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Keijo!!!: Counter Attack! - Chapter 1
🕑 Added 2019-10-14 17:50:49 +0000 UTCThis is the cover for a new story series I am doing based on the anime "Keijo!!!" where people battle using only their butts and chests. Enro is taking the entrance exam to Moonlight Academy, one of the top Keijo schools in the country.
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Chapter One
The bright spring sun hung high in the sky. Its radiant rays warmed Enro’s ivory fur against the subtle breeze. It was a day that would usually be deserving of a light jacket or at least long sleeves. Enro would have neither but instead dawn a one piece swimsuit that matched the deep blue of his eyes. The suit was a standardized uniform for men and women that covered majority of the torso. It was not the first time Enro wore a suit like this and he hoped it would not be the last. Today was the entrance exams to Moonlight Academy, one of the top keijo colleges in America and he hoped to claim a spot for himself.
Keijo is a sport in which two or more competitors fight only using their butts and chests. They stand upon platform called “The Land” that floats in the middle of a pool and try to knock each other off. If anything but your feet touch the land or you touch the water at all, you’re out. Keijo used to be a sport that was for women only but due to much protest and legal action, the sport now allows the entire gender spectrum to compete.
The pool was a massive body of water that would put even the olympics to shame. Dozens of circular platforms floated in it equidistant from each other. Each was surrounded by a floating square creating a grid pattern to walk on. As the stadium began to fill, the noise went from a dull roar to a chaotic clamor. Enro’s heart pounded in his throat, electricity danced in his veins and his stomach did backflips. The anticipation was so unbearable, he barely slept the night before. The opportunity to even take the exam was dream enough for many but Enro had his eyes on a prize that went beyond even his own dreams.
A rythmic thumping broke Enro’s concentration. He cocked his head around to find the source was the foot of a small pink rabbit with long purple hair seated next to him. His fur pattern left a light purple spot on his face that made him look like he had a black eye. If the rabbit’s heart was beating in time with his foot, they would have to send in the medics early. Enro put a paw on the rabbit’s shoulder making him almost jump out of his skin. Once the rabbit saw the source of the contact, he took a deep breath and leaned back against the wall behind the bench the sat on.
“Sorry.” said the rabbit. “I’m just a bit nervous.”
Enro smiled at him. “Aren’t we all? It’s only natural.”
That bit of validation slowed the rabbit’s foot tapping. “Yeah I guess so. Everyone else just looks so calm. It’s like they’re already pros.”
“It may seem that way but I’m sure they’re all just as nervous as you are… um…” Enro searched for a name he never received.
The rabbit smiled at him. “It’s Lavender. Lavender Labau.”
They shook hands. “Enro Shiva. Nice to meet you Lavender.” Enro leaned against the wall. “So what brings you to Moonlight Academy? There are plenty of schools around with less crowds and competition. Why pick this one?”
Lavender twiddled his thumbs and turned his nose to the ground. “Well, my boyfriend was accepted here last year and we were hoping to go to the same school and be a tag team.”
Enro squealed in delight. “Awwww! That’s so cute!”
Lavender covered his eyes. “Gah! Stop! So embarrassing!”
Enro couldn’t help but laugh. “So what’s this boyfriend like? Got a lot in common eh?”
Lavender shook his head. “We actually are complete opposites. He’s super strong and confident. He’s not afraid of anything either. He’s also an infighter while I’m an outfighter. The only thing we have in common is that we are both rabbits.”
Enro nodded. “So he’s the power and you’re the speed. Seems to me like you compliment each other perfectly.”
“I think so.” Lavender said. “But sadly the entrance exams are one on one fights. They don’t get to see us work together. We both failed the first time we took the exams. The second time, only he got in and I promised to catch up with him but this is my last chance. Moonlight Academy has a three strike policy so if I don’t get in now, we’ll never be a team.” Lavender’s foot tapping sped back up.
Enro steadied Lavender’s leg with a paw. “Breath. You’ll do just fine. Wasting energy now will only hurt you. Try to focus on the match and don’t think about anything else until it’s over.”
“But what if-”
“Ah! No ifs. Just put it out of your mind for now.”
Lavender sighed. “You’re right. So why are you here? The sport attracts many foxes but usually not many from up north.”
“I actually used to do a lot of figure skating but due to an injury, I hit a wall with how good I could get.”
Lavender gasped. “Oh I’m so sorry. Does it still hurt?”
“Not really. My right ankle buckles a bit if I put too much stress on it. After an interesting incident, I did find that my training did give me a very strong lower body. I took up Keijo after a friend recommended it to me and just fell in love with the sport. I want to open up my own school one day but it’s basically impossible unless you’ve already made a name for yourself.”
“Winning some tournaments should fix that.” Lavender said.
Enro smiled. “Or becoming a Prize Queen.”
“Wow, that’s a dream and a half already. It’s a long road to become the best in the country.”
“And it all starts with getting into Moonlight Academy. Over twenty percent of all former prize queens have attended this school for at least a year. No other college even comes close to those numbers. Statistically, it’s my best shot.”
Lavender smiled. “Seems like you’ve got it all figured out! I hope you pass the exam.”
Enro smiled back. “Same to you. I look forward to seeing you and your boyfriend work together.”
A powerful gong rang through the stadium and the crowd erupted into a boisterous cheer that shook the air. Enro saw Lavender’s foot once again tapping on the ground but could not hear anything over the energy of the crowd.
A seductive voice whispered over the loudspeaker, “Good afternoon Keijo fans.” Above the pool a grey wolf with bright red hair floated down on a broom. She wore a dark blue witch costume with a corset that seemed to just barely contain her ample boobs and a tiny skirt that was just for show. Enro was so distracted by her curves that the large floppy witch hat was the last thing he noticed. The wolf continued, “Do you believe in magic? Because we have a spellbinding performance for you today.” Speaking of magic, how was she floating above the pool? After a bit of searching, Enro found the wires that were holding her up and followed them to some rafters overhead. “My name is Kavara “Wicked Witch” Weston and I am the headmistress of Moonlight Academy. I will also be your announcer for today’s scheduled events. We have many things planned for you all today but we will start off with our freshman entrance exams!” The crowd roared in response. “Now, I’ve personally looked over the profiles of our five hundred eagar applicants and I can let our crowd know that you’re in for a treat today!” The crowd gave another collective cheer. “Now, let’s get down to the business side of things. Our exam is a standard elimination style tournament. Since there are so many of you, we’ll have a hundred of you dueling in the pool at the same time and rotate you out as matches end. I would love to admit each and every one of you, but sadly we only have thirty slots open for this year’s freshman class.” This time, the crowd began to murmur.
“Only thirty?” Lavender said. “That’s less than half of what they let in last year!”
Kavara continued, “I understand you all might be concerned by that but we also will be guaranteeing spots to our top three finalists. So if you really want it, make it to the top!” Kavara pointed to the jumbotron. “The pairings will be randomized and assigned a land to duel on! To keep things going, each match will only be two minutes long. If neither of you are eliminated by then, you both will be, so fight hard kids! Now, let’s see our pairings for the first round!” The screen showed two boxes that flipped through portraits and names with lightning speed. It rhythmically stopped and dinged to show a matchup. Name after name, face after face showed up and split off until Enro finally saw his own name pop up on the seventieth pairing. Next to it was a pink rabbit with long purple hair. Enro’s eyes darted to the name to confirm it. His first opponent was Lavender Labau.
Enro chuckled nervously. “Wow, what are the odds? Right Lavender?” Lavender’s eyes were locked on the pool. He leaned forward and folded his hands in his lap. Lavender began to mutter something but it was far too fast and quiet for Enro to understand. His foot tapped faster than ever now. “Lavender? Are you alright?” The rabbit didn’t even blink.
As the 100th match was sorted, Kavara gestured to the jumbotron. “If you saw your name, report to the land with the number of your pairing. Get ready quickly because the exam starts in ten minutes!” A timer appeared on the screen and started to count down. “Good luck, and may the moon guide you!”
After some stretches and squats to warm up, Enro started towards platform seventy. Such rotten luck to have to fight a new friend so soon, especially an outfighter. A speedy opponent is much harder to predict and counter. It did provide a good opportunity to show his skills. Overcoming such a disadvantage early might make him stand out to the judges but what about Lavender? This was his last chance to reunite with his boyfriend. Enro cursed himself for not just staying silent. If he had left Lavender alone, none of this would be weighing on his mind and he would be fighting a stranger. Enro tried to shake it out of his head. He would have to forget his conversation with the rabbit. This match is with a stranger; just another hurdle in his way.
Enro stepped onto the platform with two minutes left on the timer. Lavender was nowhere in sight. The only person in his section was an older female skunk with dark purple fur. She was one of the school's staff members that would referee his match. Enro hoped the rabbit just went home. It wouldn’t be his fault that way. The timer went down to one minute and Enro’s hopes seemed to slowly become reality. He scanned around the pool and could not find Lavender anywhere. The clock ticked down to the final ten seconds. Enro gave the pool one last scan and sighed. He was in the clear. Even if the rabbit sprinted to the land, there was no way he would make it in time. Enro stared at the timer as the crowd counted together. 5...4...3… Enro felt a breeze as the platform jostled. 2… He turned back to see what caused it. 1… Lavender stood across from him in a low stance. The crowd yelled “Go!” and Lavender flew towards Enro with his hips poised to strike.
The first attack was aimed at Enro’s head. He ducked just in time to avoid Lavender’s butt. While still in the air, the rabbit slammed his foot against the land and connected a strike against Enro’s ribs. It wasn’t an exceptionally powerful blow but enough to stagger for the barrage that followed. Enro danced around Lavender as best he could but the rabbit was fierce in his flurry of butt strikes. He managed to dodge most but occasionally would get caught by a strike and a follow up. Enro backed away looking for an opening but Lavender never gave him a moment to breath. After ducking an attack, Enro went into a deep squat and leaped high into the air. Enro couldn’t believe that this was the same rabbit he was pitying just seconds ago. He would have to end this soon or at least get some strikes in before the clock ran out. Enro looked back down and the platform was empty.
A lightning bolt stuck his heart. He scanned the air around him and could not find Lavender anywhere. Enro felt a soft yet forceful pressure on his back and was sent hurling towards the land. Enro managed to orient himself and slammed his feet hard on the platform. Lavender fell onto the land and was breathing heavily. Enro’s own breath was hardly even but the rabbit looked almost ready to pass out. The timer was down to a minute left. It was time to get aggressive.
Enro dashed towards lavender and spun for a powerful hip check. Lavender’s butt met Enro and they clashed with a loud clap. He put in a little extra force and pushed Lavender to the edge of the land. Enro charged once more to deliver the final blow but as he wound up his attack, Lavender vanished right before his eyes. Enro once again felt a pressure on his back that now put him at the edge of the land. Before he knew it, the rabbit was already on him again. It was far too late to dodge but it would not have helped Enro anyway. This was the perfect opportunity for his signature move. Enro shifted his hips just enough that only one of his cheeks took the force of Lavender’s attack. Enro popped up on his toes and used the force of the strike to go into a low spin where he could sweep his opponent’s legs and have enough force to knock them out with a second blow. Enro got low and used his hips to pop Lavender off his feet. Just one more strong strike and the match was over. As Enro wound up for his last attack, he saw tears well up in Lavender’s eyes and remembered the rabbit’s story. Enro flashed to Lavender telling his boyfriend that the lovers tag team would never battle together again. His heart tore at the thought. Without permission from his head, Enro’s leg buckled under him. As he staggered to regain his balance, Lavender swung at Enro with the last bit of energy he had left. The attack connected and the fox was sent into the water.
Enro heard a muffled whistle marking the end of the match. What had he done? His dreams, his plans, all of it crumbled in that one moment. Before he had a chance to completely drown in pity, he saw a pink paw reach into the water. Enro hesitated but eventually grabbed it and was pulled up.
Lavender wore a massive grin on his face. “I thought you had me there for a minute.”
Enro smiled back. “Yeah almost. Damn ankle gave up on me. Good match though.”
“For sure.”
The next sets of matches seemed to go by much faster than Enro’s. He and Lavender chatted while the rabbit caught his breath for the quarter finals. Lavender’s foot was still the entire time. The drawing began for the quarter finals and Lavender’s face came up next to a scowling black cat with a bit of pink in her hair.
“Noire Wilson” Enro said. “Looks like she means business.”
“I can take her!” Lavender said. “In fact, I’m going to all the way to the top spot!”
Enro smiled. “That’s the spirit! I’ll be cheering you on the whole time!”
Lavender arrived at his platform early this time. His opponent arrived soon after wearing the same angry scowl in her picture. As the clock ticked down, Lavender stretched and jumped around to stay loose. Noire stood still the entire time with the same intense expression. Over the course of three minutes, Noire’s only motion was the occasional blink. The crowd counted down. 5...4...3...2..1… and yelled “Go!”
There was a large splash that sent water so high, it felt like rain coming down. On Lavender’s platform, Noire stood where Lavender once was. Enro looked into the water and saw Lavender floating face down next to the platform. The referee blew the whistle and swam over to check on Lavender. He was out cold. Enro was frozen. Noire slowly walked off the land and passed Enro on the way to the locker room. “Looks like you got lucky.” Noire said before continuing on.
Enro watched the rest of the tournament while Lavender was in the infirmary. The nurses said he had a concussion but would recover fine. He was worried for Lavender but couldn’t get Noire out of his head. He tried to play it again and again in his head but his eyes didn’t catch a second of it. If he could see her fight again or maybe even fight her himself, maybe he could learn something. Such a mysterious technique terrified him. Enro looked out for Noire's name on the jumbotron and ran over to watch her matches. All of them were exactly the same, a big splash and over in a second. Unsurprisingly, she made it all the way to the finals. Her opponent was a snow leopard with short brown hair and glasses. Her face didn’t have a hint of emotion in it. Minutes before the final match, Lavender returned from the Infirmary.
"How are you feeling?" Enro asked.
"Fine. My head still feels a bit fuzzy but I'll be fine."
Enro pointed to the jumbotron. "If it makes you feel better, the girl who beat you is in the finals."
"How would that make me feel better?"
"She's been taking people out all day the same way she did with you. At least now you can't blame yourself for the way the match went."
Lavender rubbed his head. "I guess so."
The pool was cleared of all the platforms except for one in the center. The two finalists stood on it facing each other. Above the platform, Kavara floated down on her broom. "How's everyone feeling? You ready for the final match?" The crowd cheered their response. Kavara yelled into the mic, "I said, are you ready for the finals?" The crowd at least doubled their volume this time. "Time for the final match between Noire Wilson and Serina Schmidt. These two ladies have battled their way through almost a dozen opponents but which one will end up on top!” Serina raised her hand. “Oh? Is Serina saying she’ll be our champion?” Serina pointed to Kavara’s microphone. “Some words for the crowd eh? Sure honey. Tell them what’s on your mind.” Kavara handed over the microphone.
Serina held it up to her mouth and said, “I forfeit.” The entire stadium booed as Serina walked away from the land. Noire scoffed and left Kavara alone above the pool.
“Well…” Kavara cleared her throat. “I guess our champion is Noire Wilson!” The crowd booed until Serina was out of sight. “Thankfully, the judges have already tallied the results of the exam.” Kavara pointed to the jumbotron. “Please help me welcome Moonlight Academy’s freshman class!” Thirty faces and names appeared on the screen in a seemingly random order. Enro went down the list searching for his name, hoping that somehow his performance was enough for the judges. He went through all thirty names and the only familiar ones were the two finalists.
Enro sighed. “Better luck next-” he stopped himself short of the cliche phrase realizing that there would be no “next time” for Lavender. He would have to find a new tag team partner at a new school. Enro wanted to console him but there was nothing he could say that would ease the pain. All he would do is make things worse.
A shadow cast over them. “Enro Shiva?” Enro looked up to see the referee from their match standing over them. She was much taller out of the water.
“That’s me.” Enro said.
“Come with me. The Headmistress wants a word with you.”
Enro cocked his head to the side. “Am I in trouble or something?”
“Just come with me.”
Enro shrugged at Lavender and followed the referee out of the stadium.
The Headmistress’ office was large yet felt cramped because of the trophies lining the walls. Her desk only had a computer on it. Kavara sat for a good minute just tapping a claw and scowling at Enro. He finally broke the silence. “So, what did you want to talk to me about Ms. Weston?”
Kavara stopped tapping and shot Enro a glare that burned his forehead. “You know damn well why you’re here!”
Enro shrugged. “I’m sorry I really don’t.”
“Never go into acting kid. You’re a terrible liar. I want you to tell me why you threw that match.”
“I didn’t throw it. Lavender just got the better of me.”
Kavara banged her fist on the desk. “I’m going to need you to stop lying to be before I lose my temper. I’m already getting enough grief with that forfeit. I don’t need this.” Kavara turned the monitor so Enro could see. It showed footage from his match from at least ten different angles. She played back the moment Enro popped Lavender into the air. “Right here! You just stumble for no reason and let him knock you out. Why?”
Enro scratched his head. “Yeah, about that, I have an ankle injury that flares up sometimes. My leg just gave out then.”
“Interesting because I have your medical records right here and it says your right ankle was the injured one but the tape clearly shows you stumbling because of your left. You should have beaten him right then and there.” Kavara stood up. “So are you going to come clean or am I gonna need to beat it out of you?” She flexed her legs and her blue stockings disintegrated.
Enro waved his hands and shook his head. “No! Nope. Not necessary. I’ll tell you everything!” He took a deep breath. “I wanted Lavender to get into Moonlight Academy. He’s got great potential and would excel with the right teacher. He also has a partner waiting for him here. This was his last chance to be with him.”
Kavara sighed. “Thousands of little love stories pass my desk every year. Excuse me if I’m not moved. You also said he has potential when I see none. Sure, he’s got speed but he’s also very sloppy and had no sense of restraint or pacing. His power is also mediocre even for an outfighter yet you think I should accept him? Why?”
“Well, with the right guidance, I think-”
“No! I want to know what you saw during that fight, not what you think he might be able to do.”
Enro straightened up. “If you look at the thirty second mark, you can see he caught up with me in the air and struck before I could even see him. This shows incredible leg strength and reaction time. With proper technique, he can utilize that to increase his striking strength without sacrificing speed. If he had more power behind any of those strikes to my back, I would have been knocked off the land easy.” Once Enro finished his explanation, he realized he was speaking much louder than before. “I mean, that’s my take on it at least.”
Kavara smiled. “That’s exactly right. Lavender is a bit rough around the edges but with a bit of polish, there might be a decent outfighter in there. Judges don’t care though. They only care about stats and figures. Thankfully, they don’t have all the power.”
Enro perked up. “Does this mean that you’ll accept Lavender.”
“I will, but under one condition.”
“What is it?”
Kavara leaned in towards Enro. “I want you in his class.”
Enro’s heart skipped a beat. “Me? But, I lost the match.”
“After just one fight, you not only figured out how to beat him, you had a plan for him to improve. I need a quick thinker like you on my freshman team. Besides,” She flipped through some highlights of the match. “You show plenty of promise. Not many counters can keep up with a ferocious outfighter like that and still have some energy left over. You don’t go down easy. Determination like that is hard to come by. So Enro, will you fight on my team?”
Enro’s heart pumped fire through his body. “You’ve got a deal!” He shook Kavara’s hand.
She pulled him up close. “By the way, if you ever lie to me again, I’ll use my ass to smash you through the school’s gate. Got it.”
Enro’s palms grew sweaty. “Y-yes Ma'am.”
“Good! Now I have some calls to make. You better go relax while you can because this is going to be the toughest year of your entire life.”
