The group barely had time to savor their victory over the Colossal Teapot before the earth trembled beneath their feet.
"Alright," Kazuya groaned, brushing wet tea leaves off his shoulder. "What's it this time? A sentient sugar cube? A murderous biscotti?"
But the tremor wasn't caused by another beverage-related monstrosity. From over the nearby hill, a rickety stage came into view, wobbling dangerously under the weight of an enormous crowd of chickens. At the center of the stage, a muscled rooster wearing a cape and a golden championship belt clucked menacingly into a microphone.
"LADIES AND GENTLECHICKENS!" the rooster bellowed. "WELCOME TO THE CLUCKTAGON!"
Sylvara blinked. "The... what?"
"The Clucktagon," Ravynne muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose. "The underground chicken wrestling league. I thought it was a myth."
"An underground league that's above ground?" Kazuya deadpanned.
The rooster slammed the mic down with a dramatic flair. "I AM FEATHERSTONE, THE UNDEFEATED CHAMPION! IF YOU DARE TO CHALLENGE ME, STEP INTO THE RING AND PREPARE TO BE PLUCKED!"
Quackleton, without hesitation, waddled forward, cracking his knuckles.
"Oh no," Kazuya whispered.
Featherstone's Challenge
As Quackleton approached the stage, Featherstone glared down at him, flexing his feathered biceps. "YOU, PUNY DUCK, THINK YOU CAN TAKE ON THE MIGHTY FEATHERSTONE?"
Quackleton quacked defiantly, jabbing a wing at the championship belt.
Kazuya ran up to him, panic etched across his face. "Quackleton, buddy, maybe this isn't the best time to start a poultry vendetta, okay? Let's just walk away—"
Featherstone laughed, a deep, throaty sound that made the chickens in the crowd cheer. "THIS IS NO ORDINARY CHALLENGE! TO FACE ME IN THE CLUCKTAGON, YOU MUST FIRST DEFEAT MY ELITE TEAM OF WRESTLERS!"
From the shadows of the stage, three intimidating figures emerged:
The Eggsecutor, a rotund chicken with egg nunchucks. Henjamin Clucksworth, a dapper rooster wearing a monocle and wielding a cane like a fencing sword. Cluck Norris, a muscular chicken with a bandana and a steely glare that could crack eggs from across the room.
Sylvara crossed her arms. "Okay, that last one feels like cheating."
The First Round: The Eggsecutor
Quackleton hopped into the ring, his tiny cape billowing dramatically. The crowd roared as the referee, a small pigeon in a striped shirt, blew a whistle.
The Eggsecutor rolled into the ring, spinning his egg nunchucks with deadly precision. "Prepare to be scrambled!" he squawked.
"What is happening right now?" Kazuya muttered, burying his face in his hands.
The fight was surprisingly intense. The Eggsecutor launched a barrage of egg strikes, but Quackleton dodged with the agility of a seasoned warrior. At one point, Quackleton grabbed an egg mid-air and hurled it back, hitting the Eggsecutor square in the face.
With a dramatic quack, Quackleton finished the fight by body-slamming the Eggsecutor, knocking him out cold.
The crowd erupted into cheers.
The Second Round: Henjamin Clucksworth
Henjamin Clucksworth entered the ring, twirling his cane and adjusting his monocle. "Good show, old chap," he said, tipping his hat to Quackleton. "But this is where your little quackventure ends."
"Who talks like that?" Kazuya whispered.
Henjamin lunged with surprising speed, his cane striking like a rapier. Quackleton countered with a flurry of wing slaps, but Henjamin's finesse was unmatched.
"Is it just me, or is this starting to look like a poultry version of a fencing anime?" Sylvara asked, genuinely intrigued.
The battle reached its climax when Quackleton flipped backward, grabbed a stray baguette from the audience, and used it to disarm Henjamin's cane. With one final quack, Quackleton delivered a spinning roundhouse kick, sending Henjamin flying out of the ring.
"HOW IS HE DOING THIS?!" Kazuya yelled.
The Final Round: Cluck Norris
The arena fell silent as Cluck Norris entered the ring. The tension was palpable.
Cluck Norris cracked his neck, his steely eyes locking onto Quackleton. "You've got guts, duck. Let's see if they're as tough as mine."
The fight was nothing short of legendary. Cluck Norris moved with the speed of a falcon and the strength of a boulder. Quackleton countered with acrobatics that defied physics, including a moment where he seemed to briefly hover mid-air.
At one point, Cluck Norris unleashed his signature move: the Cluck-icane Kick. Quackleton barely dodged it, countering with a move of his own—a devastating Duck Dive Bomb.
The crowd was on the edge of their seats.
The Final Showdown
As the dust settled, only Quackleton and Featherstone remained.
Featherstone stepped into the ring, his golden belt glinting in the sunlight. "You've impressed me, duck. But this is where your luck runs out."
The fight was a spectacle of epic proportions. Featherstone unleashed a barrage of moves, including the Spicy Wing Slam and the Feather Fury Flurry. Quackleton retaliated with the Quackquake Punch and the Beak Breaker Combo.
In the end, it all came down to one final move. As Featherstone lunged with the Rooster Rampage, Quackleton countered with an explosive Ducknado Spin. The impact sent Featherstone flying out of the ring, landing in a pile of defeated tea bags.
The Aftermath
The crowd went wild as Quackleton was declared the new champion. The golden belt was placed around his waist, though it was comically oversized for his small frame.
Kazuya collapsed onto the ground, laughing hysterically. "I can't believe we just spent an entire day watching a duck wrestle chickens."
Sylvara grinned. "Admit it, though. That was the best thing we've seen in weeks."
As they walked away from the Clucktagon, Quackleton waddled proudly, his championship belt glinting in the sunlight.
To be continued…