After Fae's fight ended he was given a break for an hour, he spent that break thinking, wondering what he'd do next. Fae knew he needed to get stronger, but for what? To stand next to Tessa? To protect himself? Why was he fighting so hard.
'For now I just need to get strong enough to stand on my own two feet, to stand side-by-side with Tessa' Fae thought as he clenched his fist.
Once the fights started up again Fae blasted through the tournament winning fight after fight with his overwhelming pressure, but yet he wasn't favorited to win the tournament, no, that title was given to another participant.
***
"Hey Joseph, are you ready for your semi-finals fight?" A voice asked Joseph as he stood up from his seat. "Of course I am, I'm always ready." Joseph spoke with a blank tone as he walked towards the arena, ready for his fight to begin.
Joseph's opponent came up to him with a smirk as he shouted. "My name is Logan Orion, prepare to be defeated!" Logan spoke with conviction as he readied himself to fight Joseph, Joseph had been a big talking point in the tournament and Logan had studied him, believing that he knew all of Joseph's moves and would be able to beat him.
"Just fight." Joseph spoke blankly with a calm stare, his dead eyes showing how uncaring he was for the fight. To Joseph this would just be another drawn out and boring fight, he knew who he truly needed to fight would come up next.
"BEGIN!"
As soon as the fight started Logan dashed towards Joseph with a fist of flame ready to hit and hopefully burn Joseph, as Logan punched his arm out the flames flickered and burned bright moving across the wind. *BAM* A slapping sound took over the arena as dust blasted up slighting shrouding the boys from everyone's view. As the dust settled the sight shocked the spectators, Joseph had grabbed Logan's burning hand with his bare hand.
"Your flames are weak." Joseph spoke coldly, his words stinging Logan as sharp as daggers. "Let me show you true flames!" Joseph said with an evil smile as his hands became shrouded in a black flame that snuffed out Logan's flame and crept up his arms.
Logan immediately let go of Joseph and started frantically running around the arena, screaming for life as the black flames burned him. "Well you're boring." Joseph said in a bored tone as he snapped his fingers putting out the flames.
Logan's arms up to the elbow were riddled with scorch marks, he had teary eyes as he looked at Joseph. "Oh you're right where are my manners." Joseph said as he snapped his fingers once again, a white flame appearing around Logan's arms instead of the previous black flames.
Logan screamed out of instinct but as he took a moment to think he realized the flames didn't burn, they were healing him even.
As Logan's arms were healed good as new the flames vanished on their own, leaving Logan to stare at Joseph in astonishment. "Well go on..." Joseph said as he started to smile and give Logan a mocking expression. "...show me how you could ever hope to defeat me." Joseph said this mocking Logan's words at the start of the fight. Joseph hated unwarranted arrogance, how could one be so prideful and act so tough, but be so weak?
What followed were the worst 10 minutes of Logan's life as Joseph began to poke, prod, and burn Logan in any way he could, always making sure to heal Logan after. Eventually Logan's mind shattered as he fell his knees crying.
"I surrender." Logan said quietly hoping the fight would finally be over. "What was that?" Joseph said, seeming as if he wasn't satisfied. "I SURRENDER! Please don't hurt me anymore!" Logan shouted out in between his tears and sobbing. Joseph smiled at him as he turned around and walked away, letting Logan walk out of the arena and surrender.
Logan didn't know what it was, but when he was looking at Joseph's smile, he felt as if he was staring into the eyes of the devil.
"And the winner is Joseph Limpervil!" Arthur shouted as the crowd cheered. "He shall now be moving onto the most exciting fight of the day, the finals" Arthur continued.
Joseph had no reaction as he heard this, but walking away he whispered something. "An idiot who dares to use my family name as a mere Human rank 3, well this'll be fun." Joseph spoke with a mischievous smile as he exited back to his chambers.
***
*ACHOO* Fae was sitting in his room waiting until he would be called for his finals match when suddenly he sneezed. "I wonder who's talking about me." Fae spoke to himself with a laugh.