The crowd inside the arena roared with intensity, their voices booming outward like thunder.
In the center, Erick stared down his opponent, a bright, excited grin spreading across his face.
Ryusuke rolled his shoulder once, the corners of his lips curving slightly.
"I can tell you've got real spirit!" he said, snapping his fingers. "But I'm the one who's gonna win!"
Erick flashed a confident smile.
"We'll see about that!"
He dropped into his stance, taking a deep breath as his aura slowly began to flare to life.
"All those months of training… they weren't for nothing. I'm going to win! Just watch, Captain!"
The memory of that day still burned fresh in his mind.
Three months earlier…
At the Pathfinders' Base, a loud crash shattered the silence of the open training field.
The ground shook for a brief moment, and a thick cloud of dust billowed up from the point of impact.
Erick lay sprawled a few meters away, his body covered in scratches and dirt. His breathing came in heavy, uneven gasps.
He clutched his shoulder gingerly.
"Ow…"
His blurry vision locked onto the silhouette slowly emerging from the dust cloud, eyes glowing a menacing red.
Steady footsteps echoed across the field.
Erick pushed himself up, still struggling to catch his breath.
"That was cheating, Mr. Wally!"
Wally stepped fully into view, letting out a small sigh and shaking his head.
"No, no. You just weren't paying attention to your opponent. Throwing energy around randomly won't work—and it'll only tire you out faster."
"It's kinda hard to focus when every hit is trying to break my bones," Erick protested, sweat dripping down his face.
"The Captain always says throwing you guys into danger boosts survival instincts and forces rapid growth. He was the same way with us when we were younger," Wally said with a proud smile.
Erick's face paled for a second. He swallowed hard.
"Is there seriously no normal person in this group…?"
"But look on the bright side: you're getting stronger way faster than most. All you need now is to learn how to conserve your energy better."
Erick rested a hand on his chin, thinking.
"Mr. Wally's right… wait—that's it!"
"So… ready to keep going, or should we take a break?" Wally asked calmly.
Erick stayed silent for a few long seconds that felt like forever. Then he clenched his fists, determination lighting up his face with a renewed grin.
"Only after I beat you!"
Wally grinned back.
"Come at me!"
With a burst of speed, Erick shot forward, circling the field at high velocity. Wally's eyes widened.
"Not bad—your speed's definitely improved. But you'll need to be even faster than that!"
Wally pointed a hand toward him.
"Reversal."
A strange sensation flooded Erick's body. He froze in place, unable to move.
"Wha—"
Wally appeared right in front of him, his kick inches away from connecting.
Erick grinned.
"Electric Impulse: Lightning Steps!"
In the blink of an eye, he vanished and reappeared almost instantly behind Wally, hands crackling with energy. Wally's eyes widened in genuine surprise.
"Huh—"
"100 volts!"
The attack was about to land… but:
"Reversal!"
The glow in Erick's hands snuffed out instantly, leaving him stunned.
"How—"
He took a kick square to the chest and flew backward several meters, completely drained—as usual.
"It's… impossible to beat you, Mr. Wally," he muttered between gasps.
"Oh, come on," Wally said with an awkward smile.
He walked over calmly and offered a hand to help Erick up.
"You actually surprised me. How'd you pull that off?"
Erick took the hand and got to his feet, still catching his breath.
"It's a new variation I've been practicing on Electric Impulse… still getting used to it." His expression quickly shifted to genuine curiosity. "Also, how were you nullifying my magic—and even my movements?"
Wally scratched the back of his neck lightly.
"It's a little complicated… but let's just say it's my special magic." He winked. "So, break time now?"
"Definitely!" Erick exclaimed, collapsing onto the ground.
"Then I'll go grab us some food."
Wally waved and left Erick alone with his thoughts.
"Man, that was awesome! I actually dodged him once!" He gave a goofy grin and pumped his fist toward the sky. "I'm gonna get strong no matter what. I can do this!"
***
"Then come on!"
Ryusuke launched forward, leaping high into the air.
Hrrr—fflashk!
Intense light gathered in his mouth.
"Dragon Fire Breath!"
A massive blast of flames tore through the air straight at Erick.
Erick barely dodged with a backflip. He raised his hand, lightning pulsing through his body.
"70 volts!"
A powerful surge of electricity shot out, but Ryusuke twisted mid-air and evaded it cleanly.
He landed with perfect control, eyes blazing with excitement, smoke curling around him. The crowd erupted in cheers and applause.
He let out an admiring grin.
"Wow! Your reflexes are insane—I'm impressed!"
"You're no slouch either—your reaction speed is crazy!" Erick grinned back, resetting his stance.
Ryusuke snapped his fingers, his aura subtly swelling.
"Then I'll have to triple my offense!"
He charged, spinning his body like a spiral. Flames wrapped around him.
"Dragon Fire Breath: Scatter!"
Multiple precise streams of fire shot out—like a blazing whirlwind.
Erick dodged several, but his eyes widened as the flames curved back toward him.
"What the—"
He ducked at the last possible second. Took a deep breath, and—
"Electric Impulse!"
He rocketed forward like lightning, slipping through the flames, his kick charged with energy aimed straight at Ryusuke.
"Take this!"
ZZZZKKK—THRAAK!
The impact was brutal, but Ryusuke blocked it, getting blasted back several meters.
He glanced at his trembling arm, then smiled.
"That kick packed a real punch!"
He shot forward again, returning a flaming kick of his own.
"But can you handle THIS!?"
Erick was caught off guard by the speed. He raised his arms in a desperate block.
The flaming kick came like a comet, exploding against his guard with a KRAAA—FSSHH! Flames burst outward, lighting up his face as the air around him shimmered with heat.
Erick staggered back a few steps and took a deep breath, muscles burning. He slowly rolled his shoulder, easing the tension. He smiled—he was actually enjoying the fight.
"They look pretty even right now," Mei commented, resting her chin in her hand.
"Go, Erick-chan! You've got this!" Emily shouted, bouncing excitedly.
Erick and Ryusuke kept trading blows and blocks with sharp precision.
Both pulled back, each taking an offensive stance, breathing heavily.
Ryusuke let out a deep sigh.
"He's seriously incredible… tanked my heavy hits and still countered with that speed…"
He burst into laughter and pointed at Erick.
"Now I'm even more pumped to beat you!"
Flames began forming in his hands, his aura expanding. Erick instinctively took a step back.
"What… how does he still have that much mana?!"
Ryusuke charged, firing off multiple fireballs that zigzagged unpredictably across the arena.
Erick used Electric Impulse to weave through them, keeping his movement fast. It seemed under control.
Until—
"You're not getting away! Crimson Burst!"
The fireballs collided around Erick in a massive explosion, the shockwave echoing through the arena.
The blast caught him off guard. He stumbled, losing balance.
"Damn it!"
He tried to stand, but his eyes widened—a single fireball hovered right in front of his face, ready to detonate.
"You fought well… but this win is mine."
Ryusuke's hand was pointed at Erick's face, pulsing with intimidating fiery light.
Erick swallowed, then suddenly let out a laugh—confusing Ryusuke.
"It would be… if I hadn't already calculated! Right behind you!"
Ryusuke spun around to defend—but nothing was there.
Then he felt an attack coming from behind. He twisted back just in time to block.
"That was close!" he thought, panting. "Your plan was to fake me out with a bluff and strike? Sorry, but that trick won't work on me twice!"
Erick huffed, sparks crackling in his palm.
"Electric Lance!"
A spear of pure electricity formed and shot forward. Ryusuke smirked and sidestepped easily.
"Behind you!"
"Hm, I'm not falling for that one agai—"
To his shock, there really was something behind him.
The lance shattered into countless electric discharges, all striking him at once.
"Agh!"
"Hehe… told you I calculated everything!" Erick said with a confident grin, his hand surging with massive energy. "130 volts!"
ZZZZK—CRASH!
A tremendous surge of electricity ripped through Ryusuke's body. He was hurled backward, crashing hard into the ground.
Silence.
Total victory.
The crowd exploded.
"Yes! Nii won!" Louis yelled, eyes sparkling with admiration. "I knew he could do it!"
Takamiya gave a small nod of approval.
"Well done, Erick…"
A little farther from the group, Lilith was tending to Rose. She smiled in relief.
"Erick-san pulled it off! He's really strong, isn't he, Nee-sama?"
Rose huffed.
"Hmph…"
Lilith just smiled at her.
In the arena, Ryusuke struggled to his feet, still feeling the aftershocks. Erick extended a hand with a grin.
"You're seriously strong. For a second I thought I was done for!"
Ryusuke took the hand and stood, letting out a soft sigh.
"Yeah… you weren't half bad either. Tell me—that last move… it wasn't planned, was it?"
"Ah… well… at that moment I was out of ideas… but then I remembered how you were controlling the paths of your attacks… so I just copied the idea and bet everything on that final hit… hehe," he scratched his cheek, a little embarrassed.
Ryusuke's eyes widened.
"That's impressive…"
He burst out laughing, slapped Erick on the back, and raised his hand for a fist bump.
"You won this time—but next round, I'm taking it!"
"We'll see!"
They bumped fists, eyes burning with anticipation for the rematch.
The crowd applauded warmly, touched by the moment, as the two headed back to their prep rooms.
VIP Room
"Hm… that battle was quite something, I must say…" The elder on the right interlaced his fingers on the table, visibly impressed. "That boy has real potential. Wouldn't you agree, Tharos?"
Tharos gave a slight nod, expression unchanged.
"I do. This young Erick has a very promising future…"
But then both their gazes turned to Uvox, who had been silent for a while.
"Something wrong… Uvox?"
"No," he replied, his tone now tinged with curiosity. "His magic feels… very familiar to me. Is he a student of Cosmo?"
One of the soldiers by the door straightened.
"Yes, Great Elder!"
"Hm… I see." He stroked his beard. "I feel like I've seen that magic somewhere before… perhaps it's just my imagination…"
Room A
"You were amazing, Nii!"
Louis bounced around Erick, hugging him tightly, face glowing with joy and admiration.
Takamiya gave him a light pat on the back.
"Gotta admit—you did great work!"
He sat down, expression turning serious.
"We've made it this far… so we can't afford to slack off. We have to win no matter what. Get ready…"
But then the announcement rang out:
"Ren of the Falcons vs. Marin of the Golden Phoenixes! Fighters to your positions!"
The two stepped into the arena, facing each other. Marin waved enthusiastically.
"Hi! Looking forward to a great match—"
In an instant, Ren exploded forward, raising his hand as the air around him warped menacingly.
Marin, startled, tried to back away, but he was already closing the gap.
"W-wait—"
"Begone. Waves of the Wind King."
VRUUUUUSHhhh!
A devastating blast struck her full-force, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
Silence.
Ren slipped his hands into his pockets.
"Tch… weak."
He turned to leave… when—
"Ow…"
Ren froze and spun around, surprised. Marin pushed herself up and dusted off her clothes.
She pouted.
"Hey, that wasn't very nice!"
"You… survived my strike…" Ren said, eyes narrowing as he studied her.
Marin sighed in relief.
"Phew… that was way too close! If it weren't for my blessing against powerful magic attacks, I'd be out cold right now! Okay, focus… don't lose composure."
She raised her hand.
"Time to show what I can do!"
Several thorns materialized in the air.
"Paralyzing Thorns!"
The thorns shot toward Ren at blinding speed. He showed no fear or hesitation.
In a blur, he dashed forward, weaving between them.
Marin's eyes widened. She leaped back—but he was already right behind her.
"When did he—"
She took a brutal kick and was hurled violently to the ground, kicking up another huge cloud of smoke.
When the dust settled, Marin lay there, battered from the impact. Completely defeated.
"Unbelievable, folks! Another stunning victory for Ren! Could he be the one to carry the Falcons to the top? We'll find out soon!" the announcer shouted.
The crowd responded with a roar.
Marin sat there, still in disbelief.
"H-how… did you…"
"You were simply too weak for me. That's all."
And with that, he walked away without looking back.
"Ren… he really is a monster," Erick muttered, swallowing hard.
Room D
Ren was heading to his room when someone blocked his path, arms crossed, clearly waiting.
He ignored them and tried to pass, but a hand clamped onto his shoulder.
"Hey, rookie. Didn't you hear what Lord Darth told you before the festival started?"
"I'm not fighting for show… Veteran Itsuki."
Itsuki's expression darkened.
"Listen up, Ren. We're here to win the festival—not to break our opponents, got it?! You really think Lord Darth is happy with your little approach? Don't act like you're special, kid…"
Ren huffed, irritation flaring.
"Tch… you think I'm special? You don't know a damn thing about me…"
He shrugged off the hand and walked inside.
"Ah… he really is stubborn," Itsuki muttered, closing the door behind him.
***
Some time later, at the main gate, two guards spotted someone approaching. She looked like a young woman.
"Sorry, ma'am. No one else is authorized to enter."
"I suggest you turn around," the other added.
She didn't seem to hear and kept walking calmly. One guard drew his sword; the other leveled his spear.
"Last warning. We don't want to use force."
"Oh… that's too bad… I really wanted to get in…" she sighed, looking genuinely disappointed.
One guard lowered his sword, brow furrowing.
"Don't be sad, ma'am. If you want in that badly, I can let you through."
"Hey, what are you saying? We have strict orders—no one gets in, remember?"
"But she looks so sad! Can't you see?"
The two started arguing. The girl clasped her hands together, smiling with excitement.
"Hm… oh, I know! If he's making it so difficult… why not just kill him?" she said, tilting her head with a sweet smile.
The first guard blinked, then smiled back.
"Oh, you're right… why didn't I think of that sooner?"
He turned and pointed his sword at his partner.
"W-wait, what are you—"
SHING!
In an instant, his head rolled off, blood spraying from the stump. He collapsed lifelessly.
"There… now he won't be a problem for you anymore, ma'am…"
"Thank you so much!… But… what if they find out it was you? Won't you get in trouble?" she asked, expression saddened.
"Don't worry, ma'am. They can't punish me if I'm dead too!"
Without hesitation, he plunged the sword into his own chest and fell.
A whistle came from a few meters behind her.
"You made quite the mess here… Diane."
Several shadowy figures stood behind her.
Diane smiled.
"Ah, they were so nice… such a shame. Well then. Shall we go in? The Master must be waiting… it's almost time."
The group stepped through the gate together. One of them glanced back at the bodies.
"… Leaving them here will cause problems."
With a snap of his fingers, a pitch-black substance enveloped the corpses, the blood, everything—and in an instant… it all vanished.
"Done."