Marvel : Ms. Hyuga's journey

In the dark underground tunnels of New York, the clashing of swords and the cries of the dying filled the air. The ninjas of The Chaste, though numbering only twenty, moved like unstoppable living shadows. Every attack from The Hand's ninjas was countered with deadly precision. The battle unfolded in controlled chaos; despite being outnumbered, The Chaste continued to dominate.

Stick stood at the center of the battlefield, his staff spinning with a speed that was nearly imperceptible to the naked eye. Two members of the Five Fingers of The Hand had stepped forward to confront him. One was Murakami, a master of ancient martial arts, and the other was Alexandra Reid, a strategic leader with graceful and deadly movements. Stick, with a sly grin, wiped a small streak of blood from the corner of his mouth.

"You both came together? Are you afraid of an old man?" Stick taunted, his voice hoarse but filled with confidence.

Alexandra frowned. "Not fear, Stick. Just efficiency. You're old, your time is nearly up."

Murakami merely nodded, assuming a combat stance. "Your death will bring honor to The Hand."

Stick chuckled. "Honor? What nonsense. You're just a group of killers who don't know when to quit." With that, he stepped forward, his staff spinning sharply like a whirlwind.

Murakami attacked first, his quick strike aimed at Stick's neck, but Stick deftly ducked and used the tip of his staff to hit Murakami's knee. Alexandra took advantage of the moment to strike from behind, attempting to stab Stick with a short blade hidden in her sleeve. Stick, as if he had eyes on his back, twisted his body and blocked the attack with force.

"You'll have to try harder, Alexandra," Stick said as he dodged another strike. "Or have you truly lost your touch?"

Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, Daredevil faced Sowande, one of the Five Fingers. Sowande, with his massive build and brute strength, attacked ferociously, but Daredevil relied on his heightened senses to evade with agility.

"You think you can beat me, blind boy?" Sowande mocked, his voice like the growl of a beast.

"I don't think. I know," Daredevil replied, spinning his baton and aiming its end at Sowande's head. The strike forced Sowande to step back, but it only made him angrier.

Sowande swung his fist toward Daredevil, shattering a wooden pillar nearby when the blow missed. Daredevil used the chaos to leap into the air, delivering a spinning kick to Sowande's head that left him staggering.

"You're all brawn and no brain, Sowande. No wonder you're always a follower," Daredevil taunted, trying to provoke his opponent.

Sowande let out a loud growl, attacking even more wildly, but Daredevil maintained control of the fight, using the environment to trap Sowande in a narrow corner, limiting his movements.

At the center of the battlefield, Stick managed to separate Murakami and Alexandra, using the narrow corridors to neutralize their numerical advantage.

"You always think numbers can win," he said, striking Murakami in the ribs, causing him to collapse. "But I've trained longer than you've been alive."

Alexandra seized the opportunity to launch an attack on Stick's back, but he spun just in time, deflecting the blow with the end of his staff.

"Enough of these childish games," Alexandra said, her eyes blazing with anger. She drew a second blade, attacking swiftly and aggressively. Stick stepped back a few paces but never lost control.

Not far from there, in another corridor, Madame Gao stood atop a pile of corpses—thugs from Hell's Kitchen. She glanced around with a cold expression.

"Kingpin," she muttered irritably. "Did you think I wouldn't realize this is just a distraction?"

She struck the ground with her cane, sending a small shockwave that shattered the iron door ahead of her. But as she stepped further, a massive surge of energy was suddenly felt emanating from the direction of the ritual's center. Gao paused, her eyes narrowing.

"The ritual has begun," she said softly.

Elsewhere, Stick, Daredevil, Murakami, Alexandra, and Sowande also felt the same surge. All of them paused their battles momentarily, realizing that something far greater was unfolding.

"We need to get there now," Daredevil said, catching his breath.

Stick nodded, delivering another blow to Murakami to ensure he wouldn't be getting up anytime soon. "Let's go, Matt. This isn't over."

Madame Gao, with graceful yet hurried steps, moved toward the ritual's center, her mind filled with both curiosity and concern. Meanwhile, the sound of footsteps, clashing swords, and the cries of dying ninjas continued to fill the underground corridors, bearing witness to this chaotic battle.