Meili's eyes fluttered open, her head pounding like she'd been hit. She took in the strange surroundings—an eerie, crystal-filled cavern lit by glowing blue-white veins of energy. "Uh, where am I? Where's everyone?" she muttered, disoriented.
No one answered. Panic crept in as she scrambled to her feet, scanning for any sign of life. The cavern was silent, except for… she heard movement. Meili turned toward the sound.
A few yards away, she spotted something. Hibiki. He was… attached to a core-like structure, white and blue lights swirling around him. His body was limp, joints unnaturally extended, like he was being held in place.
And then she saw Kai.
Kai's sword was pressed against Hibiki's chest, arm fully extended, like he was frozen in the act of delivering a fatal strike. Meili's eyes widened. "What the—"
Meili's anger flared, but Kai's cold gaze stopped her from moving closer. "What the hell are you doing, Kai?" she demanded, voice low but venomous.
Kai's expression didn't change. "Keep your voice down, idiot. You finally woke up and you plan on signaling more monsters?"
Meili's eyes darted between Hibiki's lifeless form and Kai's sword. "More monsters?"
"Yeah," Kai said, his tone detached. "When you were still asleep, most of them came up to munch on us."
Meili's gaze narrowed. "Well, that doesn't explain why you have a sword pointed at Hibiki."
Kai's jaw tightened. "You should already know by now—he's the core of this beast. And there's no stopping a reincarnated monster without taking out its major life source."
Meili's mind reeled. 'Is he for real? He really wants to kill Sifu Hibiki?' She took a step forward, but Kai's sword didn't waver.
Meili's eyes burned with accusation. "Do you really hate Sifu that much?" she spat.
Kai's expression remained detached. "Just doing my job, Meili. We can't afford to be sentimental here."
The words stung. Meili's mind flashed back to a conversation they'd had long ago. "Feelings? What's that?... Sentimental weakness is a luxury warriors can't afford. Attachments cloud judgment, hindering our duty." Kai's cold philosophy.
Her anger simmered. "So, you meant bit of what you said that day."
Kai's gaze was steady. "Of course."
Meili's voice trembled with rage. "And if it came to the point of killing each and every one of us, you would—in a heartbeat."
Kai's sword pressed deeper into Hibiki's chest. A trickle of blood seeped from the wound. "It's the life we chose to live, Meili. We're warriors, we live to protect those stupid civilians no matter the cause… and Hibiki understands that as well."
Hibiki's eyes flickered, his lips forming a silent word: "Meili…"
Hibiki's eyes focused on Meili, his gaze warm despite the pain. "He's right, Meili," he whispered, his voice strained.
Meili's anger faltered, concern flooding in. "Sifu, are you alright? What do you mean by that?"
Kai watched silently, his sword still pressed against Hibiki's chest.
Hibiki's chest heaved with effort. "I managed to gain consciousness just now… it's been a long battle for me here as well. But the truth is… a warrior's duty is to protect the village and the people in it… of course."
Meili's face twisted in denial. "What the hell are you saying, Sifu? You want us to kill you?"
Hibiki's expression softened further. "I haven't been the best mentor and Sifu to you guys… I haven't been there for you like I should've been. A warrior's road is a very ugly one… but I didn't let you understand that. I just hope you can forgive me for that, Meili."
Meili's eyes brimmed with tears. "Sifu, no… that's not true."
Hibiki's gaze shifted to Kai, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "Well, you have a lot more reason to kill me… and I'm sure you're aware of most of them by now thanks to Xaphan."
Meili's eyes widened in surprise. Kai's expression remained cold, unreadable.
"But before I apologize and before you kill me," Hibiki continued, his voice gaining a hint of mischief, "how about I tell a tale… Kai has been longing to hear for a long time?"
Kai's sword pressed harder against Hibiki's chest. "We don't have time for that now. You've had more than a decade of my life to tell me… but you didn't. For some reason, you thought this is the best time… Just die."
Meili's face twisted in fury. "Don't you dare," she snarled, her sword flashing up to point at Kai. "Back off, Kai."
Meili's eyes blazed with defiance. "I won't stand here while you kill our sifu," she declared, her sword steady.
Hibiki's expression softened. "And I won't want the last thing I see be both of you trying to kill each other. Can both of you just not argue or fight… just this once?"
Tears brimmed in Meili's eyes. She slowly dropped her sword, her shoulders shaking as she ducked away from Kai, crying.
Kai's gaze never wavered from Hibiki. "Let it be quick. No matter what you say, I can't be moved anymore."
Hibiki's lips curved in a small smile. "I'm glad you at least gave me a chance…"
Kai's sword began to tremble, the air around him thick with tension.
Outside, the scene was pure devastation. Xaphan's body stood ready, radiating enough power to lay waste to everything around him.
He scanned the battlefield, noting the position of every fighter. The Grandmasters and their warriors had weapons drawn, ready to strike. They had numbers on their side, and they intended to use them.
Zirkyu and Lian leapt forward, placing themselves between Xaphan and the others to block any incoming attack. Xaphan scoffed.
"Hey. Get out of the way, you two. You should know who you stand before."
Both of them withdrew immediately.
Xaphan tilted his head upward, eyes fixed on the Grandmasters. "I'm not entirely sure how much of my power this body can handle. But I'll do my best not to break it too quickly." His voice carried across the field. "You lot must be the leaders of these weaklings. Surrender now and avoid a sudden death."
Grandmaster Fei leaned toward his compatriots, Grandmaster Yagushi and Grandmaster Jiang, his voice low. "He's most definitely not Xaphan."
Yagushi gave a grim nod. "You're right. As he told Zirkyu before — Xaphan surrendered his body. That must be Veyruun's soul in there."
"This has gotten more serious," Jiang added.
Xaphan's patience thinned. "There's not much time to waste. Speak now… or feel my wrath."
Grandmaster Yagushi stepped forward. The warriors around him stiffened in surprise. Xaphan waited, watching.
Yagushi's voice rang clear across the battlefield.
"No matter what atrocities stand before us, we will never drop our weapons. From the days of Wu Long to this very moment, our path has been the same. We fight. We bleed. We endure. Not because we crave war, but because peace must be earned, and protected, from threats like you and Xaphan alike. Our duty is to the people who cannot hold a blade. Our oath is to the villages that sleep while we keep watch. So no — we will never surrender. If death is the price for that peace, then we pay it standing."
Xaphan's eyes narrowed. "How courageous. Speaking that bastard's name to my face. You've earned a sliver of my respect. I'll gift you a quick ending."
He lifted his fingers, ready to strike.
SSHRKK!!
A metal arrow tore through Xaphan's hand before he could finish the motion. He snapped his head toward the source—only to see a rain of metal arrows screaming through the sky, all aimed at Veyruun's massive form.
"Fall back!" Yagushi bellowed. "Now!"
The warriors didn't hesitate. Shields they'd prepared beforehand snapped open, linking into a barrier as every squad broke from the Xaphan zone. Yagushi led them, clearing the kill zone seconds before the arrows landed.
Zirkyu and Lian made to break from the arrow storm and chase the archers, but Xaphan stopped them with a single raised palm. Blood still ran from the hole in his hand, then the wound sealed shut without a scar.
"What a half-hearted move," Xaphan said, watching the sky. "Do they think they'll end this battle with toys?"
"Each one has a bomb attached," Lian noted, eyes tracking the volley.
Xaphan's lip curled in disgust. Zirkyu's jaw tightened as unease crept up his spine. Lian remained nonchalant.
Then Xaphan stepped forward and exhaled.
"So be it. They all die."
He discharged it.
A Burst Pulse ripped from his palms. Not wind. Not force. Pressure. The concentrated shockwave hit like a collapsing mountain, a wall of condensed chi that devoured the air in front of him. The rain of arrows stopped dead, then reversed, blasted back faster than they arrived.
BOOOM!!!!
Every bomb-tipped arrow detonated mid-air. The chained explosions lit the sky and sent a thunderclap across the battlefield. Warriors staggered. The ground itself hummed with Residual Pulse, trembling underfoot long after the blast, throwing off balance and focus.
Yagushi turned, eyes wide. That wasn't a technique. That was annihilation compressed into a breath.
Yagushi's eyes snapped to the smoke hanging in the sky. The explosions were too close to the source point.
"Sifu Zabuza," he said quickly. "Send a few of your men for reconnaissance. Check on Koda's team. That impact had to reach them."
Zabuza nodded and dispatched few warriors at once. But before they could get far, Xaphan was already moving toward them, Zirkyu and Lian flanking him like shadows.
"Here he comes," Ryker muttered, grip tightening on his weapon.
Xaphan's hands rose, his voice cold. "Die, peasants."
"EARTH WALL!"
Yagushi and Zabuza roared in unison, leaping ahead of their men. Palms slammed to the ground. Stone erupted upward, a thick barrier rising to meet the attack.
Xaphan didn't slow. If anything, his defiance sharpened.
BWOOOMM
His strike hit the wall like a mountain dropping from the sky. The barrier shattered instantly, fragments blasting outward. Before another warrior could react, the force tore through their ranks. Bodies were hurled back violently — warriors, squad leaders, even the Grandmasters themselves sent skidding across the ground.
The field was a wreck. Warriors lay scattered, armor cracked, each one struggling just to push off the ground.
"Now. Kill them off," Xaphan ordered.
"Quick pleasure," Zirkyu answered, eyes scanning. "Zephyr! Huh, I see he's already here."
Levi forced the pain down and shoved himself to his feet. His vision swam, but through the blur he caught a flicker of movement cutting across his sight. He locked onto it, and the figure noticed. It stopped.
"What the hell?" Levi muttered. He faced the man from behind as he turned, slow and deliberate.
"And who might you be?" Levi asked. 'What terrifying speed he has,' he thought.
"So you can see me, huh," Zephyr said.
"I've got pretty good eyes, perhaps," Levi answered.
A grin spread across Zephyr's face. "Well, maybe that's cause you're not the target."
Levi's stomach dropped. He whipped around just in time to see Elia struck down hard, crumpling to the ground.
His eyes widened in despair.