Chapter 6 – The Phoenix’s Shadow & The Fear of Chibi Ninjas
At the edge of the tournament grounds, a grand tent of crimson and gold swayed gently in the breeze. The air carried the scent of arena dust and dried leaves.
Beneath the canopy, Troy and Danny sat casually on low wooden benches, accompanied by five small disciples dressed in ninja attire.
They were adorable.
They were also terrified.
Each wore an animal mask—fox, squirrel, frog, panda, and snake. Not merely students, but heirs to the Shadow Dojo’s secret arts.
Troy leaned back, sipping steaming ginger tea from a clay cup. His voice was calm, almost wistful.
“If Arven were here… he’d love watching this tournament.”
A pause.
“But he still sleeps, deep beneath Lysa’s palace.”
“Phoenix sleep isn’t something you disturb lightly.”
Danny, seated cross-legged, drank black coffee from a bamboo flask and chuckled.
“‘Sleep,’ he says…”
He smirked.
“The day that guy wakes up, he could burn a continent.”
“Good thing we don’t need him yet.”
A small hand shot up.
The squirrel-masked ninja spoke, voice trembling despite its cuteness.
“S-Sensei… I saw one of the beast participants…”
“They had horns…”
“And claws…”
“And they were biting a signboard…”
“I saw one too!” the fox-masked ninja blurted.
“Lion head… human body!”
“He was warming up by swinging a tree like it was a twig!”
Troy smiled gently. He leaned forward, patting both their heads.
“Easy.”
“They’re beast-hybrids. They look frightening, yes…”
“But it’s not our turn to face them yet.”
His tone steadied.
“Focus on movement. Focus on calm.”
“Remember what I taught you.”
Danny jerked his chin toward the distance—toward Zedwan and Liu Kei, who were chatting happily while eating cake and drinking tea.
“Most of those monsters belong to Zedwan.”
He snorted.
“That guy’s been training bizarre species since forever.”
“I swear I saw one with a human body and a tail growing out of its neck.”
The frog-masked ninja whispered nervously,
“If we end up fighting them…”
“…can we switch groups?”
Troy laughed softly.
“If you ask to switch groups now, you’re no ninja.”
Then, with mock seriousness:
“But if you’re truly scared… you can try wearing the ‘I-see-nothing’ mask first.”
Danny barked out a laugh.
“What are you trying to raise here?”
“Elite shinobi… or Kamen Rider cosplayers?”
Troy merely smiled faintly, eyes drifting toward the increasingly lively main arena.
“I just want them to have Arven’s spirit.”
He folded his arms.
“Unafraid to step into fire.”
The snake-masked ninja—the quietest of them all—suddenly spoke. Soft voice. Dead serious.
“If we… actually catch fire…”
A tiny pause.
“…can we wake Uncle Arven?”
Danny raised an eyebrow.
“If you scream loud enough, maybe the frozen phoenix sneezes.”
He grinned.
“But if he wakes now, he’ll probably be mad he didn’t get to brush his teeth.”
The children burst into laughter.
Small, light, but enough.
Fear melted.
Tension eased.
Troy and Danny exchanged a glance.
They both knew—
Today wasn’t about physical strength.
It was about courage.
The courage to stand… even while trembling.
Chapter 7 – Heat, Hype & Cheese Stick
The morning sun blazed mercilessly over the training grounds beside the tournament hall.
Fine dust rose beneath stamping feet. Fighters stretched. Sparred. Meditated. Some simply lounged, drinking chilled water from sweating metal bottles.
Troy observed from the sidelines, his tiny ninja disciples still buzzing with energy after their emotional rollercoaster in the tent.
Suddenly—
A sleeve tug.
“Sensei…” the frog-masked ninja whispered, voice shaking.
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“T-There!”
He pointed dramatically.
“The one who bit the signboard!”
Troy turned—
And the atmosphere froze.
Across the training area, sprawled lazily on a neon-orange folding recliner, lay a peculiar sight:
A half-crocodile boy.
Green-gray scales. Reptilian features. Hair slicked back like an ’80s mafia villain.
Dark sunglasses.
In one hand—a cup of iced lemon.
With the other—he casually rubbed coconut oil across his scaly chest.
“Ai…” he muttered contentedly.
“So damn hot today…”
“Perfect weather for premium reptile tanning…”
The fox-masked ninja blinked.
“…Why does he look like he’s on a beach vacation?”
“Isn’t this the training zone?”
Behind them, Danny facepalmed.
“That’s Juwan.”
“Half-crocodile beast kid.”
He sighed.
“Thinks he’s a superstar.”
“Once brought a pink Hello Kitty umbrella to training because—”
Danny mimicked dramatically:
“‘My eyes are sensitive to UV.’”
Before laughter could erupt—
A new voice cut through.
“Oi, ninja kids…”
Lazy. Playfully annoyed.
Shinin appeared, a half-finished carton of chocolate milk in hand, straw still between his lips.
“This is my warm-up area.”
“Don’t mess up my line.”
The panda-masked ninja stared.
“…Warm-up while drinking milk?”
Shinin lifted one eyebrow arrogantly.
“I can do spinning kicks while sipping.”
“Wanna see?”
Troy stepped forward calmly, raising a hand.
“Relax, Shinin.”
“They’re just passing through.”
Then he glanced sideways at one of his students—a slightly larger, sturdier ninja.
“But if you’re itching to warm up…”
He smiled.
“Fight my boy here.”
The student stepped forward with heavy but confident strides.
Large head.
Naruto-wannabe posture.
“I’m Riki!”
He struck a dramatic pose.
“Riki of the Fire Palm!”
Shinin scoffed.
“I’m Zedwan’s son.”
“You think I’m scared?”
And they clashed.
Shinin opened with a flashy blend of silat and kung fu—fluid, stylish…
…and slightly overacted, like a stunt actor too immersed in his role.
Riki?
He just stood there.
Chewing.
Then—
WHOOSH.
Riki lunged.
In a blink, he leapt forward and slammed his palm directly onto Shinin’s face.
A wet, sticky impact.
“…Got you!”
Shinin screamed.
“WAAAARGH!”
“My eyes!”
“My nose!”
“SPICY CHEESE IN MY SINUSES!!”
Riki stepped back proudly, revealing the truth:
Melted cheese stick.
Hidden in his pocket.
Now smeared gloriously across Shinin’s face.
“My secret technique…”
He grinned.
“Fire Palm: Cheese Burst!”
Shinin rolled on the ground, face sticky, eyes watery—half pain, half humiliation.
The ninja kids exploded into laughter.
Even Juwan lowered his sunglasses slightly and smirked.
“…Stylish.”
“Cheese attack.”
“Rare.”
The laughter had barely faded—
When a chilling yet awe-inspiring aura swept across the grounds.
The wind seemed to stop.
Three women approached with commanding presence:
Nadia — calm and powerful like a battle captain.
HasyaLys — mysterious, like a living shadow.
Aisha — a gothic huntress, dark hair flowing, twin wooden blades at her waist.
The squirrel-masked ninja gasped.
“WAHH! Big Sis Nadia!”
“She can fight three orcs at once!”
“I want a photo with Big Sis HasyaLys!” the snake-masked ninja added.
“She’s the Shadow Unit leader, right?!”
The children rushed forward like starstruck fans meeting their idols—yet still respectful, bowing shyly.
Nadia smiled warmly.
“Well, aren’t you all adorable…”
“From Troy’s dojo?”
HasyaLys tilted her head toward Riki.
“And who’s this big-headed Konohamaru lookalike?”
Riki puffed up proudly.
“Me!”
“I just defeated Shinin!”
Aisha stepped closer, eyebrow raised.
“Good.”
Her smile was faint. Sharp.
“But not enough for a blood-soaked battlefield.”
She handed two wooden training sticks to the nearest students.
“Moon Fang Reversal.”
“Slicing Swallow Cross.”
“Basic techniques.”
“But useful when cornered.”
The frog-masked ninja trembled with excitement.
“Even the names sound deadly…”
“This is awesome!”
Tiny cheers erupted.
The children looked like ecstatic fans clutching rare merchandise from legendary warriors.
Troy folded his arms, smiling in satisfaction.
“Small bodies…”
“But their spirit grows.”
“Thanks for entertaining them.”
As Aisha turned to leave, she glanced back.
“They’re small…”
A brief pause.
“But one day…”
“…they’ll become warriors worth remembering.”
The wind resumed.
The arena roared.
And somewhere beneath the rising excitement—
Destiny quietly stirred.
