After the last match ended, the elders called for a one hour break. A few spectators left to either stretch or to drink water, but most refused to give up their seats, eager for the next clash.
When the time was up, the elder's voice rang across the arena, summoning Mei and Vayu to the stage.
Mei walked forward, from outside she looked fine, but that was a lie, her insides were a mess. Her body was still recovering from her last fight, she had rested as much as she could but she needed more time for a full recovery. Her stomach churned, her head felt heavy, and her back and shoulders still swollen. She knew she wasn't at her best, So she came to a conclusion — end the match as quickly as possible.
She hadn't gave much attention to Vayu. To her, he was just what the others whispered, a rat who dragged on his fights, tiring opponents. Against her speed, he would be nothing but an easy target.
Five minutes, she told herself as she tightened her grip on her daggers. I'll finish this within five minutes. As expected the fight did end within five minutes, just as Mei had promised herself.
FIVE minutes ago..
The elder gave the signal, to start the match.
As soon as the elder gave the signal, Mei rushed in closing the gap in an instant, both daggers reversed in an icepick grip. She slashed aiming for Vayu's legs, so that she could restrict his movement.
Vayu backstepped instantly, but Mei still managed to cut him, two thin red lines appeared across his shin. Vayu's face, however, remained emotionless, he simply looked down twisted his leg to check the damage, then focused on Mei again .
From all those imaginary fights he had replayed night after night, Vayu had learned one thing clearly, those five "basic" techniques taught at the beginning of the training, were very important thrusting, closing distance, slashing, spinning cuts and feint's looked simple on their own, but weave them together in the right order, they became unpredictable. Alone they looked like simple attacks but in combinations, their possibilities were endless, they effect lethal on the enemy. He had tested them in his mind, using them in different order and getting different results every time.
Mei was faster, no doubt. But she came at him head on. And that meant if he timed his spin perfectly, he could parry her attack and break her balance in the same motion.
She rushed again.
Vayu moved, His dagger twisted in a spiral motion — Gale Spiral — knocking her blades aside while his arm cut across her chest in a clean slash. The edge bit deep, a crimson line blooming on her tunic. In the same breath he followed with Swift Fang, a sudden stab that pierced just under her ribs.
STAB!
Mei cried out, blood coming out of her mouth. She staggered back, gasping, her hand trembling as she pulled the dagger from her side before she threw it away. Her eyes blazed as she raised her head, her blades ready to slice Vayu.
"You dare—" But the space in front of her was empty.
By the time she removed her dagger, Vayu vanished from her line of sight, quickly getting into her blindspot. Shadow Step, Vayu had slipped behind her, noiseless, his presence gone like a whisper in the wind.
She spun, as she felt a presence behind her back ,but it was too late.
The hilts of both his daggers struck her temples at once. Her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed to the ground in silence.
She never even knew it, how she lost because by the time the elder declared Vayu the winner, Mei was already unconscious on the ground.
The elder raised his hand.
"Winner Vayu!"
The crowd erupted. Mei lay still, unconscious, but Vayu was happy with his win, he had got the results he had wanted, like the whole arena was under his control, he smiled he was happy with the results. As mei expected the match did ended within five minutes, but it was her who lost.
Soon another hour passed as the Elder called the next fighters. Vijay and Aspen came inside the arena, both were brawlers who thrived in close fights, Vijay who had trained this way and Aspen who was born this way.
The moment the elder signaled, Aspen exploded forward, fury written across his face, he was still angry with what had happened in the last match, so mad with fury he rushed in like a angry bull. His twin axes left his hands in a blur, whistling through the air toward Vijay. But Vijay was ready, he sidestepped, the blades slamming harmlessly into the ground behind him.
Although weaponless, Aspen didn't slow. He marched forward like an unstoppable beast. Vijay slashed across his chest, but Aspen didn't even try to dodge. His armor absorbed most of the strike, and his massive hand clamped onto Vijay's head.
Steel pierced Aspen's ribs as Vijay stabbed again, although Aspen flinched but showed no emotion on his face. Then Aspen drove his forehead into Vijay's skull with a sickening crack. The world spun for Vijay. Before he could recover, another headbutt smashed into him, splitting skin and sending blood running down both their faces.
Desperate, Vijay stabbed at Aspen's thighs. The blade dug in, but Aspen's grip stayed firm on his head, as though pain no longer reached him.
In a final attempt to free himself, Vijay thrust his dagger toward Aspen's shoulder. But Aspen caught his arm mid-strike, lifted it high, and twisted his hand outwards. The bone snapped with a sharp crack, bent outward at an unnatural angle.
Vijay screamed, but Aspen clamped a hand over his mouth, raising a finger from his other hand to his lips as he hissed a cold, "shhh" their faces only a centimeter apart.
Aspen cracked his own neck. He seized Vijay's head once more with both his hands and slammed his own head with crushing force. Vijay buckled in his grasp, half-conscious, blood dripping from his face.
The elder stepped in, raising his voice sharply.
"Enough Aspen the match is already over" Aspen looked towards the Elder then removed his hands as Vijay fell down on the ground " Winner — Aspen!" the Elder declared.
Aspen face was streaked with blood from his own wounds. But his eyes still burned with fury, his anger from Mei's earlier humiliation has yet to subside.
The crowd roared as the fight ended, but to Vijay it had been less of a fight than a mauling.
With the match concluded, the elders gathered and gave their judgment.
"Vaibhav, as per the doctor's instructions is unable to appear for his second fight due to heavy injuries, so it is counted as surrender. Mei, who had already lost twice, is disqualified due to not being able to fulfill the conditions of 5 points. Both are eliminated from the semifinals."
Gasps rippled through the spectators. Mei sat in silence, still reeling from her earlier defeat. There were total 4 fights per fighter with maximum 8 points one can gain, she had lost 2 fights so even if she wins next two, she will earn only 4 points.
And so, the first day of the semifinals ended with only three contenders left: Aspen, Vayu and Vijay.