NOVEL NEXT Episode LXIV: A Team Without Trust
As winter approached, the island was blanketed with low temperatures and occasional flurries. Lionel stepped outside, immediately noting the unusually freezing air. "Seems it's time for indoor training again," he murmured, retreating back inside to fetch his cloak. Leaving his dormitory, Lionel made his way towards the indoor training compound in the academy building.
Once inside, he was greeted by a massive bronze statue of an old fighter who had once been a student at this academy. The dojo-style architecture was prominent; paper-like walls supported by sturdy bamboo beams. Pictures of past fighters adorned these walls as a testament to the academy's rich history. Lionel's gaze landed on a photo of his father, prompting a small smile to form on his lips.
"You were tough on me, but it was all to make me stronger," he said softly, placing his hand on the picture. "I'll continue striving for you every day."
"Lionel? Is that you?" A voice called out from behind him. He turned around to find Alecto Hideyoshi standing there.
"I knew I smelled something monkey-like," Lionel joked with a laugh.
"Nice to see you too," Alecto replied grinning broadly. Lionel noticed that Alecto's hair had grown longer since their last meeting.
"It's been a year; how did your summer vacation go?" asked Lionel.
"Quite relaxing actually; I traveled around the world watching different fighters and even got front-row seats at Kung-Fu league matches,” answered Alecto. “How are the rest of our group?”
"They're doing well," responded Lionel before asking about Alecto’s team prospects for the upcoming year.
"Yes, we have formed a team and are aiming for top honors this year,” shared Alecto confidently.
"We'll see about that," countered Lionel playfully before enquiring about their participation in the upcoming beach tournament.
"Of course, we're in," Lionel confirmed. After wishing each other luck for the tournament and exchanging farewells, Alecto left with a wave.
Lionel then turned his attention to the training mat where teams were practicing against one another. "This dojo is packed! The upcoming tournament has everyone on their toes," he said to Zebeon before beginning his training.
Meanwhile, Felix woke up to find Jax and Kiyoshi engaged in a heated debate over who was the better fighter. After trying unsuccessfully to quell their argument, Felix gave up and urged them to get ready for class. Their banter continued until they reached the academy where Lionel was already waiting.
Inside the dojo classroom, they found a large square balance board with four squares. Sensei Yuriko explained that this trust beam would test their team's trust levels. Team X-Fangs went first and managed to stay balanced on the board indicating complete trust within their team.
However, when it was Mystical Force's turn, Lionel, Felix, Jax, and Kiyoshi barely lasted fifteen seconds before toppling off. Tyson laughed at their failed attempt while the rest of the class joined in.
Sensei Yuriko calmed down her class and reassured Mystical Force that it was just a mistake but as they walked back to their seats with heads hung low, Felix voiced his disbelief about having trust issues despite being friends for over a year.
Jax looked pointedly at Lionel and Kiyoshi saying he knew what was wrong with their team but Lionel quickly countered him stating that it wasn't just about two members but all of them which resulted in them failing today’s lesson.
"Well, whatever it is, we'll have to figure it out as a team," Jax declared. "But how?" Kiyoshi queried. Lionel replied, "That's for us to determine." Each of them returned to their designated spot on the floor. The subsequent teams performed without any mishaps; no one fell off the board.
"This is perfect; the regular fighter team is losing their self-confidence," Sensei Yuriko confided in her spirit guardian. "Soon, this island will be mine," she proclaimed. Lionel scrutinized the board every time a team ascended onto it.
"Something doesn't seem right about that board," Lionel observed. Felix asked, "What do you mean?" Lionel explained, "It appears as if the board is programmed for us to fail while all other teams remain unaffected."
A non-hybrid spirit guardian fighter team attempted to balance on the board but they all ended up falling off. "I too suspect that the board is rigged," Jax agreed with Lionel, adding, "Only fighters with standard spirit guardians are destined to fail and not hybrid fighters."
Jax stood up and addressed Sensei Yuriko directly which drew everyone's attention in the room. He bowed respectfully before stating his concern, “Sensei Yuriko, I believe this trust-board system is flawed.” His statement stirred murmurs among all present.
Sensei Yuriko reacted sharply, “You dare question my teachings?” “No Sensei,” Jax quickly clarified his stance. However, his boldness had consequences; their team was penalized with detention after class.
Lionel facepalmed himself at Jax's audacity while Kiyoshi punched Jax lightly in annoyance after he apologized and sat back down. Sensei Yuriko remarked dryly about Jax's resemblance to his brother before dismissing everyone at the end of class with a gong.
Everyone departed, leaving Jax, Lionel, Felix, and Kiyoshi alone with Sensei Yuriko. Their punishment was to strike metal dummies until they broke them. After four grueling hours without making a dent in the dummies, their detention was declared over by Sensei Yuriko.
The boys apologized solemnly and promised not to repeat their mistake. Kiyoshi glared at his bruised hand and muttered a sarcastic thanks to Jax who defended his earlier actions saying something had been off about the balance board. Kiyoshi retorted that Jax could have voiced his concerns after class instead of causing trouble for everyone.
Jax chose not to respond further. Meanwhile, Sensei Yuriko revealed her plans to the X-Fangs team about completing their mission on the island by targeting a specific family - The Kuno's, rivals of the Mitsuko family. Tyson agreed to locate them on the island while Sensei Yuriko kept tabs on Jax and his friends.
Tyson rallied his team to start their search for the targeted family group. They all nodded in agreement, feeling excited about their mission. "This is payback for what you did to my husband," Sensei Yuriko vowed menacingly.