Shu vs The Ox King (Rematch)

A full day had finally passed in the real world, marking the end of Shu's intense training. As he stepped out of the cave, he immediately noticed something strange.

“Weird… my body feels incredibly light all of a sudden,” Shu muttered, stretching his limbs.

Hanz smirked. “Nice to see you noticed. That means the training worked perfectly. Your muscles were constantly tensed because we were always moving at superhuman speeds. You fought like that too—getting hit, falling, moving non-stop at that pace. Your body was always under pressure. But now, since you're moving at normal speed again, your muscles have relaxed. That’s why you feel lighter, more flexible. And yeah… you’re actually stronger now than you were a few minutes ago.”

“Nice. Now it's time to kick some Ox butt,” Shu said with a grin, slamming his fist into his palm.

Hanz chuckled. “You need new clothes first. The ones you’re wearing are practically rags.”

Shu looked down and finally noticed the state of his outfit—torn up, full of cuts and holes. “Huh… didn’t even realize. Guess I was too focused. So, what do we do?”

“I’ve got some clothes back in the cave. Pick out whatever you think’ll fit,” Hanz offered casually.

Shu zipped back inside and returned a moment later wearing a red zip-up jacket—unzipped, no shirt underneath—and black joggers.

“I always liked your weird clothes,” Shu said, grinning. “How do I look?”

“Honestly? It works,” Hanz smirked. “Now it’s time for you to face the Ox King again—and this time, kick his ass.”

He watched Shu with a thoughtful gaze. He really looks like Christopher… even his cheerful attitude. Maybe it runs in the family. After all, he is Christopher’s great-great-great-grandfather…

Shu closed his eyes, focusing as he scanned the area for the Ox King’s dark Kantar. Once he locked onto it, he teleported instantly.

The Ox King had been rampaging in the southern outskirts of Pata Village. When Shu appeared before him, the beast growled, its voice demonic.

“You again? Wasn’t the first beating enough? You mortals really are stupid to a fault.”

Shu calmly pulled his staff from his pocket and extended it to full size. A smirk tugged at his lips. “Why don’t you come teach me a lesson, then?”

The Ox King roared and charged, but Shu responded instantly—slamming him with the staff and knocking the demon back into the forest to avoid further damage to the village.

Once they were deep in the woods, Shu teleported again, appearing right in front of the Ox King. With precise control, he increased his staff's weight to 20 tons and swung it with full force at the beast’s jaw. The blow cracked through bone, shattering the Ox King’s jaw.

The demon howled in pain and rage before lunging again, but Shu raised his palm, lacing the creature’s body with a faint red aura made of Kantar—freezing it in place.

Intent on ending the fight, Shu transformed his staff into a massive flaming blade. He launched forward, aiming for the Ox King’s neck.

But just as he swung, the aura binding the Ox King shifted from red to purple—and the beast broke free. With a vicious roar, it slammed Shu to the ground and began pummeling him mercilessly.

Having had enough, Shu raised one arm and, with a grunt, tossed the Ox King off him like trash. The demon flew backward, smashing through trees before crashing to the ground with a thunderous impact.

Realizing Shu’s strength had drastically increased, the Ox King grew afraid for the first time in its life. It roared to the heavens, its body shrinking, muscles compressing. It transformed from a towering brute into a lean, human-sized form—its Kantar spiking even higher.

Shu blinked in shock. “What the hell…? That transformation made him smaller?” He could sense the power spike, but the Ox King looked far less intimidating now.

Wasting no time, the transformed Ox King attacked. Its speed had increased dramatically, and this time, it was Shu who found himself on the defensive.

But Shu’s eyes glinted with determination. “Fist of the Great Lion… power increase: tenfold.”

His own Kantar surged, his muscle mass expanding as he matched the Ox King’s strikes. Power-wise, Shu had the edge. But the Ox King's new form was fast—faster than before—and their clash turned into a brutal contest of strength vs. speed.

The tide shifted back and forth, until Shu overcommitted on a sword swing and missed. The Ox King seized the opening, channeling all its power into a single punch. It landed clean on Shu’s ribs, sending him flying. He hit the ground hard, coughing up blood as he clutched his side.

The Ox King let out a wicked laugh. “You had me scared there for a moment. You were strong… for a mortal. But your fate was always sealed. Time to die.”

A massive ball of Kantar began forming in its hand before the Ox King hurled it at Shu.

The demon’s laughter echoed—until the ball began to shrink… and then disappeared.

Standing in front of Shu was a massive red dragon, its jaws finishing the last bits of the energy sphere. With its power now supercharged, the dragon opened its mouth and unleashed a hellstorm of fire—hotter and more deadly than even the flames from the dragon in the cave.

The blaze blinded the Ox King, swallowing everything in its path.

The demon roared and eventually blew the flames away—but that was all Shu needed.

In the moment the flames cleared, Shu appeared right in front of the Ox King, blazing sword in hand. Without hesitation, he drove it through the demon’s chest, the blade emerging from its back.

The Ox King coughed up a thick, black substance—its blood. And just like that, the beast was dead.

To ensure the kill was confirmed, Shu sliced off the Ox King’s head and brought it back to the King of Pata. Gasps filled the throne room. The warriors stared, stunned, as they realized someone had actually managed to kill the demon.

True to his word, the king rewarded Shu with food, clothing, and enough money to support twenty men for four years.

Shu thanked him and then teleported to where he sensed the Kantar of his mother and Tobi. He landed right in front of them in Pata’s bustling market square.

Hannah blinked, startled by her son’s sudden appearance—and even more shocked by the massive amount of luggage and his foreign new outfit.

“What happened?” she asked, wide-eyed.

Shu simply smirked. “It’s a long story.”

He was about to say more but suddenly froze mid-sentence. “Wait a second… I forgot something.”

He vanished, reappearing moments later back in the cave with Hanz.

“Hey, Hanz,” he said with a grin. “What do you say about joining me on my adventures? I promise it'll be fun.”

Hanz shrugged. “Sure. It’s not like I’ve got anything better to do.”

He placed a hand on Shu’s shoulder, and the two of them teleported back to Hannah and Tobi.

Shu introduced Hanz to the group and explained everything that had happened.

And just like that, another chapter in Shu’s journey came to a close—this time, with a new companion by his side.