The settling dust revealed a breathtaking tableau—a radiant golden barrier defiantly blocking the onslaught of Mike's electrified sword. Electric currents crackled and surged through the shield, creating an otherworldly display of light and energy. Yet, Ahiro stood untouched within the protective cocoon, his form unmarred by the relentless assault.
Mike, his anticipation turning to disbelief, halted in his tracks. The malevolent force that had fueled his every move seemed to dissipate, replaced by a bewildered expression. The absence of the agonizing scream he had expected left a hollow echo in the air.
Frustration boiled within Mike, and he screamed, "How?"
Ahiro's wide smile in response hinted at a secret triumph. He knew he had seized a rare opportunity, a moment of vulnerability in his adversary. Time was of the essence, and he couldn't afford to squander this strategic advantage.
Seizing the moment, Ahiro sprang forward from behind the golden shield. With a swift, calculated move, he used the back of his spear to disarm Mike, knocking the electrified sword from his grasp. The weapon clattered to the ground, its malevolent energy silenced.
In one fluid motion, Ahiro rotated his spear, pointing the blade at Mike's chest. The battlefield fell into a tense stillness as the blade hovered inches from its target. Ahiro's eyes, now gleaming with both triumph and caution, met Mike's bewildered gaze.
The hovering drone, a silent witness to the unfolding drama, declared the match over. The booming voice echoed across the battlefield, proclaiming Ahiro as the victorious warrior. The revelation sank in, and the tension that had gripped the battlefield began to dissipate.
Ahiro, the embodiment of resilience, stood triumphant, having turned the tide against the seemingly unstoppable force. The dust-laden air carried with it a sense of finality, marking the end of a fierce battle that had pushed both warriors to their limits.
Mike could not believe he was defeated, defeat was a foreign concept to him. He knew he wasn't the strongest of them all but he knew what challenges he should face and he never picked fights against anyone stronger than him because in his family defeat was Taboo.
Mike could clearly recall all he had gone through to get where he was, who and how he was, his life was a testament to the pressure that had moulded him into the formidable warrior he believed himself to be. As the battlefield echoed with the proclamation of his defeat, his thoughts drifted back to his childhood, where the seeds of his current self were sown.
In the early years, Mike's father, a prominent figure of influence and wealth, had orchestrated a rigorous regimen for his son. From the moment Mike displayed signs of awakened abilities, his father saw in him the potential to lead their influential family. The best teachers were hired, their sole purpose being to sculpt Mike into a force to be reckoned with. His days would be filled with training in various compact arts and swordsmanship, everything was clearly crafted and selected by his father to bring out his potential.
when he was in junior school, he demonstrated his prowess by defeating seniors, an act that established his dominance from a young age. His father was proud that he had won and awarded him. Since then he understood that to make his father proud he had to win. The physical strength he possessed in high school surpassed that of adults, rendering him an imposing figure feared by both students and teachers alike. At that time he had kept his own school under him with his power and his father's wealth shielded him, creating an aura of invincibility that repelled any government officials. His whole life he knew that if he win his father would make him invincible.
He knew his training was enforced by his father, a disciplinarian who demanded perfection. No excuses were tolerated; every missed day of training was met with punishment. Mike's father, echoing the mantra that he was destined to lead their family, drilled into him the belief that he was superior to all. The weight of familial expectations bore down on Mike's shoulders, shaping him into a formidable force on the battlefield.
The shock of defeat on the battlefield triggered a haunting recollection of a painful incident from Mike's past, a chapter he had buried deep within the recesses of his consciousness. The memories echoed back to a time when he, despite his physical prowess, had experienced the bitter taste of defeat.
In that defining moment, Mike had encountered an adversary twice his age, a seasoned warrior whose skills surpassed his own. The defeat was not just a blow to his ego but an affront to the expectations his father had placed upon him. However, what followed was a cruelty that left scars both physical and emotional.
His father, unmoved by any semblance of sympathy, reacted to Mike's failure with a brutal display of punishment. He unleashed a torrent of blows upon his son, heedless of the cries of pain that reverberated through their opulent residence. He could not understand why his father who had loved him so much and who protected him and guided him on the path to becoming invincible would beat him, but at moment he found himself at the mercy of a merciless assailant, his father, who seemed determined to beat him to death.
After each relentless assault, his father's words cut deeper than the physical wounds. "This is all for you," he would coldly declare. "If you are not getting better, if you don't know what it feels like to get hurt, how can you comprehend defeat?" It was at that moment he knew what it meant to be defeated.
The beatings continued, escalating until Mike teetered on the brink of consciousness, battered and broken. Only then would his father relent, leaning over him with a chilling intensity. "Understand this," he would emphasize, his voice a venomous whisper. "In the Kratos family, there are no weaklings or losers, there are just two types of people one who is Kratos and one who is not. If you want to be Kratos, if you want to be my son, do not get defeated again." The look in his eyes was devoid of any love, his face was etched with disappointment and that was the last time he had seen his father face to face.
The harrowing cycle of defeat, punishment, and a relentless drive for superiority forged the unwavering exterior that Mike presented to the world. The scars, both seen and unseen, bore witness to the twisted philosophy that had been ingrained in him—that defeat was not an option, and weakness was an intolerable flaw.