Chapter IV: Hua Mulan

Two individuals sat in front of each other, both cross-legged in the middle of a dimly lit room, both on small mattresses. The wind blew and made the lantern above them sway and creak.

"I've told you countless times to never cause trouble, Mulan," A man named Hua Zhou looks at his young daughter. "Now, the village barely has enough food for winter. Thanks to you, our crops are dead, ravaged by animals," Zhou forces down a growl, frustration bubbling inside of him as his hands begin trembling on his knees.

"I was only trying to help," was Mulan's weak retort, head hanging low and eyes glued to the floor.

"You trying to help earlier made things more difficult, Mulan!" Zhou bellows, raising his voice and making his child flinch.

"B-but I can't just let the elderly c-chase all the escaping cattle! I knew I could help them so-"

"And where did that lead you?" The father cuts off Mulan who stared at his disappointed eyes with her teary ones. "The animals broke the gates, the fences, because they were startled by you. They trampled the crops we worked hard for." He finished, making Mulan flinch upon hearing her father's frustrated voice.

The father and daughter stayed like that for a few seconds, eyes locked to each other. While Mulan sheds tears, Zhou shows disappointment, and after a few more seconds, the man sighs tiredly.

"There's a reason why you're the daughter here, Mulan, and I'm the father," Zhou states, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I'm supposed to guide you to be a great daughter with the help of your mother. You are to grow and become a great woman, but seeing how you act time and time again makes me doubt it."

Mulan's eyes shook as her heart started racing, her voice getting stuck in her throat as she found it hard to contain the sobs that she tried to bury deep inside. Drops of tears streak down her cheeks as she fails to hold them back anymore, losing some of her composure as her father goes on with his sermon.

"Mulan, you are to stop this kind of behavior, am I clear?" Zhou asks with a serious expression, a frown visible on his face, eyes sharp and brows creased. "You are to stop practicing martial arts. You are to stop taking any tasks that the men in our village do. You are to act like how a lady would. Do I make myself clear, Mulan?"

"B-but-"

"You are to stop acting like a man!" Mulan flinched at the words of her father. "You are not a man, Mulan. So, stop this nonsense, for the love of T'ien above. Do not bring anymore shame to your family. You've done enough damage."

Words cut deep, and Mulan could not stop the waterfalls of tears from leaking out of her eyes. Her father did not stop her from crying though, he let her.

"I didn't m-mean to," Mulan said, sobbing and choking, eyes now finding themselves looking at the floor, hands gripping the fabric of her attire.

Hearing this, some of Zhou's seriousness flickered, replaced by a small amount of softness that Mulan was not aware of. The child heard her father give a tired sigh once again.

"Do I make myself clear here, Mulan?" Zhou asks once again. "Do you promise me that from here on out, you will stop acting like this and strive to be a better woman?"

Mulan never answered verbally, a mere nod being her only reply. Zhou could see the reluctance behind it but did not point it out.

With a sigh, Zhou stands up, making the worn wooden floor creak, fixing and dusting his clothes before walking to the door. The man looks back and sees Mulan staring at him, eyes welled up with tears but never losing their flare. No words were spoken but both of them knew one thing was to be expected.

One may try and act, but one may never hide who they truly are. Hu could only wish that things were easier.

...

"Mulan," Zhou uttered his daughter's name, his eyes trying to keep up with the battle below. "To end up like this," he whispered, finding reality a tough pill to swallow.

"You must be proud, huh?" Zhou hears his wife's, Hua Li's voice behind him as she ties his hair into a bun. "Our little daughter has reached great lengths throughout the years. It makes me wonder what she has been doing in T'ien," Li states with a small smile.

Zhou, however, frowns, his expression never showing any happiness over the situation. How could he be happy? His eldest daughter is fighting a deity and has a high chance of ending up losing, forfeiting her life. It makes his blood boil that she had to risk her life once again. His hands tightened their grip on his pants, and his nostrils flared up, eyes locked to the battle.

"It feels like yesterday, she just stole my armor and my sword before going to the army camp. Now, here she is," Zhou admits, letting out a breath that he has been holding in.

"You're upset," Li hums, fixing the collar of Hu's clothes.

"How could I not be?" Zhou almost growls, but his self-control won. "Moments before, we were just trying to live in the afterlife and now I find out my daughter has to risk her life once again."

"That just sounds like something our daughter would do," Li says, caressing her husband's shoulders in an attempt to calm him down. "That's our Mulan, such a headstrong woman. She never backs down. I know that, you know that. We both have seen it with our eyes."

"I know, I know," Zhou sighs, letting some of the heaviness in his chest be lifted. "Mulan will never change her way of living. She's always ready to risk her life for the safety of others," He said, a solemn expression finding its way to his face.

He listened to his wife's hums, a way to keep himself calm. He looks to his left, Hua Munan and Hua Fang, his second daughter and only son sit beside him, their expressions bearing hope and excitement.

Hope that glimmers within their eyes. Excitement that shook their body. Both of them cheered happily, their energy and enthusiasm being a light in the ocean of despair that they currently found themselves in. Mulan's display of skill and power was enough to convince them that she has got what it takes to defeat any adversary that she faces.

Amidst all of that, Zhou found himself growling in his mind. 'If only I was stronger, you wouldn't need to risk your life over and over again.'

...

Mulan's jian made contact with Kālī's saber, resulting in an ear-splitting clang that sent a shockwave to the seats, shaking it lightly.

The mortal studied her opponent once again. Kālī's skin was as dark as the void and her weapons seemed to become pitch black as well. Mulan can feel the heat radiating from Kālī, the purple flames licking parts of Mulan's body from every time they clash. The scent of burning flesh was unpleasant for Mulan and Kālī reeks of it, smoke rising from her burning body.

"Die!" Kālī roars, her maniacal laughter echoing as if they are coming from every angle.

Not wasting time, Mulan used the gada in her left hand to swing upwards, the force behind it enough to break the sound barrier. With a booming sound, the mace brushes past Kālī's face after she steps back like she already knew the incoming attack.

With narrowed, golden eyes, her jian whistled from the right, attempting to slice at Kali's left and possibly cleave her in half. The swing was catastrophic, blowing debris away after an invisible force launched them, the jian vibrating violently as it nears Kālī's midsection.

The goddess chortled at the attempt, flipping to her left and letting the blade go past her head before landing on her feet. Her mortal opponent, taken by the momentum of the swing, now has her back turned to Kālī which causes the goddess' grin to flare up.

Kālī points her trident at Mulan's back, hand gripping it in reverse before bringing it down whilst her saber finds itself coming for the mortal's midriff. While those were happening, Kālī gripped her discus before using it to attack in melee, similar to what she was doing with her trident.

The Hindu goddess saw Mulan's body subtly glow golden.

Three thunderous sounds of metal meeting metal caused the arena to shake, the mace in Mulan's grasp making contact with all of Kālī's weapons.

Kālī found her arms going numb due to the force of the impacts, making her let go of her weapons which sent them flying out of the arena, embedding them to the walls leading to humanity's seats.

Her third eye seems to glow a scarlet color and Mulan caught it, making the mortal frown.

"I believe that you have a lot of cheats in your nonexistent sleeves, yeah?!" Mulan shouts before using the remaining momentum to bring her jian around.

Mulan's body swung around, her blade now coming from below as her body glows gold once again. Her jian swung up diagonally, coming from Kālī's left in terrifying speeds just like how she moved with her gada.

Kālī snarls, her reaction akin to a wild animal, the color of her eyes seemingly flickering back and forth from red to pure white. Her third eye shook violently, blood seeping out of its corners.

A wide gash appears on Kālī's body, starting from her left hip and ending at her right collarbone. Blood gushes out of her wound but it immediately stops the moment it starts, the fire of her body cauterizing it almost instantly.

An animalistic growl escapes Kālī's throat as she charges at Mulan, eyes bloodshot and shaking. Her muscles tensed up before bursting with power, propelling her forward in renewed speed.

Mulan, caught off guard by the speed, received a roaring Kālī straight to her chest.

The goddess felt herself connect wtih Mulan, prompting her to grab the mortal by the neck using her numerous remaining free hands before slamming her onto the ground whilst running. Kālī dragged Mulan around the arena, tilling the pulverized ground and turning it into fine dust. Her speed did not falter, but instead was getting faster at an alarming rate.

Mulan felt the back of her clothes rip open before her back was exposed to the abuse that Kālī was giving her. The skin of her back was grinded off, along with buts of flesh and plenty of blood. Amidst that, the bones in her neck creaked due to the force that Kālī was holding her.

'W-what is with her s-sudden increase in intensity?!' Mulan shouts deep in her mind. 'Her speed, her strength, even her flames went up and beyond after-' Mulan cuts off her thoughts as she finally figures what is making Kālī tick.

Golden aura enveloped Mulan and soon travelled to Kālī's arms and into her body. Mulan grunts in pain before feeling Kālī's movements turn sluggish.

Capitalizing on the moment, Mulan stabs her jian onto one of Kālī's arms just to steady herself as she still gets dragged across the floor. Not a moment later, the gada slams onto Kālī's right temple.

Kālī lets go of Mulan as she was sent hurtling to the side, the violet fire swallowing her vanishing after the strike, and her weapons leaving her hands.

"Ugh, my head," Kālī groans as she stood up with wobbling legs.

The goddess looks around with blurry eyes, her ears ringing loudly as she smells the scent of evaporating blood in her nostrils.

"I-is this for r-real?!" Heimdall shouts in awe and shock. "It is real! Hua Mulan has stopped Kālī's Rudra Tandava! With one strike, the goddess' flames withered away!"

...

"Uh huh, mind telling me what your little mortal did to my wife, grandpa?" Shiva asked, a curious expression present on his face as he looks at the Jade Emperor who nods. "She really succeeded in calming Kālī down. That's a great feat, by the way. It took me a long time before I was even able to calm that goddess down."

"That, Shiva, was Mulan utilizing her chi to connect with your consort," the Jade Emperor hums as he explains. "By connecting her chi with your consort's, she was able to influence her spirit, and thus, her emotions as well. Although she was not able to calm your consort down completely, it was enough for her to find some space to get her out of the situation."

Hearing this, Shiva chuckles. "So, basically, your little lady there calmed her down just enough before hitting Kālī out of her raged state?" A nod came from the questioned one. "Damn, what have you been feeding the people in your paradise?"

"Pure and unadulterated hardwork, Shiva," was the Jade Emperor's reply as they watched Mulan's wounds heal.

...

"Well, I'll be damned," Kālī laughs lightly as she takes some time to regain her senses. "Who would've thought that you can hit that hard. I never expected you to actually strike me out of my rage mode. Pretty great strength for that small size, eh?" The goddess chuckles, walking counterclockwise while Mulan does the opposite.

"Again, average in height," Mulan allows them to have the talk, answering with a chuckle of her own while readjusting her grips on her weapons. "And knocking you out of it was pretty simple, I assure you," she reveals with a smirk, her eyebrows going up and down.

Kālī laughs at what Mulan was doing, her voice not as loud as she hoped for. Midway through her laugh, she fell on one knee, making Mulan frown. The goddess coughs a fit before puking blood, her vision getting absurdly blurry as her ears were filled with high-pitched ringing, the sound making her head ache even more. Not even a few seconds later, her orifices started bleeding, the strike straight to her head clearly affecting her.

"Kālī has fallen to one knee and is clearly injured! Her state looks much worse than Mulan's!" Heimdall announces, making the deities' hearts drop while humanity cheers with renewed vigor. "But humanity's vanguard doesn't seem too interested to exploit this!"

Soon, a chorus of voices started shouting at Kālī, angered at what she was reduced to. Those voices belong to the various deities present.

"Kālī! You better stand up now! Don't let a mortal kill you! It'll be a disgrace to our kind!"

"I knew I should've been the one fighting and not her!"

"You're weaker than I thought, Kālī!"

"Shiva would've ended this in no time! You should've given the battle to him!"

"STAND THE FUCK UP, MOM!"

And then, Mulan flinched, her hand moving on its own and flicking forward.

"Wait, what is Mulan doing?!" Heimdall screeched.

The goddess tried to stand up but found her body falling down to the side, her heart starting to slow down, her vision darkening slowly but surely. Her breaths were shallow and blood continued to seep out of her wound in quick pumps.

"Oh, wow, oh, wow," Kālī repeatedly says the words, out of breath as she watched Mulan's figure become nothing but a blur, but it was not because of her speed.

Kālī could hear a mixture of voices but she does not know who they were, her hearing not exactly in proper condition at the moment.

Then, she felt something land on her chest.

She reaches for it with shaky hands, her eyes not even moving. With her fingers, she felt that it was soft, or it was at least what her malfunctioning senses were saying. Amidst the scent of the iron of her blood, she caught the fragrance of what she was holding, making her gasp before immediately regretting it as her breaths became even more shallow.

With every little strength she could muster, she grabbed the thing she was feeling before forcing herself to lay down on the ground, eyes hurting as the bright light of the sky beams down on her. Then, she brings the object near her mouth, all of her arms shaking as her hands try their best to squeeze what she was holding. Kālī lets the liquid of her lotus flow into her mouth and down her throat, gulping it quickly, her life depending on it.

A few seconds pass and her body glows faintly, a pale pink color enveloping her beaten and battered body.

Then, her eyes that have threatened to close and never open again open widely, shaking in energy. Her stumps started bleeding profusely, letting out bursts of blood before the sickening crunch of bones and the sound of flesh flopping. New arms then burst out of her stumps, slamming into the ground and sending her to her feet.

Her grin came back to life, even wider than before, her tongue lolling out for a second before going back. Her previous wounds were nowhere to be seen, as she gave a loud shout. Kālī's skin was still black but was much lighter and not burning.

"Haha! That! Was! Radical!" She screams every word before pointing ten of her index fingers at Mulan. "You! You're a fucking madwoman! You could've won, you idiot! Now I'm back to my peak!"

Amidst Heimdall's commentary, Mulan has used her chi to fetch the pink lotus laying far from Kālī before sending it flying to the goddess' chest. Not minding the shouts she received from humanity.

"How could I strike someone who is already down?" Mulan chuckles, weapons are raised once again. "Besides, I heard something that kinda made me move on my own. I just can't let a mother perish in front of her child," she said with a smile.

Kālī's expression went from happy to shocked, before turning her head to the side after hearing a booming voice from the deities' seats.

"Mom! Don't you ever do that again! You hear me?!" Bhadrakali, a splitting image of Kālī with a crown of gold and a normal ornamental skirt, shouts from a distance, tears vividly imaginable through the crack in her voice. "You're a lucky fucker that the human is a dumb fuck! So stop being a dumbass and actually fight!"

Witnessing this, Kālī's expression became somewhat softer, losing some of her crazed flare the moment she saw it was her daughter. With a calmer tone and expression, she looks towards Mulan who bears a smile that Kālī returns.

"You're crazy," Kālī says, making Mulan laugh lightly.

"I'm aware, my fellow humans have been shouting that when I placed your lotus on your chest," Mulan says whilst gesturing to her back using the gada. "But what I'm doing is right, even if it's just for me. I will never let things bend my beliefs," she ended with a serious expression.

"Yup, fucking crazy as shit," Kālī simply says before cracking her knuckles, falling into a proper stance for the first time. "But may I know what made you rethink killing me?"

Hearing the question, Mulan laughs warmly before rushing at Kālī in breakneck speed, shouting her answer as Kālī braces for another confrontation.

Mulan's answer did not disappoint, making Kālī grin widely, and warmly. A strange glimmer was seen in her eyes as she tracks Mulan's movements. The answer resonated deep within the goddess and she could not help but give a lively laugh.

"You never separate family just because of circumstances they never asked for!" Mulan roars before performing a wide slash.

...

It was a normal day for Mulan, or at least as normal as it could get. Her arms rest on the wooden fences of their farm, hands serving as a resting place for her chin.

Her sigh was quite heavy, a sign that she got yelled at once again, failing another attempt at training her to be more lady-like.

"It's not like I'm not trying," Mulan whines, letting her forehead hit the wooden fence, shaking it lightly and making her groan. "It's just, this stuff isn't for me. Why can't they understand that?"

"Because you are expected to be a lady, and a daughter of mine. You are expected to do your part just like how they do theirs."

Mulan, with wide eyes, looks back and sees her father walking towards her with a serious expression.

His steps were slow unlike years ago when he could still run, a result of an injury after fighting in a war. Years of enduring the injury have made his strength dwindle, making him use a walking cane just to support his body. The shaking of his arms, the limp he has when he walks, it makes Mulan's eyes shake and water. Years have done this to her father, and she can only imagine what it will do in the future.

"Father," Mulan says in response, trying to rush at her father to help him but he held a hand up, glaring at Mulan for attempting it.

"I can walk on my own, Mulan," Zhou said with a small growl, making Mulan flinch before Zhou's expression shifted to a much calmer one. "I can still walk properly," he repeats, an apologetic tone lacing his voice and Mulan caught it.

"I apologize, father," Mulan bows a little and Zhou lets her. She then speaks after bowing, "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Act like a woman?" Zhou snorts when Mulan's face shifts into a displeased one. "If you cannot, then no, you can do nothing at the moment," he said with a sigh before gesturing for Mulan to follow him. "Come, lunch is ready. Do not keep your family waiting."

"Oh," Mulan utters before looking at the sky, finding it already high noon without her noticing. "I was lost in my thoughts," she admits, walking towards her father who grunts.

"I know, you always are," Zhou says as he tries to walk faster. "You are always thinking about how you cannot be a proper lady when you can," the father continues with a frown, sweat already building up and then trailing down his body.

Mulan, noticing this, instinctively reaches out to her father but her hands meet a slap. This made her flinch, and then frown at her father's behavior.

"I said that I can walk on my own, Mulan. Don't be stubborn," Zhou growls before picking up the pace, staying silent as he does so.

Seeing this, Mulan could not help but let out a sigh of defeat, cursing herself for not being able to help and make her father happy.

"And you call me stubborn," Mulan says under her breath before jogging up to her father.

Soon, they reached the village. Their walk was quiet throughout after their exchange.

Then, Mulan's day just found the capabilities to get worse than before, making her frown, and growl in frustration as she watches the scene unfold in front of her.

Horses mounted by soldiers from the empire enter their village's gate. A serious expression plaguing their entire unit as they reached the village square, an open area in the middle of the village. Seeing the soldiers were from the army, everyone went outside to listen.

"Village of Yingkuo!" Someone who seems to be the leader of the group yells with an authoritative voice. "Our country is under attack by foreign enemies and is in need of your assistance!"

The collective gasps of shock were expected by the imperial soldiers, but their voices did not stop as the leader shouts even louder.

"Each family MUST provide one male to fight in this war against the foreign invaders! Failure to do so will make your family face proper punishments!" The man announced, making the villagers' concern and fear grow.

Soon enough, the soldiers started calling the names of the families in their village. Fathers, sons, grandsons began taking scrolls that will let them enter the army. It did not take long for the moment that Mulan hates the most to come.

"Hua family!"

"Hold this," Zhou gives Mulan his walking cane, startling the daughter along with her siblings and mother.

"But, father-"

Mulan cuts herself off when Zhou gave her a glare before walking slowly towards the leader of the soldiers.

With shaky hands, Zhou places them in front of his chest before bowing slowly, the gesture taking more out of his already hurting body.

This, did not go unnoticed, as the soldiers' expression hardens. Although the people could not see their faces well, they could feel the pity in their presence.

"I am Hua Zhou, and I have fought for the empire more than once. If the empire requires me to fight once again, then I offer my body and expertise at their disposal," Zhou finishes with a grunt, rising from his position before reaching out for the scroll offered to him.

Zhou winces as his legs give up on him on the spot, making him fall forward with a thud.

Mulan tried to rush forward to help her father but found her arm gripped by her mother. She looks back at Li with pleading eyes but the woman simply shakes her head.

"B-but, mother, he's-"

"You're just going to make it worse, Mulan. Your father is already hurt with this, so, please understand," Li says with a frown, worry evident in her voice.

Mulan looks at her father who refused to be helped by the soldier, calmly raising his shaking hands to prevent them from picking him up. Zhou then stands up with a wobble before steadying himself and picking up the scroll, bowing after he does so.

With that, the soldiers went on with their duty and called the other family names whilst Zhou walked towards Mulan.

He retrieves his cane without any words before walking towards their house, his two younger children and wife following him.

Mulan stayed, her eyes glued on her father's back. Her sight then shifts to the soldiers giving scrolls.

With a sigh, she walks after ger family, a frown visible on her face.

...

The next morning, Zhou wakes up to find his armour and sword missing, his cabinet wide open. His curses were heard by the whole family and then alone, making them run to his side with worried expressions.

"W-who would do such a thing...?" Li stutters only for Zhou to present an ornamental hairpin in front of her face. "No... Y-you must take h-her back-"

"And get us in much deeper trouble?" Zhou asks with a frown, his hands shaking at the turn of events. "No, we let her. It is prohibited for women to serve in the army and if she is revealed to be one, she will be executed and we do not want that to happen," He said with gritted teeth before letting his nerves calm down for a moment. "We can only pray that she is not caught with this act of her's," he said with a solemn expression. "We... can only pray," he repeats.

And pray they did.

...

"Fuck!" Freya shouts, her voice cracking as she held her head whilst pacing around the platform. "I didn't expect her to fucking spare Kālī because of Bhadrakali! This is bad, this is really bad!"

Freya started whining loudly, making Göll worry and Brunhilde chuckle. The leader of the sisters did not stop her pacing, her mind racing and screaming at Mulan for doing what she just did in front of the entirety of the universe.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Freya cursed repeatedly. "Her compassion and empathy is going to put humanity on the losing side, no! This is bad! Why is she like that?! Her family is at stake as well! What the actual fuck is she doing-"

Brunhilde's hand made contact with Freya's cheek, snapping her out of her pacing as she stares at Brunhilde.

"Thank you," Freya says, breathing out of her nostrils before massaging her temples. "Ugh, but, still, this is extremely bad. She's going to get herself killed!"

"She won't, sister," Brunhilde said, watching Mulan exchange blows with the unarmed Kālī. "Need I remind you that Mulan still hasn't even unleashed one chi attack? She hasn't let out any destructive abilities yet, she still has a chance."

"S-still, it w-was a stupid decision!" Göll cries out, stuttering her words out of her quivering lips. "She just r-risked Randgriz's safety! W-what if-"

The second-in-command's hand struck the youngest across the face.

"Don't hit Göll, Brunhilde," Freya reprimands her sister.

"You hit her," Brunhilde reminds Freya of her actions.

"Yes, and not you, so stop," Freya says before walking to the railings and gripping them tightly. "Alright, we just need to fucking hope, I guess. Let Mulan decide her own fate. Fucking Hell, that woman is going to make me burst a blood vessel," she ends with a sigh of disappointment and defeat.

...

"What is she doing?!" A man from humanity screams in anger. "She could've won! That fucking woman is stupid as fuck!"

"And yet we cannot do a single thing to stop her," a gruff voice came from the man's left, a seat above his'. "We cannot do anything in front of a much greater power, trust me, kid. We had to find out the hard way," the man said with a chuckle.

Hearing this, the man looks back only to see a rough-looking man in black clothing and dark armor. A falcon sat on his arms as he pets it with a massive finger.

"Even I, Shan Yu, had to admit that she was stronger than I," Yu chuckled at the bewildered expression of the man. "You recognize me, I believe."

"I... yes? Kinda? Your name sounds familiar," the man admits, earning an amused chuckle from Yu. "What is your deal with Mulan, anyway? Y-you seem to know each other-"

"We have crossed blades once, and never again," Yu cuts the man off, rubbing his neck whilst speaking. "I believe that the modern era refers to me as the villain of her story," he said with a massive grin that made the smaller man shudder.

Hearing his words, the people around him became wary of him but he did not care. The army behind him did not help calming the people, but they did not care as well.

"The moment I locked eyes with Mulan that day, I knew I was going to die by her blade, and die I did, her blade separating my head from my body" Yu admits with a laugh that his troops echoed. "I did not expect someone to use chi, a woman at that. She was really something else," he adds, his voice laced with admiration and respect. "So, can we really defy her decision here? We're not even considered to fight in this battle! Haha! That shows how much she outshines every single one of us! So quit all of your yapping and just watch! We cannot do anything about it, no matter what we say here because we are inferior!"

With a booming laugh, Yu shuts everyone up, followed by the chorus of laughter from his army before they continue watching the battle that is unfolding below them.

...

"Your move was really stupid, you know?!" Kālī laughs wildly as she dodges Mulan's attacks.

"I know!" Mulan laughs with her, continuing her attacks, her tattered clothes not being able to hold up anymore as her top falls off completely. "But I do what I want and never back down from the consequences! So what if you're up once again?! At least you'll die in a much more honorable death compared to a head injury!"

"Like Hell I'd die!" Kālī cackles before catching the gada that was coming down, trapping it between her four palms before forcing them close. "You won't need this!" She roars as the mace snaps, making Mulan smile.

"Well, it seems like your peak condition is much stronger than before!" Mulan admits with a small chuckle, ducking under five right hooks from Kālī.

"Yeah, thanks to you!" Kālī laughs in a good manner, a wide grin present as her third eye glows scarlet. "Even my future sight is monstrous right now!"

"That's why this isn't fair at all!" Mulan mirrors her laugh, before launching herself back, flipping out of the way of the five fists that slammed on the ground. "Should I level the playing field, Kālī?" Mulan hums as she lands gracefully on her feet.

Hearing this, Kālī grins wider, cracking all of her knuckles, abandoning all weapons as her skin started smoking once again, licks of violet flames emerging every once in a while.

"I thought you'd never ask," the goddess laughs before blurring forward, a massive grin plastered on her face.

"Then let me introduce you to Heaven's Arms, it's quite literally it!" Mulan shouts as a number of golden translucent arms manifest around her.

With a jump, she dodged Kālī's rush, grinning widely as she shouts, "Ever tasted your own medicine, Kālī?!"

The goddess looks up, grins, before bringing her fists back, her mind filled with thoughts, 'This is gonna hurt! That's a lot of attacks!'

...

"And she has started using them. About time," the Jade Emperor said with a grunt. "Finally, I can see her use them again. T'ien's techniques!"

"Geez, I can feel your overwhelming support for my wife," Shiva said with a groan, watching Mulan's descent as even more goldem arms form.

"Kālī can survive a beating, she does not need my worry," the Chinese deity says, making Shiva chuckle. "Now, let us be quiet! You're witnessing techniques from our sacred library! Hush!"

...

Then and there, a rain of golden fists littered the entirety of the arena, shaking its very foundation and turning everything to dust.

"Mulan has destroyed their platform! I repeat! Mulan has reduced their arena into fine dust!" Heimdall roars, making the deities frown and humanity cheer.

Whatever happens to Kālī, they will know after the dust settles.

{•===To Be Continued===•}

Thoughts? I'd appreciate the comments. :)