CELESTIA
Chapter 101 — The First Quarterfinal
— FIGHT!
The referee's shout rang throughout the stadium.
For a fraction of a second, Kai and Ranmaru remained motionless, separated by twenty meters of cracked concrete. Above them, the floodlights illuminated the arena with a brilliant white glow. Thousands of spectators held their breath, eager to see how the first quarterfinal of the Crown of Ashes would begin.
Kai stood straight, his arms relaxed at his sides. His long black hair, spiked upward, fluttered in the currents of air sweeping through the arena. His blue eyes never left Ranmaru.
Across from him, the white-haired teenager raised his chin slightly. His green ring glowed on his finger.
He didn't look impressed.
— So, Kai, Ranmaru called out, are you planning to stare at me until the time runs out?
Kai didn't answer immediately.
His gaze dropped to Ranmaru's feet, traveled up his legs, studied his shoulders, then settled on his hands.
He was analyzing his stance.
The distance between his feet. The position of his center of gravity. The angle of his shoulders. The almost imperceptible way his fingers tightened around his ring.
Ranmaru tilted his head.
— Studying me?
Kai raised his eyes.
— Yes.
— And have you figured anything out?
Kai looked straight at him.
— Not yet.
Ranmaru smiled.
— Then you better hurry.
He disappeared.
A sharp crack tore through the air.
Ranmaru appeared on Kai's left flank, his fist already flying toward his ribs. But before the attack could reach its target, Kai pivoted on his back foot. The punch passed within inches of his uniform.
Kai tried to grab his wrist.
Ranmaru slipped free by dropping sideways, planted one hand on the concrete, and pivoted around his own arm. His leg swept across the ground toward Kai's ankles.
Kai jumped.
Ranmaru had already anticipated that reaction.
He straightened in the same movement and drove his fist toward Kai's chin.
Kai crossed his forearms.
BOOM!
The impact sent them both backward.
Kai slid several meters, his shoes scraping against the concrete. Ranmaru landed on his feet, one knee slightly bent.
The spectators reacted immediately.
— He followed his movement!
— Kai had to protect himself!
— It's only the first exchange, and they're already moving that fast?!
In the stands, Zayn leaned over the railing.
— Oh, this is starting nicely!
Yojuro, sitting beside him, didn't share his noisy enthusiasm. His eyes remained fixed on the two fighters.
— Ranmaru isn't trying to defeat him with a single blow, he murmured. He wants to understand how Kai reacts.
— Well, then he should just hit him hard enough to knock some sense into him!
— It's not that simple.
— You're only saying that because you overthink everything.
Yojuro didn't respond.
In the arena, Kai slowly unfolded his arms.
He had felt the force of that punch.
Ranmaru might not possess Kai's raw physical strength, but his attacks were precise. He never struck exactly where Kai expected a blow to land. Every movement seemed calculated to exploit the reaction that followed.
Kai inhaled.
A bluish energy began gathering around his forearms.
Ranmaru watched him carefully.
— Ah. You've decided to get serious.
Kai spread his arms slightly.
Two spheres of energy formed in front of him, compact and luminous. They vibrated for an instant before shooting toward Ranmaru at tremendous speed.
The white-haired teenager didn't try to dodge them.
He charged straight at them.
— What?! someone shouted from the stands.
Ranmaru slid beneath the first sphere, tilted his torso to avoid the second, and continued forward. His shoes struck the concrete in a rapid rhythm. He closed the distance before Kai could launch another attack.
Kai raised his arm.
Ranmaru entered his range.
But instead of letting the spheres hit him from behind, Kai stopped them with a simple backhand.
FWOOSH!
Both projectiles abruptly changed direction and slammed into the ground several meters away from Ranmaru.
An explosion shook the arena. Chunks of concrete shot into the air.
Ranmaru didn't even look back.
He was already in front of Kai.
His fist shot toward his opponent's face. Kai tilted his head, letting the punch pass beside his cheek. He immediately attempted a counterattack to the body, but Ranmaru pivoted on his left foot, avoided the punch, and brought his other arm upward in a swift motion.
His fist struck Kai beneath the chin.
KRAAA-BOOM!
The shock wave exploded around them.
Kai's body lifted under the impact. His feet left the ground, his black hair was thrown backward, and a wave of pressure swept through the arena.
In the stands, the seats shook.
Several spectators grabbed the railings. Cups fell to the ground. The panels installed around the stadium vibrated under the blast.
Zayn abruptly straightened.
— WHAT THE HELL?!
Even he hadn't seen that punch coming.
Kai landed heavily on his feet, but his body tilted backward. He drove one shoe into the concrete to stop himself from falling.
His head remained slightly lowered.
His eyes stayed closed for a moment.
Ranmaru jumped backward, returning to his fighting stance.
— You think too much, Kai.
The silence lasted a second.
Then Kai opened his eyes.
— AAAAAAAAAH!
His roar erupted from his chest.
A mass of energy burst around him, blasting the air in every direction. The concrete beneath his feet cracked. A powerful gust swept across the arena, lifting the dust that had accumulated on the ground.
Ranmaru crossed his arms in front of his face.
The pressure hit him head-on.
His feet left the concrete, and he was hurled backward. He slid several meters before managing to regain his balance.
Kai slowly lowered his arms.
His gaze was now fixed on Ranmaru with a different intensity.
— You hit pretty hard, he admitted.
He cracked his neck.
— But don't imagine that's going to be enough.
Ranmaru shook his hands, trying to dispel the tingling in his fingers.
— I never imagined it would be.
He raised one hand.
Blessed energy gathered around his fingers. A green light condensed in front of his palm, first forming a tiny point, then growing into an increasingly dense core.
Kai frowned.
Ranmaru extended his arm.
— Let's see if you can handle this.
A green beam shot from his hand.
Kai didn't move.
The beam struck him head-on, engulfing his torso in a greenish light. The ground cracked beneath his feet. The air around him began to vibrate as the beam continued to hammer into him.
Cries erupted from the stands.
— He hit him!
— Kai, move!
But Kai had already understood.
He wasn't trying to resist the beam.
He was absorbing it.
The green light coiled around his arms before gradually disappearing beneath his skin. The beam lost intensity, then faded completely.
Ranmaru slowly lowered his hand.
His eyebrows drew together.
— Of course…
Kai extended his arm.
Energy similar to Ranmaru's gathered in his palm.
— You're giving me far too much to use against you.
He fired the beam back.
Ranmaru threw himself sideways, but the beam adjusted its trajectory slightly. He spun around, brought both hands in front of him, and launched a second attack.
The two beams collided in the middle of the arena.
KRAAAAAAAAAAAM!
A pillar of light erupted between the fighters.
The beams pushed against each other, their tips trembling under the pressure. Arcs of energy crackled around the point of collision. The ground fractured in concentric circles, while the barriers protecting the stands vibrated under the discharges.
Kai took a step forward.
His beam gained a few inches.
Ranmaru clenched his teeth and forced his arms forward.
The green light surged back in the opposite direction.
— Did you really think I'd let you overpower me in an energy clash? Ranmaru called out.
Kai didn't answer.
He pushed harder.
Ranmaru's beam contracted.
But the white-haired teenager had no intention of giving up. His ring glowed intensely as he poured an increasing amount of his blessed energy into maintaining the attack.
Both fighters stood motionless, arms extended, separated by a mass of light threatening to explode at any moment.
— How long are they going to keep this up? Zayn asked.
Yojuro barely blinked.
— Until one of them gives in… or the energy becomes unstable.
He had barely finished speaking when the center of the collision began to distort.
The green light flickered.
Kai noticed.
So did Ranmaru.
Both tried to push one final time.
BOOOOOOM!
The two beams exploded simultaneously.
A deafening blast engulfed the center of the arena. A thick cloud of green and gray smoke rose from the concrete, obscuring both fighters. Stone fragments shot toward the side barriers.
For several seconds, nobody could see anything.
Then a silhouette burst through the smoke.
Kai.
He was already charging toward Ranmaru.
The white-haired teenager barely had time to make out his opponent before Kai grabbed him around the body.
— Wait, what—?!
Kai tightened his grip, bent his knees, and took off.
The concrete shattered beneath his feet.
FWOOSH!
They soared above the arena.
The wind howled around them as Kai rapidly gained altitude. The stadium shrank beneath their feet, and the spectators' screams became a distant rumble.
Ranmaru immediately began struggling.
He struck Kai's shoulder, tried to force him to release his grip, then brought up his knee to push him away.
Kai absorbed the blow.
He tightened his arm around Ranmaru and continued climbing.
— LET GO OF ME! Ranmaru shouted.
— You wanted to get some height? Kai replied. THEN LET'S GET SOME!
He twisted in midair.
Ranmaru realized what he was planning too late.
Kai reversed their trajectory and plunged toward the arena, dragging his opponent down with him. Their speed increased dramatically. The air whistled around their bodies.
Ranmaru struggled to break free, but every movement cost him more control.
The ground rushed toward them.
The spectators rose to their feet.
Zayn's eyes widened.
— HE'S GOING TO DESTROY HIM!
Kai continued his descent.
Just a few meters above the concrete, he adjusted his trajectory and dragged Ranmaru down with him.
DOOOOOOM!
The two fighters slammed into the ground.
The impact shook the entire arena. A shock wave spread from the point of impact, lifting a ring of dust and shattering several slabs of concrete. The stands trembled again.
A cloud of dust swallowed both fighters.
A stunned silence followed the explosion.
Zayn had stood up without even realizing it.
— Did Kai just pull off a wrestling move in midair?!
— Sit down, Yojuro muttered.
— DID YOU SEE THAT?!
— Everyone saw it.
In the arena, Kai straightened amid the debris.
In front of him, Ranmaru lay in the crater created by the impact. His body remained motionless, his uniform covered in dust.
Kai approached.
— Well? he asked. Are you going to tell me I think too much again?
He received no answer.
Kai crouched slightly.
That was when Ranmaru's body began to vibrate.
A green light appeared beneath his skin.
The cracks running through his body began to close. His blessed energy flowed through his limbs again, and his injuries gradually healed.
Kai took a step backward.
Ranmaru suddenly inhaled.
His fingers tightened against the ground. He rolled onto his side, planted one hand on the concrete, and pushed himself up, still unsteady.
He looked exhausted.
But he was standing.
— You know… he breathed, you could warn me before doing things like that.
Kai stared at him.
— Would you prefer that I ask for permission?
— I'd appreciate it.
Ranmaru brushed the dust from his face.
— But I suppose you're not particularly polite.
Kai chuckled.
— You're starting to understand.
Ranmaru raised his eyes toward him.
His expression changed.
— And you're starting to become predictable.
Kai frowned.
A fraction of a second later, Ranmaru disappeared from his field of vision.
Kai turned his head.
Too late.
A series of beams erupted around him.
Kai immediately moved, dodging the first beam with a tilt of his head, avoiding the second by pivoting on his back foot, then dropping beneath the third. The beams streaked past him and struck the arena's protective barriers in a succession of explosions.
Ranmaru gave him no breathing room.
Kai straightened and launched a counterattack. A bluish light burst from his arm.
Ranmaru dodged by tilting his torso slightly.
The beam passed over his shoulder.
Kai fired a second one.
Ranmaru stepped aside.
The beam grazed his face.
A third followed immediately.
This time, Ranmaru had to duck, place one hand on the ground, and pivot to let the attack pass over him.
He rose in the same movement.
— You can aim better than that!
Kai charged toward him.
— Come and find out!
The two fighters collided in the center of the arena.
The first exchange happened so quickly that the spectators could only make out silhouettes crossing through the dust.
Kai threw a straight punch.
Ranmaru deflected his arm and struck back.
Kai dodged with a movement of his head, grabbed his opponent's wrist, and tried to pull him closer.
Ranmaru allowed himself to be pulled in, pivoted on his supporting foot, and drove his elbow toward Kai's face.
Kai leaned back just enough to avoid the impact.
His knee immediately shot toward Ranmaru's stomach.
The white-haired teenager blocked it with his forearm, but the impact forced him backward.
Kai pursued him.
A punch.
Another.
Then a hook aimed at the temple.
Ranmaru avoided the first two, ducked beneath the third, and countered with a short strike to Kai's ribs.
Kai tightened his body and absorbed the blow.
He tried to respond with a knee strike, but Ranmaru had already changed angles.
He slipped to Kai's side, struck his shoulder, then followed with a kick that forced his opponent to retreat.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Every collision produced a shock wave.
The two fighters crossed the arena at dizzying speeds, their blows making the concrete vibrate beneath their feet.
Kai struck with tremendous power, but Ranmaru was becoming increasingly difficult to hit.
The white-haired teenager anticipated his attacks, read his changes in posture, and exploited every moment Kai committed too much force to a movement.
Kai threw a straight punch toward his face.
Ranmaru leaned to the side.
The fist passed within inches of his cheek.
He immediately countered with two quick body shots, then tried to strike Kai beneath the chin.
Kai blocked the final blow.
But Ranmaru had already changed his strategy.
He grabbed Kai by the neck and pulled him closer.
— Got you!
He drew back his other arm.
Kai planted his feet against the ground and brutally punched Ranmaru in the stomach before the latter could strike.
The air left the white-haired teenager's lungs.
His grip loosened.
Kai broke free.
But Ranmaru wasn't finished.
Despite the blow he'd received, he pivoted on his foot and retaliated with a powerful strike to Kai's abdomen.
DOUM!
Kai's breath caught in his throat.
His eyes widened.
— GH…!
He staggered several steps backward, one hand pressed against his stomach. A sharp pain shot through his body, and he had to force his legs to keep him from falling.
Ranmaru slowly straightened.
His breathing was irregular.
He was struggling to maintain his blessed energy, but his gaze remained focused.
Kai raised his head.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
In the stands, the shouting had changed.
The spectators who had been cheering for Kai moments earlier were beginning to worry.
— He hit him!
— Kai's injured!
— Ranmaru's taking control!
Zayn gripped the railing.
— Hey, Kai! Get up!
Yojuro kept his eyes fixed on the arena.
He understood what had just happened.
Ranmaru wasn't simply trying to dodge anymore.
He had found Kai's rhythm.
Whenever Kai launched a powerful attack, Ranmaru exploited the opening to strike before his opponent could recover his stance.
— He's adapted his strategy, Yojuro murmured.
Zayn abruptly turned toward him.
— So what? Kai will adapt too!
— If he gives him the time.
In the arena, Ranmaru stepped backward several meters.
Then he rose into the air.
His body slowly ascended above the cracked concrete. He extended his arms in front of him as his blessed energy gathered around his hands.
A green light condensed between his palms.
It rapidly grew, enveloping his forearms and illuminating his face.
Kai was still bent forward, one hand pressed against his stomach.
Ranmaru looked down at him from the air.
— You're powerful, Kai.
His voice echoed through the arena.
— Far more powerful than I imagined.
The light intensified.
— But even you have limits.
He spread his hands.
An immense amount of energy gathered in front of him, forming a greenish core that made the air around it tremble.
Kai didn't move.
Dust swirled around his shoes.
— And when you reach those limits…
Ranmaru extended his arms downward.
— …you fall just like everyone else!
The energy began to unfold.
The spectators rose almost simultaneously.
Some shouted Kai's name. Others remained silent, unable to tear their eyes away from the light growing above the arena.
Zayn felt his stomach tighten.
— Kai…
Ranmaru was about to unleash his attack.
Kai was injured. His breathing was irregular. He had taken several hits and had just suffered a particularly brutal blow to the abdomen.
For the first time since the fight began, he seemed to be in genuine trouble.
Ranmaru released his energy.
But Kai suddenly lifted his head.
His blue eyes lit up.
He bent his knees.
Then he launched himself forward.
BOOOOOOM!
The concrete exploded beneath his feet.
Kai shot toward the sky at tremendous speed, cutting through the dust and the pressure of the attack before Ranmaru could finish unleashing it.
The white-haired teenager's eyes widened.
— WHAT?!
Kai was already in front of him.
He grabbed Ranmaru around the body and abruptly changed direction.
The two fighters streaked through the air.
Kai hurled his opponent to the right, caught up with him before he could regain his balance, and sent him flying in the opposite direction. Ranmaru tried to break free, but Kai followed his every movement.
They crossed the sky above the arena in a succession of violent trajectories.
Right.
Left.
Upward.
Then downward.
Every sudden change of direction drew screams from the spectators.
Ranmaru tried to materialize an obstacle to interrupt their momentum, but Kai altered his trajectory before he could use it effectively.
He grabbed him again.
This time, Kai placed one hand behind his skull.
Ranmaru understood.
— No, wait—!
Kai dragged him violently toward the ground.
KRAAAAAASH!
Ranmaru's skull slammed into the concrete of the arena.
The impact shook the stadium.
The ground collapsed around the point of collision, sending stone fragments flying in every direction. Dust rose in a thick cloud, and a deep rumble rolled beneath the stands.
Kai released his opponent.
Ranmaru's body slid several meters before coming to a stop among the debris.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Kai hovered above the crater, his fists clenched, breathing heavily.
Then he dropped back onto the concrete.
He looked down at his opponent.
— You were talking about limits earlier, weren't you?
He took a step forward.
— You should start by looking at your own.
Ranmaru didn't answer.
His body remained motionless.
Zayn had stopped shouting.
Even he had nothing left to say.
The dust gradually settled.
A hand moved.
Then the other.
Ranmaru pushed himself up and slowly straightened.
He remained on his knees for a moment, his head lowered.
Blood ran down his face.
When he raised his eyes, part of his face was severely damaged. The injuries exposed fragments of his skull beneath the torn tissue.
A shiver ran through the stands.
— Oh my God…
— Is he still alive?!
— How can he still move?!
Kai watched Ranmaru without smiling.
The white-haired teenager ran a hand over his face, then stared at his bloodied fingers.
He remained silent for several seconds.
Then he let out a small laugh.
— All right…
His voice was weak, but perfectly audible.
— All right, I get it.
A green light pulsed beneath his skin.
His regeneration activated once again.
The tissue gradually rebuilt itself. The damage receded, his face slowly returned to its original shape, and the exposed parts of his skull disappeared beneath the healing tissue.
But this time, something was different.
The green light flickered.
It no longer shone with the same intensity.
Ranmaru placed one foot beneath himself, then the other, and rose completely.
He staggered.
One hand closed around his ring.
His blessed energy was running dangerously low.
Kai understood.
So did Ranmaru.
The white-haired teenager inhaled slowly, then extended his arms.
Energy projectiles formed around him.
He launched the first barrage.
Kai dodged the first beam by tilting his torso, pivoted to avoid the second, and ducked beneath the third. The beams passed within inches of his body before striking the concrete.
Ranmaru continued.
Four beams.
Then six.
Then a succession of shots that swept across the arena.
Kai moved relentlessly, changing direction at the last moment. He kept advancing despite the attacks, gradually closing the distance between them.
Ranmaru clenched his teeth.
He was beginning to lose control of his rhythm.
His attacks were becoming more costly. His regeneration had already consumed a significant portion of his blessed energy, and every new volley exhausted him further.
Kai dodged one final beam.
Then he accelerated.
Ranmaru saw him coming.
He tried to retreat, but Kai was already too close.
The white-haired teenager abruptly pivoted and disappeared behind him.
Kai turned his head.
Ranmaru reappeared at his back.
— TOO LATE!
He extended his arm.
A beam of energy shot from his hand at point-blank range, straight toward Kai's back.
In the stands, several spectators jumped to their feet.
— BEHIND YOU!
Zayn grabbed the railing.
— KAI!
The beam was already upon him.
Kai didn't have time to turn around.
He simply raised his arm.
Not his hand.
His entire arm.
He placed it across the beam's trajectory.
KRAAAAAAAAAAAM!
The beam struck his forearm head-on.
The impact sent him sliding across the concrete. His shoes gouged the ground as he struggled to hold his position. Green energy poured against his arm with crushing force.
Kai gritted his teeth.
— GNNNNH…!
His arm trembled.
His skin began to burn where it touched the beam. Intense pain traveled all the way to his shoulder.
He couldn't keep this up much longer.
Ranmaru stood behind him, his eyes widening.
— You're blocking that with your arm?!
Kai didn't answer.
He pushed with all his strength, trying to keep the beam from forcing him any farther backward.
The ray intensified.
The green light engulfed his forearm, then crept toward his elbow.
Kai screamed in pain.
— AAAAAH!
In the stands, Zayn looked horrified.
— HIS ARM! HIS ARM'S BURNING!
Yojuro stood up as well.
He watched the energy covering Kai's limb with intense concentration.
— He's not just blocking it…
He understood what Kai was attempting.
— He's absorbing it!
Ranmaru understood too.
His expression changed abruptly.
— No… No, no, no!
He tried to stop his attack.
Too late.
His blessed energy was already slipping away from him.
Kai slowly raised his head.
His blue eyes glowed with an unsettling intensity.
— I told you…
His arm continued trembling under the pressure.
— …not to give me…
The beam retracted further.
The green light, which had been pouring against Kai's arm, began converging toward him. The beam contracted as if being pulled inward by an invisible force.
— …things to use against you!
He absorbed the final fragment of the beam.
The light went out.
For a fraction of a second, the entire stadium seemed to hold its breath.
Kai stood upright, his arm still smoking.
Ranmaru stared at him, unable to hide his shock.
— How…?
Kai turned his head slightly toward him.
— Bad idea.
Then Kai's body began to tremble.
Blue light erupted beneath his skin.
The energy he had accumulated was overflowing.
The air around him warped, and the concrete beneath his feet cracked once again. Arcs of energy raced across his shoulders, chest, and injured arm.
Kai tried to clench his fist.
A discharge exploded.
— Damn it…!
Ranmaru immediately understood.
The absorbed energy had become too unstable.
Kai had successfully absorbed the beam, but he could no longer contain all the accumulated power.
— Back away! someone shouted from the stands.
Kai raised his eyes.
He tried to stabilize his energy.
His arm trembled even more violently.
Then the light exploded.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
A gigantic detonation engulfed the center of the arena.
A wave of energy swept across the concrete, raising an enormous cloud of dust. The protective barriers vibrated under the pressure. Spectators ducked instinctively as blue light flooded the stands.
For several seconds, the stadium was nothing but an ear-splitting roar.
Then the noise faded.
Dust still floated above the crater.
A figure lay on the ground.
Ranmaru.
His body was sprawled among the chunks of concrete, his uniform torn and his energy almost completely extinguished. He wasn't moving.
A few meters away, Kai was on his knees.
His arm was still smoking.
He was breathing with difficulty, his shoulders shaking from the effort. His entire body seemed to weigh a ton, and he had to brace himself with one hand to keep his face from hitting the ground.
Silence fell.
An immense silence.
The referee watched both fighters.
The spectators waited.
Zayn said nothing.
Even the people who had been screaming moments earlier seemed incapable of reacting.
The referee took a step toward the center of the arena.
But before he could speak…
Ranmaru's fingers moved.
Kai immediately raised his head.
Ranmaru's hand slowly closed around the concrete.
His arm trembled.
Then he pushed against his palm.
His body rose a few inches before collapsing heavily again.
He inhaled.
Once.
Twice.
His head slowly lifted.
Ranmaru placed one knee on the ground.
Then he tried to stand.
His legs trembled so violently that he nearly collapsed again. He leaned against a broken piece of concrete, clenched his teeth, and forced his body upright.
Finally, he was standing.
The green light of his ring flickered weakly.
He had almost exhausted his blessed energy.
But he was standing.
Kai stared at him from the ground, his eyes wide.
In the stands, Zayn felt his heart race.
— …He got back up.
Yojuro didn't answer.
He knew Ranmaru had exceeded his limits a long time ago.
And yet, he still refused to fall.
In the center of the arena, Ranmaru slowly raised his head toward Kai.
His face was exhausted.
His body trembled.
But his gaze hadn't changed.
Kai tried to stand.
His injured arm almost gave way immediately.
He grimaced and had to brace himself with his other hand.
Ranmaru took one step forward.
The concrete cracked beneath his foot.
Then a second.
The crowd erupted again, caught between disbelief and excitement.
The two fighters faced each other from opposite sides of the crater.
One had absorbed energy he could no longer contain.
The other had nearly exhausted his reserves but refused to stay down.
Ranmaru wiped the blood still trickling from the corner of his mouth.
He took a deep breath.
— Kai…
Kai raised his eyes.
Ranmaru clenched his trembling fist.
— I haven't fallen yet.
The silence shattered beneath a roar from thousands of voices.
And in the middle of the devastated arena, Kai realized that the fight was far from over.