The crowd erupts in applause cheering for and praising both participants of the epic battle. Reina slowly stands, wincing in pain but with a victorious gleam in her eyes.
Despite the exhaustion weighing her down slightly hunched over, she waved to the cheering fans, acknowledging their support. With the referee's support, she limps off stage toward the healing bay.
The anticipation for the next exhilarating battle fill the air. The announcer takes to the stage and raises his hand, gesturing for silence.
"Ladies and gentlemen, what an extraordinary display of skill and determination!" The announcer proclaims.
After a few more matches ending with a male wind mage and a female fire mage advancing.
Houki walks to the stage with a confident stride. The anticipation heightens as the crowd murmurs, speculating if Houki can match the prowess displayed by Reina.
His presence commands attention as he takes his position at the center of the stage. A young man confidently stands across from him his presence making everyone except Houki and Shiku in the Grand Plaza kneel and bow in respect.
His reputation precedes him, rumored to be the prodigy prince who awakened a legendary Spirit. The air hummes with tension as the prince locks eyes with Houki, a challenge exchanged between them. Smirking proudly in a belittling way, the prince stretches a hand towards Houki, his fingers crackling with white energy.
The crowd gasps collectively as the energy glow intensified, casting an unearthly light around his hand.
The atmosphere is electric as the announcer addresses the crowd, capturing the anticipation that fills the arena. He declares, "Folks, this is the match we've all been waiting for." The excitement builds as he introduces the two competitors, the Great Prince of Light, Mareyaki Hayasaki, and the formidable Houki Kitoyoshi. The anticipation is palpable, with fans eager to witness this epic showdown between skill, strength, and strategy. The stage is set for a memorable contest that promises to leave everyone on the edge of their seats.
Houki stands undaunted, his aura swirling around him like a tangible force. Mareyaki shoots a bright sparkly beam of light from his palms at Houki, hitting him in the chest and knocking him down. The crowd gasps, believing the match was surely over.
"You might as well quit now. I have the legendary spirit of light. Aurelux." Mareyaki boasts, lifting his head looking down at Houki.
Houki struggles to his feet, determination blazing in his eyes. As Mareyaki chuckles Houki uses a void portal to punch him square in the face. The crowd erupts into cheers, stunned by Houki's resilience and cunning tactic. Houki smirks, a thin trail of blood on his lip as he raises his fists defiantly, signaling that he's far from finished with this epic confrontation.
"I can't be hit by another one of those light beams. I wonder if light can travel through my void." Houki thinks to himself.
Mareyaki clenches his teeth and fires another beam, this time aiming straight for Houki's head. At the last second, Houki conjures a void portal in front of his face, redirecting the beam straight back at Mareyaki. Hitting the ground in frustration Mareyaki stands up wiping the blood from his face. His eyes, now filled with anger, glowed fiercely.
"Damn it! I can't lose to this commoner, Mother will be disappointed… No. I refuse to be humiliated!" Mareyaki thinks
Mareyaki unleashed a flurry of glowing orbs, casting an intricate web of light across the stage in an effort to restrict Houki's movements. In response, Houki deftly harnessed the power of the void, utilizing its dark energy to navigate through the chaotic display and maintain his agility amidst the dazzling distractions.
Mareyaki angrily shoots consecutive beams of light at Houki. Dodging the light beams with agile movements, Houki continues to dance around the arena, his feet barely touching the ground.
Houki gets close to Mareyaki not noticing the glowing orb next to him. The orb explodes blowing them back away from each other.
Mareyaki uses the distance to slide a veil of light toward Houki. To which he counters by stomping on through a small portal kicking Mareyaki in the stomach.
Houki then teleports behind him, grabbing and pulling him into the portal. The air felt heavy as the portal swallows both fighters.
A stunned hush fell over the crowd—no one dared to breathe as they watched, waiting for what would happen next, the audience at the edge of their seats with anticipation. Houki unleashes a flurry of strikes within the chaotic confines of the portal, each blow resonating with power and precision.
After a final blow, Houki tosses Mareyaki out of the portal. His body hit the ground, completely unconscious. The audience is awestruck by the seamless victory Houki has claimed against the seemingly invincible Prince.
"Legendary or not, your spirit alone isn't enough to beat me." Houki taunts, returning the middle finger Mareyaki gave him earlier.
Hearing the whispers quickly spread throughout the audience all around the arena about the prince with most claiming him to be a fraudulent prodigy Mareyaki scrunches his face and walks off the stage silently, consumed by humiliation and anger. The world saw him as a frail shell, a stark contrast to the warrior title he bore.
The atmosphere buzzing with excitement as the announcer declared an unbelievable turn of events, revealing that Houki Kitoyoshi has emerged as the winner. As the first round concluded, the announcer emphasized the importance of allowing the contestants some much-needed rest to regain their mana before they faced the challenges of the next round.
The tension in the air began to dissipate, replaced by a sense of anticipation for what was to come.
After concluding the first round they paused the tournament so the remaining contestants could eat, rest, and regain their mana. Shiku and Houki were among the last to enter, their footsteps drowned out by the noisy giant cafeteria as Shiku drags his feet in exhaustion looking for a place to sit.
The two friends settle down at a table, surrounded by the murmurs of fellow competitors. Reina, Isohi, Tsutan and lastly Yamao join them at the table.
Reina set her plate down with a tired sigh. Houki peers through his bangs, glancing at the group. Meanwhile, Shiku and Tsutan lock eyes, their competitive instincts flaring.
Without a word, they silently agree to an eating contest, shoveling food into their mouths at an increasingly ridiculous pace. Spoon after spoon, bite after bite—they devoured their meals as if victory itself depended on sheer speed.
Reina, watching in growing disgust, unable to look away rolls her eyes and pushes her tray away.
"Boys are just disgusting." Reina thinks to herself, Turning her head.
"Oh, great another idiot," Houki says, bringing his palm to his forehead.
The contest ends with Shiku triumphing, grinning through a mouthful of crumbs. Once they had recovered from their impromptu competition, the group took turns formally introducing themselves.
Shiku introduces himself, his voice slightly muffled. "I'm Shiku Kitoyoshi by the way," he says. Next to him, a little downcast, Tsutan admits, "I lost again. Oh, I'm Tsutan." Then Yamao chimes in, a hint of nervousness in his tone. "H-hi, I'm Yamao. Nice to meet you all." Following Yamao, Reina states, "I guess it's my turn. I'm Reina." Finally, Houki introduces himself simply with, "I'm Houki." Each introduction adds to the warm atmosphere as they gathered, their camaraderie growing with each name exchanged.
The conversation quickly shifts to the tournament, with laughter breaking out as they shared stories and observations. In that moment, an unspoken bond formed between the five of them—a friendship sparked in the heat of battle and sealed over a simple meal.
Shiku couldn't contain his excitement as he exclaims, "All you guys were awesome today! How'd you get so good with your magic?" His wide grin showcased genuine admiration for his friends' abilities.
"I've been training hard since the day I got my Èlan spirit," Reina explains, pride evident in her voice.
As the rest of the group finishes their meals, their conversation intensified, each member recounting the countless battles they had faced together. Meanwhile, Shosai and Isohi stroll past the lively group, their expressions twisted with disdain. Shiku, unfazed, stuck his middle finger at Shosai as he walks away, causing the others to erupt in laughter, which only served to infuriate Shosai further.
When the group finally decides to leave, they notice Mareyaki off to the side, still sporting bruises from their previous fight. He spoke in a hushed yet intense tone, capturing the attention of Shosai and Isohi, who listens intently, their eyes narrowing as they cast furtive glances toward Houki's group.
"What's that about? Do you think they're plotting against us?" Yamao wonders, curiosity piqued.
"Maybe," Reina responds confidently, "But we can handle whatever they throw our way." The resolve in her voice reassured the group, ramping up their determination to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
After leaving the group to go find Nobori and Kasumi. Shiku pauses, sensing the tension that hung thick in the air. His instincts told him trouble was brewing, but he shook off the feeling, determined not to let it spoil their day.
Continuing their search Shiku and Houki first search through the long hallways of the plaza then the stands. Finally finding them they sit down, exchanging quick nods and smiles. Nobori looks at the boys like a proud father.
Kasumi hugs them both warmly, her worry hidden behind a bright smile, ruffling Shiku's hair playfully. Shiku ducks away, chuckling, and Houki grins remembering the times with Kina. The bustling plaza echo with the laughter and chatter of the crowd around them.
"Nobori, Kasumi! You saw that, right? We were amazing" Shiku exclaims, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Amazing? You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Kasumi laughs, a hint of relief washing over her. "But it's true."
"You fought well. But don't get cocky—the real battles are still ahead." Nobori advised his voice steady but laced with concern.
Mareyaki, Shosai, and Isohi sat in the dimly lit corner of the cafeteria, their plates untouched. The laughter of Houki's group rang in their ears, fueling their simmering rage. Their expressions pensive as they mulled over their next move.
As they gathered together an unspoken determination bound the trio together. The mission was clear which only fuels their resolve.
"What do you want weakling prince?" Shosai sneers as he leans back, unfazed by Mareyaki's outburst.
Mareyaki's bruised face twisted in frustration as he slams his fist against the table. Shosai watches with a smirk, while Isohi calmly observed, arms crossed. Shosai glances at Isohi, who nods knowingly. It was Mareyaki's way of dealing with uncertainty—anger often masking his fear.
"That kid embarrassed me! The future king of Sura! How can I show my face again after losing in the first round?" Mareyaki says through gritted teeth, his pride stinging sharper than a blade.
"Well, you are the prince just change the rules," Isohi suggests dryly, side-eyeing him. "Or, you know, train, get better, actually earn it."
"You're right. I can change the rules. Mareyaki frowns deeper, as the idea danced momentarily before humility grounded him.
Mareyaki stands up abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. Walking towards the cafeteria exit, signaling Shosai and Isohi to follow. An urgency laced his steps, the faint glimmer of resolve in his eyes.
Finding one of the officials of the tournament Shosai holds him against the wall holding a sharpened bone from his finger to the official's neck as Isohi keeps watch looking out for anyone walking past. Mareyaki stands close by, explaining the new rules to him while the guy begs for his life.
The tension in the air shifts as Mareyaki's voice found an unyielding purpose. The official nods, eyes wide with terror. Mareyaki steps back, satisfied.
"The next round will now be a two vs two." Mareyaki declares, his words echoing with newfound determination.
"B-but sir we've never done this before. We can't just change the rules mid-tournament." The tournament official stammers, fear suffusing his tone, yet the threat of the sharp bone pressing against his skin cowed any protest.
"My father is well aware of the change. Make it happen now." Mareyaki insists, eyes steely, leaving no room for doubt or defiance.
❧