NOVEL NEXT Episode LXXVIII: The Heart of the Flame
"Are your teams ready for the beach classic tournament to begin?" Hiroko asked all the teams in the backroom. No one responded. "Alright, tough crowd, I suppose," Hiroko said, scratching the back of his head.
"Now here's how the seeding will work: one member of each team will come up and draw a number from this box. The number you draw is your seed; there are sixteen numbers in total. Good luck, fighters."
"Team Checkmate, you're up first." Juro stood up and walked towards the box. He reached inside and pulled out a chip with the number seven on it, holding it up for Hiroko to see before returning to his team.
Hiroko wrote 'Team Checkmate' under the seventh spot on the bracket. "Your team is set for the fourth match in the first round of top sixteen."
Next was Team X-Fangs. Mickey Jourbert walked to the box and drew a chip with a number four on it. "You've drawn fourth seed; that's second match of the first round," Hiroko announced.
"Alpha Reserve, it's your turn." Yuho Tokudame picked out a chip with number thirteen on it.
Then came Ghost Freaks' turn. Tokido nonchalantly picked out his chip and tossed it at Hiroko before sauntering back to his group.
"Thanks for throwing that at me," Hiroko retorted sarcastically before announcing their placement as ninth seed.
"Carnage Pack, you're next." Eddy Nash picked out chip twelve.
The process continued until all teams had their placements - Death Order drawing two, Four Clovers of Nightmare drawing six, Chemical Black Tips five, Magic Runners sixteen, Mystical Force fifteen, Catching Heat one and Royal Gold three.
As Cloven Norwood from Royal Gold approached the box to pick their team’s seed number, whispers rippled through the room. He was the best fighter on the island and everyone watched him intently.
Frostburn drew eight, while Spirit Mark and Faded Legacy ended up with ten and eleven respectively.
"Now that every team has been assigned a number, it's time to start the top sixteen. Good luck to all of you; this is going to be a highly competitive tournament," Hiroko concluded as he left the room.
Outside on the main platform, Hiroko hyped up the crowd. "We have some exciting matches coming up, and you'll have front row seats!" The crowd roared in anticipation while some fighters paced nervously backstage.
The members of Catching Heat began to dance in unison, their auras glowing with distinct colors. As they prepared for the upcoming match, the Death Order team approached them. Nigel Lilley, a man with a square face, prominent nose, and angled lips confidently addressed them. His brown eyes glowed under thin eyebrows, while his light blue hair cascaded down to his shoulders in pigtails. He sported a piercing on his right nostril and wore a black gi with an orange belt featuring a Hellhound logo on the back.
"We're going to make sure you guys will stop dancing after I fight," he declared.
"Calm down, Nigel," retorted Adrian Foster, "Save it for the fight!"
"You don't tell me what I can do!" Nigel shot back at Adrian who was significantly taller than him. Without missing a beat, Adrian scooped Nigel off the ground and carried him away from Catching Heat.
Adrian's oval face was framed by short curly hair that transitioned from light brown to shades of blond halfway down. His large orange eyes were set above small lips while his muscular torso contrasted sharply against his relatively short legs. He wore a mint-green gi with a brown belt and had a Minotaur logo emblazoned on the back.
"Sorry about that," he apologized as he waved goodbye to Catching Heat, "Nigel is just really competitive."
Meanwhile Ryo Oybuchi, another member of Death Order approached Kenta from Catching Heat. Ryo's wide face was accentuated by blood-red eyes and neat eyebrows that sat above thin lips. His black hair was worn in an afro that reached down to his muscular shoulders. He wore a diamond gi with a black belt featuring a Leviathan logo.
"They were just starting trouble for no reason," William from Catching Heat said as he approached Death Order.
"Is everything okay?" William asked.
"Yes, everything is alright. I apologize for Nigel's behavior," Ryo replied.
William returned to his team and reassured them that everything was okay. As the teams prepared for the match, Hiroko, the announcer, introduced Death Order and Catching Heat to the roaring crowd. Both teams emerged from a tunnel and stopped in the center of the ring. Hiroko explained the rules of the four vs. four elimination match before prompting all eight fighters to bow their heads in respect.
As soon as Hiroko gave his signal, chaos ensued on the platform. Adrian rushed at Kenta while Nigel targeted Giochi with a flurry of punches which were deftly dodged by Giochi's smooth dance moves. Frustrated, Nigel barked at Giochi, "Why can't you just stay still so I can hit you?"
Nigel managed to land a punch on Adrain's chest causing him to slide back but not fall over. "You're tough but not that tough," Nigel smirked.
Meanwhile Kenta used his special move "Static Tentacles" against Adrian who was able to dodge it but got damaged by its static effect nonetheless.
"Damn it," Adrian muttered as he fell on one knee.
Hiroko narrated over the microphone, "It looks like Adrian did some damage to Kenta, but he also got damaged by Kenta’s static effect."
In another corner of the platform Ryo and Hugh exchanged blows; Hugh managed to block Ryo's kick leaving him vulnerable for an attack. The crowd roared as Hugh landed a punch on Ryo sending him sliding across the platform.
"Kenta lands a solid punch," Hiroko observed. "Just a lucky shot," Ryo retorted. In the sky, William and Hiroki were locked in an aerial tussle, trading punches and kicks with fierce determination. As their battle heated up, Hiroki's body began to glow a radiant seafoam hue. Each time William landed a hit, the glow intensified.
Hiroki was an average-height fighter with a lean face characterized by a rounded jawline and small ears. His straight nose was flanked by rosy cheeks and thin lips, while his angular white eyes were framed by neatly groomed eyebrows. His brown hair hung messily to his shoulders, adding a rugged charm to his appearance. He wore a metallic seafoam-colored gi adorned with a silver belt and the Lynx logo prominently displayed on its back.
William's fist ignited into an inferno as he charged at Hiroki who skillfully blocked the flaming punch and retaliated with an attempted kick to the back of William's head. However, William was quick on his feet; he blocked Hiroki’s kick and swiftly executed a spin followed by a leg sweep that sent Hiroki spiraling downward before crashing onto the ground below.
As if fueled by the impact, Hiroki's glow brightened even more as he shook off the hit and rose back onto his feet. Meanwhile, Adrian remained on one knee from Kenta’s static tentacle attack that continued to inflict damage due to its lingering static effect.
Kenta’s aura enveloped him as he morphed into a half-human half-Electric Indigo Kraken form, sprouting six additional arms symbolic of tentacles. "You aren’t the only one who can transform," Adrian retorted defiantly as his mint green aura engulfed him while he transformed into half-minotaur half-human form albeit still affected by Kenta's static energy.
"This isn’t going to be good," Kenta muttered as Adrian lunged at him, shouting, "Ultimate Move: Luck of the Horn!" His horns turned a vibrant green and he began to pummel Kenta with relentless punches. Despite landing several hits, Adrian's own health was deteriorating due to the static effect from Kenta’s earlier attack.
Kenta slowly rose to his feet, nursing numerous bruises inflicted by Adrian's assault. "Ultra Move: Wild Tentacles Overcharge!" He shouted. His eight arms buzzed with maximum static charge that generated an electric shield around him. Dancing rhythmically while his tentacles charged up, he rushed at Adrian whose defensive block couldn't withstand the static onslaught for long. The barrier shattered and all eight tentacles began to electrocute Adrian until he fell out of his spirit guardian mode and collapsed onto the ground unconscious.
"An incredible display from Kenta," Hiroko announced as the crowd erupted into cheers following Adrian's defeat. Their jubilation was cut short when Nigel transformed into a half-human half-demon dog form and launched an attack on Giochi who was sent flying off the platform into the ocean below.
As Hugh and Ryo traded blows in their spirit guardian forms, their specials collided causing a massive explosion that left both fighters unconscious. William continued his assault on Hiroki whose glow grew brighter before unleashing his "Ultimate Move: Neon Burst". A blinding neon seafoam light engulfed William who got blasted back onto the ground.
Hiroki watched as William danced around him despite being blinded by his light attack. Using his fiery rhythm tap dance moves as an advantage, William landed multiple strikes on Hiroki before launching his own ultimate move which knocked Hiroki out cold.
After about five minutes, Hiroko's vision finally restored revealing William bowing towards Hiroki in respect of their intense match. "Catching Heat pulls off a victory!” He announced even as the crowd, still blind, began to cheer loudly. Suddenly, every member of the Death Order team vanished from the platform leaving Hiroko in disbelief. "What is going on? It seems like Death Order just disappeared into thin air," he mused aloud.
Then a voice buzz into Hiroko’s ears, and the voice says, “Ignore the disappearance and continue the tournament.” William is wondering where Hiroki went and searched around Death Order Members. “They were here just a minute ago; how could they just disappear just like that?” William questioned while trying to get his vision back.