Kung Fu Academy S/ カンフーアカデミーS

The pre-dawn darkness was a fighter's paradise, a time to train and strive for excellence. This was no different for Team Checkmate, who had been following this routine since the previous year. "Hiya," FJ called out, striking the tree with all his strength. Two fighters leaped off FJ���s shoulders and executed a straight kick, splitting the trees in half. "There you go, guys," FJ said encouragingly. "Thanks," they both responded.

Suddenly, a nightshade claw attack emerged from nowhere, obliterating all the remaining pieces of wood. Then four hard cement bricks materialized out of thin air; each team member selected one and demolished it with a single hit of their powers.

"It looks like someone is getting rusty," came a girl's voice.

"Cool it, Rin-Rin, I'm not fully awake yet," retorted FJ.

"Excuses," Rin-Rin replied dismissively with her eyes closed.

"Wait, what excuses?" FJ asked defensively.

"Maybe if you hadn’t spent all last night practicing, your aim would be better," Rin-Rin suggested critically.

"But I hit the block dead center!" protested FJ.

"Your aim was slightly off to the left," Rin-Rin corrected him.

"But…but…" stammered FJ in confusion.

"That’s right; I should be team leader," asserted Rin-Rin confidently.

"Hmm, let me check your resume...yeah...not in a million years!" yelled back FJ defiantly.

"Why not?" demanded Rin-Rin indignantly.

"Because you aren't stronger than me!" declared FJ boldly.

"What? Even the Yushi twins are more skilled than you are!" countered Rin-Rin disdainfully.

"Don't drag them into our argument, Rinako!" warned FJ angrily.

"You dare call me by my first name!" screamed Rin-Rin, her face flushing with rage.

"Yeah...so what?" replied FJ nonchalantly.

"No one ever calls me by my first name!" she yelled back, charging at him with a clenched fist. FJ began to tremble as Rin-Rin advanced on him.

"Since you two are arguing, Yosuke and I will go grab breakfast at the café. Join us when you've calmed down," suggested Juro, who along with Yosuke made up the Yushi twins.

"Wait, don't leave me alone with her when she's angry!" pleaded FJ. Rin-Rin grabbed FJ by his gi while Yosuke and Juro slipped away towards the café. "Guys, wait!!!" cried out FJ just before Rin-Rin landed a punch on his face so hard it seemed to sink into his skull, leaving only his nose visible.

"Are you satisfied now?" asked FJ weakly from beneath the ground.

"Yes," Rin-Rin stated simply, crossing her arms and closing her eyes in satisfaction.

Yosuke had a lean face, triangular nose of average size, medium lips and set yellow eyes under fine eyebrows. His long grey hair fell to his shoulders and framed his face in two tresses that crossed each other at the front. He had narrow shoulders, angular hips and slender legs. His gi was white with black accents and he wore a white panda fur belt adorned with three stars; a panda logo on the back symbolized his spirit guardian Xin. A birthmark graced the palm of his right hand - an interesting feature of his appearance.

In contrast to Yosuke's appearance was Juro's orange eyes and birthmark on the left hand instead of right. His gi was darker with white accents and he wore a black panda fur belt decorated similarly to Yosuke's; their shared Panda logo represented Juro's spirit guardian Xan.

"Why do they always fight?" Juro wondered aloud.

"It's simple, really. They like each other," Yosuke replied knowingly.

"Let me guess, they can't express their feelings for each other," deduced Juro.

"Correct," confirmed Yosuke. "Funny, this all goes back to the first time we all met on the island."

"Yes, we were all new fighters on the island and none of us had a spirit guardian mode yet," reminisced Yosuke.

"And we were considered the best twins on the island; no one could beat us last year," added Juro.

"We might have lost our lives if it weren't for FJ," admitted Yosuke soberly.

"That is a dark past I'd rather not recall," murmured Juro.

A year ago...

"Hahahaha!" laughed a Roc fighter menacingly. Standing at over seven feet with wings longer than a skyscraper, his powerful wing flaps created violent gusts of wind. "Can you boys keep up with this wind?" he taunted with an evil smirk before creating six tornadoes with a single flap of his wings. As Juro and Yosuke struggled against the force of the wind, an unknown fighter swooped in and rescued them from the tornadoes' pull.

"Who dares interfere with my match?" demanded Roc.

The boys found themselves looking at a boy dressed in a white gi similar to theirs; he had black hair, green eyes and wore a serious expression on his face.

"Who are you?" asked Yosuke cautiously.

"Just someone who saved your lives," was FJ's simple response.

"We didn't need your help; we wanted to fight him ourselves!" protested Juro defensively.

"But you two were on the brink of death! I was exploring the island when I heard a loud boom and decided to investigate. I found you two attempting to fight him in spirit guardian mode even after taking a massive hit," explained FJ.

Juro and Yosuke were filled with regret. "That was a reckless move on your part," FJ reprimanded. "We've won all our matches that way," Juro replied defensively. "Perhaps against inferior fighters," retorted FJ. "Are you implying we're weak?" Yosuke asked, his voice laced with indignation. "Not at all, but such tactics won't always be effective," FJ countered.

The realization dawned on Juro and Yosuke that their strategy had been foolish, nearly costing them their lives against a seasoned fighter. FJ's energy had been halved due to his intervention. He turned to face the Roc Fighter.

"So, you're the one who interfered in my match," stated the Roc Fighter, his tone icy cold. "I'm appalled by your bullying of first-year students like myself," retorted FJ defiantly. "Well, those guys challenged me to a fight to the death," said the Roc Fighter nonchalantly.

"Because you were tormenting other first-years!" Juro shouted back angrily. The Roc Fighter dismissed him with a wave of his hand, sending a deadly gust of wind their way. FJ jumped in front of it; the razor-sharp winds sliced through his gi and body before sending him crashing into a tree.

Slowly rising to his feet while clutching his back, FJ accused him, "See? That's your dirty way of fighting." The Roc Fighter smirked at him saying, "Yeah, but now I'm focusing on you; you have more power than those twins."

FJ's hand glowed with green aura as he charged at the Roc Fighter who met him with lightning speed; his wings sliced through FJ’s skin causing blood to gush out profusely. “Wow, he is fast,” muttered FJ as he fell to the ground. The Roc Fighter laughed uproariously. “Now, back to killing those twins,” he sneered.

“It looks like he’s coming back towards us,” Juro observed with trepidation. “We need to move quickly," Yosuke urged desperately. "That's impossible; we can't even move our legs," Juro confessed.

“I know this isn’t the end for you,” said Oga, his voice filled with determination. “But it is for me,” FJ replied weakly, blood seeping out from his wounds. Oga sighed heavily before healing FJ’s wound using a toxic heal technique.

“Thanks, Pal,” FJ managed a weak smile. “Now, if we don't defeat this guy, I'll have to kill you in the afterlife,” threatened Oga half-heartedly. “Yeah, man, I love you too,” responded FJ light-heartedly while Oga merely grunted.

By the time the Roc Fighter launched his next attack, FJ had already dashed in front of him and landed a powerful Toxic Punch that sent the Roc Fighter flying away from the twins. “You little brat! Now I’ll have to double my speed!” yelled The Roc fighter as he slowly got up.

His wings turned into steel and he charged at FJ with blinding speed only for FJ to easily dodge it. The Roc fighter crashed into a tree in surprise while Juro and Yosuke watched in disbelief.

FJ let out a shout, "Special Move: Toxic Flame!" A green flame burst from his palm and struck the Roc fighter with such force that he was sent flying across the island. He narrowly avoided colliding with a girl leaving a café, but she quickly reacted and threw him into a nearby tree. The Roc fighter fell to the ground in a faint; though he had already fainted upon being hit by FJ's attack. The girl, now curious and slightly annoyed, investigated the source of the attack and followed the tracks left by the Roc fighter. In her angered state, she made her way towards whoever had thrown the object at her.

Exhausted, FJ collapsed onto the ground saying "I think I overdid it with that blast Oga." "I'm just glad I didn’t die because of you," replied Oga dryly before asking to be left alone for a while.

Juro and Yosuke, having regained their strength, thanked FJ for his timely intervention. "Don't mention it; I wouldn’t want us new fighters to die because of a bully," said FJ with a smile. They offered to train under him as repayment and despite his initial reluctance, he agreed.

Just then, the girl from earlier appeared with an irate expression demanding to know who had thrown the Roc fighter at her. The twins quickly excused themselves but stayed behind to watch the unfolding drama between the girl and FJ from behind a tree.

"I apologize," FJ uttered. "Well, your apology didn't save me from almost getting killed," she retorted. "Oga, I need your help," pleaded FJ. Oga continued to disregard FJ's pleas. In response, she unleashed a flurry of punches onto FJ's face until he lost consciousness. She then tossed his limp body onto the ground. His nose was bloodied and bruises covered his face. Turning to the twins, she declared, "When he regains consciousness, let him know Rin-Rin will be waiting for him in the nurse wing!" Yosuke and Juro exchanged terrified glances before bowing and responding in unison, "Yes, ma'am."

As she strolled away, Rin-Rin conversed with her spirit guardian, commenting on how attractive FJ had been before she'd beaten him up. Her eyes sparkled with hearts as her hands clutched her chest dreamily. Rin-Rin was a striking figure with an angular face that ended in a pointed chin; her nose was flat and lips small. Her large indigo eyes were framed by perfectly arched eyebrows while her ruby-red hair cascaded down to her waistline. She sported piercings in both ears and wore a rainbow-colored crystal pendulum necklace along with a worn-out navy blue gi adorned with a rainbow belt showcasing four stars and a Kitsune logo on the back.

In present day, Yosuke pondered aloud, "Why did we choose not to participate in the end-of-year tournament?" Juro responded thoughtfully, "I recall us feeling inadequate for it." Their conversation was interrupted as four women sporting team patches strutted past them confidently declaring their intention to win the tournament.

Yosuke and Juro concealed themselves behind trees eavesdropping on their conversation until they left. They agreed that they needed to inform their team about what they had overheard. However, when they returned to their previous spot, it was deserted. Meanwhile, FJ and Rin-Rin had ventured to the café where Yosuke and Juro were supposed to be.

"Where are they? They said they'd meet us here," FJ questioned. "Perhaps they've already eaten and left," Rin-Rin speculated. As FJ dug into his chicken alfredo while Rin-Rin nibbled on a granola bar, the four women from earlier entered the café causing every male fighter's eyes to light up with hearts as drool pooled in their mouths.

"Eww, gross," Rin-Rin grimaced as FJ drooled into his food while ogling the women who passed by their table. Trying to impress them, FJ flexed his muscles which earned him flirty looks from the ladies. In response to his behavior, Rin-Rin slapped him across the face bringing him back to reality.

"Ouch! What was that for?" FJ complained rubbing his cheek. "Sorry, you were acting strangely," Rin-Rin replied nonchalantly as she glanced out of a window. Looking down at his bowl of food now mixed with drool, FJ sighed in disappointment.

"We need to find the twins and prepare for our match," Rin-Rin announced standing up from the table. After searching around without any luck finding Yosuke and Juro, they decided to head towards the beach venue where they finally found them.

"Good thing we found you guys in time," Rin-Rin said relievedly. "We were looking for you too but couldn't find you so we waited at this café instead," Juro explained.

Just then, an announcement blared over the intercom instructing Team VX and Team Checkmate to proceed towards platform B2 for their match commencement. The sight of their opponents left all four of them dumbfounded. "You girls," they all exclaimed in unison.

"Wait... how do you guys know them?" FJ asked the twins. "We could ask you the same thing," Yosuke and Juro shot back. A girl on the other side of the platform smirked, "How adorable, it's a reunion."

"Oh, look, it's that boy who fawned over me," said the girl. "I knew those team patches looked familiar," Juro responded. "Allow me to introduce us," the girl continued. "My name is Ikeo Yumi, and I am the team leader of Team VX." Ikeo had an oval, tannish face with a small soft nose and petite lips; her large dark purple eyes were framed by smooth eyebrows. Her shoulder-length, thick black hair was neatly styled with one braid on the left side of her face. She wore natural-colored blush, dark eyeshadow, metallic eyeliner, and an unnatural-looking foundation highlight. Her arms were slender and her hands soft; she had a short torso, curvy hips, a large bust that resembled perfect circles, long legs, and sizable feet. She sported a pink gi with a black belt adorned with five stars and a siren logo on the back.

"This is Yukako Katada," Ikeo introduced as she gestured behind her. Yukako had a pale tan square face with a turned-up nose and full lips. Her wide orange eyes sat above non-existent eyebrows while hip-length azure hair cascaded down in a French Braid. Pale eyeshadow and reddish blush completed her look. Physically fit with toned arms and slender hands, she boasted a wiry torso with medium-sized breasts, defined muscles on muscular legs. She wore an azure-colored gi with an orange belt featuring four stars; like Ikeo's outfit, there was also a siren logo on the back.

"That is Marie..." began Ikeo before being interrupted by Marie herself who insisted on speaking for herself in an aggressive tone.

"My name is Marie Kayaharra," announced Marie assertively. With square features complemented by rounded jawlines and large ears peeping out from under her black spiked mohawk braided at the end, Marie cut a striking figure. Her hooked nose sported a ring in the right nostril while thin lips were painted with black lipstick. Large green eyes and skinny eyebrows added to her unconventional beauty. She had toned arms marked by two knife slashes on the left, a short torso with small breasts, lightly defined muscles that hinted at strength, straight waist, and short legs. Sporting a black gi with a four-star purple belt and siren logo on the back, she accessorized with a gold ring necklace.

The last member of Team VX was Mona Vochi who had an oval face with a short triangular nose and thin lips. Her lavender-blue eyes were hard to see beneath thick eyebrows while shoulder-length light green hair was styled in one braid at the side of her face. Despite her short arms, her powerful torso was flat-chested; she had bony hips and strong legs. Dressed in lime green gi with three stars on a watermelon pink belt along with Siren logo on the back completed her look.

"Why didn't you girls just name your team the Braided Siren Sisters?" Rin-Rin asked curiously.

"It doesn't sound right to us," Ikeo responded simply.

"I'll start things off," FJ announced as he jumped up to the platform.

"Since I'm already up here, I'll fight first," declared Ikeo confidently.

The referee directed FJ and Ikeo to bow their heads to initiate the match; they complied before getting into their ready stances...

Their match continued until FJ proposed marriage under Ikeo's hypnotic singing spell only for him to be rejected then knocked out by Ikeo's psychic punch which led Team VX to secure the point. Rin-Rin then rushed towards FJ pulling his ear hard enough to snap him out of his dazed state causing him immense pain.

"You were not only trying to break my heart but also cost us the point," she screamed in his face, spit flying everywhere, before throwing FJ off the platform. Juro and Yosuke attempted to flee, but FJ crashed into them. FJ fainted once more. "I want to take this girl on next," Marie declared aggressively. Rin-Rin and Marie bowed instantly without waiting for the referee's signal to start. They charged at each other, each landing a punch on the other's face. Both collapsed onto the sand.

They rose again and repeated their actions, but this time blood spurted from both of them simultaneously. "You pack quite a punch for your size!" Marie shouted. Rin-Rin remained silent, her arm glowing with a navy blue aura as she aimed a punch at Marie who countered by striking Rin-Rin's arm mid-swing causing her punch to miss its mark.

Marie then executed a Spartan kick onto Rin-Rin’s chest, sending her rolling back on the soft sandy platform. When Rin-Rin stopped rolling, she was spitting out sand. Marie sauntered over and planted her foot on her chest declaring triumphantly while laughing," This was an easy fight for me; surrender now and I'll spare you further humiliation."

However, Rin-Rin responded by using the back of her foot to knock Marie off-balance which caused her foot to lift off Rin-Rin’s chest. Quick as a flash, Rin-Rin rolled away and leaped into the air transforming her foot into a navy-colored Kitsune’s paw before kicking Marie in the head which sent Marie crashing back-first into the soft sand.

Rin-Rin resumed her stance upon landing while Marie started laughing eerily saying," You think that would be enough to scratch me?" She sprang up and lunged at Rin-Rin with kicks and punches mixed with flips which Rin-Rin managed to dodge until Marie got close enough to shove Rin-Rin onto the ground.

Marie's hand, now surrounded by a black aura, formed a fist and landed a punch on Rin-Rin's stomach followed by a knee to her chin. Rin-Rin's face met the sand once again. The Yushi Twins and FJ cried out," Rin-Rin!"

Marie flipped away from her and resumed her stance. "She's done for," she announced with a laugh before yelling, "Ultra-Move: Dark Sound of Shadows!" A sound reminiscent of a bird's screech but at much higher decibels emanated from Marie’s mouth causing everyone except Team VX to clutch their ears in pain.

Rin-Rin’s ears were ringing as Marie charged towards her with an arm shrouded in darkness landing two punches that sent Rin-Rin sprawling in the sand once again. However, there was now a navy blue aura surrounding her on the ground. "I'm not finished yet," Rin-Rin declared, "I am Futoshi the Nightshade Kitsune!"

Rin-Rin transformed into a Kitsune; her ears grew longer than usual, she sprouted a tail, her eyes took on a feral look and her nails elongated becoming sharper while still retaining her human form.

"I don’t need my spirit guardian to beat you,” retorted Marie. Using Futoshi's agility, Rin-Rin darted around rapidly while Marie struggled to track her movements. Suddenly, Rin-Rin leaped up, her fist glowing with blue energy and struck Marie in the face.

After regaining balance, she bounded back into Marie’s face delivering another punch followed by four more each faster than the last which brought Marie down onto one knee. "Ultra-Move: Nightshade Bomb of Terror!" shouted Rin-Rin as she formed an enormous navy ball in her hands before hurling it at Marie. The ultra-move exploded in Marie’s face causing her to faint.

Exhausted, Rin-Rin collapsed onto the ground. "Marie has fainted. Team Checkmate scores the point," announced the referee. "You did it," cheered The Yushi twins and FJ. Rin-Rin punched FJ hard this time who clutched his stomach asking, “What did I do this time?”

"I am still angry at you," Rin-Rin replied while being helped up by Yosuke and Juro. “Damn it!” Marie cursed as she pounded the soft sand in frustration saying, “I can’t believe I lost!”

"The series is tied at one; one more match will determine who advances to the top sixteen," declared the referee. “Excuse me, Ref,” Yukako interjected. “What is it?” asked the referee. “Can Mona and I fight in the last match? She prefers fighting alongside another person,” requested Yukako.

"Sure, I don’t see why not," agreed the referee announcing, "The final match will be a two versus two." "Awesome," Juro exclaimed before turning to Yosuke and asking, "Are you ready, Yosuke?"

"You know it, I am always ready," responded Yosuke as they bumped fists. Juro and Yosuke leaped onto the platform followed by Yukako and Mona who all bowed to each other after acknowledging the referee.

All four of them charged at each other creating a force that sent gusts of wind everywhere before stepping back momentarily. Yukako targeted Juro with a slide but came to an abrupt halt just as she slid under him.

As Juro turned around he narrowly blocked Yukako’s foot which was aimed at his head before pushing her foot back towards her. He attempted a punch while she was on the ground but she rolled out of the way, hopped up in midair, twirled and landed on two feet.

Yukako leaped into the air releasing a melodious note which formed a gigantic wave behind her that grew so large it obscured the sun. However, before Juro could be hit by the massive wave, he powered up emitting a mysterious black aura.

The waves halted their advance just above Juro, and in response, his eyes transformed from a vibrant orange to an abyssal black. "Ultra-Move: Wild Black Blaze Strike!" Juro's voice echoed across the battlefield as his body morphed into an intriguing fusion of human and panda, his fur as dark as the night sky. Both of Juro’s hands ignited with an eerie black flame that danced menacingly at his fingertips.

“You believe my waves will extinguish those black flames,” Yukako stated more than asked.

“My flames aren’t composed of real fire,” Juro responded calmly.

“Huh,” Yukako uttered, taken aback by the revelation. Hesitantly, she released her waves towards Juro. Agile as a cat, Juro hopped around Yukako’s waves and then landed a powerful blow with his ultra-move to her gut and face. She plummeted into the ocean below with a splash and lost consciousness instantly.

With grace belying his large form, Juro twirled in mid-air before landing back on the platform safely. Meanwhile, Mona launched a flurry of punches at Yosuke who skillfully dodged them all - left to right and top to bottom. Then Yosuke executed a swift leg sweep followed by releasing a bright white blaze from his palm which engulfed Mona.

Juro rushed over to aid Yosuke. “Ready for this, Juro?” Yosuke asked him.

Juro responded with an enthusiastic smile. “Collaboration Move: Black Light Flame!” They both shouted in unison. The burn mark on Juro’s arm ignited with black light while Yosuke’s glowed white; they both fired off a flame-like substance that mirrored the color of their respective aura. At first glance, these special attacks spiraled around each other before merging and piercing through Mona’s guard effortlessly like it was mere vapor. Overwhelmed, Mona lost consciousness.

Juro and Yosuke exchanged a celebratory fist bump and shouted, “Twin’s magic.”

“Team Checkmate will advance to the top sixteen rounds,” announced the Ref as he declared Team Checkmate victorious. Marie threw a fit of rage, kicking up dust all around her. “This will not be the end of us, Team Checkmate!” She yelled defiantly.

Ikeo respectfully bowed and wished them luck for the upcoming rounds. The rest of Team VX followed suit, bowing before retreating from the platform. As they left, Team Checkmate reciprocated with their bow and a heartfelt "Thank You!"

“Next stop is top sixteen,” said Rin-Rin confidently while flashing a peace sign.