Chapter 8 – Old Rivals, Young Ninjas
Zedwan and Liu Kei strolled casually toward two familiar figures standing near the arena—Troy and Danny.
The morning sun shone gently overhead. Around them, young participants stretched, sparred, and warmed up, their voices filling the air with nervous excitement.
Liu Kei’s gaze drifted toward a group of tiny ninja-clad students, each wearing animal masks and carrying wooden weapons strapped to their backs.
“So those are your students, Troy?” Liu Kei grinned.
“They’re still kids, yet already ninjas. What are you teaching them?”
“Silent knee-stabbing techniques?”
He smirked.
“But seriously… do you think your little warriors can defeat my students?”
“Or at least Shao Moon’s?”
Zedwan chuckled softly, stepping in.
“Relax. I’ve already arranged for my Beast students to fight only among themselves during the early rounds.”
He lifted an eyebrow.
“If any of your students—or Troy’s—advance far enough…”
A faint grin appeared.
“Then they’ll face my Beasts.”
Zedwan looked between Troy and Liu Kei.
“Well?”
“Deal?”
Liu Kei nodded calmly.
“Deal.”
His attention then shifted toward Danny, who stood quietly, an icy aura faintly swirling around him.
“And what about you, Danny?”
“No students entering the tournament?”
Danny answered with his signature cool smile.
“I’ve been busy lately.”
“The polar icebergs have started melting again.”
He shrugged lightly.
“I had to use my Blizzard power to refreeze half the region.”
A pause.
“Besides… if Troy’s students ever wish to reach a higher level, I’d be happy to train them.”
His eyes gleamed slightly.
“I can teach them the Scalding Water Dragon technique…”
“And Blizzard’s Frozen Snow style.”
He added dryly,
“Think Elsa from Frozen… with Sub-Zero’s temperament.”
Troy laughed.
“When my students are old enough for university, I’ll just send them straight to you.”
He tilted his head.
“Though where exactly is your dojo?”
“Please don’t tell me…”
“…North Pole or South Pole?”
Zedwan immediately chimed in,
“Or underwater?”
Liu Kei added with mock curiosity,
“Yeah, Danny… didn’t I hear you married a mermaid?”
He crossed his arms.
“So what—Aquaman’s your father-in-law now?”
Troy, who had been holding back, suddenly burst into laughter.
The sound was chaotic—like a scooter engine refusing to start.
That did it.
Zedwan laughed.
Liu Kei laughed.
Even Danny’s cold composure cracked into genuine amusement.
For a brief, unplanned moment—
They were no longer tournament organizers, teachers, or warriors.
Just old friends.
Laughing like they used to.
Chapter 9 – Laughter Before Battle
Danny leaned back slightly, folding his arms. The faint snowflakes that usually circled his body gradually faded—a clear sign he was fully relaxed.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
“Honestly, I haven’t decided where to build my dojo yet,” he said.
“But I’ve been considering opening one beside Troy’s.”
He smiled calmly.
“It would make things easier for his students.”
“They could consult both of us during training.”
“And we could even host friendly sparring sessions…”
“…so the students can witness how their teachers truly fight.”
Zedwan nodded approvingly.
“Not a bad idea.”
He stretched his shoulders.
“Once your students graduate, if they want to continue training, send them to Middle Wildland.”
He grinned.
“They can use the Rainbow Portal.”
“My students have ninja-like styles too.”
“Werewolves. Cheetah girls. Reptilians.”
He chuckled.
“Fast. All of them.”
His expression softened slightly.
“I still follow Master Sein’s teachings.”
“Sometimes he drops by…”
“…as a Force Ghost.”
Danny raised an eyebrow.
“Oh?”
Zedwan nodded, clearly entertained by the memory.
“Yeah. Riding a centaur.”
“Wearing those ridiculous ancient short pants of his.”
He shook his head.
“Looks less like a grandmaster…”
“…more like a prehistoric tour guide.”
Troy burst out laughing.
“His Force Ghost visits my dojo too!”
“Well, my place was his original training ground.”
He slapped his thigh.
“First time my students saw him…”
“…none of them slept that night.”
Troy’s grin widened mischievously.
“Master Sein loves scaring kids for fun.”
“Some peed their pants.”
“Some…”
He paused dramatically.
“…did worse.”
Zedwan groaned.
“Oh no…”
Troy nodded enthusiastically.
“One kid panicked so badly I accidentally stepped in the evidence.”
Danny choked back laughter.
Liu Kei nearly fell over.
“And ever since,” Troy continued, “nobody goes to the bathroom alone.”
“Always two or three bodyguards.”
He smirked.
“But the moment they saw me bow respectfully to Master Sein…”
“They realized…”
“That ‘ghost’…”
“…was actually their Grandmaster.”
Suddenly—
A deep, resonant voice cut through the laughter.
“Well…”
“Quite the lively reunion.”
The air shifted.
They turned.
There stood Shao Moon.
Arms folded. Thin beard stroked slowly. A cynical smile tugging at his lips as his robe fluttered in the breeze.
Liu Kei grinned.
“Shao Moon.”
“Finally decided to show up?”
Shao Moon’s eyes gleamed.
“I came not to spar…”
A dramatic pause.
“But to challenge all of you…”
He smirked.
“To the most absurd contest imaginable.”
Zedwan narrowed his eyes playfully.
“…Oh?”
Shao Moon spread his arms.
“A battle of laughter.”
“Let’s see who breaks first.”
Danny raised a hand lazily.
“I should warn you…”
“If I start laughing too hard…”
“…we might trigger a snowstorm.”
Troy stepped forward eagerly.
“I’ll go first.”
He cleared his throat.
“Did I ever tell you…”
“…I once wore a five-year-old’s ninja pants to a tournament?”
Silence.
Anticipation.
“Everything was fine…”
“…until I jumped.”
Beat.
“…They split mid-air.”
Zedwan wheezed.
Liu Kei was already shaking.
“And I landed…”
Troy paused for maximum devastation.
“…on a kid’s birthday cake.”
The explosion of laughter was immediate.
Zedwan nearly choked.
Liu Kei collapsed to the ground.
Danny turned away, shoulders trembling.
Even Shao Moon laughed softly.
“This…”
He grinned.
“…is only the beginning.”
He pointed at them.
“Whoever loses…”
“Buys breakfast tomorrow.”
And so—
Before fists clashed,
Before blades crossed,
Before destinies collided—
Four legendary masters engaged in the most dangerous contest of all:
Uncontrolled laughter.
