A/N: This is a first of many interludes that you guys will be seeing as the story progresses. You'll know it's an interlude when you see the word "Memories" on the chapter. These fillers are glimpses into Xhang's past, and will be remarkably shorter and slightly less polished than normal chapters. Expect more of these Memories in the future.

Memories: The First Tournament

The Hundred School Tournament. A chance for Dynasty's combat schools to show off their finest students, their strongest fighters. A chance for opportunity. A chance for an aspiring Dynastian (or Heraldian, if you count the Iron Beaks) to prove their mettle.

It's quite the big deal, too. Like, the name says it all. Hundred School Tournament, so it isn't unusual to expect a gigantic crowd. And with it, a multitude of fighters. Generally a very big deal. And today was the day. Everyone was (not surprisingly) excited, getting ready to compete.

One young kid, however, was certainly a bit more apprehensive than excited, though…

Xhang inhaled, then exhaled. He stared intently at the arena, his breath controlled and focused. Every detail, every dent, every scratch, they all burnt themselves permanently into Xhang's head. The crowd's rambunctious cheering around him filtered out, turning into background noise, a buzz inside his head.

His moment had arrived. The day has come. The Gray Dragons have chosen Xhang to represent in the tournament. Failure will not be an option. Nothing was going to stand in the way of Xhang's first fight.

Around him, the Gray Dragons cheer for him, loud enough for everyone to hear. Some of them were practically screaming their lungs out, while others were shaking Xhang like a ragdoll.

Next to him, his mentor, Master Galen, placed a hand on his youngest student's shoulder (Xhang was 11 at that time), grinning widely. "This is it, Xhang Li. Go knock 'em dead for me. Not literally though."

Xhang chuckled. "Don't worry, I won't."

"Ey Xhang!"

Turning around, he manages to put his arms out just in time to catch an airborne staff from bonking him in the face. Judging from the way it was unceremoniously tossed at him, he knew immediately who it was.

"Seriously June? Come on, this is my first fight, please don't make me look bad."

The much older woman laughed. "Oh trust me, Xhang, I think I can tell that you've gotten used to me throwing stuff at you, don't worry."

"June, I swear to the Monkey King, I will-"

"Next up we have Xhang Li from the Gray Dragons Dojo against Garuda of the Tiger Claw Dojo!" The announcer blared across the area for all to hear. At that, Xhang flinched.

"A Tiger Claw? By the gods, it just had to be a Tiger Claw, huh?"

The Tiger Claws were by far the most skilled fighters here in the Capital, running up close to the Gray Dragons. They were also rivals as well. Put a Gray Dragon and a Tiger Claw in a room, and I guarantee you, there will be havoc.

June smiled. "Well then. Go out there and show those Tiger Claws how we Gray Dragons sort things up."

Nodding, he inhales one last time. Letting it out in a long exhale, he begins to walk up to the stage. The ceaseless cacophony of shouting from the crowd was deafening. No matter.

At the other end of the ring, stood his aggressor. A Tiger Claw. Wearing a red coloured Inwrought Armor, and in his hands, a wicked looking guandao. The Tiger Claw stared, his expression passive.

Xhang nodded to him. "Good luck," he called out to him

Much to his surprise, Garuda responded in kind with a curt nod of his own. "May the best fighter win."

A referee steps into the ring with them. He took good long looks at the competitors. "Alright people, let's have a clean game," the referee shouted. "Fighters ready?"

The Tiger Claw nodded. Xhang did likewise.

(BGM: Shadow Fight 3 OST: Hundred School Tournament)

"Very well then. 3..."

Xhang's opponent tensed, entering the standard guandao stance. As for Xhang, he assumed his own unique stance (A/N: Basically SF2's staff stance).

"2..."

Their footing tightened on the ground beneath them.

"1..."

They shifted their weight forward, getting ready to bolt.

Then, as the referee was about to call it out, the entire crowd shouted the word, their voices coalescing into one, booming roar that could shake the heavens, ringing out the single word that, in times of dire crisis and devastation, united the people of this realm, whether they be Legionary, Heraldian, or Dynastian.

"FIGHT!"

Oh, fight they will.

In synchrony, the two fighters charge, their feet taking them across the ring. Upon closing on each other, Garuda executes a guandao heavy attack, spinning and jumping into the air, the bright silver blade glinting in the sunlight. Xhang responded in kind, jumping into the air and lifting his staff high into the air.

The airborne fighters collide with each other, the shaft of the guandao connecting with Xhang's staff, the sound of wood against wood ringing across. The carried momentum of the jumps cause the two fighters to crash into each other, their bodies landing on top of each other in a messy heap. Bolting to his feet, Xhang spins backward and swings his staff forward at his adversary, who barely manages to react by blocking the attack with his shaft. Swiftly parrying it away, the much bigger Garuda swung his guandao with the flat end of the blade smacking into Xhang's face, throwing him back.

Getting up, he quickly spots the Tiger charging at him again. Strapping his staff to his back, he quickly executes Floor Work, the attack not being as graceful as most fighters, but it still does its job anyway, the last sweep successfully getting the opponent to back off.

Breaking into a sprint, he jumps forward, and in midair, wraps his legs around his opponent's neck, before shifting his body weight down, throwing the Tiger forward over a few meters. Jumping to his feet, he unwraps his staff, and with a loud roar, charges at his adversary.

Garuda tries to swing his spear upwards, but Xhang, light as he is, leaps forward, catapulting himself at his target by using the shaft of the spear to springboard across, flipping through the air for a good amount of time before bring the staff down on his target's head, the wood slamming into the Tiger's cranium, knocking him down. Landing on two feet, Xhang tries to top it off with a Dynasty heavy kick, but the Tiger had rolled out of the way, grabbing his guandao, and executed a scissor kick that shot the little guy out of the air. Xhang got up, spitting a wad of dirt onto the floor. Cracking his neck, he clenched on his staff and bolted at the Tiger.

The ensuing battle was a long drawn out one.

The two fighters were evenly matched, despite the humongous age gap. However, it was this age gap that Xhang managed to use to his advantage. Being the smaller fighter, he used this to one up the Tiger Claw, gaining ground little by little, before finally overwhelming him with a spectacular drop kick that knocked the Tiger out of the ring. The battle was over.

And Xhang had won.

The crowd went absolutely nuts, not being able to believe that an 11 year old trumped a 25 year old Tiger Claw at his own game. The Gray Dragon students leaped over and began swarming him, going ballistic over their champion's victory. And Galen, the old man couldn't be more prouder.

The Tiger Claw went over to him and the two combatants bowed to each other. Xhang had earned the Tiger's respect, something no one in his school had ever done.

"You fight well, Xhang Li. I look forward to seeing you on the arena," Garuda said as he bowed.

"Likewise. You did great, Garuda," the young Gray Dragon replied in earnest. The Tiger's mouth twitched upwards a tad.

"Hey squirt!" June came up from behind and began ruffling Xhang's head., causing him to laugh. "That was awesome, Xhang! You did amazing up here. Looks like Galen hasn't slacked off on you."

"I heard that, June," Galen chirped from behind, smiling like a madman. "And yes, this old man's still got the touch."

The old man knelt down next to Xhang and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I said to myself I made the right choice sending you out there. And it turns out I was right. Now don't get cocky, kiddo, you still got the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals to get past. But for now, congratulations, young man." He ruffled his hair, his smile softening. "You've done me proud."

Xhang couldn't be more happier.

So yeah. The very first Memories entry. Next up will be Chapter 7, so stay frosty. Laugh, signing off!