"Come on! Where's this damn victory zone?!" Yukan impatiently mumbled as he kept running through the forest.
Ever since the first phase started, the sun parrot ran into a total of three other participants, but they were nothing more than tough wannabes he took down in one hit. However, these were the least of his worries for the moment. He should have brought a timer with him. An unknown amount of time has passed since the start of the phase and he still didn't have a clue of the victory zone! For all he knew, there could be five minutes or just thirty seconds remaining. He needed to find that victory zone and quick if he didn't want to get eliminated at the start of the Legendary Tournament!
Just then, Yukan got stopped as something weird passed before him. A ball of black and white crashed right into a bat who flew away and crashed into a tree. The ball in question then turned into a panda who danced in joy. "Oh yes, babe! That's another one taken down by the Dragon Warrior!" He soon stopped his dance, however, upon seeing the sun parrot staring at him and blinking his emerald eyes. "Huh... Hi?"
"Hi," Yukan nonchalantly replied with waving his wing.
Po then took his fighting stance. "Alright, get ready to feel the thunda, Master Sunbird!"
"Why?"
"Huh?"
"I don't know if you noticed, Dragon Warrior, but the goal of this phase is to find the victory zone in this forest; not taking down as many participants as possible. We already lost a lot of time since the phase begun. What do you say we focus on finding the zone now and fight later on?"
Po dropped his fight stance, rubbing his chin to think about it, and then smiled. "Good idea! If I lose now, I won't be able to face more participants and prove my awesomeness. Let's go!" And with that, the Dragon Warrior and Master Sunbird ran side by side further into the giant forest.
Shining Eagle found herself in quite the hard spot. After flying around and dodging many traps, she now had to face up with other avian participants. "Why are they all on me?" the female bird asked herself as she spin-kicked a vulture across the face. "... Maybe it's because I'm the daughter of a famous Kung Fu Master and because I train at Master Shujinko's Dojo."
As she blocked an owl's wing strike, Shining Eagle failed to notice a falcon flying behind her, his talons out and ready to cause deep damage to her. However, at the last second, something else collided with his talons, causing a metallic noise and sending sparkles flying in the air. Shining Eagle noticed it and turned her head before smiling. "Kivuli!"
Indeed, the martial eagle saved her friend's life with her Purple Rainmaker before headbutting the falcon in the face, sending him falling to the forest ground. She followed by swinging her sword at the owl's wing, making him share the same fate as the falcon. Smiling in satisfaction, Kivuli turned her attention to her fellow eagle mate and scanned her body to see a few cuts and some feathers missing, but nothing too bad. "Are you okay, Shining?"
"Yeah, thanks for the assist, Kivuli," she replied with a smile. "These guys were about to rip my feathers off!"
"You'll thank me once we're out of this phase and qualified for the next one," the martial eagle replied and pointed her head behind her. "I think I spotted the victory zone before hearing you in difficulty and coming here. Let's go before it's too late!"
Shining Eagle nodded and followed her eagle friend toward the hopeful victory line.
"Here it is!" Yukan exclaimed as he and Po came out into an open area of the forest. In the middle of this area stood a large round zone marked by a glowing golden line made of some sort of special paint. No doubt; the victory zone! "Great! Looks like we're the first ones here! Let's get in there and-"
WHACK!
A sharp pain pierced through Yukan's cheek as something knocked him to the ground. What the heck?! Placing a wing on his poor cheek, he sat up and saw an orange feline glaring at him with her amber eyes as Po looked shocked. "T-Tigress?!"
"I told you not to let your guard down, Po!" the Tiger Style master said in a scolding tone without looking away from the avian. "He was right beside you and ready to give you a strike in the back!"
"No, no, you don't understand, Tigress!" Po tried to explain. "You see, I was walking in the forest, taking down a bat guy with my Panda Roll technique when-"
TACK!
As Po talked to her, Tigress got distracted long enough for Yukan to kick up and charge for a headbutt right into her face, knocking her to the ground. The feline groaned and rubbed her nose with her paw to see some blood on it.
"Yukan!" Po said in a scolding tone.
"What? She hit me; I hit her back," the sun parrot said with a shrug.
"Guys, this is no time to be fighting!" Po said in an unusually serious tone as he helped Tigress back up. "I don't know how much time we have left, but I'd like to be in the victory zone before the time runs out. So can we just-."
Just then, a figure jumped above the three warriors' heads and landed ahead of them. A small blue and black figure. It was Kira Lee! the little dog did not turn to look at them and just ran straight across the golden line and into the victory zone. "Kira Lee has passed the first phase!" the voice of Nunzio echoed through the speakers of the forest.
"Awww! I wanted the honor of finishing first on this phase!" Yukan angrily groaned.
"Me too...," Po whined.
"We'll think about it later! Let's go!" Tigress said and ran on all fours. Po and Yukan followed her, but due to her feline speed, she crossed the victory zone first. Yukan followed afterwards and Po after him. "Master Tigress, Master Sunbird, and the Dragon Warrior also passed the first phase!" Nunzio announced.
"Yeah! I did it!" Po beamed while panting and throwing a fist in the air. All that running took a lot out of him.
Yukan chuckled a bit before looking out of the zone and all around. He hoped his friends would arrive soon for he did not want to be the only one of his Dojo to make it to the next phase. To his joy and relief, he saw two familiar figures flying down toward his location. "Kivuli! Shining Eagle! Over here!"
"Yukan!" the golden eagle beamed upon seeing her friend.
"He made it before us, the little sneaky guy!" Kivuli said with a grin as she and Shining Eagle landed in the victory zone. "Kivuli and Shining Eagle passed the first phase!" Nunzio announced.
"Nice job, Yukan!" Shining Eagle said as she and her sun parrot friend exchanged a high-five. "Did you make it here first?"
"Nope; he did," Yukan replied with pointing his head toward Kira Lee, who decided to sit down and start meditating.
"That little guy again?" Kivuli asked with blinking her eyes in surprise. "He made it there first? I... wasn't expecting that..."
"Only Kodok is missing now," Yukan said with looking around.
"Say his name and he appears. Look!" Shining Eagle said with pointing a wing in one direction. Following her, Yukan and Kivuli indeed saw their amphibian friend running out into the open area. His body was covered in bruises here and there - either from the traps, participants, or both. But he still had the strength to run. "Kodok! Over here!" Shining called with waving her wings.
"Huh?" Kodok said as he soon noticed his friends. A bright smile then appeared on his face. "The victory zone! I found it!"
"Come on! Hurry up!" Yukan urged him with a smile.
The frog nodded and ran at full speed toward the victory zone. Then, just as he was midway on the path to the zone, a huge sword that looked like a big knife fell out of nowhere and stopped him in his tracks. A huge figure then landed right beside it... and Kodok's jaw dropped. A very tall pig wearing black pants and straps across his torso in an X and a look of malice on his face.
"W-Who are you?" Kodok nervously asked.
"I am the leader of the Blackhoof Boar Clan!" the pig replied as he pulled the giant sword out of the ground. He then pointed it toward the frog. "I will not let you get past this line!"
"We have to help him!" Yukan said as pulled his fists on fire and was about to go help his friend when Nunzio's voice resonated: "I would like to remind the participants that leaving the victory zone after entering it is considered a forfeit!" The sun parrot stopped dead in his tracks and then glared up at the sky. "What?! Are you flocking kidding me?!"
Hearing that his friends would not be coming to help him, Kodok started trembling in fear while gazing at the giant pig. "B-But why are you attacking me? The victory zone is right behind you; go through it!"
The Blackhoof Boar Clan Leader chuckled. "Yes, it's true that I could just walk through it and qualify for the next phase. However... I have a better idea in mind. I will stay here and prevent as many participants from entering the zone as I can. That way, it will make things easier for me in the next phases. Less competition, more chance for winning. And besides...," he smirked. "... it's not like a shrimp like you could ever get far in this tournament. It is reserved for the elites of this world; you shouldn't have participated in it to begin with. Now get out of here while I still feel merciful!"
Kodok's body trembled and sweat formed on his skin. He needed to get out of here! He couldn't possibly defeat such a big guy - not without back-up from his friends. He turned around and started running. However, he didn't go far as he tripped on a rock, fell on his face, and dropped his goggles.
The frog looked at his goggles... and then, something turned on inside him.
Kodok left his village because he wanted to become not only a great crafter, but also a respectable and admirable warrior. He promised it to everyone - his friends, his family... Master Shujinko accepted to take him under his care when no other Dojo wanted to. What kind of way would that be thanking them all for their hopes in him if he decided to back down from a fight against a big guy?
The frog's hand curled into a fist. No! He would stand up and fight, no matter what injury he risked to get! He would make his friends proud and pass the first trial! Kodok slowly stood up after grabbing his goggles, pulling them over his eyes, and turned around to face the giant pig with a look of determination which everyone noticed.
"What are you doing, shrimp? You're not planning on fighting me?" the Leader asked with a chuckle.
"No... I'm planning on kicking your fat ass and joining my friends in that zone!" the frog declared with taking his slingshot out.
The other Frog Dojo masters blinked their eyes in surprise. They didn't remember seeing such determination from their amphibian friend in the face of danger. Well, maybe except when they faced the Qidan Clan. But back then, they were there to back him up. This time he was alone. Yukan formed a little smile. "Show us what you can truly do, Kodok..."
"It's your funerals!" the Leader said and ran forward, swinging his big knife sword toward Kodok's position. The frog used his legs to hop off in the air and opened his mouth to strike the giant in the face with his tongue. He then landed on the ground and glared up. "Too slow..."
"You darn...!" the Leader groaned and then swung his sword again, only for the amphibian to duck it and then shoot a bill right in his stomach, knocking the air out of his lungs. Just then, he noticed that many participants came out of the forest and made their way into the victory zone. This reminded him that he needed to get this over with quick or he would be too late to qualify for the next phase.
"I prefer using this in emergency cases, but I don't really have a choice now," Kodok said with taking a bill out of his backpack and pulling it into his slingshot. As the Blackhoof Boar Clan Leader rushed at him, the frog released the string of his slingshot, sending it flying at the pig's face...
BOOM!
The bill exploded in his face, turning it black. The giant pig remained still for a moment before falling on his back with a loud thud. Kodok's yellow eyes widened. He did it. He won against this big guy on his own without needing any help!" YEAH!" he beamed with throwing a fist in the air in joy.
"Kodok!" Kivuli yelled at him. "You'll celebrate later; get in the victory zone now!"
Right. Beating this big guy sure made Kodok happy, but the phase wasn't over yet. He pulled his slingshot away and ran toward the victory zone. Man, he couldn't wait to tell Master Shujinko about what he did! Even though he probably already saw it on TV and-
POOOOW!
Just as Kodok's foot was about to cross the golden line, the sound of a siren echoed throughout the whole forest, stopping him dead in his tracks. Nunzio's voice was then heard through the speakers once again: "The ten minutes are up! The first phase of the Legendary Tournament is officially over! All the participants who made it in the victory zone will be allowed to participate in the next phase while those who didn't are all out of the tournament! Thanks for your participation!"
Kodok's joy of beating the Blackhoof Boar Clan Leader faded away. He stared down at his foot hanging right over the other side of the golden line on the ground. His legs started trembling and he collapsed on his knees. Just one second away...
"I... I lost..."
Author's note: And that concludes the first phase of the Legendary Tournament, my dear friends. I sure hope you enjoyed it and that your favorite made it... even if we haven't seen all those who qualified for the next phase. At least, all the masters of the Frog Dojo passed the phase... except for Kodok.
I must say that making Kodok lose was not easy because I like him very much. But I decided that I had to take out at least one of our heroes out by the first phase or it would have been considered favoritism. Also, I didn't want to make a stereotypical underdog story of the guy with no powers overcoming the odds and going far in the tournament. Except that, thanks to all those who still follow this story and may the gods watch over you all.