NOVEL NEXT Episode LXV: A Forest with Sand
"Where are we going again?" Kiyoshi asked, his feet dragging through the late winter chill.
"We're heading to the beach for training," Lionel replied.
"That's no fun," Kiyoshi grumbled, a frown etched on his face.
"Do you want to get stronger and surpass us?" Jax questioned.
"Yes, but it seems too easy for me," Kiyoshi retorted. The group halted and gave Kiyoshi a stern glance.
"What? It was just a joke!" Kiyoshi tried to laugh it off, but his laughter echoed alone in the silence.
"But no one here is laughing," Felix pointed out. Kiyoshi lowered his gaze and they continued their journey towards the beach, descending a slight hill path adjacent to it. They passed by their old hangout spot from last year and the boat docks where they had disembarked at the beginning of the year. Their progress was halted when they spotted a large crowd of teams who had apparently had the same idea.
"Are you serious?" Jax exclaimed in surprise.
"It appears we need to fight for a spot," Lionel observed.
"Aww, man!" groaned Kiyoshi, disappointment evident in his voice as he hung his head low again. The four of them sprinted down to the beach where they were stopped by a Sensei.
"Sorry guys, all spots on this beach are taken," one of them informed.
"Can we fight for a spot?" Felix asked hopefully.
"Nope! First come first serve," the Sensei confirmed with finality.
"Well that's unfortunate; maybe we should just go home and sleep then," suggested Kiyoshi casually. In response, Jax delivered him a gut-punch so hard that he saw stars before collapsing in pain.
"I guess I should keep quiet and train with them after all," he mumbled through gritted teeth as he crumpled to the ground.
"Looks like it's time for plan B. Everyone, follow me," Lionel ordered, setting off away from the beach. However, as he turned around, he bumped into Eo Hoon, the leader of Faded Legacy.
"Watch where you're going or I'll have to put you in your place again," Hoon threatened.
"Are you looking for a fight?" Kiyoshi interjected defensively.
"I don't have time for this; I need to get back to my group," Hoon dismissed him and walked away towards his group on the beach.
"He didn't want a fight with Kiyoshi because he was scared," Kiyoshi boasted.
"I don't think he was scared of you; he just wanted to pass by," Lionel corrected him as he dusted sand off his clothes.
"That's where I disagree with you," Kiyoshi retorted. Felix and Jax shook their heads in exasperation and followed Lionel.
"Hey guys, wait up!" called Kiyoshi as he ran after them. They retreated back towards the forest area where they noticed sand swirling all around an older man dressed in a Sensei Gi. Lionel approached the Sensei respectfully and bowed before saying,
"I'm sorry to disturb you but we're looking for a place to train on sand and all of the beach spots are taken."
"This place is off-limits to students," replied the Sensei dismissively before turning his back on them.
"What a grouch!" Felix muttered under his breath, loud enough for the Sensei to hear and move further away from them.
"Forget about him," suggested Lionel as they ventured deeper into the forest until they found another suitable spot.
"This seems like a good place to train," Jax commented approvingly.
"You bet!" agreed Kiyoshi enthusiastically before launching a random rock far into the distance. The rock traveled a considerable distance before striking another fighter in the back of his head.
"Who threw that?" a voice boomed, causing the entire forest to tremble.
"Great job, Kiyoshi! What have you done now?" Lionel scolded him.
"All I did was throw the rock to see how far we were from everyone else," Kiyoshi defended himself, his face falling with guilt.
"You fool!" Lionel chastised him as four formidable fighters emerged from the trees and confronted them.
"Can someone please explain who hit me with this?" demanded one of the fighters, holding up the offending rock. The old Sensei whom Lionel, Jax, Felix and Kiyoshi had encountered earlier appeared on a tree branch overhead, observing the two groups. Lionel, Felix and Jax all pointed at Kiyoshi in unison.
"Thanks guys, way to have my back," said Kiyoshi sarcastically.
"You started this fight; you deal with it," Lionel retorted. Kiyoshi shot him a disappointed look while the old man watching from above shook his head in disapproval and muttered,
"This team has no trust in each other."
The angered fighter declared, "Since you guys were quick to rat out your teammate, we'll fight all of you." Following a mutual bow of respect between both teams, an intense battle ensued which saw Mystical Force being thoroughly thrashed by their opponents for about fifteen minutes. Jax struggled against his opponent's superior skill while Felix missed most of his basic moves and found himself on the back foot.
Kiyoshi took one punch to the face and immediately went down while Lionel fared better until he was double-teamed by two opponents. Just when things seemed dire for their team, the old Sensei intervened with a commanding shout,
"Stop!" Everyone halted mid-action and turned towards him.
"Cease the fight and let the newcomers alone," commanded Sensei. The opponents from Mystical Force released them, asserting their luck that the Sensei had ordered an end to the fight. They bowed respectfully to their defeated foes and then to the Sensei before departing. Lionel rose, nursing his head. Jax stood up, clutching his ribs. Felix got on his feet, cradling his arm while Kiyoshi struggled up, supporting his back.
"Welcome to team training; you may address me as Sensei Yuichi," announced the Sensei. "I've heard that name somewhere before... but where?" Lionel murmured to himself.
"All of you, follow me," instructed Sensei Yuichi. The four of them trailed behind him towards a sand ring he had fashioned earlier. He then took chains and began encircling them.
"What on earth..." Kiyoshi muttered in disbelief.
"As you were not behaving like a team, I have chained each of your legs together so that you will have to move, eat, train, and sit as one unit," explained Sensei Yuichi.
Felix bowed and asked apprehensively, "What if one of us needs to use the restroom?"
"I sincerely hope they won't be watching while you're using it!" replied Sensei Yuichi with a hearty laugh. "Now your first lesson is teamwork; try hitting me."
They exchanged glances before rushing forward together - all except for Kiyoshi who didn't budge an inch. As Felix, Jax, and Lionel charged ahead, Kiyoshi was dragged along behind them while they pursued Sensei Yuichi's nimble form around the area.
Sensei shook his head in disappointment when he noticed their lack of unity as a four-person team. "This is going to be a long three months," he sighed.
"We need to stop for a moment!" exclaimed Felix after looking back and noticing Kiyoshi bouncing along the ground. Felix, Jax, and Lionel halted simultaneously, causing Kiyoshi to shoot forward with great force. The momentum worked in his favor, pulling all three of them face-first into the dirt.
"It appears someone couldn't keep up with the team," Lionel remarked with a grimace.
"It's not my fault; you guys didn't warn me we were running together!" retorted Kiyoshi.
Sensei Yuichi materialized before them, an angry look on his face. "At this rate, you would be better off retiring as a group because none of you have what it takes to become a team."
His words hung heavy in the air as they lowered their heads in shame. "Sort out your issues and meet me on my sand platform if you wish to continue your training," he instructed before striding towards his fighting platform.
"Guys, I apologize," Lionel began, surprising Jax, Felix, and Kiyoshi. "My competitive nature drives me to win more than anything else; that's why I'm hard on Kiyoshi - I want him to surpass me in combat."
Kiyoshi turned towards Lionel and replied earnestly, "Apology accepted. I know you're tough on me but I'm striving to prove that I can fight alongside the best. This will take time for me as I lack fighting experience and never trained with anyone before coming here last year. But know that I will do my best for both myself and for all of you."
"Have we settled our differences? Because I'm ready to prove we aren't a hopeless team," declared Jax.
"I concur," agreed Felix. "I don't just want to compete in the beach classic tournament - I intend to win it."
"Agreed," said Lionel as he extended his fist towards the center of their circle. Jax and Felix followed suit. "Kiyoshi?" prompted Lionel.
Kiyoshi looked up at the sky and smiled before adding his fist to complete the circle. "Mystical Force!" they shouted in unison, running as one towards the sand platform.
"We're ready," Lionel, Jax, Felix, and Kiyoshi announced, meeting Sensei Yuichi's gaze.
"I see you've resolved your differences and wish to continue training; let the three-month journey begin," responded Sensei Yuichi, his spirit guardian aura surging around him.