Ari's fists erupt with purple Mana, Plaster gets into his fighting stance, ready for action.
"Don't blink," Ari says before vanishing right in front of Plaster.
Plaster's instincts catch Ari behind him, but it's too late as Ari connects with a punch to the side of his liver, the crunch sending Plaster flying.
'Fuck! He's fast…' Plaster thinks,
He lands back on his feet, trying to stand, but his body doesn't listen.
"What the?" Plaster says, struggling.
Ari walks up casually,
"You might as well give up. More than one hit would be overkill. Besides, I did bet that you wouldn't land a hit on me." Ari says, smiling.
Plaster groans, trying to stand despite broken ribs and pain.
"It's no use. My style is unique. You could call it a mana eater… basically," Ari shrugs,
"As soon as you get hit by my technique, your Mana gets devoured by the second like a poison. Soon you will have none left. That's all."
"Heh, guess I'll have to do this quick then," Plaster says, grinning mischievously.
"Pyro Style: Inferno Dance."
Plaster summons a tornado of flames,
Ari jumps back, assessing the situation.
'He's gone…! Where is he?' Ari thinks,
Ari stands at the center of the arena, looking right, another flame tornado crawling toward him.
"Another one?" Ari mutters, forehead sweating as the temperature rises.
Saint watches from the stands, eyes locked on both fighters.
'Plaster is strong… I had no idea he was this much of a beast!'
A third tornado appears behind Ari, three flames closing in slowly.
'Gotta get out of here before it's trouble' Ari thinks,
He runs left where there's no tornado, but stops abruptly. Plaster stands there, clutching his side, smiling.
"In case you forgot, according to my rank, I have more mana than you anyway. Begone!"
Plaster summons another massive flame tornado, closing in fast.
The wind scorches Ari as he searches for an exit,
He looks up, only to see Plaster revving his fist in the air, lunging down.
"It's like you said… Nothing personal."
Plaster says with a grin, connecting a critical hit to Ari's temple.
The tornados erupt, flames engulfing the arena,
Brugger and other instructors summon a barrier to protect the crowd,
"Fighters?" Beretta asks after a moment, holding his nose from the smoke.
The smoke clears, and the sight is unbelievable. Ari holds Plaster by his throat, lifting him with ease, ability fully activated,
"You almost got me there…" Ari says sarcastically,
Plaster struggles, but it's no use. He passes out.
Ari throws him away, nonchalantly. Beretta checks Plaster, calls for medics.
"Winner, Ari."
'I lost my bet again… crap…' Ari thinks.
He climbs the stairs to the stands, sitting himself beside Saint,
"Good fight," Saint says smugly,
"No sweat," Ari replies casually.
Saint grins. "You did sweat though… didn't you?"
They laugh together while instructors repair the arena floor,
"Hey, my pops told me that the rankings on our ID's are fake, can you believe that?" Saint says,
Ari's eyes widen with a frown, "What?! Are you serious?!"
They stare at each other then start laughing again.
…
In Oshoku's private lounge, he watches the matches with Taiho. A knock sounds at the door.
"Is that them?" Oshoku asks,
"It should be. Come in!" Taiho calls.
The door swings open. Five students step inside,
"Yo! What's up, Gramps? …and creepy Taiho." the student in the middle says loudly.
"Don't disrespect your elders, Hazu." another monotone voice says,
"Any reason for summoning us during training, Principal Oshoku?" a third student asks, annoyed.
"My my… I see the Reiki Five are lively as ever."
Hazu pouts sarcastically. "Well, it won't be Reiki Five for long. Since we're getting another recruit." He says boringly,
Oshoku speaks, smiling softly.
"Ayce is a great addition to the squad. With his abilities, you'll win the next season again. Or perhaps you're scared someone takes the MVP spot from you?"
"W-what? No way!" Hazu crosses his arms.
"Put me in the ring with him. I'll embarrass him!"
"He's fighting soon. I want you all to stay and watch. His opponent is the real deal too." Oshoku says.
Hazu smirks,
"Nah… I'll pass. No fun seeing weaklings fight." He walks out, arms behind his head.
The rest of the squad stays, waiting for the tournament to resume,
Hours pass. The fights continue. The crowd starts getting bored, only a few students have unlocked abilities. The crowd has noticed that Class B22 is full of geniuses.
…
Kevo walks through the halls, slightly recovered, stopping at a vending machine.
"Hey," Ari calls casually, leaning against the wall, startling him.
"You beat my friend. Maybe we'll fight next round, huh? I won't hold back. No pressure."
Ari says, he pats Kevo's back, shifting to his usual playful self, walking away with hands in pockets.
Ari returns to his seat beside Saint, leaning back casually.
"So, who wouldn't you want to fight?" Saint asks,
"Hmmm, that chick with the teddy bear probably. I feel like I'd make quick work of Kevo and the others… by the way, who's your opponent?" Ari asks.
"Some guy called Ayce… ranked crazy high." Saint says, unfazed,
"You reckon the odds are in your favor?" Ari asks, smiling.
"I got this."
As if on cue, the big screen shows the next match.
Ayce #1001 (B20) VS Saint #4222 (B22)
"Showtime." Ari says, chuckling.
…