[A.N Couldn't find a way to split these 2 chapters so combining it into one big one for today.]
The sudden flood of celebrity posts stunned the entire internet!
"He's really going to challenge Genichiro?!"
"Holy crap, look! Master Wu just announced he's joining too, and he's actually going to play Sekiro! Haha!"
"Not only Master Wu, but even Master Oogway has stepped up. This is insane, we're in for a real show!"
"Looks like everyone's eager to get at the New World this time!"
"Even if they get beaten black and blue, just the fact that so many stars are taking this seriously is legendary."
With stars across many industries posting their tweets, the hype only grew. The forums exploded with chatter, and in no time people had spun this into a worldwide campaign: [Challenge Genichiro]!
Fans swarmed the social media accounts of athletes, urging them to take part. And surprisingly, many of them agreed. For celebrities, it was free publicity. For fans, it was endless entertainment. Why not?
---BREAK---
Meanwhile, in a villa, Master Wu stood in a training suit, surrounded by a group of grinning buddies.
"Let me tell you something," Wu scowled, "I was planning to take my wife and kids on a vacation. But no, you lot keep calling me, harassing me to play some video game. I don't get it! I don't even play video games, what the hell am I supposed to do?"
This year, Wu had just wrapped Wolf Warrior 2, a film that shattered box office records and made him a top tier superstar. With such a massive success behind him, he had planned to relax. But instead of peace, his phone had been blowing up, friends calling nonstop, even visiting in person, just to drag him into playing Sekiro and fighting some boss inside it.
Wu was baffled. If you want to beat a game boss, shouldn't you ask a professional gamer? What the hell does this have to do with me?
"C'mon, Wu, just try it once. I promise you'll fall in love with it instantly, you won't even be able to stop!"
"That's right, this game was practically tailor made for someone like you."
"Not to mention, it's not just us, your fans have been spamming you, begging you to play!"
His friends smirked like conspirators.
"…Fine." Wu sighed. He had already posted about joining the challenge, so he couldn't back down now. May as well try it.
Under their guidance, he put on the VR rig, entered the platform, and launched the game.
"I want to see just how amazing this game is. It better be worth all this noise." Wu muttered.
Then, seconds later.
"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck?!!!"
Three curses exploded out of him.
The first was pure shock at how realistic it felt. It was as if he had truly traveled back to ancient times.
The second was disbelief at his own sudden power. His body was light as a feather, his fists carried wind with every strike, he felt stronger than he ever had on set, even when suspended by wires to play a martial arts master!
The third was utter awe at the game industry itself. Goddamn! Have video games really evolved to this level?!
Now he understood why fans begged for him. This wasn't some button mashing nonsense, this was real combat, real steel clashing. The era of 'pressing buttons' was over.
Was this even a video game anymore?!
His friends watched with gleeful expressions. As veteran New World players, they loved nothing more than seeing a newbie walk wide eyed into the city. Every gasp, every curse, every moment of shock gave them a smug sense of superiority.
Wu, still reeling, followed the on screen prompts until he stood before a cliff.
"What the hell, this game makes you rock climb too? And barehanded at that?!" He glanced down at the abyss below and shouted nervously.
"Don't worry, Wu, you won't actually fall to your death!"
"Yeah, don't hesitate, just climb straight up!"
"Careful, Wu! You won't actually die from falling, but the sensation of plummeting feels terrifyingly real!"
One friend played the devil, another the angel, teasing back and forth. Wu froze at the edge of the cliff, hesitating.
The sight was hilarious. This was the same Wu who, in movies, fearlessly charged through battlefields, never afraid of heaven or earth, yet here he was, trembling in front of a virtual cliff. The contrast was too much, and his buddies burst out laughing.
"You bunch of bastards!" Wu cursed. Still, as a martial arts actor, timidity wasn't in his nature. He clenched his jaw, steeled his nerves, and leapt forward. Narrowly, he made it across.
Soon, he obtained the katana from the young master and officially stepped into sword combat.
It was at this moment Wu understood why his friends had said this game was made for him.
Before becoming a superstar, Wu had been a national martial arts champion. He had wielded swords for decades on film sets, sparred countless times, and even developed a certain 'sword intuition'. Blades were an extension of his body.
The instant he fought with soldiers using the katana, that familiar feeling surged back.
Only this time, it was sharper, more real than anything in front of a camera. On film, swordplay was meant to look flashy and graceful. But here, in Sekiro, it was raw and brutal, a genuine fight to the death.
Wu had once trained in the Special Forces for eighteen months. He knew very well what real blade combat felt like. Yet even then, this was something else. This game recreated a thrill he had never touched before.
In the past, only when sparring with martial arts legends could he taste a fraction of this intensity. Back then, every exchange was both a contest and a conversation between masters.
But here, every clash, every parry, it was life or death.
"This game is insane! It's so damn cool!" Wu shouted, his blood boiling as he dueled General Tenzen Yamauchi, the first real test for players. "I'm having the time of my life!!!"
As the 'first boss', Yamauchi was supposed to humble new players. Yet Wu only died twice before cutting him down.
"Haha! See, Wu? Didn't I tell you you'd love it?"
"Tsk, he's so into it he's moaning with excitement."
"Well, what did you expect? He's a martial arts champion. Playing Sekiro is practically his birthright!"
But then one of them warned, "Wu, don't get cocky. Next up is Genichiro. That boss is on a whole different level!"
Wu tightened his grip on his blade, eyes burning. "Good! I can't wait."
Guided by the young lord, he stepped into the vast reed field.
"This scenery isn't bad at all. With a game like this, who even needs to travel?" Wu muttered. Then his gaze locked onto the armored figure in the distance.
That was him, Genichiro Ashina.
Wu immediately put away his idle thoughts and focused. After a brief exchange of words, the duel began.
Genichiro descended from the heavens like a thunderbolt, striking vertically before sweeping twice with brutal horizontal slashes. His speed and power were overwhelming.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Wu Jing parried all three, then retaliated with two swift counterstrikes.
Clang! Clang!
Both were deflected effortlessly.
"Holy shit, Wu is amazing!"
"He's actually trading blows with Genichiro, five moves straight! That's insane!"
His friends were wide eyed. They knew most first time players couldn't even survive three strikes. They'd be flattened before they could raise their sword.
But Wu's triumph didn't last long. After a few more exchanges, Genichiro unleashed a deadly combo. In an instant, Wu's health bar was obliterated.
His vision blurred, his avatar collapsed, and a chilling sensation spread through his left arm. Instinctively, Wu clutched at it, horrified.
"Relax, Wu! Your arm's fine, it's just the game's immersion messing with you."
"Yeah, that's what makes this game both the best and the worst. It feels too damn real!"
"But Wu, you can't let it end like this. You were a national martial arts champion! Stand up and fight again!"
Wu exhaled heavily, steadying himself. Then he roared.
"This Genichiro is brutal! There's no way I'll beat him in one go. Reload the save, I'll grind him down no matter how many tries it takes! I refuse to lose!!!"
---BREAK---
Meanwhile, across the internet, fans waited eagerly for news of a successful clear. Countless athletes and stars had issued bold declarations, but as the hours dragged on, not a single victory had been reported.
The 'Challenge Genichiro' movement burned hotter and hotter, but so far, Genichiro stood undefeated.
By six o'clock that evening, after hours of suspense, Master Wu finally updated his feed.
"Everyone kept urging me, so I pushed myself to the limit. At last,I've lived up to expectations and defeated Genichiro! The ending, though… well, see for yourselves. By the way, Sekiro is absolutely incredible! It's exactly my kind of game. I love it!!!"
Attached was the proof, Master Wu's own gameplay video of the long awaited Genichiro fight.
The moment it went live, people erupted in excitement.
"Holy crap, Master Wu actually beat Genichiro?!"
"No way! He's the first person on the entire internet to take him down! I never saw this coming!!!"
"As expected of our Wolf Warrior, he's a wolf even in another world!"
"Haha, Wolf Warrior becoming the wolf himself, nothing wrong with that!"
The crowd rushed to click on the video.
The screen opened to the battlefield of the reed fields. Wu's Wolf faced off against Genichiro, their blades gleaming under the fading light.
For a moment, silence, like the calm before a storm. Two masters about to clash.
Boom!
Genichiro exploded forward with lightning speed, his katana whistling through the air. Wu met him head on, their swords crashing together again and again in a storm of steel.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sparks flew with every strike.
"Damn, Master Wu's reactions are insane!"
"Genichiro's swings are lightning fast, but he just blocked all of them?!"
"But look, his posture bar is almost maxed out!"
Sure enough, Genichiro broke Wu's stance with a massive slash, knocking him backwards.
Almost instantly, the danger kanji flashed over Genichiro's head, he leapt high into the air and drove his blade down with a deadly thrust.
But just before impact, Wu slammed his own sword into the ground, steadying his staggered body. Then, with flawless timing, he rolled aside, dodging Genichiro's killing strike by a hair's breadth.
"What the fuck! He used the sword to stabilize himself after posture collapse?! That's insane stuff! Master Wu's a genius!!"
"And that roll, so clean! Not just any player could pull that off!"
"Beautiful dodge! That's not just gaming, that's martial artistry!!!"
The people were losing their minds.
Wu got back to his feet in one smooth motion and retaliated, slashing across Genichiro's torso before the general could recover. The strike landed.
Genichiro growled, narrowed his eyes, and muttered coldly, "So you're Kuro's protector? Not bad." Then he came at Wu again, blade flashing with killing intent.
What followed was breathtaking. Sometimes they clashed in midair, blades ringing under the moonlight. Other times, Wu ducked under sweeping slashes, countering with lightning-quick ripostes. The duel was raw, visceral, a true martial arts feast for the eyes.
Viewers watched with bated breath, palms sweating, as if they themselves were in the fight.
This wasn't a flashy movie scene. There were no choreographed tricks, no camera cuts. Just pure, unfiltered swordsmanship.
The only disadvantage? Genichiro's health bar was long, monstrous even. Wu's, on the other hand, was razor thin. Just three clean hits, and he'd be dead.
But somehow, he held on. Every time Genichiro pressed forward with ferocious combos, Wu parried, side stepped, and punished with sharp counters. Bit by bit, he wore him down.
Fifteen minutes passed. Fifteen grueling, exhausting minutes.
At last, the end drew near.
"Hateful!!!"
With one final slash, Wu's blade sank deep. Genichiro staggered back several steps, blood spraying from his chest. His knees buckled, and he dropped to the ground, half kneeling.
A glowing red dot appeared over his body.
"Holy shit! He's down!!!"
"Go for the deathblow!!!"
"Finish him!!!"
The people erupted in cheers, and in the video Wu himself let out a triumphant shout. He drew his blade and charged straight at Genichiro, ready to deliver the finishing blow!
But just then.
From the reeds in the distance, a shadow leapt out!
The figure was clad in a fur robe, face hidden beneath a tengu mask. With a flick of his hand, a storm of shuriken flew through the air!
"What the-?!" Wu clearly hadn't expected such a twist. Caught off guard, he was struck. The blades dug into his body, halting his movements mid charge.
"Now!"
Genichiro's cold voice rang out. From his half kneeling state, he suddenly sprang up and drew his sword in one swift motion.
Pfft!
Steel flashed. Wu's Wolf screamed in pain, his left arm was severed once again, flying into the air.
"Fuck!!! Who the hell sneaks in a backstab at the last second?!" Wu's collapsing voice rang in the background as the comments exploded.
"Holy shit, there was another rat hiding in the reeds!"
"Disgusting! Can't win fair, so they call for backup?!"
"This is the great general of Ashina? Shameless!!!"
"Master Wu, blow up the whole damn game already!"
Nobody expected such treachery right at the end. The viewers were stunned into outrage.
"Hateful…"
Wolf spat blood, clutching his severed arm. His body wavered, then collapsed heavily to the ground.
Genichiro regained his calm, sheathing his sword as he looked down coldly. "Guardian of Kuro, don't blame me for being ruthless. Those who achieve greatness… need not fuss over details. I will be taking Kuro."
With that, he signaled to the masked assassin who had interfered, then turned and walked away with the unconscious boy in his arms.
"Shameless bastard! You fight fair and lose, so you call in an ambush?!" Wu cursed furiously in the background, even as his Wolf's body lay unconscious on screen.
Someone finally reminded him, "Uh… Wu, you know the recording is still running, right?"
"Oh… right." Wu's voice instantly shrank to a whisper.
The video ended there, but the barrage of complaints from people had only just begun.
"Genichiro? More like Shamichiro! If he wins, he taunts. If he loses, he brings a sneak attacker. Trash!"
"And he has the nerve to spout lofty lines about 'not minding details'? What details? He doesn't even mind throwing away his dignity!"
"Still, can't deny it, this is where the Wolf loses his arm… actually, it's a pretty epic turning point."
"True… without that arm cut off, how else would he get the prosthetic ninja hand?"
"…Damn, that actually makes sense. Can't refute it."
"So you're saying Genichiro sacrificed his honor just to gift Wolf a cool prosthetic? Haha, that's galaxy brain logic!"
People laughed and cursed in equal measure.
---BREAK---
Wu, meanwhile, was sprawled on the sofa scrolling through comments. Seeing himself on the hot search rankings, higher than even when Wolf Warrior 2 released, he couldn't help feeling smug.
"Hah… worth every drop of sweat today," he muttered.
What they didn't know was that this 'majestic' victory had actually cost him three full hours. He'd died countless times, drenched in sweat, grinding until he had memorized every one of Genichiro's attacks. Behind that polished video was a graveyard of left arms hacked off over and over.
It was not easy. Definitely not easy!
As Wu was still basking in the glow, his wife Misako came into the living room. "Wu, didn't you say we'd go on a trip? When are we leaving? I'll start packing."
Wu paused, then made a firm decision. "Mm… let's not go."
"…Not go?" Misako frowned. "Why not?"
"I want to play more." Wu said seriously.
"…What?" Misako stared at him in disbelief. "How old are you, and you're canceling a trip to play games? Since when do you even like games? You've never touched them before!"
Wu's eyes lit up with a fanatic glow. "Age doesn't matter. This game… it's too good. It's thrilling, down to the marrow of my bones. I have to beat it!" He clenched his fist with passion.
Misako's brows shot up. "How good can it possibly be?"
Wu answered without hesitation, "Better than… making a child."
"…"
Misako froze. Speechless.
"What a thing to say!" she finally snapped. "I won't allow you to keep playing! I've already taken days off work for this trip. You think I'll just sit here while you bury yourself in a video game?!"
Wu thought for a moment, then tried to bargain. "Then… how about you play too? I heard the same company made another game, Subnautica. People say it's really good. Wanna try?"
"As if!" Misako snorted coldly. "Do I look like the type who'd waste time on games?"
"Try it."
"Try it my ass! Even if I'm bored to death, I'd rather jump off a building than play a childish game like that!"
…
Yet a few hours later, Wu looked over at Misako who was flailing around on the VR platform, pretending to swim through an alien ocean, and was left completely speechless.
"This world is too beautiful!" Misako gasped in amazement. "There are so many fish I've never seen before! And look at that aurora in the distance, so majestic! Even our city can't compare!"
Wu could only shake his head. Hard refusal, huh? And now she was hooked just as badly.
But that was fine. With his wife fully occupied, he could finally play Sekiro in peace.
Wu's video of defeating Genichiro instantly shot up the trending charts. Other stars and athletes who had been dabbling in the 'Genichiro Challenge' were stunned.
The truth was, many of them had secretly tried. But the fight was brutal. It would take hours of grinding and practice to succeed, and most had work to do.
None of them expected Wu to actually clear it first.
Now, if they didn't follow, wouldn't it look like they were being outclassed? The competition heated up overnight.
One by one, martial arts actors and athletes quit their training or filming schedules, sat down in their VR rigs, and grit their teeth against Genichiro. Hours later, victory posts began pouring in.
People were going wild.
"Haha, Master Wu's video triggered an avalanche! So many people have beat Genichiro now!"
"Poor Genichiro… what did he do to deserve being beaten up by half the world's martial arts community?"
"Doesn't matter. If you win, he taunts. If you lose, he sneak attacks. He deserves it!"
"I hereby declare, whoever can beat Genichiro is truly powerful!"
"Exactly! All those so called kung fu masters and martial arts frauds, go fight him first before bragging!"
"Speaking of which… where's Mager John? I want to see him fight Genichiro!"
"Bro, you're trying to kill that sixty year old!"
"Fine then, what about that monk who fights in cages? He should go!"
"Haha, good idea. I'm gonna spam both of their social accounts with 'Challenge Genichiro!' right now!"
The movement spread like wildfire. Before long, ;Challenge Genichiro; had turned into a public test of credibility. Anyone who bragged online was immediately met with a 'go fight Genichiro first'.
And for people, this was catharsis. For years, fake 'masters' had made fortunes off scams, tricking gullible people with empty talk of martial arts. Now, thanks to Sekiro, these frauds had nowhere left to hide.
3452 Words.