NOVEL NEXT Episode LXXVII: Sour Sixteen Start
As the morning sky blushed with hues of orange and yellow, the sun ascended over the ocean, casting an illusion of a setting sun. "Oh boy!" Kiyoshi exclaimed, stretching his limbs. Nearby, Jax and Felix were engaged in a friendly spar, their knuckles colliding rhythmically. Lionel, however, preferred solitude and was deep in training amidst the woods behind their dojo.
"Hey, Kiyoshi," Jax called out. "Why don't you go practice with Lionel?"
"But where is he?" Kiyoshi asked.
"He's right behind the dojo," Jax replied, pointing towards the woods.
Obeying Jax's direction, Kiyoshi ventured around the building to find Lionel practicing alone. He watched Lionel execute his new special move - the Cyflash. As he approached Lionel from behind to join him in practice, Lionel heard footsteps approaching and accidentally unleashed his Cyflash onto Kiyoshi. The result was a massive explosion that knocked Kiyoshi unconscious onto the ground.
"Oops," Lionel muttered as he turned around to see what had happened.
"I guess you got scared," chuckled Kiyoshi as he regained consciousness.
"Well," retorted Lionel sarcastically, "if you announced your presence instead of sneaking up on me, you wouldn't be sprawled on the ground right now."
Kiyoshi's anger flared at this remark but quickly subsided upon reflecting on Lionel's wisdom. Dusting off his gi and calming himself down, he joined Lionel for a sparring session until they were interrupted by the beach alarm echoing across the island - signaling all fighters to assemble for the beach classic tournament.
Catching up with Jax and Felix who were already excited about making it into top sixteen contenders for tournament they headed towards beach area where other fighters were cheering them on arrival. Some teams expressed their disappointment openly for not making it into top sixteen but our four heroes were greeted with cheers and applause.
"I can't believe you guys made it!" Kiyoshi exclaimed, laughing at FJ.
FJ laughed back, patting Kiyoshi on the back. "I can't believe you're still in this tournament."
"It was just a prank!" Kiyoshi retorted playfully.
As they continued their friendly banter, Felix approached William and expressed his gratitude for teaching him how to fight smarter after their match months ago. Meanwhile, Jax spotted his brother standing with his team - Alecto, Jared, Wiley, and Tokido - the super-team he'd been hearing about.
"What in tarnation, Jax! Is that really you?" Wiley asked in surprise.
"Yeah," replied Jax with a grin. "How are you doing?"
"I'm great," said Wiley determinedly. "But I haven't forgotten our match last year; I'm coming for my revenge."
"Bring it on," responded Jax confidently.
As the conversations continued among the fighters, Lionel was busy scoping out every team around them. He noticed a team emitting a strong dark aura - Faded Legacy. The sight of them brought back memories of Lionel's brutal training years ago under his father's tutelage which had left him scared to face such opponents again. But now he stood firm against Hoon from Faded Legacy who taunted him about their previous encounter where Lionel's team almost lost.
"My team wasn't prepared last time," Lionel retorted defiantly. "This time we'll see you guys in the final!"
"Just cool it down and save it for the tournament!" Oga advised FJ as he saw tempers flaring between him and Hoon.
Every team fell silent, their attention riveted on the palpable tension between Hoon and FJ. Members of Team Checkmate sprang into action, swiftly rushing over to FJ and gripping him firmly. Voices overlapped as they tried to pacify him. Lionel and Kiyoshi's expressions hardened, their eyes flashing with indignation.
"Don’t stress, Kiyoshi," Lionel reassured his teammate, his voice steady despite the heat of the situation. "We will devise a strategy to topple them."
"He is unbearable!" Kiyoshi seethed, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.
Jax and Felix quickly returned to Lionel and Kiyoshi’s side, concern etched on their faces. “Everything alright? We heard raised voices,” Felix queried cautiously.
“Yeah, we're okay; it's just that group being obnoxious as usual,” Lionel dismissed with a wave of his hand.
Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed through the speakers — Hiroko was back in command. “Hey, look guys! It's Hiroko again, just like last year,” Kiyoshi exclaimed excitedly.
“You know this tournament is legit when he's hosting and commentating,” another fighter in the stands remarked appreciatively.
“I am thrilled to be back here to provide commentary once more,” Hiroko announced cheerfully. A broad smile stretched across his face as he greeted the crowd.
Overjoyed by Hiroko’s presence, Kiyoshi dashed towards him enthusiastically. “Hey! Do you remember me from last year?” He asked eagerly.
“Indeed I do; you were that fighter who lost to the clumsy contender,” Hiroko recalled with a chuckle. Despite his embarrassment at being remembered for such an incident, Kiyoshi felt somewhat flattered to be recognized by Hiroko.
“But anyway, best of luck in this tournament,” Hiroko said encouragingly before patting Kiyoshi on the back and moving away.
Kiyoshi returned to his team, a little deflated. “I can’t believe he remembers me for that,” he mumbled, looking somewhat crestfallen.
“That was the only memorable thing about your performance last year, to be honest,” Lionel teased with a smirk. Kiyoshi shot him an annoyed glare in response.
“I mean, that was the only significant event from you,” Jax chimed in sheepishly.
“Sorry, Kiyoshi, but they have a point," Felix admitted reluctantly.
“Am I really part of this team?” Kiyoshi asked Kitaro with a hint of exasperation.
“Yes, you are — even if it means being the butt of our jokes sometimes," Kitaro responded with a grin.
“All right teams, please form two rows of eight each and face each other,” Hiroko commanded over the microphone. The sixteen teams promptly split into two lines and faced each other. They then followed Hiroko out of a tunnel onto an immense fighting platform made of hard-packed sand — reminiscent of the end-of-year tournament stage but set in the middle of an island ocean instead of white tiles. Floating stands encircled the platform, separated by a half wall and a pit filled with sand. A massive crowd comprising various fighters from around the island filled these stands to capacity — all eager to witness the upcoming spectacle.
"Welcome to the Beach Classic Tournament Top Sixteen!!!" Hiroko shouted, her voice echoing through the venue. The crowd responded with a deafening roar and fireworks illuminated the bright blue sky. "Are you guys ready to meet the top sixteen teams?" Hiroko asked, her voice rising above the noise. The crowd's response was even louder this time, filling every corner of the stadium with electric anticipation.
"We should do something special for our entrance," William suggested to his team. Hugh agreed enthusiastically, and word quickly spread among the other teams about Catching Heat's plan.
Hiroko began introducing the teams one by one. "First up, we have Chemical Black Tips!" As their name echoed through the arena, they performed flips and twirls before striking aggressive poses towards the crowd. The spectators erupted in cheers as they returned to line up with their competitors.
"Next is Four Clovers Of Nightmare!" Hiroko announced. This team chose a more refined approach; they bowed towards the audience before assuming elegant poses. Their reception was enthusiastic but not quite as fervent as that of Chemical Black Tips.
"The Carnage Pack is next!" At Hiroko's call, smoke filled their entrance area and when it dissipated, they were standing there in dramatic poses. The crowd roared in approval at their mysterious appearance.
Following them were The Magic Runners who jogged around the fighting platform waving at spectators before returning to their place in line. Then came Mystical Force - Lionel, Jax, Felix, and Kiyoshi - who each struck unique stances before forming a circle and shouting their team name together.
Death Order made an explosive entrance with red smoke shaped like a skull billowing behind them while Council of Black Sage simply waved at the crowd before retreating back into line. Spirit Mark stood stoically without any antics or theatrics; Hiroko commented that they seemed more focused on strategy than style.
"Catching Heat, you're up next!" Hiroko called. Their choreographed dance had the crowd chanting their name in no time. "Looks like we already have a crowd favorite!" Hiroko observed.
Ghost Freaks followed with an eerie entrance involving ghostly mist and respectful bows while Royal Gold, led by last year's champion Cloven Norwood, showered the audience with gold dust during their grand pose. Team Checkmate's FJ and Rin-Rin flashed peace signs at the crowd as the Yushi Twins launched a spectacular display of white and black energy balls into the sky.
The Alpha Reserve struck aggressive poses while FrostBurn delighted the audience with a display of ice transforming into hot raindrops. X-Fangs simply made an X-mark towards the audience and Faded Legacy smirked and laughed at them.
"Let's give all these teams another round of applause for making it to the top sixteen," Hiroko encouraged. As cheers echoed around them once more, all sixteen teams bowed in unison before retreating through the tunnel to rest and prepare for their upcoming battles.