"Good Evening, all contestants and welcome to the 57th national prodigy competition!"
A cheerful and excited roar was heard as everyone attended clapped their hands responding to the greeting., including Quint and his master. The man stood on the stage was the head of committee.
This competition, al though claimed to be secretive and underground, was actually very huge and majestic. It was held on a secluded island, way outside the country. Participants and their officials were taken to the island with private airplanes. They needed to show their invitation tokens to be able to be on board.
There were about 5000 people, half of them were the participants while the rest were their officials nor part of the committee. The competition had seven categories: Marksman, Hackers, Strategist, Mind Benders, Bomber, Poison Master, and Close Combats.
Quint was participating on the later category. To his surprise, his master also brought the little girl that always followed him. To be more of his surprise, the girl was participating on the Poison Master category.
Well, Quint wouldn't be surprise if only he put a little attention to the girl. but he never had. All of this years, despite the girl always following him, he never really had slightly interest to the girl. He only knew she was the girl next door and she somehow always gave him that healing capsules. Never crossed his mind that the medicine was her creation.
"The Close Combat category, like every other category, has five grades. Participants will be entering the grade based on their ages. Each grade had 100 participants. In the first round, the system will randomly pair two participants to fight. The winner will be determined by two conditions, K.O and zero point.
"A K.O is a condition when a participant can no longer fight back or stand after 30 seconds, or when both of participant's feet were outside the area.
At each round, every fighter will have 100 attack moves. Every attack he or she foes, makes them lose a move. One who has no more attack moves first is losing.."
Quint turned his attention to his master. "Are we allowed to kill during the fight ?" he asked in a tone that could only be heard by the two of them.
His master gave him a thin smile. "By accident, yes.." he answered indirectly.
Quint nodded then shifted his attention back to the head of referee that was speaking.
"The winner of first round automatically will be in the top 50. In the second round, participants on top 50 will be fight to enter top 25. The third round will be to determined the top 12, the fourth for top 6, and fifth round to determine the 4 semifinalists. As for the loser, they will also still fight to gain their best ranks. For instance, ones who lose on first round, will fight in second round to be in top 75.."
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First Round.
Quint step on the battle stage. It was a six by six meters stage and around two feet from the ground. The stage area was covered by a simple black material, neither slippery nor sticky.
Once Quint stood on a corner of the stage, a boy suddenly jumped on the stage with a somersault. the audiences gasp. some were sighing in pity to Quint.
The boy was huge, almost as tall as Quint's master with a bulky arms and shoulders. While Quint.. well, Quint was Eastern. Al though his height might be above the average of 12 years old Eastern boys, but in this country he was considered average, maybe a little shorter than average. More over, those physical and strength trains he had was deliberately not making his body bulky. His body was very toned and muscular, but just like his master, he was not bulky at all. Their bodies were left to be slender so they could maintain their agilities and flexibilities.
The boy grinned widely, definitely underestimate Quint based on his appearance. Quint gave him a thin smile. While his opponent was jumping around to suppress his excitement and maybe nervousness, Quint just stood calmly, with almost no expression on his face.
Once the referee moving his hand to signal the fight was started, his opponent immediately ran and jumped to attack him. Noticing the kick was approaching his chest, Quint swiftly moved his body to avoid it. He then lightly punched the boy's upper arm as he move. The boy might expected Quint blocked his kick, not avoided it. Thus, he almost lost balance and had few steps to balance himself.
Quint then attacked the boy with his fist. The boy blocked it. Quint saw an opening then throw another fist. It hit the boy waist. Quint quickly threw several punches to the boy's body, making the boy stepped a back several times while trying to block them.
Quint glanced at the ground for a split second while threw his punch to the boy's chest. He then stopped punching and instead jumped. While turned his body 360 degree, he launched a high kick to the boy's head. The boy once again blocked it.
However, as previously, his block always showed an opening. This time, still off the ground, Quint hit armpit with his strong kick. The kick was so strong that flew the boy few feet back. when the boy fall, he realized he was no longer on the stage.
"No 32: Win !" the referee exclaimed, confirming his winning.
Quint smiled widely. He made a respectful bow to the referee before jumped down the stage. Still with a wide smile on his face, he ran toward his master who already walked approaching him with towel and water.
"What were you doing wasting your point like that ?" His master asked in dissatisfaction. Quint's smile was frozen. He expected an appraisal from his master, but he got a rebuke instead.
"Couldn't you really manage him with one attack ?" his master asked again. "Didn't your profound power work ?"
"It. it worked," Quint answered, lowering his head. His profound power did worked. That's why he could clearly see his opponent's opening from the beginning.
"Then why didn't you attack him in one a go ? Was he really that strong ?" his master asked again.
"N.. No.. I could. But I thought.. I thought it would be too quick and less interesting," he said in stammered.
His master smacked the back of his head. "Do you think this is a show ? The more moves you show, the less point you have! So be efficient !"
"Y.. Yes, Master.." Quint said quickly, realizing his mistake.
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Second Round.
This time his opponent was already on stage when he stepped on it. Another tall boy, but not as bulky. He also smirked to see Quint's appearance.
After the referee began the fight, just like before, his opponent immediately launched an attack. It was a triple punches. Quint blocked them, but didn't attack back. His opponent threw another fist.
Quint once again saw an opening. Quint blocked it with his left arm. However this time, his left arm was not only blocking. It was snaking around the boy's arm went until his shoulder. Quint then twisted the arm back. The boy cried in pain. He reflexively used his left arm to try to let go Quint's grab on his shoulder.
Quint quickly grabbed that arm and locked it there, unable to move. As he released his left arm from the boy's shoulder, Quint kicked the boy's stomach.
The boy flied, spreading flesh blood on he air. He fell on the ground back first with a loud boom and crack sound. The boy tried to stand, but he failed.
Quint stood on his corner as the referee counted to 30. The boy didn't stand. The referee waved his hand then announced this round was won by Quint.
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As he fought his third, and fourth round with one attack winning, his name was spread quickly among the participants, especially ones who managed to enter the top 6.
"You know, you can just admit defeated in this round and still can go through the semifinal," Quint's master said to Quint at the lunch break at the second day.
In the fifth round, the first three semifinalists would be the winner from this round. The fourth semifinalist however would be determined by the greatest points of the losers. Quint with 388 had the highest point among top six. Actually he just broke the record. The previous record of fourth round grade A was 380.
"Quint glanced at his master. "No. I will fight," he refused his master suggestion.
"To win a war we don't need to win all battles," his master rebuked him. "You need to strategies your self. Not fighting this round means you saved energy for semifinal."
"But I will lose point," Quint rejected. The lost one in each round was getting no point. "Beside, I'm not tired at all," he added.
His master shrugged. "If you insist, Boy."
Soon, his fight was up. This time his opponent was a serious and solemn boy.
Once the referee said the fight was started, Quint as usual just stood still to wait for the opponent's attack. However this time, his opponent also didn't make a move. They both just stood on their corner, gazing at each other.
One minute. Two minutes. Five minutes. Even ten minutes later, there was no movement from both parties. Audiences started getting restless. They were whispering to each other, figuring out what was happened. Some were boohooing.
Quint still laid his gaze to his opponent. This boy was doing what he had done, seeking an opening from opponent's attack. What Quint didn't know was whether or not his opponent also had profound initiate power like him. Quint was a very patient boy. He could just wait as long as he needed. But the referee's patient was not as thick as his.
"One of you must start the fight or I will announce both of you lose," The referee hissed to both of boys. Quint rolled his eyes. Was he really permitted to do that ?
To please the referee, Quint walked toward the boy who did the same. They were now facing each other. Still, no one initiated an attack.
Five minutes later. "I'm warning you," the referee hissed again.
Quint then suddenly launched his straightforward kick to the boy, deliberately showing him an opening.
As expected, the boy saw the opening. While dodging Quint's kick, the boy launched his attack toward Quint's left chest. However since the opening was intended, Quint had prepared himself for the attack.
Quint dodged a little to make the fist punched through air in between his body and arm. He then clamped the boy's wrist with his armpit. The boy bulged to realize he was in trap. Quint smiled while pulling the boy's arm to enclose their distance. He then stroke the boy's chest with his palm.
The stroke was seemingly weak in human's eyes. Without others notice, except his master, Quint had actually put spiritual energy in his 'weak' stroke. Thus, it cause the boy moved several steps back with his hand on his chest.
When he stopped moving, the boy just stood there, still clenching his chest. His mouth started to open, gasping for air. "You.." the boy hissed, pointing at Quint with his other arm before he fell down to the ground unconsciously.
The referee quickly checked on the boy's condition. He then called the paramedic that was stood by below the stage to immediately brought the boy away. With a little annoyance in his eyes, the referee then announced Quint's victory.
"Did you kill him ?" his master hissed.
Quint shrugged. "No. But he won't be able to continue fighting this year," he answered unchantantly. His master just sighed in relieved then disheveled his hair.
Once again, the words that Quint almost killed his opponent spread as fast as the wind blew. It was not the first time a participant was almost killed nor even being killed. But, those participants only had it after a long life and death fight with their opponents, not at the first counter attack they had.
At the semifinal, Quint's opponent was a girl. She was beautiful with her long wavy golden blonde hair and blue eyes. When he was preparing himself at his corner, the girl came to him.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. I hope we can cooperate," the girl whispered to him in a very soft and soothing tone. Quint could only blinked a couple of times as the girl flicked her hair and walking away.
The referee gathered them in the center. They bowed to the referee, then to each other. The girl smiled attractively at him again. Even the referee was stunned to see her smile. Only few seconds later the referee could regain his sane. He then signal to start the fight.
The girl then made a sudden attack toward Quint. Her movement was not that fast that Quint definitely could see it clearly. When the attack was about to arrive, Quint already prepared to blocked it, suddenly he heard the girl whispered, "Let me hit you."
Quint blinked in confusion again before regained his sane. It was only a split second, but it was enough time to slow down Quint's reaction to block.
Quint knew he had no time to block, so he bended his upper body 90 degree backward to dodge the attack. Unfortunately, it was still not fast enough. The girl still hit his jaw.
Backwardly, Quint rolled his feet over his head few times, before standing again. He gazed in irritation to the girl who smiled sweetly. His mind was stop working for a split second when hearing her words back then.
"Quint !" his master called him from under the stage. Quint turned his head to him. "Deafen your ears. She's a whisperer."
Quint hadn't grabbed what his master said completely when he saw the girl was coming to attack him again. Once again Quint could clearly see her attack. However, also once again, he heard her whispered, "Don't block me." Her voice was so soft and beautiful like a fairy.
Quint was stunned. This time, he didn't even move to avoid her attack. Her attack was straight hit his chest. Only after suffering from the hit, Quint gained back his mind. He stepped back, barely fell off the stage. Blood chocked in his throat. His chest was hurt, but his dignity suffered more.
He swallowed the blood down and clenched his fist. He understood what his master was saying now. The girl's initiate power was to allure people with her voice. He turned his gaze to the girl. The girl still smiled softly with an apology look.
Quint walked toward the girl calmly. The girl also walked toward him. quint raised his hand, about to hit her. "Don't hit me please," the girl whispered.
Quint stopped his fist on the air. The girl smiled. "Instead, let me hit you," she said then launched her third attack. Quint stood still. His stare laid on the hit that was about to hit his chest again.
But then, his hand gently wrapped around the fist and pushed the hit away from his chest. The girl's eyes were wide opened to have that reaction. Only a second later she could feel a horrible pain as the bones of her fingers were crushed by Quint's palm.
The girl grabbed Quint's wrapped palm with her other hand, but Quint held it. Slowly, he forced her other hand toward her neck. He forced it to open then choked her own neck. His pushed against her made the girl fell down.
Quint let his body followed her falling body. She laid on the ground, with Quint was on top of her. While his one hand crushing her right arm's bones, his other hand was guiding her hand to choke herself..
The girl's mouth started to gap for air. Her feet were stomping on the ground, tried to make the give up sign.
"Stop it ! Stop it !!" The referee shouted to Quint to stop, but Quint couldn't hear him. Earlier, he used his spiritual energy to temporarily deafening his ear to avoid hearing the girl's voice.
Only when the referee forcefully pulled his hand, Quint released the girl's hand on her neck. The girl was panting for air. Her eyes were almost totally white.
Her official quickly jumped on stage. While gazing angrily to Quint, he carried the girl away.
With this win, Quint went to final round.