"Are you ready, kid?" Rose's voice sent shivers down Matt's spine.
The stale air around Matt seemed to constrict, as tension spread all over his body. Being watched by numerous people, all having varying expectations of him, made him feel dizzy.
He didn't really hate attention, but this was on another level.
"Do I have a choice?" His voice quivered as he spoke.
He and Rose stood on stage, having a considerable distance of about fifteen meters separating them. Matt didn't know what stance to take, or what to do exactly, so he simply stood awkwardly, staring pleadingly at Rose.
His eyes were wide and frightened, but her's were gleaming with delight.
'Terrifying! He thought to himself, shuddering visibly.
"Nope. Get ready now."
Suddenly, a System Panel appeared above both Matt and Rose. A countdown was depicted on the massive blue board.
Matt could only swallow nervously as he read it.
[FIVE]
[FOUR]
"Do you know why I chose to be your opponent?" Rose's voice echoed across the vast hall.
Matt trembled as he awaited her explanation. His legs were prepared to run if necessary, and he pondered just how he would be able to defeat this obviously more powerful person?
[THREE]
[TWO]
"It's because I'm a Mage, just like you!"
[ONE]
[ZERO]
….
[YOU MAY BEGIN!]
>WHUUUUUSSSHHHHH!!!<
In a burst of crimson energy, flames suddenly erupted from Rose's fingertips. They danced atop her palm, flickering and burning bright as she cast her gaze on him.
'W-wow!' Matt's eyes instantly widened in fear and astonishment, as he saw the flames.
This was the first time he would see anything remotely related to a person casting Magic, so he was amazed by the awesome display of power from his opponent.
"Don't worry. Since you don't know the basics, I'll go easy on you." Rose narrowed her eyes and smiled.
Something about how she looked at him gave Matt the impression that he couldn't trust her words. Perhaps her concept of 'going easy' on him was far different from his own interpretation.
"Here goes."
Waving her hand casually, a ball of fire blazed hotly and lunged straight for Matt. The ball of flames was large enough to consume his body, causing him to scream in terror.
'This is too much!' He thought in a daze.
Fortunately, due to its massive size and obvious, straightforward path, Matt was able to evade it.
"Haa…" Ducking quickly so the flames could only graze his outfit at the last minute, Matt was able to successfully avoid being barbecued.
He could still feel the heat of the flames singeing his skin as sweat glistened on his face. Anyone could tell he was terrified.
'That was dangerous! If I had been hit by that, I would have received third-degree burns, at the very least!' So much for Rose going easy on him.
He would have called her a liar to her face, but Matt was scared that doing so would only infuriate her. What if she decided to dial things up a notch?
'No. I can't let her get the better of me! This is an exam. It's meant to be dangerous!' He decided to pick himself back up, as he witnessed Rose preparing yet another massive fireball—determined to hit her mark this time.
'As long as I follow the pattern, I should be fine.'
>WHOOOSSSHHH<
The ball of flames charged straight at him, and he instinctively ducked, barely avoiding being scorched by the blast.
The moment the flames passed him, they disintegrated into thin air, leaving him on stage, ready for the next attack.
"Are you sure you want to keep doing that? You'll just wear yourself out." Rose grinned, launching yet another ball like a human flamethrower.
'Shit! You think I don't know that?!'
Matt, once again, did his best to avoid the flame's scourging heat. It was a close call this time, and Matt could feel sweat drench his clothes. Not only was he getting hotter by the second, but his tongue was parched from dehydration.
"You should attack. If you don't, you can't win. It's like I said earlier. Tricks don't count. Intelligence hardly matters. What we want to see the most…" This time, the flames from Rose were larger than the previous ones.
"... Is power!"
She launched it, and the blazing inferno charged at with blinding speed.
'Damn it! You think I haven't figured that out yet?' He gritted his teeth and pushed his muscles to the limits, running as far as he could from the flame's impact.
>BOOOOOMMMMMM!!!<
Just as he dodged it, the fireball exploded, sending him crashing to the floor. Fortunately, it was merely the shockwave that affected him, not the fireball itself.
"G-guh…" Matt groaned, his vision becoming blurry.
He could feel his strength leaving him, and he began to drift in and out of consciousness.
"Haa… I really… need to start working out…" He muttered, already out of breath.
He didn't have the chance to rest, though. Not with Rose preparing another blast to send his way.
'Shit!'
Even though the situation clearly demanded the use of his powers, there was a reason why he wasn't doing anything—or rather, why he couldn't.
'My power… I don't know how to activate it!'
He initially thought he would just stretch out his hands to create his own blast, but he had been trying to test it out even before the match started, yet nothing was forthcoming. He didn't realize it until it was too late, but…
'I can't use Void Dar'k! And I don't know why!'
>WHUUUUMMMMMM!!!<
Matt sidestepped Rose's blast once more, breathing heavily as he barely managed to survive. A few short laps and he was already exhausted.
If his friends saw him now…
'H-hold on… my friends?!' Matt had completely forgotten about them amid the madness.
What would they think if they saw him like this? Being a Chuunibyou that was misunderstood by the world! If they saw him talking about Links, and the Veil, and all of this irrational stuff… wouldn't they think he was crazy?!
'A-ah… what am I doing? Should I forfeit?' He thought to himself.
However, despite the terrifying circumstances, and how hopeless the whole thing was—how his body ached and his head pounded, and the way he felt like throwing up and passing out at the same time—there was something that kept him going.
Something that couldn't let him give up!
'I want to see it, my power!' Matt's thought desperately as he stared at Rose.
Watching how Rose could generate flames from her fingertips was incredible. It was exciting, to say the least. However, upon seeing that amazing display of power, he wanted to see what he could do!
His heart pounded desperately, and his mouth watered in anticipation. Somehow, he felt like his whole life had led up to this moment, and that he was standing on the brink of a new beginning.
He wanted it so badly!
'Yet, why can't I do anything!' He shut his eyes and roared in frustration.
>BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!<
Suddenly, he felt a huge wave envelop him. The bright burst of flames licking the ground beneath him, and the sensation of something incredible building up within him.
In the darkness of his sight, he was finally able to do it.
"Haa… I see now." Matt's eyes slowly opened, and he witnessed the dark flames dying out around him.
It came as an epiphany. A flash of thought. A simple revelation.
However, the moment he realized the truth, he completely understood.
"I do not need to run any longer."