### Scene Changes
Taiki crashed into a pile of dumpsters, flung by the monstrous creature. His body felt numb, immobile. Panic gripped him.
*If I don't get up soon, I'll be dead meat*, he thought, watching the monster charge another blast in its open maw. The energy crackled ominously.
*Think, Taiki*, he urged himself, but the blast was imminent. He closed his eyes as the monster released its attack.
*Zhen, Zia. I need you*, he pleaded silently.
Just as the blast reached him, an invisible barrier formed around Taiki. Before him appeared Zhen and Zia, tiny floating light spirits with white hair. Zhen's eyes were blue, Zia's pink.
"You called?" Zhen asked, hovering.
Taiki flexed his fingers in disbelief. "I can move again?" he marveled.
*Light magic counters the monster's dark aura*, he realized. But there was no time to revel in relief; the monster readied another blast.
"Watch out!" Taiki shouted, rolling away dramatically with Zhen and Zia as the blast struck where they had been moments before.
Lying on the ground, Zhen snapped, "What on earth did you summon this time?!"
"I didn't summon it. It just appeared out of nowhere," Taiki retorted, frustration lacing his voice.
"Of course you didn't," Zhen replied sarcastically.
"Um, guys..." Zia interjected, trying to get their attention.
"Do you really think I'm dumb enough to summon something I can't even fight?" Taiki shot back.
"Seems like it," Zhen quipped.
"Guys!" Zia shouted, louder this time.
Taiki sensed another attack and dodged just in time, wiping blood from his face as he regained his footing.
"Instead of arguing, you two should focus on what we're currently dealing with," Zia scolded.
"Yeah, right," Zhen conceded.
Taiki looked around frantically. *I can't take another hit if my feet stop working again. What to do?*
The dog-like creature readied yet another attack.
"What do you think it's planning this time?" Zhen asked, eyes narrowed.
"I'm not sticking around to find out," Taiki replied, pulling out a talisman and beginning an incantation. The talisman glowed with a bright light.
"Uh, Taiki... anytime now," Zhen said nervously as the creature's blast charged up.
The blast was almost ready to fire.
"Taiki?" Zhen's voice wavered.
The blast fired, and Zhen and Zia clung to each other in panic.
"Taiki!" they screamed in unison.
In an instant, Taiki, Zhen, and Zia vanished just as the blast hit, leaving nothing but a scorched mark where they had been.
### Later in Taiki's Room
Taiki and Zhen appeared and jumped onto the bed, their relief palpable.
"We made it!" they exclaimed in unison.
Zia switched on the light, her expression serious.
"For a moment there, I thought we were done for," Taiki admitted, still catching his breath.
"I've never been happier to see light again," Zhen added, his voice tinged with relief.
Zia, however, was not as relaxed. "Are you two serious? How can you be so relaxed when that monster is still on the loose? We have to get back out there and stop it before it terrorizes the entire city!"
Taiki and Zhen exchanged judgmental looks.
"What?" Zia asked, exasperated.
"You're kidding, right?" Zhen said, incredulous. "You want us to go back out there and fight whatever that was after nearly losing our lives? Yeah, not happening."
"But the people—" Zia began.
Zhen interrupted, "I'm gonna stop you right there, siz." He appeared next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Zia, you're my sister, and you know I love you, but I'm gonna have to disagree with you on this one. Yes, we should think of the people, but sometimes in life, you've got to think of yourself. You know, be a little selfish. You getting me?"
Zia crossed her arms. "So we should be petty and let others suffer in the process? Yeah, not buying it."
Taiki, now relaxed on the bed, chimed in, "Well, I know I'm not going back out there. At least we're safe in here."
Zhen, who had flown by the window, turned pale. "I wouldn't be so sure about that."
Taiki got up and walked to the window. The creature was right outside, readying an attack.
"We're done for," he muttered.
"You were saying?" Zia asked, her tone accusatory.
"You saw that thing. It's immune to our attacks," Zhen said, his voice trembling.
"Not to mention, I can't move when it's around," Taiki added.
Zhen and Taiki dramatically clung to each other in fear.
"We're goners!" Taiki and Zhen cried in unison.
Zia shook her head. "You do know you're an Exorcist, right?"
Taiki repeated, " I repeat,Goners!"
"Same thing," Zia insisted.
"There's a difference between a ghoul and whatever *that* is," Zhen argued.
Suddenly, the creature vanished.
"Then I guess we're lucky this time," Zia said, her voice softening.
"Lucky?" Zhen echoed, still skeptical.
"Yes, lucky. Because it's gone," Zia clarified.
"Gone?" Taiki asked, bewildered.
"More like it disappeared," Zia corrected.
"That's good for us," Zhen agreed as he and Zia separated.
"But the real question is where it disappeared to. And I'm not planning on finding out," Taiki stated firmly.
### Later, Outside
In the shadows of a dark alleyway, the creature reappeared. It bowed as a dark figure petted it, a piece of Taiki's clothing in its mouth.
"You did well, Casius," the figure said, taking the piece of cloth.
**The Next Day**
**Evening**
Taiki is on his way to the ring, lost in thought. He has a brief flashback of last night's events and sighs.
**Taiki**: *What are we up against this time?*
He yawns from tiredness. Later, at the ring, Taiki walks beside Setsuo. The crowd hasn't arrived yet, so Noriko and Taejin are giving the final touches. Taiki is still preoccupied with his thoughts. Setsuo notices and asks what has him so zoned out, noting that he has never seen Taiki so serious before. Taiki dismisses it as a result of lack of sleep while inwardly chastising himself for the reckless decision of chasing after last night's creature, which nearly got him killed three times.
They pass by the fighting arena where Smash is arguing with his manager.
**Smash**: I already told you, I'm not going into the fight without sparring a bit.
**Manager**: You don't get the point. You've already trained with all your sparring partners. What more do you need?
Smash complains that none of them were worthy opponents and that they didn't last a minute with him—unsurprisingly, since he had gone all out. He argues that if they couldn't last, it was their own fault for being too weak. His manager sighs in defeat and asks who would be willing to spar with Smash. All the other fighters look away, not daring to meet his gaze.
Taiki looks around and calmly raises his hand.
**Taiki**: I'll do it.
Everyone turns to him in shock.
**Taiki**: What?
The manager asks if he's sure about it, but Smash just tells him to accept the kid's request. Unable to argue, the match is set.
Later, during the sparring match, Setsuo and the manager stand at a viewing point while Taiki and Smash make their way to the podium.
**Manager**: The contract states that if your client survives for at least five minutes in the ring, you'll receive a cash reward of at least $1000. And in those five minutes, he can't die or quit. How about that?
**Setsuo**: Seems fair to me.
**Manager**: I don't understand why you'd let a friend of yours get involved in such a deadly fight.
**Setsuo**: Deadly? (Scoffs) The person you should be worried about is your client. But don't worry, he'll be sure to hold back this time.
The manager is taken aback by Setsuo's words.
**Manager**: *Hold back? He's going to fight Smash while holding back? A high schooler with barely any fighting experience—how does he expect to win?*
Setsuo mind-links Taiki, reminding him to hold back to avoid serious risk. From the information he gathered, it was clear that Smash was no ordinary fighter but a celestial one, and not an amateur at that. This leaves Taiki confused, but he decides to follow through with the plan.
The two fighters readied themselves for the match. Smash, with a smirk on his face, taunted Taiki, "I'll be sure to go real easy on you, kid." He slowly powered up, his body radiating a blinding white glow. Though Smash couldn't quite make out what was causing the glow, he sensed a formidable aura emanating from Taiki. Intrigued, he decided to take the fight a bit more seriously.
When the bell rang to start the match, both fighters charged at each other. Smash aimed a powerful punch at Taiki, but his strike missed, causing the manager to look on in astonishment. Taiki had deftly evaded the attack. The two engaged in a rapid exchange of heavy blows. Despite Smash's increased intensity, Taiki dodged effortlessly, surprising both Smash and his manager with his remarkable speed.
As the timer approached the two-minute mark, Smash was already feeling drained. They broke apart, retreating to opposite ends of the arena. The manager reviewed Taiki's profile with a puzzled expression:
Name: Taiki Ishiko
Age: 17
Class: Exorcist
Occupation: Student
Hobby: Martial Arts
Gender: Male
Specialty: Talismen
"How can a mere exorcist be so strong?" the manager muttered to himself.
Setsuo offered an explanation. "The exorcist class isn't known for physical strength but for their magic and strategy. Taiki, however, focuses on fighting styles, as his profile indicates."
The manager was still skeptical. "Martial arts?"
As the fight neared its end, Taiki took out a basic talisman and prepared to use it. Smash, eager to end the fight, charged forward and slammed Taiki into the nearby wall, leaving everyone except Setsuo in shock.
With a triumphant grin, Smash declared, "I did it. I really won."
As the smoke cleared, Taiki was revealed, slumped against the wall and unconscious. Smash approached him, his voice filled with a mixture of triumph and mockery. "Seems it's over, kid. And just a minute to spare. How should I spend it? Make it quick and painless, or give you the full experience?"
Inside, Taiki's mind was racing. *That hit was unlike anything I've ever felt.* As Smash drew closer, Taiki thought, *The force behind it is unreal.* And as Smash prepared to deliver the final blow, Taiki's thoughts surged with excitement. *I've never felt this alive before. It's as if my entire body wants to test the limits of his strength.*
Just as Smash's fist was about to connect, Taiki, still unconscious, managed to seize it mid-air. Smash stared in disbelief, *Impossible!*
Setsuo, observing the scene with a smirk, remarked, "Guess the fight's already over."
With a sudden burst of energy, Taiki raised his other hand and delivered a powerful punch that sent Smash flying across the arena. Taiki slowly got to his feet, wiped the blood from his mouth, and an intense aura surrounded him, creating a wind that blew nearby objects away. With only a few seconds left on the timer, Taiki was charged with exhilaration.
The manager, realizing the stakes, panicked at the thought of Smash not being able to fight later. He pleaded with Setsuo to stop Taiki, but Setsuo shrugged nonchalantly. "I can't. I said Taiki was my client, but I never claimed responsibility for his actions."
Taiki, now fully energized, charged forward. Smash, resigned to his fate, closed his eyes. The bell rang, signaling the end of the five minutes. When Smash finally opened his eyes, he was stunned to find himself still alive. "I'm alive!" he exclaimed in disbelief.
As the dust settled, Taiki stood at the far end of the arena, a broad grin on his face. "Now that... was awesome!" he declared, his excitement palpable.
Both Setsuo and the manager were left in shock. Setsuo noted casually, "Seems he missed."
Taiki, still brimming with energy, turned to Setsuo, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "I've never felt so alive. How'd I do, Setsuo? Not bad, if I must say."
Setsuo nodded in approval. "You did well, especially considering you were holding back."
The manager, astonished, could only stammer, "He was holding back?!"