"The next match is between Koninagi Keisashi and Fushinagi Chonoru," the announcer called. My opponent stood up, glancing back at me with a confident smirk.
"I'll keep my eye on you," he said before walking to the ring. His brown hair and eyes marked him as an earth technique user. Hair color often correlated with elemental affinity. Not always, but often enough to be worth noting. Most of the water faction had blue hair, for example. It was something to keep in mind.
Keisashi won his match, unsurprisingly, and the exams ended shortly after. They posted the list of winners who would move on to the final exam tomorrow. I dragged myself back to the water faction quarters and collapsed onto my bed.
My wounds had healed, thanks to the TRC, but my body still felt heavy. Exhaustion weighed on me like a stone. Thalia wasn't around, thankfully, so I didn't have to deal with her nagging about studying or reviewing techniques. For once, I could just rest.
But as I lay there, staring at the ceiling, my thoughts drifted back to the human realm. Memories of my time there surfaced, unbidden. I could still go back. No… no, I couldn't. If I left now, they'd hunt me down. They'd never stop chasing me.
With that thought, I closed my eyes and finally let sleep take me. Tomorrow was another day. Another battle. I'd worry about it then. a fire technique. A *boom* echoed through the ring, and his hand collided with my chest like a hammer. The force sent me flying across the arena, my back slamming into the ground with a dull thud. Pain shot through me, sharp and immediate, but I gritted my teeth and stood up, swaying slightly.
"You think I'd fight someone I haven't researched?" he said, his voice dripping with arrogance. His smirk was infuriating, like he thought this fight was already over. "Don't make me laugh. There's no way you can win. Just give up."
Give up? Not a chance.
I clenched my fists and charged at him again. It was reckless, sure, but I couldn't just stand there. He was ready for me, though. Another strike, another explosion of pain, and I was on the ground again before I even realized what had happened. My body screamed at me to stop, but I ignored it. I pushed myself up and rushed him again.
And again.
And again.
Each time, his blows sent me crashing to the ground. My vision blurred. My mouth filled with the metallic taste of blood. I could feel it dripping down my chin, soaking into my shirt. My body was battered, bruised, and beaten, but I refused to stay down. I couldn't stay down. I wouldn't let him win.
But this wasn't just stubbornness. I had a plan. A desperate, risky plan that would only work if I could hold out long enough. This guy was strong—his attacks were overwhelming—but I'd noticed something. He wasn't as fast as Lightning or as durable as the gold-haired guy I'd fought before. His strength was all offense, no defense.
If I could land one clean hit, just one, I'd win.
I staggered to my feet again, my legs trembling under my weight. This time, I charged at him with everything I had. His fist slammed into my face, and I felt the impact reverberate through my skull. Blood splattered across the ground, and I crumpled to my knees. For a moment, I thought I might pass out. My head was spinning, and my body felt like it was on fire.
But I got back up. Slowly, painfully, I got back up.
The crowd was silent now, probably wondering why I was still standing. Even my opponent looked confused. His smirk faltered for a moment before he shook his head, like he was brushing off a stray thought. I clenched my fists, ignoring the pain. My plan was almost ready. All I needed was one more opening.
I charged him again, but this time, I did something different. Just as I reached him, I vanished.
His eyes widened in surprise. He spun around, scanning the ring for me. Flames erupted around him, forming a protective barrier. A recovery flame, huh? I'd seen it before. Thalia had drilled me on techniques like this during our endless study sessions. I hated those lessons at the time, but now, they were finally paying off.
While he stood there, tense and uncertain, I dug through the hole I'd been working on. With every fall, I'd been breaking the ground beneath me, bit by bit, creating a tunnel just big enough to hide in. He hadn't noticed a thing. Now it was time to strike.
I emerged from the underground, my fist clenched tight. This was it—my one chance. I poured every ounce of Tàh I had left into my attack and aimed for the center of his head.
My fist connected with a sickening crunch. The force of the blow sent him flying across the ring, smashing through a nearby building. He didn't get back up.
The crowd erupted into cheers, but I barely heard them. My body felt like it was made of lead, every step back to my seat a struggle. But I'd won. Somehow, I'd won.
"How'd you pull that off?" someone asked as I collapsed into my chair, my chest heaving.
"Sorry, but I can't tell," I said, smirking faintly. I pulled out a tube of TRC—Technique Revival Cream—and rubbed it on my lips. The cool sensation was a welcome relief, soothing the pain and restoring a bit of my Tàh.
But the guy wasn't finished talking. "I know what you did. You figured out that idiot had more offense than defense, right? You made yourself look weak on purpose, took a few hits to make it convincing. Then, while you were getting knocked around, you were digging that hole. When it was ready, you vanished, used his lack of vigilance, and landed a surprise attack. Am I wrong?"
He wasn't wrong. Well, mostly. "Looks like you figured it out," I said with a wry smile. What he didn't know was that those hits weren't just for show. They *hurt*. A lot.
"The next match is between Koninagi Keisashi and Fushinagi Chonoru," the announcer called. My opponent stood up, glancing back at me with a confident smirk.
"I'll keep my eye on you," he said before walking to the ring. His brown hair and eyes marked him as an earth technique user. Hair color often correlated with elemental affinity. Not always, but often enough to be worth noting. Most of the water faction had blue hair, for example. It was something to keep in mind.
Keisashi won his match, unsurprisingly, and the exams ended shortly after. They posted the list of winners who would move on to the final exam tomorrow. I dragged myself back to the water faction quarters and collapsed onto my bed.
My wounds had healed, thanks to the TRC, but my body still felt heavy. Exhaustion weighed on me like a stone. Thalia wasn't around, thankfully, so I didn't have to deal with her nagging about studying or reviewing techniques. For once, I could just rest.
But as I lay there, staring at the ceiling, my thoughts drifted back to the human realm. Memories of my time there surfaced, unbidden. I could still go back. No… no, I couldn't. If I left now, they'd hunt me down. They'd never stop chasing me.
With that thought, I closed my eyes and finally let sleep take me. Tomorrow was another day. Another battle. I'd worry about it then.