NOVEL NEXT Episode LXII: The Dancing Unicorn
"At last, a complete day of practice and rest," Kiyoshi announced as he stretched. This meant a day off from class for the fighter. Sliding the door open, he saw everyone sparring with each other. "Don't start without me!" Kiyoshi called out, sprinting toward them. As he neared the group, Jax threw an unexpected punch. Anticipating it, Kiyoshi blocked and retaliated with a kick to Jax's side. However, Jax countered using his elbow against Kiyoshi's leg. With his leg countered, Kiyoshi launched a shadow punch at Jax's chest that vanished only to reappear next to Jax's head. In a split second, Jax spotted it, backflipped over it and interrupted the attack with a lightning kick before attempting a leg sweep.
Kiyoshi began falling backward but managed to right himself with another backflip while hurling a shadow ball at Jax which hit its mark causing an explosion and smoke to engulf both fighters.
"Seems like someone has made some progress since yesterday," noted Jax.
"Disappear in the smoke," advised Kitaro to Kiyoshi.
"Noted," replied Kiyoshi who then dashed into the smoke towards Jax who saw him coming immediately; electricity crackled around his arms. As Kiyoshi lunged for an attack, Jax blocked and waited for an opening before landing two punches in quick succession on Kiyoshi’s stomach.
Stumbling backward onto the ground, Kiyoshi recovered with yet another backflip as Jax pursued him with his Mitsukodorian activated. Gathering momentum as he ran, power surged through him.
"Special Move: Lightning Pulse!" cried out Jax as he released an electrified sphere from his palms towards Kiyoshi who prepared himself for the incoming attack just as Jax leaped above him readying another electrified kick.
"Predictable," Kiyoshi muttered, "Special Move: Shadow Shredder!" He launched his attack, shredding through Jax's Lightning Pulse and met Jax's lightning kick head-on. The collision resulted in a massive blast of force and smoke. As the smoke cleared, the two fighters were still engaged in fierce combat midair, exchanging powerful blows.
"You've improved, Kiyoshi, but you still require more training," said Jax as he prepared for another attack.
"Ultra-Move: Ultra Lighting Gale Pulse!" He called out as he converted wind energy into a gigantic bolt of lightning which he then hurled at Kiyoshi whose eyes glowed with a shadowy aura matching his hands.
"I think I'm on par with you guys now," Kiyoshi declared confidently.
"Ultra-Move: Wild Shadow Claw Ripper!" His hands morphed into large purple holographic claws that easily sliced through Jax’s Ultra-Move before slashing Jax out of the sky.
Jax hit the ground hard while Kiyoshi descended swiftly aiming a kick at him. At the last moment, Jax rolled to safety and charged his fist with electric energy. When Kiyoshi was within range, he landed a punch in his gut that knocked him unconscious.
Lionel and Felix approached to see what had transpired.
"I noticed that Kitaro is back inside him during their fight," Lionel observed.
"No wonder I struggled against him; he has become stronger," admitted Jax.
"I told you all to have faith in him; he is an exceptional fighter," Felix reminded them.
"We always did believe in him; we were merely trying to push him further," Lionel clarified.
"That seems accurate," agreed Felix just as Kiyoshi regained consciousness.
"Did I win?" questioned Kiyoshi groggily.
"No, but you came close," Jax reassured him.
"Ah, man. I'll definitely win next time," Kiyoshi vowed.
"I believe you will," Kitaro agreed.
"Thanks, you were impressive too," Kiyoshi complimented before asking, "Who's up for some food?" as his stomach growled. The four of them headed to the café but were stopped by a dancer blocking their path.
"Hello, could we pass to enter the café?" Felix asked politely.
"Certainly, but first you must challenge me," replied the dancer.
Felix turned back to his group and inquired, "Who wants to take this guy on?"
"I'm exhausted," admitted Kiyoshi.
"Same here," echoed Jax.
"I trained intensively this morning and don't feel like fighting now," Lionel added.
"Well then, it appears it's just Mudar and me," Felix concluded.
"Ready, Mudar?" he asked.
"Always ready," responded Mudar confidently. Both Felix and the dancing fighter bowed before starting their match. The dancing fighter lunged at Felix with a punch which was promptly blocked by Felix who retaliated with a moonlight kick to his gut followed by a moonlight swing to his face. The dancing fighter collapsed unconscious causing surprise among his peers who picked him up promising revenge before they left.
"What was that all about?" wondered Kiyoshi aloud.
"No idea but let's eat now," suggested Felix leading them into the café while the dance crew ran off towards their leader William Crossfree calling out anxiously for him.
"What's going on?" William asked, executing a graceful spin. His small brown eyes, hidden behind metal-rimmed glasses, scanned the scene. Each dreadlock of his black hair was tinged with blonde at the tips, and his broad nose and large ears were prominent features on his brown skin. Standing taller than most fighters on the island, he wore a bright red gi adorned with a blue belt notched twice at his waist and a unicorn horn symbol emblazoned on the back.
"One of our own challenged a random fighter trying to enter the café," one of the fighters explained.
Without another word, William darted toward the café, leaving the others scrambling in his wake. He pushed open the door to reveal an audience frozen mid-meal. "I'm here to challenge whoever defeated my crew member," he declared.
His spirit guardian Calypso, an ablaze dancing unicorn, warned him against this course of action but William was determined to find out who had hurt his friend. Felix stood up and admitted it was him.
"I challenge you to a match then," William responded firmly.
"Challenge accepted," Felix replied coolly.
They moved outside towards a cliff by the water while Jax, Lionel, and Kiyoshi trailed behind them. The fight began with mutual bows before Felix launched into an attack that William deftly dodged using dance-inspired moves like Milly Rock shuffle slide and spin-around kick.
As their battle continued, William's body began to glow red - a sign of activating special abilities that enhanced physical prowess during fights. This revelation sparked conversation among Jax, Lionel, and Kiyoshi about their own potential abilities while they watched Felix struggle against William's unorthodox fighting style.
Felix tried transforming into Mudar - half-human/half-moon wolf - for an advantage but even that wasn't enough against William who retaliated by transforming into Calypso, the Blazing Dancing Unicorn. With his special ability Rhythm Tap activated, William's power increased with each dance move.
The fight took a turn when Felix revealed that they had been challenged to the fight at the café, not the other way around. Apologizing for his hasty judgment, William proposed they continue their match without holding back.
Felix's moonlight punches were repeatedly dodged by William's nimble footwork and even a well-aimed kick was countered by a dance spinning kick from William. Despite being at a disadvantage without the moon, Felix summoned all his strength for a final attack - Super Move: Wolf Fang Blast.
Dodging this attack with agility, William dropped into a breakdance move as if he was dancing to an invisible beat rather than fighting in a crucial battle.
“Ultra-Move: Burning Horn Tornado!” Yells William as flames and wind begin to swirl together, forming a massive attack. Felix's own powerful move begins to falter under the force of William's, but in a last-ditch effort, Felix expends all his energy to try and counter it. However, William's Ultra-Move easily overpowers him, sending the Burning Tornado crashing into Felix's body and causing him to lose consciousness. Lionel, Jax, and Kiyoshi rush down to check on Felix, while William also approaches with concern. "Sorry about that, I may have put too much power behind it," William admits sheepishly. "It's alright, I told you to give it everything you've got," Felix reassures him. "Looks like I still need to train harder if we want to win the beach classic this year," he adds with a sigh. "My team will definitely come out on top," declares William confidently. "We'll just have to see about that," challenges Kiyoshi. As they all make their way back up the beach, Felix and William fist bump as friends once again. "I'll catch you guys later; I need to work on perfecting my dance moves so I can be the best," says William as he walks away. The rest of the group waves goodbye before turning their attention back to Felix's fight. "Interesting how he doesn't have any hybrid abilities like us, yet he has two different hair colors," observes Lionel. "I guess some people are hybrids and others aren't," muses Jax. "From now on, no more losing for me; I'll do whatever it takes to win next time," vows Felix. "Count me in too, I'll always support you," promises Mudar. With renewed determination, Felix smiles and gazes at the beautiful sunset in front of them. "Let's go," says Jax. "Yeah, and we're not coming back here either," jokes Kiyoshi. Felix quickly catches up to them and joins in on the laughter as they all walk away from the beach together.