Chapter 154: “The Quacktastic Voyage”

Kazuya stood in the middle of the Duck Council Hall, his feathered cape glistening in the light of the Sacred Duckbill. His new duck-shaped helmet made him look somewhere between a noble hero and the mascot of a low-budget amusement park.

"I can't take you seriously in that," Sylvara said, doubling over with laughter.

Ravynne smirked, circling him. "It's like someone mixed a medieval knight with a poultry farm."

"I am the Duck Knight," Kazuya said flatly, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Protector of Ducktopia, slayer of… bread crumbs?"

"Don't forget, you also quack for justice," Sylvara added, barely holding back another laugh.

The Head Duck waddled forward, his monocle gleaming in approval. "Quack-quack, quackety quack!"

Sylvara cast the translation spell again. "He says you are now the chosen one to lead us to victory against the Goose Empire."

"Wait, what?" Kazuya's voice cracked. "There's a Goose Empire?"

The Head Duck nodded solemnly. "Quack."

Ravynne leaned in. "I think we've officially crossed into the weirdest arc yet."

Mission Briefing: The Goose Threat

The Head Duck led the group to a massive map etched into the floor of the council chamber. It depicted Ducktopia surrounded by the dark, foreboding shadow of Gooseylvania.

"Quackety quack-quack," the Head Duck explained.

Sylvara translated. "The geese have been encroaching on Ducktopia's borders, stealing bread resources and polluting our ponds with their aggressive honking."

Kazuya pinched the bridge of his nose. "This is a joke, right? This has to be a joke."

"No joke," Ravynne said, scanning the map. "Looks like the geese are moving closer to the Breadline Trenches. If they cross that, Ducktopia's food supply is toast—pun intended."

"Why do I feel like I'm trapped in a fever dream?" Kazuya muttered.

The Training Montage

Before they could confront the Goose Empire, Kazuya needed to learn how to harness the Duckbill's power. The Head Duck summoned Duck Master Quackfu, a wizened old duck with a beard made of feathers.

Quackfu's quacking was translated into a stern warning: "Mastering the Duckbill is no small feat. It requires discipline, grace, and a deep understanding of your inner quack."

"Inner quack?" Kazuya repeated. "What does that even mean?"

"Quack!"

Sylvara grinned. "He says you'll find out… if you survive."

Trial One: The Quack Cannon

Quackfu demonstrated the first ability of the Duckbill: the Quack Cannon, a sonic blast that could knock enemies off their feet.

Kazuya stepped up to try it, channeling the Duckbill's energy. He puffed out his chest, focused, and…

"QUACK!"

The blast was so powerful that it sent him flying backward into a stack of barrels. Sylvara and Ravynne collapsed into hysterical laughter as he crawled out of the wreckage.

"Great," Kazuya groaned. "Now I'm a human sound effect."

Trial Two: The Duck Dive

The next skill involved diving gracefully into water to evade attacks or ambush enemies. Kazuya climbed to the top of a tall platform, his new cape flapping in the breeze.

"You've got this!" Sylvara called, barely hiding her smirk.

Kazuya took a deep breath and leaped… only to belly-flop so hard that a wave splashed over the Head Duck.

"Quackety quack!"

Sylvara translated through tears of laughter. "He says that was the most disgraceful dive he's ever seen."

A Sudden Goose Attack

In the middle of training, a loud honk echoed through the chamber. A squadron of geese armed with sharpened breadsticks burst through the doors, their leader honking menacingly.

"The Goose Guard!" Ravynne shouted.

Kazuya scrambled to his feet, his feathered cape catching on a chair. "I'm not ready for this!"

"Too late!" Sylvara said, dodging a flying breadstick.

The leader of the Goose Guard, a hulking gander with an eyepatch, stepped forward. "HONK!"

Sylvara's translation spell kicked in. "Surrender the Duckbill, or prepare to be plucked!"

The First Battle

Kazuya awkwardly activated the Duckbill's powers, summoning a glowing shield of light shaped like a duck egg. He charged forward, quacking unintentionally as he went.

"Quack Cannon!" he shouted, blasting a goose soldier into a wall.

"Not bad," Sylvara said, slicing through a breadstick with her magic blade.

Ravynne used her agility to leap onto a chandelier, raining down arrows as she swung. "This is actually kind of fun!"

Kazuya blocked another attack, then accidentally triggered the Duck Dive, plunging headfirst into a decorative fountain.

"Graceful as ever," Sylvara teased, pulling him out.

Victory… Sort Of

The group managed to fend off the geese, but not without collateral damage. The council chamber was in shambles, and Kazuya's dignity was in tatters.

The Head Duck quacked approvingly.

Sylvara smirked. "He says you're a true hero now."

"Hero?" Kazuya scoffed. "I'm a wet, feather-covered disaster."

"You're our disaster," Ravynne said with a grin.

Kazuya sighed. "Let's just get this over with before the Goose Empire launches a full-scale invasion."

To Be Continued...

What other absurd powers does the Duckbill hold? And how will Kazuya and the gang fare against the full might of the Goose Empire? Stay tuned for more quacktastic chaos!