CELESTIA
CHAPTER 99 — THE FIRST QUARTERFINAL
The smell of food filled the kitchen.
Himari Harihiho stood in front of the stove, a wooden spoon in her hand. Her long hair framed her face as she watched her dish cook with almost excessive concentration.
She was humming.
— Hmm, hmm, hmm… ♪
She stirred the mixture, tasted a small amount, then nodded with satisfaction.
— Perfect. This time, I got it right.
She turned around to grab a plate.
A sudden burning sensation stung her back.
— Ouch!
Himari nearly dropped her spoon and spun around.
A woman stood behind her.
She looked exactly like her. Same face, same figure, same hair. The copy wore a smile that was not reassuring in the slightest.
Himari stared at her for a few seconds.
Then she folded her arms.
— Haha. Very funny.
The woman tilted her head slightly, as if waiting for a more interesting reaction.
Himari sighed and turned back toward the stove.
— Don't you have anything better to do?
No answer.
Himari turned back to her cooking.
— Anyway, you can stop now. I'm cooking.
The copy disappeared.
Himari didn't even bother looking at her.
— Finally…
— BOO!
A voice exploded right behind her ear.
Himari jumped so violently that she nearly sent her spoon flying into the pot.
— WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!
A boy was now standing a few steps away from her, doubled over with laughter. He had messy blue hair and wore a black outfit trimmed in white, with a large raised collar and a white J-shaped emblem crowned on his chest. A black virtual reality headset completely covered his eyes.
He was laughing so hard that he had to lean against the counter.
— Your face! Did you see your face?!
Himari looked at him without expression.
— Chase Walker.
— Present!
He raised his hand like a student who had just given the correct answer in class.
— What are you doing in my kitchen?
— I was passing by.
— You came into my kitchen to shoot me with your toy and disguise yourself as me?
Chase straightened up.
— When you put it like that, it makes me sound like a criminal.
— BECAUSE YOU'RE ACTING LIKE ONE!
He burst out laughing again.
Chase Walker.
A Paladin capable of using virtual reality artifacts to reproduce appearances and powers within a simulated environment. His imagination was almost as developed as his immaturity. And unfortunately for the people around him, he loved practical jokes.
Himari, on the other hand, was beginning to regret letting him into her home.
Chase suddenly jerked his thumb toward the door.
— Come on, let's go! You're going to miss the match!
Himari froze.
— Kai and Ranmaru's match?
— The first quarterfinal! Two monsters who are probably going to turn the arena into a construction site! Do you really want to stay here watching your pot?
She glanced at her dish.
Then at Chase.
— Fine, I'm coming.
— Excellent choice!
— But you are not shooting me again.
Chase raised both hands.
— Promise. No more shots.
Himari narrowed her eyes.
— Chase.
— What?
— I know you.
— That's insulting.
She turned off the stove, carefully covered her dish, and headed for the exit.
Chase followed her, whistling.
For a few seconds, everything finally seemed normal.
Then a small mechanical sound rang out behind her.
Pshht!
A tiny blast struck Himari in the back.
— OUCH!
She spun around.
Chase was holding a futuristic-looking black pistol. A small light had just gone out at the end of its barrel.
The B-Blaster.
Himari didn't seem seriously injured, but a slight burn stung her back.
Chase was already laughing.
— Direct hit!
— CHASE WALKER!
He backed away, waving his weapon around.
— Technically, you said I wasn't supposed to shoot you anymore. You didn't specify that I couldn't shoot you a second time!
— THAT'S EXACTLY THE SAME THING!
Pshht!
Another blast.
— STOP IT!
Chase took off running down the hallway, laughing hysterically, while Himari chased after him.
— GET BACK HERE! I'LL MAKE YOU REGRET EVER INVENTING THAT THING!
— YOU'RE GOING TO MISS THE MATCH!
— I'M MOSTLY GOING TO MISS THE CHANCE TO RIP YOU APART!
— That's a very disturbing threat coming from someone who cooks so well!
— CHASE!
Their voices faded down the corridors.
The stadium was packed.
From the stands, thousands of spectators watched the enormous arena at the center of the structure. Conversations mingled with the organizers' announcements, the supporters' shouts, and the rumbling of the security systems surrounding the field.
The quarterfinals of the Ashen Crown were finally beginning.
After the previous fights, the spectators knew that no competitor had made it this far by chance. Each participant had been forced to survive the clashes, exploit their opponents' weaknesses, and push beyond their own limits.
And now, the first duel would pit two fighters with radically different profiles against each other.
On one side, Kai.
On the other, Ranmaru.
The arena doors opened.
Kai was the first to appear.
His long black hair, spiked upward, moved slightly as he walked forward at a relaxed pace. His blue eyes briefly swept across the stands before returning to the center of the field.
He carried no weapon.
He didn't need one.
His hands were free, his shoulders relaxed, and his expression perfectly calm. Yet those who had witnessed his fight against Murata still remembered the amount of energy he had absorbed and the way he had eventually begun perceiving attacks through his sixth sense.
Kai had won his previous fight.
But no one knew exactly how far he could go.
He reached his position and stopped.
A few seconds later, his opponent entered.
Ranmaru walked forward without rushing. His short, slightly messy white hair contrasted with his green eyes. The green ring on his hand caught the light from the spotlights.
Physically, he looked far less imposing than Kai.
That was precisely what made the duel interesting.
Ranmaru wasn't a fighter who could rival everyone through sheer physical strength alone. His body had limits, and he knew that better than anyone.
But his Eye of Orientation allowed him to glimpse possible futures, anticipate movements, and materialize objects through his Fumetsu.
Against an opponent like Kai, a single mistake could be enough to condemn him.
And a single good decision could change the fight.
Ranmaru reached his position.
The two fighters found themselves facing each other, several meters apart on the field.
Kai studied his opponent.
— So, it's you.
Ranmaru looked up at him.
— Disappointed?
— No. I was just wondering how long you could last.
Ranmaru remained silent for a moment.
Then he gave a faint smile.
— Funny. I was about to ask you exactly the same thing.
A few spectators reacted to their exchange.
Kai gave a slight smile.
— You've got some nerve.
— And you talk a lot for someone who's probably planning to settle everything with his fists.
Kai briefly glanced down at his hands before looking up again.
— It's worked pretty well so far.
— I've noticed.
Ranmaru's tone remained calm, but his gaze had changed. He was no longer looking at Kai alone. He was studying his posture, the position of his feet, the angle of his shoulders, and the way his weight rested on his legs.
He was already trying to figure out how Kai would attack.
On the other side, Kai seemed to have noticed his analysis.
— Trying to predict my first move?
— Maybe.
— Then predict this.
Kai took a step forward.
Ranmaru didn't move, but his fingers tightened slightly around his ring.
A tense silence settled between them.
In the stands, Himari had finally found a seat. She sat down, still annoyed, while Chase took the place beside her with the exaggerated innocence of someone who had absolutely nothing to feel guilty about.
She slowly turned her head toward him.
— If you pull out that pistol again, I'll make you swallow it.
Chase immediately put the B-Blaster away.
— I came here to watch the match, you know.
Himari turned her attention back to the arena.
At the center, the referee stepped forward between the two competitors. He raised one arm, then looked at Kai and Ranmaru in turn to make sure they were ready.
The conversations gradually died down.
The last spectators still standing returned to their seats.
The security gates locked around the arena.
The referee raised his hand.
— First quarterfinal of the Ashen Crown! Kai versus Ranmaru!
A wave of cheers swept through the stadium.
Kai bent his knees slightly, his body preparing for the confrontation.
Ranmaru took a deep breath. His green gaze never left his opponent.
The referee brought his arm down.
— FIGHT!