Meili, Kai, Lei, and the rest of the warriors plunged through the darkness into the ground, their cries echoing into the abyss. The sound of falling stone and shifting earth filled their ears, until at last, they hit the ground.
Lei, her crimson eyes flickering with fading power, pushed herself up. "Are... are you all okay?" Fuse asked, her voice strained.
Meili, dusting herself off, gave a pained grunt. "We're alive... somehow. Where's Lian?"
(GROAN! CRACK!) Jade and Xia, groaning in pain, stirred from where they'd fallen.
"Lian?" Lei repeated, her voice urgent as she got to her feet. She looked around, searching the cavern floor for any sign of her. "She's gone! That bastard Zikryu must have taken her while we were falling!"
Kai, recognizing that Rhett and his squad were now part of the whole situation, lowered his guard slightly. "We were fighting over the Jade Amulet," Kai explained, recalling the tournament. "But when I heard a shout, from this particular spot I knew my sqaudmates were headed. I knew something was wrong."
Rhett's gaze narrowed, his shoulders tensing. "And you just happened to trick us into following you here?"
Kai stood his ground. "Hey, do you still wanna have it out! Or you want Meili and Lei here to explain what just happened and who the heck that ugly looking monster was?"
Rhett, his fists still clenched in defiance, glared at Kai. "Listen here loser, I wanna know what's going on better than you! But don't ever think I would have to listen or follow a word you say, cause if you know exactly who I am, you'll know your place." He shot a stern glance towards Meili and Lei, an unspoken demand for an explanation.
Meili, still shaking off the dust from the collapse, began to recount the events that had transpired. "Ugh We came here looking for a relic before we sight of Lei and her squad mate lian, who just got taken away."
Lei chimed in, "It said it's name was Zirkyu and he not just a monster, he's also a Sukuna warrior. One who looks our age, also he mentioned he works for Lord Xaphan"
Kai gasps, putting on a stern curious look, "Xaphan, huh! So he wasn't kidding around last time, so he wasn't just spitting nonsense the last time we met!"
Rhett's eyes widened at the mention of Lord Xaphan. "Xaphan...?" he whispered, his tone darkening. "I know that name. Rumor has it he's rogue Sukuna warrior, a powerful and treacherous one yet to be captured. If that Zirkyu person is one of his subordinates, then this is far more serious than we realized."
Lei nodded, her expression grave. "He took for reasons he couldn't share, he just said something like she was the last recipe to his plan or whatever. We have to stop him and rescue Lian."
Fusw chimed in, "But we don't know where Zirkyu and Xaphan are taking her. How are we supposed to find them?"
Meili's mind racing, she turned to Kai with a resolute gaze. "We can't let Lian fall prey to Xaphan's sinister clutches! Though we don't know each other much, I refuse to stand by while a friend suffers even a moment's torment at their hands!" Her thoughts whispered a fervent promise: "I failed to save you once, Lian, but I vow to rescue you now, no matter the cost!"
But Rhett refused to follow Meili's words, his expression unyielding. "I'm not getting involved in this, whoever you are. It's not my business," he said, his voice firm.
Meili's eyes widened in disbelief. "What do you mean? Lian's in danger!"
Rhett shrugged. "That may be, but we're here to compete in the Dragon's Tournament, not babysit each other. We need to focus on collecting the relics and winning the competition. If my sister's squadmate is weak and gets taken captive, that's not my problem."
Lei's face turned bright red with anger and embarrassment, her eyes cast downward.
Meili's anger flared. "How can you say that, Rhett? She's your sister!"
But to Meili's surprise, Kai nodded in agreement with Rhett. "He has a point, Meili. We can't let personal matters cloud our judgment. We're in a competition, and we need to prioritize our goals. The higher-ups will take care of Xaphan and anything that happens outside of the tournament."
Meili's eyes flashed with indignation. "You're just going to abandon Lian? She's an iron fist...?"
Kai's expression remained cold. "I'm not saying that, Meili. But we need to be realistic. We can't save everyone or even take on Xaphan. Our priority is winning the tournament and submitting the relics."
Meili's face twisted in frustration, her mind racing with ways to convince her friends to help her rescue Lian. But for now, she seemed to be outnumbered.
Then Fuse stepped up,Fuse continued, her voice unwavering, "Xaphan is a dangerous enemy. He's a rogue warrior and a scientist with access to a lot of powerful Bujutsu. If he gets what he wants, we don't know what kind of damage he could do. We have to stop him."
Meili nodded in agreement, encouraged by Fuse's words. "She's right, Kai. The relics are important, but they won't matter if Xaphan destroys Wushu Guan!"
Kai, still unmoved, scoffed at Fuse's words. "And how do you propose we find Xaphan? It's like finding a needle in a haystack. Even if we did know where to look, he's not going to be just waiting around for us."
Meili, her jaw set with determination, turned to Rhett. "Xaphan's not our only lead, is he, Fuse?"Fuse's eyes glinted with a mixture of frustration and resolve. "No, he's not. If Xaphan took Lian, then he'll need to keep her alive. And..."
But before Fuse could talk further, Lei's voice sliced through the air, her tone glacial. "Enough, both of you!" Her demeanor transformed, icy shards dancing in her eyes. "This doesn't concern you. My brother's right – this is my cross to bear. I'll handle finding my squadmate, alone."
Meili and Fuse, both stunned by Lei's sudden change, exchanged a glance.
"Alone? Lei, what do you mean?" Meili asked, a frown creasing her brow. "This concerns all of us. Lian is one of our warriors. We can't just leave her to Xaphan."
Lei's face was a mask of carved marble, her expression unreadable. She gazed at Meili , her voice firm and commanding. "Don't you get it? Lian isn't your squadmate, she's mine. My responsibility. My problem to solve. So don't come here trying to show pity on me. Just go focus on winning your own quest!"
Meili's face flared with anger and determination as she spoke, her voice trembling with indignation. "You know you can't do this alone, you need us! I know you, you only see her as a means to an end, don't you? A mere squadmate to complete the quest! If it were anyone else, you'd be singing a different tune, wouldn't you, Lei?" Meili's words dripped with accusation, her gaze piercing.
Lei's face darkened, her eyes flashing with warning. "Shut your mouth, Meili!"
But Meili refused to back down, her voice rising in defiance. "No, Lei, listen! This has nothing to do with Lian being your squadmate. She's Iron Fist, one of us! If it were any other friend, I'd fight tooth and nail to save them. I promised myself I wouldn't lose anyone else, and I'm not about to lose Lian!"
As the argument between Meili and Lei continued to escalate, the sky above began to darken, casting a golden orange glow over the scene. Rhett, Lei's brother, grew increasingly bored with the commotion. He had no patience for Meili's dramatics and Lei's stubbornness.
"Enough," Rhett said finally, his voice firm and commanding. "We've wasted enough time here. Jade, Xia, let's go."
Without hesitation, the two squadmates jumped up from their position and followed Rhett as he led the way to the surface. Kai watched as they went all the way to the top.
"Tsk,Cowards!" Fuse said, her voice faint.
As they emerged into the cool evening air, Rhett turned to his squadmates and said, "Let's get moving. We have a quest to complete, and I don't want to fall behind."
Jade and Xia nodded in agreement, their faces set with determination. Together, the three of them set off, leaving the drama and tension behind.
Meanwhile, Meili and Lei were left standing facing each other, their argument still unresolved.
Back in Iron Fist headquarters, Si-Fu Yagushi summoned Si-Fu Hibiki and Mei and told tell them to go and find zenkichi from the Golden Elite and their grandmaster Feng already gave him permit to do so.
Si-Fu Hibiki and Si-Fu Mei were taken aback by the request to search for Zenkichi. They
weren't sure why they were being sent to look for him.
Si-Fu Hibiki raised an eyebrow. "With all due respect, Gramps, why do we need to find Zenkichi? He hasn't bothered us since the last time we met, so why?"
Si-Fu Yagushi nodded solemnly.
"It's not just Zenkichi's disappearance that troubles me," Si-Fu Yagushi said, his voice laced with concern. "There's a deeper darkness at play." He paused, taking a deep breath as his face etched with worry. "I had a chilling conversation with Grandmaster Feng during the Dragon's Tournament. I brought up Zenkichi's name, and Feng's expression turned grave. He hadn't heard from Zenkichi in a long time, which suggests something sinister has occurred."
Si-Fu Yagushi's eyes narrowed. "I suspect someone has been masquerading as Zenkichi, infiltrating our headquarters to sow discord among the academies. But we foiled their plan, and now I need you to scour every corner to find Zenkichi. Grandmaster Feng and Jiang have agreed to do the same on their turf."
Si-Fu Mei's eyes widened in shock. "But how could this be? Who could pull off such a brazen deception?"
Si-Fu Hibiki's expression hardened, his eyes narrowing in determination. "I'm not sure but I have a person who might be behind this, Xaphan!" He exclaimed. "He alluded to having something planned the last time we encountered him. This must be what he was referring to, this is the time he chooses to implement it." He clenched his fists, his jaw tight with frustration.
"I don't know," Si-Fu Yagushi admitted, his voice grim. "But if it is indeed Xaphan's behind this, then we must find Zenkichi as soon as possible. Not only for his own safety, but for the safety of our warriors and the people of Wushu Guan." He looked to Hibiki and Mei, his gaze intense. "You two must find him as soon as possible. And if you come across any signs of Xaphan, report it immediately or try and take him down, but lets know when you see him, Alright!."