The official's box was buzzing with an electric energy, an excitement rare for such battles. Sergeant Fredin leaned forward, his stern face softened by an uncharacteristic smile.
"That girl, Amanda—her ability is extraordinary," he said, his tone almost admiring.
Kallias smirked from his shadowed corner, his voice smooth yet biting. "Amanda? She's good, yes. But if you think she's the rarity in this fight, you're gravely mistaken." He leaned back, his sharp eyes narrowing on the figure moving below. "The girl with the hair—now she is something else. If she makes it into the army, I want her under my command. There is more to her than meets the eye. I must understand her."
The room fell silent. Kallias rarely gave praise, let alone expressed such a desire.
The dark-skinned woman with short, curly hair gave a small, knowing smile. "Now, now, Kallias. You already know I've claimed her. She's mine."
Kallias chuckled, his smirk widening. "Kalilah, dear, can we not share? She's worth it."
In the arena, the fight raged on.
I had managed to disarm Amanda, her blade clattering to the ground as I pressed my advantage. She stood unarmed, yet unnervingly calm, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
"Nice parlor trick," Amanda said, her voice smooth yet laced with danger. "But you misunderstand. My sword is merely a channel. My body is the true conductor."
Before I could react, she slashed the air with her hand, and an unseen force exploded outward. A wave of kinetic energy surged toward me, too fast to dodge.
The impact slammed me into the arena wall, pain blooming in my stomach as I gasped for air.
"Shutup Doll…" I wheezed, forcing myself upright. "I'll beat you. One way or another."
Amanda laughed, a low, haunting sound that sent chills down my spine. "You can try, little one."
She picked up her sword with practiced ease, her grin widening into something almost feral. Her presence was suffocating, her aura burning like a wildfire.
I needed a plan, and fast.
"Hair web!" I shouted, my hair shooting outward in thin, near-invisible strands. The web wove itself into a dome around her, trapping her inside.
Amanda tilted her head, unimpressed. "Another childish trick?" She raised her hand, and a pulse of energy shattered the web instantly, the strands scattering like ash.
Though it failed, I had expected this. The brief distraction gave me the opening I needed.
"Sub-ability: Link!" I muttered under my breath, my hair darting forward to connect with hers.
A shiver ran through me as the link snapped into place. I could feel the strands of her hair as if they were my own, and with a sharp tug, I wrapped her hair around her head, blocking her vision.
She gasped, momentarily blinded. "What—?!"
Amanda slashed wildly, unleashing another kinetic blast that unraveled my hold. I didn't falter. My hair surged forward again, wrapping her head once more.
"Checkmate," I said with a smirk.
My chakrams spun toward her, controlled by my hair. The plan was simple—cut her, incapacitate her, and end this fight.
But Amanda was faster. She raised her sword, and with a single swing, a massive wave of kinetic energy erupted from its blade. It was silent but devastating, ripping through my hair and flinging the chakrams aside like toys.
She grinned, a siren's smile. "You don't understand, do you? This is the power of kinetic energy." She stepped forward, her aura flaring dangerously. "Energy Rift."
She slashed the air again, and another wave of destruction tore toward me.
The ground beneath me shook as I stumbled, barely able to stand. My body began to shake, but I refused to fall. I launched myself into the air, using my hair as footing, my chakrams clashing against her blade in a dizzying flurry of strikes.
The truth was, I admired Amanda.
Her power, her precision, her sheer dominance—it was awe-inspiring. My hair fought on its own now, weaving and striking with a complexity I couldn't entirely control.
"Sub-ability: Tactile Imagery," I whispered. My hair moved like a living creature, reading the battlefield and responding faster than I could.
Amanda's eyes turned pitch black, and the purple aura around her surged, darker and more dangerous than before. I had been seeing her aura for a while now but no it was surging.
"You're denser than I thought," Amanda said, dashing backward with unnatural speed. "I told you already—every strike, every attack you've made has only amplified me. You've given me more energy than I need to finish this."
Her voice grew colder as her eyes locked on mine. "This is the end."
I didn't have time to respond. Amanda's sword glowed with a malevolent light as she raised it high. A vortex of energy spiraled around her, growing larger and more unstable. The air felt heavy, and I realized I could barely breathe.
The energy exploded outward, racing toward me in an unstoppable tide.
And then, the voice came.
"Thou art hopeless without mine aid," it said, the words echoing in my mind with a strange, archaic cadence. "Wilt thou stand idle as doom approacheth? Nay, for thou hast summoned me, and I shall not abandon thee."
"What?!" I gasped, my voice trembling.
"Silence thy tongue, mortal. Fear not, for thou art mine vessel. Allow me to wield thy gifts, and together, we shall vanquish this foe."
Before I could protest, my hair moved on its own. It surged outward, wrapping around me in thick, armored coils. The strands hardened, forming a towering, monstrous figure that lifted me high above the battlefield.
"Who… what are you?" I whispered, my voice shaking.
"I am Bernia, thy humble patron," the voice said, almost amused. "Now watch, child, as I shield thee from thy folly."
Amanda's wave of energy struck the armored form, but it didn't even scratch the surface. The attack fizzled out harmlessly, the power dissipating into the air.
Amanda's eyes widened. "What… how?!"
Bernia laughed, a low, rumbling sound. "Thy foe is worthy, but her might pales before mine."
Amanda's face hardened.
"You've earned my respect," she said, lowering her stance. Her aura burned brighter, her eyes gleaming with pure determination. "But this ends now."
She raised her sword with both hands, the blade trembling as it absorbed all the energy around her. The ground cracked beneath her feet, and the air grew so hot it felt like fire against my skin.
"This," Amanda said, her voice echoing, "is Riftbreaker."