closer to his face. The constant clashes between him and Arthur had gradually chipped away at certain spots of the top most layer of metal, revealing all the spear's original colorations that were hidden away.
Under the newer golden layer, lay the silver and aqua blue metal that the spear still had, the red dye that was painted over the spear's handle has also gradually chipped off, revealing parts of its original oak color underneath. All of them, reminders of his past friendship with Ao Bing, and all had been hidden away and covered up. To ensure that he would not be reminded of the good times they once shared, and could go back to cursing the Dragon Prince's memory undisturbed.
For a moment, Nezha felt a wave of nostalgia, and even a small twinge of sadness as he continued to gaze at the spear in his hand, all those old memories he shared with Ao Bing slowly flooding back into his mind. But shaking his head, he ignored those thoughts once again as he got back into a fighting stance. He currently had a fight to win right now, there would be time for reflection and regret after he was victorious.
Taking the Qiankun Ring that hung from his side, Nezha willed it to shrink in size and diameter as he lifted it over the stump that used to be his left arm, allowing the ring to shrink till it fit snugly around it before letting go.
"Odd, what is Nezha doing?" Heimdall questioned as the rest of the audience murmured in agreement, sharing his curiosity.
In the sea of confusion, only Nezha's family, the Jade Emperor and Erlang Shen knew what was happening.
" OH HO!" Erlang said with a grin, "Could it be? Nezha's really gonna use THAT here and now?"
"H-huh?" Jinzha exclaimed by his side, "You aren't referring to what I THINK you are referring to are you? To attempt that with the damage he sustained… That would be suicide on Nezha's part!"
The Jade Emperor's eyebrows knitted in concern as well, "Quite correct Jinzha, With the amount of blood he had lost and his severed limb? Doing such a risky move would be MOST unwise… But if there is anyone with the sheer will and determination to pull it off… It is without a doubt your brother, the Third Lotus Prince!"
While the rest of the godly audience yelled their support for Nezha, it was still Li Jing whose eyes shone with worry and uncertainty for his son. Noticing this, Lady Yi gently squeezed her husband's arm, trying to help soothe his nerves.
"Do not fret my love," She said, "Our son will make it out of this and return to us, he always has. No matter how strong or dangerous his foe is, he will always find a way to come out on top."
Li Jing nodded, seemingly calmed by his wife's words as his face morphed back to a stern expression, "Y-yes, quite correct my love, forgive me for dampening the mood. Nezha will show that human the true extent of his strength!"
With that, the two joined the rest of their friends and family to show their support for Nezha. But even though he seemed to have calmed his nerves, on the inside of his mind, the Pagoda-Bearing King's mind was still plagued with uneasiness and shame.
"I am so sorry, my son," Li Jing silently thought to himself, "I never imagined that my actions would have impacted you so negatively. I beg, in the name of all of Heaven itself, that you emerge victorious so that I may have a chance to right my wrongs."
"Haven't done this in a while," Nezha grunted in the battlefield below, as he felt a small twinge in his arm due to the pressure being applied on his wound from the ring , "And there's the fact I don't have my left arm anymore, but let's see if I still got it in me."
Re-adjusting his spear to proper positioning, Nezha gazed back at Arthur with a confident grin, his eyes glowing with an eerie red light, "That's the second big heroic speech you gave during our battle, do you take classes for them or something? Don't worry though, I'll give your words some more thought once I WIN THIS FIGHT!"
Finishing his sentence, the Fire and Wind wheels roared to life as Nezha ignited the tip of his spear and charged, preparing for another assault upon the King of camelot.
Arthur merely smirked in response, despite Nezha's facade of indifference and cockiness, the momentary pause from before was all the king needed to know that his words had their intended effect on the Third Lotus Prince.
"Never doubted you for a minute, Third Lotus Prince!" He roared, as he swung his sword to meet his foe, "Now don't you dare disappoint! WALLS OF CAMELOT, ACTIVATE!"
As he said this, the embossed design on the Shield of Avalon glowed with bright blue light, and once again, two tall and wide forcefields of the same color materialized, stretching across the length of the battlefield.
"And we are back to the cagefighting!" Heimdall yelled, "Arthur has activated the forcefield capabilities of his shield, quite the smart play if you ask me! Right now, with the loss of his left arm, Nezha is at a HUGE disadvantage, as it means that he can no longer use his Qiankun Ring to its fullest potential! Pair with the fact that Arthur STILL has one last healing charge remaining in Excalibur's scabbard, the outcome of this match doesn't seem favorable for the Third Lotus Prince!"
Inside the forcefield created by the Shield of Avalon, the two fighter's traded blow for blow as they constantly tried to outdo their opponent. Arthur had chosen to re-use the same strategy as he had done before whilst using the Shield's ability, the King of Camelot placed himself behind his shield whilst jabbing blow after blow towards Nezha with Excalibur, trying to force his foe back against the walls where he could deliver the decisive blow.
This still proved to be a challenge, as with the loss of his left arm, Nezha had completely abandoned any of his previous fancy spins, instead beginning to focus on delivering quick consecutive jabs at Arthur. Nezha also started employing the use of large arching sweeps with his spear to help generate more power for his attacks, helping to make up for the amount he'd lost due to his severed arm. And with the speartip still ablaze, Arthur found himself having to lean back or shield his face everytime Nezha made these swipes to prevent himself from getting burnt.
The King of Camelot gritted his teeth as he felt himself get pushed backwards by Nezha's constant strikes, while the loss of his arm had hindered the Third Lotus Prince's fighting style to a some degree, it most certainly had not dampened his battle spirit or drive in the slightest… Yet in spite of all of this, Arthur could not help but smile, for this was exactly how he liked it!
"Urgh… That human really did a number on Nezha!" A few of the young gods in the audience that had previously been at the Lotus Prince's party groaned as they watched the fight continue, "He looks so unsightly now that he's missing an arm! And his technique is all sloppy and uncivilized now without those cool spins and turns!"
The Jade Emperor snorted loudly as he heard this, turning to face the young gods with a disapproving look, "It seems you youngsters have no clue about even the simplest things these days, I see. The art of combat isn't just about fancy moves and pretty kicks, it also requires careful thought and strategising. With the loss of his left arm, Nezha's center of balance had been altered dramatically, so if he were to continue with his previous attacking style. The Third Lotus Prince would most likely find himself toppling to the ground due to his left side being lighter than his right. "
All of the younger gods blushed in embarrassment whilst silently nodding their heads, after all being lectured by the Chief God of the Chinese Pantheon himself would be a very humiliating ordeal for most people. The Jade Emperor meanwhile, merely shook his head as he turned back to watch the battle,
"Do not think the fight already over young ones, the Third Lotus Prince still has one final trick up his sleeves, or should I say sleeve."
As he said this, out of the corner of his eyes, a small flicker of flames seemed to briefly flash around the Qiankun Ring that was fitted around Nezha's left shoulder, before just as quickly disappearing from view. Seeing this caused the Jade Emperor to give a light smirk.
"Quite the impressive man and fighter you are, King of Camelot," The Jade Emperor said to himself, "But let's see how all your resolve fares against the fires that burnt even the Great Sage Equal to Heaven!"
As Nezha lifted his spear overhead to deliver a heavy downward swing, Arthur flung his right hand, along with the Shield of Avalon which he still held within that hand, to meet that swing.
"CLANG!"
As Nezha's spear clashed with Arthur's shield, the King of Camelot felt his teeth chatter from the recoil experienced from the blow, and it took all his willpower and strength to stand his ground. Even though the sheer force Nezha was applying on the Shield of Avalon with his spear made retreating seem like a much more favorable option, Arthur grunted with effort as he persevered and held his own against the weight of the attack.
Arthur's choice to tank Nezha's attack was not without reason, as with them locked in a standstill, and the loss of the Third Lotus Prince's left arm. Nezha virtually had nothing to protect his unguarded left from Excalibur's mighty blade, which the king gripped tightly in his own left hand, waiting for this exact moment.
With a triumphant roar, Arthur swung Excalibur forward, hoping to cut straight through Nezha's midriff with a single strike and end the fight right then and now. But as he did, with his blade drawing closer to Nezha's flesh. Time seemed to go into slow-motion, and just barely out of his line of vision, did Arthur, like the Jade Emperor before him, also glimpse a small flicker of flames gathering around the Qiankun Ring that looped around the stump that used to be Nezha's left arm.
But as he continued watching it, to Arthur's amazement and horror, the entire Qiankun Ring around Nezha's shoulder suddenly burst into flames, engulfing the entirety of it before spreading down the length of his arm, if he still had one of course. And these flames were not the same regular orange ones that blazed around the Fire-tip Spear's head from before, rather these flames were a vibrant light blue, with a slightly orange tip around the ends that burnt bright and strong.
In a blink of an eye, the strange blue fire had grown and shifted into a fully functioning and capable prosthetic arm, one made of fire and flames, constantly flickering and crackling as it radiated pure power and divine energy. It was from this that Arthur knew just from seeing it, that this strange new power Nezha had unleashed was incredibly dangerous.
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Right as Excalibur was about to make contact with its target, Nezha's new flaming left hand shot forth, skillfully catching hold of Arthur's blade right within his fiery grasp and holding it fast. Instantly a loud sizzling noise was heard, as the sheer hot temperature from Nezha's arm had placed the divine metal of Excalibur under immense pressure.
Arthur's eyes could only widened in shock as Nezha, hand still firmly holding onto Excalibur, forcibly pushed his sword out of the way, and with his right arm still locked in it's prior position, under heavy strain holding the Shield of Avalon against Nezha's Fire-tip Spear. The King of Camelot realized with a start, that his own strategy had been turned against him!
Out of nowhere and as quick as a bullet, Nezha's knee flew straight into Arthur's gut from below, causing the king's face to grimace in pain as the blow connected and sent him stumbling backwards and doubling over as a result of the low blow.
However, the Third Lotus Prince would not give Arthur the luxury of recovering again, immediately following up from the previous move, Nezha rushed forward with how new left arm reared back. The disorientated Arthur barely had time to look up before he realized that a flaming blue fist was speeding straight towards his face, it was only thanks to his instinct and quick reaction time was he able to lift the Shield of Avalon in an attempt to block the attack.
"BANG!"
A heavy metallic sound exploded across the arena, as the entire arena could only watch in shock as Nezha's fiery first tore straight through the Divine Weapon as though it were paper. As luck would have it though, the shield still had managed to do its job of protecting Arthur from the main brunt of the attack. However, the King of Camelot was still sent flying further backwards,crashing heavily into the arena wall, much to the distress of the human audience members, and especially his Knight of the Round Table.
"No, no, no!" Galahad groaned loudly, while simultaneously cowering at the sight of Nezha's new arm, "what the hell was that! How the hell did that god manage to tear through a Divine Weapon with just fire alone while his spear and rings failed to do the same?"
"No… That fire… E-even with all my years mastering the art of sorcery and magic, I have never seen anything like it before.."
Those words had come from Merlin, whose face had become just as pale as it was when he and Arthur realized that the Scabbard of Excalibur had gone missing all those years ago,
"S-such regal and divine power… Yet… I can't help but feel… INTIMIDATED by the obvious danger it exudes!"
The Knights of the Round Table all shuddered at Merlin's words, all except for Lancelot, who was focused solely on his friend, slumped slightly against the wall he had been roughly thrown against, with eyes full of concern and faith.
"Come on, Arthur, you can't give up now… Get up… GET UP!"
"W-WHAT?" Pandora exclaimed in shock from their balcony, "SINCE WHEN COULD NEZHA DO THAT?"
The girl turned towards her companions who looked equally worried,
"A substitute hand made out from the fires of his own Qiankun Ring?" Göll said as she nervously chewed her thumb, "The Third Lotus Prince is even more resourceful than we thought!"
"No….." Prometheus replied through gritted teeth, "It's even worse than that, if I'm not mistaken, those flames that Nezha has right now in place of his arm aren't just ANY regular fire… Rather, they are ones of incredible power! "THE TRUE FLAMES OF SAMADHI!"
"T-true flames of Samadhi?" The two girls said simultaneously, "W-what's that?"
"Only the most powerful form of fire-magic that a select few can master," Prometheus answered gravelly, "The Samadhi flames spread at an incredible speed , capable of burning down nearly anything unfortunate enough to stand in its way! But unlike normal flames, it cannot be so simply extinguished by water , in fact its flames are only intensified when exposed to rain! One would need an entire ocean's worth of water to even hope to dampen its strength!"
Göll and Pandora paled at the Titan's words as they looked back down at the arena, the both of them having only one thought running through both of their minds as they continued to watch the fight.
"This is BAD!"
"This round just keeps getting better and BETTER folks!" Heimdall yelled as the God's audience cheered seeing their fighter's comeback, "Nezha has pulled out his ultimate trump card in the form of the Samadhi Flames! And it's done some SERIOUS damage to Arthur's shield! Also for anyone who doesn't know what the Samadhu Flame is, think fire! But HOT, HOT, HOTTER!"
Whilst Heimdall was busy commentating, Nezha who stood in the middle of the arena, rotated his left shoulder, slowly willing the fires on his left arm to die down just a little bit at the moment.
Most of the time when he did make use of the awesome power of the Samadhi Flames, it would usually be on one of his many weapons to help boost its prowess in battle. But never before had he tried to use it directly on himself, much less as a substitute for a severed limb. Regardless, he still seemed able to keep the power of the flames under control, preventing it from spreading across the entire arena uncontrollably. Though, it definitely would be in his best interest not to use it more than he had to.
Suddenly, coughing from the arena walls made everyone's head turn to the other side of the arena, just as Arthur stumbled away from the mess of cobwebs that were the cracks on the arena wall, resulting from his heavy impact against them.
"Heh, heh…" Foolish of me to assume that you would be any weaker after my previous stunt, Third Lotus Prince." Arthur complimented as he staggered back upright on his two feet.
"Who'd you think you're fighting, King of Camelot? Some rank amateur god?" Nezha responded with a grin, "Even if you cut off both my arms, you better BELIEVE that I'm still gonna give you the fight of your life!"
"Oh definitely," Arthur chuckled, holding up the Shield of Avalon to reveal the sizeable hole that was punched straight through the metal, around it were blackened char marks that still had smoke sizzling and burning off it, "That is some serious firepower you have there, pun not intended."
"Yep, definitely was a risk putting myself out there once again after you severed my left arm," Nezha replied, "But I needed the fuel for the fire that was my fighting spirit to be able to use the Samadhi Flame, fuel provided from a epic battle against a foe such as yourself, King of Camelot."
"Your words flatter me, Third Lotus Prince," Arthur said, as he raised Excalibur in a light taunt, "Now, won't you be a gentleman and so kindly show me more of what this Samadhi Flame of yours has in store?"
Nezha's smirk widened, "You asked for it.."
In a blink of the eye, Nezha was suddenly in front of Arthur, his flaming fist flung far behind his head as he prepared to unleash a devastating strike straight towards the king's face. Arthur just barely managed to move out of harm's way once again, by quickly rolling across the arena floor. And as he Lifted his head, he was just in time to see the Lotus Prince's fist slam straight through the solid marble and concrete that made up the arena's walls, the sheer force caused the entire section of the arena to quiver slightly, which in turn caused various audience members seated there to scream in fear, as the subsequent crater that was left behind from the impact was a mess of cracks and burnt rubble, blackened with soot.
"H-hey be careful with that fist of yours, Prince Nezha!" Heimdall called out nervously, "We don't want to end up hurting the audience members now, do we?"
"Sorry Heimdall!" Nezha replied as he proceeded to use his left arm as a shield to block a counterattack from Arthur, as soon as Excalibur's blade came into contact with the Samadhi Flames, loud sizzling noises could be heard once again, as the sheer heat from the fire began turning the divine metal used to craft the king's sword red-hot. Prompting Arthur to quickly disengage from their clash, as well as quickly lifting his shield to block a follow up attack from Nezha's spear.
Realizing that a close quarter fight against Nezha now, would be extremely disadvantageous for himself. Arthur frantically began racking his brains to come up with a suitable plan to counter this new threat, as he continuously dodged and ducked incoming blows from the Third Lotus Prince, but all of them just didn't seem to cut it!
Direct combat against the Third Lotus Prince was an obvious no go, although Excalibur had served him well through many a battle, constant contact with the Samadhi Flames might end badly for his faithful sword if he continued on. As for his other Divine Weapon, the Shield of Avalon may be damaged, but it would still fare well against Nezha's spear. However, one more punch from his left hand, and that could be all it takes for his shield to shatter into pieces.
Speaking of the Shield of Avalon, perhaps the Walls of Camelot might have some use? But if his intention was to avoid fighting face to face, then using the shield's ability would defeat the entire purpose! If only he could find a way to have the Walls of Camelot separate him and his opponent, rather than trapping them both in an enclosed area… Hmm… Wait a minute…
Suddenly, inspiration struck Arthur, quick as a wink he raised Excalibur, managing to directly parry another blow from Nezha's fist, a heavy, "BOOM!" reverberated across the arena, as the heavy recoil that ensued sent both fighters flying apart from one another, with Nezha landing on the right side, whilst Arthur landed on the left.
As he did, Arthur quickly got to his feet, but strangely instead of positioning himself with his shield and sword facing towards his opponent, the King of Camelot had instead chosen to go with perhaps the strangest possible option he could by having his side facing Nezha, whilst the front of his body stood facing the arena walls, much to the confusion of everyone in the audience.
"Fufu, Looks like the heatwaves from the Third Lotus Prince's fire has finally driven that foolish human mad, or perhaps he has just realized that victory is impossible," Amaterasu snickered as she and the other two Sun Gods observed the match.
"No… I don't think so, Amy," Huitzilopochtli replied as he began chewing the food in his mouth faster in anticipation, as Nezha began moving forward, once again towards Arthur, "I think that guy still has some kind of trick in store for Nezha."
As the Aztec Chief God said this, the Shield of Avalon glowed bright blue once again, as Arthur activated the Walls of Camelot, materializing the two force fields back into the arena. Except that this time, due to the direction Arthur now stood in, instead of the forcefields keeping the two fighters trapped in a small lane, they now stood perpendicular to the Third Lotus Prince. With Arthur safely behind them for the time being, while his opponent was kept out!
Nezha skidded to a halt as he saw this, his eyebrows cocked in surprise at what the king had done. Meanwhile, Arthur turned his head to face his opponent as he raised Excalibur with his left arm. With the sword not being made of flesh nor bones, it could still pass through the forcefield to strike Nezha, while the Third Lotus Prince could not!
Seeing this, Nezha could help but smirk at Arthur's quick thinking and ability to adapt, "What's the matter, King Arthur?" He said with a light taunt, "You aren't flaking out on me now, are you?"
Arthur responded with a smirk of his own through heavy pants, "Well… i'll admit this is rather underhanded, but it was the best thing I could think of to assist me now after seeing just how dangerous that Samadhi Flame of yours is!"
Nezha chuckled as he flexed his left arm, "Ah, true I guess, this stuff is pretty dangerous…" As he said this, he casually tossed his spear from his right hand to his left, "So I totally get why even a brave warrior like yourself would cower at the sight of it…But that shield isn't gonna be able to protect you for much longer."
As he said this, Nezha left hand tilted the Fire-tip spear at an extreme level, with the handle being almost perpendicular to the ground below as it rested on the back of his arm. RIght after this, The fires that made up Nezha's left hand slowly began to morph, the fingers fusing together to form a singular tip, much like a snake's tail. The positioning of his new hand also began to change, with his grip slowly moving downwards till it curled around the base of the spearhead, as his fiery hand began to grow in length till it was nearly the same as the length of his spear.
Once this was done, Nezha's entire left arm slowly began to curl around and around the handle of his spear like a snake, slowly covering the entire polearm in blue fire, till it seemed that the Fire-Tip spear itself had fused together with Nezha's arm and become one with the Third Lotus Prince.
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As Arthur and the audience members watched in disbelief, Nezha slowly raised his new and improved left arm, elbow bent, and level with the ground. Slowly the flames that covered his spear began to spin and spin, getting faster and faster with each second, till the Lotus Prince's arm now resembled a flaming vortex with a sharp speartip at the center. Nezha's eyes glowed with an even more intense red, as the ground beneath his legs began to crumble whilst he crouched.
"BOOM!"
Without warning, a sonic explosion boomed across the arena, as Nezha flew forward from whence he stood. Left arm now outstretched, flames spinning faster than ever before, and with them the sharp point of the Fire-tip Spear as well, whirling around and around like a spinning drill head. Later on when interviewed, spectators of the round even swore up and down that as Nezha rushed towards the forcefield, they could perfectly visualize in front of them the gaping maw of nine roaring dragons. All made purely from the blue fires of the Samadhi flame that too formed Nezha's left arm, charging straight towards Arthur and his forcefield, jaws opened wide, whilst following the Lotus Prince's lead.
Regardless of what they saw, that moment would soon go down in the books as the day Heaven first bore witness to Nezha's ultimate technique, originally born from the childhood memories shared between the son of a military general and the heir to the Dragon King. It had now become a incredible force of pure firepower that was to be reckoned with, it was called:
"THE NINE DRAGONS HOLY FIRE SPEAR!"
Arthur's eyes widened in horror as he flung his arms upwards, crossing his shield and sword in front of his body to shield himself from the impending attack, but it was useless. The moment the tip of the spear touched the forcefield, a cobweb of cracks splintered across the entire structure, expanding faster than the eye could see before with a resounding, "CRACK!" the entire structure shattered into pieces, dissolving into nothingness as Nezha shot forth aiming directly for the King of Camelot himself.
"FWOOSH!"
Humanity could only scream in horror, as they watched their fighter getting engulfed entirely in the fires of the Samadhi Flame. Before seeing through the flickering flames, the outline of Nezha's spear pierced straight through Arthur's chest, as the Lotus Prince blew straight past the King of Camelot, and landed heavily on the ground behind him.
As the flames finally settled, mankind was horrified to see what remained of their fighter, standing in the middle of the battlefield, was a blackened and charred figure riddled with third degree burns, that used to be King Arthur Pendragon, with a large hole in the middle of it's chest as it stood upright. In it's hands was the hilt of the sword that used to be Excalibur, it's crystal blue blade almost completely shattered from the grievous blow, with a short jagged length still remaining. On the ground in front of the figure, was pieces of the round disc that was the Shield of Avalon, already damaged from Nezha's previous attack, and now reduced to bits and pieces on the floor.
Silence in the arena, besides the crackling of flames spread across the battlefield that had resulted from Nezha's attack. As everyone stared open-mouthed at what had become of Arthur, some of the Knights of the Round Table even began breaking down into tears, believing it to be the end of their king.
"A-arthur…M-my boy…" Merlin whimpered sorrowfully as he slumped in his chair.
"No… It's not over yet, it CAN'T BE!" Lancelot yelled hysterically as he got up from his seat and rushed over to the edge of the stand, cupping his hands around his mouth as he yelled out to the statue that was his friend, "ARTHUUUUR! DON'T YOU DARE DIE ON ALL OF US NOW! WAKE UP! WAKE UPPPPPP!"
"I-is it over?" Heimdall whimpered after a moment or two, "Did Nezha finally clinch the third victory in the row for the gods with his incredible firepower?"
"No…" Nezha breathed heavily to himself, "Not just yet…"
Right on que, answering both the desperate pleas of Lancelot, and the confidence Nezha had in his foe. Two slits on the figure's grievously burnt face suddenly burst open, revealing Arthur's eyes as his scorched d lips split apart, allowing him to let out a strangled gasp as he fell to his knees. Slowly, in a rather morbid display that made quite a few spectators pale, the King of Camelot's burnt skin began flaking off his body as new flesh, tissue and skin began to replace his old ones. From his face, a brown stubble began to sprout from his scalp, beard and upper lip as new hair follicles grew in to substitute the ones that were singed off.
In a matter of minutes, the Scabbard of Excalibur's final healing charge of the day proved once again the incredible miracles it could perform, as what was once an unrecognizable and scorched statue, now stood Arthur Pendragon as he once was, slightly dazed and disorganized. But nevertheless, in near perfect condition as before, though his clothing was all but burnt away, save for his trousers, which gave the King of Camelot some dignity.
"Y-you…You…You ABSOLUTE DICKHEAD!" Arthur burst out laughing as he finally managed to catch his breath, shocking the audience once more, "You KNEW my scabbard still had one last charge left! Why the bloody hell would you go and waste your ultimate technique on that then? That really HURT you know!"
Nezha grinned, his face riddled with fatigue from pulling off such a powerful move, "I'm gonna be 100% honest with you right now… I kinda got way too caught up in the heat of the moment, and it just completely slipped my mind…"
Arthur guffawed at the Third Lotus Prince's response, "Never change, Prince Nezha, never change… Well, what are you waiting for? Come and end the fight right now, I'm unarmed and undefended, and more importantly, I've no more tricks to play."
Nezha shook his head, as a fiery glare appeared on his face, "Nah… There's no honor in striking down a fallen foe… If I am to be truly victorious, I want it to be with the both of us standing tall and proud, after having given it our all! SO COME ONE, KING OF CAMELOT! You haven't been one to give up when our match first began! SO WHY THE HELL START NOW? I know you've still got SO MUCH MORE to give!"
Arthur smiled as he slowly got up to his feet, turning to face his opponent with a look of respect, "Then I thank you, Third Lotus Prince, Nezha. For giving me this chance to redeem myself, in a final clash against you for the sake of my people."
"T-this is SUCH AN AMAZING SCENE!" Heimdall yelled with tears in his eyes, "The miraculous power of the Scabbard of Excalibur has once again saved King Arthur from certain doom! And the incredible display of sportsmanship and respect from the Third Lotus Prince, Nezha is truly heartwarming! But one cannot deny the truth, with no more healing charges from his scabbard, and his two Divine Weapons shattered. How in all of HEAVEN can Arthur possibly make a comeback from this and achieve victory for mankind?"
The Watchman of the Apocalypse soon got his answer, as Arthur removed the Scabbard of Excalibur on the right side of his belt, and gently sheathed and covered the broken blade of his faithful sword. Before standing in his fighting stance, readying himself for battle.
"Well then Third Lotus Prince," The king said as he now held up his makeshift blade with both hands, "If this truly be the finale of our battle, then let us both make sure that we end it with everything we got, and our hearts burning strong! So READY WHEN YOU ARE! LET'S FINISH THIS!"
Nezha wore a smile of pure delight, as he leveled his flaming spear and prepared to charge, "LIKEWISE! My only regret is not meeting a worthy foe like you sooner!"
With a loud battlecry, both fights rushed towards each other with their weapons drawn, as some spectators leaned forwards in anticipation to witness what many assumed to be their final clash. Meanwhile others, mostly humans, covered their eyes, unable to bear to watch their fighter get annihilated for real this time.
"EXCALIBUR'S JUDGMENT!"
"THE NINE DRAGONS HOLY FIRE SPEAR!"
As the two weapon's met, a brilliant surge of bright blue light exploded from within the Scabbard of Excalibur, engulfing the entirety of the arena and forcing everyone to shut their eyes from the sheer intensity of the light. But as the audience opened their eyes, to see what now lay in front of them, they were left speechless…

Felt this little guy on my lip, thought it was some fuzz at first but saw its little legs unable to flip itself from my finger. Couldnt get a good, non-blurry photo it was that small. Found in the state of Arizona.

Just ordered the MBM Skin Enhancer after so many raving reviews from this sub! I’ve only tried the cream blush from the brand, and had to return it since it faded very quickly. Fingers crossed I have a better experience with this one!
Also, could not pass up the Tower 28 100 point BI lip gloss. So excited! I love having minis in my purse.