Alexia spoke in an affectionate tone, "Yes, this is love, and you know who you're in love with—it's me. By the way, that was quite a spectacular battle," whispering in his ears.
Asher asked anxiously, "So, I wasn't imagining it. You're here in front of me, sitting with me."
Alexia replied, "Yes, you fool. I've been here since we brought you here."
Asher's mind was still a bit scattered, and he managed to ask her, "Umm... uh... what about my next match? When will it be held?"...
Alexia assured Asher that he had no reason to worry as she stood up. Her cheeks flushed slightly as the door opened, and Henry walked in with a joyful expression.
"Great to see you're awake!" Henry exclaimed. "Your next opponent has been decided. Out of the initial 60, only 15 have made it to the next round. Unfortunately, 20 have perished, and Maggot is among them. You showed no mercy, cutting him to the heart, bro. You can be quite ruthless. But don't worry, it's a freestyle battle with no rules."
Feeling guilty, Asher said, "But I didn't intend to cut him like that."
Henry giggled, "I know, just kidding."
Curious, Alexia asked, "When will his next match start?"
"Tomorrow morning," Henry replied. "And guess what? I found out that the winner of the tournament will be granted a wish. You can ask for anything you want."
Excitedly, Alexia said, "Wow, that's amazing! So, what do you think you'll wish for, Asher?"
Asher hesitated, "Well... umm... I have no idea yet."
"Okay," Alexia said with a smile.
After Henry and Alexia left the room, Asher got up from his bed and settled into a chair near the window. From there, he caught a glimpse of a man who bore a striking resemblance to the old man, Yuan Xhin. Intrigued, he hurriedly left the room to find the old man, but to his dismay, he was nowhere to be seen.
Returning to the room, Asher pondered over the old man's sudden appearance. Lost in thought, Henry entered with a tray of food in his hand. Asher shared everything he had experienced with Henry.
"Why would he be here?" Henry wondered aloud. "Maybe he's here to watch the battles."
Asher nodded, agreeing, "Yeah, that's also a possibility."
"Alright, let's leave it for now. If he's here, we'll find out tomorrow," Henry said calmly.
Just then, Alexia burst into the room, breathing heavily,
Henry asked her curiously, "What happened? Why are you running? Is everything okay?"
Alexia was breathing heavily as she replied, "They're saying that round two will start today, and the first match is between Asher and Jack Brown. The match is going to start in 10 minutes."
Henry's surprise was evident as he said, "What the hell? Asher is in no condition to battle, and we don't even know who the opponent is."
With a smile on his face, Asher reassured them, "Calm down, Henry. I'm fine. I can fight without breaking a sweat."
But Henry insisted, "You need rest. Even though I healed your wounds, you still have to take it easy."
Asher explained, "I'm okay. Let's go and end this."
After saying this, Asher got up from his bed and picked up his katana. Alexia stood near the door, watching with concern.
Asher approached her and whispered in her ear, "I'll meet you tonight. Wait for me and don't fall asleep."
Then, Asher headed to the waiting area and patiently waited for his name to be called. After some time, his name was announced, and he made his way to the arena.
As he entered, the entire crowd erupted in cheers. His opponent, Jack, was already there and appeared excited upon seeing Asher.
Jack's eyes had a strange look as he said, "Now is the time to unleash my true power. The whole arena will witness the strength of my wild winds."
Asher noticed the determination and eagerness to win in Jack's eyes. As soon as the match started, Asher found himself propelled into the air, caught off guard and unable to react in time. Jack stood calmly, watching the unfolding events.
Jack said ecstatically, "You can't win if you can't attack. I won't leave any opening for you to strike. Just try to survive as long as I want to play with you."
Angrily, Asher retorted, "You bloody bastard."
Jack formed arrows with his wind magic and launched them towards Asher. Although Asher managed to deflect some of them with his katana, he still got hit by a few. Jack then dispelled his magic, causing Asher to fall from a height of nearly 15 meters.
The entire stadium gasped as it seemed Asher had been knocked out. The referee was about to declare Jack as the winner when Asher slowly stood up, spitting blood from his mouth and sighing in pain.
Jack started laughing, "Muahahaha, Give up! I intended to have some fun with you. You're weak, weaker than I expected."
But Asher's smile was unfazed as he said, "HAHAHA, Black flame magic, 'Demonic Katana.'"
Jack immediately replied, "I know this move of yours. It's nothing against my magic."
Asher waited for Jack to make the first move. Jack attempted to lift Asher into the air again, but this time Asher was prepared. He pointed his katana towards the air, creating a streamlined effect that prevented Jack from lifting him. In return, Asher unleashed a powerful slash of flames towards Jack, who quickly erected a wall of wind for protection.
Taunting him, Asher said, "Is that the only move you've got? Show me something powerful, like your last move. Or maybe you don't have anything at all. HAHAHAHA!"
Jack became furious and replied, "A brat like you isn't worthy of seeing my last move."
In a gentle tone, Asher said, "I know you don't have anything. Just give up."
Asher continued to taunt Jack, pushing him to use his final move. Asher was aware that in terms of magical power, he had the upper hand.
Jack became extremely angry, "You son of a bitch! You're getting on my nerves!"
Asher kept provoking him, "Say it, say it! You don't have anything."
Finally, Jack unleashed his ultimate move with the intention to kill him, "Wind magic, The Great Storm Bringer! Die, you bastard, die!"
Suddenly, heavy and powerful winds began swirling, continuously increasing in speed. Within seconds, a massive tornado formed, causing rocks in the arena to swirl around it. Asher found himself engulfed by the tornado.
Jack laughed evilly, "Yeah, die! Die! That's the true power of Jack fucking Brown! You wanted to see it? Well, see it now! HAHAHAHA! Asher Blackwood, your story ends here! HAHAHAHA!"
Asher was unable to attack amidst the swirling vortex. If he wanted to win, he had to find a way to escape the tornado. In the midst of the chaos, Asher looked for Alexia in the crowd, hoping for her support and encouragement.
As the intense wind pressure and loss of blood took its toll, Asher fell unconscious. In his mind's eye, he found himself standing before a fearsome demon composed of black flames, seated on a throne crafted from bones....
*****