Announcer: And the winner is Sugima! For the next round, we have Cari from Elune vs. Jarby from Zengoku.

--- Chapter 118 ---

Jarby: Heh, another girl. Well, whatever.

He has a big grin as he cracks his knuckles.

Announcer: Now, begin!

Jarby: The other girl didn’t stand a chance, I couldn’t even show off my strongest techniques.

He slaps his hands together, interlocking the fingers. His hands begin vibrating.

Jarby: By performing this move, I’m moving my hands at rapid paces, and absorbing its kinetic energy. Which allows me to swiftly perform combat.

Cari braces herself as he rushes forward. He swings his fist punching her right in her stomach with incredible force. The air in her lungs escapes her, but she endures. She grabs his arm and begins to glow on contact. Tears begin to streak down Jarby’s face.

Jarby: W-what?!

He pulls his arm away with force, wrenching it free. He wipes the tears from his face. Cari puts her arms up in defense.

Jarby: How dare you make me look like a fool. Using your arcana to make me shed tears in front of an audience. Fine. No use in not using it.

He lifts his hands in the air and slams them on the ground. And as he does, the grass freezes in place, the leaves, and branches of the nearby trees slow to a halt. Even the crowd becomes frozen in place momentarily. He raises his body to meet Cari’s gaze.

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Jarby: Prepare, for you are about to receive the punishment of making a fool of me.

Upon relinquishing the last word, he disappears and reappears in front of her, both fists raised. He begins to release a barrage of punches. Cari has her guard up, but still takes the damage of the number of hits he is dealing. She stays taking these hits, preparing and calculating. Eventually, as both of his fists come in, she wraps her hands around them and grapples him. She uses her power, tears begin to swell up in his eyes.

Jarby: You bitch!

He wrenches his hands free from her grapple. He throws a fast right punch, but he sees her eyes move to meet the punch, as she grabs it.

Jarby: So you’re reading me now?! Heh, let’s see how well you can read after this!

He brings his left hand back, putting two fingers out, and with incredible speed and force, pokes her eyes, causing them to slam shut with blood running from them. The crowd gasps in shock. He pulls his right arm free. He stands there smirking at her as she stumbles back. She clenches her teeth and puts up her guard.

Announcer: And she’s going to keep fighting!

Jarby: You just don’t know when to quit do you. Your tough I’ll give you that. I’ll finish this quickly.

Jarby readies himself and continues his onslaught of punches. She is being pushed back, but her guard is steady. He lifts his right hand above his head and brings it down on her head, and she is pushed down.

Announcer: And it’s all over!!! W-wait!

Before hitting the ground, despite that blow to the head, she grabbed Jarby’s hair. Still blinded, she smiles.

Cari: Heh, there you are.

Jarby: You BITCH!

He goes to punch with his left hand, but that action never resolves. She clenches her right fist as it glows, and punches him right in the face. He goes flying and rolls across the ground. She stumbles back up.

Cari: I- I need to become an A-rank. I want to help people, to ease the world’s pain. I- I never wanted to punch or even harm anyone, but I will if I have to!

Jarby is still on the ground, tears pouring out of his eyes.

Announcer: A- and it seems that Jarby is unable to battle!

Cari lowers her guard and cracks a kind smile.

Jarby: You, BITCH!

He yells through his teeth, tears still pouring out of his eyes. He brings his left hand up and digs it into the ground.

Jarby: Sorry master, but I’m using it, I won’t LOSE! TECHTONIC THEFT!

The ground has a moment of rumbling, almost like an earthquake. He stands up and lifts his right hand to punch. He runs in, yelling out a desperate battle cry! The crowd, Masters, and announcers are on the edge of their seats. Cari lifts up her defense in anticipation. But almost as if he trips, he falls and rolls. His face was full of sorrow, eyes closed, red and puffy with tears still streaking from them. He is unconscious. Cari lowers her guard.

Cari: No one can outrun their own sorrow. It will always catch up.

Announcer: And that’s the end of a climactic round! Both sides gave it all that they got, neither willing to give up! Congrats to those two. Now, the next round will begin. Fang from Academy vs. Leo from Academy!