The air was heavy with unspoken threats, each group circling the other like predators sensing prey. The glint of steel, poised to strike, electrified the atmosphere with anticipation. Chang's smirk remained, but his eyes blazed with a challenge, daring Levi to make a move. "Big words for a small man," he taunted. "Let's see if you can put your money where your mouth is."
Levi's lip twisted into a snarl, his voice dropping to a low growl. "Small man, huh? You have no idea what you're up against, pal. Bujutsu: human transformation - Panther Shadow."
With a low growl, Levi's body began to transform. His muscles rippled and grew, his skin morphing into sleek, black fur. Dark, powerful energy surrounded him, turning him into a shadow-like panther, his eyes glowing like embers.
"So you've got some tricks up your sleeve," Chang sneered, though his confidence was shaken by Levi's sudden shift. In the blink of an eye, Nix caught Chang off guard with her blinding speed . With a cry, she unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks, the force of her blows hitting Chang like a hurricane.
BAM! POW! THUD!
Chang, taken by surprise, stumbled backwards, struggling to defend himself. "Not bad, little girl," he spat, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "But that wasn't enough to take me down. Taka! Rei!!"
"Is that so?" Nix smirked, her movements lightning-fast and precise.Then Nix, with her dark blue eyes gleaming with a fierce determination, unleashed her unique trait: her Kairo Vision. The air around her began to shimmer and hum - zzzz - as she harnessed the Kairo threads, using them to augment her speed and power.
Chang, his movements sluggish in comparison, could only watch in shock as Nix evaded his every attack with ease, her prowess fueled by the very threads of their world.
"Impossible!" Chang exclaimed, rage simmering in his eyes. "How can you move so fast?!"
Nix's smile grew wider, her eyes flashing with excitement. "You see, Chang, my Kairo Vision allows me to tap into the very fabric of this place. I can manipulate the threads to enhance my speed, strength, and agility." She demonstrated her point with a swift kick, her foot flashing through the air - swish!
Chang snarled, his face reddening with rage. "That's absurd, even for a warrior at our age!" he spat, his fists clenched.
Nix chuckled, her laughter like music - tinkling, melodic. "I thought you'll be much of a stretch but it seems you're worse than I thought. It's pretty clear now the kind of warriors the Phoenix and Iron Fist harbor, unqualified talentless losers." She dodged his attack with ease, her movements fluid and graceful
SWISH!
Taka and Rei, who had been watching the exchange, finally stepped forward, their eyes fixed intently on Nix. "Enough," Taka growled, his voice low and menacing. "We'll take her down together."
At Taka's words, Levi, still in his panther-like form, moved to intercept the Tokugawa warriors. His body blurred, disappearing into the shadows, only to reappear behind Rei with a low growl.
WHOOSH!
Rei, startled by the sudden appearance, dodged out of the way just in time, her crimson wings flaring as she attempted to counterattack. But Levi, quicker than a shadow, evaded her strike with ease, his form shifting back into human form.
Levi smirked, the tip of his blade pointed directly at her throat.
With a fluid movement, Rei shifted into a defensive stance, her wings flaring as she took in her opponent.
"I've heard of you, Levi Sukuna," she said, her voice as sharp as her gaze. "They say you're one of the top warriors at the Golden Elite Academy."
Levi's smirk widened, his eyes glinting with a dark amusement. "If that's what you've heard, then I'm sure you know what you're up against?"
"Oh, I know exactly what I'm up against," Rei replied, her voice like silk over steel. "A arrogant, shadow-dweller who's nothing but trouble."
Levi chuckled, his laughter harsh and mocking. "Well, aren't you full of surprises? Tell me, bird-girl, are you as quick on your feet as you are with your tongue?"
"We'll see," Rei shot back, a deadly smile curling her lips. "How about we put your little shadow-panther to the test?"
As the two warriors continued their verbal sparring, Taka Tokugawa made his move. With a roar, he conjured a ring of fire around the three of them, the heat blistering the air around them.
"You wanna play with fire, shadow boy?" Taka snarled, his eyes flashing with a dangerous light. "Let's see how you like this."
The flames danced and twisted, forming into the shape of a fiery phoenix that soared towards Levi.
"Boring," Levi scoffed, his dark eyes glinting with amusement. "Were you expecting some cheap trick like this to scare me? Your fire is nothing but a warm glow in the darkness."
With a flash of black, Levi disappeared into the shadows, reappearing behind Taka in a blur of movement. "Now, you've got two choices," he said, his blade poised at the boy's neck. "You both can give up, or you can become my next kill."
Ryou, still in shock from the ferocity of the battle, watched as both Rei and Taka dropped their weapons, surrendering to Levi's power.
The panther-like creature had reduced two Phoenix Academy warriors to cowering wrecks, all within the span of a few heartbeats.
Taka, her eyes cast down, said nothing as she waited for Levi's next move. Rei, trembling with anger and fear, spoke up, her voice tinged with defiance. "I knew we never stood a chance against you, Levi Sukuna. It's clear to me now, you're one of the clans' gifted fighters. But I'll ask for one thing, after the tournament..." She took a deep breath, her voice quivering slightly. "Please make me your disciple."
Levi's eyes narrowed, his gaze boring into her soul. "And why would I ever do that? " Levi scoffed, a sneer curling his lips. "The very idea is laughable. It'll just be a waste of time, You can barely hold your own in a fight? I'm yet to be a tiger warrior, I can't be your babysitter. So the answer is no, Rei."
Rei's face turned red in embarrassment, she turned her facw to the ground. "I–I understand."
Levi's response stung like a poisoned arrow, piercing through Rei's confidence and pride. With her head bowed, she struggled to hold back the tears of humiliation that threatened to spill over.
Levi turned away over to his squadmate Nix, as she delivered the final blow to Chang, as he collapsed to the ground, his body battered and bruised.
Nix, stared down at him, her eyes cold and unyielding. "That's should be enough," she spat, her voice dripping with disdain.
Chang, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, let out a weak chuckle. "You've got spunk, girl. I'll give you that. But don't think this is ov....eer," he said before trailing off into oblivion.
As Chang's words trailed off into oblivion, Nix turned away from his battered body, her gaze falling on Levi. "We're done here," she said, her voice devoid of emotion. "Let's grab their relics and skedaddle."
With Chang in their arms, Rei and Taka Tokugawa gave up their relics and chances of qualifying the round and vanished into the forest, their footsteps fading into the dark.
Levi nodded, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. "Lucky for us, Nix," he replied, his eyes gleaming with wicked humor. "They had all we needed, the Jade Amulet and also a silver badge. All's left is the Golden scroll, which can wait."
"Why", Nix said. "Why? Because patience is a virtue, Nix," Levi replied, his smirk deepening. "And a cold-blooded warrior like me knows the value of strategy. We're not going to risk getting caught off guard in the middle of the night. Besides, I'm sure those fools at the Iron Fist Academy will find the Golden Scroll soon enough, and then we can...borrow it from them."
Nix chuckled, her eyes gleaming with mirth. "I get you, Levi," she said, her tone playful yet respectful.
As Levi and Nix turned to Ryou, his presence suddenly seemed to weigh on them like a heavy fog. "Hey loser," Levi said, his voice low and level. "I thought you wanted to prove yourself, or you expect us to do all the work right, you low life...."
Ryou Sukuna let Levi's words wash over him like a wave, his expression unreadable. He remained silent for a long moment, his eyes distant, as if he were in the throes of deep thought. Then, slowly, he spoke.
"I'll admit, I underestimated you," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'll also admit, now I understand the kind of competition I'm up against. But make no mistake, Levi, this isn't over yet.
"You know, Ryou, I have to admit," Levi drawled, his tone dripping with sarcasm, "for a guy who just got beaten up easily by us, you're pretty full of yourself."
Nix, standing at Levi's side, let out a bark of laughter. "Oh, come on, Levi, he's just trying to save face," she said, her eyes gleaming with humor.
"Well let's get going, this time to go help out Elia," Levi turned away from Ryou, his gaze already scanning the forest for their next route. "Let's go, Nix," he said, his voice crisp and efficient. "We've got a tournament to win, most importantly we need our sqaudmate safe."
Nix snorted, giving Ryou a dismissive wave. "Bye, loser," she said, her voice dripping with mock sympathy. "Don't strain yourself too hard trying to catch up with us."
Ryou watched them go, his gaze intense and unblinking.
Levi, his gaze unwavering, gave Ryou a measured nod. "Fine," he said, his voice curt and matter-of-fact. "You can join us. But make no mistake, this isn't some kind of alliance. We're kicking your ass after this, and it only gets worse if Elia's hurt."
Ryou nodded, his eyes narrow and focused. "Understood," he replied, his voice like steel.
Nix snorted, her voice laced with amusement. "Don't sound so confident, you're sure to get your ass kicked."
Ryou nodded, the ghost of a smile flitting across his face. "Understood, you guy's . Lead the way."
In a secluded corner of the forest, the two mischievous figures stood in conversation, their words low and urgent.
As Xaphan laid out his plan, Zirkyu's anticipation grew, his eyes gleaming with hunger. "I'm listening, My Lord," he said, his voice filled with reverence. "How do you plan to convince the boy to betray his people this time?"
"Ah, yes, the fool still clings to his delusions of honor and duty," Xaphan mused, a glint of amusement flickering in his eyes. "How quaint. But I shall shatter his illusions with the truth about his lineage, the secret his precious Si-Fu has kept from him all these years. The boy is a Guoshu, descended from the Royal Wushu Long Family, and it's only a matter of time before he embraces his true power."
As Xaphan's words echoed throughout the cave, two figures emerged from the shadows, their gazes fixed on the Zirkyu.
"You!" Lei shouted, his eyes blazing with fury. "I knew we'd find you, how are you alive?! What do you want with Lian? "
Xaphan, unmoved by Lei's outburst, let out a low, dangerous chuckle. "So the talentless Hanzo princess has finally decided to show up," he purred, his voice smooth and silken. "I must say, I'm impressed by your tenacity. How were you able to track us so fast, you don't seem like the type to be able to do that so well. You know what I mean, haha!"
Elia, her dark blue eyes flashing with fury, stepped forward, her body tensing with rage. "Don't you dare speak to her like that, especially in front of me" she growled, her voice deadly calm. "And for your information, your dealing with a top rank hanzo member of the Golden Elite Academy. Tracking is the least am capable of, you better know who your dealing with."
Xaphan, his grin widening, he thought, "Oh my, what visual prowess. The Hanzo clan managed to create such with an exceptional eyesight. Perhaps she'll be worth my time?!"
"A top-ranked Hanzo Elite, I see," Xaphan said, his eyes glinting with dark amusement. "I must admit, I'm impressed by your exceptional abilities. But even with those skills, you don't stand a chance against Zirkyu."
He continued, his voice dripping with venom, "Your power, prowess, and extraordinary vision are nothing compared to the forces I command."
With a subtle nod, Xaphan signaled Zirkyu, and the silent warrior sprinted into the forest.
"Now, princess," Xaphan purred, his gaze fixed on Elia, "let's see if you live up to your claims. Are you truly formidable, or all talk?"
Lei stepped forward, fists still clenched, his voice thick with anger. "You won't lay a hand on her."
Xaphan's grin widened, his eyes gleaming with malice. "Touch her?" he repeated, his voice dripping with mockery. "I'm gonna do more than that, I'm killing you both."