"Students."

Despite having been moments away from losing consciousness, Dan feels a burst of strength surging through his body upon hearing the voice, urging him to stay conscious.

"Close your eyes."

The calm yet deafening voice echoes across the valley, causing Instructor Hue and the masked men to tremble. Upon hearing the voice, they suddenly feel their heartbeats pause. The voice carries with it a stifling aura, making it feel like air is being ripped straight from their lungs.

At the center of the crater, Instructor Hue's racing heart comes to a complete halt, not daring to complete its current beat. His eyes, the only part of his body that can still move, watch helplessly as a tall man appears out of thin air before Dan and Anning. The man reaches down, gently cradling Anning in one arm before helping Dan straighten his legs.

"Instr- Ins- Instructor S- Sun… An- Anning. S-sh- Anning is going t-" Dan stutters as bloodied tears stream from the corners of his tightly shut eyes.

“She’ll be here soon.” Sun declares upon retracting the aura from his voice, making it so that only Dan could hear him. “Wipe your tears. Control your breathing. Steady your legs.”

Sun watches as Dan wipes the tears and snot from his face before taking a deep breath. Seeing the boy steady his trembling legs and regain his composure despite the pain, he smiles and ruffles his hair.

"Open your eyes."

Dan opens his eyes, blinking a few times to clear his vision before lifting his gaze toward the crimson glow. Upon meeting his instructor's eyes, he is greeted by a warm smile. As he gazes at the towering figure before him, everything else begins to fade away.

From the toiling skies above to the sundered earth below, from torrential rain crashing down to crimson blood coursing through, everything fades into nothingness.

"Do you want to be a great man, Yi Dan?"

Still stunned by the emptiness around them, Dan subconsciously nods.

"Then stand tall. Stand tall to instill confidence in others. Even beneath the unimaginable weight of responsibilities, you must stand tall for your friends and family…”

Hearing Sun’s words, Dan is enlightened to the deeper meaning behind his father’s words. Though it's only a shallow understanding, he can finally feel the gravity of unimaginable responsibilities.

Seeing the brightness in Dan’s eyes, Sun steps toward his student and wraps his arm around the boy's shoulder. With both students in his arms, Sun lifts his heels and ascends from the crater. Upon landing on solid ground, he sets Dan onto his feet before cradling Anning in his unbroken arm.

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"Yi Dan."

Hearing his name, Dan feels the strange experience start to fade away. As the world around him materializes back into existence, he realizes that he's no longer standing in the crater. Atop the soft and lush soil, Dan gazes at the crater and the scarred battlefield beyond. His eyes focus on the elm tree at the center of the sundered lands, hoping to be reunited with his friends.

"No matter what happens, stand tall."

Dan watches as his instructor turns around to face the crashing rain and raging gale. Sun disappears from where he stands, reappearing beneath the elm tree. A smile sweeps across Dan's face as he watches his friends return to his side one by one.

Upon setting the last of the seven students from Instructor Hue's group down, Sun places his palm on the ground and erects a barrier. He rises, turning back towards the battlefield, and makes his way past the barrier.

"Even if the full weight of the sky descends upon you, stand tall and endure."

Upon stepping past the barrier, Sun sends his aura across the entire valley, causing the ground to tremor violently. Mud and water begin to lift from the ground, rising slowly toward the sky.

"Even if the darkness of this world tries to drag you down, stand tall and persist."

He pauses his steps beyond the barrier, one foot in front of the other.

"For that is the responsibility of great men."

A crimson aura condenses around his hand, extending outward like a blade. Sun lifts the blade in front of his eyes, keeping it perfectly parallel to the ground, as he bends his knees.

"That is the responsibility of my first disciple."

Closing his crimson eyes, Sun takes a deep breath. His master's voice echoes in his heart, calling out to him. Remnants of a distant past begin to flash across his mind. Perhaps it's a fragment of his dream. Perhaps his master really is standing beside him, scolding him for forgetting the teachings.

Sun doesn't care to find out. Just the memory of his master's endearing voice is enough. The memory of their precious time together... It's more than enough.

Master, I’m sorry. Once more… I must break my oath.

A gentle aura falls upon his shoulder. Feeling the familiar aura, Sun smiles, knowing that his master is still with him. The voice rings in his mind once again, calling him a little rascal. With the endearing laughter by his side and his family behind him, the crimson aura surrounding Sun begins to crack before breaking off into millions of pieces. As the fragments float away with the wind, so do the guilt that had been following him for a thousand years.

“When the Heavens come crashing down…”

The blade that cleaved the Heavens…

His eyes snap open as he exhales. The crimson glow that once plagued them is nowhere to be seen. Instead, a brilliant blue emanates from his eyes and sweeps across his whole body. The light radiates outwards, expelling the crimson glow from his blade.

“When the world is torn asunder…”

The blade that sundered the earth…

The mud and water floating toward the sky suddenly pause, vibrating violently in response to the changing atmosphere. Sun kicks his back foot forward, stomping it towards the ground a split moment later. Upon impact, the debris floating in the air all comes crashing down. Carrying through with the momentum, he swings the brilliant blue blade. The tip of the blade rips into the ground, tearing through the mud beneath his feet before ascending toward the stormy skies.

“...you must remain standing to protect their smiles and dreams.”

…to keep my promise.