BLOOD OF THE PROTECTOR

As the humanoid creature roared in defiance, Hibiki didn't flinch. His sword, now surrounded by a dark, pulsating aura, seemed to amplify his anger and strength.

"Bujutsu Keisueki, Crimson blades." He spat out the words as if they were venom, and the clone he had created earlier dissolved into a cloud of mist, weaving itself into a deadly weapon of bloody blades (Twin Sai's), swirling around him in a vortex of destruction.

"Time to see if you're worth your salt, crystal-boy." With a feral grin, Hibiki lunged forward, his sais arcing through the air with deadly precision, ready to exact vengeance for his comrades.

SWOOSH!!

Hibiki's eyes narrowed to slits as he launched his assault, his crimson sais slicing through the air with devastating speed. The air crackled with energy, each strike a deadly symphony of pain and fury. His movements were swift, precise, and utterly relentless.

The crystalline humanoid cried out in pain, its monstrous form barely able to keep up with Hibiki's assault. The fury of his attack seemed to only fuel his desire for vengeance, his need for justice driving him forward.

"Well, I thought you could at least make me sweat a little!" Hibiki continued, his voice sounding confident, "You're gonna find out why they call me 'the Blood Demon'!"

The students' eyes widened as they watched the battle unfold, the students watched with a mix of horror, awe, and admiration. Their exhausted bodies paled in comparison to the ferocity of Hibiki's assault, their own battles dimming in the face of such a display of power.

As they exchanged glances, their own exhaustion momentarily forgotten, it became clear that this was a side of Hibiki they'd never seen before.

"The Blood Demon..." Fuse whispered, the implications of the moniker weighing heavy on her mind. "I had no idea he was this strong, wait didn't he called himself the shredder once?"

Lei, her expression unreadable, simply watched the battle unfold. Her power, once so fierce, seemed to falter in the face of Hibiki's blood-fueled power.

Kai, his eyes fixed on the fight with a new sense of determination, clenched his jaw and fist. " Dragon Warriors... they possess such powers?!," Kai muttered under his breath, his mind racing with thoughts of his own future. "If I'm ever going to be strong enough to catch up to him, I need to train even harder. I promise you Hibiki, I will become stronger than you could ever believe ", he muttered but in determination. He then turned to Meili who seemed to be struggling to get up.

Meili, her breath ragged and her body bruised, struggled to stand amidst the chaos. The sight of Si-Fu Hibiki, his crimson sais flashing like lightning as he dueled the crystalline creature, was a stark reminder of the sacrifices of Wushu Guan warriors made to protect their own.

In that moment, a new understanding washed over Meili, like a wave of clarity crashing upon her soul, she could feel Hibiki's true emotions. Hibiki's ferocity, the utter determination that painted every line of his face, it was for his comrades. His strength, forged in the fires of loss and sorrow, was a testament to his devotion.

Meili turned to Si-Fu Mei laying down hurt,

"Si-Fu Mei," Meili whispered, her voice hoarse with the weight of her newfound wisdom. "She... she was willing to give her all to protect us. And Si-Fu Hibiki... he's strong because he has something, someone, worth fighting for... Yeah, that's all it takes to ignite the fire in your soul!"

As Meili's revelation resonated in the tumultuous cavern, the battle between Hibiki and the crystalline creature reached its climax. The air became taut with a deafening silence, as if the universe itself held its breath in anticipation.

In that stillness, Hibiki moved like a being possessed, his every strike a divine sermon in the language of bloodshed. The crimson sais sang with a song of vengeance, a melody of retribution. The creature, once so powerful, now faltered under the crushing weight of Hibiki's resolve, its glistening hide now a tapestry of savage wounds.

"How is this possible, a human having the upper hand, no way!" the humanoid cried out in anger.

As Hibiki's blood sais carved a path of destruction into the creatures chest, the crystalline humanoid let out a pained cry, revealing a look of fear and surprise at the sheer power of his opponent. Sensing something extraordinary about Hibiki, the creature began to grasp the truth behind an ancient tale from the mountains and forests, "This feeling?!".

In a desperate bid for survival, the creature mustered its remaining strength to unleash one final trick. In a flash of light, it vanished from sight, leaving behind nothing but the faint echo of its wail and the glittering shards of crystal that littered the cavern floor.

For a split second, the scene was frozen in silence, as Hibiki's rage pulsated around him, like a storm ready to unleash its fury. Yet, just as quickly as it had arrived, the creature reappeared, its form shimmering and unstable, its crystalline skin flickering like a candle about to extinguish.

As the creature struggled to maintain its form, Hibiki's lips curled into a predatory grin, his eyes burning with a newfound intensity. His crimson sais, still slick with the creature's essence, now glinted with the promise of retribution.

"You think you can escape me?" He hissed, his voice laced with a venomous chill. "There's no corner of this world, no dimension you can flee to where I won't find you."

The creature, recognizing its peril, kept on teleporting, shifting it's position away from danger.

The creature, its crystalline form shuddering with each breath, forced out a question, its voice quavering with both fear and incredulity.

"The Wraiths... they have served our kind for millennia, offering us their strength to protect the sacred mountains. But you, mortal... you possess a power that should not be yours. Why is it that a creature like you, a human, posses the gift of the Wraiths?"

The question hung in the air, the unspoken accusation clear: that Hibiki's claim to this power was nothing short of blasphemy.

"Wraith? What the heck are you talking about?" Hibiki replied, his voice a calm mask over the turmoil that raged within. "I know nothing of Wraiths or their gifts. My strength is my own, forged by loss, tempered by suffering, and honed with a thousand cuts."

"Wow, your Si-Fu is so cool!" Lian said to Fuse, she looked on with awe around her face.

The creature narrowed its eyes, the flickering light within them flashing with a newfound suspicion.

"You say that but the power that courses through you is no mere human ability. The Wraiths... they would never allow their power to fall into the hands of one such as you."

"all right... So what if.. Nothing changes the fact that I'm about to destroy you!" Hibiki stated, his words rang out like a battle cry, his composure cracking to reveal the fiery beast within.

"So be it, then. You think to destroy me, but I am not without my own strengths," the creature hissed, its form flickering and dancing with ethereal light. "The Wraiths may have betrayed us, but the magic of this land runs deep. You may think you have my life today, but soon, others will rise to claim the power you have stolen!"

The creature's visage seemed to shift, its crystalline skin hardening and growing more translucent, revealing a flickering core of amethyst light.

"I withhold the power of the Wraith of Crystalline Eons?" it snarled, the energy emanating from its core intensifying with each word. "This land has given birth to a thousand Wraiths, but very few as powerful as mine. The Wraith of Crystalline Eons lives within every crystal, every cavern, every shard of glass in this world. It lives within me, and soon, it will be reborn in another."

"I (Verock), guardian of the Dragon's Rage," the creature seethed, its amethyst core now pulsating with a malignant energy. "I have been entrusted with the sacred duty of guarding this relic, a task given to me by the Lord of the Mountains. You may be the vessel of the Wraith, mortal, but I am its champion. I will not yield the Dragon's Rage to a thief, not even if it means my death."

The crystalline creature, Verock, stood resolute, a shard of light amidst the shadows, a defender to the last.

With a snarl, Hibiki advanced towards the defiant Verock, his crimson sais a blade of vengeance in his hands. "Listen up, creature. I couldn't care less about your sacred duties, your rage, or your precious Wraith. You hurt my students, you nearly killed my comrade, and for that, you will pay the price."

Hibiki's gaze bored into the crystalline entity, his voice a blade that cut through the air. "I am not here to steal your precious relic. I'm here to end you."

Verock, it seemed, had not been bluffing about its newfound power. As Hibiki charged towards it with the fury of a raging tempest, the crystalline creature disappeared in a flash of light, only to reappear mere inches from Hibiki's face.

"You think to vanquish me with your mortal skills?" the creature taunted, its crystalline body now moving at speeds that defied comprehension. "I am one with the Wraith of Crystalline Eons, and you (human) are nothing but a plaything to be toyed with.

As Verock darted and dashed, its crystalline form blurring from one location to another, Hibiki struggled to track its movements, his sais swinging through empty air with each strike. The creature, basking in its newfound supremacy, seemed to delight in taunting its mortal foe.

"You are no match for the power of the Wraith at full power! No matter how hard you try, you will never be fast enough, never be strong enough. You will succumb to the crystal's embrace, and with your last breath, you will beg for mercy!"

With each passing moment, Hibiki's movements became more desperate, more frenzied. The Wraith-infused creature, with its flawless footwork and impenetrable defense, seemed to revel in Hibiki's growing frustration.

"Pathetic," Verock sneered, its crystalline body now shimmering with a dark, eldritch energy.

"Let's end this farce, shall we?" the creature hissed, its crystal hard fist connecting with a thunderous impact against Hibiki's guard. The Blood Demon, caught off guard for but a moment, reeled from the blow, his footing unsteady.

The force of Verock's strike sent shockwaves through the cavern, the air itself seeming to tremble at the creature's might.

But the creature's triumph was fleeting. Hibiki, his eyes alight with a savage determination, managed to steady himself, his form a shadow of fury amidst the flickering light of the crystals.

"Impressive," Hibiki growled, blood dripping from his split lip. "But you're gonna die now ."

With a sudden burst of speed that defied Verock's expectations, Hibiki swung one of his blood sais in a wide, arcing motion, carving through the air in a deadly whisper.

Verock, with its unmatched reflexes, attempted to dodge the strike, but even it could not escape the storm of Hibiki's wrath to come. The crimson sais, pulsating with an otherworldly energy, carved through the space between Hibiki and Verock in a single, fluid motion.

Verock, its crystalline body shimmering with the power of the Wraith, raised its own defenses, its arms interlocking in a desperate bid to ward off the attack.

But it was to no avail.

"I'm ending this now, Bujutsu Keisueki, crimson light" Hibiki said, his voice resounding with the power of an wraith demon. Hibiki drew upon his own essence, fusing his own blood with the light energy of the curse to form an explosive ball of destruction. With a shout that shook the cavern to its foundations, he unleashed the Bujutsu Keisueki crimson light, a howling sphere of crimson flame that enveloped Verock's crystalline form in an inferno of destruction. The inferno raged, a cyclone of blood and light that seemed to consume the cavern in an instant. Verock, its body writhing within the fury of the blast, let out a scream that tore through the cavern like a knife through flesh. The creature, once so powerful and arrogant, now reduced to little more than a shadow of its former self, thrashed in agony as the flames devoured it.

Hibiki stood amidst the ruins of his victory, his crimson armor scorched and bloodied from the battle. Around him, the cavern was silent, save for the faint crackling of the remaining flames that licked at the edges of the arena.

Slowly, he turned his gaze towards Verock, the creature's crystalline form reduced to little more than a smoldering pile of ash and dust. Its power, once so formidable, now extinguished in a single, explosive moment of Hibiki's wrath.

The part of the shoashi mountain, a twisted mass of crystalline shards and scorched earth.

"Sifu Mei... are you okay?" Lei called out.

Mei, still clutching her arm, struggled to her feet. "Yes... yes, I'm fine," she murmured, her face pale and drawn. "But Hibiki... where is he? Did he win?"

Lei and Mei, their nerves still frayed from the battle, let out a breath of relief as Hibiki's voice cut through the silence. "Of course I would win, what did you think will happen?" he quipped, his smirk barely masking the fatigue that lingered beneath.

Mei let out a laugh that was half relief and half chastisement, her arm still aching from the fight. "You came out so late! You're a fool, Hibiki. But at least you're our fool."

HA-HA!( They both laughed)

Meanwhile, Meili continued to mutter words to herself, "I'm so weak... I couldn't even join the fight. Master had to face it alone because I'm not strong enough. How long until I can protect my comrades?" She pauses, despair creeping into her voice. "I can't keep relying on others to save me. I need to be stronger. But how? How do I get there?"

Moments later a sudden glint of light caught Meili's eye. The crystal, once the core of their enemy, now rested at Meili's feet, its surface shimmering with a strange, otherworldly light. She reached down, her fingers brushing against its cool surface, and felt a jolt of energy pass through her arm, like a pulse of power.

"What is this?" she murmured, the crystal seeming to respond to her touch.

The students, still on edge, watched in fascination as the light within the crystal grew brighter, pulsating in time with Mei's heartbeat.

As the light within the crystal intensified, Hibiki, his senses still sharp despite his exhaustion, turned to Meili.

"Meili... what is that?" he asked, his voice betraying a hint of concern.

But Meili, her eyes locked on the crystal, seemed to be lost in a world of her own. The power within the crystal seemed to pulse in tandem with her own heartbeat, as if the two were in perfect sync.

Meili found herself alone, a solitary figure amidst a sea of nothingness. But as she gazed out into the void, a presence began to make itself known. A subtle shimmer, like a ripple in the air, approached her, a creeping shadow that seemed to beckon her closer.

At first, Meili felt a chill run down her spine, her instincts warning her of danger. But as the shimmer drew near, she found herself reaching out, her fingertips brushing against the intangible form.

As the shimmer coalesced into form, Meili found herself face to face with a wraith, its spectral form a pale imitation of a creature she could not quite place. But as the wraith's essence coalesced, it became clear that this was no ordinary spirit.

The wraith, its form ethereal and otherworldly, seemed to radiate a power that was at once terrifying and beautiful. The voice that emanated from its spectral visage was a whisper that seemed to reverberate through Meili's mind.

"Child of mortals, you have been chosen by Wraithbane Astrarch, The Wraith Slayer" it intoned, its voice like a thousand shards of glass fracturing in unison. "You have touched the essence of our kin, and now, you will be one for me."

As it spoke, the wraith seemed to dance around Meili, its incorporeal form shifting and transforming with every step. Meili, entranced by the presence and mystery of the wraith, found herself powerless to resist its pull.

"So your not going to kill me , are you?" Meili said, her voice shaking with fright.

As it continued to circle Meili, its voice took on a more sinister edge, its intentions becoming clear.

"Let there be no mistake, Meili," it said, its words coated in an icy menace. "I am not your friend, nor am I your savior. I am a Wraithbane, a slayer of wraiths, and my goal is to destroy those of my kind who exist in this world. And your my tool to use achieve that goal."

Meili, her eyes wide with fear, felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. "But why are you telling me this?" she asked, her voice quivering with uncertainty.

"Because, Meili," the Wraithbane Astrarch hissed, its form rippling with dark energy, "your master also carries within him the taint of a wraith. And your gonna help me get rid of him."

Meili's heart stopped for a second, her world collapsing around her in a single, devastating instant. "No...