Maxi took a long, deep breath, steadying the nerves inside his chest.
"Big brother Colen," he called out, voice controlled, "can you explain the rules to me first before we start?"
Even though he couldn't hear Colen clearly from this distance, he felt it—the sigh. Not through sound, but through the sudden drop in warmth, the crisp, cutting edge of cold that touched the air. Maxi didn't need to see Colen's face to know: he was definitely sighing.
Colen's cold voice responded
"Maxi. The rules are basically the same as Techxin and Tengen's fight. But, you don't have a set amount of time to survive. How long you last and how well you perform will determine whether or not you're worthy of being my student."
Maxi nodded slowly—so far, understandable.
Colen paused for a breath, then added something that froze Maxi's heart in place.
"…And I forgot to mention—some people in the family decided to turn your test into a bit of a game. They've placed bets… on how long you'll last before or when you fail. I was going to tell you after the fight. But I figured this might give you a little extra encouragement or motivation."
Maxi's eyes widened.
He stood still for a second. His mind blank. His heart thumping.
They bet on me…?
Not in support, not in faith—just to see how long he would struggle. Like he was some animal set loose in an arena. Like failure was a guarantee. Like pain was entertainment.
He clenched his fists slightly.
This is the same thing they did to Tengen, Maxi realized.
His fight with Techxin had been the same way. Nobody thought he would win. Now that He thought about it, Tengens' fight wasn't about victory or him winning at all it was just about him surviving, lasting as long as possible. Enduring the inevitable.
And even then… Techxin didn't even use the powers Colen described. He held back. And still, he won in under ten minutes.
This family's confidence… it's frightening.
Maxi inhaled. Deep. Then exhaled. Calmly. As his eyes locked onto the girl across the battlefield.
Hana Bloodheart.
Younger sister of Techxin.
That fact alone was enough to send a spike of fear through Maxi's spine.
Hana stood in a sharp blazer-cape tossed over what looked like a nightgown. A pocket timer hung from her waist, swaying slightly. Her long red hair was pulled into a high ponytail, tied by a white ribbon with a flower crest at the end. But it wasn't her clothing that unnerved him—it was her face.
So young. So cute.
And yet—her grin was sharp. Predatory.
Her teeth—razor-like.
Her eyes—gleaming with playful malice.
She looked like a child who had been told she could break something expensive and face no consequences.
Maxi took another breath.
He already knew what this would be.
Not a fair fight.
Not even a test.
A trial.
He nodded and called out, "Thank you, big brother. That's all."
Colen gave a final command.
"Then let me say it officially now… Let this battle begin."
The words fell like a divine judgment.
Maxi didn't charge forward.
Instead, he darted to the edge of the arena, ducking low, moving fast. His steps were light, precise. He moved like prey that had memorized the habits of every predator in the jungle.
In his mind, words echoed—not panic, but purpose.
I may not know much about the Bloodheart history or even my history.
considering my memories are shattered and scattered
But if there's one thing I've remembered from my worlds history…
It's its quotes.
One surfaced now, rising above all others. A battle cry, not of sound—but of strategy.
"If you know the enemy and know yourself,
you need not fear the result of a hundred battles."
— Sun Tzu, The Art of War
Maxi didn't know Hana yet.
But he was learning.
And he knew himself.
He didn't fight to win today.
He fought to endure.
To earn his place.
To shatter the bets made on his defeat.
And as he raised his stance, eyes sharpened, and his blood surged with purpose—
He smiled.
as one think keep his will going keep buring his mind work
if I can make a plan good enough to beat Techxin without him using his powers, I can certainly make a plan to hold back his sister with her powers it just going to take a little more planning
no one was betting on him.
But he was.
And that was enough.