-Tuesday Evening, 8th Of the 1st Month, Year 910-

"Haa," Jasmine lets out a breath of relief after coming back from her match, "I somehow managed to win."

"Good Job!" Johnny smacks her back, almost knocking her off her seat, "That last move at the end was really cool!"

"Mm," I nod, agreeing with Johnny.

"You lifted up all the rocks on the platform with a Whoosh! And started launching them like Swoosh, Swoosh! You had the guy shaking!" Johnny laughs, remembering her opponent's appearance at the end of the fight.

"Mm," Jasmine smiles with a red face.

Seeing her reaction, we both laugh and keep talking about her fight, causing her face to grow redder as she tries to hide it with her hands. After a while, we stop teasing her and turn our attention back to the platform, watching the matches go by while commenting on things we thought were interesting.

"Number 655 wins!" Mrs. Janson announces another winner as the fight on the platform ends.

'How many more fights are left until Round 2 is over?' Thinking this, I turn my attention to Mrs. Janson.

Seeing the two applicants come up to the Spectator Seats, Mrs. Janson tells us, "That's it for Round 2! Next, We'll go straight into Round 3!"

"Okay!" I nod with everyone else, ready for the Last Round.

●●●

Jasmine wakes up with tears in her eyes, remembering that she lost her last fight.

"Don't be so down about it, you had a good fight," I smile, trying to cheer her up.

"Yeah! That guy was just a little bit better than you! Next time you'll be the one knocking him off the platform!" Johnny laughs and smacks his chest.

"Mm…" Jasmine nods without raising her head.

'...I don't know if he's trying to encourage her or make her feel worse,' I shake my head, thinking back on her match.

It started off pretty good, she used Gravel Rush to go on the offensive, launching the loose gravel and rocks on the platform at him. But he was just as good as Jasmine at controlling his Qi, if not better. He manipulated the rocks around him and formed a wall to defend against her attacks.

Then, he somehow took control of the rocks Jasmine was launching at him and added it to his own defense. Jasmine noticed his actions almost immediately after he started to do it and tried to switch tactics, but before she could, he used a technique called Rock Fist and turned all the gravel around him into a big fist. Luckily, it took him a while to prepare the move, so Jasmine was able to use Gravel Shield to defend herself, but it wasn't enough. The moment he swung his fist, the Rock Fist flew right at her, shattering her shield, and before she could react the fist hit her, knocking her into the arena's wall. She fainted from the impact, so I went down there to pick her up and carried her back to the spectator's area.

●●●

'Haaa, of course, she feels bad, she was completely overwhelmed,' I sigh to myself, looking at her sad expression.

"It'll be okay, that's just one loss, and your last two fights were great, so I'm sure you'll still be able to pass," Hearing that, she finally looks up at me.

"Really?" I nod, causing her expression to brighten up a bit.

"So don't be sad, look, it's Johnny's turn," I point down at the platform.

Right now, Johnny's facing off against Aimi. He's been at a disadvantage since the start of their fight because he can't get close enough to her to attack since she's firing her arrows from a distance. After dealing with her attacks for a while, he uses Enchant and starts deflecting her arrows. Soon he gets used to it and charges at her with a shout, smacking away any arrows in his path. Faced with his charge, she surrenders left with no other way to attack.

'That's her second loss, but there wasn't much she could do against Johnny who just charged right through her attacks without giving her a chance to use that strong attack that she used against Nina in Round 1, I think it was called Mighty Arrow. I don't think Johnny could have deflected that, though he might try,' Picturing that, I start laughing, feeling like it might really be possible.

Johnny comes back, wiping the sweat off his forehead, seeing me laughing by myself, he asks Jasmine, "What's he laughing at?"

"I don't know, but I think it might have something to do with...your performance," Jasmine sighs and shakes her head.

"What was wrong with my performance?" Hearing his question, I stop laughing, and we both keep quiet.

Scratching my head, I think to myself, 'It wasn't that something was wrong with it, but no matter how I look at it, it was kind of reckless to just run forward like that. You even got hit by a few arrows at the beginning while trying to figure out how to deflect it,' I sigh, looking at the cuts on his body, 'It was a good fight, but I don't think that I could do that.'

While we were talking, Mrs. Janson already announced the next fight, 'I wonder when it'll be my turn again, I don't know how long that medicine she gave me is going to last.'

Sighing to myself, I watch as the matches go by. It was a lot better than the last two rounds since almost everyone was going all out now. Right now, Nina's fighting, but her opponent can't get close, and from the looks of it he's too scared to try what Johnny did. After a few seconds, he surrenders since he can't find a way to get through her attacks.

"Number 802 wins!" Mrs. Janson announces her victory, making this her second win since she lost in Round 2.

Seeing them both come back up, Mrs. Janson calls out the next two, "Number 764 and Number 748, it's your turn!"

'Looks like I'm fighting him for the last round,' I stand up and look at Jun, who's looking back at me.

"This should be a good fight," Seeing my opponent, Johnny laughs with a big smile on his face.

"Don't laugh, that's the guy who beat you isn't it," Jasmine tugs on his sleeve with a frown.

"So what! Just because he beat me, that doesn't mean you'll lose to him, right Ryner?" Johnny turns to me with a grin.

"Mm," I nod with a small smile, "I don't plan to lose to him."

"Great!" Johnny laughs even louder, "Make sure to give him a punch from me!"

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"Sure, I'll give him one for you too," Saying that, I turn around and leave the spectator's area with Jun.

"Can you still give me a good fight with that injury?" He asks as we leave the arena.

"It should be a good handicap, since you can't use Qi," I answer without turning to him.

"I hope so!" Jun laughs and stops talking.

Entering the arena again, we go into the room and grab our swords. From what I remember, his sword is a little lighter than mine. Walking out onto the platform, we stand a few feet away from each other and get in our stances.

"I forgot to ask this before, but what's your name?" Hearing his sudden question, I pause for a moment before answering, "...Ryner."

"Well, Ryner, I hope you're ready to lose!" He sends me a challenging smile.

"Same to you," I tighten my grip on my sword, getting ready to charge at him.

"Begin!" Hearing her announcement, we rush at each other.

"Enchant!" A blue aura covers my sword before I reach him.

Clink!

Our swords meet for a moment before separating. But without backing up, I swing my sword at him again.

Clink! Clink! Clang!

We clash a couple of times, and I charge forward, putting more strength into my attack this time, I manage to push him back a couple steps. But before I can rush at him, he's already coming for me.

'From Below!?'

Clang!

I block his attack, but the force behind the strike lifts my feet off the ground.

'-From the side this time!?' Before my feet can touch the ground, he swings at my side, forcing me to block again.

Clang!

The force behind the attack knocks me off balance.

"Agh!" Unable to land on my feet properly, I trip and fall to the ground.

I try to stand up, but before I can stand on both feet, I feel something above me, '-Above!?'

Ding!

"Ugh!" I roll to the side, dodging his downward slash.

"Stop running!" Hearing his words, I stand up and charge at him.

"Hahahahaha!" Jun laughs as he rushes at me.

Clink! Swish! Tear! Clink! Clink! Swish! Tear!

We clash again, spilling our blood on the platform. I flinch, feeling the heat coming from my shoulder. But without backing down, I charge at him again. As I swing from above, he swings from below.

Clang!

The force of the clash pushes both of us back, so using the momentum, I jump back at the same time as him, putting some distance between us. Looking down at my sword, it's still shaking from the impact of our last clash.

"Haaaa, Haaaa," With our swords down, we both try to catch our breath.

"... You're not half bad with a sword!" Jun laughs, patting the torn chest of his combat uniform leaking with blood.

'...I hate to admit it, but this guy is better than me with a sword,' I grit my teeth, glancing at the wound on my right shoulder, 'It hurts a lot, but I have to suck it up. I can't give him a chance to recover fully, or I'll lose!'

"Qi Wave!" I send the Qi wave at him, but he dodges it just like I thought he would.

'If one doesn't work, then what about four of them!' I send Qi Waves one after another at him, blocking off his escape routes back to back.

"Is that all you can do!" He shouts while dodging another Qi wave, "-What!"

Using the Qi waves as a distraction, I moved around to his side to launch a surprise attack.

"Enchant!" I strike at his opening, but somehow even though he was surprised, he still manages to block with his sword, and we clash again.

Clink! Clink! Swish! Tear!

"Argh!" I grit my teeth and rush in again, 'It's not over yet!'

Click! Swish! Tear! Clang!

I use the impact of the last clash to push myself back and put some space between us.

'He got me twice,' I tighten my grip on my sword, feeling frustrated, 'I'm really at a disadvantage clashing swords with him.'

He managed to cut my other shoulder and my chest, but he wasn't able to cut that deep, so it doesn't hurt too much.

"We're not done yet!" He rushes at me again, swinging his sword upwards from below.

Clang!

"Ugh!" Again my feet leave the ground, unable to deal with the force behind the strike, 'How is he so strong without cultivating anything!?'

"Don't leave your legs open!" He sweeps my legs, the moment my feet touch the ground.

"Qi Wave!" I throw a strong Qi Wave at him as I fall to the ground.

Tear!

"Agh!" It hits him right in the stomach, causing some blood to spill.

Thud!

"Ah-" I gasp, feeling the air leave my lungs.

Holding my hand over my chest, I gasp for air, "Haaaaaaaaah, Haaaa..."

"Hey, I know you can get up, so get up!" Jun shouts at me, putting his bloody palms on the hilt of his sword.

"Agh!!!" The effects of the pill Mrs. Janson gave me are starting to fade, and I can feel the pain coming from my wounds even more now.

'...But...I need to stand up...' I tighten my grip on my sword and use it to support myself up, 'Right now...my palms are bloody...and my combat uniform is torn up.... dyed in the color of my blood...but the fight isn't over...yet...so I have to...get...up.'

"Haha, that's right! Get up! Get up!!" Jun laughs and rushes at me.

"Hahaha!" Hearing him laugh, I start to laugh too, trying to ignore the pain burning my body.

Clang!

Both of us are pushed back, sliding on the tips of our shoes. But we smile at each other and rush in again.

'I know...that he's better than me with a sword,' I take a deep breath and swing, 'But I can't stop!'

Clink! Swish! Tear! Clang!

"Agh!" He falls on one leg.

'He's not down yet!' I charge at him as fast as I can.

"Ahhh!" He uses his one leg to push off the ground and swing at me.

"Argh!" I stop and meet his slash.

Clang!

Withstanding the impact, I grit my teeth, 'It's not over yet!'

"Argh!" We both grunt and rush at each other again.

Clink! Clink! Clink! Swish! Tear! Clang!

I endure the impact and jump at him again.

"Again!" "Again!"

Clang! Clink! Swish! Tear! Clink! Clink! Swish Tear! Clang!

"Again!" Pushed back from the last clash, we scream and rush at each other again.

Clang! Clink! Clink! Swish! Tear! Swish! Tear! Clink! Clang!

"Ahhh!" At this point, I don't even know who's cutting who anymore. I don't know how many times I've been hit. I don't know where I'm being hit. But at this point, I don't care anymore.

'My whole body is burning up right now!!' I scream in my mind while licking the blood off my lips.

Again, I meet his sword in the middle.

Clang!

I withstand the force and swing again.

Clink! Clang!

"Ugh!" We both groan in pain, but we rush at each other again.

Clink! Clink!

'Right now-'

Clink! Clink! Swish! Tear!

'Don't think-'

Swish! Tear!

'Just do it-'

Clink! Clink!

'When he's close swing-'

Clang!

'When he's far rush forward-'

Clang! Clink! Clink!

'When there's an opening strike-'

Swish! Tear!

'Just-'

Clink! Clink! Clang!

'Fight-'

Clang!

"Argh!"

Clink! Clink! Clang!

"Not yet!!"

Clink! Clang!

"NOT YET!!!"

Clink! Clink! Clang! Snap!

'It broke!?' Suddenly our swords snap, waking me up from my trance.

"I'm not done yet!" He swings at me with his right.

"Neither am I!" I swing at him with my right.

"Argh!!" Our fists cross each other, aiming at the other person's face.

BAM!

His fist hits me right in the face, knocking me back. My cheek starts aching, and my vision gets blurry as my body starts to fall to the ground.

'I'm falling-'

'Doesn't that mean I'll lose-'

'To him-'

'No-'

'I can't lose yet-'

'I want to-'

"Win!!!" We shout out at each other and stop our bodies from falling.

I run towards him with my fist clenched, 'I ran out of Qi a while ago, my body hurts, I'm bleeding, it hurts, I want to sleep, my sword broke, it's hot, it's really really hot-'

'But-' I grit my teeth and swing.

He dodges and throws out his left.

'I don't want to-' I cross my arms and block.

"-Lose!!!" We swing at each other, and our fists collide.

Bam! Swish! Bam! Bang! Swish! Bam!

We just keep swinging, sometimes hitting each other's fist. Sometimes landing on each other's body. Sometimes just missing.

'Fall-'

Swish! Bam! Bam!

I dodge his fist and get in close, hitting him in the chest twice.

'Just-'

"Argh!" He kicks me right in the chest, knocking me back.

Bang! Bang! Bam!

I block his punches and swing, both of our fists collide.

"FALL DOWN!!!!" We scream at each other as our fists collide again and again.

Bam! Thud! Thud!

Our fists collide again, pushing me back a couple steps.

'I can barely lift my arms anymore!'

'Why?' I grit my teeth and swing again, but he blocks it.

'Why won't you fall!?' I just keep swinging without stopping.

Thud! Thud!

'I don't… have... the energy to fight...anymore…' I just keep swinging, our fists smash into each other a couple of times.

Thud!

Both of us stare at each other, on our knees, barely keeping our heads up while the rest of our bodies hang down.

"I … don't… have any… strength… left in my body…" Slowly the lights start fading away, and I can feel my body go down.

"Me…. either…" I can barely catch Jun's words as my body falls.

THUD!

'I can't...feel anything anymore…' I think that was his body falling to the ground.

'I guess... it's over…' Slowly, I close my eyes.

"Ti-me'-s u-p! It-'s a t-ie!" I can barely understand Mrs. Janson's words.

'And I thought that I would-'

"Win…" The last of the lights go out, and everything turns dark.