Chapter 4: Kaito Tadashi Vs Ryo Tazaki
It was time for the tournament and Kaito couldn't be anymore than ready. He knew that this is what can make a name for himself in this school, so this truly did matter. Kaito was walking to the arena, ready since his fight was first. "I can't wait to see your fight, I hope you win so we can face each other next." Akia said as she bumped into Kaito. "Yeah yeah, I'll win. Just make sure you make it to the next round too." Kaito said with a slight grin.
Akia laughed before running off to go watch from the stands. Kaito stared at the arena doors in front of him, taking a breath before walking through. The arena was huge, with a wide-open field surrounded by seats packed with students. The energy was wild, everyone shouting, chanting, waiting to see who would throw the first punch.
"Now entering, Kaito Tadashi!" the announcer yelled through the mic, the crowd giving a mixed reaction. Some cheered, some stayed quiet, and others whispered to each other about who he even was.
"And his opponent, Ryo Tazaki!"
The doors on the other side slid open as Ryo walked through, wearing a smug look like he already knew the outcome. His short black hair was slicked back, and he twirled a pen between his fingers casually like this was all a waste of his time.
"So you're the newbie with orange eyes, huh?" Ryo said, stepping onto the field.
Kaito didn't respond. He walked to his side, cracking his knuckles and rolling his shoulders.
"You don't talk much, I get it. Let's see if you fight better than you talk."
The referee stood between them, raising his hand.
"This is a no-gear match. Powers and physical combat only. First one to be knocked out, surrender, or out of bounds loses."
Both Kaito and Ryo nodded.
"Begin!"
Ryo shot forward instantly, not wasting a second. He waved his hand and a chunk of rock from the arena floor lifted, hovering above his head.
"Blue eyes… telekinesis," Kaito said under his breath, dodging the flying stone as it launched toward him.
Another flew, then another. Kaito was already flipping, ducking, sliding under debris as Ryo sent a rapid-fire storm of sharp rubble at him. The crowd gasped as one piece grazed Kaito's shoulder, cutting his jacket.
"You're fast," Ryo said, raising both arms. "Let's see how fast when the sky rains."
The air shimmered as over twenty stones levitated around Ryo like satellites, then rocketed toward Kaito at once.
"Now!" Kaito yelled, and his eyes glowed bright orange.
Five clones burst into formation around him, each diving in different directions as the rocks slammed down. The crowd went wild, unsure which one was real.
Ryo's face twisted. "Cheap trick—"
A clone tackled him from behind, pinning him, but it vanished into smoke. The real Kaito landed a knee to Ryo's stomach, making him stumble back. Ryo barely caught himself with a telekinetic push.
"Okay, you got me once. Let's see if you can do it again!" he shouted, raising both hands. He crushed two more rocks into spears and hurled them.
Kaito dodged one and let a clone take the other. He dashed forward, closing the distance.
"You like distance fights too much," Kaito said as he closed in.
Ryo backed up, trying to lift the ground beneath Kaito's feet, but Kaito was already in the air. He flipped, spun, and landed behind Ryo, sweeping his leg.
Ryo hit the ground hard.
Kaito didn't stop. He summoned two more clones that grabbed Ryo's arms while the real Kaito stood over him.
"Yield," Kaito said, eyes glowing like embers.
Ryo struggled, gritting his teeth. "This isn't… over…"
"You're out of options."
Ryo looked up, saw the ref already stepping forward.
"Ryo Tazaki is unable to continue!" the referee yelled. "Winner, Kaito Tadashi!"
The crowd exploded with noise, some cheering in shock, others already talking about how the new guy with the clone ability took down a top-tier Blue Eye student.
Kaito walked off the field without saying a word, passing by Akia who gave him a high five.
"That was insane!" she said, eyes wide.
Kaito just nodded, wiping his forehead.
"One down," he said. "Let's see who's next."
As he walked away from the arena, Ryume stood at a distance with his arms crossed, watching the whole thing unfold.
He didn't clap. He didn't cheer. He just stared.
"Interesting," he said under his breath.
And walked away