Chapter 6 – The Sage Equal to Heaven
Mana beams and conjured swords rained from every direction, bursting from countless portals that orbited Sun Wukong like the eyes of a hungry predator. Each weapon glittered with the Ancient One's magic, meant to pierce or burn, meant to overwhelm through sheer, relentless precision.
But to Sun, they were moving in slow motion.
The world had not slowed—he had simply moved beyond it. His speed was such that the ripples of mana shimmered like frozen water droplets suspended in the air. He inhaled deeply, exhaled with perfect calm, and twirled the Ruyi Jingu Bang in his hand.
The staff blazed with a golden light as he moved—not frantic, not desperate, but precise. He pivoted, swatting away swords without looking at them, tilting his head lazily to let a beam skim harmlessly past his ear. Each strike of his staff was a painter's brushstroke, each dodge a casual lean.
In less than a second of the world's time, the storm was gone. Sun now stood before the Ancient One herself—her motions still caught in the treacle-slow rhythm of his heightened perception.
He waved a hand mockingly in front of her face.
The Ancient One's eyes flickered in confusion—still frozen in that elongated heartbeat.
Her lips began to move, her hand starting to form the seal for a spell—
—but Sun caught her wrist effortlessly, tilting his head to meet her gaze. His fiery golden eyes burned through her, and for a moment, her illusions peeled away.
He did not see an ageless sorceress draped in mystique.
He saw a girl—young, alone, carrying a weight too great for her shoulders. Her face was cold, her posture guarded, but the sadness was unmistakable. This was her truth, hidden behind centuries of masks.
Time snapped back to normal.
Behind him, the remnants of her magic struck walls and air, scattering shards of mana in all directions. A few beams grazed his hair, but he didn't so much as flinch.
He was focused entirely on her.
"I don't understand why people hide their true selves behind masks," he said, his voice steady but edged. "You think locking away half of who you are makes you stronger? No. It makes you less."
The Ancient One pulled her hand back, though his grip had already loosened. She looked away from his eyes.
The corner of Sun's mouth twitched downward.
"Tsk. You're holding back. Do you think you can defeat me like that? Are you mocking me?" His voice rose, the air vibrating with his indignation. "Me—the Great Sage Equal to Heaven! The Victorious Fighting Buddha! Sun Wukong!"
His anger wasn't born from wounded pride, but from something deeper.
A warrior, even a trickster like him, respected strength—true strength. Not just muscle, but will. And nothing insulted him more than an opponent who refused to fight with everything they had.
She stayed silent.
The way she stood now—defensive, almost hesitant—reminded him more of a cornered child than the formidable sorceress who had summoned storms of magic moments ago.
"Tch."
He turned his back on her and began walking away, resting his staff lazily across his shoulders, hands dangling over it. His gait was unhurried, almost bored.
The Ancient One's eyes widened. Turning your back on an enemy—on her—was beyond arrogance. It was an insult.
She began to weave a spell for a surprise attack—
—but a small pebble struck her chest before she could finish. She glanced up to see Sun still walking away without so much as a glance back.
"Don't," he said lazily. "You know your magic doesn't work on me, little witch. And if you're thinking of a physical attack… well, my body's survived the core of the Sun. You'll need something a little stronger than that."
"I can't let you go," she replied sharply. "You are a danger to this world."
At that, Sun finally turned his head slightly. His golden eyes locked on her, and the air changed.
It wasn't visible, but it was felt—a crushing spiritual pressure that slammed into her like a tidal wave. Her breath caught; her body refused to move. Even her soul seemed to shrink before the vast, overwhelming presence in front of her.
"I don't fight the weak," he said, his voice low but ringing with authority. "You aren't worthy. And no, I won't destroy this world. Not even him—Daniel."
With that, he bent his knees and sprang into the air, disappearing into the clouds in a single somersault.
The Ancient One remained frozen until the pressure vanished. She let out a slow breath and, to her own surprise, smiled faintly.
"So… you were never the threat," she murmured. "Mister Lee… let's see what fate has in store for you. What change you'll bring to this world."
With a wave of her hand, she opened a portal and stepped through, erasing every trace of their battle from the minds of witnesses and the eyes of cameras—replacing it with a simple explosion in the city's records.
The world would never know what had truly happened that day.
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Spoiler Scene:
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Sun stood at the edge of a jagged cliff, the salty wind tugging at his robes as the sea below raged and frothed. Waves hurled themselves against the black stone banks of the hill, shattering into white spray that glistened in the midday sun.
It was noon, and the sky burned a flawless blue overhead. He waited, counting the moments until his time ran out and Daniel would reclaim control. The wait was tedious. The fight with that sorcerer earlier had been nothing more than an appetizer — a mild distraction for someone like him. His knuckles still ached for a challenge worthy of his name.
Then he felt it — a presence.
Subtle, but undeniable.
Without turning his head, he spoke, his voice carrying like a low growl over the sea wind.
"I'll warn you once. If you came here seeking a fight… you're digging your own grave. This time, I won't show mercy to my enemies."
The reply came, calm and unshaken.
"No. I didn't come here to fight… but to meet the one I brought here."
Sun's head snapped toward the voice with unnatural speed, his body following in the same fluid motion. What he saw made him pause.
The man standing there was… ordinary. No battle aura, no killing intent. In fact, he looked like an older human — lean, wrinkled, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. The resemblance to Stan Lee was uncanny.
Yet for all his harmless appearance, Sun knew better than to judge by looks alone.
The man smiled, a warm, almost grandfatherly smile.
"We need to talk."
To be continued....