The signal rang out. The match had begun.
Both fighters took their stances. Ikku remained perfectly still for a moment, studying his opponent with a sharp, focused gaze.
Let's see if that "prodigy" title of yours is deserved, he thought.
Tenma was the first to move.
He dashed forward at incredible speed, launching a heavy punch toward Ikku's head. Ikku dodged cleanly, impressed by Tenma's explosive acceleration. But he wasn't about to just sit there. He countered with a powerful right hook, which Tenma evaded with ease.
Back and forth they went, strike for strike, dodge for dodge. The rhythm was fast, clean, and ruthless. Their movements were so fluid it almost looked choreographed.
From the bleachers, the soldiers of Nexus watched with silent intensity.
Kenny, Yumé, and Carla arrived and made their way toward Nina and Fenrir, who were already seated.
"Yo!" said Yumé cheerfully.
"Come, have a seat!" Nina replied, waving them over.
"Thanks," said Kenny, before turning to Fenrir. "You're Fenrir, right?"
"Y-yes... Nice to meet you," Fenrir said softly, bowing his head politely.
"No need to be so formal," Kenny chuckled. "This fight looks like it's gonna be good."
"It… it really does," Fenrir replied, still timid. "Ikku's really strong."
"I wonder who's gonna win," said Kenny, intrigued.
At that question, Fenrir's entire demeanor shifted.
The timid air vanished. His eyes sharpened. His posture straightened. He turned toward the arena with a quiet, focused intensity.
"The outcome isn't in question," he said with a calm, confident smile. "Tenma simply can't lose."
Kenny blinked, startled. The others fell silent. Nina, however, just smiled knowingly.
Down below, after several heated exchanges, the fighters simultaneously leapt backward to create some space.
"You're way stronger than I expected," Tenma admitted, breathing a little harder. "Your reflexes are insane. It's like I'm fighting a wild animal."
"You're not bad yourself," Ikku replied. "I get why they call you a prodigy. That was a nice warm-up… How about we get serious now?"
"With pleasure."
Ikku crouched slightly, bracing himself. He began channeling his energy, the ground beneath him trembling slightly. A dense pressure filled the air. Everyone in the arena could feel the change.
Then, in a voice filled with resolve, he shouted:
— TURBO!
Energy exploded around him, a wave of dust bursting outward from his feet. Tenma raised his arms to shield his face. When the dust began to settle..
Ikku was gone.
— What? When did he...
But he had no time to think. Ikku appeared to his side in a blur, driving a powerful punch straight at his ribs. Tenma barely managed to block, but the force of the blow launched him backward several meters.
He hadn't even hit the ground yet when Ikku reappeared mid-air and smashed into him with a brutal kick.
Tenma was sent crashing into the arena wall, the stone shattering under the impact. Dust flew up again, clouding everything.
Ikku landed calmly, his aura pulsing. He didn't let his guard down. He knew Tenma wouldn't go down that easily.
In the stands, Kenny raised a triumphant fist.
"YEEAAAH! That's my teammate!! Sorry, Fenrir, but you were wrong!"
Fenrir didn't reply. His gaze stayed on the arena, his expression unchanged. That small, confident smile remained on his face. He hadn't flinched once.
Kenny's excitement wavered.
Something didn't feel right.
From within the rubble, Tenma emerged. Scraped and dusty, but barely injured. Ikku watched him carefully, still composed. He had the upper hand for now. Three minutes left. Tenma still hadn't activated his Brand.
But Ikku wasn't worried. He could maintain Turbo until the end.
"So, Tenma?" he called. "If you don't use your Brand now, you're going to lose."
"You're right," Tenma replied calmly. "Let me show you how I win."
He brought his palms together and stood still.
Ikku narrowed his eyes. Tenma needed time to activate his Brand. He could've interrupted him easily, but he didn't.
He wanted to beat Tenma at full power.
A few seconds passed, heavy as stone.
Then Tenma separated his hands.
— The Curse of the Three Monkeys.
Three statues appeared behind him, each one a little taller than him. One covered its eyes, one its ears, and one its mouth.
Tenma spoke again:
— Mizaru.
Two of the statues vanished. The one covering its eyes remained.
Tenma placed his hands over his own eyes, and the statue mimicked the gesture its hands hovering just above his.
What the hell is this? Ikku wondered.
After a moment, the statue disappeared. Tenma slowly opened his eyes.
His irises were gone pure white. The whites of his eyes had turned a blood-red.
He dropped into stance again, his gaze locked on Ikku. There was no fear. Only complete confidence.
"So this is your Brand?" Ikku asked.
Tenma simply nodded.
Nothing else about him had changed. His energy level remained the same. His power hadn't spiked. Nothing visible had shifted except his eyes.
There's only one way to understand it, Ikku thought. Test it myself.
Tenma motioned with his hand, beckoning Ikku forward with a mocking grin.
Ikku's jaw clenched.
"Don't mock me!" he barked.
He poured every ounce of energy he had left into one final strike. Less than a minute remained.
His movement was so fast that no one in the audience could follow. A violent shockwave burst where Tenma had been standing. The dust was thick, blinding.
The timer showed: 00:40.
"Where's Ikku?!" Kenny called, worried.
"The dust's clearing," said Carla.
"Ikku…" Yumé murmured, tense.
Fenrir hadn't moved. He just watched with the same amused, quiet smile.
The dust began to settle.
Ikku and Tenma stood face-to-face.
Their expressions were unreadable from the stands.
Then, Tenma collapsed.
Ikku remained standing.
Zéno, ever stoic, raised one hand.
— "The match is over."
"IKKU WINS!!!" Yumé and Carla shouted in unison, leaping into the air.
But Kenny didn't move. He stared in shock.
"What's wrong?" asked Carla.
"H-h-how…?" Kenny stammered. "That guy… he's insane."
Carla turned to him, confused but noticed that Fenrir's smile hadn't faded. She was more lost than ever.
Then Zéno's voice rang out again.
— "Winner: Tenma."
Silence fell.
Yumé and Carla froze.
Tenma stood back up slowly and gave a thumbs-up toward Fenrir, who returned the gesture with a smile of his own.
And then, without warning, Ikku collapsed.
Unconscious.
"IKKU!" cried Yumé, rushing down from the stands.
"What happened?!" Carla demanded.
"One hit…" Kenny murmured. "Just one…"
"What do you mean? Are you saying Tenma won with a single strike?"
"Exactly. Just one clean counter. Perfectly timed. It was like… he could see the future."
Back on the field, Tenma approached Ikku's limp body, joined by Fenrir and Yumé.
"Did you see that, Fenrir?" Tenma said with a smug grin.
"Of course," Fenrir replied. "I knew you'd win."
Tenma turned toward Zéno, seeking some kind of approval.
"So now I get to duel you, right, Mister Zéno?"
"I'm afraid I'll have to decline," Zéno replied dryly.
"Fenriiir!! He rejected me again!!" Tenma whined, flopping onto the ground like a child denied candy.
"I-it's okay… he'll say yes eventually. Don't worry," Fenrir said gently.
Yumé stood back, watching it all unfold, lost in thought.
He beat Ikku that easily… .So this is the child prodigy. This world… still has so many surprises.