Ian gripped his chest, staggering backward. The attack hadn't hit any vital organs, but it still left a fucking hole in his chest. He tightened the grip with his sword with one hand, switching his positioning so that his sword was defending his entire body.
"My breathing is fine, and I don't feel any internal bleeding. It looks bad, but I didn't take that much damage." Ian thought to himself.
That attack had placed his mind into a hyper-focused state, in which he felt like he could see every single pore on Dubius's body.
"The Stinger!? I thought that was just a name!" Tokita screamed out. He turned to Delvam, his eyes wide.
"How do you think he got that name?" Delvam stated. Tokita didn't know how to answer that. Delvam continued. "Dubius uses his incredibly powerful Latissimus and Brachii muscles, mixed with his Catalyst, to create the Stinger, a technique in which he thrusts his dagger and retracts it faster than the return stroke of a lightning bolt," Delvam noted.
"F-Faster than a Lightning Bolt!?" Tokita exclaimed. Speeds of that level were possible by humans?
"That's not even the worst part. Dubius's catalyst can make it far more potent." Delvam stated.
"That's right...His Catalyst..." Tokita started.
"Not that I remember your mother, but if she did fall to my hands, this is probably the way she went out!" Dubius giggled to himself, before turning into full-on laughter that the entire audience looked on in a feeling of discomfort.
"Y-You...Fucker..." Ian grunted, attempting to steady his breathing to avoid passing out from the blood loss alone.
"It's been fun but eh...It's about time I finish this," Dubius articulated. Dubius hunched over slightly before he tore his shirt off. The veins connected to his heart began to glow green before his eyes did as well. He began to chuckle as his skin began to develop scales until his upper body resembled that of a snake in texture. His eyes had transformed into the orange slits of a snake as he developed a viper-like tail.
"What in the world?" Ian grumbled. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Dubius had transformed, his form matching that of a snake!
"Snake Physiology!" Tokita exclaimed. Dubius's catalyst gave him the ability to transform his body into a reptile-like form. His upper and lower body gained scales, he grew a tail, and his eyes slanted into that of a snake.
Dubius dashed, appearing above Ian. Ian's eyes widened, and he tried to move away, but he wasn't prepared for his speed. Dubius kicked downward, slamming his foot into the back of Ian's skull. Ian's face planted into the dirt, creating a crater that shook the Arena.
The audience gasped, and some began to boo Dubius.
The King and his Knights watched in solemn silence.
"Don't be finished yet!" Dubius screamed, kicking Ian in the stomach, causing him to get sent several feet into the air. Dubius launched himself after him, ramming his fist into Ian's gut and slamming him down into the Arena's floor once again, forming another crater that dented the very earth they stood on.
Ian coughed up blood, still holding onto his sword. He brought it up, attempting to stab Dubius. Dubius did nothing, merely standing above Ian as his sword failed to pierce his scales.
"Surprised? My scales are tougher than steel; the toys they give for this tournament could never pierce them!" Dubius laughed, vaulting himself on top of Ian's chest.
He slammed his fist into Ian's face, causing a fracture in his cheekbone. He punched him again and again, bashing his face with several punches. He began to strike Ian at such high speeds that his punches turned into a blur, the shockwaves being generated blasting air across the entire arena.
Ian screamed, blood coursing down his face. He ripped himself up from the barrage of punches, slamming his forehead into Dubius's, making them both recoil, Ian more so.
Ian's face had been covered in blood, blinding his eyes as he struggled to stay awake.
"Fuck...Like headbutting a steel wall..." Ian groaned, rolling over as Dubius recovered relatively quickly.
Ian got up, weapon at the ready. Blood continued to pour from his chest, but it began to clot.
Dubius dashed, moving so quickly he disappeared from the sight of all of the audience members. Dubius appeared in front of Ian, throwing a left hook straight at him. Ian parried with his sword, sparks flying everywhere. He pushed off Dubius's arm, throwing him off balance. Ian threw a low kick at Dubius's shin, but it only ended up hurting Ian.
Ian clenched his teeth in pain before Dubius threw a right cross, landing square in Ian's solar plexus. He had the wind knocked out of him as he could feel a few of his ribs breaking. The force of the impact caused him to get sent flying into one of the Arena walls.
As he hit the wall, he recoiled off it, his pupils dilating.
"Oh, shit. I'm about to lose consciousness." Ian thought to himself as he was falling to the ground. For a hundredth of a second, Ian lost consciousness. At that time, he woke up and stopped himself from hitting the floor.
He looked up, and Dubius was gone. He could hear something from above him, so he rolled out of the way from Dubius, turning him into paste from a flying knee.
Dubius turned around, slamming his tail into Ian's side, sending him back into the center of the Arena.
"Why isn't anyone stopping this? Ian's going to get killed!" Tokita stated.
"You truly are not from around here," Delvam said quietly. "Nobody is stopping the fight because that would go against the very honor that makes a fighter." He finished.
Tokita was at a loss for words. 'Honor' was something that he never really experienced. Pride? Sure, he experienced it all the time, but to risk even your own life for it was another story.
So he simply clenched his fists and hoped Ian would get out alive. Interestingly, the people he met here felt like he knew them way longer than the people in his world. All but except Akane; The thought of her made his heart sting.
Ian got up, a considerable amount of blood coming from his nose and mouth.
"Allow me to teach you a little bit of anatomy." Dubius grinned. "After I hit you a couple more times, blood will start flooding your brain, causing almost instant brain damage." Dubius's pupils vanished as he laughed. "You'll be a vegetable in a couple of minutes, so I suggest you pray to whatever god you believe in," Dubius exclaimed.
He dashed, once again losing sight of everyone in the audience. He came from behind Ian, fist clenching. Dubius launched his fist with complete confidence, deciding that he'd remove Ian's head that very instant. His punch was so fast that the sound of his movements was slower than his punch.
"I was hoping to finish this sooner," Ian stated, turning around and catching Dubius's fist. Dubius's eyes widened as Ian's eyes glowed bright yellow, with Ian using his other hand and palm striking Dubius's chest, sending him flying a few feet back.
Dubius coughed, a small amount of blood spitting out into his hand. "W-What did you do!?" he screamed, enraged.
Bright golden energy circulated around Ian, with symbols forming on his palms. "Me? All I did was decide to start giving a shit." Ian stated simply.
The King who sat upon the stands looked down in slight surprise. "I should have put it together sooner; He's one of the Hawk's Kin." The King stated, looking down as the energy around Ian focused into his palms.
"I'm nowhere close to being as proficient at using our family's catalyst as my siblings, but..." Ian got into a traditional Soryu stance, with one foot forward and a hand out in the same direction.
Dubius charged, kicking himself into the air and attempting to take Ian's head off with his tail.
Ian countered, striking his tail right at the joint with his palm, causing it to snap. Dubius let out a quiet grunt of pain before throwing a sucker punch straight to Ian's side. Ian grunted, twisting his body to reduce damage, then striking his palm into Dubius's scaled chest. He was sent back once again.
"I don't understand...How am I getting damaged!?" Dubius asked himself.
"You want to know why?" Ian stated confidently. "It's because my Catalyst allows me to manipulate Chi, a life force that only my family can control." Ian changed his stance, switching positions to give his left side a better side. He continued. "If I attack your chi directly, why do your defenses even matter?"
Dubius clenched his fists in rage.
Ian flattened his palms in a state of concentration.
"Even though I only ever mastered three techniques of the family Catalyst," Ian said to himself.
Dubius was pissed. The deal he was offered stated if he passed the Knight exam, he would be cleared of all charges and allowed to become a knight in a good position. He wasn't going to let some brat take the win!
He calmed down, smiling. "It does not matter; even if your Catalyst gives you a power like that, it's already over!" He laughed.
"What do you-" Ian stopped, noticing blood dripping from his nose. Not normal blood; his blood had become pitch black. He looked down at his veins and noticed they had turned black as well.
He coughed, falling to his knees. "What..." Ian coughed.
"Creating poisons is also one of my abilities; I had my weapons coated in them before this fight even started. I just needed to wait for their activation!" Dubius continued laughing.
Ian was quiet for a moment before he just chuckled.
He raised his palm to the side, striking his chest. "7 Heavens: Healing Palm!" he chanted as his veins returned to a standard color and his wounds clotted. The golden energy spread throughout his body as he stood back up. The poison that had just a few seconds ago been infecting his entire body was cleansed instantly.
"Huh?" Dubius questioned. "W-What did you just do!?" He screamed.
"I already told you, I can manipulate Chi. Did you think healing was beyond my abilities?" Ian asked with a complacent look.
Dubius could hardly contain his irritation, and soon he exploded at Ian, heaving a powerful roundhouse kick. He sidestepped, attacking Dubius twice with palm strikes. Both times, they just continued to annoy Dubius.
"You fucking brat...I'll destroy you!" Dubius screamed, throwing his arm back. He then punched forward with all the strength he had.
"7 Heavens: Spear Strike!" Ian screamed, laying his hand flat like a spear and stabbing it straight through Dubius's hand. Dubius screamed, ripping his hand out of Ian's spear hand. "You're lucky there isn't that much Chi around us; otherwise, that would've cut straight through your hand."
Dubius couldn't contain it anymore; he dashed, throwing a mix of punches and strikes, all of which got blocked by Ian. Ian shifted himself forward, elbowing Dubius directly in the chest. This provoked Dubius's body, forcing it to puke more blood as his transformation began to slowly diminish. Dubius grunted in annoyance as he struggled to think up a conclusion on how to win.
Dubius had one final plan left, one he was sure Ian wouldn't manage to block.
He reeled his hand back, sticking it to his chest. In a fraction of a second, he had built up enough force.
Dubius used his ultimate technique, the Stinger, but his Snake Transformation doubled its speed.
"Ian couldn't see it at all previously! So now, the possibility of him even comprehending this attack is zero!" Dubius thought to himself, releasing the Stinger. Its speed and power caused an explosion of Dust to cover the Arena.
As the Dust cleared, Ian...
Had caught his hand.
Dubius looked forward with a face of complete confusion.
"It's time I end this," Ian stated; he focused all his Chi into a single hand, using his most powerful technique. He stepped forward, releasing all his anger.
"You bastard-" Dubius got out before being hit.
"7 Heavens: Chi Destruction!" Ian screamed out, crashing his super-charged palm into Dubius's chest. It moved through his thick scales, striking at his own Chi directly. By attacking his Chi, Dubius's nerve system itself got destroyed. "There is no armor in this world that can block this," Ian stated vainly as he launched Dubius across the entire Arena.
Dubius collided with the opposite wall, creating a massive dent. He slowly fell to the ground, creating a thud as the audience watched in silence. Soon, the crowd was cheering Ian's name. Ian looked around with a confused expression, blood covering most of his face. He wiped his face and walked over to the crippled Dubius, and kneeled by his face.
"Do you seriously not remember my mother?" Ian asked. His golden eyes locked with Dubius's.
"Now...I remember..." Dubius whispered. He began to chuckle as he gargled on his own blood. He looked Ian up and down as if he was scanning him. "How could I ever forget her...she does have your eyes..." Dubius stated weakly.
"Does...?" Ian questioned.
Dubius's eyes widened slightly, till he did a maniacal laugh. "You don't know? Your mother is..." Dubius spoke, his voice lowering into a faint whisper as the energy left his body and he fell into unconsciousness.
Ian's eyes widened until he heard the announcer ring the bell once again.
"With that, the first match is completed; the winner is Ian Hawkwalker!" The announcer proclaimed. The entire Arena roared with joy as Ian walked to the waiting room.
As the gates opened up, Tokita put his hand up, and Ian gave it a high five.
"Nice job!" Tokita congratulated him.
"Honestly, I didn't think I'd win." Ian scratched the back of his head wistfully.
"Hawkwalker," Delvam stated, turning towards Ian. Ian looked to Delvam as he spoke. "What did you do to Dubius?" He asked simply.
Ian paused for a moment before speaking. "Quite simply, he won't be walking for the rest of his life," Ian said simply.
Tokita's eyes widened in surprise, and Delvam merely nodded.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I need some rest," Ian stated, walking to a bench and leaning against a wall, taking a deep breath in. "I did it." He said quietly.
"You're not going to go wait with him?" Delvam asked.
"Nah, he needs the rest," Tokita stated. He took a deep breath, squeezing his hands closed. He has a goal, he knows that, but that first round shook him a good bit. Any of those punches that Dubius threw out, he wasn't sure he'd be able to take a single one of them.
But that didn't stop his determination; he would join Akane and prove he was just as good as her.
Although in the back of his mind lurked the possibility that he wouldn't be as good as Akane. That she would completely abandon him, worse than she already had. That she-
"Delvam Mahi will be the first fighter for the second round!" The announcer chanted, making the audience roar in excitement. Their excited energy caused the entire Arena to shake.
"It appears it is time for me to fight." Delvam nodded to himself. Tokita turned to him, wishing him good luck. "I can tell you are still a bit green Tokita; I insist you watch this fight and gain something from it," Delvam stated bluntly.
Tokita nodded. "I will!" He declared with determination in his eyes.
Delvam let out a soft hum, acknowledging Tokita's determination.
He stepped out into the Arena, the Dust blowing into his face. He continued until he reached the center and waited. He stood, eyes focused on the gate in front of him.
Like Dubius, a man who four guards guarded was brought out. The crucial difference between Dubius and this man was this man had eighteen cuffs and locks, each one locking one of his joints. He had a blindfold and gag but was soon allowed sight as the guards removed his cuffs. The audience gasped, almost vomiting at the sight of who was fighting.
"How could you bring him here!?" One audience member screamed.
"That monster deserves to be executed!" Another yelled out.
Delvam's eyes grew cold, staring at the King above, who watched with a boring glare. He turned back to his opponent. "To think, an even more ruthless monster was allowed into the initiation." He stated.
A man in the fighter's room, Shu Xiangli, scoffed in annoyance. "Don't understand why the worms are getting excited..." He said while looking on in boredom.
"For Delvam Mahi's challenger, Leon of Scalavia!" The announcer screamed as the constraints on Leon's body dropped. He stared forward, shadows covering his face as his hair flew in the wind. The only thing visible was the whites of his empty eyes and his smile.
Leon stood at roughly the same height as Tokita, with no distinguishing features being visible. His body was completely covered by shadows, the only thing being visible is his pure white glowing eyes and his smile that would send fear into the hearts of the toughest men. He had a relaxed stance, his arms resting as they fell by his sides from gravity.
Leon bubbled, chuckling like a child. The guards stepped back as Leon wandered to the opposite end of the Arena where Delvam was. He stood, slightly hunched as he stood with open palms at his sides. He brought them up slightly, tilting his up as he began to laugh maniacally.
He wore nothing to cover up his upper body; he merely wore black pants that had the appearance of rags and broken restraints around his ankles.
He brought his hands up to his face and began to scratch at it, looking forward at Delvam.
He continued his childish laughter as Delvam stood silently.
Tokita didn't know what to think; all he could do was stand there and watch.
"Let the second round...Begin!" The announcer screamed, causing the audience to roar again throughout the Arena.
Leon chuckled as he grinned even wider.
Delvam switched his stance, changing into a Heaven and Earth stance, which highly resembled the use of Karate back in Tokita's world. Delvam planted his feet down, feeling the vibrations of the earth. He took a deep breath, feeling the emotions and feelings of everyone in the Arena, including Leon.
Leon leaned forward as the entire audience waited. They didn't move for a minute straight, just observing each other.
Tokita watched in silence, as did the other fighters. He swallowed the built-up saliva in his throat, and then someone made the first move.
Leon suddenly vanished from the view of everybody in the Arena. It wasn't like how Dubius did it with speed; Leon seemingly disappeared into thin air.
Delvam's eye widened as he turned around to block a flying high kick from Leon. He grunted slightly, Leon's foot digging into the arm that Delvam blocked with. Delvam ignored it, moving forward and twisting his right, striking his fist directly into Leon's chest.
Leon gasped for air, getting sent flying. He slammed into the walls of the Arena, shaking it in the process. Delvam returned to his prior stance, waiting for the Dust to clear.
When the Dust did clear, Leon had vanished again. Suddenly, Leon appeared from the left side of Delvam's back. Leon flattened his palm, using a technique that looked highly similar to Ian's '7 Heavens Spear Strike'. He strikes forward, using his hand like a spear.
Delvam dodged to the side, Leon's attack cutting into his side. Leon continued, landing on the ground as he did a handstand before flipping back up and attempting to take Delvam's head off with another high sweep.
Delvam step-dodged, simultaneously bringing his fist back and punching straight at Delvam's side. Delvam was quick, countering by clashing Delvam's fist with his foot.
Delvam's knuckles began to bleed as minor fractures grew in his hand after smashing into Leon's heel.
Leon vanished again, appearing right beside Delvam's head, slamming his knee into Delvam's arm. Delvam twisted his upper body, grabbing Leon by the throat before crashing him to the ground. By the time Leon touched the ground, he vanished again.
"I...I don't understand what's going on at all." Tokita said to himself. Without Delvam there to explain everything to him, he felt lost in a way.
Delvam grunted as Leon continued to giggle like a child. Leon sprinted at Delvam, shooting a powerful straight kick. Right before he made contact, he vanished again, appearing behind Delvam and kicking him in the back. Delvam simply twisted his body, backhanding Delvam to the ground.
Leon spun, sweeping the ground as Delvam stepped back to avoid it. Leon kicked off the ground, launching himself into the air in an attempt to bash Delvam's head in with his heel.
Delvam blocked his forearm, gripping Leon's ankle and slamming him into the rough dirt below. He continued, attempting to stomp Leon's chest.
As he stomped, Leon vanished again. He looked around, closing his eyes. Delvam could feel it, not vibrations, sounds, or even Leon's breathing. He could feel Leon's emotions. Leon didn't even view this as a fight; he only imagined it as a play fight.
Delvam turned around, seeing Leon charging at him, preparing to stab him with his hands. Delvam sucked in his breath, before pressing onward.
He stepped forward, striking his palm directly into Leon's chest, causing him to stagger. Leon bit into his lip as he threw a handful of dirt into Delvam's eyes. Delvam continued regardless, switching up and bashing his fish into Leon's stomach.
Delvam darted forward, throwing across and punching Leon straight across the face, causing Leon's legs to go weak. Delvam threw a flat chop into Leon's neck with his other hand, causing air to stop flowing temporarily. Leon began to fall before he clenched his teeth, disappearing for a final time.
"This trick of yours..." Delvam started. He turned around once again, seeing Leon there. Leon was struck with frustration, angry that he was taking damage and his opponent wasn't. He released a relentless barrage of strikes before his arms were both caught in Delvam's stance.
He used one arm, grabbing one of Leon's arms. With the other, he grabbed his neck. He rotated 90 degrees, using what appeared to be a judo throw, throwing Leon's head to the ground.
As Delvam's throw caused Leon's heat and shoulders to dig into the ground, the rest of his body quickly went limp.
And that was the end of the second round.
The audience was quiet before they went into an uproar.
"Delvam Mahi wins the quickest match of the day, in just under two minutes!" The announcer roared. Delvam returned to the gates as guards came by to bring Leon to the Medical Division.
Tokita looked towards Delvam, as Delvam was wiping some blood off his hands.
"Were you able to understand anything at all during that fight?" Delvam asked.
"H-Honestly...not really," Tokita stated with a nervous chuckle. Honestly, he had felt confident after the first stage of the Arena, but all of these recent fights were weighing him down.
"What I wanted you to learn was the ability to Adapt and Overcome," Delvam stated.
"Huh?" Tokita questioned.
"I was able to figure out that Leon's Catalyst allowed him to do a vanishing-like technique, and I overcame that by the third time I'd seen it," Delvam stated.
"You're precisely right, Mr. Mahi." one of the fighters stated as they walked up to Tokita and Delvam.
"You're..." Delvam started.
"Nilan Chronbridge, Future B Rank Knight." He stated. He wore expensive-looking armor with black and gold finishes. He wore a cross-like necklace and had his primary weapon, a long spear with an orange orb lodged in the center. He had dark black hair, in a more basic style.
"What do you need, Chronbridge?" Delvam asked coldly.
"I just came to inform you that you are correct about Leon's Catalyst. I'd know, the Gold Knight Division, the one I'm joining, is the group that threw him into Jail." Nilan stated cockily. He was roughly the same height as Tokita if only an inch taller. Nilan continued to boast about his knowledge. "Leon's Catalyst is known as 'Blink'; it allows him to appear behind his opponent's field of view if they blink while it's activated," Nilan stated smugly.
"And you know this due to being in the Gold Division for the Knights?" Delvam asked.
"Of course, I was there on the day the Golden Knight-Captain took Leon into custody, meaning I helped take him in! Now that I've shown off my skills in the first round, I'm practically guaranteed a spot!" Nilan laughed.
"That just sounds like you were an onlooker, not that impressive." Tokita deadpanned.
Nilan turned with an extremely hateful expression. His eyes glared deep into Tokita's soul. "Be quiet; you're trash." Nilan stared into Tokita's eyes. He had a face of complete disgust, very similar to how Akane looked at him.
Tokita grit his teeth, clenching his fists as he could feel the anger beginning to build up inside of him. Like a roaring fire, Nilan continued to add fuel to it.
"I heard how you were rated what, D- Potential? You're lucky you're even able to stand in my presence!" Nilan shouted as he got In Tokita's face.
Tokita's veins began to bulge as he could feel his vision turning red; he wasn't going to let this asshole boss him around. He pushed back. "Don't touch me, asshole!" Tokita stated.
"Or what?!" Nilan shouted back.
Delvam intervened, pushing the two apart.
"The two of you will stop at once-" Delvam was cut off.
"For the Third Fight of the Initiation, Tokita Oziro!" The announcer exclaimed.
"Wha-" Tokita looked forward.
"Versus, Nilan Chronbridge!" The announcer screamed out.
The two looked at each other, realizing they would be able to settle their small dispute far earlier than they thought.