It was the grand day for Rick, Slash, and Damien. The kids all stood up after a good night rest at 11:00 PM, and spended the rest of the morning eating a good breakfast, and after talking a bit with each other and enjoying their own thing, decided to go train up a bit more on Practice Hills at 1:00 PM. It was a big race for them that was about to happen, all competing for the grand prize of 150.000 G., but they faced an incredibly tough challenge: Facing a seemingly-unbeatable ninja with limited items. Because of that, they practied for about a whole hour, before they then decided to head for Leaf Forest around 2:30 PM, with their friends promising them to watch the whole thing on TV.
As Rick, Slash and Damien walked towards it, all 3 with their boards in hand, they had one talk about their skills and expectations with each other. Damien and Slash were boasting against each other. 'Well, Slash...this is it, my grand time to shine! I've worked too hard for this to lose now! I'll show you and the rest, I WILL win this and get that 150.000 G. prize, hehehahaaha!!' Damien laughed in his own satisfaction.
'Forget it, Damien! I beated you before all the time and I'll win it this time as well, both from you and Shinobin!' Slash grinned back to Damien, reminding him of the times he bested him at Ice Land and Dizzy Land.
'Why you--' Though their arguing was then interrupted by Rick who was shouting to them in a display of seriousness.
'GUYS! LOOK AT YOURSELVES!' Slash and Damien then both turned their heads towards Rick, looking with a serious face towards them. 'We're about to race against a incredibly good ninja as our 4th opponent, and all you think about is how you're going to defeat each other?'
'Well, sorry, Rick!' Damien responded back slightly irritated. 'But how do you think you're going to beat him?'
'I'm not thinking about how I'm going to defeat him. I'm just going to that race to do my best. That has been my motivation from the start. The money doesn't concern me, nor the thoughts of how I'm going to win 1st place, all I'm thinking about is that I'm going to do my best and show my snowboarding skills to you and the others.'
Both Slash and Damien were suprised by Rick's little speech there, and agreed to not argue anymore and focus on the race now as well, Slash responding to Rick: 'I understand what you mean, Rick. I'm still planning to win, but I hope you'll do your best, and so will I!' Damien also agreed, though not as much willingly to admit it. 'Hmph, suit yourself. I'm going for first, and that ninja ain't gonna stop me!' Rick smiled as the boys were now finally at peace with each other for now.
They then approached Leaf Forest once more. Rick felt he had the advantage here slightly because he was the only one out of the contestants for the finale to have raced on this track before. As they were all greeted once more by the men belonging to the security of the tournament, they were then given their item counters, all set to the digit 5. They all knew the race was about to begin in 5 minutes, so they were waiting for him to arrive...
And just as they thought, a cloud of white smoke emerged from the ground nearby the starting line, and faded away revealing it to be Shinobin, standing ready with his Alpine-shaped Kunai Board in his arm, looking at the 3 other racers, and holded a little speech which was a first to them coming from him:
'...So, it has finally come to this...the time that we will see who will get away with 150.000 G....I have waited a long time for this, and I promise all 3 of you....I do NOT intent on losing today!!' His eyes glimmered red as he made his statement, a brief chill overrunning Slash, Damien and Rick, and dropped his board, standing still on it with his arms folded in a crossed position. Even one of the security men went over to him and with shaking arms handed over a counter before running away just as quickly.
The rest also stood ready on their boards in a jumping position all focussing on the timing of the word 'go', but before that would happen, one of the robo-copters arrived on the spot with a speaker installed, having a little speech as well:
'Ok, gentlemen! This is it! The grand finale! I hope you have prepared yourself well for this big event, because it's gonna be one hectic, long race! If you have all watched the races of yesterday, you should have a good idea of the courses. This will be a battle of skill, item planning, and speed to the finish in Madness Mansion, where the champion will be awarded with the glorious 150.000 G. prize! So, without further ado, I wish you all good luck, and may the best racer win! Are you ready....GO!'
And right as he said that, all 4 of them jumped forward. They were going at great velocity down the hill, avoiding any blue boxes until it was nessecary, but soon after a few turns they took the sharp right turn which they all navigated with ease, though Shinobin apparently took it the fastest, and was in first place, Rick with his Free Style control advantage soon gained a barely 2nd place lead not trailing behind far after Shinobin...
After a few seconds they arrived at the place where the tree's acted as obstacles, though Slash managed to weave around it fairly well, with Rick following thereafter with Damien in 4th place, slightly disgruntled about it. Shinobin though had no problem navigating the tree's and soon approached a red box and was heading towards it. His first set of items were bombs, something that could work to his advantage, but had to lean back in order to utilize it. Rick got himself a bunch of slapsticks, Damien a set of parachutes and Slash got ice shots, all got their counters decreasing a number to 4. After a few more turns still with Shinobin in the lead, they soon arrived at the river part with a stunting slope.
Shinobin pulled off a amazing triple diagional flip, landing and continuing on. Though oddly, all 3 of the other boys didn't do any stunts, and jumped off before the slope and landing on the steep hill after the slope in order to gain more speed, and as such, gained less ditance between them and Shinobin, Rick still being the closest to him still focussing on turning the weaving left and right turns.
Shinobin caught on there was no real battle going on between the other boys, which alerted him to stay focussed, as it was clear to him they realized how much of a dangerous foe he is and were all actually aiming for him.
As they soon approached another stunting slope, the one Rick boosted his way to victory with, Shinobin did no stunt, and simply jumped off it, waiting for one of them to throw something, and he was right: Rick apparently shot a slapstick to Shinobin's direction with the timing it would hit him upon landing, who then did a front point-jump at the ground jumping over it, but suddenly to his suprise, he found another shot was fired directly afterwards, passing under Rick as he was still jumping, and it was a ice shot, which immediatly froze Shinobin on the spot as he didn't see it coming. 'Uwgh!!' He shouted as it froze him, seeing that Rick and Slash then followed each other past him, before he broke out, and planned to quickly jump up and continue with revenge in mind, though Damien quickly intercepted him with a parachute, which also hitted him, and now was slowly descending downwards, Shinobin pushing himself downwards in order to reach the ground sooner, and could see that all 3 of them were near the finish line when he jumped forward, his eyes glimmering red intended on revenge...
Though Rick reached for the goal first and saw the robo-copter waiting for him, he then found he was frozen, with Slash smirking and shouting: 'Sorry, Rick, but the finish is mine!' And he then got grabbed by a Robo-Copter and dashed off, with Damien soon chasing after him a few seconds later just as Rick broke out, and got 2nd in a Robo-copter ride. Rick just jumped forward as he looked back seeing Shinobin approaching over the bridge, he then got in as 3rd to the next area, and Shinobin mere 6 seconds later as last towards it...
After 10 minutes of quick transport by a Robo-copter in the air slightly above the ground, Slash then reached his territory, River Rapids. Jumping off and grabbing a blue box as he stunted off for show on the first slope doing a horizontal flip, he got a ghost which he then decided to use on Damien to slow him down when he would get here as well, and continued down the water course...
Soon enough Damien also reached it, and on cue as he heard him entering the water, Slash used the ghost to try and slow him down, though found out that Damien also got a item to counter his ghost, a fan! Continuing on, Damien smirked as he soon would catch up to Slash, and prepared to fire off a parachute in his direction, when they would arrive at a sharp left turn before the ride would end...
In the meantime, Rick got in and as Slash and Damien were cruising halfway across the course on the water slide, and decided to use the steepness of the slope to his advantage in order to catch up to them, and saw a a blue item box. Grabbing it and getting a pan, this was his opportunity and he would wait for Shinobin to appear on the course mere few seconds after he entered the water ride, and deciding to use it, he threw it upwards and they all landed on all 3 racers, though they all soon recovered and went forward, Shinobin a bit sooner because he jumped himself back up using his feet solely, and the ninja kept increasing speed as fire burned in his eyes as the rest all navigated the rest of the track without any real trouble. Though from his box, he let out a sly smirk as he saw that the item he got was a triple ghost gang. Immediatly using it, all 3 of them slowed down as he started to gain ground on them once more...
Slash and Damien in the meantime were still nearly head-to-head even with ghosts surrounding them, though Rick was also approaching. Damien with a sly smirk fired off a parachute in Slash's direction as he jumped off the stunt slope towards the finish line on the ground with the holes in it, but just as Slash landed and was about to be hit, he then jumped up quickly and did a board grab, deflecting Damien's parachute and headed back up the slope were he just as he prepared to use the slope for extra speed again, then got hit by his own parachute, and raged as he descended. 'GRAAAGHH!!! I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS, SLASH!!!'
Slash just smirked and continued on, but just as he thought he could bolt in for another Robo-copter in first place whilst avoiding the pits, he noticed Rick snuck up on him totally unexpected, and fired off a slapstick towards Slash, hitting and rolling him near the pits, and Rick passed by, saying: 'Sorry, Slash, but I never forget to pay somebody back!' And then navigated the pits towards the next Robo-copter and lifted off in 1st place towards the direction of Slippy Slopeslide. Though just as Slash got up and attempted to regain speed, he then got shot by a bomb, and got lauched and landed in one of the pits, of which one of the Robo-copters went over to him and pulled him out, seeing that Shinobin was now in 2nd as he left off, and just saw that Damien passed near him and got near a Robo-copter in 3rd, Slash in anger attempting to hit him one more time with firing off a ice shot, but it missed Damien as he got lifted off in the nick of time, and taunted Slash. 'See ya at the finish, gahahahaha!!!!'
Slash grumbled and got in last as he then headed towards the 3rd course...
Now it was Slippy Slopeside after a rough 12-minute trip, and Rick jumped off continuing towards the snow fields, seeing his opportunity to replace his slapstick supply with going in a red box and getting a new set of snowman heads, and after awhile as he then heard Shinobin soon approaching thereafter, into a blue box before he jumped off the slope attempting to gain more speed and getting a invisibility item, but it was futile as Shinobin was already catching up to him as they would soon arrive at the cave parts. Shinobin shot a bomb in his direction right at the entrance after they weaved left and right a bit, but Rick avoided it by using his invisibility item, convinced that now Shinobin had no bombs left and looked forward, but to his suprise, Shinobin soon fired off his last bomb in Rick's direction on the timing of when he became visible again, and rolled off the ground towards the slope from the blast as he could hear Shinobin jumping off...
At that same time, Damien also went through the snow fields having raced before on the course and taking a sharp turn as possible, he then also restocked on weapons and items getting his count down to 1, getting from the red box a new set of ice shots, and from the blue box a ghost, which he immediatly decided to use on the one in lead, thinking it was Rick. Though just as he approached the caves part, he heard Slash coming closer, who also got 2 new items, his blue box one apparently being a rocket and boosted towards Damien, but didn't knew what his weapon one was. As they entered the caves, Damien looked back preparing to also jump-deflect Slash's projectile, but to his own suprise, Slash fired off his projetile towards the wall, which seemed to bounce off the cave walls, confusing Damien's timing, and tried to jump in time, but messed up and got launched upwards, discovering it was a tornado set he got.
Slash passed by Damien as he then stunted off the slope, and Damien stood up, angry that he now lost his weapons, and has only one item chance left, and jumped forward with all his might, determined to get back at Slash at all costs. He then also jumped forward off the stunting slope and landing near the ice part...
Rick in the meantime was already on the ice part, trying his best to catch up to Shinobin, but didn't have much success with turning the most sharpest corners, as he saw Shinobin also near the end of the ice part, but thankfully he was lucky as Shinobin got a ghost and he was now approaching him on even straight ground as they approached the next stunting slope over the lake, and fired all 3 snowman heads with timing towards Shinobin bouncing off the walls, but Shinobin saw such a thing coming already, and used his invisibility item, which he must have gotten from the same blue box Rick got his own invisibility item from, and evaded all 3 of them, then jumping off the slope and landing past the lake part, but unfortunately for Rick, he went way too fast, and then got hit by his own snowman heads, and went forward trapped under snow, and fell off the slope into the cold lake, before getting rescued by a Robo-copter setting him off at the part after the lake, his clothes were all wet, but he could see Slash passing him and going for the Robo-copter lift in 2nd place, Shinobin already having bolted for 1st by now, and jumped off to gain some speed, but noticed Damien also passed him, still upset at Slash, and went for the 3rd place in the lift.
Rick decided it would be impossible for him to win now anyway, and letted Damien pass without interrupting him as he was still on good speed. Rick managed after 6 seconds to come in 4th towards the last Robocopter and went on his way to the last course, wondering which of the boys would win...
Shinobin was smirking as after a 10-minute trip he arrived on the track he was familiar with, Madness Mansion, and the finish would soon be within his grasp, and the money... He jumped off immediatly and headed towards the hallway, on the way picking up his 4th item from a blue box, a mere rock, but kept it in order to drop it soon at a certain point, soon arriving at the dinner room...
Slash in the meantime soon also got in 2nd to the mansion, and continued steering as sharply as possible through the hallway, getting from the blue box as his sole item left to use a pan. He wanted to use it immediatly as he saw Shinobin in range just leaving the dinner room, but from experience with racing him before suspected he might hold a invisibility item just for that occasion, and decided to keep it for later would it be that there would be another pan opportunity...
As Damien soon also came to the mansion in 3rd, he went down the hallway and got for his own last item a fan, deciding to use it right away and got to the dinner room where he could see Slash also just leaving, and wanted to catch up to him... Rick soon followed in, getting for his own last blue box item a rocket, and also used it right away as he passed the hallway in quick speed and with good navigation skills made it past the dinner room obstacles without hitting anything, and soon saw Damien as he approached him in the next hallway...
'Hey, Damien! You got any items left?' Rick said with friendlyness as they raced down the hallway. 'No! I don't have anything left, smarty!' He shouted in slight irritation. Rick just yelled back: 'Me neither, used a fan to get this close to you, and Shinobin is in lead!' Damien then shock a bit right before they approached the ball room. 'What? That ninja dude's going to be in 1st place?!' Rick shook his head. 'I'm afraid so...unless we can trick him!'
They then navigated the ball room part, and together talked up something... After they arrived in the next hallway, Rick pushed Damien forward a bit going faster than him. 'Remember, as soon as you get to the staircase, shout it out loud immediatly!'
Meanwhile, Shinobin dropped the rock he got as his 4th item near the staircase, and hoped Slash would trip over it and roll downwards so his victory would be ensured, and turned the sharp U-turn towards the backyard with gtting from a nearby blue item box his last item, it being an invisibility item, now smirking as this would ensure his victory completely! Though Slash soon saw the rock as right after Shinobin left for the backyard, and jumped over it landing on the staircase using it's steep trajectory to go forward with some good speed to it, despite the rocking rumbling of the stairs, and managed to turn the sharp U-turn without losing any speed as well. Though he prepared to use the pan, thinking Shinobin used his last item being the rock, he then heard Damien also coming through the staircase part, jumping over it and yelling: 'I GOT A PAN HERE AND GOING TO USE IT ON YOU, SLASH!!!' Slash being mildly confused as Damien could have impossibly catched up this far without a boost item, so he couldn't have gotten a pan at all as a last item, though he then noticed something happening near Shinobin...
The ninja heard the demon kid shouting it, and thinking it was pan time, used the invisibility item as he steered to the right to the pond preparing to jump the last slope over the pond before the finish, but to his suprise, found no pans being dropped at all, and was tricked! Though just as he appeared visible, a pan then appeared for real just as he jumped off the pond, and got hit, falling in the pond, and then got lifted back up to the track past the pond just before the finish, but found that Slash already jumped over him and was nearing the finish line, steering past the bushes, and attempted in vain to get in 1st place, but to his ultimate dissapointment, found that Slash then hitted the left sharp turn sooner than him, and finished in first at the entrance of the mansion, the ninja himself crossing in 2nd place, just standing still, while Slash cheered out of joy!
After Damien crossed 3rd and Rick soon 4th, himself having hit the rock near the staircase and tumbled down after all, the announcer then shouted from a megaphone standing nearby:
'AND THE CHAMPION OF THE FROST ENTERTAINMENT ENTERPRISES TOURNAMENT IS... SLASH KAMEI!!!!'
'WOHHOOO!!!! YEEEAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!' Slash was in complete utter joy as he now finally won the tournament and got himself 150.000 G. earned.
Damien just grunted over losing this much cash to his rival, but at least he was glad that creepy ninja didn't win thanks to his trickery he planned with Rick, which by a stroke of luck worked well, and Rick just cheered for Slash, not really caring about the whole tournament money.
Until they then heard shouting from the street as they were approached by the rest of the gang, all of them having witnessed the finish. 'Hey, guys! What are you doing here?' Slash shouted to them.
Jam ran forward, yelling in return: 'We came to see the finish of this race with our own eyes, dude! No way would I miss out on seeing that!'
'Hahaha! Just in time, guys! I won 150.000 G.!!!'
Though as the rest all approached Slash, they suddenly turned around to see something that baffled all of them...
'NOOOO!!!! AND I WAS SO CLOSE, SO CLOSE!!!! THIS CAN'T BE, THIS SIMPLY CAN'T BE!!!'
They all saw that Shinobin, a ninja once appearing as ever so calm, silent and cold, was now kneeling on the ground, having removed his hood revealing his face, and was even crying deeply, apparently really sad.
Though they were then approached by a man, who seemed to be the founder of Frost Entertainment Enterprises, Mr. Frost himself. He first went over to Slash, and handed over to him a big sum of money. 'Congratulations, Slash Kamei, you have won the tournament! As the grand winner, here's your reward!' Slash got excited over getting the whole sum of 150,000 G. 'Heheheheh, thanks, mister!'
He then approached Shinobin. 'Here you go, young man! 50.000 G. specially for the 2nd place winner!' Shinobin looked up and still extremely sad, accepted the money, muttering: 'But that's not enough....'
'Here's the thrid prize for you, kid! 1000 G!' Mr. Frost handed it over to Damien, who smiled slightly at at least getting some cash out of it all.
'And lastly, some 500 G. for last place finisher. You putted up a good show, kid!' Handing over the measly 500 G. to Rick. 'Oh, thanks for the money, mister!' Rick said friendly, not being sad at all over the results.
'Now, if you excuse me, I have to get to another meeting, it was a fine tournament, let me say that! Have a good day!' And with that, Mr. Frost stepped in a nearby limousine and drived off as the rest of the tournament organization also left, it now officially being over.
Though the rest then all looked towards Shinobin, who was still crying over the loss, Slash approaching him close. 'Hey, what's the matter with you?'
The ninja stood up and looked angry. 'Back off! You don't understand what this is all about! Why would you show mercy with me?!'
'Brother, enough of this!!' The rest all looked towards a nearby tree as Kaede then jumped out of it, approaching Shinobin with a serious look on her face.
'There's no need to play all this up anymore. They deserve to know what we're racing for, especially after they won!'
'...You're right, sister..'
And then Shinobin stood up and explained to them that he was competing and racing with them all along in order to get the cash sum of 100.000 G. in order to pay off the debt their ninja clan's school owed another clan for quite some time.
'And now there's only one more week remaining until the school will be forced to close... and I failed to get enough cash...' The ninja then looked down all dissapointed and still sad, but suddenly got tapped on the shoulder by Slash, looking up to see that he took out some of the money and offered it to him.
'Hey, you need 50.000 G. more in order to pay it off, right?' He friendly asked.
Shinobin was all suprised by this act of friendlyness towards him, after all the ruthlessness he displayed to them. 'Wha-what, you're offering me the rest of your prize money? But I didn't even win it rightfully, I don't deserve it!'
'What are you talking about?! You race in order to get money together to save your school from closing. That alone is already a reason enough to earn the money, wether you won it fairly or not, I don't care!
Shinobin was still reluctant in accepting it. 'But, but...'
'Shino, just take it. You don't need to put up this act anymore, these friendly people are trying to help our cause, and we should accept it!' Kaede convinced him.
For the first time in a long while, the ninja then smiled, wiped off his tears and accepted the money, putting the grand total of 100.000 G. in his suit. 'Thanks, I really appreciate this!' He sounded friendly towards the rest at last. Slash smiled back. 'No problem, dude! It must be a bit pricey to have come here, so please accept this as well.' Slash then handed over 10.000 of his cash prize to Kaede, adding to it: 'This is my own personal share of the reward for you two. You're very good boarders and I hope to race both of you again soon sometime!'
Kaede jumped with excitement. 'Yay, now I can finally purchase that dress from that store!' Shinobin looked a bit frowning back to her, stating: 'Don't think about spending money so soon, sis! We've got to get home first!' He then putted back on his hood disguising his face under the cold appearence once more, but now shaked hands with Slash. '...If you would excuse us, we've gotta go now! See you later...friends!'
And with that, both of them disappeared in white smoke.
Rick just stated smiling a bit. 'Well, seems like they're not so bad after all!'
The rest then headed back to the hotel, as it was 16:00 PM by now and spended the rest of the afternoon doing their own things before evening would kick in...
