THE BATTLE BEGINS: XAPHAN'S THREAT

"Stand back," Mei ordered, her eyes fixed on Xaphan. "This is my fight." Ryou and Lei looked at each other, unsure of what to do. But they had to trust her judgment. Reluctantly, they took a step back, ready to come to her aid if needed. Mei unsheathed her sword, the metal glinting in the sunlight. Xaphan's eyes widened, and for the first time, a hint of excitement flickered across his face.

Mei and her squad stood before Xaphan, their weapons drawn and ready for battle. Xaphan's eyes glinted with a mix of curiosity and malice. He spoke, his voice cold and clear. "You are brave, to stand against me. But you are no match for my power, I'll do my best not end up killing my test subject."

Mei's heart pounded in her chest, but she forced herself to remain calm. "Do not mistake my serenity for weakness," Mei replied, her voice calm and assured. "I have trained for this moment, and I am not afraid of you. I have heard the tales of your power, but I will not be intimidated by your boasts. I am ready to face you in battle, and I will not yield." She held her sword in a defensive stance, her eyes locked on Xaphan. "Are you ready to begin?" she asked, her voice unwavering. Xaphan's face broke into a wide grin, his eyes flashing with excitement. "Let us begin," he said, the raised his hand then it formed into a bludgeon with spikes around it.

Xaphan's abilities revolve around his ability to shape his own body at will. He can transform any part of his body into any physical object he desires. For example, he can transform his arm into a sword, his fingers into arrows, or even his entire body into a living wall. He can also use this ability to merge with weak objects, becoming one with the it and blending in perfectly. With these abilities, he can adapt to any situation and defend himself from any threat.

"As you wish," Mei replied, her gaze unflinching. She tightened her grip on her sword and took a deep breath, readying herself for the fight ahead. Xaphan lunged forward, swinging his bludgeon in a wide arc. Mei barely dodged the blow, her sword deflecting the attack with a clang. Sparks flew as metal met metal, and the battle had begun. Xaphan kept on flinging towards Mei with heavy intent to crush her and as the fight progressed, it became clear that Mei was no match for Xaphan's power. No matter how she dodged or parried, he was always one step ahead, his bludgeon striking with a force that threatened to shatter her sword. Mei's breathing was heavy, and sweat beaded on her brow.

"Damn, Si-Fu's getting screwed," Ryou exclaimed. "We can't just sit here and watch. What should we do, Le-?" But before he could finish, Lei was already on the move, vaulting herself towards Xaphan. She leaped into the air, her broadsword raised high above her head. Xaphan turned to face her, his eyes narrowing as she descended towards him like a comet.

As Lei's eyes met Xaphan's, her vision began to cloud with images of her own death. She faltered, losing her focus for a moment as the disturbing visions flashed before her eyes. Xaphan seized on this opportunity, his hand growing larger and stretching out towards Lei. The looming hand seemed to move in slow motion, yet it was already too close for her to dodge. Lei braced herself, steeling herself for the impact.

Just as Xaphan's hand was about to strike,

AHH!

With a cry,

Ryou dashed forward, his own sword drawn.

SHIING!!

he cleaved through Xaphan's oversized hand, severing it at the wrist. The sound of metal slicing through flesh echoed through the air, followed by a wet splat as Xaphan's hand hit the ground. Ryou stood in front of Lei, his sword held defensively, as he watched Xaphan with wary eyes.

"What are you guys doing!!", Mei exclaimed loudly, "Get back, Lei!" Mei shouted, her voice cutting through the confusion. "You're too close to Xaphan's range!" But it was already too late. Xaphan was turning his attention towards Mei, a gleeful grin on his face. "You're right, my dear," he purred, his voice smooth and dangerous. "I should have paid more attention to your companions." His gaze shifted back to Ryou, who stood protectively in front of Lei. "I suppose I'll have to deal with them first."

"Not so fast!" Mei cried, her sword glinting as she raised it above her head. "I won't let you lay a finger on them!" Xaphan merely smirked, raising his own hand in response. It contorted into a fearsome claw, the sharp talons gleaming in the dim light. "Then let's see if your sword is a match for my claws," he taunted, his tone dripping with menace. "Shall we dance?"

Before Mei could respond, Xaphan's clawed hand shot forward, the talons moving with lightning speed. Mei's eyes widened, and she raised her sword to block the attack. There was a clang as the two weapons met, followed by a shower of sparks. The force of the impact sent Mei skidding backwards, her feet digging into the ground as she struggled to keep her footing. She knew she couldn't let herself be pushed back any further, or she would be in serious trouble.

Taking a deep breath, Mei readied herself for the next attack. Xaphan was upon her in an instant, his clawed hand slashing towards her. This time, she was ready. She ducked beneath the blow, her sword sweeping upwards in a graceful arc. The blade connected with Xaphan's arm, cutting a deep gash in his flesh. He howled in pain, his claws retracting as he retreated a few steps. "You're more skilled than I gave you credit for," he hissed, his eyes narrowed. "But it won't be enough to save you."

Mei narrowed her eyes, focusing all of her attention on the fight. Xaphan lunged again, his clawed hand once more sweeping towards her. But this time, she was ready. As his hand came within range, she darted forward, twisting her body out of the way. At the same time, she brought her sword down in a powerful strike. The blade sliced through Xaphan's arm, severing it completely. He let out a roar of agony, clutching at the bloody stump where his arm had once been.

"Hahahahahaha," Xaphan's laughter echoed around the area, growing louder and more unhinged with each passing second. "Oh, this is excellent," he cackled. "You're stronger than I'd anticipated. You and your friends would make perfect subjects for my experiments." He began to pace back and forth, his eyes wild and frenzied. Mei felt a shiver run down her spine, a wave of fear washing over her.

"Now then", Xaphan glared at Mei, his expression changed in an instant, contorted with hatred and pain. He began to mutter words in a language she couldn't understand, his voice growing louder with each syllable. Then, suddenly, a bolt of energy erupted from his body, streaking towards Mei. She threw herself to the side, narrowly avoiding the charge. The force of the impact sent a tremor through the ground, and Mei's hair blew back from the force of the wind. She looked up, her eyes wide with shock.

"Shadow Art Bujustu, oh spirits of darkness, hear my call," Xaphan intoned. "Grant me your power, grant me your might. Give me the strength to overcome, to crush all who stand before me. My chi and energy will be your destruction." With each word, the air around him began to warp and shimmer, his voice taking on a strange, otherworldly echo. He stretched out his arms, his fingers extending into jagged claws. "Your end is at hand," he cried, the final words booming through the air like a thunderclap.

As Mei got to her feet, Xaphan's voice rose to a crescendo, his incantation reaching its final verse. The air around him began to crackle with energy, the shadows swirling around his feet. His form started to shift and change, his body growing taller and more monstrous. His limbs lengthened and bulged, his face contorting into a snarling, fanged maw. He had become something more than human, something monstrous, dark and terrifying. Mei's heart began to pound in her chest, her breath coming in short, sharp gasps same with her students Lei, Ryou and Lian, who haven't moved from her spot since the fighting started.

Lei, Ryou, and Lian were frozen in fear, unable to move as Xaphan bore down on them. But in that moment of terror, Lei felt a spark of hope. She remembered the words of her grandpa, "Remember, Lei," he had said, "that true strength comes not from physical prowess, but from the strength of the spirit, besides we're hanzo clan we care less of out physicality but our visual prowess at it acts at the most precise moments. When you are faced with fear, draw on your inner visual strength, and you will find the power to overcome any obstacle." Those words echoed in her mind, and Lei knew what she had to do.

"You are all blind and ignorant," Xaphan said, his words tinged with desperation. Xaphan's voice took on a strange, otherworldly tone. "The world is not as you know it," he said, his eyes glowing with a strange light. "The realms of existence are not fixed and immutable. Rather, they are ever-shifting, evolving, and changing. The realms are arranged in clusters, like a great wheel of time, each realm revolving around a central point. At certain moments, the realms are drawn together, and the energy of one realm flows into the next, creating a new realm in its place. This cluster also happened to have created our realm, and humans and beasts have evolved to remain compatible with it."

"And how do you happen to have such information," Mei asked, her expression in disbelief.

"You all choose to remain ignorant of the true nature of reality, but I will not be bound by such limitations," Xaphan said, his voice filled with conviction. "I have taken it upon myself to learn the truth about the universe, to seek out the secrets that lie beyond the veil of ordinary perception. I will not settle for merely accepting the world as it is - I will change it, remake it, to match my vision of what it could be."

"You're crazy!" Ryou cried, his voice shaking. "What're you even talking ?!"

"I see you begging for your death this instant", Xaphan replied, his tone stern, "The mysterious nature of this land, its strange and unpredictable properties, are a result of the energy of the previous realm bleeding into this one. And I, Xaphan, am the result of this same process. I am a being of immense power and knowledge, and I have the potential to control and manipulate the very fabric of reality itself. All I need is the soul of a Guoshu clan member..."

"Huh, That's impossible, you can't possibly go against Rukh," Mei said, shaking her head.

"I know that, but there is a person with Wu Long's blood in him," Xaphan said, his eyes narrowing. "That person still has the power of the Guoshu clan within him - and you have that person in your protection."

Mei's eyes widened in shock, and she took a step back. "What are you talking about?" she asked, her voice trembling. "We have no special powers, in our midst!"

Xaphan let out a low, dark chuckle. "I got this information from a compatriot I'm working with, so I can't be fooled"

Mei's mind was reeling. How could Xaphan possibly know about this? And what did he mean by a "compatriot"? Could there really be someone else helping him? She looked at Lei and Ryou, but they seemed just as confused and alarmed as she was. "This is impossible," she whispered, more to herself than to anyone else. "There's no way..."

But then, a thought occurred to her, and her heart sank. "What if there was someone else? Someone who had been hiding in plain sight, learning their secrets, waiting for the right time to strike.

"Ugh, Hibiki where are you!!" She said silently.

"We've had enough of your blabbering, Xaphan," Kai shouted, his voice ringing out across the ruined landscape. "We're not going to let you manipulate us with your mere word play. You're nothing, you claim to be - you're just a power-hungry fool." He glared down at Xaphan, his eyes blazing with determination.

"Hey, it's Kai. How did he know we're gonna be here? Anyways, it's good timing, he should be with Si-Fu Hibiki as well!" Mei thought.

"Kai!!! Is Hibiki there with you" Lei exclaimed loudly, but she didn't get a response from his at the time.

There was a tense silence, broken only by the sound of Xaphan's ragged breathing. "You dare call me a fool?" Xaphan snarled, his face twisting into a snarl. "I am the only one who sees the truth! Everyone else are nothing but pawns in a game you do not even understand. You think you can stop me? You are nothing but insects, buzzing around like mindless drones. I will crush you all under my heel!" He raised his hands, his eyes burning with a sickening light. "And then, I will remake this world in my own ima-." Xaphan paused for a moment then sensing an interesting surge of energy with Kai, "Wait- this boy's chi, it has to be him! I've final-".

THWUNK

"Huh, what did I just see?" Kai asked, his expression full of shock and disbelief. The others stood frozen, their mouths agape at the sight before them.

"SWISH-SLICE!"

A piercing sound of steel cutting through flesh and bone reverberated through the air. Xaphan, who had taken the form of a massive beast, writhed on the ground, his body cleaved in two. Hibiki stood before them, his sword glinting in the light. He had come to their rescue with such speed and precision, it was as if he had appeared out of thin air.

"Wow, that was fast!" Lei exclaimed, still in shock at what had just occurred.

"That's our Hibiki for ya," Mei said, a smile on her face. "Just what you expect from a special grade dragon warrior."

"I've never seen him move so quickly," Ryou said, his eyes wide with wonder. "It's as if he appeared out of thin air."

Hibiki remained silent, his gaze fixed on Xaphan's writhing form. His eyes were dark and intense, as if he was focused on something beyond the battlefield.

"Tch, this isn't the real Xaphan," Hibiki said, his voice calm and collected. "This is merely a puppet of flesh and blood, created from his own body. It's strong, but destroying it won't cause to much harm to the real body."

The false Xaphan's mouth twisted into a snarl, revealing rows of sharp teeth. "Y-you...," it sputtered, struggling to speak. Suddenly, a long, sharp pin extended from its index finger, pointed directly at Hibiki.

Without missing a beat, Hibiki moved with lightning speed, dodging the pin as it shot towards him. With a swift flick of his wrist, he unsheathed his sword and slashed at the false Xaphan, cleaving into many pieces.

It let out a guttural scream, But as the pieces began to disintegrate into dust, a sinister laugh echoed through the air. "You're too late, Hibiki," the voice of the true Xaphan sneered. "I now know what I'm looking for, my plan is already in motion. There's nothing you can do to stop me now."

Right before it's disintegrated, Hibiki's brow furrowed as he considered Xaphan's words. He made sure to direct a threat to the real body. "I may not know everything," he said, his voice firm and unwavering. "But I'm true to one thing for certain: I will not let you destroy the one's that I have sworn to protect. I will stop you, no matter what it takes."