"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Kagawa Wang Chun called out, his voice echoing through the trees. "Because I'm pretty sure we've circled this place like three times already."
Jaggy Tokugawa chuckled, stepping over a fallen tree trunk. "Yeah, and if we keep going in circles like this, we'll probably find the Golden Scroll in the back of my closet at home."
"Oh please, you'd have to clean out your closet first," Koko Tokugawa shot back with a smirk, her eyes scanning the forest for any sign of the relic.
As they continued to banter, the forest seemed to grow even denser around them, the canopy of leaves obscuring the sunlight and casting the path ahead in near light. Kagawa's brow furrowed in concentration.
"So, we know the first riddle said something about mountains and winds. But it didn't say anything about running around in circles like a bunch of headless chickens, did it?"
Jaggy rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Well, if you have any better ideas, I'm all ears, buddy."
As Koko, Jaggy, and Kagawa trekked through the forest, the gentle Luminari River flowed beside them, its soft gurgle a comforting accompaniment. Suddenly, a rustling noise caught their attention. They turned, instinctively reaching for their weapons, as three figures emerged from the shadows.
Kaguya Tokugawa, Saburo Tokugawa, and Asami Tokugawa, members of the Phoenix Academy's elite squad, stood before them, their expressions a mix of surprise and wariness.
"Well, well, if it isn't the Iron Fist Squad," Kaguya drawled, her tone carrying a hint of mockery.
Koko squared her shoulders, her grip on her sword tightening. "What do you want, Kaguya? If you're looking for a fight, you're in the wrong place.
Saburo smirked, adjusting the strap of his quiver. "Oh, we're not looking for a fight...at least not yet. We're just here to save you the trouble of looking for something you'll never find."
Jaggy scoffed, his eyes narrowed. "And why's that, Saburo? Because you already have the Golden Scroll tucked away in your little bag pack there?"
Kaguya chuckled, her eyes glittering in the dim light of the forest. "You think we'd just give away our scroll like that? Please. We were just being nice by offering you a little heads-up." She paused, glancing at Asami and Saburo with a sly smirk.
"You see, we've already deciphered the first riddle. And let's just say that the Golden Scroll isn't in this part of the forest. But I'm sure you'll have fun running in circles for the rest of your lives."
Kaguya chuckled, her eyes glittering in the dim light of the forest. "You think we'd just give away our idea like that? Please. We were just being nice by offering you a little heads-up." She paused, glancing at Asami and Saburo with a sly smirk.
"You see, we've already deciphered the first riddle. And let's just say that the Golden Scroll isn't in this part of the forest. But I'm sure you'll have fun running in circles till time runs out ."
"You've deciphered the riddle?" Kagawa frowned, his brow furrowing in confusion. "But how could you be so sure that we're not on the right track?"
Saburo shrugged, his tone nonchalant. "Let's just say we have our ways. And they're better than whatever you guys have been relying on."
Koko's eyes narrowed, her temper flaring. "Oh, yeah? Well, if you're so confident, why don't you just tell us where the Golden Scroll is as you you said you would do? Unless you're actually planning something ."
Asami's lips curved into a smirk. "Ooh, Koko. Getting a bit defensive, are we?"
"Look, if we told you where the Golden Scroll was, we'd be giving away all our efforts. And we can't have that." Kaguya replied, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
Saburo stepped forward, his hand casually resting on the hilt of his sword. "But how about we make this interesting by testing your knowledge."
Koko raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "Test our knowledge? Are you actually suggesting we take part in your little game?"
Saburo smiled, a hint of malice in his eyes. "Oh, it's not just any game. It's a test of basic principles of kung fu, something every Tokugawa clan warrior should know, yes?
Saburo's smirk widened as he eyed the three members of the Iron Fist Squad. "After all, if you don't even have knowledge of that, what hope do you have of finding the Golden Scroll? Or even defeating our academy in the tournament?"
Jaggy bristled, his eyes flashing with anger. "What kind of question are we talking about here, Saburo?"
Saburo folded his arms, his voice dripping with contempt. "A simple one, really. What are the basic principles of kung fu?
Koko stepped forward, her face a mask of determination. "Respect, honor, humility, and discipline," she said, her voice steady and confident.
Saburo's eyes narrowed, the corners of his mouth turning up in a half-smirk. "Interesting. Those are all traits that you, as Iron Fist warriors, seem to lack." He paused, his gaze turning to Jaggy. "I mean, you can't even stay on your feet long enough to fight.
Jaggy tensed, his body coiling like a spring, ready to strike. "I'd like to see you try to knock me down now, Saburo. I'm not the same warrior I was before."
Asami chuckled, her laughter cutting through the tension like a blade. "You're right, Jaggy. You're even more pathetic now than you were before.
"Besides how you were about to take the easy way out and let us tell where the Golden Scroll is, like expected you." Kaguya interjected, her eyes dark with purpose. "Well we're not going to just give you anything. If you want it, you'll have to fight for it."
"They can't possibly win against us?" Saburo sneered, his hand slipping off his sword hilt and into a fighting stance. "With the likes of you partnering up, it looks like your squad is already at a disadvantage. I feel pity for the fatty over there."
Koko smiled, a glint of amusement in her eyes. "I'd hardly call him our best warrior." She gestured towards Kagawa. "But he's much better suited for the task of taking you down."
Kaguya scoffed, rolling her eyes. "So you're putting your faith in the fat guy? That's a bold move. Anyways your dead in this fight!"
Kagawa stood beside Koko and Jaggy, a look of bewilderment on his face. He found himself in the midst of a tense standoff with members of Phoenix Academy, and he felt completely out of his depth.
Kaguya, noticing Kagawa's hesitancy, smirked and addressed him directly. "Well, Fatty. Are you just going to stand there like a tree or are you gonna do something?"
Kagawa's face hung suspended for a moment before his body coiled, tense and ready, as he sank into a fighting stance. "A-about what...I-I mean, we'll seize the Golden Scroll, no matter the cost."
Meanwhile, Koko and Jaggy exchanged a weighted glance, their eyes sparking with the promise of adrenaline, like the first whispers of a gathering storm.
Saburo snorted, his lip curling in disgust. "Fatty? Is that the best you could come up with, Kaguya? I suppose it's fitting, considering their squad is full of pigs."
Jaggy's nostrils flared, his fingers tightening around the hilt of his sword. "You're one to talk, you walking flame broiler. Don't think we forgot about what happened the last time we met at Junior Martial art school. You're still paying off your debt to the lunch lady, aren't you?"
Saburo growled, his cheeks flushing with rage.
Kaguya stepped between Saburo and Jaggy, her eyes flashing with anger. "Enough with the petty insults! If we're going to fight, let's make it quick, and I'm definitely not holding back."
"Fine by me," Jaggy replied, grinning savagely. "We'll take you down like the chumps you are."
Asami rolled her eyes, sighing in exasperation. "If we're going to fight, we might as well make it worthwhile. The winner takes both Silver Relic and Golden scroll and the loser forfeits their chance of becoming tiger warriors."
AHH!!
With a roar that echoed through the forest, Saburo lunged at Jaggy, his sword cutting through the air in a deadly arc.
WHOOSH! CLANG!!
Jaggy, his reflexes honed from months of training, parried the attack and retaliated with a flurry of strikes that forced Saburo to retreat.
Kagawa and Asami faced off in a separate duel, their movements casual as they exchanged blows with practiced precision.
But it was Koko and Kaguya who truly stole the show. Their swords danced with a fury that belied their grace, each parry and thrust a masterpiece of deadly precision.
"Bujutsu, Clear Flame Wave!!" Saburo roared, his blade erupting with a wave of scorching heat that rushed towards Jaggy, the air itself igniting as it passed.
SZZZT WHOOSH!
Jaggy, realizing that he was in over his head, desperately rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the searing heat of Saburo's " Flame Wave!." The flames licked at his clothes and scorched the ground where he had been only moments before, leaving a smoldering trail of destruction in their wake.
"What the hell...,"Panting, Jaggy struggled to his feet, his mind racing as he searched for an opening to strike back. He could feel the sweat trickling down his forehead, the adrenaline coursing through his veins.
"I know you won't put up much of a challenge for me," Saburo taunted, his sword igniting once again with the power of "Flame wave." "But you're welcome to try if you want to be roasted like a piece of chicken."
Jaggy growled, his teeth bared in defiance. "You may have some fancy fire tricks, but that's not enough to take me down. I've got a few surprises up my sleeve."
Jaggy leapt forward, his blade slashing through the air with a speed that surprised even himself.
SLASH CLANG
Saburo, caught off guard by Jaggy's sudden attack, barely managed to block the strike with his flaming sword. The force of the impact sent sparks flying in all directions, the sound of steel scraping against steel echoing through the forest.
"What's this?" Saburo exclaimed, smirking in amusement. "The little fish has some bite after all."
Jaggy, adrenaline pumping, pressed his advantage, his blade cutting through the air with a flurry of strikes that Saburo struggled to keep up with.
Meanwhile, Koko and Kaguya were locked in their own deadly dance of blades. Their swords flashed through the air like lightning bolts, each strike met with a parry, each feint countered with a deft evasion.
Kaguya, her eyes glowing with a fierce determination, let out a guttural cry and unleashed a series of rapid-fire strikes that Koko struggled to fend off.
WHOOSH SPLASH
In a burst of watery power, Kaguya uttered the words "Bujutsu, "Water Flow" !" and a torrent of water erupted from the luminari river, cascading over Koko in a deluge of cold fury.
Koko, momentarily caught off guard by the sudden onslaught, was forced to retreat several steps, her sword held up defensively as she tried to shake off the icy chill that had invaded her body.
"Not bad, Kaguya," Koko said, her teeth chattering slightly.
Kaguya pressed her advantage, the water swirling around her like a raging sea. She thrust her sword forward, sending a lance of water hurtling towards Koko. Koko, still recovering from the initial deluge, ducked and rolled to the side, just in time to avoid being impaled by the watery spear.
"You won't win, Kaguya," Koko growled, her hands now dripping with water as she resumed her fighting stance. "I've faced worse than a little girl with a bucket."
"Oh, really?" Kaguya hissed, her eyes narrowing as a frigid determination hardened her features. "If you think that was all I have in store, then you haven't seen anything yet."
In a blinding flash of icy power, Kaguya unleashed a devastating technique, her voice echoing through the forest as she called out, "Bujutsu, "Ice Needle"!"
The waters around Koko seemed to freeze solid, trapping her in place like a fly in amber. In the blink of an eye, a powerful wave of ice hurtled towards Koko with the force of a thousand winter storms, threatening to engulf and freeze her in its wake.
CRACK WHOOSH
Koko, her teeth gritted against the intense cold, strained against the icy hold of Kaguya's "Ice needle"
"You'll...never...win!" she growled, her sword now coated in a thin layer of frost as she fought to break free.
Kaguya's eyes glinted with determination. "Give up now, Koko. This battle is mine to win."
But Koko refused to concede defeat.
CRACK
With a burst of power that sent a shockwave through the forest, Koko shattered the icy bonds, launching herself towards Kaguya in a flurry of strikes that seemed to blur the air around them.
Kaguya countered each blow with precision and grace, her sword weaving a deadly dance that left Koko struggling to keep up. But Koko was relentless, her sword flashing with a newfound ferocity as she pressed her attack.
CLANG WHOOSH
The battle between Koko and Kaguya intensified, each strike seeming to be a match of steel and will. Kaguya's technique was precise and deadly, while Koko fought with the fiery determination of a warrior possessed.
"You're good," Kaguya grunted, deflecting a particularly brutal strike with a flick of her wrist. "But not good enough."
Koko laughed, a wild and savage sound that sent a chill down Kaguya's spine. "We'll see about that."
Kaguya felt the chill of her own perspiration as she drove forward, her sword a glittering ribbon of silver. She caught Koko off guard, her blade slicing through the air in a dazzling arc of precision.
"Haaaaaa!" Kaguya roared, unleashing a torrent of water that seemed to freeze solid in mid-air. "Your time is up, Koko," Kaguya growled, her teeth gleaming in the sunlight.
"Bujutsu, "Water Enhancement, hailstorm "!" Kaguya bellowed, unleashing the full power of her water elemental ability.
A wall of icy wind swept through the forest, a blizzard of razor-sharp shards of ice that howled and screeched like a raging storm. Kaguya grinned, her eyes shining with a cruel and predatory glee as she watched Koko struggle against the onslaught.
"Now, feel the full force of my power!"
AHH!!...(Koko screaming)
The intensity of Kaguya's Hailstorm attack was so fierce that even Saburo and Jaggy, who were locked in their own bitter struggle, could feel the chill of the howling wind. The forest itself seemed to groan in protest as the freezing gale whipped through the branches, sending a shower of frozen leaves and twigs raining down around them.
"What the hell is Kaguya doing?" Saburo muttered, his fire power suddenly feeling feeble and insignificant in the face of Kaguya's onslaught.
"No! Koko!" Jaggy yelled, his expression twisted with horror as he watched his friend struggle against the icy onslaught. "Kaguya, stop! You're going too far!"
But Kaguya only laughed, a shrill and mirthless sound that cut through the frigid air. "It's not too far, Jaggy. It's just getting started. If you don't want your precious friend to be a permanent ice sculpture, then you'd better come do something about it." Koko, her voice strained with effort, called out to Jaggy in desperation. "J-Jaggy, help! I can't hold on much longer!"
Jaggy, his eyes blazing with a fury that rivaled even Saburo's flames, turned to face Kaguya, his jaw clenched in determination. "You want a fight, Kaguya? Fine. But leave Koko out of this!"
"You think you can protect her, Jaggy?" Kaguya taunted, her voice hardening as she glared at him over the fierce winds of her Hailstorm technique. "I doubt you can even protect yourself."
Jaggy, struggling to keep Saburo at bay, growled in frustration. "Just try me, Kaguya."
Saburo, seeing his opportunity, unleashed a searing blast of flame at Jaggy, who barely managed to dodge the attack. "Careful there, Jaggy," Saburo snickered. "Hope you haven't forgotten me, haha."
"I haven't forgotten you, Saburo," Jaggy grunted, deflecting Saburo's searing blast with a quick swipe of his sword. "But I won't let Kaguya's Hailstorm hurt Koko. Not while I'm here."
Saburo let out a bark of laughter. "Don't waste your breath, Jaggy. Kaguya's too strong for you. And I'll make sure she's the last thing you ever see before you die in a fiery blaze."
Kaguya, watching the struggle with a twisted smile, interjected.
"Bujutsu, Tidal Surge, Heavenly Reckoning!" Kagawa cried, the air around him shimmering with kinetic energy as his mass suddenly doubled, becoming heavier and more dense with each passing second.
Kaguya, still recovering from the shockwave, stumbled backwards as Kagawa's new bulk sent ripples of force into the earth beneath her feet. "What is this? A Jüten clan technique?" she spat, her voice a mix of surprise and anger.
Kagawa, towering over Kaguya like a mountain of pure mass, grinned fiercely.
"K-Kagawa?" Koko whispered, her voice barely audible as she struggled against the icy grip of Kaguya's Hailstorm technique. "When did he learn that?"
Jaggy, caught between Saburo's relentless barrage of fire and the sight of Kagawa's sudden transformation, could only gape in disbelief. "Kagawa? When did you learn a Jüten clan technique? And more importantly, what is it?"
Kagawa, his voice booming like thunder, bellowed with a mixture of pride and excitement, "It's yours truly.... Kagawa, here to rescue!! You thought you could get rid of me that easily, Kaguya? Hah, think again!"
His newfound mass and strength rippled through the air, shaking the trees and causing Saburo and Kaguya to stumble backwards in surprise. "And for you, Saburo, how about a little heat wave to melt that ice?" Kagawa added, his grin turning feral.
"Huh really, why ask me fatso?" Saburo retorted, his voice dripping with sass. "I'm the one standing in your way, after all!"
Kagawa snorted, his face scrunched up in a comical mix of determination and disdain. "Oh, whatever!" he barked, before lifting his foot for a squashing attempt. "Time to flatten you!"
Saburo, his movements quick and deft, barely avoided Kagawa's stomp by somersaulting out of the way. "Ughhh, you're dead, Bujutsu, Clear Flame Wave!!" he exclaimed, unleashing a wall of fire that rushed towards Kagawa like a blazing inferno.
Kagawa, for all his new mass and power, was too slow to avoid the attack. The heat of the flames singed his skin, his clothes smoldering as he grunted in pain. "Agh, you're fast, Saburo," he growled.
"Tsk, tsk," Saburo clucked, his sword still glowing with fire as he carefully circled Kagawa, watching for an opening. "And where's Asami? What have you done to her? Did you think I wouldn't notice her absence?"
Kagawa's eyes narrowed, his expression shifting from anger to cunning. "Oh, you noticed, did you? Well, it's a shame she couldn't be here to witness your defeat. I must admit, taking care of her was child's play."
Saburo's face darkened, his eyes flashing with anger.
As Kagawa's words sank in, Saburo let out a roar of pure rage, his flames flickering wildly as he charged towards Kagawa with a cry of "Clear Flame Wave: Final Inferno!"
In that moment, the air crackled with electricity as both teams battle it out.