Capital of Ars
"Welcome, everyone, to the grand festival!" the announcer declared, raising his trumpet high. "Today is the day we've all been waiting for! Take your seats and enjoy!"
The crowd erupted into thunderous applause and excited cheers.
"Very well! The tournament will be divided into three phases. In the first phase, we'll have one-on-one battles. Each defeat will cost the group points, and the defeated fighter will be automatically eliminated from this round!
In the second phase, we move on to the semifinals. The groups with the highest scores will face each other to decide who advances!
And in the final phase, each group may choose one member to fight. Two losses, and they're out! Are you all ready?!"
The response came like a roar of thunder.
Beside the arena stood two separate rooms: one for the captains, the other for the guests.
"I can't wait to get started!" Emily shouted, raising her arms excitedly. "I'd bet my life on their victory!"
"You're not going to die anyway…" Wally muttered with a sigh.
"I can't believe I'm not allowed to participate in the festival!" complained Ryo of the Purple Dragons.
"You were banned for having too high a rank too, right?" Hinata from the Wild Roses commented while biting into an apple.
"Yeah… at least I'm not the only one," he replied, glancing at the other sidelined members.
His eyes then met Mei's.
Ryo approached her and gently took her hand, his face bright with admiration.
"You're really beautiful, you know? Are you free for a date today?"
Mei looked at him expressionlessly and withdrew her hand calmly.
"Sorry. I have books to read today."
"W-we could go another day—"
"I'll be busy that day as well."
"O-oh… I see…"
Ryo stepped away, dejected. Emily leaned over Mei's shoulders with a mischievous smile.
"Looks like he's totally into you!"
"That's just your imagination."
Emily then leaned close to Wally and whispered in his ear,
"You're losing your spot… don't let the tiger steal your prey, little lion."
Wally quickly pulled away, a faint blush on his face.
"W-what are you talking about?"
"Nothing," she replied sweetly.
***
Inside Room A, the group waited.
"Oh, Louis! I'm so nervous! Who's going to be chosen first?!" Erick said, pacing back and forth.
"It definitely won't be an idiot like you," Rose commented while leaning against the wall.
"Putting others down won't ease your nerves, Rose," Ike said calmly.
Rose scoffed and looked away. "Hmph…"
Takamiya stepped forward.
"No matter who it is, we can't disappoint the captain. Let's give it our all."
The announcer's voice echoed through the arena:
"Ike Namura versus Alfred!"
"Well, I'll be going," Ike said, standing up.
Takamiya firmly grabbed his shoulder.
"Good luck."
Ike gave no reply. He simply walked toward the arena.
"The veteran Ike will be fine… right?" Louis asked, frowning slightly.
Takamiya smiled.
"Of course. After all… Ike is far stronger than I am."
Outside, the two opponents stood face to face as the crowd buzzed with anticipation.
Alfred grinned at Ike.
"You give off a strong presence… so I'll go all out from the start!"
He launched forward like a bullet, his right fist tightening.
"Left: Power Smash!"
The punch tore through the air, but Ike leapt gracefully into a spinning flip. The impact cracked the ground where he had been standing.
"I'm not done yet! Right: Smash Cannon!"
A brutal barrage of strikes sliced through the air like projectiles.
Ike avoided every single one, moving with supernatural fluidity.
He landed lightly.
Another blow came.
He dodged at the last second.
"Wow! Those are incredible moves! Your student is amazing, Cosmo!" Vulgo exclaimed, clearly thrilled.
"He really is!" Nori added. "His precision is impressive."
Cosmo smiled widely.
"You haven't seen anything yet. This is only the beginning."
Alfred was breathing heavily.
"You're good at dodging… but it's only a matter of time before I land a hit!"
Ike remained calm, studying his opponent. He slowly gripped the sheath of his sword and shifted his front foot forward by a few inches.
"What is he doing?" Louis asked.
Takamiya smiled faintly.
"Fighting."
Louis frowned, confused, and turned his eyes back to the arena.
"What kind of stance is that?" Alfred mocked.
"If I were you… I wouldn't leave my guard so open."
Alfred frowned. "Hm? What do you mean by—"
In that instant, Alfred's world shattered.
His body lay on the ground, blood pouring out as his head rolled away.
Yet when he blinked, he was still standing there.
"H-how? W-what just happened?!" Alfred stammered, stepping back in disbelief. "W-what did you do?!"
Ike shifted his posture slightly, tilting his hand to the right.
Alarmed, Alfred charged forward.
"I won't let you strike first! Power Smash!"
He attacked, but Ike slipped between his arms and delivered a precise circular slash. Alfred staggered back, screaming in pain—then his head fell.
And once again, he opened his eyes… still standing.
Sweat poured down his face.
"They've been standing there for a while now… what's going on?" Erick asked, scratching his head.
"His opponent looks terrified… did he see a ghost or something?" Rose muttered.
"It's because he realized he can't defeat Ike. He's using his ability—Delta Vision."
Erick raised an eyebrow. "Hm? Delta Vision?"
"It's a skill that allows him to imagine and simulate multiple possible outcomes in combat. It factors in both the environment and the opponent's movements."
"Uh… could you be a little clearer?"
Takamiya sighed.
"When it's activated, you're placed inside a completed simulation where the outcome has already been processed in your consciousness."
"Oh… so it's like he's been fighting this whole time… but inside his mind?" Louis said, his eyes sparkling.
"Exactly. You understood perfectly. Right now, Ike is fighting… in his mind."
Alfred trembled uncontrollably. One hundred consecutive defeats. And every time, it ended the same way—his body cut to pieces.
He opened his eyes again. Still standing.
Ike exhaled slowly and angled his sword forward.
"You can always give up."
Alfred's expression twisted between rage and terror.
"I can't lose to you!"
"I see… then here I come."
Ike vanished in a blur, almost imperceptible. Alfred threw countless strikes, but Ike evaded each one effortlessly as he closed the distance.
Just as Alfred prepared his final attack, Ike drew his blade—
A sharp sound echoed across the arena.
He sheathed his sword calmly.
Behind him, Alfred collapsed unconscious.
The crowd exploded into cheers as Ike walked away, securing his victory.
"What an incredible win!" Wally said, clapping enthusiastically. "That's one point for us!"
Cosmo crossed his arms and smiled proudly.
"You've grown strong, Ike…"