We're not out of this endgame yet! There's the vision that our Soothsayer forewarned Huoju! Two more until the finale!

Gray's news: My book's sequel "The Trinity" pushes back to Mid-April, giving more time to write pre-chapters and the 57th chapter of the MW, Book One. The climax is tricky!

GrayZeppelin


Episode Finale: Heaven and Hell (47 - 58)


Chapter LVI

The Mightiest Warriors

Huoju's Wrath, Act Three

I. The Mad Ox

The stab did not kill the Prince of Darkness; but, the katana Huoju sensed his heart, was hers plunging. An open wound shone Huoju's chest, the blade coping the shade of light brown dust. His gasp engulfed his throat, swallowing the shiver. Huoju's eyes widened at the dusk horizon he glimpsed. His sister's dying scream stumbled underneath the tangerine cloud, spitting the black creature down to the city. The beast fell uncontrollably.

The dragon tumbled into the harbor, crashing the ripples. The waves flooded onto the harbor land - Wugu's eyes were dimming to dry, then the breath buzzing her lips and muzzle. Her head hauled back. The ripples lifted her head as if both wings sunk.

The Prince's body froze into nothingness. Everything in his power, Huoju created, the fire crumbled to ashes. His heart gave hers, and she gave her brother the bond. The shiver brushed in his spine, throat tightening from a sob Huoju held back. Wugu's breath deathly called her brother, then the gray foams underneath her jaw frothed and washed the creature away, dissipating.

The sky whispered the roar as the yell approached close, and closer ahead and among the Prince. Griefing, Huoju glanced the tangerine sky he sharpened both pupils. One, small form loomed — the white tiger drew his katana, and the Prince of Darkness braced the impact.

CLING!

The impact between the tiger and colossus Ox warlord dissipated the banging clouds. Both Huoju and Xing clashed, their courses rolling through many crashes. The debris slid, Huoju led faster than Xing's rolling collision. Within seconds, the impact stopped rumbling.

A sudden conscious to Xing shook his head. He checked every movement of his body, noticing limps and aches stung. He browsed the collateral land of summer houses; faint shouts approached near, calling the white tiger's name. His right arm towered the crumbled pavement—

Xing's left knee burnt, the femur snapping similar to the broken branch. Yelping when clenching his teeth, he freed his yowl. He bridged his right arm to the side, slowly moving his good leg. The other was severe as if most of the small cuts around his head and scratch wounds on both arms — his cobalt silk robe and black pants ripped with a few holes from the crash and debris.

His left leg shown deep wound and the femur bone popped near to his fur.

"Xing! Where are you?!"

Xing heard the Dragon Warrior's yell farther back. Ahead of him, the debris smoke floated, how thick you could impossibly glance at the slow fade. Xing's left paw gleamed gray and bright sun. The other claw hurriedly grasped the katana's belt it was loose. Clenching his teeth onto his belt toward his mouth, he pressed his Qi into the femur.

The bone snapped where femur returned. Clenching the tiger's teeth harder as the light stroked, Xing yelped, and his head lied, landing the crippled pavement with a final bow. He stuttered his breath, shattering his tone when panting. To the left, his sword dimmed to a soft ocean, the name Wugu softly faded the light. The other light next to her name, jade light Kai dazzled the Collector's name. Half of Heaven's Wrath sword saturated with crimson. Crawling toward it, Xing caught the sword's tsuka.

The name quietly dimmed to a normal vestige. Xing bent his good knee and rose himself to his regular stand. The scream where Xing witnessed Wugu's fate within Kai's bamboo house, the agony and the cobalt name shut to the void. The name no longer colored blue. As that turned out, her demise was free from suffering.

Xing stroked his thumb onto the heaven blade — a single, warmth tear dripped into Wugu. "I'm sorry, Wugu. . ." he quietly sobbed.

Shouting from Po approached near. A good thing to hear someone coming close when you lost in the fog, debris smoke. The white tiger glanced back he called the Dragon Warrior. Po rushed toward Xing, and his jade eyes dazzled; the panda's sprint stopped.

Po had not directly eyed on his colleague. A low, harsh, bulky growl vibrated the dimmed debris. Oh, tenders! Po shrieked. The white tiger revolved his head where the roar came from, his heart thundering, his flow triggering elsewhere Xing quicken his breath.

Crimson eyes loomed out of the debris. The Prince of Darkness ripped his battle armor, the cape connecting his upper neck it flew back. The flesh in the ox warlord's body grew and grew more. The veins thrived over his body and neck — underneath his armpits, two hooves and arms spawned with the flesh of water, his back towering. Huoju's throat bolded enough he thundered his roar.

"Go!" Po vehemently roared, snatching Xing's left arm. "Go—Go! GET OUT OF HERE!"

As Xing fulfilled when racing away with both better and limping feet, the Prince of Darkness bounded against the Dragon Warrior. The fire sword hammered down to jade, and the staff deflected the thundering blaze. Huoju, now standing ten feet despite four arms enlarged but two of his feet were twice than usual, spun his blade, revolving the jade above Po's conical hat. His third hoof under his primary right arm clenched Po's robe, the other battering the panda's rib cages.

Disarming, Po had launched into the air from Huoju's hurling grasp. Huoju crouched, his legs empowering the flames he jumped and spiraled his enormous body. A giant roar the Prince did; the fire transferred to his left foot, and he booted the bear.

The white tiger staggered his sprint he darted toward one place, and the remaining provinces where the land had not bombarded, nor burned to ashes. Lost, Xing heard his panda colleague shriek. He wanted to flee as however, he could survive this four-armed, ten-foot monster. He stopped and looked back as he watched the black and white bear hurl across the wind and among the tiles, crash into the northeastern hills.

Both glaring red eyes far down the six blocks met the tiger's orbs, and the Prince of Darkness raced toward Xing. Nowhere else to flee, the tiger let his sword guard advance, the katana blade dryly painting the gore of the dragon's heart. The dying burn entered Huoju's muzzle. The mad ox strode and widened four arms which included his flaming sword. Frowning to a wicked stern, Huoju eyed on the dragon slayer, his sister's murderer.

Trembling his lips with fear, Xing stood his ground. His ankles quivered, fingers shuddering. Two hands. He reminded frightenedly.

Taunting the tiger with a loud growl, Prince Huoju lunged in mid-air and slammed the tiger; Xing guarded and sidestepped to the side, dodging other two arms to the left as the hooves tried to pounce the white tiger's throat. Heaven's Wrath shimmered with gray and snow letters marked, forcing the flames away after Huoju gave another swirl hammer to his right.

The mad ox remembered the bright sound. The katana Kai gave the Prince of Darkness a deep wound scar under his left eye to his nostril. Huoju made his surprising counter, slashing forward. The white tiger rolled to the bovine's right side. A fast cut Xing did to the mad ox's upper knee, and he swayed his katana toward Huoju's back.

The bovine's cuts revealed the flesh, the Prince of Darkness howled with frantic. Glaring the tiger upon his bold shoulder, Huoju advanced at him, hammering to the side and above.


II. The Return of the Mightiest Warriors

The Dragon Warrior crawled out of the structure debris that nearly trapped him above, and his golden cape. A familiar peacock's caw roared nearby.

"PO!" Peng screamed. "Come help me over here!"

The young leopard and peacock prince ran toward the debris and caught Po's paws. "Huoju's attacking Xing!" Po warned the young peacock. "Your brother needs help!"

All heard the blades angrily whisper farther down where Po once flew. In between the gaps of their cries, the peacock's white tiger brother growled. "What is that?!" the panda's eyes sparked, from the look of dumbstruck and solemn. Lao manifested the bear.

"It's the Mightiest Warriors' Pledge!" the peacock prince showed the scroll to him. "Soothsayer gave it to my father before me! We better do something! Can you use your chi while we read?!"

"You all need element powers right now!" Po snatched the scroll and freed the pole. Spreading the line that bound the old paper and so thin, the gesture symbols of two hooves, a peafowl wing, and two Panthera paws (one has rounded without nails, and the other have sharp, curving nails) painted on edges. The center had crafted the panda's paw. The other hand, the same of Po's, had bent toward the sky.

"Look! Symbols!" Lao stunned, placing his wing on the peafowl gesture. "The wing is mine! The leopard paw is Peng's, and the hoof is Shou's! Your paw is there and the other reaching the sky, Po!"

The Dragon Warrior met the panda's paw print. The chi from Po wrote the scroll on top of his fingers he read while Master Storming Ox behind Peng let the Nine's Pirate crouch beside the peacock. Shou palmed on his print.

By the Gods of the Universe, one shall grasp the touch of heaven.

Bless the earth.

Kiss the fire.

Swim the water.

Mind the metal.

Nurture the woods.

Po's left paw glimmered the scroll, and the other dazzled the light sang the horizon. He continued.

By the Gods of the Universe, the bird engulfs the sea. By the Gods of Universe, the forms of Panthera spark the constellations — one awakes the metal. By the God's of Universe, the giants feed the wood and bless the Mother of Earth.

The circle of complex circles lined all five dots of red, white, blue, brown, and green. All five crossed the stars as if the elements transferred. In the middle of the sun of the circle, the light joined. The blue swept Lao's feathers. The red scorched Peng's paw. The brown tangled Shou's hoof. The green and white lid. To the panda, the green matched Kai's eyes.

The white remained a mystery.

By the Gods of Universe, I am the shield who deflects the wickedness. From this day, until the end of my days, we pledge the heavens which kiss us all. We bond the woods into the shadows that engulf us into the heart. We fight for glory, we wash the sea of darkness, we mind the eyes of the dead, we balance the flight into the horizon, and we burn the flow of hate!

The panda's paw reaching the sky shimmered, his chi dragon summoning with a slow, twisting motion. Their hands of water, wood, fire, and chi deluged each of the mortal form's surroundings. The last two verse, Po read, improved his smirk.

I am the Mightiest Warrior! I pray to the Universe, and let the Gods bless my life!

At suddenly, Po's dragon had roared, turned to heaven's blessing cry of the beam — mostly pale, absorbing Po, Lao, Peng, and Shou the light thundered the horizon.


Both Xing and Huoju sidestepped from their blades carving the air. They slammed both edges, the fire and heaven meeting the shouts of damnation and bless. Huoju swung to the right; Xing encountered his right and stepped ahead. While guarding, Huoju's third arm snatched the tiger's left arm, jerking him the Prince harshly cried.

Huoju wildly trudged toward Xing who wobbled his legs while standing. His fire sword hammered — Xing ducked the blaze it shouted like banner flags flapping. Huoju slashed to the left and again spiraling. Xing's left foot crashed as the debris wobbled his fighting stance. As the white tiger fell, Huoju rose his flame sword, gashing against Xing.

Into the debris, Xing spun as he avoided the massive gash. The fire sparked where Xing was and nearly slashed. Huoju left-shouldered his sword; Xing dove his head again — Huoju heaved his blade above his head, and hammered the tiger's head. Xing horizontally guarded his head against the fire, his Heaven's Wrath screeching the light and the elemental letters on the katana spawned.

Wrestling their blades, both Huoju and Xing heard the panda's shout, including the booming light that lid into the sky.

The heat pressed the heaven sword Xing pressured the guarding head, struggling both arms. Clenching his teeth, the white tiger let out his wrestle yell, reflecting his ocean eyes at Huoju who wickedly smirked.

Murderer.

The fire sparked Xing's head. The tiger fell back; he guarded his katana with one hand. Huoju knelt Xing's chest and disarmed Heaven's Wrath, backslapping his right cheek. Three hooves trapped his legs and one paw. The left hand clawed Xing as the tiger reflexively struggled. Three fingers have spawned its fire, the heat drawing near the tiger's right eye. The Ox's bold strength refused to divert.

One thumb mauled below Xing's eye and the finger seared to the top right. Xing exclaimed, the laceration puffing the cherry gore.

A flash of light ocean shelled Huoju, springing him off the tiger. Xing hardly pawed his deep wound he cried with a sharp tone. The burn stung his flesh, his right eye was still visible, but around the layers of his ocean orb engulfed the pupil with dying red.

Raising one knee, Huoju glimpsed where the angry ocean spawned from and gasped with a low growl.

Four figures of yellow, red, blue, and lime green lights intercepted. Spawned with kung fu stances revealed the Dragon Warrior, the young peacock with blue train and crests, a snow leopard with gold eyes, and the Nine's Pirate with cutlass sword.

The light indicated Oogway, whirling to a chi dragon.

The water washed to a blue dragon.

The fire engulfed to a snow leopard and dragon like a dimming star.

The wood grew the branches it loomed, the Bouch forming to a staff of yin-yang.

Impossible! Huoju feared.

"Leave. My brother. Alone." Lao grimaced cooly.

The Prince of Darkness bellowed, lifting his flaming sword. The Nine's Clever and Dragon Warrior darted their yin-yang staff and guandao. The beam and water clouted Huoju. Flipping in mid-air, the Prince flew among the tiles and crashed into the gray boundary.

"Check your brother!" Po obeyed Lao the panda pawed the peacock's shoulder. He and two of new Mightiest Warriors Peng and Shou raced into the long road, mounting on edges and tiles.

Rushing toward the painful tiger, Lao knelt beside his brother. "BROTHER! Oh, my God!" he engulfed his breath to a horror expression. Now a nasty wound to his brother's right eye would forever sear as any warrior or a villager have faded scars. Xing's scratch wound popped gores — Lao drew out his handkerchief, and Xing pressed on his lingering scar. "Keep the pressure on it!"

The peacock helped his brother rise his back. "Curse that monster! I will put that bastard away from this!"

"Help Po and the others, brother!" Xing grunted, pressuring his scar. "When you say you banish him, you make sure of that!"

"I'll make sure he won't breathe," he vowed. The peacock saw multiple wolves rush on three streets down, and gestured Wolf Boss. "Zhong! Help!"

Wolf scouts ran toward both warriors. The one-eyed wolf widened his orb as he checked the white tiger grunting and holding the handkerchief toward his right eye. "Turtle's blessing!" Wolf Boss horrified, then glanced at two wolves, Lee and Lin. "Get physicians here, NOW!"

"Yes, sir!" both obeyed and dashed.

Supporting the white tiger, Wolf Boss placed Xing's left arm around the back of the alpha wolf's neck. The peacock prince drew his heaven guandao, the symbol of water, marked on the blade. "Dongji!" the one-eyed wolf called and saw Lao sprint away.

"Stick with him, Uncle!" he lastly turned and dashed where the Mightiest Warriors followed Po.


III. Fire, Wood, Water, and Chi

The Prince of Darkness leaped from the orange tile and slammed his fist to the ground he had launched. Po intercepted and spiraled his chi, the jade staff deflecting the slam. The light buffeted Huoju's chest and slid him back. Guarding in defense, the mad Ox caught Po's pole and hurled him to his side behind.

The light orange fire clobbered the bovine's rib cage he quivered the sting. Peng towered his paw to the ground and double kicked to Huoju's chest and neck. The second combo made the ox maneuver. Ceasing the leopard's right foot, the mad Ox yanked Peng and threw him beside Po. A sudden, cinnamon light captured the leopard and brought him down safely from being hurled across the rooftops. The Nine's Pirate motioned his fencing stance he pointed his thick, wooden staff.

Huoju lashed his flaming sword, swiftly horizontal twice in a row and backspun the ground the pavement. Shou lifted his left foot and held his wooden staff above his head — the fire blade struck Shou's tree. The Nine's Pirate repeatedly darted his wooden pole, the roots stabbing and trapping the bovine's sides.

A sound of water behind Huoju wafted and struck his back. The roots retreated to Shou's staff as if brandishing it above and returned his fencing stance. A small, rupturing wave washed the Prince. He glimpsed, and his sword had hissed, letting the thick white steam in front of his crimson eyes.

The peacock with a blue train galloped his dart onto Huoju's right horn, jerking him into the breeze the peacock cawed. Lao bounded within the breeze twice and pointed his heaven guandao above the bovine's head. Sensing the sword's angry light, Huoju rolled to the right, and Lao missed the stab his blade plunged the pavement.

The heaven guandao slashed Huoju's right temple to his cheek.

Huoju whipped his head back and palmed his small cut from the peacock's guandao. Grunting, Huoju glanced at the young peacock's calming (if not), deathly glare. The face of the young prince's father reflected the exact expression and position to Lord Shen who had challenged the Masters of Gongmen.

Lao bent his long train down, and the black and white bear leaped with a charging yell. Po clutched his paws to Huoju's front body and soared among the dying city.


"Come on, big cat! Let me get you out of this city!" Wolf Boss guided the poor tiger who continued to pressure his scar when wobbling his stroll.

They veered to the safe passage. The burn in Xing's scar clenched his wound hard, so the tiger kept his stroll unbalance as he armed to the light green column toward the left sidewalk. A radiant blow came from the South — three figures of the mad ox, Po's chi, and Lao's ocean orb. The yellow uppercutted the dark chi's velvet red surroundings and soared against Huoju.

Multiple reflections and hard blows thundered. Huoju clawed and rolled the panda down, freely plummeted among the light orange cloud.

The fire reflection of dragon background from Peng whirled above Huoju and darted his feet to the mad ox's ribcage. The Prince plunged into the gray debris, sliding into houses and vandalized the rest of the interiors. The back of the alleyway billowed its hole, flooding him with gray debris the bricks splashed down to him.

He got up. The young bull behind him whirled his wooden pole. Huoju raced down to him and ducked his head from Shou's rapid left shoulder swing. He maneuvered the stick twice, diverting his head down and to the side — the Prince raised his feet, sprinting to the alleyway structure and flipped behind the Nine's Pirate.

When Shou turned when vortexing, Huoju heaved his head forward, clouting the pirate into the gray river alleyway, the projectiles from his three o'clock slammed near the Prince's muzzle. The young leopard's arms entranced his natural fire, hurling one blaze in each spin within the dry wind.

Huoju gyrated his enormous body after sidestepping to avoid Peng's projectiles. One of his feet slightly pushed the sixth fireball. Next, Peng stretched his body, and his whole arms extended down to the Prince of Darkness, roaring.

The leopard slammed the pavement, creating a small wave of debris, a few sharp objects spread to Huoju as the mad ox crossed his arms toward his face, the red velvet shield swaying the damages. Peng boxed one fist and the other combining heavy blow to the bovine's belly. Reeling the ox in surprise, Peng lurched his right foot under Huoju's jaw, staggering him.

Huoju tottered his feet and four arms. He guarded both of his right arms close to his head; Peng launched his triple kick spin. The bovine caught the third boot and thrust the leopard back.

With a sudden catch from something behind Peng the Prince pulled, the snow leopard lunge his teeth —

Peng's tail had pricked with a few crushes, cringing him when you accidentally stepped your cat's tail and your pet hissed; the leopard's eyes shrunk both pupils. Now that hurts! Shrieking, Peng pitched his head back. Huoju locked the feline's tail and reeled him; the Dragon Warrior in the air about ten blocks advanced his yin-yang pole, flying against the mad ox.

Propelling the agony leopard into the gray alleyway, Huoju swept and back-kicked the panda's upper chest. Once Po tumbled back with a howl, the bovine sprang, flipped, and hammered his foot to the panda's belly, knocking him down the pavement. Grunting after sliding the solid road, Po watched the Prince of Darkness carry the bamboo stand with light tan clay pots, and hurl straight to him.

Staggering at it, Po streaked his staff's chi to the stand and pots, exploding with the shreds and deflection. Dirt clouds had spread and faded. There were shards from the pots spiraled to a threatening glare; a zigzagging screech hurled toward Po. A sudden white form interfered and gyrated heaven's guandao, the water swirling the shards Lao cast and drowned the objects.

Lao sprinted five paces and leaped into the air with a caw, vertically slamming his heaven guandao. Huoju diverted his head, quivering to the ground when Lao looped his weapon. As the peacock was able to pitch his sword, the bovine closed his fist against the hammering attack, the red spill of the Prince's hoof revealed and dripped while clenching.

Towering against the young peacock, Huoju stepped to Lao in front; Shen's son extended his talon kick to one of the bovine's underarm. The clout had prevented — Huoju snatched the peacock and threw him with heaven guandao into the sky, approving the peafowl's long cry.

"LAO!" Po screamed, but wobbled to the side and sought the Prince of Darkness bound toward Lord Shen's son, and clobber Lao's back with a fatal fist.


The Lord of Gongmen recognized the echoing caw while he had knelt and spotted a waving blow to the south. A small figure of white with blue train catapulted toward the Holy Flame Tower. Farther back of his son's unsettled glide, a dark blue form of the mad ox chased Lao.

"Dongji!" Shen cawed and scurried down to the road, following the southbound path.


IV. Fury

The young peacock crashed into the window, the eleventh floor of Holy Flame tower. A few planks of wood and glass stitched his grandfather's robe. Wobbling and struggling, Lao leaned over to the railing and heard an almighty crash land behind the young peacock.

Weak.

The Prince of Darkness shook his head icily.

The peacock prince twirled his heaven guandao, piercing upper chest and knees with the combination of thrust attacks. He roared. Amid the peacock's mix, Huoju finally grasped the blade's grip and launched his foot to Lao, the banister ripping away.

Reacting with a sudden fall, Lao caught the line of lanterns. Two lights dimmed and fell underneath the bird's talons. As Lao swung, the peacock hastily lifted his head, and the Prince of Darkness hurled the heaven guandao at him.

Lao shrieked when swinging to the side, dodging his weapon. The guandao hit the seventh-floor balcony, the woods creaking. The peacock vaulted the tenth section. Peeping at Lao, Huoju casually dove, freeing his roaring cry as the bovine swung the lantern line. The mad ox booted the banister where Lao mounted, and the peacock prince leaped to the side of the stairs.

Huoju launched his vertical fist. Lao was able to maneuver the punch; his talon snatched the fist and thrust down. As the bovine threw another fist, the peacock his head and spun his blue train, the momentum of his feathers was bold and fast to manipulate the strong. When falling to the red marble floor, Huoju caught the sight of the young peacock launching clear, and Lao swirled his father's platinum, feather-carving knives toward the mad ox.

Three knives advanced, and Huoju twitched his head, dodging. As the blades landed around his head, Lao hailed and let his mobile body at the mad ox. Huoju's hoof clutched the young albino's chest and the other battered Lao's head. A sharp blow allowed the bird's beak spit a few red waters.

The punch was strong about three times the impact than any of the bovine masters' fists. Croaking when the peacock inhaled, Lao had risen as if the mad ox carried him like a ragdoll.

You remind me of your father. The face of your father is unmistakable to bear the vengeance he promised but disregarded. Did he tell you how murdering pandas were such adequate?

Lao grunted — his talon spun his sparrow kick to the mad ox's nostril. It was truly weak to strike back; Prince Huoju chuckled, extending his left hoof and empowered his crimson light. The spark launched the young peacock, and Lao cawed his agony. Three floors down, the peacock seized the lantern rope and swung toward the golden banister, half of his body jarred the rail and collapsed.

Beside Lao, his guandao was there, and he heard the mad ox's maniacal laugh. Huoju dangled three floors down and launched his feet to the railing. Lao quickly rose and spun his heaven guandao. The water deflection pulled Huoju back from whaling. Lao eluded about three steps when twisting his approval weapon. Trapped, Lao sensed behind as if the chamber became small.

Huoju entranced his fiery hoof and froze Lao's spinning guandao. As the smoke did slow including the peacock gasp, Huoju dropped his hands, his iron horns struck the young peacock, and the bovine sprinted toward the guarded door with a ferocious yell.

The door of the Laboratory chamber wrecked from Huoju's strong rush. A screeching blow let the peacock scream his affliction. Lao crashed onto the large rug that stretched long, the metal figure of mighty fangs including gold and silver carvings.

The Laboratory dimmed the surroundings, nothing similar to other chambers that reflected the daylight from intricate windows, neither the small candles to all the sides to brighten. This room had locked in the room for many purposes: for those who dared to reveal who Lord Shen was (or is), the history of Peafowl Nobles' old hobby had to put an end instead of crafting the ingredients to create fireworks. This forbidding room planned out from the Masters' Council including the Emperor of China.

Strolling into the Laboratory Room, the Prince of Darkness popped all fingers to his four hooves.

His parents felt the curse to their bloodline, despite the color of their son being white. White becomes death. And you have followed death beyond the white feathers.

White could have opposites and joints, but as only most of the people notice, Shen's feathers look admonition, terrible luck, and death. Lao's feathers wobbled to rise as he struggled his talons, moaning. Can somebody shut this psychotic beast?!

Shen's wrongdoing will go on, the blame from the pandas will go on, the threats from the people will go on when he goes near their presence, and go on forever no one will forget.

Huoju pressured, forewarning the color of the albino which sickened and feared most of the villagers. Not all of them. The young prince gave a cold, sudden glare. Clutching his sore wing, Lao straightened his back and leaned behind the mahogany table, filled with laboratory equipment. Glasses and pots quivered when the giant steps rumbled a little loud.

"I do not care. I love my father," Lao moaned his low grunt tone.

Love. Huoju repeated into curiosity. There is an ominous quote which leads you the lesson, son of Lord Shen. You shall embrace many losses someday when that happens. I warned your father once, so let me share you with this quote that could haunt you forever: One often meets the kindness which is the essence, and part of the family debilitates to shatter mental and tenderness.

"Too bittersweet to hear, but I agree," Lao stated monotonously.

The Prince of Darkness stretched his lips, and lid his fiery eyes that shone like searchlights. Smart child. Huoju's face rotated with oddity.

"... But this not."

Lao spun his father's metallic talon and something sparked behind the cover of the long, line.

Huoju rolled his head with perplex. In front of the cover, behind it, the hole brightened dark crimson, the eyes glaring alive and active. The match on the contraption stopped sparkling.

The window from the eighth floor catapulted one, large form with red and white sparks. The fireworks rang to an angry white meteor — blended with the mad ox's wrathful scream, impacting into the heart of Gongmen City.

Lao heard the crash booming toward the northwestern window it had stood. He quickly strode toward it and observed the little black smoke wreck where Huoju landed. It was good. Good to match his father's cannon as if metallic talons had stashed beside the laboratory equipment. He will never do this such resentment, and cannon addiction like his father became ever again.


V. The Fifth

"Stay down!" the alpha wolf held the tiger's back.

The blast was close indeed. How could this have happened? The tiger's brother could not be! He mainly not want to be the father's son, but to do this such craziness plan to shoot Huoju out of the Tower was part of Lao's idea.

Wolf Boss and Xing sidled to the front hall structure, towering their necks to the right as if the raging crimson stumbled the small crater about the size of a sedan coach. Just then, the bovine wildly roared, his hooves springing the ash of the ball it dissipated, letting his lungs cough.

The four-armed monster moved to his proper position to stand. His right foot had rumbled — the crater was deep enough about four feet. The yellow beam plunged into Huoju's upper chest, stunning the bovine he bellowed.

"TAKE HIM DOWN!" the panda signaled when beaming his chi.

The branches engulfed the mad ox's feet, the wooden cuff pressuring Huoju's hooves. For a moment, the crimson eyes hungered with light. The panda remained the position as if the snow leopard Peng reached from the east, and the Nine's Pirate Shou drew beside the Dragon Warrior, summoning these living wood branches from his staff.

But the Prince of Darkness refused to submit. He continuously roared, wrestled, and quivered to break the surrounding branches, especially the light that pressed his chest when you accidentally touched the frying pan. Both green knives with chains from nowhere clanged and revolved Huoju's body. Glimpsing behind, Po kept aiming his yin-yang staff as his lips stretched to the side of his cheek.

Kai extended his arms and reached out his hooves toward the mad ox, glimmering with green veins of light.

The Prince of Darkness never felt the weak, the sensation torturing the visions, and his fur from his legs sucking into something hard, and refused to set free. He saw his feet and whole waist turning to a jade. NOOO!

Slowly balancing his arms, Kai felt his power weakening his strength. The jade met the crimson veins — every move the Collector drew both hands closer, the force of the light pulsed. Come on! Kai grunted, shaking the hooves he tried to surround his jade power closer.

Huoju's chest became encased, the jade was slowly approaching to his throat and then retreating when Kai throbbed his roar. "DO IT, KAI! NOW IT'S YOUR CHANCE!" Po withdrew his staff with a signal.

Kai crushed his jade ball of air, and the green glass swallowed the bovine's throat and his whole head. The jade body of Huoju only colored his eyes red.

This soul absorbing chi to Kai supposed to end him. And what was the meaning of Huoju refusing to submit now? Kai's arms began to spread away, giving a hard thrust the Collector grunted more, and pressured his hands back to his soul absorbing position. The mighty general panted his struggling breath. "I can't hold him much longer! His dark chi is too STRONG!"

"Fight it!" The panda supported.

The jade body's orange eyes glared, and shattered the green glass cover, revealing the muscular, lightning cracks of dawn. The dawn angered its beam — Kai weakened and spread his arms to a defeat, the jade body of Huoju exploded to one thousand pieces of green particles, breaking like the glass. Anyone who stood near the edge of the crater, they hit the dirt.

It almost ended the battle. There was one shot at it to either destroy him, banish him, or turn the bovine's dark chi to a green amulet. Kai had never tried absorbing the dark chi before as he only claimed every master's soul, including Tai Lung and his tortoise brother he challenged them all. He hungered light. This darkness, the taste could not agree to General Kai. Damn!

Plodding toward the crater with the brown dust floating, both Xing and Wolf Boss readied their maul and Heaven's Wrath. The flight to their left screeched to an excellent balance of the glide. Lao had spread his train and wings, the battle of powder and ocean wafting elsewhere the peacock safely landed to his tiger brother. "Did we get him?" Lao fearfully asked.

There was no answer from anyone, especially Xing who gazed in awareness. The panda shook his body — small pieces of the pavement and fifty fragments of jade swiveled away. Same to the rest they rose. The panda sensed the tiger's soft growl, and his eyes brightened over the pupils. Po gasped. "Xing."

"I know." The Nine's Leader shattered his calm tone. The flesh around his cheek and the side of his forehead dried the scar, but still revealed the small gores flowing out.

"Did you kill her?"

The mighty voice demanded. Xing could barely conscious, blinking his eyes hardly he did almost catch what this warlord asked one of them.

"What?" the tiger puzzled, trying to remain still as if the panda caught his right arm. Most of the warriors glanced at the gray bull who widened his jade eyes, raising his eyebrows emotionally.

"Did you end Wugu's misery?" Kai asked again, too difficult to free his colossus, tenderness voice.

They eyed at the poor white tiger. Xing's katana sword revealed the red cherry splatter, the smell of nothingness. Innocent, the tiger inaudibly staggered his head, lips curving to a frown. A murderer was never part of Xing's inner feeling. He hated to murder someone, especially when anyone who had been tormented alive, begged him to end his or her misery.

"She never wanted to suffer more," Xing admitted, preventing the tears flowing out of his eyes. He shook more and replied to a defective sorrow. "It's not my resolution. It was her."

At suddenly, the movement shook the crater, revealing the dust flow out of the large, four-armed bovine.

"It's over, Hoju," the white tiger gave a silent snarl, the sear of his scar stinging his cheek he stopped bending his muzzle. "You have done enough damage."

"Relax, buddy. Let me handle him," Po urged. The panda nodded the one-eyed wolf who palmed the tiger's back and safely guided to the side next to Lao. The wolves behind them marched into the ghastly terrain. Zhong gestured them to halt the march — he saw his bravo wolf commander Leo in battle armor and a small banner to his chest that titled "Medic," and waved him to come over.

Walking down to the crater, the panda seemed to sink his breath more as if Huoju could attack him. The four-armed beast straightened his arms, his face staggering. Do you think the light is your ally, Po?

The bovine's low, grunting tone coldly demanded the People's Hero. Po glanced up to his peacock lord student who indeed peered back to the panda with a little nod. The Dragon Warrior stood close toward a defeated Prince of Darkness.

"The light brings the balance of kung fu, and all martial arts of fighting are proportion with peace, Hoju," Po stated. "By the prophecy that reveals your destiny, it is time for you to surrender."

Whether I am defeated or not, many of you must discriminate this — divination.

The white tiger withdrew his brother's crumpled, dry red handkerchief and leered at Huoju perplexingly. The mad ox darted his threatening eyes at Po's. Let me ask you this, panda: Why is your companion's sword glimmers to a dwarf star? Does the boy ever notice each warrior wields the blade that changes color?

What? The ice brushed the white tiger's back he thought. Xing began to maintain his katana after he drew. Some elements can generate life, and these elements may overcome. The side of his sword seemed to dazzle poems with gray of Heaven's Wrath. The tiger leisurely guided the katana to his right — the colors began to change all the sudden.

A lime shade for the Nine's Pirate shone, the power of Wood. Behind Shou, General Kai squared his eyes straight to the poor, shocking tiger. The color repainted it when Xing pointed his weapon to the Collector. It was jade, the power of Earth.

The Collector widened his orbs. "What are you?" the mighty General Kai suspiciously alarmed.

Moving his katana to the left toward the Dragon Warrior, Xing loosened his jaw to an unbelievable sight of the katana, tingeing to Oogway's chi. The sun (or air) perhaps? Not possible, unless he's part of the Earth (too complicated, but what about Kai's jade?). Now, three chosen warriors were in total, even though Kai became one of the originals, but did not count as one as if he took every master's chi to sudden failure, instead of avenging his brother's students and companions from Qing Temple and winning battles.

Xing budged the katana to his snow leopard colleague. An orange-red light marked the sword's light poem, the power of Fire. Beside the curious leopard, the tiger's peacock brother along the albino lord who thought of Xing's scar severely glazed the unorthodox Heaven's Wrath. The fire letters washed away with soft steam to a wave ocean color, the power of Water to the young peacock prince.

No. Please. I'm not like them! Xing feared. The katana has always lightened to a pale white, is it?! Heaven's Wrath always lighten the words as snow!

Xing pulled his sword back, soft murmurs around him surrounded with suspicious questions he ignored. The katana did not light the poem for a sudden. Whether this four-armed beast lied or not, Xing would not expect his ancestor's sword. Sighing in relief and close when the tiger's eyes peacefully shut, sounds of the whispering sky and swinging iron with a clank twitched Xing's black ears.

The warriors gasped. Oh, no.

His sword was brilliantly pale. Xing spread his fingers and let his sword drop to the debris pavement. Clinging from the sword, Xing caught the pale words vanish. He wanted to make sure it was not real. What if he is the one? The one, and missing Metal element? His soul that Kai always observed everyone's yellow chi but the tiger's white soul.

Xing picked the sword up again. Shortly, the blade returned radiating with a soft gray to a snow white — the mind of Metal.

Such a pity. Son of Shui is the mysterious soul who perplexes to demand true colors within you all. Perhaps, your colleague reveals himself as the Fifth Mightiest Warrior.

Xing caught a short glimpse of the bovine clench his right hoof. The jade shard plunged the Dragon Warrior's belly.


Author's Note:

Remember the early concept of Kai? The early one showed the concept of Kai who has a four-armed yak demon god of fire (an Ox demon looks like that). The other one from Paws of Destiny is one big fellow. So for the Prince of Darkness, now only Huoju is a psychopath warlord but indeed revealed as the Ox-demon with four arms. That's part of my idea to emphasize you, gangs — my boy Huoju.

The fate lies in the next chapter, moving on to the final battle, and only the last fight! It's anyone's game!