Last time on Kung Fu Academia!

School was back in session, and the students were adjusting to the new class schedule. Class Alpha is taught by Tyto, a barn owl that was a former hero, while Class Beta is taught the Xie Zhen, whom is Neyo's Uncle (though they're a woman for reasons yet to be explained). Now, the two classes are set to clash against each other in today's lesson…


Tyto led his class out to the training arena, with Xie Zhen leading her class in on the other side. The teachers squared each other up for a moment, before taking to their respective sides in the stands. Kai and Oogway took their position in the stands as well, with the other teachers and students siting down one they did.

Hikari was the teacher that was acting as referee, since her healing powers would probably be necessary after each battle. "Wait, what is she doing here?" Xie Zhen asked, a look of distain on her face.

Hikari heard that comment and ninja-vanished up to where the hedgehog sat, a neutral smile on her face. "Xie Zhen. Long time no see. How have you been since we last met?"

Xie Zhen snarled at the raven. "You know exactly how I've been! You forced me into this," she gestured to herself, "female body just because I tried to kiss you once!"

Hikari's grin only grew wider. "If I recall the story right, you tried to come onto me, without my consent, during my honeymoon."

"I was drunk!" Zhen screamed.

"Didn't give you permission to mess with me, though," Hikari scolded.

"You to my body from me. Do you know how that wrecked my life!?" Zhen shouted. "I was made the laughing stock of the Hedgehog Clan!"

Hikari frowned. "Maybe you should have thought your actions through, then." She turned to go ack down to the stands, but held up a wing at Xie Zhen, magic dancing between her fingers. "I know all about your dirty secrets, Xie Zhen. If you try to hurt me or my family again, I'll do much, much worse than take away your masculinity."

The hedgehog gave a nervous gulp before nodding slowly, intimidated by the aura emanating off of Hikari.

Toka gave a slow whistle as Hikari teleported back down to the arena. "Wow dude, I didn't know your mom could be so scary," Toka said to Karasu.

The raven nodded. "She is very protective of her family and those that she's close to."

"So that's who Uncle Zhen is mad at," Neyo muttered to himself. "Wait, so Karasu's clan are the ninjas my clan is at war with?"

"I guess it makes more sense why Xie Zhen trained you to fight me specifically in the entrance tournament last year," Karasu speculated.

"STUDENTS AND TEACHERS!" Kai announced, grabbing everyone's attention. "The tournament between Class Alpha and Class Beta is about to begin! May the opponents please come to the stage?"


Chibi "Okamiden" vs. Alena "Warrior of the Eclipse"

Chibi practically bounced into the arena, excited to have his first fight. His hero outfit was just simple white samurai robes, but his body now sported red markings as well. Alena calmly took her spot in the arena. Her hero outfit was unchanged from last year, being a red fighting gi with a purple belt and gloves.

"I'm ready when you are!" Chibi shouted, a smile on his face. Alena chuckled and got into a fighting stance, nodding her head in response.

"If both of you are ready," Hikari announced, "Then begin!"

Alena started by rushing in to attack with a palm strike, but Chibi used his smaller size to duck out of the way. The wolf then did a dodge roll and summoned a jade disk, tossing it at Alena like a frisbee and beaning her in the back of the head.

"Hey, that's my shield!" Alena shouted. "It's been missing all summer. Did you steal it!?"

Chibi paused and raised an eyebrow. "Uh, this a Reflector, not a shield. And Divine Retribution is a family heirloom, so I don't know what you're talking about."

"Ugh, whatever," Alena sighed. "Luckily, I have some new weapons to deal with you." The panther held out her hand and summoned a sword with a fire-shaped blade. "Sun Sword!" she shouted, rushing forward and swiping at Chibi.

The wolf used Divine Retribution to block her attack, then retaliated with another reflector toss. Alena jumped over the attack and switched weapons, switching out the Sun Sword with a bow that was shaped like a crescent moon. "Moon Bow!" she shouted, firing down many arrows on Chibi.

The wolf let out a yip in surprise, but then did something unusual. Time seemed to stop as a line of ink was drawn over the arrows, and when time resumed, all the arrows were cut in half.

"What was that?" Alena asked in surprise.

"That was my special ability, the Celestial Brush!" Chibi announced. "I can use the power of the Brush Gods to do all kinds of things." He paused. "It takes some effort to do so, but it's super useful."

"Less talking and more fighting!" Tai Lung called from the stands.

Alena and Chibi both nodded, then went back to fighting. The clashed fiercely, Sun Sword against Divine Retribution, until Alena managed to knock Chibi onto the edge of the arena. The wolf skidded to a stop and activated his Celestial Brush technique again, but instead of a Power Slash he summoned a Cherry Bomb. The panther barely managed to jump out of the way of the explosion, switching to the Moon Bow to fight at a distance.

"I feel like Chibi's powers are vaguely familiar," Soma said.

"I think I saw it in a video game once," Toka commented.

"Really? I was thinking more along the lines of Japanese mythology," Karasu added.

Back in the fight, Alena and Chibi clashed again. However, Alena predicted that the wolf would block and went for a leg sweep, knocking Chibi onto his back. The panther pinned him down, ending the match in a pin-down.

"Aw, I lost," Chibi wined.

"You did good, kid," Alena said, helping the wolf up. "If you ever want to train, I could hlp you with that."

"Thanks, but I already have a teacher," Chibi said. "I'll just have to train even harder to beat you next time!" He gave a bow and left for the stands, with Alena just shaking her head as she left the arena as well.


Suya "Mystic Owl" vs. Scorpion "Poison Sitng"

Suya floated down to the arena, blowing a kiss to the crowd as she did so. Her hero outfit was a gold strapless top with matching harem pants, a pearl sash hanging around her waist. Scorpion took her side of the arena as well, with her hero outfit being red body paint that contrasted with her usual yellow coloration.

"Are you ladies ready?" Hikari asked. When the two opponents nodded, she held up a wing. "Then be on guard and begin!"

Scorpion made the first move, going for a pincer strike, but Suya countered with fast wing blocks, not budging from her stance. The owl then ducked backwards as Scorpion swung her stinger forward, making Suya do an impromptu backflip to avoid the attack.

"You're going to have to actually hit me if you want to win, dear," Scorpion taunted.

"Thanks, but I really don't want to get poisoned at the moment," Suya replied. The owl then used her Blossom Chi to send a wind of petals at Scorpion, putting even more distance between the two.

"Suya is at a disadvantage with this one," Koji said, concern in his voice.

"Agreed," Toka said. "She doesn't really have a reliable ranged attack to deal with Scorpion."

"I wouldn't say that," Alena said. Everyone turned to the panther as she continued. "Remember how Suya went to Egypt for vacation? She told me that she picked up a few new moves over there, so we'll see if she puts them to use."

Meanwhile, Scorpion was starting to close the gap between the two of them, dodging Suya's efforts to drive her off. "All it'll take is one drop for this to be over," Scorpion said.

"That is really not comforting," Suya said. The owl flapped her wings to get to the other side of the arena, then put her wings together in a meditative way. "Alright, my old moves aren't working, so let's see if my new ones can," she said.

Suya closed her eyes as she started to dance, of all things. Magic flowed over her body as she did so, until the owl struck a pose. "Power of the Elephant!" she announced, an image of an elephant trumpeting proudly appearing behind her. Suya's outfit changed slightly as well, gaining ivory jewelry around her neck, wrists, and replacing her pearl sash.

"What's that supposed to do," Scorpion mocked. She ran forward and struck at Suya, but the owl did a double palm strike and sent the arachnid flying. Scorpion managed to stay in the arena, but it was clear that she was dazed from the attack.

"Woah! I don't remember Suya being that strong," Neyo exclaimed.

"I recognize that technique," Aurora said suddenly. "It's the power of transformation used by Dijin, or Genies as they're more commonly referred to. I thought the art had been lost to the sands of time."

"Clearly not," Anubis said. "However, it seems like she can't fully transform, only take the abilities of that form."

Back with the fight, Suya used her Elephant strength to her advantage, pushing Scorpion back whenever the arachnid tried to attack her. Her stinger wasn't an issue either, as Suya used her quick movement to dodge it. With little effort, the owl managed to knock Scorpion out of the arena with a quick strike, ending the fight.

"You did great, Suya!" Koji cried, hugging his friend tight.

"Koji, stop, you're embarrassing me," Suya said blushing.

Aurora stopped Suya before she could sit down. "After this, I think we should talk. Anubis and I believe that we could help you improve that new power you have."

Meanwhile, Junjie stroked his chin and hummed softly. "That Scorpion... she might be handy for our future plans."


Toka "Feng Jade" vs. Koji "Cong Wo"

"Wait, we have to fight each other!?" The two friends exclaimed, looking shocked.

"The two of you haven't fought each other before?" Monkey asked.

"Even for a friendly sparring match?" Jintien asked.

"Never," Toka said. "The two of us are too close friends to want to come to blows with each other."

"Heck even in our original series we never had a fight," Koji said.

"Stop breaking the fourth wall and just fight already," Alena said. "This was bound to happen sometime, so just roll with it."

The two friends sighed and went down to the arena, both reluctant about the upcoming battle. Toka's hero outfit consisted of jade colored pants and an open jacket with an image of a phoenix on the back. Koji's hero outfit was simply purple shorts and a beetle kabuki mask, his body covered in glowing tatoos as well.

"Are you two ready?" Hikari asked.

"Sure," Toka sighed.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Koji muttered.

"Then prepare…. To… Fight!" Hikari shouted.

Both boys hesitated to make the first move, opting to slowly circle the arena instead. Koji created a ball of Chi and tossed it between his hands idly, while Toka flexed his claws. "So, I was wondering," the leopard started, "what's with the mask?"

Koji perked up a bit. "Oh, I went back to visit my parents in Hawaii, and they gave me this tribal mask to 'channel my inner demons' or something. I find that it helps me to-" He didn't get to finish as Toka delivered a punch to his gut, knocking the wind out of the beetle's lungs. "Dude, what the hey!?"

"Don't let your opponent distract you," Toka said with a smirk. He made a 'Come On' gesture with his hand. "Now then, let's do this right."

Koji smiled behind his mask, then summoned a sword with his Chi. "It's on now!" The beetle rocketed forward and slashed at Toka, whom dodged and shot out a puff of smoke from his hands. With a snap of his fingers the smoke ignited, launching Koji up into the air.

Toka then leaped up so the he was above Koji and delivered an axe kick to the beetle, sending him smashing down to earth. The leopard then grabbed Koji by the horn, but the beetle surprised him with a Chi blast, forcing Toka to let go and stagger slightly.

"These two aren't holding back," Suya said.

Alena smiled. "They just needed to get over the initial 'I'm fighting my friend' thing. With how much they've trained together, both Toka and Koji now each other's moves, so they don't have anything to hide."

Back with the fight, Toka and Koji traded Chi blasts with each other, before going in close quarters. Toka showed his strength with Tiger Style, while Koji dodged and moved to his own beat with Samoan Fist. Eventually, Koji got a good hit in… by accidentally punching Toka in the crotch. Everyone visibly cringed as Toka fell to the ground in pain.

"Oh crap!" Koji said. He went over to his friend. "Dude, I am so, so sorry."

"it's… fine," Toka gasped out, pushing himself off the ground. "I've had worse hits down there, trust me." He stretched his arms a bit, then took a fighting stance. "Alright, let's finish this."

Toka let Koji have no time to react as he let his Phoenix Chi flare to full power, then delivered a punch at the beetle. "PHOENIX FIST!" he shouted, his fist sending out a Chi Phoenix that flew right at Koji.

The beetle steadied himself and summoned his sword again, sending off a wave of Chi himself. "BUG'S BITE!" he shouted, charging at Toka with all his might.

The two clashed in the middle of the arena, sending off sparks as they battle for dominance. They were on even ground for a few seconds, until Toka started to push Koji back. The beetle started to sweat as he lost ground and was forced to yield when Toka used his other hand to punch Koji in the face, knocking him out of the arena.

"And Toka is the winner by ring out!" Hikari announced.

Toka held up a fist in victory, then went over to Koji and helped him up. "You did well, dude," he said.

Koji smiled and held out a fist, bringing it to Toka's in a fist bump. "You too, man. You too." The beetle then winced as his hand stung. "Maybe I should stop getting into clashes, though. It tends to go badly for me."


Jintien "Tamashi" vs. Monkey "Steel Simian"

"Hey Jintien," Monkey called. "What's the difference between Kung Fu and Karate?"

"Well, there's actually quite a few," Jintien replied. "But I think we should discuss this after our battle."

Monkey frowned. "It was supposed to be a joke, but whatever."

Hikari raised her wing and looked at both of them. Jintien's hero outfit was a black and white Japanese uniform with green bands around arms, legs, and tail. She also had a charm cast on her to conceal her identity. Monkey's hero outfit was a pair a grey pants with a matching domino mask, along with a golden belt and metal bracers on his arms.

"The two of you ready?" the raven asked. "Then let the battle… begin!"

Monkey started by leaping up into the air and pulling out his staff, throwing it down at Jintien. The Komodo dragon dodged the attack, quickly kicking the weapon out of the arena so that Monkey couldn't retrieve it. The simian however leapt behind Jintien and grabbed her head, covering her eyes so she couldn't see.

"Get off my back, Monkey!" Jintien shouted. She struggled to find his hands but managed to flip him over in a Judo flip, pinning him with her knee on his chest. "I would suggest giving up now," she said.

"Not a chance," Monkey said. He used his prehensile tail to pull Jintien's other leg out from under her, letting him roll out of the way and back onto his feet.

The Komodo dragon growled and pounced on Monkey, getting in a few good strikes before tossing him over her head in a back throw.

"Alright, enough of this!" Monkey shouted. Taking a pose, he activated his Chi and covered his entire body in a living metal. "Metal Coat!" Letting out a war cry and charged, relentlessly striking Jintien whatever-which-way.

The Komodo dragon grunted as she desperately blocked. While her skin was tough, each of Monkey's strikes was like a bullet, and she could only take so much pain before she would be forced to yield. "Looks like it's time for my own special attack," Jintien said. Her eyes glowed with magic as her move, Spirit Sense activated.

"Oh, I know that move!" Hideo said. "Jintien is able to see any physical flaw when her eyes get glowly like that. Heck, she can see in total darkness with her power too!"

With Spirit Sense activated, Jintien saw a weakness in Monkey's steel body, and with a precise blow, she was able to knock him out of his enhanced form and out of the arena, ending the match.


Author's Note

Kept you waiting, huh? The tournament of classes has begun! This arc will be in five parts, so expect four rounds per chapter. With that being said, tune in next time as the tournament continues…