Haaah... haaah... huuhhh...
I could barely keep my eyes open as I desperately gasped for air. My lungs cried out to be filled, but it was like I was incapable of doing so. My knees began to buckle and they almost gave way. I bent over, trying to force air into my lungs, each breath rasping and uneven. Blood dripped from my nose, and I wiped it away, my sleeve now stained red.
"Losing strength in all directions, I'm tired."
This is what a victor should feel like? Pathetic and weak beyond comparison? All my fantasies of becoming some kind of great, mythical fighter were thrown back in my face. But, then again, doesn't everyone dream of something like this? I guess most people don't step toward that dream. Is this why? Is this the result of someone like me attempting to become someone great? I mean, it's not like I asked to be thrown into the ring like this. I didn't ask for any of this at all! How many more times? How many more times am I going to have to get hurt and beat down like this?
...
I should calm down. The pain is causing all sorts of bitter sentiments to bubble up out of nowhere.
"Hold on a second! How in the hell did I lose?! He only tapped me once and I'm completely fine.", Meiying yelled.
Dismissing her, the master waved his hand and stated, "It was a win by technical strike. Besides, don't you get it at all? This boy, he-."
At the time, my senses had all dulled and I wasn't capable of hearing the next words that came out of his mouth. If I had heard them... Well, now that I think about it, I'm glad that I didn't. If I had heard them back then, I am certain that I wouldn't have been able to hold back my tears.
"This boy, he—has something you don't," the master finished, his tone steady and calm. Meiying's face twisted in confusion, but she stayed silent, waiting for him to explain.
I could barely register what was happening around me. My thoughts were sluggish, swimming through the fog of exhaustion and pain. But the master's voice was clear and concentrated.
"He may lack experience, skill, even strength. But what he has, what allowed him to win today, is something far more important."
I blinked, trying to focus, but my body felt heavy.
"It is in overcoming that most impossible of trials that we gain markings that prove we are alive. Even if he has faltered, no, even if he has faltered thousands of times, he pressed onward. That boy—"
As he said the last words, I felt my body failing me. My vision blurred for just a moment and I was sent tumbling downward. But, instead of feeling the cold, hard floor, I felt something unexpected. That unexpected and yet sincerely familiar embrace of a certain cocky empress.
"Nice work. Just as I'd expected from you."
I fell into her as she wrapped her arms around me. Not only her, but Fang, Kana, and Tiana also stood around me.
"—He has courage. And few things in this world could hope to rival that.
His words evaporated into the atmosphere, not wishing to linger any more than needed.
The only one to hear his words was Meiying. While she had prepared herself to argue with him over the match's outcome, she held her tongue. However, she still scoffed. It was in her understanding of his words that her frustration stemmed.
"Alright then smartass, I'll concede. I lost, even if it was due to some stupid reason."
Defeated, Meiying walked over to Farra.
"You went way too far. I just wanted you to test the waters. What you did was attempted murder."
"Shut up, I just got a little too into it. I figured I'd beat him before he died anyway."
"Like that's an excuse. But, what made you lose focus?"
"I got too into beating him up. Fighting weaklings is fun."
"No, I already knew you were a little sadist. What I meant was why you lost. I mean, for a second you completely broke focus."
"Oh, well...", She put her hand over her mouth in contemplation. "It was... his eyes"
"Hmm? Like, you got lost in his eyes or something? Woah! Should I be calling the cops? CPS? The army?!"
"No, not like that! Listen, I'm not saying I'm the best or most skilled at viewing the souls through the eyes, but- Like, in magecraft, the eyes are important. A skilled mage can get a better understanding of someone's soul by looking into their eyes. When I looked into his eyes, it was like nothing I'd seen before."
Confused, Farra tilted her head. "Not giving me much to work off here. You're also pretty bad at stuff like that so can we really take your observations too seriously?"
"I'm only bad compared to talented people like you! Also who even needs such a niche skill anyway? Most high-tier mages can't even do it at all!" Meiying shot back, a hint of indignation creeping into her voice. "And, it's not like I couldn't understand or interrupt what I was looking at! It was like, it was all hazy... Or maybe it was an abyss?"
"Think it could be a curse or some sort of UMT? It could be something simpler like a spell, right?"
"I already said I didn't know!"
Farra sighed, "I'm tired of this. Whatever it is that your saw, I just hope that it doesn't mean we'll have more work on out plates."