Thanks to the Skeleton King and intimate familiarity with the ancient cave system, Isshin was able to break out in a record five days. When he finally broke out into the sunlight, it struck him like a heavenly slap—searing and dazzling. If not for the system quickly regulating the exposure levels in his brain, he could have very easily blinded himself right then. He just stood there silently, feeling the warmth of the sun, the breeze, and the open sky. After all that had happened, being alive was a miracle. You don't always know you've missed something until it's been away for too long.
Meanwhile, the tournament had already begun. With Isshin presumed dead, Rune and Karin were both distraught over the loss. They could barely focus on the matches. The tournament schedule, prearranged with randomly paired opponents, ground on like clockwork. A match succeeded a match, then a moment of silence was requested in memory of Isshin by the announcer.
A recognizable face stepped forward—Franz Zeldyr, the same blonde second-year who had followed behind Isshin in the cave. He stood in front of them with a somber expression. "I mourn the loss of one of our brothers, who passed away during a mission. He could be here today to present to us his demonstration of capability."
Karin balled her fists. Rune had to hold her back. Something was off about Franz's tone.
"I, Franz Zeldyr," he went on, his voice oozing with feigned sincerity, "hope we can keep him in our hearts."
Karin was about to lose her temper. Rune barely caught her arm. "Wait. It's not worth it," he whispered.
"He's acting, Rune," she whispered, her eyes brimming with tears. "He knows more than he's telling."
The tournament raged on. Duel after duel took place until four challengers remained in the semifinals: Rune, Karin, Asil, and Franz. Strong fighters had fallen, but these four remained.
First up: Rune vs Asil.
The stadium trembled with enthusiasm. The crowd shouted. Asil started mercilessly. He called forth his Salamander and used "Domain of Flame." The ground was torn apart, and lava spilled out. Rune had barely any stone platforms left to stay on, whereas Asil, sitting on his Salamander, was protected from harm.
Rune didn't bat an eye. He drew on his qi and summoned up a precise replica of Asil's Salamander—a risky move.
The crowd burst into cheers.
"This cheap toy is nothing!" Asil yapped, clearly offended by Rune's imitation. He pounced.
Rune, focused, formed an unusual qi shape—a gun-like weapon. He pointed and fired a concentrated qi bullet right into the real Salamander's eye. The beast wailed in pain.
At that same instant, Rune's artificial Salamander attacked, nipping the real one on the neck. The crowd went wild. While the two monsters fought each other, Asil jumped from his Salamander and attacked Rune with double flaming swords. Rune drew his own sword, and they fought in the air.
Asil utilized fire waves and Rune shot a barrage of qi bullets. Asil sliced through the bullets with surgical accuracy, to the surprise of even Rune.
"What is this guy, a blender?!" Rune muttered under his breath.
But Asil committed a deadly error. Whereas his Salamander was the original, Rune's was being continuously remade with his qi. Rune's copied beast quickly grew more powerful than its original.
Asil, trapped between Rune's Salamander and Rune himself, had no choice but to surrender.
The audience cheered, but the celebration was short-lived. Rune landed face-first into the ground.
People gasped. Did Asil strike him with something invisible?
It's when Rune has totally exhausted his qi but concealed his exhaustion behind his mask the entire time. Asil's jaw hung slightly open. "Wait. I could've won just by waiting?!" Some tournament officials assisted Rune to his feet. Isshin, who had been observing from the stands with a slight smile, moved forward to help.The arena was buzzing once more. The next bout was ready to take place: Karin vs Franz.