The Thief’s Gambit
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The night air crackled with tension as Guren's attack on Raifu Island began. The island was usually a place of serenity, but now it felt like a battlefield waiting for its first blow. Haruto stood near the sacred tree, his eyes scanning the area, while Roshi and Shen braced themselves in front of him, their bodies tense and ready. Guren approached with his subordinates in tow, a cruel smile spreading across his face.
"You've been waiting for me, haven't you?" Guren's voice was cold, almost amused, as he sauntered forward. "But did you really think it would be this easy?"
Roshi and Shen exchanged a glance, their resolve hardening. Without another word, the battle began.
Guren moved swiftly, launching a series of sharp strikes toward the two young disciples. Roshi reacted first, electricity crackling in his hands as he deflected Guren's attack. Shen followed with a burst of wind, forcing Guren back, but the rogue warrior was quick to counter. His movements were fluid, precise, but Roshi and Shen had trained hard for this moment. Together, they were able to keep Guren at bay, matching his strikes with their combined elemental control.
Guren smirked, impressed. "You are strong. But this won't be enough."
The sound of clashing fists and crackling energy echoed through the clearing as the fight raged on. Roshi summoned small arcs of lightning, using them to keep Guren at a distance, while Shen's mastery of the wind allowed him to dodge and counter with ease. For a moment, it seemed they were holding their own.
But Guren wasn't playing for time.
Nearby, Haruto stood vigilant, guarding the sacred tree as the fruit neared its final moments of ripening. Its glow grew brighter, signaling the power it contained. He knew Guren would stop at nothing to claim it, and every second the battle dragged on brought them closer to that critical moment.
Suddenly, the fruit began to shimmer. Haruto's eyes widened. It was time.
Just as the fruit ripened, a flicker of movement caught his eye. The fruit—glowing brightly within the tree—disappeared.
"What—?!" Haruto's heart raced as he scanned the area frantically. The fruit was gone, and yet no one had approached the tree. How could this have happened?
Before he could react, Guren's mocking laughter cut through the night air.
"Looking for something?" Guren's voice dripped with amusement as he glanced back at Haruto, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "You didn't think I came without a plan, did you?"
Haruto's eyes darted across the battlefield. Suddenly, one of Guren's subordinates appeared, materializing from thin air near the base of the tree. Camouflage. He had been hiding there the entire time, waiting for the right moment to strike. The subordinate held the sacred fruit in his hand, its glow pulsating with immense power.
The subordinate ran towards Guren but Haruto was able to stop him with wind but he could not stop his hand from throwing the fruit to Guren.
Roshi and Shen turned toward the commotion, their faces twisting in shock. "No!" Roshi shouted, moving to intercept as the fruit flew towards Guren.
But it was too late. The subordinate smirked and hurled the fruit through the air, straight into Guren's waiting hand.
Guren caught the fruit effortlessly, his grin widening. "You thought you could outsmart me?" He mockingly tossed the fruit into the air before catching it again. "This was always my plan."
Without hesitation, Guren sank his teeth into the fruit, consuming it in a matter of moments. A surge of power rippled through his body, his aura flaring with newfound intensity. The ground beneath him trembled slightly as the power of the sacred fruit coursed through his veins.
Roshi's heart sank as Guren's energy spiked. "No..."
Guren stretched his arms, relishing the sensation of his increased strength. "This is the power of Raifu Island's most sacred relic? It's... intoxicating." His eyes gleamed with arrogance as he turned back toward Roshi and Shen. "You never stood a chance."
In an instant, Guren's attacks became far more ferocious. The air itself seemed to bend under the weight of his power as he launched a series of crushing blows toward Roshi and Shen. Roshi barely managed to block a strike, the force of it sending him stumbling backward. Shen attempted to counter with a blast of wind, but Guren swatted it away effortlessly.
The gap in their strength was suddenly all too clear. Guren, now empowered by the sacred fruit, was on a completely different level. Roshi and Shen fought with everything they had, but each strike felt more desperate than the last.
Guren's laughter echoed through the night as he toyed with them, his attacks growing more brutal with each passing moment. "Is this the best you can do?" he taunted, his voice dripping with condescension. "I expected more from Mutaito's prized students."
Shen gritted his teeth, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth as he struggled to stand. "We... we're not done yet."
Roshi's body ached, his muscles screaming in protest as he pushed himself to keep going. "We... have to..."
But before they could mount another defense, Guren struck with a final, devastating blow, sending both Roshi and Shen crashing to the ground.
As they lay on the ground, battered and beaten, a familiar voice cut through the haze of their pain.
"Well done, my students," came the calm, steady voice of Master Mutaito. "You've done all you can. Now... let me handle the rest."
Roshi's vision blurred, but he could just make out the form of his master standing tall before them. Master Mutaito's presence radiated strength and calm, his expression unreadable as he stepped forward to face Guren.
Guren's smug grin faltered slightly as he took in the sight of Mutaito. "So, you've come to die with them?"
Mutaito didn't respond. He simply raised his hand, a faint aura glowing around him as he prepared to face the rogue warrior.