The next match was about to begin. In the infirmary, doctors were tending to Rika's wounds while she lay on her cot, watching television and waiting for the next fight.
Kenzo looked extremely nervous; his hands trembled slightly as he tried to calm himself, for the next match was his.
Varek, who was sitting to Kenzo's right, noticed this and placed his hand on his right shoulder.
—Easy now. Give it your all, and you'll see that you can win.
Naeris, who was sitting to Kenzo's left, was getting her pom-poms ready to cheer him on as she muttered to herself.
—Kencito's going to win. Kencito will prevail.
Kenzo swallowed audibly as his hands tightened firmly around the scabbard of his katana. His gaze stayed fixed on the ground.
—But... he's a Mark... I don't even know how I made it this far... Everyone here has been so impressive... I feel like I'm falling behind. —His voice was quiet and shaky.
Varek exhaled slowly and gave him a gentle tap on the head.
—Ouch!
—Kenzo, you didn't get here by pure luck. You've proven you're good enough to compete against the strongest. You shouldn't say things like that.
Naeris turned toward them and nodded repeatedly.
—Yeah! Don't say that!—She pointed her left index finger toward the arena— Now go out there and make Rika proud!
—THE NEXT MATCH IS ABOUT TO BEGIN. COMBATANTS, MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE ARENA.—the announcer said over the microphone.
Kenzo stood up from his seat and began walking slowly toward the entrance, holding his katana in his right hand.
On the other side of the stands, Matteo also rose from his seat and stretched his arms up toward the sky.
—Mmm… —he murmured contentedly—. My turn's come.
Liang gave him a thumbs-up.
—We believe in you, Matteo.
—If you win, we'll let you sleep for the rest of the day and well into tomorrow without any interruptions—Zeik remarked, leaning back in his seat.
Matteo's eyes lit up with interest.
—Really?! Do you promise?! —He turned to Kael—. Do you promise, Kael?!
Kael nodded once, never taking his eyes off the arena.
—I promise.
—Yay! —He raised his arms again, now bursting with excitement— Then I'll do my best!
Liang raised his left hand and held his palm out to him.
—That's the spirit!
Matteo slapped his right palm against Liang's with a soft smack. Then he walked toward his entrance, full of motivation.
—EIGHTH MATCH OF THE THIRD ROUND:
KENZO HOLT
Kenzo walked in, sick with nerves, holding his katana pressed to his chest as he stared at the ground again.
AGAINST MATTEO VALTIERI.
Matteo entered with a calm, relaxed expression. His eyes were fixed on Kenzo.
The two stopped a few meters apart. One was ready to start, and the other... not so much.
—BEGIN!
Matteo tilted his head slightly to the side.
—You're the one who made that sign for Rika, right?
From the back, Naeris's voice rang out.
—Yes, that's him!
A faint flush rose to Kenzo's cheeks from embarrassment.
—Please don't bring that up...—His gaze stayed on the ground.
Matteo held out his arms, palms facing upward.
—But it was amazing, I mean it. Thanks to your support, she was able to break free from Valeria's vines and counterattack. If I were her, I'd be really grateful.
Back in the infirmary, a small smile formed on Rika's lips as she whispered:
—I am grateful.
Little by little, Kenzo's body stopped tensing up, and the trembling in his hands faded.
—I know... and I'm really glad it helped. It's just... it's kind of embarrassing to think about.
—Ah, that's it. To be honest, I'd be embarrassed too if someone brought it up to me. But changing the subject… —He extended his right hand toward Kenzo, snapped his fingers, and winked— Take all the time you need, and let me know when you're ready to start.
—Right, the match...—He closed his eyes, breathing in deeply and breathing out slowly. He stayed silent for a few seconds, then opened his eyes again and nodded firmly— I'm ready.
—Perfect.—Matteo moved his hand to the hilt of the katana on his back, grasped it, and drew it— Then... let's begin.
Matteo gripped the hilt of his katana, raised it high, then swung it down hard.
—Gravity Art: Gravity Slash!
Kenzo reacted as fast as he could, throwing himself to his left to dodge the strike.
The ground where the slash had passed shattered. Immediately after, gravity increased drastically along that exact same line.
—Wow, you actually dodged it. That's... impressive—Matteo said, genuinely surprised by Kenzo's reflexes.
Kenzo fell to the ground, then sat up propping himself up on his hands. His katana was still clutched in his right hand. His eyes went wide at what he had just seen; the nerves he thought he'd overcome began to take hold of him once more.
Naeris, who had been cheering Kenzo on with her pom-poms this whole time, stared blankly at Matteo's attack.
—Oh my...
Arien came back to his seat after buying a new sign and started writing on it.
—We have to cheer for Rika's boyfriend—he told Haruki and Kaien, keeping his focus. —He turned his head toward the arena and gasped in shock at the slash.
—W... whoa.
Arien shook his head, finished the sign, and walked to the edge of the stands to hold it up.
—Come on, you can do it, Rika's boyfriend!
Naeris heard Arien and snapped out of it. She looked over at him, her eyes lighting up. She turned, grabbed Varek by the wrist, and pulled him along toward where Arien was.
—Naeris, where are we going?!—Varek asked, unable to pull free from her grip.
—We need to join the reinforcements!
Once they got to where the Promises were, Naeris sat Varek down in Arien's spot, next to Haruki and Kaien. Then she walked to the edge of the stands beside Arien to keep cheering Kenzo on with her pom-poms.
—Beat him, Kencito! Don't say you can't do it!
Arien nodded firmly.
—Yeah, exactly, Rika's boyfriend!
Floch looked up at the two of them and let out a small laugh, crossing his arms.
—Those two fools have teamed up now.
Terrmomix glanced at Naeris and Arien for only a moment before turning his gaze back to the arena.
Kenzo stood up from the ground and began to draw his katana slowly. His hands trembled slightly again.
—C-calm down... Relax. Focus...—he whispered to himself, his voice shaking.
Matteo stood still and silent, letting Kenzo calm down and catch his breath.
Kenzo gripped the hilt of his katana with both hands and closed his eyes again.
—I... don't know if I can win—he whispered— But...
In that moment, Kenzo remembered Rika's small smile.
—I want to be in the top ten with her, with Naeris, Varek, Arien, and Zento. So... —He opened his eyes wide, and they now shone with a newfound determination— I'll give it everything I have!
Matteo looked slightly surprised by those words. Up in the stands, Naeris and Arien wiped tears from their eyes as they sniffled softly.
—Oh, Kencito... I'm so proud of you—Naeris said, her voice thick with emotion.
Haruki stood up from his seat and walked over to them, offering each of them a handkerchief. Naeris and Arien took them and blew their noses gently.
Kael watched Arien crying from his seat. Without a single muscle moving in his face, he said in a flat, dry tone:
—Crybaby.
—I heard you, damn Kael! —Arien shouted from where he stood.
Zeik opened his eyes slightly.
—How could he hear you from all the way over there?
Down in the arena, Matteo smirked.
—I see you're fired up now. So... now that we're ready, shall we really start?
Kenzo took one last deep breath in and out. His hands were still tight around the hilt of his katana. After a few seconds, he nodded firmly.
—Yes.