Naeris held his gaze steadily.
—Go ahead. I want to see how this ends.
—THE TRUE BATTLE BEGINS… NOW!
—Darkness Technique! —Kael shouted as he sprinted toward her.
Naeris stood calm, one hand resting naturally at her waist.
—Illusion Technique: Warping the Terrain.
The ground before Kael began to crack open, forming a massive crater.
He looked down, stopped in his tracks, then lifted his eyes back to her.
—The dream has grown a mouth, Kaelie.
Kael stepped forward again, walking right over the crater—for it was just another one of Naeris's illusions.
—Tricking you is going to be much harder now…
Enormous boulders appeared on both sides of Kael, rolling toward him, yet he simply ignored them.
Kael held his katana reversed, the tip pointing toward the ground.
—Silent Edge!
Naeris, confident, stepped back—but slipped backward and landed hard on the ground, flat on her back.
Kael's attack shot forward like a bullet, slamming with a tremendous crash into the arena wall.
—That wasn't part of the plan… —she murmured to herself, staring up at the sky.
Naeris pushed herself up into a sitting position. Kael stood just a few meters away, holding his katana ready—blade angled back, hilt at hip height—prepared to swing horizontally.
Naeris's eyes went wide as she saw Kael's blade coming toward her face. She dropped her own katana, braced herself… and then…
Caught the blade between her teeth. Her jaws clamped tight, stopping the katana dead in its path.
Kael looked genuinely surprised.
—What?
Naeris reached up with both hands, gripping the rest of the blade to try and pull it from him.
Kael gripped the hilt tight and tried to pull free from her bite—but it was nearly impossible.
—Let go! —Kael said, still struggling.
—Make me —Naeris mumbled, the blade still held fast between her teeth.
Up in the teachers' balcony, Selene rested her thumb and chin thoughtfully.
—Why is Kael having such trouble breaking free? Doesn't his Mark give him enhanced strength?
—We're not entirely sure… Could he be holding back? —Elion guessed.
—Holding back? That makes no sense right now —Professor Mari said.
Just then, Professor Elion's phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and looked at the screen—an incoming call from Arien.
He answered and held it to his ear.
—Hello?
—Hehehehe! —Arien's voice cackled through the speaker—. Ahhh, can you put me on speaker, please?
Elion tapped the speaker button so everyone could hear.
—There we go. Hehehe. You're all so very wrong, little ones. It's not that Kael is holding back… well, maybe a little, but that's not why he can't get free.
—Oh? Then what is the reason? —asked Professor Renzo.
—The reason is that Naeris has incredible jaw strength. Probably the strongest out of all ten of us left.
—Strength that can actually match a Marked fighter like Kael?
—Exactly. That's Naeris for you!
—I see… Wait a minute—how could you even hear us from your room? —Selene asked.
—Ahhh. The script.
Elion ended the call and turned his attention back to the match.
—If that's true… what a remarkable girl.
Naeris released the blade and reached for her own katana. Kael stepped back, raised his katana with both hands, and swung down hard.
Naeris grabbed her katana and blocked the strike from the ground. But Kael's strength was beginning to overpower her.
—Darkness Technique!
—Illusion Arts: My Shadow Clone!
Behind Kael, a figure appeared, leaping into the air with a katana raised high.
Kael felt the presence but didn't turn around.
—It's just an illusion.
—It was. But not anymore —Naeris released her katana and caught Kael's blade between both palms, locking it in place—. Illusion Technique: Mirage Swap!
The clone and Naeris traded places. Now she stood behind him, and the clone vanished beneath Kael's blade.
—Say goodbye to your back, Kael!
—Don't underestimate me, Naeris —Kael said evenly, without turning around—. Spear of the Abyss.
A spear shot from Kael's hand straight toward her. The tip struck her right arm. She gasped in pain and dropped to her knees.
Naeris gritted her teeth as the spear faded away, blood beginning to flow from the wound.
—Finally! Kael lands a hit! Naeris is in trouble now!
Kael straightened and turned to face her.
—Game over, Naeris.
—Not yet… —she whispered, pushing herself back to her feet with a smile—. My final hand, Kael! —She raised her katana high—. Illusion Technique: Legion of Phantoms!
Dozens of Naeris figures began rising from the ground and the air, filling the arena with copies of herself.
—Naeris unleashes her ultimate move! —the commentator called out.
Kael closed his eyes, holding his katana with both hands, tip resting lightly on the ground.
He remained perfectly calm, even as the figures surrounded him.
Some charged forward to strike; others hung back, preparing their own techniques.
—I'm sorry, Naeris. This won't be enough —Kael whispered—. Darkness Technique: Tomb of Eternal Night.
Iron maidens made of pure darkness rose up and enclosed every single Naeris within the arena—the real one included.
There were no spikes inside those cages—only thousands of tiny blades that sliced through each illusion one by one.
When the technique ended, the iron maidens dissolved. Only one remained. As it faded, Naeris stumbled out—covered in cuts but still on her feet.
—For the record, I'm only losing because I choose to —she said, then collapsed.
—Naeris… Naeris can no longer continue! She has been defeated! —announced the commentator.
Kael slid his katana into its sheath and stood quietly, waiting for the medics to come for her.
—For a second there I really thought Naeris might win —Liang said.
—She didn't win, but she definitely gave Kael a run for his money —Matteo observed.
—Is Naeris going to be okay? —Haruki asked quietly, his voice trembling with worry.
Matteo patted his head gently.
—Of course she will. You'll see—she'll be back causing trouble in no time.
The medics carried a stretcher into the arena. They lifted her carefully onto it.
—Stupid Kael… I'm not sharing my mango-with-chili with you anymore —she mumbled, barely conscious.
—I have to admit—you were no easy opponent. Though it was always going to be this way. You earned your place in the top ten fairly.
—I'm hungry… —the medics carried her out of the arena.
Kael walked calmly toward the opposite exit.
—Kael is declared the winner! AND HE IS OUR FIRST SEMIFINALIST OF THE TOURNAMENT!
CONGRATULATIONS, KAEL!
The teachers and director applauded as he walked away.
—Kael!
He paused and looked back. Liang and Matteo were both giving him a thumbs-up.
Kael gave a small thumbs-up in return, then turned and walked out of the arena.
Several hours later, the coliseum was ready once more.
—What a match between Kael and Naeris! But get ready, everyone—because the next one promises to be just as incredible!
Naeris was already resting in the infirmary, healing under Henry's care and watching the broadcast on the room television.
Kael returned to his room to watch what came next.
—Grab your snacks everyone… THE SECOND MATCH IS ABOUT TO BEGIN!