Sun Wukong

One of Heaven's most powerful warriors, known for causing an uproar across the realms. From besting the Demon Bull King to lifting Mount Meru, Sun Wukong is regarded as the undefeated martial god.

But little did Sun and the gods realize; his power would also become his curse.

Ancient China

Within the valley of the mountainside, a village is being attacked by a horde of massive demons. Most villagers run from the fiends while some are consumed. One of the demons prepared to attack an elderly couple until its head was smashed by Ryuji Bang.

As the demons witness one of their own slain, Sun's voice is heard from above.

"Hey! It's unfair to pick on those who can't fight back, right?"

Sun Wukong descend onto the hope with his staff in hand. All of the villagers cheered as their savior arrived.

"It's him!"

"The Monkey King has come to save us!"

Sun Wukong stands with the utmost confidence, and the demons are afraid to go near him. That was until a giant demon charged at the Fighting Buddha. Unfortunately for it, Sun extends his staff to skewer the monster's skull. As the massive demon flopped to the ground, the rest of them swarmed Sun Wukong. Sun wastes no time in decimating the horde like a wild whirlwind. Sun shattered bones, ruptured organs, and bruised flesh as the demons dropped one by one.

Once all the demons are dead, the villagers come out to celebrate and praise their hero.

"Thank you! Thank you, Great Sage! You have saved my home from those vile beasts," the villager elder said.

Sun laughed, "No problem! These demons are no challenge for the Great Sun Wukong! Anyway, I got to go. Gather some peach wood to create wards for evil spirits."

Sun hopped on his cloud, Jīndǒuyún, and flew away from the cheering villagers. As he soared through the sky, Sun's bright grin became a half smile as he thought to himself.

"I'm glad to help the humans, but...why do I feel like I'm missing something?"

Battle after battle, Sun Wukong slays his foes with a single strike. The more he wins, the more the passion for fighting flickers away.

Till one day...

The Island of Flowers and Fruits

"Sun! Sun, where are you?" Tripitaka said as he, Sha Wuijing, and Zhu Bajie looked at Wukong.

They search for their friends everywhere, from the jungle to the wetlands. Then the three godly misfits found Sun under a peach tree, eating the fruit. Sun's fur was unkempt, and he wore a tattered robe.

He gazed at his friends and said half-heartedly, "Oh, hey. Glad that you guys dropped by."

Trip looks at Sha and Zhu worryingly. Zhu tried to get Sun to lighten up.

"Come on, Sun! Why are you so glum? If you're bored, how about the four of us go down to earth and party!"

Sun was silent for a moment, then spoke with a melancholy tone.

"Zhu Baije, I have a question for you?"

Zhu Baije was taken back by Wukong, announcing his full name.

"What?"

Sun continues to speak.

"Have you ever felt that your strength has become your burden?"

"Huh?" Zhu gasped in confusion

Trip pipes in.

"Sun, are you okay?"

Sun looked at his dear friend and slowly began to laugh.

"...hehe...hehehehe...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The former travelers look on with horror as their heroic friend seems to be struck with madness.

"Okay? NO, I'm not okay!" Sun bellowed, which echoed across the heavens.

"Everything I once wanted is fulfilled, yet my strength is too much. How could I be a guardian deity and a buddha if I have no equal to challenge me and show me how my hard work has paid off?"

"Sun, calm down! We could...," Trip tries to calm his friend to no prevail.

Sun continues to rant.

"Time and time again, no one is more powerful than me. It's either finishing a fight in one strike or a draw. Never a battle where I give it my all. I'm...alone at the top."

Sun's eyes begin to well up in tears.

"How could I fight for something if I can destroy anything without a problem. Please, how can I fight?"

Tripitaka, Sha, and Zhu look on as Sun Wukong falls into woe.

Thus, on that day, Sun Wukong's joy died, so the Monkey King stood alone as the undisputed martial god. Therefore, he subconsciously slumbered as no man or god could rival him.

Unrivaled but...joyless.

As for his curse, it had an ironic name, and it's called...

"The Seven Harmonic Gates."

Present Day

The gods berated Yasuke as Sun stared at the black samurai.

"Hahaha, did you really think you would beat Wukong that easily; pathetic!"

"Grovel to the immortal Monkey King, knave!"

"Your death will please us!"

"Crush that human with one strike, Sun!"

Sun sighed as if he couldn't care about the cheers.

"Listen, Yasuke. You're a good man, but we know how this ends. I can't be beaten, and I'll die here knowing that. If you care for your friends, give up and spare them the heartache."

The arena became silent as the audience waited for Yasuke's answer.

Yasuke then chuckled to himself.

"What's so funny," Sun asked.

Yasuke got to his feet and looked at Sun.

"Perhaps you're right. Maybe this is a battle that I have no chance of winning."

As the humans felt that all hope is lost.

"But...I won't back down. I failed once to protect those I care about. Even now, that regret eats at my conscience. So if you think I'm just going to run away, THEN YOU'LL HAVE TO BEAT WITHIN AN INCH OF MY LIFE TO MAKE ME QUIT!"

The gods were stunned as Yasuke stood in defiance of his superior foe.

Sun merely sighed in frustration.

"Whatever, know that you chose this, and the fault is on you."

Sun rushes toward Yasuke with a swift flurry of strikes with Ryuji Bang. Yasuke tried his best to block the attacks, but some landed hard.

"Sun Wukong is putting pressure on Yasuke! Yasuke, as hard as he tries, Sun's strength is overwhelming them!" Heimdall exclaimed

Ranmaru is holding his breath in the human audience, worried about Yasuke.

"Yasuke, you can do this," Nobunaga said while gripping the edge of the arena walls.

Then Ranmaru and Nobunaga heard a familiar yet annoying voice.

"Alright, I got 200 gold for Sun Wukong winning this round! Who's betting!"

Ranmaru and Nobunaga glared daggers at a man in his mid-50s with an apelike face, sweptback greying wiry hair, and a long curly mustache. He wears gold and silver samurai armor, white jinbaori, and a yellow scarf.

"Tōkichirō!" Ranmaru and Nobunaga yelled, which scared the samurai.

The Second Great Unifier

Toyotomi Hideyoshi (Japan)

"Oh, Ranmaru-sama and Nobunaga-dono, I didn't see you there. Hehehe..." Hideyoshi said with a sheepish grin.

Ranmaru growled, "Are you shitting me?! Our friend is risking his life to save us all, and you're betting on this matchup!"

"What? I figured if we were to be annihilated, at least I'll die rich," Hideyoshi explained with a bit of cheekiness.

Nobunaga mumbled, "Tōkichirō, now is not the time for this! Yasuke needs us."

Back in the arena, Yasuke is overwhelmed by Sun's continuous attacks.

'Grrr, I won't lose here!'

An attack from Sun was deflected by Yasuke, who countered with the sumo palm strike and forced Sun back.

Yasuke was catching his breath as Sun looked disappointed.

"Come on, Yasuke! Just give up. I'm unbeatable, and everyone knows that."

Yasuke snorts, "Underestimating me, aren't we? That would be a big mistake."

Sun chuckles sarcastically, "I don't expect you to understand. No one understands the burden of being the strongest."

Sun looks at the sky and suspire, "Being strong is overrated. I mean the idea that everything/one is basically glass and you're a walking force of destruction...it's boring."

"I see. I understand your plight, but there are more ways to be strong, and I'll prove it to you," Yasuke said as he resumed his combat stance.

Sun rolled his eyes as he began to attack Yasuke again.

In the imperial box of the chief gods, Huitzilopochtli observes Sun's lack of energy.

"Hmmm, what's wrong with Wukong? He seems...disinterested."

Jade Emperor smiled smugly, "Oh, you don't know. Let's say that the anemia of my existence has defeated himself. You see, Wukong was always the type to train and push himself further to test his strength. Without any competition, his fire was snuffed out. He can't even talk back anymore when I order him around! Wasn't it wonderful? I can insult him whenever I want and not suffer the consequences."

Huitzilopochtli growls, "What the hell is wrong with you! You would kick a god when he has lost his passion? You're pathetic, Yu Huang!"

The emperor snaps back, "I will not be lectured by some barbarian like you! That fool deserves to lose his passion after humiliating me!"

Huitzilopochtli gets up from his seat and growls, "I'll show you how barbaric I can be!"

"Enough, both of you," Zeus said as he entered the imperial box and was tailed by the Morrigan sisters.

"Father!" Ares gasped as he didn't think Zeus would show up.

Hermes bowed to the chairman of the gods.

"Lord Zeus, how are you doing after Athena's..."

Zeus interrupts him.

"I'm fine, Hermes. I needed to clear my head, that's all."

Hermes then looks at the Morrigan.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but where were you three during the third round?"

Nemain scoffs, "What? Are you fuckin stupid or something? Badb and I were looking after Balor."

Badb joined in, "Indeed. Balor is a fool, but he is our grandson."

Macha then spoke venomously, "The fact that Germain put my nephew into a catatonic state and Athena fell in battle. We're going to relish killing whoever will be our opponent!"

Zeus and the Morrigan sat back in their seats, silently seething in rage.

Meanwhile, Yasuke and Sun clash their weapons as both guardians refuse to yield.

"You're doing this for nothing! Even if you can land another strike, I'm unbeatable, so why fight!"

Yasuke yelled, "Because I have to! Randgriz, now!"

Before Sun would say anything else, he noticed Yasuke's nodachi began to glow.

Heimdall exclaimed, "What is it?"

Watching the match from the viewpoint, Goll clamored, "Wait, Brunhilde, is Randgriz?"

"Yes, she is living up to her name. She who can destroy divine armaments and weapons. SHIELDBREAKER!" Brunhilde yelled excitingly

In the battle, Sun notices his staff is starting to splinter. Then, all of Heaven witnessed Sun's staff, Ryuji Bang, being cut in half. Furthermore, Yasuke struck a fatal deep cut across Sun's chest.

Heimdall gasped, "U-un-unbelievable! Yasuke's volund has cleaved Ryuji Bang in twain, and Yasuke has landed another killing blow!"

The humans cheered with cautious optimism.

"Way to go, brother!" Nobunaga said while pumping his fist.

In the arena, Sun wipes the blood from the slash.

He looks at it and groans, "Even my own blood can't get me to feel alive."

Then Sun's wound miraculously heals itself instantly.

"Well, Yasuke, you and Randgriz gave it you're best. But I got to kill ya now."

Soon rush to Yasuke, and before the samurai could react, Sun delivered a palm strike to Yasuke's lower jaw. This cause Yasuke's body stiffens.

Yasuke thought, "I...I can't...move."

Before Sun could finish it, Wukong said remorsefully, "Sorry about this."

Then Sun Wukong strikes Yasuke with another palm strike, which sends the Black Samurai careening into the wall. Yasuke was embedded into the walls with some head hung.

"Such power! Sun Wukong has sent Yasuke flying into the wall of the arena!" Heimdall announces.

The gods cheered as Sun secured them the third victory and revenge.

The Jade Emperor laughed, "I told you that fool would win for us!"

Amaterasu smiled in satisfaction while Zeus felt that his daughter had been avenged.

Meanwhile, Goll cried as she dropped to her knees, "Randgriz...no..."

Hera gritted her teeth and yelled, "Damn it!"

Brunhilde looked away in disappointment and anger.

As for the humans, they felt all hope is lost.

Sun Wukong put his staff together thanks to its magic in the arena. To him, all the cheers mean nothing, as he knew they would never understand.

'Well, at least I got the job done,' Sun thought as he began to walk away.

As humanity gave in to hopelessness, a defiant voice stood against despair.

"Hehehe, that's it," Nobunaga said with a chuckle.

"No, my brother would not fall that easily. Wouldn't you agree, Ranmaru?"

Nobunaga looks at his retainer with the utmost confidence.

Ranmaru smiled, "No way! Not our Yasuke-chan!"

Oda Nobunaga then turned to his men and roared in authority.

"Men! Do you think our comrade would fall to those petty gods!"

All of Oda's samurai yelled back in unison.

"NO!"

"Do you think his story ends here!"

"NO!"

"Then make your voices heard and rally him back into the fight!"

Then all of the samurai cheered as loud as possible to give Yasuke their support.

"Come on, Yasuke-dono! You got this!"

"Don't give up just now!"

"Fight!"

Yasuke could hear his comrades cheering for him, and despite being in severe pain, a small smile came across his face.

'It never ceases to amaze me that they still believe in me even when facing a foe more powerful than me.'

Then he hears Randgriz's voice in his head.

"Yasuke? Are you okay?"

Yasuke said weakly, "Yeah. Griz, are you willing to give it your all against our greatest challenge?"

"Yes, no matter what," Randgriz reassures.

Yasuke breathed deeply and sighed.

"That's all I need to hear."

Yasuke slowly starts to get himself out of the wall, much to the gods and humans' disbelief.

Heimdall croaked, "I...I don't believe this. Despite crashing into the wall by Sun's powerful palm strike, Yasuke is still alive?"

Sun Wukong turns around to see Yasuke standing tall and holding his nodachi in defiance.

Sun growls in annoyance, "STAY DOWN!"

Sun twirls Ryuji in a rapid motion to gain speed. Yasuke holds his volund as he anticipates what Sun will do. Yasuke breathed in and prepared himself. Then he rushes towards Sun Wukong.

"Extend," Sun yelled as the staff grew, and Sun swung at great speed.

Ryuji Bang: Ao Guang Whirlwind

Before the staff could connect, Yasuke began slicing Ryuji Bang piece by piece.

"Yasuke is advancing towards Sun Wukong while chopping away at Ryuji Bang!" Heimdall shouts into his horn.

As Yasuke comes closer, Sun Wukong uses the remaining part of his staff for the piercing attack. Yasuke blocked it, and before Sun could encounter...

Blood spills as Yasuke droves his blade deep into Sun's chest.

'N-no way...' Sun thought in belief.

The gods, especially the Jade Emperor, that Sun was killed three times over.

Yasuke pulled out his volund from Sun's chest.

"Sun Wukong. You ask me why I still fight, correct? The truth is that I fight in duty to the family and my obligation to protect all life."

It was at this moment Sun felt something familiar. His hands shake with excitement. His muscles tense with jubilation. His lungs breathed thrillingly.

Then Tripitaka, Zhu Baije, and Sha Wujing witnessed something they never thought they would ever again.

Sun Wukong looked at Sun Wukong and smiled.

"Hey! You're pretty good!"

The Fire of the Monkey King Returns!