376 Between Life and Death, The Merciless Tai Lung, Tai Lung vs Furious Five and The Honored Guest.

This trip was different from the previous ones based on the assumption that Allen was able to return every night. In that sense, Allen's life, and especially the girls, had a change that was definitely not for the worse.

(FlashBack)

Allen returned to his world, and as usual, the dolls left by his side.

Allen looked up to see Rebecca, Makima, Esdeath, and Artoria disappear. On the other side, Bocchi, Nokota,n, and Harley returned to their normal size and separated.

Harley winked at Allen; both she and some of the other girls wished they could be with him all the time. But they didn't push, understanding that after returning from another world, Allen liked to spend time with the girls who stayed in this world.

'The dolls...'

Allen smiled, having met all kinds of women across different worlds, yet the dolls remained a mystery.

Nokotan stopped and turned around, "Allen-tan?"

"Yes, I'll make time to brush your hair..."

"Nunu, I knew Allen-tan couldn't resist the charm of this beautiful deer~"

"Uh..." Bocchi also looked at Allen, her cheeks red, her eyes wide, and her face a mix of extreme embarrassment and mortal panic.

"Yes, Bocchi, I'll make time to visit you before bed too."

The pink-haired girl's face lit up as she smiled sweetly, "Yay~"

Allen smiled back. At that moment, Bocchi recalled her "confession" during the battle with Void, and her face froze. Then she promptly exploded like a balloon. Allen might've been concerned before, but Bocchi had developed a sort of teleportation ability where she could disappear from wherever she was, whether by exploding, vanishing like a Thanos snap, or even turning into ice and then breaking.

The presence of many waifus dolls is nice and he definitely wouldn't give them up, but it doesn't change the fact that the reason these girls exist is a total mystery.

Allen closed his eyes for a moment, unable to draw any conclusions.

Allen went out with Gwen, MJ, and Natasha, who were the women in the house, spent some time with them, and then took a bath.

...

Allen walked down the hallway of his apartment to the last room. In case it's been forgotten, Allen's apartment has a multi-door feature; depending on which doll opens it, it leads to a different room. Of course, Allen can also go to whichever room he likes.

Allen touched the white doorknob, which turned pink with a guitar drawing—Bocchi's door. He discreetly opened it and saw Bocchi doing some exercises. She seemed to be trying to improve her power; for some reason, she concluded that increasing her physical strength was a way to achieve this.

Allen smiled, closed the door, and moved to the next one. This time, it was a brown door with a poorly drawn deer—a sign that it was Nokotan's. When he opened it, Nokotan was sprawled across a table, asleep, with an empty bag of deer cookies beside her, crumbs all over her mouth and body. An unladylike sight but one that was very Nokotan and charming to see.

Each girl had a personalized door. Allen stopped his playful exploring, even though it was really just a way to pass the time.

The door turned into a dreary black one, with a little mold and extra moisture, oddly cozy, featuring a cobweb with a black widow spider—something Wednesday would surely like if she were awake.

Allen opened the creaky door and entered. It looked like a room straight out of a haunted house, with black, slightly tattered curtains, torture artifacts on the left wall, a framed Addams Family portrait on the right, and antique black furniture—gothic but well-kept. On the main wall above the bed was a large portrait of Allen and Wednesday that was created when they were husband and wife in Harry Potter.

"..."

Wednesday lay deeply asleep, showing no signs of waking. Allen approached, made a chair float towards him, sat down, and took her pale, delicate hand in his own. Her hand felt cool, frail, yet filled with willpower.

He watched Wednesday as she slept, her breathing soft, and her heartbeat faint but steady. She was healthy, yet he still worried about her condition. At first, he thought she'd wake once she absorbed enough life energy, but seeing her now, it didn't seem likely.

Allen gave a weak smile, playing with her hand, which was as soft as any healthy girl's should be, but she remained asleep, a cruel reminder that, in the end, he knew nothing about the dolls.

"Is something missing, or do I lack the knowledge to wake her up?..."

The dolls couldn't die, or at least Allen felt certain even Beerus wouldn't be able to destroy one. Why? That was a mystery. Allen thought it might be tied to their souls, but Void had destroyed Allen's soul more than once to kill him, and the dolls hadn't died with him, suggesting maybe it was tied to Allen's connection with the dolls. Perhaps Allen and the girls aren't just soulbound but bound together by something more.

He shook his head and got up. But before leaving, he felt Wednesday's hand squeeze his. He turned immediately and smiled.

"I'll be back tomorrow..."

Allen went to bed, and the next morning, he departed for Kung Fu Panda.

...

(Kung Fu Panda World, Surrounding Village)

It was a morning like any other. People were getting up, preparing for their day, but there was something different in the air, a suffocating and terrifying sensation. It was as if their wild instincts, long abandoned thousands of years ago, had awakened to warn them of an imminent danger.

In the distance, from a hill, a pair of wild yellow eyes observed the peaceful town with disdain. Tai Lung had been locked away in a prison for decades, while ordinary people went on with their lives—not that he cared about that.

Most towns in this world were peaceful, though there were still thieves, bandits, extortionists, and kidnappers. Usually, it was the Furious Five who dealt with such matters, but there were also regular guards in these towns.

An armored ox could sometimes be seen patrolling around. In this particular town, there had been reports of bandits nearby, and it was rumored that the Furious Five would take care of them. Meanwhile, surveillance had been increased, and now there were four Ox Guards in town.

Tai Lung had different plans from the original. He had taken his time before heading to the Jade Palace.

Tai Lung entered the city discreetly, "I see, is there a bar or a restaurant?

The leopard wore a cloak, taken from an unfortunate traveler who had the bad luck of encountering him.

Why would Tai Lung do something like that? To avoid scaring anyone. While he sought revenge, he also wanted to gather information. People held so much respect and admiration for the masters of the palace that they might even lie.

The leopard's eyes lit up with cruelty. "Of course, if I don't like their answers..."

Tai Lung entered a dumpling restaurant, sat down, and casually spoke to the pig beside him.

"I heard the Dragon Warrior has appeared… is it true?"

"Oh, you're interested too?" The pig laughed. "Listen, brother, and be amazed: the Dragon Warrior wasn't Tigress, Monkey, Viper, Mantis, not even Crane… the Dragon Warrior is a…"

"Hold it right there!"

Two guards entered the restaurant and walked over to Tai Lung…

"Seems like news travels fast… well, what a pity…"

...

(Valley of Peace, Jade Palace)

Shifu had returned, planning to bring good news to Oogway. Shifu had discovered Po's talent, but he was intercepted by Zeng on the way.

"Master Shifu, we have a serious problem!"

"Calm down, Zeng… what could be so bad…" Shifu smiled, which was so unusual that Zeng froze for a moment. However, Zeng's next words shook Shifu.

"Tai Lung has broken out of prison!"

"Tai Lung…" Shifu immediately recalled memories of him as a young boy, taking his first steps toward becoming a powerful warrior.

Tai Lung had been like a son to Shifu, and he raised him as best as he could. However, his love prevented him from being strict with Tai Lung every time he went overboard with his strength—leaving a bandit half-dead or causing senseless destruction in a fight. Shifu would only point it out but never reprimand him.

This fed his ego, making him arrogant and giving him a sense of superiority over others. When Oogway judged that character as dark, Tai Lung felt like his entire life had been a lie, that he had trained his whole life for nothing.

At that moment, Shifu was weak and didn't know how to handle the rejection. Shifu was caught between his love for his son and the admiration and respect he had for his master. Unable to let go of either, he felt cornered and did nothing, only lowering his head in defeat. But actions have consequences, and inaction does too. Without intending it, Shifu allowed Tai Lung to fall into the abyss.

'So the time to rectify my mistake has come.' Shifu gritted his teeth, hardened his heart, and began walking quickly. "Zeng, summon the Furious Five!"

"Master Shifu… actually…"

Shifu frowned at Zeng's words. At this moment, nothing was more important than Tai Lung's escape.

"The Furious Five went out with Master Oogway's guest…"

"What?!"

...

(Surrounding village.)

It all began with a guard who had the brilliant idea of using flaming arrows against Tai Lung. He smiled and deflected them in different directions, resulting in many fires breaking out.

The fire spread from house to house as people screamed and ran in all directions.

"Trash" Tai Lung struck one of the armed oxen with such force that it tore off one of its horns.

"Ah!"

The last of the oxen on the ground looked at his companion and gritted his teeth.

"Oh, come on… weren't you going to arrest me?~"

Tai Lung walked while removing the cloak that covered his body and face. When he reached the last ox guard, the guard coughed blood, looking at Tai Lung in terror.

"Why…"

Tai Lung had no intention of listening to pleas. Tai Lung drew out his sharp claws and looked mercilessly at the last guard. "Don't worry; it won't hurt too much, and you'll be with your companions soon~"

"Rahhh!"

Tai Lung sneered but suddenly dodged a short chain with three iron-tipped balls that flew towards him. He cut it with his claws and looked at the intruder.

Monkey dropped from the sky, carried by Crane. "I don't know who you are, but this place is under the protection of the Furious Five!"

"Haha, the Furious Five? Is that who Shifu replaced me with?" Tai Lung mocked, not taking them seriously, which angered them.

Crane landed, glaring at Tai Lung. "You've got guts, or maybe you're just stupid, to speak of our master Shifu like that!"

"Master? You're talking about that cowardly fan of Oogway?"

"Take back your words!" Crane couldn't stand it any longer and attacked the insolent leopard. However, Monkey, being more cautious, sensed something was wrong and saw a faint smile on Tai Lung's face.

"It's a trap!" Monkey shouted, but it was too late.

Crane was grabbed by the neck and dealt a harsh blow to the stomach. Crane felt his organs shift painfully and choked.

"Ahhhh!"

Tai Lung mocked him. "You're foolish enough to come right into my claws; Shifu can only raise warriors of this level, meaning he must be a mediocre master!"

"I will not forgive you!" Monkey, provoked, attacked with his staff.

Tai Lung threw Crane into a house, breaking through it. Then he dodged Monkey's first attacks, realizing he shouldn't underestimate him. Though he hated his words, he didn't act recklessly like Crane.

"Oh, it seems you're not as foolish as that bird."

Tai Lung extended his claw and easily caught Monkey's staff. Monkey was incredulous, and then he received a knee to the stomach, bending his body. Then a strike to the back slammed him into the ground so hard it created a crater.

"Ah!"

Tai Lung pressed his paw down on Monkey's back and began to press harder. "Come on, little monkey, make me regret my words!"

"Ahhh!"

"Make me kneel and beg forgiveness from your beloved Master Shifu!"

Tai Lung pressed harder, and Monkey's bones began to break.

"STOP!"

"...!"

Tigress struck Tai Lung, making him stagger back through a wall. Mantis and Viper dropped down beside her.

Mantis and Viper were eager to help their friends, but the opponent was far too strong for one of them to face alone.

Tigress picked up Monkey and took him to a remote place.

"I'm sorry..." said Monkey.

"Don't worry, leave this to us." Tigress ran back.

...

"Well, we have more… since that dying monkey called himself one of the Furious Five…" Tai Lung emerged from the house he'd been flung into, with a mocking grin. "I can assume that you are the rest of useless..."

Tigress frowned; it was the second time she hadn't been able to hurt her opponent, and for someone whose style focused on damage, it was very frustrating.

"Mantis, Viper."

"Yes!"

With just a signal, the three attacked at once. Mantis used his small size to become fast and nearly invisible.

Viper attacked head-on. Tai Lung tried to grab her, but her body was too flexible and slippery. Viper wrapped around Tai Lung's arms momentarily with her body.

Mantis attacked Tai Lung relentlessly, keeping his attention away from Viper and Tigress.

"You're quite slippery!"

Without giving him a moment, Tigress attacked alongside Mantis, keeping Tai Lung from counterattacking.

"I see Shifu taught you well, but he didn't teach you everything!" Tai Lung broke free and struck Tigress's arm, making her lose sensation. With a look of shock, she was kicked in the abdomen by Tai Lung, sending her flying a hundred meters (330 ft) away.

"Tigress!" Mantis yelled, but he, too, was struck and lost his mobility. Tai Lung would not be merciful and was about to crush him underfoot.

Viper grabbed Mantis and retreated, stopping beside Tigress.

Tigress recovered enough to speak. "You… you're… Tai Lung!"

"Well, it seems Shifu wasn't able to replace me," Tai Lung looked at them with disdain. "You're all just poor substitutes for me…"

"Shaa!" Viper hissed, but they were in a dire situation. She couldn't leave everyone behind.

"Heh, looks like you're the only one left…"

Tai Lung thought for a moment. If these Furious Five were so important to Shifu, losing them would destroy him. That would be the perfect way for him to start tasting despair. The leopard put on a dangerous look and rushed on all fours towards Tigress, Viper, and Mantis.

"Viper, take Mantis and run!"

"But!"

"Do it!"

Tai Lung sneered, "None of you are going anywhere!"

Allen sighed. "You really had to be different…"

"...!"

Tai Lung saw a golden palm appear out of nowhere and strike him.

"Ahhh!"

Tai Lung staggered back, two ribs fractured.

"Who are you…"

Viper gaped in disbelief "Honored guest?!"

Tai Lung spat out some blood and recomposed himself, "Honored guest?..."

Allen was standing in front of Tigress and Viper wearing traditional Chinese clothing, "I wasn't planning to intervene since he's a necessary villain for Po... however I didn't expect this Tai Lung to be so ruthless..." Allen looked back, "You are very disgusting..."

"...!"

===

A/N: It's getting cold 🍷🗿

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