My imra dances wildly in my body, my emotions make it more chaotic and sharper. I look at my swords while also staring at Bush—I want to lunge at him right now. Only my cold mind holds me back. I might be stronger, but that boy is still capable of defeating me if I let rage take over.

Bush just keeps watching me, as if inviting me into his zone. Arrogant bastard. Without wanting to wait any longer, I charge toward him. Before I reach his position, he activates his light affinity on his sword. So now you're taking me seriously? In all his previous matches, he never activated it during the first clash.

My first slash comes in horizontally toward his left arm. It's blocked by his sword. My next strike comes down diagonally toward his shoulder. With a step back, he blocks again. The clash begins, both of us pushing to our full speed, slashes flying from both sides. His gaze has shifted from bored to fully focused. After a few seconds, he still can't take the advantage in our exchange. I keep pressing without overcommitting to avoid a counterattack. I'm doing everything I can to control the rhythm of this fight.

We've both started using feints in our attacks. This is my territory! Thanks to my pseudo-dominion skill, his feints don't affect me at all, even when they go to my blind spots. I always know when to dodge or block. I keep pushing him toward the edge of the platform. Since the arena is a dome created by some kind of mechanism, he can't fall off—it'll just trap him between the wall and my blades.

Only a few meters left to corner him. His expression and imra feel different now. Before I can figure out why, a small orb of light forms on his shoulder and shoots a beam at me. So fast! I manage to dodge at the last second thanks to my dominion. I've stepped back due to the attack—it's not enough to defeat me, but it's enough to break my balance.

He takes advantage of that moment to move sideways using his mobility skill, escaping from the edge. I follow him using my own skill. Now that I've seen that first attack, I already have that spell mapped in my mind. When I catch up to him, I see three of those orbs floating above him. We resume our clash. Every time he feels pressured, he fires one. Each beam either forces me back or makes me block with a single sword, putting me in an awkward position that he takes advantage of to go on the offensive.

Tired of not being able to land a clean hit, I resort to mana too. I summon four ice orbs at my side and grin at him defiantly. He looks at me with a furrowed brow.

I launch the four orbs while preparing four more as I move forward. He uses two beams to neutralize two of them and is forced to shift into an unfavorable position to dodge the remaining two. By then, I'm already at his side with another set of four orbs floating beside me.

He forms something like a wall of light to his side and falls back into defense during our sword exchange. I throw one orb at full speed—it breaks his wall after just a single impact. His eyes widen in disbelief. I see him trying to summon another wall, but before he can finish, I launch the other three. He dodges one, blocks another with his sword, but the last hits him in the back. The blow halts his retreat. I use the momentum and swing both swords in a vertical slash from above. They both connect with his torso at full force. I can't cut him due to the mana shield from his collar, but he's sent flying backward by the impact.

I don't chase him. I wait in my place for him to get up. When he does, he stares at me, and I say just one word: "Weak." At that moment, I already have four ice orbs built, and with a flick of my hand, I make them vanish—letting him know I don't need them to beat him.

I can already see his rage after I called him weak. Now, with this gesture, he looks like he wants to kill me with just his stare. I let him build a light wall and two orbs, and when he finishes, I launch myself at him using my movement skill at full power. By the time his eyes track me, my sword is already slashing toward his ribs. The mana wall blocks me and shatters at the same time. He manages to stop my sword with his own, only to realize my left sword is aiming for his thigh. He fires a beam to stop my momentum and another straight at my head—I dodge it with a simple movement.

I stare at him coldly, unfazed, and attack with my full speed. I don't give him a second to build anything, and he's forced back into defense. I can feel the tension in my body and head—without my glacial focus running at full, I couldn't keep up this pace. I hadn't planned to use my concentrated sphere in this tournament, but I won't walk away satisfied with all this rage unless I land one devastating hit.

I begin constructing two spheres—one normal and one concentrated with 50% of the usual mana. He hasn't noticed because he's focused on my swords. I throw the first sphere coordinated with my swords, giving him only one exit, which he takes—only to find the concentrated sphere right in front of him. He has no time to react and takes the full impact. He flies back several meters, bounces once on the ground, and crashes again.

I begin to build three more spheres to finish it. But before I can fully form them, I destroy them. I realize it's over. His collar activated due to that last hit.

I've won. I celebrate quietly. I humiliated him with both sword and magic. I didn't take a single hit, and he was knocked down twice. Though it feels a bit childish, he totally deserved it.

I watch as Bush stands back up. I don't say anything and turn away. I thank the referee. Before I can leave, I hear a voice.

"Who are you? What's your name?" It's Bush. I hesitate for a moment about whether or not to answer. I might as well—he can easily find me anyway.

"Maki." I reply without turning around. My rage has mostly faded now, and my thoughts are cold again.

"I'll look for you for a rematch, Maki."

His words freeze me. He wants a rematch? He's that kind of guy? Did I just get myself into trouble? "Find me whenever you want—the result won't change." I raise my hand over my shoulder in a goodbye gesture. Thanks to my dominion, I can see a small smile forming on his face.

This fight was mentally exhausting. That boy is ridiculously strong—possibly stronger than the Cris I knew. Maybe even stronger than the current Cris. He earned a score of… 22? Maybe 24.

I realize how strong he is because I leveled up in all my skills except for fortified construction and lightning step. That only happens when I face someone truly strong.

As I leave the tunnel toward where they're waiting for me, I'm surprised to see they've come all the way to meet me.

Sol runs up to me and gives me a tight hug. "Congratulations on reaching the final." Her anger at Bush is gone—she's happier for my win than for his defeat.

"That was a good fight, Maki. You did everything perfectly." Camux's words aren't just praise—they're gratitude for the way I beat him. The Count pats my shoulder twice after Sol lets go.

"I don't know how to thank you, Maki." Cris looks at me—his usual smile has returned. He bumps fists with me before dropping a bomb:

"If you ever want to marry Sol in the future, I'll be the first to support it." I'm getting used to these kinds of jokes. I glance at Sol—she's covering her face with her hands. I can see her blushing. I need to change the topic.

"I'm starving. That match burned all my energy." I pray to God—if He exists—that someone takes the bait.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"You're right, you need to eat something before the final. You need to be at full power." Cris is the first to follow me. Maybe he didn't notice I was trying to shift the subject. Sol just keeps staring at her feet, and my uncle watches the three of us with a warm look while suggesting a good food stall.

Before we leave, I can feel someone watching my back thanks to my dominion. I turn—it's Bush with two others. His face shows emotions I can't quite read. I don't get it—I don't feel any anger toward him anymore. I wink at him and continue on with the Solar family.

On the way, they tell me that Arisa won her match. Apparently, she's gotten stronger since our duel. According to Camux, she's probably just as strong as Bush now. I don't know if I want to win the final… Fighting Arisa is fun, but I've already drawn a lot of attention to myself. I can see how people point and whisper about me. It feels good—and at the same time, it doesn't.

We enjoy a good meal and all the final event perks. Then we move to our seats to watch Bush win his match comfortably, securing third place in the tournament.

Now in the tunnel, walking toward the platform, I lean against the wall and start thinking about what I should do. Win or lose? If I win, I'll draw even more attention. If I lose, it wouldn't be fair to Bush or Arisa if I don't give it my all… What a dilemma.

"I already knew this would happen. We'd both reach the final for my rematch." I turn and see the orange-haired girl walking toward me.

"Congratulations on making it to the final, Arisa." I offer a compliment for her efforts. Without me, the final would've been Arisa vs. Bush.

"Likewise. You had a good fight against Bush in the semifinals." She calls him by name without any honorific? Isn't she a commoner? It could be considered a crime to address the son of a Count so directly if you're not nobility.

"In our first fight, I used my mana only at the end. I won't give you that advantage this time." She doesn't seem to have noticed it. I'll keep acting like she didn't. Her smile is contagious. Her body already radiates energy, and her imra is surging with anticipation—I can feel it without even using my own.

"Do you really think you can beat me if you use it from the start?" I try to provoke her a bit to see her reaction. Her chances aren't zero—but they're pretty close if I go all out.

She rolls her eyes at my boldness. "Don't act cocky, it doesn't suit you. That pretty face doesn't match those words." We both laugh at the exchange.

"Hey Maki, do you have any future plans? Or are you just going to go back to your little village after this tournament?" How does she know that about me? Without connections, it should be impossible to know where I'm from or anything about me. Who are you really? I want to ask, but I don't—if she's hiding her identity, she must have a reason.

"After the tournament? I don't know. Maybe I'll return home to help out in my village. But someday, I want to attend Skyblue Academy. What about you?" I answer honestly. There's no harm if she knows this much, and I get the feeling she could find it out even if I didn't say a word.

"Skyblue? Interesting choice—it's one of the best academies. If you beat me in the final, maybe I'll go to Skyblue River City too, just to keep training with you. My plans? I'm not sure. I just want to get stronger and enjoy the journey. I do have a proposal for you, though—you'll hear it after our match. Now let's go give them a show."

She steps closer and nudges my shoulder forward toward the platform. As we exit the tunnel, we're greeted by a thunderous ovation. I glance at the stadium—every seat is packed, and the central dome has been enlarged for this final clash.

The referee begins the usual announcement, but we aren't listening. Our eyes are locked on each other, weapons ready, Imra surging. I can see wind mana coursing along her spear—she really is going all out from the very start.

"If you hold back, you won't beat me, Maki." Her smile is fierce. Her bright orange hair is tied tightly and dances with the breeze generated by her weapon. Her stance leaves no openings.

"Time to dance, Arisa." As soon as the match starts, I create two ice spheres and send them flying. She answers with a wind slash, immediately forming another and launching it. The attacks collide midair and cancel each other out.

We both dash forward with our movement skills and clash in the center. Her skill with the spear has grown—she follows my movements fluidly, blocking and countering with the reach advantage of her weapon.

We begin testing each other's weapon mastery. After a few exchanges, I make her retreat a step. As the saying goes: one step back always leads to another. She keeps retreating little by little.

Then, she takes a slightly larger step back and unleashes two wind slashes. I could block them with spheres if I wanted to, but I choose to try something riskier—I push my Imra to the limit and attempt to cut through her magic with my swords.

The impact leaves my arms a bit numb and forces me back a step. Impressive! She seizes the chance and thrusts at me with her spear. I manage to block just in time, stepping back again to get out of range. I form an ice sphere to throw point-blank, but she leaps sideways to avoid it.

We engage in close combat once more, and she takes a hit—my blade grazes her abdomen. She backs off using her movement skill and throws a wind blade from her leg. Surprised, I cross my swords just in time to block it.

"That's new, Arisa." Without my domain skill, that would've landed.

"I'm sad—I really thought I'd hit you with that one." Her face doesn't look sad at all—just pure focus and joy.

We keep exchanging mid-range attacks—her mana blades versus my spheres. From what I've seen, she can only launch two at once. I summon four spheres and watch her frown. I launch them all—she barely manages to cut through three. The last one strikes her leg.

She charges at me without hesitation—a smart choice. At mid-range, she's at an even greater disadvantage. Up close, the tide turns further in my favor. I land small cuts here and there. The damage isn't big, but it accumulates on her collar.

It's been three or four minutes now. Time to end this. I don't want to betray her expectations. Breaking from my plan, I decide to finish this match with a win.

I create three ice spheres and launch them—they're just a distraction. My blades will deliver the final blow. Her spear moves faster than before, cutting through the spheres and putting her in position to strike. I can't dodge her attack aimed at my left shoulder, so I take it. I endure the pain and slam my right blade into her ribs with all my strength. She's thrown several meters back due to poor balance and my force.

As she struggles to get up, the referee ends the match—her collar has activated. Was Arisa the only one to land a hit on me?

She dusts off her clothes, her expression downcast from the loss. I walk over and extend my hand. She takes it and smiles.

"Nice hit at the end," I tell her, genuinely impressed she pushed me that far.

"Didn't matter. I lost anyway." She looks up at the sky, then back at me. "It was a good fight, champ." She hugs me. As we separate, fireworks explode in the sky and the crowd roars with applause, cheers, and whistles.

I bow in all four directions in gratitude, and we walk back to the tunnel together.

Outside, the Solar family is waiting. Cris is the first to greet me with a fist bump. I expect Sol and Camux to come next, but instead, they walk toward Arisa.

"That was a wonderful fight, Lady Arisa. Your father must be proud of your strength," Camux says formally. Lady Arisa? She's a noble?

"Lady Arisa, your strength matches your beauty. Count Timal is a fortunate father," Sol greets her in classic noble fashion.

Count Timal? The younger brother of the Marquis? My brain kicks into overdrive as I try to process this. Meanwhile, Cris congratulates her as well. Arisa notices my reaction and smirks at me.

"Oops? Guess my identity's out and I stole your spotlight," she teases.

I try to maintain my composure and stop myself from rolling my eyes.

"I didn't know about your identity, Lady Arisa. Please forgive me if I've offended you." I give a respectful bow. But through my domain, I sense she didn't like that at all.

She grabs my shoulders and looks me straight in the eye. "Even if I like seeing you act that way, it's not needed right now." Her smile is a bit awkward. She releases me, and I notice Sol watching us closely. Her Imra doesn't feel great. I pretend not to notice.

Arisa says her goodbyes—she's being called away. Sol and Camux hug me and congratulate me. It's time to head to the portal. The top four are being teleported to the Marquis' castle for their rewards.

I take a moment to check my status—I gained a couple levels from my fight with Arisa: one in Sword Reinforcement and another in Lightning Step.

Maki: 8 years old – Basic Amethyst SKILLS:

Sword Reinforcement (II) – Level 13

Pseudo-Domain (II) – Level 9

Lightning Step (II) – Level 7

Focused Sphere Formation (II) – Level 11

Fortified Construction (III) – Level 1

Glacial Concentration (II) – Level 5

"They'll send you back to our house in a carriage after dinner and the reward ceremony. We'll be waiting to celebrate," Camux explains.

We head to the portal. Camux knows the way. We joke around about the final match on the way. When we arrive, Arisa, Bush, and the other boy are already waiting. I walk up to them and a guard instructs us to stand on the platform.

The soldier does something on the portal's control panel and tells us to wait. Finally, it activates. A white light begins to surround us—but then something strange happens. The light starts to distort… changing colors.

My vision turns white. I barely hear the voices.

"What's going on?" "Shut it down, quick!" "Stop this damn portal!"

Then, I hear a crowd screaming at once—"NOOOOOOO!"

What's happening? Something's wrong. My vision fades to black. I feel a void… and my consciousness slowly slips into darkness.

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