Author's Note: Holy crap it has been a LONG time. Really sorry about that people. I genuinely had no idea that this chapter would take this long. Thankfully, I got quite a chunky one for you lot. And believe me, the madness is starting early in this story. I won't keep you guys waiting any longer, I'll just let the chapter speak for itself. Oh, if you do like listening to music while reading pick like any villain theme you want for this chapter. I was listening to Sephiroth's theme from FFVII while writing and it fit perfectly. Anyways, let's get on with it.

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN KFP (*Sigh*)

Enjoy.

The Might of Ke-Pa

A sea of disgust and outrage awaits the demon king at the bottom of the thousand steps, every single kung fu master glaring at this shadow sporting Oogway's visage. Mocking his memory. Getting into their stances, the dragon warrior and the furious five prepare themselves as they await the dark figure's next move. After a few moments however, Po's patience already begins to wear thin. That mock Oogway merely stands in front of their blazing home, smiling. For a split-second, he could swear that they were salivating. Who the hell is this guy?

Whispers turn into shouts, panicked warnings all raging in his head. As if he needs the universe to tell him this guy is bad news. Yet, something about this natural voice unnerves him. That from the very universe itself, he could sense… fear. Knowing that nothing good can come from this thing awaiting them, Po readies himself to sprint up the steps only to stop as a mocking, malicious laugh erupts from the shadowy turtle's mouth.

"Yes! Let your rage take hold! Your grief, your fear! For none of you will find peace here!" A symphony of determined scowls is given in response, the rest of the kung fu masters ready to take down this sadistic entity. "Not when I reduce all your hope to ash!"

With malevolent glee bursting from his insidious voice, Ke-Pa leaps high up in the air, leaving a trail of shadows where he once stood. All 56 warriors stand at the ready, his form blending in with the blackened clouds of ash above. As he descends however, Zhonglei catches sight of his pale, white eyes. His sharpened teeth in his vile grin. A sight that brings a frightening familiarity in his soul, yet he can't place it. He dashes it aside for now, realizing that the dark figure is shooting straight for the centre of the crowded masters, clearing the thousand steps in a single bound. "Spread out!" All the masters in the centre begin to part as a pale, white glow fills Ke-Pa's right hand, crackling with obsidian bolts of lightning. With another putrid cackle, he slams his fist into the ground as he lands.

Boom!

An explosion of white light fills the area, knocking all the masters away into clustered groups. Black lightning bolts strike the ground around the white shockwave, scarring the earth with their deadly power. It doesn't take long for most of the masters to pick themselves up, but they then stop to take in what has just happened. To see the power on display. Po and the five look to each other with Zhonglei immediately understanding their unnerved expressions. This is no ordinary foe.

Unlike them however, a trio of wolves leap into the fray with their claw gauntlets and swords at the ready before the dust can fully clear. Standing up to full height in the walkway turned crater, Ke-Pa eyes the three canine masters with a delighted grin. "Ah, the tiě* brothers." All three brothers slash at him with their weapons in a feverish yet coordinated assault, hoping to overpower him before he can do any more damage. To their horror, Ke-Pa manages to dodge and weave through their blades and claws. "So quick to jump in. So reckless." He ducks a sword aimed for his head and counters with an uppercut to that wolf's jaw, "So foolish." As he is flung up high into the air, the demon king catches the arm of the second brother and dodges a claw swipe from the third. Without even a moment to spare, he elbows his captive canine deep in the stomach and turns his 'shell' to the third brother as he lunges his claws at him. Snap! As those claws shatter, Ke-Pa lifts the wheezing wolf held in his grasp off the ground and spins around to knock the third brother down. With a malicious cackle, he throws the poor wolf at the first brother descending from the onyx sky. As they collide and are sent careening towards the mid-section of the thousand steps, the third brother tries to get up only to remain paralysed in a concussed daze. Leaving himself wide open.

Ke-Pa dashes to the downed canine only to be intercepted by a green and yellow blur, thrusting him past the foot of the thousand steps and deeper into the heart of the valley. A sight that puts Crane and Viper on red alert. "We need to evacuate the villagers!" The serpent master calls out as the tiě brothers are tended to by master Rat and master Bull.

"I'll light the way. Master Crow, I'll need you to gather everyone." Crane commands, with master Crow nodding without hesitation.

"Caw!" Crow signals to his nine crow students behind him, all of them saluting before flying towards the village.

As this happens Ke-Pa lands with a backwards roll, his claws digging into the ground until he slows to a stop. Gazing upward, he responds to his opponents with a scoff, unsurprised that they had stopped what would have been a lethal stomp on that pathetic wolf. Masters Mantis and Cheetah are the fastest after all. "Alright, buddy. This ends now!" Said insect's voice explodes with ferocity, matching the snarl tearing across Cheetah's throat.

Ke-Pa simpers at the notion, "You misplace your confidence as per usual, master Mantis." Out of the corner of his eye he notices the avian warriors fly past them. Playing hero once again. It won't change anything; they will all fall here. However, their despair will only be sweeter with an audience. His smirk turning into a garish, hideous grin, Ke-Pa takes up the same stance as master Cheetah, inviting a scowl from him. "And here I thought you would've learnt from your miserable failures."

Both master Mantis and Cheetah dash forward at mesmerising speed, their forms reduced to a green and yellow blur to the regular eye. To the demon king however, their bodies remain; slow and sluggish. Together, they levy a barrage of punches and kicks at the shadowy turtle that would leave any other enemy a befuddled mess. Each one of their hits however, is either evaded or blocked with a frightening amount of ease. Nowhere close to giving up, Mantis rushes under the demon's legs, ricocheting between them until he reaches his crotch. To the insect's surprise, he passes right through. This shock is soon mirrored by master Cheetah as his fists pass through Ke-Pa's body, a plume of shadows flooding them both. "Playing dirty, are we? Very well." Before either master can comprehend what is happening, the darkness surrounding Mantis forms into a disembodied fist that thrusts straight at him.

Bam!

Dodging just in time, Cheetah watches as Mantis' tiny body crashes into the wall of a nearby house. Not long after, his ear twitches at the air shifting behind him. He listens to his instincts and dodges another disembodied fist without even looking. "You cower behind tricks!? Face me yourself!"

"Oh, I am. You just don't know it." Though perplexed, the feline master doesn't let himself get distracted as 2,3,5, no 8 fists form around him and initiate their own offensive. As this happens, the rest of the masters reach them, all bewildered by the sight before them. Po honestly can't say what is cooler, the shadow fists bombarding master Cheetah or the fact that he is managing to dodge and counter all eight of them at once.

Damnit Po, focus!

You should focus, lest you want everything you hold dear to come to an end.

A dark voice resonates in Po's mind, catching him off-guard. Jade irises refocuses his attention on Cheetah's impressive display. Could that voice be… whoever this guy is? Considering what they have faced before, he knows he is not going to like the answer.

Though Cheetah's agile evasion proves effective, his stamina gives way to Ke-Pa's relentless bombardment of fists. Shortly after cartwheeling away from one fist, another forms right in front of him, dazing him with a brutal punch right to his nose. Then, one after another, more of Ke-Pa's shadow fists pummel into the drained feline until purple bruises and bleeding wounds replace his yellow fur and dark spots. As much as they want to aid their fellow master, the rest can only watch on in horror, at a complete loss on how to approach this ever-changing enemy. Luckily for Cheetah, the demon king finishes this horrific beating with one last punch to his chest, making him stumble backwards. Unaware of his enemy's turtle body forming behind him. Leaving him without even a second to react, Ke-Pa grabs him by the neck from behind and lifts him up before slamming him onto the ground head first. All eyes widen at this, the rest of the masters readying themselves to charge at this shifting foe until he gives the brutalised Cheetah one last kick to the head.

This sends him flying right into master Bear's arms, stunning him at the sight of his unconscious ally. His white tunic is damp with sweat and fresh blood off newly formed wounds. Mountains of bruises rise along his arms and face, his right eye shutting at the swelling. His breath is shallow but still present. Thank the Gods.

"Your welcome." Ke-Pa spews in his putrid timbre, greeting the rest of his prey with a wicked and hungry smile. "Consider it a temporary mercy. One that I can happily retract, if you so wish."

"What the hell are you!?" Zhonglei growls out, mirroring everyone's disbelief in what they had just witnessed.

To the golden tiger's surprise, their adversary responds with another horrific cackle, this one reeking less of a sadistic glee and more of a heartless humour that the masters must be missing. "Amusing of you to ask when you of all people should know, Zhonglei." Fury dissipates from the Zhanshi chief's countenance, now replaced with pure terror. Ke-Pa licks his shadowy lips, relishing the miasma of anger, fear and confusion embedded in his prey. What a feast indeed. "So, which of you will be the first to avenge your fallen comrades?" The demon king bellows, taunting them with one arm behind his back and his hand motioning them all to come at him.

Having seen this fiend's baffling display of power, hesitance reeks within every master as they all get into their stances with Mantis joining them, bruises and all. Questions fly through everyone's heads. What did he mean with what he said to Zhonglei? Where did this freak come from? But most importantly, is that the extent of his power?

Regardless of any answers, they can't risk losing any masters here. Not when all of China's might has been gathered here already. Without even needing a signal, all 43 kung fu masters charge forth with reckless abandon, this maniacal enemy giving them little time to conjure some sort of plan. Ke-Pa's pale, deathly eyes note master Rat and her five squirrel students flank his left side whilst Mei Ling and her assortment of warriors go to his right. But what catches his attention most is the army of hardened warriors heading for the front, led by master panther and his four disciples. Ke-Pa's smile grows wider until it almost consumes his face whole. Excitement courses through his flowing body with chills of a horrific, monstrous power. Power that only grows in their panicked, vengeful charge. He gets into the panther style stance, surprising master Panther as their frontline of kung fu masters clashes with this dastardly on the demon king, Mei-Ling and master Rat attack from the sides with their students, hoping to overwhelm him.

A chaotic bombardment of fists, kicks and weapons are levied upon the surrounded Ke-Pa, his opponents leaving no room to breathe in between their attacks. Yet, to everyone's horror, Oogway's shadow evades, blocks and parries every strike thrown at him. His skilful evasion is aided further as limbs materialise elsewhere on his body, blocking and countering wherever necessary. Master Rat leaps up to Ke-Pa's head with her squirrel students, hoping to possibly impair his senses from behind. Before they can even reach him, dark tendrils of shadow bursts from his back and ensnares all six of the rodent warriors. With a demented cackle, Ke-Pa slams the bodies of some into the ground whilst attacking master Gorilla, Orangutan and Fox with others.

This forces their offensive to slow down, the rest of the masters not wanting to injure their comrades by mistake. Allowing Ke-Pa to spin the six unconscious rodents around and expelling them outwards, hitting masters Porcupine and Croc in the process. With an infuriated howl, the remaining wolf brother leaps in with his claw gauntlets and initiates another assault followed by the roaring master Panther and his feline students. Yet again, Ke-Pa spares little effort in making their attacks seem feeble, "Oh, come now! that can't be your best, can it?" He taunts the last tiě brother as he blocks and counters all five felines at once, materialising more fists that strike out of his own arms. A sight that bewilders him as Mei Ling's five students try to assist in their fevered onslaught. "To think warriors of such esteem," Without even sparing a glance, Ke-Pa strikes them back with pillars of darkness that punch out from his shell. A pelican, beetle, chimpanzee, iguana and jaguar; all dispatched without even a passing thought. "Would prove to be such worthless teachers." Mei Ling darts her head to her downed students, allowing a snarl to escape her throat as she gets into her stance and rushes towards his back. At the same time as this, Ke-Pa once again repels master panther's attacks with the multitude of limbs sprouting from him like freakish apparitions. All the while he gazes at the final tiě brother, a wicked grin on his face. "Useless in protecting their own family."

The wolf master's muzzle contorts into a vicious scowl, an enraged roar ripping through his whole body as he thinks back to his unconscious brothers. Without any further warning, he leaps past the feline warriors in front of him just as Mei Ling throws out a palm strike to Ke-Pa's shell. To her surprise, her target splits apart into a flock of feathers, resembling a peacock's plume. A fan of dark feathers takes place of his shell, pale eyes staring at her from the tip of each feather. Catching her off-guard, Mei Ling pauses for a moment before throwing out her palm strike in the spot where the feathers meet. In this brief pause however, the final tiě brother slashes downwards, slicing the shadowy creature clean in half. "There we are." Shock fills the eyes of every master as he continues to speak. This shock growing evermore as dark tendrils shoot out from inside his split halves and piercing through his fan of feathers. A short gasp flies out of Mei Ling's lips as Ke-Pa's dark tendrils shackle her attacking paw, his feathers dissipating as he yanks her forward. Too puzzled to process what is happening, the remaining wolf master can only watch as the demon king throws Mei Ling through his split body and straight at him. They crash into a heap, sending master panther and his students back in the process.

A dark chuckle erupts from the vile demon's throat, his split body parts falling to the floor and melding with the shadows beneath him. "Don't lose that rage." Befuddlement bleeds into every other master, now at a complete loss at what to do. Some of them go to aid their unconscious comrades whilst Tigress and Monkey head to Mei Ling and-

Bam!

Two giant fists shoot up from beneath the two downed masters, their own shadows serving as weapons to this monstrous foe. With his prey sent flying, Ke-Pa's obsidian form zooms between the massive fists daunting over the valley. Po, Tigress and Mantis notice this speeding shadow gradually climb higher up these monolithic pillars of arms, the trio exchanging glances with a strategy. "Slingshot of fire?" Nodding at their insect brother's suggestion, Po boosts his tiger up into the air with Mantis leaping up to meet her mid-air with a powerful kick.

Boom!

A golden shockwave erupts from the point of impact as Tigress' body sets the air alight in her speed. With a vicious scowl on her face, she twists her body in the air to aim a powerful leaping kick at this… thing. For a moment, her ears twitch, certain that she had heard a dark chuckle as she reels her leg back. She speeds closer, knowing that she will intercept it just before it reaches the top. As she extends her leg however, it goes right through the demon king, her world enraptured in his shadows for mere moments.

No! Stay away from me! Then a scream erupts from the momentary blackness, the shadows suffocating the tiger in their relentless grip. That horrible day flashes through her eyes, the poor pig, the blood oozing out of his very corpse, the carnal snarls and growls that had ripped through her throat.

You know what you did.

These damning words come from her own voice, yet she can hear another behind it. A dark whisper that deafens her senses, paralysing her body in a primal terror.

You know what you did.

It repeats again and again as those dreaded memories barrage her guilt-ridden soul. She shuts her eyes yet the pig's carcass refuses to disappear, those images replaying for what feels like hours.

Thud!

Tigress scrambles along the ground as she crashes on her side, plumes of shadows escaping from her body and dissipating in her shadow cast by the sun's helpless peaking eye. "Tigress!" Po screams out as he rushes to her, Viper joining him whilst Monkey and Mantis keep their eyes focused on the titanic fists in front of them.

Having toyed with Tigress' aching spirit, a demented cackle bursts from the demon king as his form reaches the top of one of the fists and shoots outwards. His shadows taking back the form of Oogway, he reels his leg back and thrusts it out as he reaches Mei Ling's hurtling body.

Wham!

This hits her directly in the jaw, knocking out the mountain cat instantly as she is sent flying into the roof of a local shop.

Crash!

"Don't lose that 'fighting spirit'!" He mocks them with a wicked grin, satisfied tremors running along his shadowy form as her body obliterates the roof's shingles. He descends onto the giant fist directly under him as master Hawk readies himself to fly up, the demon king's form disappearing in the arm of shadows. Before the bird can even get off the ground, Ke-Pa shoots out of the top of the other giant fist, phasing through the last remaining tiě brother before falling just behind him. "Is this how you honour your brothers? With this pathetic display?" This heartless remark is accompanied by a sadistic grin as he thrusts his fist forwards.

Bam!

A high-pitched whine escapes the wolf's maw as Ke-Pa's fist slams the side of his head onto the goliath fist underneath him, his consciousness leaving him in an instant.

Fwoosh!

Before he can marvel at his cruel attack, the demon king is met with master Hawk's foot as they shoot away from the dissipating fists. "You dare to call us pathetic when you will desecrate the sanctity of Shifu's resting place!? You vile beast!"

To master Hawk's further disgust, the demon king smiles back, his grin making the avian's heart run cold. This grin soon turns into yet another malicious laugh as Hawk forces them both downwards, hoping to slam this fiend into the ground. "I can easily make this desecration into an expansion if you would like." Those mocking words force a deep scowl onto the bird master's face, their descent only building in speed. If only Hawk could notice their shadows growing on the floor as well. "However, a graveyard simply won't do. I'd much prefer a necropolis!" They finally reach the valley's rocky road only for Ke-Pa to vanish in their combined shadow, leaving Hawk's foot to take all the impact.

Crack!

"Grah!" His ankle snaps at the speeding impact of his attempted dive bomb, the aching master falling to his side as several of his fellow masters rush to his aid. Whilst they hoist him to his feet, Zhonglei, Monkey and Mantis form a circle with the rest of the remaining masters. Unaware that their foe has set his sights on the valley's fleeing residents.

With Lei-Lei held in his arms, Li-Shan and Mr. Ping run alongside their frenzied neighbours, frightened by the piercing white light that had flashed in the valley's square earlier. Unfortunately for the panicked fathers, the little panda cub squirms in his arms, calling out for 'cuddles' and 'mama'. No doubt even she knows that some sort of dire battle is taking place. Regardless of her wish to try and help her own kung fu family, Po's dads follow master Crane to their evacuation point whilst master Crow and his murder apprentices round up everyone. "It's okay, sweetheart. They'll be just fine. Po and the five can handle this." Though he prays that this is true, not even Li-Shan believes his own words.

How precious that you believe in him so. I'll have fun tearing that faith to shreds.

"W-what?" Li-Shan gasps out at the dark voice echoing in his mind, buckling mid-step as a mass of darkness shoots upwards in front of the valley's citizens, heading straight for their guide.

"Crane! Watch out!" Mr. Ping squawks out, but it is too late for said master to react in time to the mass of shadow slamming into him. Trying to readjust his disrupted flight, Crane flaps his wings with frantic speed only for that same shadow to grab both his wings and pull them inwards. Before him, the shadow morphs into a black turtle with white eyes.

Yellow irises expand in awe, dumbfounded by… whatever this creature is. With a grunt, Crane shoots his leg forward only for another arm to sprout out of Ke-Pa's chest and catch it. Before the bird master can even react to it, this limb splits into shadow tendrils and ensnares his leg, baffling Crane further. "What the!?"

"So much for settling down, Crane." Yellow eyes dart to the demon king's reptilian, pale pupils. How does he know that? How could he possibly know that? Ke-pa's grin widens, steeped in a sickening pleasure. His eyes reeking of death. Unnatural shudders fill Crane's spine, the bird strangely sure that he has seen him before. "Oh, you have, in a sense." Yet again, Crane's eyes bulge out in disbelief moments before Ke-Pa delivers a brutal stomp on his chest as he crashes to the floor back-first.

Several villagers scream out in horror as their caravan screeches to a halt, their beloved master held beneath the foot of this foul demon before them. Said demon looks up to them, smiling wide once more as master Crow and his murder apprentices rush to fight him, "Now, now. There is no need to run so soon, the show has barely even begun." Five of the crow warriors rush him at once, engaging from all sides whilst two others split from their ranks to try and get Crane away. Immediately noticing these two, Ke-Pa's smile grows as his foot shifts into more dark tendrils that wrap around his captive's body. "Do help this poor fool, he needs it!" He plants his arms onto the ground before lifting himself up and flinging Crane at the two crows mid-flip.

This catches them off-guard, leaving them with no time to dodge their hurtling comrade. As the three warriors crash in a heap, the five engaging crows speed up their assault, finally reaching the demon king only for him to descend into his own shadow as he finishes his flip. Bam! All five of them crash into each other, leaving an embarrassed master Crow to form a 'line' with his last two pupil. "Crane! How are you holding up!?" Said bird warrior lifts his head up with significant effort, that stomp having punches all the energy out of him.

What the hell is this guy?

Your end.

Yet again, Crane finds himself unable to retreat into his thoughts, his instincts yelling at him to get out of the way of… something. Listening to them, he rolls off the two woozy crows beneath him. Before they too can pick themselves off the ground, a plume of darkness rises from their own shadows, forming two legs that stomps on their heads. Crane retaliates with a kick only for it to be caught by talons that form from the miasma of shadows. At mesmerising speed, an onyx tail slams into his side, forcing Crane into the line with master Crow. Before their very eyes, these shadows shift to form Oogway's figure once more. Yellow irises shrink in fury at this mockery to his former master, master Crane readying into a defensive stance. "You won't go anywhere near these people!"

"Ha ha! Oh please, why would I harm my own audience?" Crane is taken aback by Ke-Pa's mocking laugh, only for his scowl to settle once again as the five remaining murder apprentices attack once more. Both his and master Crow's eyes widen in shock as Ke-Pa approaches them still, his steps shaking the earth in their deafening power. He pays no mind to the five crows attacking him all at once, blocking, parrying and dodging their strikes whilst keeping his deathly eyes fixed on the masters in front of him. "I'll simply indulge myself once the show is over." Every face watching the demon king grows pale, including the very warriors attacking him as the extra limbs formed along his shifting body overpowers them through sheer strength and speed. One by one they fall to the ground, unconscious. "Once you are all made an example of!" He hollers with a psychotic grin as thunder strikes the blackened skies, the wicked demon shooting his arm outwards.

Already piecing together what he's planned, Crane swerves away, narrowly dodging an onyx pillar formed from his own shadow. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for his crow comrades. All three of them are launched towards the vile demon king at a blinding speed. Unlike his students, master Crow manages to recover in mid-air and uses his momentum to try and kick him in the chest. However, this plan is for naught as Ke-Pa's body splits in half, letting him pass right by whilst he catches his students by their heads. With another manic laugh, he smacks their heads together resulting in painful squawks to blurt out of their beaks. Sounds that he relishes with sadistic delight.

Slam!

He drives their heads into the ground, their torment only making him hunger for more. Skidding himself to a halt, master Crow glares Ke-Pa with a grit beak. "You won't disrespect us any further!" He zooms forward, throwing a pair of kunai and aiming another devastating kick at the fiend man-handling his students. Those kunai sink into the depths of Ke-Pa's shadows as he chucks one of his captives at Crane, forcing him to cease any planned attack. Chuckling to himself, Ke-Pa picks up the other unconscious crow and throws him into himself. Catching master Crow off-guard, his own student phases through the shadowy figure to collide with him. They roll across the floor until Crow lays sprawled out.

Shink!

"Graahh!" Before he can attempt to pick himself up, master Crow's wings are nailed to the floor by his own kunai, shot out of Ke-Pa's shifting form.

Bam!

Not even letting the master's pained scream last, Ke-Pa's own fist shoots out and knocks out master Crow in a devastating punch before exploding into a dissipating mist of shadows. Crane's eyes can hardly believe it as this beast in Oogway's form turns to face him, his hand regrowing from his unending shadows. That is simply not possible. Not for anyone or anything. It isn't long that the rest of the masters rush past the crowd of villagers cowering behind Crane, a collection of jaws falling of their hinges and eyes bursting out of their sockets.

26 masters, all taken down in a matter of minutes.

"I must say, for China's best I was expecting far more." Ke-Pa muses as he clenches his newly grown hand, his timbre flippant and brimming with a sense of disappointment. That is, until Po and the rest of the five reunite with Crane at the front. Until his jade eyes meet his with a sharp, caustic rage. "Perhaps you can provide a worthy challenge, Dragon warrior?"

Po's scowl remains as he takes up his stance, the rest of the kung fu masters following in his steps. "You'll be getting more than that… whoever you are."

An unnerving grin is given in response as this obsidian fiend approaches with thunderous footsteps, "Yes! Prattle on with your heroics! Be the saviour that your valley so desperately needs!" It isn't long before masters Ox, Croc and Pangolin flank him between the leftward surrounding buildings whilst masters Gorilla, Orangutan and Bear do the same from the opposite side. Seeing them out of the corner of his vision, Ke-Pa's manic smile only widens as he stops in his tracks, clenching his hand into a fist. Before any of them can react, all the masters in front of the valley's citizens are pulled to the ground by obsidian tendrils formed from the shadows beneath their very feet. As they all fall to their knees, massive walls of shadow rise up from behind the terrified villagers, trapping them all as members of an unwilling audience. "Yet, heroes aren't the type to rely on armies, are they? A warrior of your stature would never resort to 'underhanded' tactics, would you?" Jade irises widen as Ke-Pa shifts his attention outwards, clearly aware of their attempts at surrounding him again. His pale eyes meet with the masters hidden in the valley's alleys, drinking in the shock and restrained terror leaking out of their bodies. "Hmph. How could you ever hope to ambush me when I surround you all!?" Within mere moments, the shadows of the alleyway betray masters Gorilla, Orangutan and Bear as they form into shadow replicas of master Crow. These doppelgangers pierce their talons into the three of them and soar high up into the air. With a furious, pained grunt master Gorilla tries to grab the crow only for it to dissolve into a mist of shadows, allowing him to fall towards the demon king. Planning for this, Gorilla prepares a vicious double stomp only to see the shadow turtle sneer at him.

Bam!

Before he can spare even a thought as to what he is planning, that dark mist above him shoots out with a giant draconic hand. It slams into him, pushing him downwards until his body crashes through the valley's clothing shop. A crater forms on the shop floor as his back collides with it, master Gorilla's body pinned down by said giant hand. Catching his breath fast, the poor simian tries to lift the hand off him only to struggle against the weight of a mountain. He doesn't struggle long though as his captor leaps up and descends through the destroyed roof, landing on master Gorilla's head with a vicious double stomp.

Boom!

With another of his pray rendered unconscious, the demon king's white eyes glow, seeing masters Orangutan and Bear struggling with their avian captors. Taking advantage of this, he motions his shadow crows to dive downwards before looking through the eyes of masters Ox, Croc and Pangolin. As he notices them advance on his position, a hearty, hungry laugh spews out of his maw. "So sure, yet so futile." Walking backwards into the shadow arm pinning Gorilla, Ke-Pa appears behind a sprinting Pangolin without anyone realising. He shoots his hand outwards, making two dark shackles shoot out from Ox and Croc's shadow, holding them still. With widened eyes, Pangolin turns around only to be knocked away by a powerful shoulder strike. Croc and Ox attempt to fight back with their axe and sword respectively, but their attempts are swiftly parried and countered by a jumping split kick. To Ke-Pa's surprise, Pangolin is back onto his feet quickly and dashes at him.

They trade blows as the Gongmen masters recover from the demon king's attack and the two masters held by onyx crows descend to towards the valley at frightening speed. Though he manages to land a few hits on this shadow entity, it barely flinches at all, only continuing their own barrage of attacks. "Your strength is admirable." A pale white light shines in the demon king's fist, making his opponent quickly turn so his spinning fist can meet his shell. On impact however, Ke-Pa's fist bursts into a thin mist of shadows that expand in front of Pangolin. "But meaningless." A mist that forms two glowing fists that meet Pangolin's face.

Wham!

Pangolin's body shoots through Ke-Pa, spinning mid-air from the sheer power contained in his fists. Unfortunately for him, the shadows cast beneath him serves as yet another weapon for this vile fiend to wield. Shooting up from underneath him, Ke-Pa ascends with Pangolin on the other end of his double fist strike. Once they reach the peak, he flips and forces the poor warrior downward with a stomp to his face. A stomp that is accompanied by the shell of a Pangolin doppelganger emerging from their growing shadow below them.

Boom!

A white shockwave bursts from the point of impact as the sadistic demon king lets master Pangolin fall unconscious on the ground, his shadow pangolin and turtle halves gazing at each other with demented glee. Immediately after, two arms grow out of the shadow figures' backs to block a sneak attack from Ox and Croc, these two shadows melding together into one body that faces his two attackers. As these bodies merge however, a gasp escapes both Ox and Croc. Shock, disgust, and confusion melds together in the countenances of both masters as the shadow of the late master Thundering Rhino gazes back at them. "Tsk, tsk. I believe I taught you better than that."

Neither of them can deny the perfect mimicry of their fallen ally's calming voice, which only makes Ox's fury burn with fiercer intensity. "You dare spit on his memory too!?" He lashes out with an axe held in his free hoof, but Rhino's shadow parries it and deflects Croc's follow up sword swipe with his horn.

As Ox prepares another strike, Ke-Pa beats him to the punch with a shadow hammer to the chest launched from his hand. Leaving himself wide open, the demon king's head is run through by Croc's sword. "Guess that leaves us with one less pretender." Smiling to himself, Croc attempts to split him all the way down only for his sword to stay wedged in the shadow's head.

"And one more master left as an embarrassing wreck." Ke-Pa's true insidious voice rings out in its malevolent darkness as his head spins 360 degrees, allowing Croc's own sword handle to bash into his face with some force. With the reptilian master left in a daze, the demon king switches targets as he pulls the sword out of his face and glides his hand along the blade, making the steel turn black. He throws the blade towards Ox as he picks himself up from the ground, the master managing to dodge it at the last moment. As the blade sinks into the ground however, he drops his guard.

A foolish mistake.

Before he can even notice that his enemy has once again vanished, Ox is met with a flying umbral hammer that shoots out of the darkened sword. The sheer force of the attack threatens to shatter his chin into fragments, making his vision blur as Ke-Pa emerges from the sword and grabs him by the horns. With a diabolical laugh, the demon king spins him around and throws him towards the zooming hammer. Immediately after throwing him however, Ke-Pa motions his fingers towards him, making the hammer stop in mid-air and fly back to its creator.

It catches Ox by the chest mid-flight, making Ke-Pa's sadistic smirk deform his face further. "Such a disappointment." Practically feeling his victim's heart drop at the sound of Rhino's voice, he provides some 'mercy' by morphing his leg into a second hammer and kicking forward as Ox reaches him.

Wham!

Flecks of blood fly out of Ox's mouth as he is rendered unconscious between both hammers, yet even this isn't enough for his sadistic foe. He pushes his foot forward as the first hammer dissipates into shadows, leading into a brutal hammer stomp on Ox's back.

Crash!

The earth crumbles beneath the master's limp body, his breath becoming weak as one last one groan of pain flies out of his lips. Such a shame I couldn't hear him scream.

"Rraaaagh!"

Master Croc charges forward before swiping his weaponised tail, hoping to pulverise the fiend that has brutalised his best friend. But Ke-Pa is too quick, managing to rip the sword out of the ground and parry his tail within a split second. "You will do nicely." He notes with a vile grin before pinning Croc's tail to the ground with a vicious stomp, raising the sword above his head as his audience watches on in horror.

Shink!

Oceans of crimson pour out of Croc's tail as the merciless demon king plunges his own blade deep in, forcing an agonising cry from the poor master. "Croc! No!" Po yells out alongside the cacophony of gasps and screams of terror bursting out of both master and villager alike, trying desperately to rip off the shadow shackles binding him to his knees. Try as they might however, the rest of the masters are as much audience members as the citizens just behind them, forced to watch the systematic destruction of their closest allies. They remain unwillingly focused on the cruel acts levied onto one of Gongmen's greatest masters, so much so that they don't notice two figures crash into buildings toward the far left of the city.

Ke-Pa's jagged teeth show as he grabs his maimed captive by his lower jaw, his grin growing manic and eyes expanding with sadistic pleasure. "Louder." His command is met with resistance, Croc gritting his teeth as he aims a palm thrust at the shadow of his late friend. To his dismay, dark tendrils burst out of Ke-Pa's chest and restrains his arm, allowing the dark rhino to dig the blade even deeper. "Louder!"

Yet another scream of pure anguish tears itself out of master Croc's throat, prompting Ke-Pa to continue his torturous act with a psychotic cackle. Thankfully, the aching Gongmen master doesn't have to endure this for any longer as master Orangutan comes bounding in on all fours, delivering a brutal spinning hammer fist straight to the back of Ke-Pa's head. However, Croc's fortunes stop there as the demon King's head breaks apart into a black mist, making Orangutan's powerful strike hit him square in the face.

Croc is knocked down to the floor, rendered unconscious in an instant to Orangutan's shock. This shock soon doubled as the now headless demon king begins to fight him. Master Bear joins in soon after, blood dribbling down the side of his head in an injury sustained by the shadow crow's divebomb attack. Both masters trade blows with this headless creature, alarmed by how he is managing to keep up with both of them without even seeing them. However, Orangutan's surprise is swiftly overpowered by his rage, "What have you done to my brother!?" He lands a punch on the demon king's shoulder, his arm evaporating at the same time as Bear chops another one off.

"Master Gorilla? Hmph, barely worth his own breath." Master Bear turns around to the source of this insidious, disembodied voice only to be met with nothing. "Why even bother with him? You and I both know he could never compare to our good old friend Shifu." Though he growls, Orangutan keeps a close eye on the beheaded demon as his body falls back and descends into his own shadow once again. It isn't long after that something flies up from Bear's shadow, something that keeps him frozen in pure horror.

Such a shame what happened to him… Ke-Pa's taunting, malevolent timbre strangles Bear's mind as Shifu's severed head flies up in front of him, his steely eyes rendered cold and lifeless. "Master…"

Master Orangutan turns to face his comrade, immediately seeing through this façade. "Get back!" He reaches for his shoulder, but it is already too late. 'Shifu's' lifeless lips deform into an evil grin before a fan of shadow blades shatters the head completely and swipes at master Bear's eyes.

Shink!

Yet another horrifying scream deafens the grieving valley's populace, with even the restrained masters finding themselves speechless at this beast's cruelty. It isn't long before this terror turns to desperation once more as the masters try to break free of their bindings, some of the villagers aiding them in whatever way they can.

"No!" An unbridled fury takes hold of Orangutan's voice as the blinded Bear crumples to the floor in agony, the simian swinging wildly at this shadow fan only for it to turn into a hoof that catches his fist with ease.

In mere moments Ke-Pa's turtle form emerges from Orangutan's shadow in front of him with a wide, vile grin. "But if you care for him so much…" Yet another punch is blocked by the demon king before being countered by a hammer that shoots out of his chest. Orangutan is quick to get up but freezes once he sees Ke-Pa's leg hover over Bear's head. "I believe his fate went something like this."

Bam!

As master Bear's body goes limp, Orangutan engages with a flurry of strikes. To everyone's surprise, he manages to land multiple hits on the vile demon, the simian going as far as to launch him into a local tavern. Now given a reprieve, master Orangutan rushes to his comrade's side. He lets out a relieved sigh at the unconscious rise and fall of his back, picking up the brutalised ursine only to grimace at the damage done to his face. A battleground of bruises and thin lakes of blood run down his face, his nose broken and eyes shut to hide the deep cuts Ke-Pa had made. Yet the crimson pouring from his eyelids give way to the real damage he had dealt.

"Poor thing." Orangutan's eyes threaten to shoot out of their sockets as the demon king's dark, mocking voice meets his ears. As if he were right under-

Bam!

Without warning, a shadow tail nails the simian in the face, throwing him to the floor as Ke-Pa emerges from master Bear's shadow. His pale irises hover over the fallen master's blades, sparking with a revolting excitement. Before his victim can even pull himself up fully, he grabs the swords and dashes at him. With unseeable speed, the demon king dashes to and thro, scarring master Orangutan's body with slash after slash, relishing in each agonising yelp, shout or growl released from him. Though Orangutan desperately wishes to retaliate, how can he when his enemy moves so fast that he doesn't even leave behind a blur? Ke-Pa finally stops after one last slash to his stomach, after his orange fur is repainted crimson. Even still, the brave master grits his teeth and clenches his fist, making the demon king flash is dreadful smile once more. "Now isn't that just precious."

He tries to hurl a fist despite his depleted energy but his merciless enemy gives no quarter, interrupting him with a headbutt. On impact, Ke-Pa's head phases through his, allowing him to hit the back of Orangutan's head with a backwards headbutt. This knocks him down to the floor, leaving him bloodied and defenceless as the demon king lifts his fists up and slams them down in a devastating hammer strike.

Crash!

With that, yet another kung fu master has been dispatched, further fanning the flames of wrath welling inside the 25 remaining warriors. Sending more and more tremors of power that course through Ke-Pa's shadowy form. His Cheshire grin reeks of pleasure as he glances at his brutal handiwork, lusting for even more power.

Whilst the rest of the masters try their hardest to tear their way out of their restraints, Zhonglei pauses for a moment and observes this heartless creature. Yet again an unnerving familiarity begins to shake his core, tempting more confusion from the tiger until his ruby irises nearly shatter at a simply impossible sight. Bolts of white and black lightning wrap around the creature's flowing shadow body, their reptilian eyes practically shining at the sensation. They're powering up, no mistaking that, but how? Such terror! Such sadness! Such despair! Such a wonderous occasion! Zhonglei's eyes widen to the point of forming cracks on his face, his epiphany ripping the majestic gold out of his fur.

"What's the matter, little cub?" Ke-Pa's voice rips him out of his thoughts, the obsidian turtle approaching his captive audience with twisted glee twinkling in his deathly eyes. Eyes that bore into the Zhanshi chief with anticipation yet are marred in disgust. "Am I not but a mere shell of my former self?" Venom fills his insidious timbre, an unholy ire brimming from his voice as he motions his arm to Zhonglei, prompting everyone's eyes to him. "A 'guarded secret'?" The golden tiger barely pays attention as one of the chains holding his body extends to the 'turtle's' awaiting hand, his epiphany only confirmed further with each word that spews out of the demon's maw. All the masters and villagers around him can only look between them in confusion, Po and the furious five feeling a haunting familiarity settle between them. But why? What is this creature? "Hmph. You've prepared for centuries to cower in front of a shadow."

"I-it can't be."

A rancid smile is given in response to Zhonglei's horrified whisper, the vile creature pulling him by the chain and punching him to the valley's centre, much to the horror of everyone else. "Come Zhonglei, show our dear friends what the Zhanshi clan is capable of." Tigress' warning growl can be heard as he approaches the petrified tiger chief, the shadow turtle's features transforming into something more draconic. Horns jut out from its head, its scales grow jagged and sharp along its body, the shell adorned on its back grows spikes and its maw jutting out in its piercing sharpness. Shock fills the eyes of everyone as this creature grabs Zhonglei by the neck and hoists him up in the air, dread filling the countenances of the five and dragon warrior as the pieces fit into place. A revelation drowning in denial. Denial that is shattered in an instant, "Show them how hopeless you are against China's true ruler! The demon king, Ke-Pa!"

1* Tiě = Iron in Chinese

Welp, our heroes are in the deep end now. 57 warriors (including Zhonglei) and now they're reduced to 25. Yeah, they got their work cut out for them. What's even funnier is that i've had to split this chapter in half. Yep, this chapter was meant to be even longer but I have had to split it to the next chapter to make it work. Apologies for any typos or SPAG stuff I missed out, I only have so much time to edit these before putting them out. I will say, the next chapter only gets more crazy from here, so be ready for that... Hopefully it won't take 2 months this time... I'll try. Anyways, hope you've enjoyed reading so far and until next time :)