CHAPTER 104: SHIBI VS. PO

Shibi dove over Po’s fast moving head, surprising Zen, whose heart jumped when the snake attacked his long time beast companion. Shibi landed on the back of the nakes head where it beat it with its paws. The snake slipped from his grasp and lunged at him again but Shibi barrel rooled to the side and smacked its head when he was on his feet.

“Annoying pest!” Po said as he lunged again.

Shibi dodged but before he could retaliate, was smacked aside by the snake’s tail, which glowed in white ki. Shibi rolled on the ground and got up dazed.

“Shibi!’ Zen shouted as Po slithered quickly over the grass over a swaying Shibi.

At the last moment, Shibi dove up, avoiding its lunge. The til whipped out and smacked Shibi out from the air and into the ground. Shibi yelped as he landed but when he got up, he held fast onto Po’s tail, now no longer shining in ki. Shibi bot into the tail like it was a piece of corn.

Po yelped in pain as he tried to wiggle his tail free. He pulled, sending Shibi into the air with each swish of its tail but Shibi held fast, having to abandon his bite. Shibi was slammed on his back. Shibi got up and prepared to take another bite. Just as his teeth reached his tail, it began to glow in ki, providing an area he could not fully pierce through.

Po slithered for Shibi and lunged at him. Shibi pulled, throwing the lunge off. With great effort, Shibi swung the snake around ad slammed its body along the ground. Po got up and sent his ki flowing to his tail and wiggled his tail free. The long tail dragged back beside the hissing Po.

“Play time is over, little ape.” Po said. “Now, I get serious.”

Shibi leapt back as a small earth spike shot from the ground.

“What?” Fuu said in amazement. “It can use Earth Techniques!”

“It is an Emperor Snake,” Cong said. “They have an Earth nature.”

Po slithered swiftly at Shibi, sending out Earth spikes. When he was within range, Shibi had to deal with quick lunges of fangs, spikes of earth and swishes of a ki wreathed tail. It was difficult for Zen to follow the fight but it seemed Shibi was doing a good job of dodging but he wandered for how long.

Shibi out distanced the snake but to his surprise, Po sent out three rock projectiles. He dodged two and was hit by one which dropped him to the ground. Po tried to bit at him but Shibi rolled out of the way, leaving the snake to close its mouth around empty air. Shibi kept jumping back but was suddenly slammed into the ground by the ki tail like a fly against a swatter.

Shibi tried to get up but the tail slammed on his back again, sending debris into the air as his body was crushed flat against the ground. Shibi once again tried to get up as soon as Po eased pressure from his tail.

“Foolish monkey!” Po said s he slammed his tail into Shibi multiple times. “I will tenderize your meat before I at you whole!” It happened multiple times, creating a smoke screen of dust and debris.

When the dust settled, Shibi was still getting up. Po’s tail rose once again…

“Shibi,” Zen said under his breath, clenching his fist.

The tail fell down with spite and smashed down but it did not meet Shibi’s back for the orage and red monkey had grabbed it. Shibi’s legs trembled but he held strong. Twisting around in the air, Shibi mounted the green body of the snake and began running along its length.

“Just die!” Po shouted before lunging for Shibi who dodged the lunge. His fist began glowing and sparkling in ki before it throttled into Po’s face.

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“Dazzling Jab!” Fuu said excitedly.

Zen shared her excitement, looking as Shibi Dazzling Jab after Dazzling Jab into Po. The snake looked more like a dizzy boxer, throwing attacks at phantom opponents while being throttled.

“This will not work.”

Zen looked at Cong. “What?”

“Dazzling Jab is a move mainly to disorient an opponent.” Cong explained. “It is meant to open up an opponent for stronger damaging move. Shibi would probably cause more damager with a normal ki strengthened punch.”

“Wait,” Fuu said. “Shibi is a Scorch Ape, right? He should be able to use Fire Techniques like the snake being able to use Earth techniques. So Shibi should be able to do that. Right Zen? Right?”

Zen could do nothing but watch. The Dazzling Jabs had to be enough. Then it happened… In one moment, Shibi was punching Po with another Dazzlig Jab and in the next, the snake had coiled its length around the ape’s body.

“You have been amusing, scum monkey but now you are caught.” The snake said as the sun sank below the horizon, plunging the sky into night.

Po was bruised and dirty but he smirked as he saw the ape in is body begin to struggle to breath. Shibi’s eyes grew bloodshot as his mouth foamed in the corners.

“Shibi,” Zen gritted his teeth.

“I knew your monkey could not do it alone.” Chen said.

Zen glared at Chen.

“But I guess we can’t blame it.” Chen said with a smirk. “After all, it had you as a master. Weakness teaches weakness.”

“Don’t talk! You know nothing about my brother!” Zen snapped.

“Brother?” Chen said.

“Shibi,” Zen turned to the beast, fading with each breath. “You can do this, Shibi. You can escape! I believe in you!”

Shibi’s eyes drooped, slowly closing but before they could close… they snapped wide open. Shibi’s fur began to glow and rise. Small embers slowly rose from his glowing fur. Shibi gritted his teeth before throwing his head back and emptying the last air he had in his lungs in a shout. Shibi bursted into flame!

Po recoiled from the monkey with a yelp.

“Shibi did it,” Cong said with wide eyes. “He was able to release his innate fire element!”

The flame engulfing Shibi threw a orange light on everyone. Through the fire, Shibi’s silhouette could be seen with his big ember glowing eyes. Shibi began swaying forward, leaving a trail of fire on the brown grass beneath feet. He jumped into the air and the fire around him coalesced into a flaming ball around his fist. He angled down, fists first, looking like a comet with a fiery tail. “I am Shibi!”Shibi shouted.

“I will not be beaten by you!” Po shouted as he slithered to meet him, pieces of earth detaching from the ground to collect into a sphere of earth before his opened mouth before he leapt up to meet Shibi’s attack.

There was an explosion and Shibi was blasted back, bouncing on the ground like a skipping stone over water before he crashed into the ground.

Po had to take a moment as the Emperor Snake’s body grew and shrunk as it tried to catch its breath. He had little energy left but it did not matter for he was sure that Shibi was down and out. All he had to do was deliver the finishing blow.

“To think scum like you could push me this far.” Po said as he slithered for Shibi, unhinging his jaw and preparing to finish the fight. “Well, it is all over for you now, ape!”

He reached for the still unmoving Shibi and when his mouth was close to reaching him, his face was slammed into the ground by a fist. Blood squirted out of the snakes mouth and nose as Shibi shifted his fingers from a fist to grab the back of the snake’s head where he threw it up and kicked it away.

Zen touched his stone and the Zen Blade appeared in his hands a few moments later. “Now, I cut off the head of the snake!” he said as he charged for where Po had landed. He swung his sword to behead the snake but in a flash of light, Chen appeared between them and blocked his blade with his own sword. Unlike Zen’s, this sword was a broad, double edged, long sword.

Zen naturally pulled his blade away from the deadlock and attacked Chen but his blade was stopped once again. He knew something was wrong. Zen could feel that his blade had grown heavier.

“I should have known that you would cheat. I should have known that you would interfere!” Chen said swinging his sword, forcing Zen to leap out of range. “You have no honour! You have no face!”

“Funny, here’s my face right here.” Zen said, pointing to his face. “And the one who interfered here was you. The snake said that it would fight Shibi and me.”

“He is right!” Cong realised. “Po did say he would fight both of them, so you were the one who actually interfered.”

Po rose, hissing. “I will you kill you, you insolent boy!” A killing intent rose from the snake.

“No Po, the match is done.” Chen said.

“No, I can still…”

“Po, you said you wanted to come with me in this journey.” Chen said. “I can only take you on if you show you have self-control. I know at full strength, you would make short of work of Wang Zen but right now, this watch is over. Respect that and I’ll take you in.”

“Consider yourself lucky,” Po said before following Chen as they both left.

Zen dismissed his Zen Blade and turned to crouch over Shibiwho was still on the ground.

“Shibi?”

Shibi’s eyes slowly opened.

Zen smiled, tears falling from his eyes onto the Scorch Ape. “Shibi. I’m so happy. I’m so proud of you.”