SAIJOHKU HERO ACADEMY'S ARENA 3, reserved for Class A vs. Class B showcases. Crowds of students fill the bleachers, eager to see top students Asher and Olivia go head-to-head. The duel is timed: 10 minutes, no real injuries, first to land three critical strikes or disarm wins.
ANNOUNCER:
"Match start in 3… 2… 1… Begin!"
(The arena hums to life. Olivia stands loosely, rolling her shoulders. Asher draws his coat back, stance sharp and guarded.)
ASHER: (calm, confident)
"Try not to trip over your own power today."
OLIVIA: (grinning)
"Aww, I was about to say the same to you, princeling."
(Asher dashes forward—fast. Olivia dodges with a fluid twist, letting her coat trail like a banner as she slide under Asher's sweeping strike. She flip back up, tossing glowing threads into the air.)
OLIVIA:
"You ever hear of rhythm? You fight like a textbook."
ASHER:
"And you fight like you forgot there are rules."
(Asher throws a burst of shadow energy from his gloves. Olivia's threads catch the energy midair and whip it around in a spiral. Asher's eyes widen—then smirks. he leap in again, his movement sharper now, calculating.)
(They clash close—gloves meeting threads, sparks flying. Every time Asher goes for a solid strike, Olivia slips through like smoke. Every time Olivia tries to bind, Asher counters with uncanny timing.)
OLIVIA: (low, between hits)
"You've been watching my fights."
ASHER: (without hesitation)
"I watch all your fights."
(Beat. They freeze for half a second, realization flickering in both their eyes—but Olivia recovers first, laughing breathlessly as she roll to the side.)
OLIVIA:
"Cute."
(Asher blushes slightly, eyes narrowing in frustration. he dash again, this time faking a left strike and spinning behind Olivia. Olivia counters by leaping up—mirror shards scatter from her belt and reflect her form midair.)
ASHER: (startled)
"Damn illusions…"
(One of the illusions hits Asher across the shoulder with a thread whip—one point for Olivia. The scoreboard flashes: 1–0.)
ANNOUNCER:
"Point to Olivia of Class B!"
(The crowd erupts. Asher brushes his shoulder, jaw tight but eyes focused.)
ASHER:
"Not bad."
OLIVIA: (mock bow)
"High praise from royalty."
(They face each other again. This time, they're both smiling—fierce, electric smiles. It's no longer about class. It's about pushing each other further.)
ASHER: (softly)
"Let's see what you really got."
OLIVIA:
"Only if you keep up, Shadow Prince."
(The timer ticks down. Power flares again. The second round begins.)
Sparks & Threads (Part 2)
Timer: 6 minutes remaining. Score: Olivia – 1, Asher – 0
(Power surges through the arena. Asher's aura flares darker, shadow trailing his limbs like smoke. Olivia's threads glow brighter, pulled tight between her fingers like an instrument being tuned.)
OLIVIA:
"Gonna use that fancy Class A bloodline or are we still pretending this is fair?"
ASHER: (smirking)
"Fair's boring."
(Asher moves faster now—like a ghost slicing through fog. Olivia's threads lash out, trying to keep distance, but Asher feints right and lands a sharp energy burst near Olivia's waist. A scoring tag lands.)
ANNOUNCER:
"Point to Asher of Class A! 1–1."
(Olivia skids back, panting.)
OLIVIA:
"Ow. Okay. Cute and sharp."
ASHER: (cocky, but breathless)
"You noticed?"
(Olivia raises a brow, but doesn't answer. She flick a small mirror into the air and disappear through it—blinking across the arena behind Asher. Threads coil in her palm like a lasso.)
(Asher doesn't turn—but grins.)
ASHER:
"Too slow."
(He spins with a sweep kick, knocking Olivia off-balance—but Olivia throws her thread anyway. It wraps around Asher's ankle. Both go down in a tumble, colliding hard. The crowd gasps as the two rolls to a stop at the center of the ring, limbs tangled, dust rising.)
(Silence. Then—laughter. Olivia's laughing. Breathless and real.)
OLIVIA:
"We're idiots."
ASHER: (quiet, eyes locked on Olivia)
"Speak for yourself."
(They're close—too close. Olivia's hand is on Asher's chest. Asher's hand is still gripping Olivia's wrist from the fall. The whole arena seems to blur around them.)
OLIVIA:
"You always look at me like that?"
ASHER: (barely a whisper)
"Only when you're not looking."
(For a second, neither moves. Olivia's smile fades into something softer. But then—)
REFEREE:
"Pause! Duel interrupted. Reset in ten seconds!"
(They both scramble up, dusting off, suddenly awkward.)
OLIVIA: (pretending to brush her hair back, eyes a bit wide)
"Guess we both score for that tumble, huh?"
ASHER: (trying to hide a grin)
"Guess we're even."
(The duel resumes, but the energy is different now—less about winning, more about seeing each other. They're still fast, still fierce, but their movements feel more like a dance now. Push, pull, spark, pause.)
Final Score: 2–2. Time out.
ANNOUNCER:
"No clear winner! Match ends in a draw!"
(The crowd groans, disappointed. But Olivia and Asher don't seem to mind. They're still catching their breath, still a little flushed, still standing way too close.)
OLIVIA:
"…Draw's not bad."
ASHER:
"Means we owe each other a rematch."
OLIVIA:
"Or a smoothie."
(Asher blinks.)
ASHER:
"Wait—are you asking me out because I hit you?"
OLIVIA: (grinning wide)
"I'm asking you out because you see me."
(Asher opens his mouth to reply… but can't seem to speak. Just stares. Nods. Then blushes and walks off fast.)
(Olivia watches him go, still grinning, still glowing. Under her breath—)
OLIVIA:
"Told you awkward was cute."