Akai

Once there was a panda in Stream Valley named Akai. With the dream of becoming a hero, he was always eager to offer help, but often ended up causing more trouble instead. He worked hard to pursue his dream, and although he'd once wandered off right the path. In the end, he recalled his original intention and become a true hero. There were no heroes in Stream Valley, only chubby pandas. Among them was Akai, a fish seller with a monotonous routine that revolved around fishing and selling his catches. As the days went by, an exhilarating idea gradually formed in his mind: To Become a Hero! The heroes in legends would wield almighty swords, fight evil dragons, protect people from all harm… Akai clenched his fat fists and devoted himself to all sorts of “heroic deeds.” No matter what troubles is neighbors ran into, be it mending a roof or rescuing a cat, Akai was always the first to offer help. The only problem was… rotund and clumsy as he was, it seemed he’d only caused more trouble instead. “Akai, stop trying to be a hero!” The neighbors didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Akai, however, refused to give up easily. And so, one day, when he was out fishing, he dreamed about the four Oriental Fighters of the Cadia Riverlands… “If only I could join their ranks,” Akai said to himself. Unknowingly, he began to throw punches and kicks by the creek… “Sluggish punches. Wrong! Sloppy footwork. Wrong! Slow reaction. Awful! Yet you want to become an Oriental Fighters?!” An angry roar sounded from within the creek, while Akai’s float shook violently as if something enormous had just taken the bite. Akai, over three hundred pounds as he weighed, was almost dragged into the water! Finally, whatever was at the end of his rod gave up, and Akai reeled it in. It was – a frog?! The frog leaped atop Akai’s head, stroking his goatee and claimed himself the Frog Immortal, a disciple of the Great Dragon who drifted down the creek from the Dragon Altar. He said Akai was a natural for martial arts, and that if Akai underwent his training, he’d definitely become an unparalleled hero – on one condition, of course: Akai gave him all his bait. The story about the chubby panda disciple and his little frog master thus began! The first year of training under his new found master was exhausting, yet Akai was thrilled! The second year… was also quite exhausting, but the ever-persistent panda carried on still! The third year was ever so exhausting, and Akai was just about to give up… Under the guidance of the Frog Immortal, Akai gradually grasped the hang of martial arts and developed his namesake moves – Panda Punches! As he proudly called it. With his relatively refined moves and years of training, Akai could easily catch petty thieves and chase away wild beasts. When he wasn’t chasing thieves and saving villages, however, the panda disciple and his frog master would fish together by the creek. The frog often sat on Akai’s shoulder as they watched the serene view before them. Every