The stage was shrouded in fog following the climactic exchange between Aria and David, drawing all eyes to the obscured battleground.
The audience held its collective breath, awaiting the moment the fog would lift.
Spectators, both in the arena and watching from afar via mobiles and TVs, were perched on the edge of their seats, hearts racing with anticipation. Would a victor emerge, or would the battle rage on?
As the facility's ventilation system whirred to life, the fog began to retreat, slowly unveiling the outcome.
A hush fell over the crowd, the tension palpable in the charged silence.
Then, after minutes that stretched like hours, the fog dissipated completely.
The result, now clear for all to see, sent a wave of shock through the audience, their gaze locked onto the stage, where the unexpected outcome was revealed.
The outcome was clear for all to see, leaving the audience in utter disbelief. The stage lay in ruins, and both combatants were sprawled across the wreckage, unconscious.
A hush fell over the crowd for several minutes until the referee, recovering from his astonishment, announced, "The match is declared a draw as both fighters are unable to continue." This proclamation sent shockwaves through the stadium and among online viewers, as no one anticipated a double knockout.
Despite the unexpected turn of events, Aria's male fans experienced mixed emotions; they were relieved she wouldn't have to date David, yet dismayed by her knockout.
Amidst the commotion, the medical team hastened onto the stage, followed by Elara, who was concerned for her sister's well-being. Upon arrival, she found a team of female nurses and a doctor attending to her sister, who was modestly covered with a blanket, despite her suit being torn in several places.
Moments after the checkup began, Aria's eyes snapped open, startling the medical team who had anticipated several hours before she would regain consciousness due to her physical and mental exhaustion from the battle.
Despite their intentions to transport her via stretcher, she communicated her refusal through a gesture.
With her sister's assistance, Aria rose and began descending from the stage.
Meanwhile, David was under the attentive care of numerous doctors and nurses. Although merely drained from the combat, he was resting peacefully.
Requiring the strength of three to four individuals, he was placed on a stretcher and escorted to the changing room, from where he would be conveyed to his residence.
Amidst these events, Aria, having descended the stage, cast a glance back at the team attending to David. A subtle smile graced her features, a detail the media did not miss as they prepared to engage her with questions.
"Why did you smile when you saw the men taking David away?" a reporter inquired.
"Because I promised my fans that I would have David carried off the stage on a stretcher, and I've fulfilled that promise," Aria responded as she headed towards the exit leading to the changing rooms.
The media clamored for more questions, but Elara intervened, quickly following Aria with the medical team in tow for her check-up.
Entering the hall, Elara found Aria seated on the floor, leaning against the wall for support.
She approached Aria, attempting to rouse her, but found she was asleep.
"My stoic sister, you truly are a work of art," Elara remarked with a faint smile, shaking her head. She then gestured to the team to escort Aria to the infirmary for a check-up and first aid.
Aria's reputation soared among all her fans, who admired her resolve, and even David's fans were swayed by her comment.
As the martial tournament concluded with its final bout, Emmy, awestruck, exclaimed, "Big sis Aria is so amazing, isn't she, brother? I want to be just like her one day, defeating the villains and protecting the good and innocent!" She demonstrated her aspirations by playfully adopting a fighting stance, complete with mock punches and sword slashes.
Rey smiled at his sibling's enthusiasm and replied, "Yes, Aria has always been both cool and composed. But I'll let you in on a secret that only the three of us know—myself, Aria, and Elara. Aria wasn't always this way; she used to be a shy and timid girl. She only showed her true self to us, and the demeanor you see now is a facade she adopted for her own protection. Without it, she was afraid she would become a target for the numerous boys who constantly pursued her because of her beauty. Set it aside and hand me the remote; I wish to watch the news now. You should go upstairs and attend to your homework," Rey instructed, pausing momentarily as if lost in a reverie of past memories before snapping back to reality. He took the remote from her and gestured towards the stairs.
"I hate you," Emmy retorted with a pout, sticking out her tongue at him before scampering away.
Jasmine observed the scene, a soft sigh escaping her as she mused, 'It seems he was momentarily caught up in a memory.' She watched her son, who was now looking at Emmy's retreating figure, shaking his head with a small, amused laugh.
"Well let's see what's happing around the world." Rey said and dialed the channel number and sat on the sofa before the Tv beside his mother who was also watching it.
In the news channel both can see an anchor talking about sone huge murder case in which about 20-25 people are killed in a closed factory of Lumina City of Dragon kingdom.
After hearing this Rey thought it was quite a coincidence as its on his city and he remembered that he didn't kill anyone in the factory and thought it would be another one.
"The live footage sent by our team from the incident area will now be shown," said the anchorman, and as the footage appeared on the screen, it left everyone watching in shock.
As in video there was bodies everywhere lying there in line and the area were marked where the body was found.
"It is evident that the individual responsible for this act is a trained professional assassin, given that the body was positioned in an area concealed from others," explained the reporter, while displaying the body with the bloody and attacked parts censored.
Just as he was about to speak further, a sudden scream erupted from within. He, his crew, and the police force dashed inside, where the cameraman captured a policeman seated on the floor, appearing to have fallen. The man pointed in a specific direction, and upon looking there, they were met with a sight so gruesome that it left some in utter shock, to the point of losing control.
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What did they see to be so scared? Stay tuned to find out.