Before him loomed two figures, their auras so vast and oppressive that Shifu’s very essence quivered. It was as if he stood before the great Storm Dragon itself.
One figure was an ogre, wreathed in surging purple fmes that licked at the heavens. a pristine white hakama, he exuded an a, primal might. His bde, a naginata, glowed with a power so profound it made Shifu’s incorporeal soul tremble. Eaent he made rippled with an authority that decred him a ruler of destru.
Fag him was a girl—a silhouette sleek bck metal, her armlowing faintly with a foreboding red light. Shifu’s thoughts stuttered as reition stirred within him. She looked familiar, impossibly so. Yet here she stood, her presence radiant with an unnatural resilience, like an indomitable cept given life.
Then, they cshed.
The world seemed to scream. The ogre’s bde desded with the force of a cataclysm, obliterating the very grouh him. Fmes and light erupted, erasiire regions as if the nd itself were ed by his wrath. But the girl stood unyielding. She absorbed the storm as though it were nothing more than a passing breeze, her body glowing with power.
The ogre leapt skyward, his fmes spiraling into a massive inferno, rainiation upon her. She answered with a roar of her own, unleashing beams of light and monstrous serpents fed of poison. Her ons emerged endlessly, ons and sers erupting in a cacophony of uiru.
Shifu could only watch as their battle raged on, a dance of chaos and might. The ogre deflected her endless barrage with ease, his bde spinning like a cye of divine precision. The girl, uerred, called forth a massive beast, a creature that towered above them both, shielding her with vines and light. But the ogre tore through it, his blows unstoppable, his form swelling with an a power that made the heavens weep.
Time seemed to blur as they traded blows. The girl transformed into a monstrous avatar, her cws raking at the ogre’s flesh, her fangs dripping with venom. The ogre responded, growing up to her size and with a flurry of strikes, each blow tearing apart her armor, her monstrous form crumbling to reveal the girl once more.
Finally, as the battle reached its peak, Shifu felt the world itself hold its breath. A brilliant sphere of light emerged from the girl’s chest, lifting both batants into the air. The ogre bellowed in defiance, his naginata glowing with the fury of the sun, while the girl closed her eyes, whispering a quiet farewell.
A pilr of fmes erupted, ing them both. The brilliance blinded Shifu’s senses, leaving only silen its wake. When his sight returhe battlefield was unreizable, a wastend carved by gods.
"A beholding sight, is it not? O desdant of mine." A voied from behind Shifu, f him to jump in shock.
'Jump?' Shifu looked at his hands, realising that he now has a body. He looked at the owner of the voice.
Before him was the ogre from before, white from head to toe, with his long white hair flowing in an Unknown breeze.
His surroundings immediately ged into a bnk room, the only thing notable being the tatami floors.
The ogre sat down in the middle of the room. "To think she gave you my name." A small table appeared before him. "e, sit with me desdant."
Shifu slowly moved to the middle of the room, sitting on the opposite side of the table. "So you, you're..."
The white cd ogre chuckled. "I am Shifu Nifo Ogre Odora! But you my desdant may call me Lord Shifu."
Shifu nodded. "Right. Lord Shifu. May I ask a question?"
Lord Shifu nodded. "Go ahead."
"What was that? Back there, that wasn't just any battle. What was that?" Shifu cried in rapid breaths.
Lord Shifu chuckled again. "That, desdant, was the battle to decide my successor."
"Successor?" Shifu wondered out loud.
Lord Shifu leaned back, his posture rexed but exuding an undeniable authority. His gaze bore into Shifu with an iy that made him feel both honored and uneasy.
"Indeed," Lord Shifu said, his voice calm yet brimming with power. "A successor to i not just my strength, but the will and burden that es with it. You see, my time in the mortal realm was glorious, but nn sts forever. Even legends must one day step aside. That battle you witnessed... it was the st of tless battles, meant to determine orthy of carrying forth my legacy. I've been known by many titles, but the most ret would be lord of the Ogres."
Shifu swallowed, his throat dry. "And who... who won?"
A knowing smile crept across Lord Shifu’s face, his crimson eyes glinting with a flicker of pride. "She did. That girl, the armor of endless night. She was my chosen successor. Though her methods were unventional, her determination and spirit surpassed even the mightiest warriors. She carries the legacy with honor, and now... so do you."
Shifu’s mind raced. "Did she actually defeat you? Wait, me? But why? I’m not... I mean, I’m strong, but I’m not like her."
Lord Shifu's smile softened. "Do you think strength is measured by power alone, my desdant? True strength lies not in overwhelming force but in the heart that wields it. She saw something in you, a will to grow, and a loyalty that ot be shaken. What I see, is a challenge."
"A challenge?"
"To surpass me," Lord Shifu said simply, his tone leaving no room for doubt. "The girl possesses my power, but only an Ogre wield it to its full potential. So she chose you. You are now part of a lihat spauries, bound by the weight of time itself."
Shifu’s fists ched. "But... to rule? I ’t... not after what I've done."
Lord Shifu let out a deep ugh, the sound reverberating through the room like a drumbeat. "Your memories say different, young ogre. I know your mind. You wanted better lives, you all did. What you did was wrong, yes. But not unatonable. You are only mortal. You will stumble, you will fall, but each time, you will rise strohat is the essence of the name you now bear."
The room fell silent as Shifu processed the words. He looked down at his hands, stained with 'His' blood.
"What must I do, Lord Shifu?" he asked, his voice steadier now.
Lord Shifu’s expression turned serious. "You must first master yourself. My power is chaos, and a name as mighty as ours demands discipline. When you return to the mortal realm, the pranted by this name will begin to awaken. It will test you, push you to your limits, and perhaps beyond. But if you persevere, you will bee strohan you imagine."
"And Kaede?" Shifu asked. "What happens to her?"
"She is your leader, your ally, and perhaps one day, your equal," Lord Shifu replied. "But for now, she walks her path, and you walk yours. Protect her, for she carries not only my legacy but that of many. Together, you will fe a future that none foresee."
Shifu nodded, determinatioling in his heart. "I won’t let you down. Or her."
A shallow red cup appeared in the middle of the table, beside the cup, a grey bottle appeared as well. Lord Shifu grabbed the bottle, p a clear liquid into the shallow cup, he hahe cup to Shifu. "Then drink, my desdant. Bear my h pride and carve your own legend into the annals of history."
Shifu received the cup, gng at the swirling liquid for a moment, before taking a long sip. It was hot, as it went down his throat.
The tatami room began to fade, the surroundings dissolving into light. Shifu felt a rush of energy course through him as Lord Shifu’s voice echoed o time.
"Remember, Shifu. Strength lies not in might but in the resolve to protect what you hold dear. Go forth, and make your name immortal."
---
Shifu awoke with a sharp gasp, his body trembling as newfound power surged through his veins. The dim glow of Kaede's holographic map greeted him, along with the ed face of Kaede herself.
"Shifu? Are you okay?" she asked, kneeling beside him. "You look so different."
He blihe memory of the vision still fresh in his mind. Slowly, he rose to his feet, his movements steady and deliberate. His bance felt off, looking at himself, he saw that his size had reduced, and his skin colour had ged, but he felt stronger, strohan ever, more pact.
"I'm fine," he said, his voice carrying a newfound strength. He turo Kaede, meeting her gaze with unwaveriermination. "And I’m ready. Let’s plete this mission..."
Kaede smiled, a hint of relief in her expression. "Good."
Shifu smiled, even as he heard the voice of the world.
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