The morning of the semifinal dawned beneath a gray sky, as if the capital city itself could feel the tension looming over the tournament. At the inn, the group prepared in silence. The room that had once been a refuge for laughter and teasing now carried an invisible heaviness.
Asori tightened the laces of his new boots, pulling harder than necessary. His body felt somewhat better after resting, but he knew the truth: he wasn't even at seventy percent of his strength. Every muscle protested with each movement, and he still felt the lingering ache of his battle against Riven.
—I'm not ready… —he muttered under his breath, low enough that no one else could hear.
Blair, sitting on the edge of the bed, watched him. Her lips parted as if to speak, but fear swallowed the words. Every time she remembered how she had pushed him away—twice—when he touched her, she felt as if Asori might drift away from her. The guilt gnawed at her chest harder than any wound.
Asori noticed her silence. Without stepping too close, he spoke, his tone firm yet gentle:
—I don't know who the one was that almost hurt you last night. —his eyes glinted with a cold edge—. But I'll make him pay. Not with blood—because that would stain the promise I made you. —his fists clenched—. But with a beating he'll never forget. I won't let anything like that happen again.
Blair felt tears pressing against her eyes. She shut them tightly… and then another voice cut through the tension.
—Mikrom, Blair's your responsibility. If anything happens to my silver-haired princess, you'll answer for it.
Mikrom's deep laugh filled the room, easing the air for a moment.
—That brat… he's furious, even if he doesn't show it. —he winked at Blair—. But trust me, he's a good kid.
Blair wanted to say more, but Asori had already left the room with Mikan.
The air in the arena vibrated with the crowd's roars. The spectators hungered for the semifinals, desperate for distraction from the shadow of war.
Mikan strode toward the combat zone with her feline lightness. Asori walked beside her, head bowed, until he finally looked up—and froze.
The match board revealed the pairings: Mikan versus Kiron, Asori versus Sir Kael.
As they stepped into the arena, Asori's gaze locked on the figure waiting at the far end of the corridor. Dark armor. That same suffocating presence from the night before. The very air thickened around him, crushing Asori's chest.
Sir Kael.
Asori's throat went dry. The memory of the forest surged back like a nightmare—the figure who had nearly taken his life.
Mikan noticed, but said nothing. Instead, she clapped him hard on the shoulder.
—Don't freeze up on me now. I go first. —she winked and walked toward the arena, ready to face Kiron of Caldus.
Asori sat outside, his hands trembling, trying to process it all. The roar of the crowd, the thunder of the arena—it all faded beneath the weight of that shadow watching him.
Then Blair and Mikrom appeared. Mikrom, blunt as ever, tried to lift the mood.
—That tin-can knight is nothing. Bah! Don't sweat it. I'm off to watch my lovely Mikan snap that Kiron guy in two. —he laughed loudly, slapping Asori on the back before heading off.
Leaving Asori and Blair alone.
The silence between them was heavy, but necessary. Blair braced herself to speak—but Asori spoke first.
—Blair… I'm sorry. —he said without turning to her—. For touching you without thinking… after what you went through.
Blair's eyes filled with tears. She wanted to reply, but when she looked at him, she saw the sheen in his own eyes, as if he were holding back something bigger than the physical pain. Her heart shattered.
—Asori… —her voice shook—. When I was chained… when that man touched me… all I could think about was you.
Asori gritted his teeth, a chill racing down his spine.
—You don't need to relive it… —his tone was tender, though strained—. I know it hurts. I don't want to see you suffer.
—But don't you see?! —Blair cried, the dam finally breaking—. I only want you to be the one who touches my body. —her hands covered her face, trembling—. It disgusted me, it hurt so much… knowing it was someone else… and then I hurt you with my reaction. I felt like even my own feelings had been tainted.
Asori listened in silence. Memories swirled: their nights under the same roof, their parting kiss, the promise made beneath the moon. And suddenly, unable to hold it back, he said it:
—Blair… I love you.
Her eyes widened.
—I'm furious… —he continued, his eyes burning—. Furious that someone dared to touch you. If it weren't for the promise I made you—to keep my hands free of blood—I'd kill him without hesitation. Because no one… absolutely no one, touches my princess.
Blair's face flushed red as fire. Her lips quivered, ready to answer, to say I love you too… but the announcer's voice thundered across the arena:
—Next match! Asori Matsuda versus Sir Kael!
Blair's heart stopped. She tried to shout his name, to warn him of the truth. But once again, her throat seized. No sound came out. The same force still shackled her, forbidding her to speak her attacker's identity.
Asori turned to her, smiling softly but firmly.
—Whatever happens, I'll give everything I have to win.
And he walked toward the arena. Blair, powerless, reached out a trembling hand, whispering through her tears:
—Asori… please, come back.
The crowd roared, the arena shook. The match was announced like a prophecy.
Asori vs. Sir Kael.
The shadow of the past rose before him, and fate was about to be written in blows, sweat, and blood.