From Blueprints to Kamehamehas

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The air crackled with tension, and the ground beneath them trembled. Roshi's hands were shaking as he stood back-to-back with Shen, sweat pouring down his face. His muscles ached from the relentless battle that had been dragging on for what felt like days. Across from them stood Guren, a rogue warrior with a sinister grin stretched across his face. His long, dark hair fluttered in the wind, and his eyes glowed with a malevolent hunger for power.

"You're fools if you think you can stop me," Guren spat, his voice echoing like thunder in the empty valley. "The world will bow before me, and no one—not you, not even Mutaito—can change that."

Roshi gritted his teeth. He could feel the weight of his inexperience pressing down on him. His thunder element training had barely scratched the surface, and now here he was, facing an enemy whose mastery of elemental control dwarfed his own. Shen, at his side, was faring only slightly better with his wind techniques. But neither of them was strong enough to take on Guren, who wielded his elemental powers with deadly precision.

"We've fought tougher guys than you!" Shen barked back, but Roshi could hear the strain in his voice. They were both at their limit.

Guren laughed, raising a hand. The air around him hummed as he summoned a crackling whip of lightning, coiling it like a serpent. With a flick of his wrist, he lashed it toward them.

"Get down!" Shen shouted, grabbing Roshi and yanking him out of the way just in time. The ground where they had been standing exploded in a shower of dirt and rock.

Roshi's heart pounded in his chest as they scrambled to their feet. His mind raced. They couldn't keep dodging forever. They needed an opening, a way to turn the tide of the battle. But Guren wasn't giving them any room to breathe. Every time they tried to counterattack, he swatted their efforts aside like they were nothing.

"Shen... I don't know how much longer I can keep this up," Roshi admitted, panting.

"Don't talk like that," Shen replied, his eyes fixed on Guren, who was already preparing another strike. "We just need to hold out a little longer. Master Mutaito will be here soon."

As if on cue, the ground beneath them rumbled, and a sudden gust of wind swept through the valley. For a moment, Roshi thought it was Guren's doing, but then he felt it—a presence, strong and unyielding, like the mountain itself. Guren's smirk faltered, his eyes narrowing as he looked up at the sky.

Out of the swirling dust and wind, a figure descended. Clad in flowing robes, his face stern and calm, Master Mutaito landed between Roshi, Shen, and Guren, his back straight and his posture unflinching.

"Master!" Shen exclaimed, relief washing over his face.

Roshi, too, felt a surge of hope. With Mutaito here, they might stand a chance.

"Enough, Guren," Mutaito said, his voice low but commanding. "This ends now."

Guren's eyes blazed with fury. "You should've stayed away, Mutaito. This world belongs to those with power, and I'll crush anyone who stands in my way!"

With a furious roar, Guren thrust both hands forward, sending a massive bolt of lightning toward Mutaito. The blast tore through the air with a deafening crack, but Mutaito remained unmoved. He raised one hand, palm open, and the lightning dissipated harmlessly before it could reach him.

Roshi stared in awe. He had always known Master Mutaito was strong, but to see him effortlessly deflect Guren's attack made him realize just how far he still had to go. Shen, too, was watching with wide eyes, the tension in his shoulders easing.

"You've fallen far, Guren," Mutaito said softly, his eyes never leaving the rogue warrior. "You seek power, but you've lost sight of what truly matters. Strength without purpose is nothing but destruction."

Guren snarled, summoning a storm of lightning and wind around him. The air crackled with energy as he prepared to unleash another barrage. "Enough talk! If you want to stop me, come and try!"

Mutaito glanced back at Roshi and Shen, his expression calm but serious. "Stay back. I'll handle this."

Before they could respond, Mutaito surged forward, moving faster than either of them could follow. The battle that followed was unlike anything Roshi had seen.