Rue and Juhon circle each other.
Rue thinks back on the front kick he landed earlier.
"He seems to be invulnerable in certain places, or rather, he's hardening himself to tank hits."
Juhon's mind returns to his missed axe kick.
"He's somehow controlling my movements. He made me trip over myself, and misdirected my left hook."
Both are cautious of each other. They continue to circle.
Rue rushes in, Juhon getting into a defensive stance.
Rue waits for Juhon to attack, and Juhon does a hard straight to his head.
Rue uses Flow and moves his entire body to the left. Rue grabs Juhon's head and does a flying knee to Juhon's chin.
It lands, stunning Juhon.
Rue feints a right hook, Juhon transferring his power to his head.
Rue goes for the body uppercut to his liver.
The hit sent shockwaves throughout Juhon's body, and he fell to his knees.
Rue stands over him.
"It's over, stand down."
"And what? Give up my dream? Give it up to you?" Juhon says, trying to get his footing.
Rue kicks him back down, and Juhon wheezes.
"Give up, I don't want to hurt you anymore."
"If I don't die, or give it my all... for my goal... It's worth nothing. My goal... my journey was worth nothing..."
Rue stares down at him.
Juhon looks up in the crowd section behind Rue, His mother and Father, watching with disdain in their faces.
Juhon looks back at Rue.
"If you... truly... respect me as an opponent, you'd knock me out. Respect my goal by finishing me off."
Rue feels pity for Juhon, as he knows Juhon's dreams are over.
Rue looks down at the ground beneath him.
"I'm sorry, Juhon. Unfortunately, our goals collided with each other."
Rue walks to Juhon. Rue grabs Juhon's collar and looks him right in the eye.
"I'm sorry. Forgive me."
Rue punches Juhon repeatedly with his right hand until he goes unconscious.
The ref is stepping in, pulling me off him.
The ref gestures to the announcer that Juhon's done.
The announcer yells.
"We got a winner! Rue Alabasta by Knockout!"
Rue, though, won the fight, feels bittersweet. Ascending himself, while destroying another.
Rue bows deeply to Juhon for ten seconds and walks back to the fighter's tent.
Varis in the stands, releases a breath he didn't even know he was holding in.
"There you go, Rue. One at a time."
The other matches occur with the other contestants. Rue makes it to the Semi-finals with relative ease. His skill was way too much for the hopeful, beginner contestants.
Rue goes to the front exit of the Arena, Night taking hold of the sky. Varis finds his way to the front exit, looking for Rue.
"Rue, behind you."
Rue turns around and sees his Grandfather.
His nose burns, his eyes water, happiness overtakes Rue, and he hugs Varis.
"I did it."
Varis hugs back.
"You did... But you've got two more fights to get that spot in the main tournament. Jobs not finished yet."
Rue releases Varis and nods.
"Yeah, I know."
At Home, Varis and Rue sit on the dinner table eating meat stew.
"My first match, I didn't really... enjoy it."
Varis looks up.
"Well, who would be? You got your ass beat a bit."
Rue lightly chuckles. Spinning his spoon back and forth slowly, while looking at his food.
"It wasn't even that. After that body shot I landed, he dropped and... looked at me in a way I have never seen anyone look at me before. It was... hope... no, it was dying hope. I saw the light, and the drive leaving his eyes. He asked me to finish him off, but he gave up. Guess his Journey wasn't worth it."
Varis looks Rue up and down.
"What makes you say that?"
"He say that himself. That if he gave up, his journey was meaningless."
Varis finishes up.
"Well, he's not wrong. No point going for something and giving up when it gets hard."
"Yeah... but... something isn't sitting right with me. I took his dream away from him. I stared him down and took it. I hate that feeling. I hate it."
Varis stands, grabbing his plates.
"You finished?"
"Yeah."
Rue hands Varis his plate.
Varis takes Rue's plate and begins to wash both plates. Varis speaks while washing.
"I understand. But life isn't fair, people get things taken away from them." Varis takes a look at the picture with his former family.
"To become a champion, you must take their goals away from them, Rue. It's just how life works."
Rue looks at the table, thinking to himself.
"I'll guess I'll do it again tomorrow."