The forest race for the knight exams was about to begin. Each participant stood at their respective starting positions, preparing themselves for the intense challenge ahead.
Dan stood at his position, stretching his arms and taking deep breaths to calm his nerves. He clenched his fists, determination gleaming in his eyes. "This is it," he muttered to himself, a faint smile curling his lips. "Time to show them all."
A voice pierced through the air, sharp and metallic, with a hint of amusement. "Oh boy, this race sure seems like it's going to be interesting," said Ezar, a man with metallic nails that shimmered as he spoke.
Beside him, another participant nodded in agreement. "Yes, Ezar," the man, known as Buddy, replied. His tone carried confidence, and though his abilities were unknown, his demeanor suggested he was formidable. "Let's make sure to win it."
Dan glanced at them from his position, observing their confidence and camaraderie. Wow, he thought. These guys look tough.
Elsewhere, Steven prepared himself at his own starting position. He exhaled sharply, focusing his gaze ahead. Beside him was Agi, his energetic companion, who smiled playfully.
"Agi, you know what to do," Steven said, his tone sharp and commanding.
"Yes," Agi replied with a grin. "Try and have fun!"
Steven's eyes narrowed. "No, idiot," he retorted. "Be smart and focus completely on the race."
Agi's smile faded slightly as he nodded. "Oh, okay," he replied sheepishly.
Suddenly, the booming voice of the announcer filled the air. "The forest race starts in three… two… one… gooooooooo!"
From every starting position, the participants surged forward into the dense forest.
Dan leapt from tree to tree with practiced agility, his movements swift and calculated. He was determined to cover as much ground as possible before the inevitable confrontations began. However, as he prepared to leap to the next branch, a tail came out of nowhere and knocked him to the ground with a heavy thud.
Dan groaned as he stood up, brushing dirt off his clothes. "Wow," he muttered, a hint of irritation in his voice. "The fights are starting already."
A figure emerged from the shadows, standing tall on a nearby tree branch. His tail swayed behind him as he gazed down at Dan with a smirk.
"I saw you were from the Lightning Nation, boy," said the man, his voice dripping with mockery. "I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see you in person." He hopped down gracefully, assuming a fighting stance. "The name's Brook, and I'm a monkey chi user."
Dan grinned, excitement bubbling beneath the surface. "Cool. I've heard of animal chi users. They say you guys are tough." He cracked his knuckles. "This will be nice. Time to try out my moves on you."
Dan charged at Brook, but before he could reach him, a kick came out of nowhere and sent him staggering backward.
Brook laughed, his voice echoing through the trees. "Idiot boy. Did you really think I'd fight someone from the Lightning Nation one-on-one? My two other monkey chi user friends joined me in this tournament. Together, we're unstoppable."
Two more figures stepped forward, each grinning wickedly.
"Nice to meet ya," said Ritch, one of Brook's friends. His tail flicked in amusement as he cracked his knuckles.
Vertz, the third monkey chi user, laughed loudly. "Are you ready for us?"
Dan's eyes narrowed. Damn it, he thought. I can't fight more than one person at once—especially not when they're this tough. His fists clenched, and he forced himself to stand tall. "Fine," he said. "Come on, then."
The trio laughed as they charged at him. Dan moved quickly, dodging Brook's attack and jumping onto his back. He parried Ritch's hand away, grabbed his tail, and slammed him to the ground. Just as he did, Vertz landed a solid kick to Dan's face, sending him reeling. Brook followed up with a powerful punch to Dan's back, slamming him against a tree.
Brook laughed triumphantly. "Like I said, boy—together, we're unstoppable."
Ritch smirked. "Lucky hit, boy."
Vertz joined in the laughter.
Dan wiped blood from the corner of his mouth, glaring at the trio. "You cowards," he growled. "Ganging up on a kid like me?"
Brook shrugged. "We don't care. As far as we're concerned, you kids from the five nations are monsters already."
"Yeah," Ritch added with a smirk.
"Just wait and see how we—" Vertz began, but before he could finish, Dan charged at him. His right hand was clenched tightly, crackling with lightning energy. He aimed a devastating punch at Vertz, but Brook yanked Vertz out of the way at the last second. Dan's fist missed, leaving him open for Ritch to deliver a series of punches to his ribs. Brook capitalized on the moment, jumping onto Dan's head and slamming him into the ground.
Dan coughed up blood, his thoughts racing. What the hell? I can't predict their moves. If I attack one, the others cover for them. It's making it impossible to fight back. He clenched his fists, frustration boiling over. Fuck, fuck—what do I do?
Brook shook his head in disappointment. "Wow, boy. You're really letting me down. I thought you'd be stronger than this. Come on, guys. Let's go."
"Okay," Ritch said, brushing himself off.
"Sure," Vertz agreed, turning to leave.
But Dan struggled to his feet, his voice filled with defiance. "Where the hell do you think you're going?"
Brook's smirk widened. "You're really interesting, boy. Alright, guys—let's continue."
The trio charged at him again, their movements fluid and coordinated.
Meanwhile, in another part of the forest, Steven was sprinting at full speed. His focus was unwavering as he weaved through the trees, determined to complete the race early.
"Quick," he muttered to himself. "Faster. No time to waste. I have to finish this early."
Suddenly, a large axe hurtled through the air toward him. Steven reacted instantly, dodging the blade just in time. He turned to see a hulking man with a second axe in his hand, grinning wildly.
"Hey, kid!" the man called out. "Where are you running off to so early in the competition? You should try and enjoy it!"
Steven locked eyes with the man, his expression unreadable.
The man tilted his head, intrigued. "You're not much of a talker, are you? Well, maybe after I—"
Steven didn't let him finish. He charged forward, his fist engulfed in flames. With a single, devastating punch, he struck the man with his signature move—Fire Fist.
"Maybe that'll teach you not to pick fights with people above your league," Steven said coldly.
But to Steven's surprise, the man remained standing, laughing even as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. "Wow, so you're from the Fire Nation. Impressive punch you've got there. Can you give me more of that?"
Steven frowned, his disbelief evident. Even though my Fire Fist wasn't packed with much strength, it should've been enough to knock him down.
The man retrieved his fallen axe, his grin widening. "Well, I'm a man who enjoys pain and thrives on the thrill of a fight. Now that you know I'm not weak, give me a harder fight. I've got my two axes, and you've got your fists of fury. So come at me!"
Steven sighed, shaking his head. "Just when I was trying to avoid fights, you show up. Fine, but don't think you'll hurt me."
"Yeah, yeah," the man replied, readying his weapons.
The two charged at each other, their clash echoing through the forest.
Meanwhile, back in Dan's part of the forest, the fight with Brook and his crew continued to rage on. The trio of monkey chi users charged at Dan, each of them attacking with incredible coordination. Dan, though struggling, managed to dodge and weave through their attacks, his sharp reflexes keeping him alive.
Brook grinned as he threw a flurry of punches at Dan, who narrowly avoided each one. "This is boring, kid. I thought you wanted to fight!"
Ritch chimed in, smirking. "Yeah, show us some spirit!"
"Yeah!" Vertz echoed, laughing.
Dan glared at them, his breaths heavy but steady. "You want spirit? Alright… here I come!"
Without hesitation, he bolted toward a nearby tree and began climbing. Using his lightning chi to enhance his speed, he darted through the treetops, moving faster than the trio could track.
Brook scowled, his sharp eyes scanning the area. "Don't think you can just escape like that, boy."
Dan's voice echoed from somewhere above. "Catch me if you can, idiots!"
Ritch's face twisted in anger. "Did he just call us idiots?"
"Yes, he did," Vertz replied, his own irritation building.
Brook's scowl deepened. "Boys, let's show him! Split up and find him. If you spot him, use the special whistle sound with the flutes. We'll regroup and take him down."
"Got it!" Ritch and Vertz replied in unison as the three of them scattered into the forest.
Vertz moved quietly through the trees, his sharp eyes scanning every branch and shadow. His tail twitched as he muttered to himself. "Damn kid… where could he be?"
Suddenly, Dan appeared silently from a branch above, lightning sparking faintly in his palm. Before Vertz could react, Dan struck him with a precise and powerful Lightning Karate Chop to the neck. Vertz's eyes widened briefly before his body went limp, falling to the forest floor below with a heavy thud.
Dan smirked as he crouched on the branch, looking down at the unconscious monkey chi user. "Heh. One down, two to go."
Ritch continued his search, growing more frustrated with each passing moment. "Where the hell is this boy? I'm tired of looking for him!"
Dan's voice came from behind him. "Well, look no further."
Ritch spun around, spotting Dan standing a few feet away, his arms crossed and a cocky grin on his face. "You—"
Before he could finish, Dan dashed toward him, his right hand clenched and crackling with lightning energy. Ritch managed to dodge at the last second, smirking. "You thought that would work on me?"
Dan tilted his head mockingly. "Yeah, pretty much."
"Well, too bad!"
Dan raised an eyebrow, his grin widening. "Aren't you going to call your friends? You can't take me down alone. You're too chicken to do that."
Ritch's face twisted in anger. "I'm a monkey, asshole! And of course I can beat you, you piece of shit!"
Dan smirked, his stance shifting slightly. "Then come on."
Ritch charged at him, launching a flurry of punches, kicks, and tail swings. He moved with incredible speed and precision, forcing Dan to stay on the defensive. "Did you really think you could beat me alone, you weak shit?" Ritch taunted as he attacked relentlessly.
Dan suddenly grinned. "Of course I can."
Before Ritch could react, Dan grabbed his tail mid-swing, pulling him off balance. With his other hand, he delivered a rapid series of lightning-charged punches to Ritch's chest, each strike landing with devastating force. Ritch coughed violently as Dan slammed him to the ground.
"What the—" Ritch stammered, struggling to recover.
Dan stood over him, his fists sparking with electricity. "I just needed to rile you up to get you in my range, dummy. Goodnight."
With that, Dan clenched his right hand tightly and delivered his finishing move—a powerful Lightning Karate Punch—to Ritch's chest, knocking him out cold.
Dan stood up, brushing himself off. "Good. Two down, one more to go."
Brook continued his search, frustration mounting as he leapt from branch to branch. "Where the heck is that kid? Maybe I should call the others."
Dan's voice came from behind him. "No need. They're already taken out."
Brook turned sharply, his eyes narrowing as he saw Dan standing calmly on a branch nearby. "Liar," Brook spat.
Dan shrugged. "Call them, then."
Brook scowled and raised his flute, blowing a sharp, high-pitched whistle. He waited, his tail twitching impatiently. Seconds passed, but there was no response. Brook's expression darkened.
"What the hell? Where are they?"
Dan smirked. "Having a good nap."
Brook's eyes widened in anger. "You…"
Dan's smirk grew. "Like you said—together, you're unstoppable. But alone? No way in hell. So I divided and conquered."
Brook's fists clenched as he glared at Dan. "Bastard."
Without another word, Brook charged at Dan, his movements wild and fueled by rage. He threw punch after punch, each strike faster and stronger than the last, but Dan dodged them all effortlessly.
"You're just attacking without thinking now," Dan remarked, his voice calm. "Chill, man."
"Fuck you!" Brook roared, leaping into the air and delivering a powerful kick to Dan's head. The force sent Dan stumbling back, his vision momentarily blurry.
Dan shook his head, regaining his focus. "What the—"
Brook landed gracefully, smirking. "Don't think you can beat me easily, boy."
Dan grinned, wiping blood from his mouth. "Not planning to."
The two of them charged at each other, their fists colliding in midair with a thunderous impact. Brook grinned. "Nice punch."
"Right back at you," Dan replied.
Brook continued his assault, throwing punches and kicks with relentless speed, but Dan dodged each one. Wait for it… Dan thought, his eyes locked onto Brook's movements. Wait for it… now!
Seizing the perfect opportunity, Dan delivered a rapid series of punches to Brook's stomach, each one infused with lightning energy. Brook staggered, trying to block the blows, but Dan followed up with a powerful kick to his head. Brook raised his arms to block it, gritting his teeth as he struggled to hold his ground.
"Not so fast," Brook growled, pushing Dan back slightly.
Dan smirked. "Just give up already."
With a surge of power, Dan increased the lightning around his leg, forcing Brook's defenses to collapse. The kick connected, sending Brook crashing to the ground.
Dan exhaled deeply, finally allowing himself a moment to rest. "Finally," he muttered.
As he turned to leave, he heard movement behind him. Brook was back on his feet, charging at Dan with a wild roar. Dan braced himself, but before Brook could strike, a girl with brown hair appeared out of nowhere. She grabbed Brook's head and slammed him into the ground with astonishing force.
"What the hell was that?" the girl, Rebecca demanded, turning to Dan.
Dan blinked in surprise. "Wait—you're the girl I saved from that big guy earlier. And you were in the hall with all the—"
"Yes," the girl interrupted, folding her arms. "Why are you using your chi like that?"
Dan frowned. "Like what?"
"Like a kid," she snapped.
Meanwhile, in another part of the forest, Steven's fight with Buff had reached its conclusion. The large man stood bloodied and bruised, barely able to hold himself up.
Steven walked toward him, his expression calm but firm. "Well, that was a nice match," he said.
Buff tried to speak, but before he could, Steven delivered a final punch, knocking him to the ground. "You were tough," Steven admitted, standing over him. "But this just proves you're still leagues below me. If you make it to the end, I'd like to recruit you."
With that, Steven turned and continued running, leaving Buff lying unconscious in the dirt.