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Setting: Vequora paces restlessly in the small room, her hands running through her hair. She tugged slightly at a strand, feeling the pressure of the upcoming match. The room was dimly lit, a stark contrast to the vibrant chaos of the tournament arena outside. A distant roar of the crowd rumbled through the walls.

Vequora: “Well, sis… you made it!”

Korie was seated on a low bench, her hands clasped together tightly in her lap. Her brow was furrowed, eyes downcast. She lifted her head slightly at Vequora’s words but didn’t meet her gaze.

Korie: “I guess you can look at it that way,”

Vequora’s smile faded a bit, her attempt at optimism meeting resistance. She sat down beside Korie, her sister’s unease palpable.

Vequora: “For offering a morale boost, you’re awfully gloomy right now,”

Korie exhaled deeply, shaking her head as if trying to dismiss the weight pressing on her.

Korie: “I didn’t even think I would make it. He just had some kind of… aura. I was scared.”

Vequora’s brow furrowed.

Vequora: “Well, you’re in a situation where you might die. Of course you were scared,”

Korie: “No… It was different. It was something about him specifically.”

Vequora felt a knot tighten in her chest as she thought back to her own encounters with Zazushi. His presence, his arrogance, that cruel smile—he was unlike anyone she had ever met.

Vequora: “I’ve had my own interactions with him. He’s someone you don’t want to be around. He tends to people feel small, like their lives are nothing but entertainment to him.”

Korie nodded, her fingers twisting together anxiously.

Korie: “Yeah… Anyways, who are you going up against?”

Vequora stood up and crossed her arms, looking out of the small, blurry window on the far side of the room. The glass distorted the view, but she could still make out the arena below, where another match was already underway.

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Vequora: “I haven’t gotten her name, but supposedly, she’s the heavy favorite to win, so things aren’t looking too good for me.”

Korie’s eyes widened, and she shot her sister a look of disbelief.

Korie: “Well no duh she’s the favorite, you just haven’t shown off what you can do yet! Nobody will know what hit ‘em when you start! You’ve been hiding your skill all this time!”

Vequora let out a soft chuckle, though her expression remained thoughtful.

Vequora: “That’s one way to put it,”

Korie jumped to her feet, standing next to Vequora at the window, her hands resting on her hips.

Korie: “Come on, don’t let my performance out there scare you out of this! You’re much better than me! Always have been. You know that.”

Vequora sighed, glancing sideways at her sister. Korie always had a way of trying to lift the mood, even when she was clearly struggling herself.

Vequora: “Well… I guess that’s true,”

Korie grinned, her face brightening just a little.

Korie: “See? You’ve got this. Keep your head up and look forward. You’re gonna bump into a bunch of walls if you’re looking down all the time. Focus on where you’re going.”

Vequora stared out the window for a moment longer, watching the figures move around in the distance. She could see the fighters, the audience, the flashing lights—all part of this twisted spectacle.

Vequora: “I genuinely wonder who thought this whole tournament thing was a good idea. I mean, people can just… die. Like that.”

Vequora snaps her fingers, the sharp sound echoing in the small room.

Korie shrugged, leaning her head against the window.

Korie: “I mean, it’s not the weirdest competition that exists,” she said. “Speed-walking is an Olympic sport.”

Vequora raised an eyebrow, turning to look at her sister.

Vequora: “That’s beside the point,”

Korie grinned, happy to have at least distracted her for a moment. She joined Vequora by the window, watching the blurred figures below. The silence between them was comfortable, but the tension of what lay ahead hung in the air, thick and heavy.

Korie: “I think you’re gonna do great in that qualifying round,”

Vequora: “Yeah… I should go. It’s almost time,” she said, stepping toward the door.”

Korie: “Ganbatte!” (Though she ends up saying it like “Gahn-bat-tea”)

Vequora paused, a smile spreading across her face.

Vequora: “Firstly, I know English. You don’t have to say things in Japanese. Secondly, you butchered that, but I appreciate it nonetheless.”

Korie scratches the back of her head, embarrassed.

Korie: “I was just trying to be supportive,”

Vequora: “I know… I’ll see you after I win.”

As she made her way to the competitor’s locker room, Vequora’s thoughts raced. Sitting in front of her locker, she paused, taking a deep breath. The noise of the arena seemed distant now, a dull roar outside these walls. Her heart pounded in her chest.

Vequora’s thoughts: “This is it, The chance I’ve been waiting for. I need to make this count. I can’t fail now. Not after everything I’ve sacrificed.”

She closed her eyes, feeling the weight of the sword on her back. The tournament was more than just a fight for survival—it was a chance to reclaim her identity, to prove herself not only to the world but to the people who had doubted her. Including herself.

Vequora: “I won’t fail, not today.”