Zemin charged forward, his fist slicing through the air like a cannonball, fueled by all his weight and fury aimed straight at Kiichi's smug grin.
That punch should have shattered bones. Should have sent him sprawling.
But it came to a sudden halt, caught with ease.
By just one finger.
Kiichi's middle finger pressed against Zemin's knuckles, stopping the blow mid-air. In the same breath, he flicked his finger upward, the gesture so nonchalant it felt like an insult like he was swatting away a pesky fly.
"Oh? Is that really all you've got?" Kiichi tilted his head, his smirk growing wider as his hand remained steady. The middle finger, bent against Zemin's fist, slowly curled until it stood tall, giving him the finger.
The crowd above gasped in unison.
Kiichi's voice dropped, dripping with smugness.
"I heard you had some of the water in you… but you're just raw. Untamed. If you'd gone on a few missions, shown you weren't dead weight, I would've been happy to sharpen you help you unlock it."
His grin turned sharp, almost cruel.
"But what a shame. Looks like that never happened."
He tapped Zemin's knuckles lightly with that same finger. A lazy, almost playful gesture.
And then
"Blunsta."
The word was soft, but it exploded the moment it left his lips.
A flurry of strikes erupted all at once, faster than the eye could see, faster than sound. Fists, knees, elbows Kiichi's form blurred into afterimages, his attacks raining down from every direction like a storm.
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
Zemin's body jolted violently with each hit, blood spraying into the pristine air. His guard shattered, his ribs screamed, and by the time the final blow landed, he was already crumpling.
The world spun, the white floor rushing up to meet him.
When he hit the ground, it was with a sickening thud. Zemin lay there on his back, coughing up blood, his chest heaving in ragged bursts. His silver eyes flickered weakly, but he refused to close them.
Above him, Kiichi stood unscathed, brushing off imaginary dust from his knuckles. His middle finger still raised like a flag.
"Negative million outta ten. he said flatly. "Not even worth grading."
The arena was silent. Too silent. The only sound was Zemin's labored breathing, blood pooling beneath him.
Everyone was in shock at the display that just happened right in the own very faces. Taura and Tasia quickly ran of the top spot to come check on Zemin as he was not in a good condition at all.
"Kiichi you bastard, why did you use your ability on him? This spar was suppose to be with no powers." Taura said with some anger on her face.
"Like that concerns you at all, I was just testing the newbie that's all nothing else."
Taura scoffed, "But like that at least you would have beaten him to a bloody pulp not with your powers."
"She's right Kiichi and you know that." Shuren said after exhaling some smoke.
"Yea sure whatever I did wrong but it's not my fault."
Taura's fists were clenched so tightly that her nails were digging into her palms. "Is this what you call testing? He's bleeding out, Kiichi!"
Zemin tried to move, but his body felt like it was made of lead. Every breath was a searing pain in his lungs. He could hear the others arguing, but their voices were distant like echoes underwater.
Tch... I can't... even lift my arm.
Tasia knelt beside him, her hand pressed against his chest, fingers shaking. "We need to get him to medical right now!"
Kiichi simply turned away, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. "Then hurry up. Don't waste time blaming me."
Shuren let out another puff of smoke, this one heavier and darker. "You crossed a line, kid. You might've just crushed his spirit… and if he wakes up, you'd better hope he doesn't remember any of this."
"Yea sure I get it damn." Kiichi said with an annoyed voice.