The resting room felt increasingly hot as the time for the Rank S Hunters to fight drew closer. I tried to stay calm, sitting in a quieter corner, struggling to hide the uncontrollable nervousness behind a forced smile. In front of me, a large screen on the wall displayed the battles of the Rank S Hunters from abroad.
The main arena was now filled with the cheers of thousands of spectators crowding the stadium. The names of two Hunters just announced were Jackson Wade, a Rank S Hunter from America known for his ability to control the wind, and Mikhail Petrov, a Rank S Hunter from Russia nicknamed the "Titan of Siberia" due to his massive body and unmatched physical strength.
"This fight's going to be interesting," I muttered, watching them walk toward the center of the arena. Jackson looked calm with a confident smile, while Mikhail's gaze was intense, like a bear ready to pounce.
Okay, Do-yun, just enjoy the fight and don't draw too much attention... Hopefully, no one comes over to ask about 'battle strategies' again, I thought, leaning back in my seat.
In the arena, the sound of the starting bell echoed. In an instant, Jackson raised both his hands, creating a powerful vortex of wind strong enough to shake the stadium. The air whirled fiercely, lifting dust and small fragments from the arena floor into the air.
Mikhail just grinned at the attack. Without hesitation, he charged through the vortex with his massive body, as if the wind was nothing more than a gentle breeze that couldn't stop him.
"Hmph, cheap trick!" he growled, swinging his fist toward Jackson.
My heart pounded faster, watching Mikhail move so quickly despite his size. Jackson swiftly jumped back, dodging the punch that almost shattered the ground beneath his feet. Okay, mental note: Never get in the path of that guy's punch if I want to stay alive.
Jackson, looking slightly cornered, changed his tactics. He swung his hand forward, creating a wall of wind that shot straight toward Mikhail. But Mikhail didn't slow down even a bit. With a single swing of his muscular arm, he sliced through the wall of wind like thin paper.
"This is what a true Rank S Hunter fight looks like," a spectator beside me whispered in awe.
I could only nod slightly, trying not to look too lost with the tactics and strategies those two were using. Do they even need training to pull off things like that? If it were me down there, I'd probably be running around in a panic.
In the arena, Jackson began to look desperate. He growled softly and unleashed his full power. The wind spun faster, forming a small tornado around his body. Mikhail, though pushed back slightly, kept moving forward.
"Is that all you've got?" he shouted, laughing loudly.
"I have to end this now!" Jackson growled. With one final move, he launched a huge tornado straight at Mikhail. The audience held their breath, and I unintentionally tensed my shoulders.
But Mikhail wasn't fazed. With a loud roar, he stomped his foot into the ground, creating a shockwave that shattered the tornado before it could reach him. Then, with a movement faster than the eye could follow, Mikhail leapt forward and struck Jackson with his fist.
"Boom!"
A loud thud echoed through the stadium, and Jackson's body flew back, crashing into the arena's wall, which cracked under the impact. The audience roared with excitement, while I could only stare with my mouth agape. If that were me out there, I'd probably be a pancake right now…
After that fight, I felt a bit relieved since it looked like my name hadn't been called yet. But that relief didn't last long. Suddenly, the big screen in the resting room displayed the lineup for the next match.
Next Match: Kim Do-yun vs. Hiroshi Tanaka.
I stood at the edge of the arena, trying to keep my expression calm even though my heart was pounding hard. As I stepped into the center of the arena, the cheers of the crowd grew louder.
My opponent's name, Hiroshi Tanaka, appeared on the giant screen in front of the stadium. This Rank S Hunter from Japan was known as a swordmaster who never failed to bring down his opponent with a single strike.
"Kim Do-yun-nim, please enter the arena," called the event staff with a face full of enthusiasm. I could only smile as I stepped forward. In the distance, I saw Hiroshi already prepared, his katana drawn in his hand. His gaze was sharp, full of confidence.
Alright, Do-yun, this is just a normal fight. Just pray something happens that can save your ass this time... I murmured to myself.
The starting bell rang. Hiroshi shot forward with a speed that the naked eye couldn't follow. In an instant, he was only a few meters away from me. The spectators' eyes widened, captivated by his speed and precision.
"First technique: Slicing Wind Blade!" Hiroshi shouted as he swung his sword.
A sharp gust of wind hurtled toward me with a rumbling sound, like a storm about to hit. I could feel my hair whip around wildly, a sign of how powerful that attack was.
Panicking, I tried to move to the side, but my foot got caught on a small rock on the ground. I stumbled, rolling onto the ground, and accidentally shifted into a position that made the attack miss just a few inches above my head.
"Wow! Incredible! Kim Do-yun-nim managed to dodge that attack with astonishing reflexes!" the commentator shouted over the loudspeaker.
The audience cheered wildly. Huh?! Did I just dodge that?! Wait… that was just dumb luck! I only fell, not intentionally dodged!
Hiroshi looked surprised, but his expression quickly turned to anger.
"You're tougher than I thought, Kim Do-yun!" he shouted, pointing his sword at me.
I could only raise my hands, trying to calm things down.
"Uh, wait, wait… I actually don't want to fight seriously," I said with a smile. But that seemed to only make him angrier.
With a loud yell, Hiroshi charged at me again, this time using his second technique.
"Second technique: Phantom Strike!" This attack was even faster than before, creating shadows around him that made it hard to tell the direction of the real strike.
I panicked. Oh no, I'm really going to get hit this time! I closed my eyes and reflexively jumped to the side without thinking. However, at the same time, another stone on the arena floor made me slip, causing my body to twist into an unexpected position. Hiroshi's sword missed me by only a few centimeters, piercing into the ground.
The crowd erupted into cheers again.
"Kim Do-yun-nim is truly a master at dodging deadly attacks!" the commentator shouted enthusiastically.
I staggered to my feet, trying to comprehend what had just happened. This is insane! How am I managing to keep dodging by accident?! I glanced at Hiroshi, who looked increasingly frustrated. He took a deep breath, his face reddening with anger.
"Final move: Dragon's Fang!" he roared. A red aura surrounded his body, and his sword began to glow brightly. This time, he was dead serious.
"Uh, wait… final move?!" I raised my hands, trying to plead for a break. But Hiroshi wasn't listening. He leapt high into the air, swinging his sword with a force that looked like it could slice a mountain in two.
I'm really going to die this time! I closed my eyes and prayed, hoping at least it wouldn't hurt too much when the sword hit me. But just before his sword could reach me, a loud explosion erupted beside the arena.
Boom!
The explosion came from one of the pillars supporting the arena. It seemed that due to Hiroshi's earlier powerful strikes, the pillar had cracked and collapsed, landing right between Hiroshi and me. Dust filled the air, obscuring everyone's view.
When the dust settled, I saw that Hiroshi was already buried under the collapsed pillar and unconscious. The audience cheered louder than ever, and the commentator shouted excitedly.
"Incredible! Kim Do-yun-nim is truly unstoppable! Without even touching his opponent, he managed to bring down Hiroshi Tanaka!"
I just stood there in shock, trying to process what had just happened. Oh God, please make this stop… the more people misunderstand, the harder it'll be to get out of this situation!
The event organizers approached me, brimming with excitement.
"Congratulations, Kim Do-yun-nim! You've advanced to the next round!"
I could only smile, waving to the crowd still clapping. Please, when is all of this going to end?