The battle raged on, and Han shouted:
"Sakura Blooming Technique: Whirlwind Strikes!"
With five swift swings, invisible air currents shot toward David. He stood still, unable to see them, and the first strike landed right in his stomach.
"What kind of attack is this?!" he thought.
The sudden blow forced David back, but he quickly leaped away, and the remaining four strikes missed. Everyone watched closely, and even Vincent was surprised — Han had already revealed two techniques.
Meanwhile, Ryan remained silent, though a faint smile tugged at his lips. On the arena floor, David was ready to counterattack when something strange caught his eye.
Han's body began to crack apart — fractures spread across his face and skin, peeling away to reveal pale pink hair and a handsome, delicate face beneath. David froze, shocked by the sight.
The audience erupted. One of the students shouted:
"That's Sai! The one who placed fourth!"
Emma's eyes narrowed in disdain as she finally recognized the technique.
"The Sakura-gawa Clan…"
Hatred burned clearly in her gaze.
Leo glanced at her.
"The Sakura-gawa Clan? So he's Sai Sakura-gawa? I've heard he's one of his clan's prodigies. Lady Emma, do you know him?"
"Yes. My clan and his have despised each other for generations," Emma replied, her fists trembling. "When the first Awakened appeared, it was my grandfather, Kenshin, the head of our clan, and his grandfather, Kadzuhiko Sakura-gawa…"
Her voice grew colder.
"Kadzuhiko stole our clan's relic — the Heavenly Sword. A blade that could merge the attribute of light with its wielder's power."
Leo's eyes widened.
"So that's what happened…"
Emma nodded grimly.
"Because of that theft, our clan crumbled. Once, we were among the strongest. But my father couldn't accept the disgrace — he took his own life. And my mother, unable to live without him, followed soon after."
Lucy listened in silence, her expression heavy with sorrow. Leo said nothing more.
Back in the arena, the false image melted completely, and Sai's true form stood revealed. Vincent cast a glance at Ryan, silently wondering:
"Did you already know?"
David locked eyes with Sai.
"Where's Han? What did you do to him?"
"Han? Don't worry, he means nothing to me. Do you know why I did all this?"
David frowned.
"And why is that?"
Sai raised his hands toward him.
"Because of you."
David's stare hardened.
"I'm straight, bastard."
In a blur, he charged forward. Sai, already prepared, shouted:
"Sakura Technique: Redirection!"
He bent David's strikes back at him, but the pace was relentless. Sweat streamed down Sai's face — he couldn't keep up.
The Sakura-gawa techniques were excellent for both offense and defense, but they carried one fatal flaw: if the enemy was too fast, the eyes couldn't track the movements, and every block eventually failed.
And David was far too fast. His strikes came like a storm, faster and heavier with every blow. Sai staggered, unable to keep up, his defenses cracking apart.
"Dark Distortion!"
David's fist smashed toward his face. Sai managed to deflect it, only to realize too late — it was nothing but an afterimage.
"What?!" His eyes went wide.
The real David was already behind him. Grabbing Sai by the head, he slammed it into the ground with brutal force. Stone shattered, the arena floor denting under the impact.
Sai's vision went white. Shock numbed his body, but David didn't stop. Spinning, he delivered a crushing kick that sent Sai flying.
A minute passed — but to Sai, it felt like hours of torment in his mind. Slowly, he pushed himself up, only to see David walking toward him with a dark, cold expression.
"Your technique is impressive. But the problem is, you couldn't match my speed. That's why you lost. Your weakness… is me."
Sai's breath was ragged, but he laughed bitterly.
"You're strong… incredibly strong. I've always wanted a true friend, someone equal to me. But no one ever was. It ate away at me. When I saw you, the one they crowned champion… I thought only one thing: could we be friends?"
He smiled faintly through the pain.
"That's why I chased you. I thought… if I could at least fight you to a draw, we'd be true friends. That's why I admired your strength so much."
David's voice was cold.
"Friends? You could've just walked up to me and said so. Your mistake was choosing another path
."
Sai's lips curved into a weak smile.
"Then… I hope one day, we'll still be friends."