Riku stood up from the bench in the waiting room, stretching his arms and rolling his neck as the commentator's voice echoed through the arena. "Riku Madaraz vs Kiba Asuma!"
He glanced at the screen and muttered to himself, "Don't know why Suri and Reina held back. Reina literally has different effects on all seven of her swords, but she chose to go manual combat without using her actual powers." He shook his head, walking toward the arena door with resolve in his eyes. "But I'm not holding back. I need to get stronger and bring Renzo back."
As Riku stepped into the arena, the atmosphere thickened. His eyes locked onto Kiba Asuma, his opponent, who stood on the opposite side, already preparing for the fight.
"Long time no see, Riku," Kiba said, flashing a grin. His muscular frame looked slightly more relaxed than it should for a fight of this magnitude.
