Akira of the Woods?!

**Akira of the Woods?!** is the second episode of *Komodo Ball*.

## Summary

Picking up where we left off, Keshi and his new friend Cherrie meet Aki of the Woods (Akira’s in-game self) and his shapeshifting pig, whose mentor claims to know where the second Komodo Shard is, so after completing two offers, Keshi and his new friends manage to collect it and use it against goons working for the game’s final boss when they come to find it too.

## Plot

The episode begins with a flashback of Akira taking Takeshi and Shingo to the woods to help Takeshi gather enough flowers to make a flower crown for Sayuri for her birthday. Takeshi thanks Akira for helping as they reach a meadow where they will start picking flowers. However, Daisuke is also there reading a novel when he sees them, and asks them what they are doing here and why they are interrupting him. Shingo apologizes to him and states that he, Takeshi, and Akira are picking flowers to make a flower crown for Sayuri’s birthday. Fortunately, Daisuke accepts the apology, but goes to read somewhere else.

Back in the present, Keshi and Akira, known as Aki of the Woods in the game world, reunite as the former asks him what he is doing here to which Aki explains that he didn’t mean to be a playable character. The two then realize that both of them had been warped into the game sometime ago. Cherrie comes up to Aki and his shapeshifting pig Doro and asks them if they knows where the second Komodo Shard is, so after Keshi introduces his friend to her, Aki tells her that if Keshi can complete his meditation training with him and beat Doro in a stick fight, his mentor Ki will show him and Cherrie the second Komodo Shard. Keshi accepts, but asks how a pig will fight, so Doro demonstrates his ability to shapeshift by turning himself into a humanoid pig to do so, introducing himself in the process. Keshi and Aki then leave to meditate on one tree stump each, where Aki tells him to take deep breaths. Keshi does as instructed without stress, so Aki is impressed. When asked why, Aki tells his friend that he must stay calm and carry on in battle, especially in the stick fight with Doro as the two go to get two stick that will be thick and long enough for it. Later, Keshi and Aki get back to Cherrie and Doro, who asks Keshi if he is ready to beat his challenge while a message saying “Accept Challenge?” comes up to the former. After Keshi presses “yes”, Aki gives a stick to Keshi and Doro, beginning the stick fight. As the two are fighting while Keshi is taking Aki’s advice, the latter and Cherrie are called by Ki telling them of an environmental crisis that he must prevent. Aki tells Ki that only the green Komodo Shard will help drive away whoever is doing this. In the battle, Keshi and Doro are still clashing with their sticks, but thanks to his strength, the former manages to forcefully remove his opponent’s stick, winning the battle as a message saying “Challenge Complete” comes in front of him. After seeing Keshi coming out victorious, Cherrie has Ki show them the green Komodo Shard and gestures the two, Keshi, and Doro to follow her to where the crystal shard is. Keshi, Aki, and Doro then find the crystal shard with three markings pressed against a tree and collect it and rush off to stop whoever is chopping down the trees.

Later on, minions belonging to the game’s final boss are spotted looking for the green Komodo Shard while chopping down more trees to make it easier to find it. However, they don’t seem to find it anywhere until Keshi, the brave Aki, and Doro arrive with it and confront them. The goon leader spots the crystal shard in Keshi’s hand and orders his lackeys to get it, but Aki and Doro work together to fend them off. Thanks to the meditation session he went through, Keshi uses the green Komodo Shard’s power by pressing it onto the ground which triggers a nature trap for the goons. The vines holding them then throw them out of the woods, defeating them. Cherrie and Doro are impressed by how Keshi was able to do that without trouble after all, to which he says it’s no problem. Keshi then asks Aki and Doro to come with them to find the other Komodo Shards as both game-displaced boys vow to never split from each other gain, something the two of them accept. Once Ki wishes them good luck on their journey, the four of them head off to the Inoru Temple, Keshi putting the green Komodo Shard into his sachet. Elsewhere, the goons, having been defeated by Keshi, report to the final boss, named Shutendoji, that their new enemy had gotten the first two Komodo Shards. In his lookout, Shutendoji tells his goons to never give up through his mirror and has them look for the other Komodo Shards as he vows to use them to become all-powerful, ending the episode on a cliffhanger.

## Soundtracks

* Castle of Illusion (2013): The OST music, Falling Leaves, is played in the scene of Keshi and Aki meditating together.
* TBA: The OST music, TBA, is played in the scene of Keshi and Doro’s stick fight.
* Shiki: The piano cover of the OST music, SHI-KI, is played in the scene of Ki telling Aki and Cherie of an elemental crisis.

## Transcript

### Preview

(Back in the present, Keshi and Akira are seen reuniting with Cherrie watching.)

**Keshi (finds Akira in different clothing):** Aki?! Whatcha doing here?

**“Akira”:** I-I didn’t mean to be a playable character, Takeshi–wait, (notices Keshi’s character information) what’s that code name in your bio?!

**Keshi:** That’s who I am in the game. I’m Sun Keshi.

**Aki (addressing himself):** And you can call me Aki of the Woods. (realizes something) Oh wait, I’m in the game too!

**Keshi:** We both are! We just got here sometime ago! (sees a pig) What’s his name?

**Aki:** This is Doro. He can shapeshift.

**Cherrie (comes up to Aki and Doro):** Excuse me you two, but do you know where the second Komodo Shard is?

**Keshi:** Right. That reminds me. Aki, this is Cherrie. I just met her the second I came into the game.

**Cherrie:** Nice to meet you! And your little pig, too! I love piggies!

**Aki:** Thank you. As I was saying. Keshi, if you seek the green Komodo Shard,