CELESTIA
Chapter 103 — Those Who Prepare
The arena had become nothing more than an enormous crater.
Fragments of stone covered the ground. Several sections of the stands had been torn apart by the previous battle, while the technical teams were already working to secure the damaged areas. The giant screens still displayed the result of the last match.
KAI — WINNER.
But the audience was barely talking about his victory anymore.
Everyone had witnessed the condition in which both fighters had ended the battle. Ranmaru had pushed Kai to his absolute limits. Even the most experienced spectators had struggled to believe that a fight between two young Paladins could cause so much destruction.
In the corridors reserved for the competitors, however, the atmosphere was different.
The next matches were approaching.
And some fighters had already begun preparing.
Inside an isolated training room, Echo stood in front of a mirror.
He wore his usual combat outfit. His hands were open, his fingers slightly spread apart. He carefully observed his own movements, slowly repeating a sequence of techniques.
A direct strike.
A rotation of the wrist.
A sidestep.
Then an imaginary attack coming from his blind spot.
He repeated the sequence.
Again.
And again.
Footsteps echoed behind him.
"Are you planning to keep going for much longer?"
Echo didn't immediately turn around.
"Until I'm satisfied."
"And do you honestly think you'll ever manage to satisfy yourself?"
He recognized the voice. A staff member had just placed a bottle of water near the door.
"Did you watch Kai's fight?"
"Everyone watched it."
"Then you understand why I'm training."
The man glanced at the traces of sweat on the floor.
"You're facing Yojuro in the next round. Do you understand what that means?"
This time, Echo turned around.
"Yes."
"You don't look particularly worried."
"There's no point in worrying."
He picked up his bottle and took a few sips.
"Yojuro isn't someone you can defeat simply by impressing him with a display of power. He observes. He analyzes. He waits for you to make a mistake."
He put the bottle down.
"If I want to beat him, I have to give him as little information as possible."
He returned to his stance.
This time, his movements were faster.
His arm cut through the air. He pivoted, changed direction abruptly, and launched an attack at head level. He stopped just a few centimeters from the mirror.
His reflection stared back at him.
Echo remained motionless.
"I can't afford to underestimate him."
He closed his eyes for a few seconds.
Yojuro.
A fighter who didn't necessarily seek to overpower his opponents through sheer strength. Someone capable of turning a simple positioning mistake into a situation that was almost impossible to recover from.
Echo knew his reputation.
He also knew what was hidden behind those violet eyes.
He opened his eyes again.
"Let's start over."
Several buildings away, another training room was considerably less quiet.
"YOU CALL THAT A DODGE?!"
Zayn had just crossed half the room before crashing into a wall covered with protective padding.
A heavy thud echoed.
He slowly slid down to the floor.
Azel, standing in the center of the room, folded his arms.
"You looked at your bracelet again instead of watching my attack."
Zayn raised his head.
"I wasn't looking at my bracelet!"
"Then what were you looking at?"
"The wall."
"You certainly got a good look at it."
Zayn got back to his feet, grimacing.
"Very funny."
Azel didn't look amused.
"You asked me to help you train. So stop joking around and focus."
"I'm focused!"
"No, you're not."
"Yes, I am!"
"Prove it."
Zayn sighed.
He raised his left arm.
At the center of his wrist, Boréalis glowed faintly. The bracelet looked almost ordinary, but its cyan and green surface concealed a far more complex system.
A small light swept across its dial.
Zayn placed his finger on it.
A holographic interface appeared above his wrist. Several colorful silhouettes materialized around him, each representing a different form.
Azel approached.
"So this is your Omnihand?"
"Yeah."
Zayn rotated his wrist. The holograms changed positions.
"Well, Boréalis is the name of the artifact. The Omnihand is the system that allows me to use my Primals."
"Your Primals are the creatures you transform into?"
"Exactly!"
Zayn made another series of holograms appear.
"Look carefully. Each Primal has a different structure, abilities, and characteristics. I'm not just choosing a different appearance. My body actually changes form."
Azel studied the silhouettes.
"Can you take any form you want?"
"Not just any form. I need to have access to the corresponding form in my system."
He scrolled through the holograms.
"And most importantly, not all forms are designed to fight in the same way."
Zayn pointed at one of the silhouettes.
"For example, Cannonball. He's simple. He's designed for mobility and impact. I can curl up into a ball and use my own body as a projectile."
He moved to another form.
"Crystal Edge, on the other hand, is much more resistant. He's useful when I need to withstand something I couldn't survive in my normal form."
"So you have a form for every situation?"
"Not exactly. Some are versatile, while others are highly specialized. But that's what makes my arsenal interesting."
Azel crossed his arms.
"And what happens if you choose the wrong form?"
Zayn shrugged.
"I can switch."
"During a fight?"
"Yeah."
"Without losing any time?"
Zayn hesitated for a fraction of a second.
"That depends."
Azel raised an eyebrow.
"That's it."
"What?"
"You just admitted to having a weakness."
"I admitted to a nuance!"
Azel didn't answer.
Zayn made the holograms disappear.
"Fine. I'll show you."
He placed his finger on the symbol of a Primal.
A cyan light swept across his bracelet.
A silhouette appeared briefly above the dial.
BIO.
Then Zayn's body began to transform.
His arms changed shape. His torso reorganized, his legs altered, and his head took on an entirely different appearance. A few seconds later, the boy was gone.
In his place stood Cannonball.
Azel looked him up and down.
"That's really strange."
Zayn's voice echoed from his new form.
"Thanks. I'll take that as a compliment."
"It wasn't one."
"I know."
Azel took his fighting stance.
"Attack me."
Cannonball leaned forward slightly.
"You're going to regret this."
He launched himself forward.
His body rolled at an impressive speed, crossing the room toward Azel. The latter waited until the very last moment before moving aside.
Cannonball rushed past him.
But Zayn had anticipated the movement.
He used his momentum to make a sharp turn, then came back toward Azel from behind.
Azel pivoted and raised his forearm.
The impact pushed him back several steps.
"Not bad," he admitted.
Cannonball stopped.
"Not bad?! I almost turned you into a pancake!"
"You missed your first pass."
"That was intentional!"
"Of course."
Zayn straightened up.
A new light appeared on his bracelet.
He returned to his normal form.
"See? I can switch Primals in the middle of a fight."
"But you still have to activate the transformation."
"Yeah. And that's where the Omnihand comes in."
Zayn raised his wrist.
"The Omnihand isn't just a list of transformations. It's the interface that lets me manage Boréalis. I can select the available Primals, activate a transformation, and access information about each form."
Several holograms appeared.
"Each Primal is registered in the system. When I select one, Boréalis starts the transformation process and adapts my body to its structure."
Azel studied the interface carefully.
"And what if your bracelet gets damaged?"
Zayn's smile faded slightly.
"That would be a problem."
"How much of a problem?"
"Enough for me to prefer not finding out."
"So your entire arsenal depends on a single artifact."
"My arsenal, yes. But not everything I am."
Azel looked at him.
Zayn tapped his bracelet.
"It's powerful, but it's not magic to the point where it makes me invincible. The transformations have their limits. Some forms are harder to control than others. And I can't keep switching indefinitely without consequences."
"Have you already reached those limits?"
"Several times."
"And you still keep using so many forms?"
"Obviously."
Azel sighed.
"You're impossible."
"That's why I'm amazing."
"That's not what I said."
Zayn scrolled through the holograms until he reached another silhouette.
"Wait. I'll show you something more interesting."
A massive figure appeared.
"Terragaia."
Zayn activated the transformation.
Light enveloped his body. His silhouette grew larger, his limbs changed, and his entire structure became considerably more imposing.
Terragaia now stood before Azel.
The floor trembled slightly beneath his weight.
Azel looked up.
"That one's much bigger."
"And much heavier."
Zayn took a step.
The floor rumbled.
"Every form has its advantages. If I have to face someone with enormous physical strength, I can use a form capable of withstanding stronger impacts. If I have to fight at a distance, I have other options."
He gestured toward his own body.
"But I also have to know how each Primal moves. I can't just take a form and expect my experience with another one to be enough."
Azel slowly nodded.
"So you have to learn how to fight all over again."
"Exactly!"
"And you haven't mastered everything yet."
Zayn froze.
"Who told you that?"
"You just did."
"I said I still have things to learn. That's different."
Azel gave him a faint smile.
"You talk a lot for someone who just got thrown into a wall."
"Just watch."
Zayn activated another transformation.
This time, his body took on a different structure, one better suited for offensive power.
He charged toward Azel.
The first strike was dodged.
The second was deflected.
The third forced Azel to retreat.
But Zayn continued attacking too eagerly. His opponent took advantage of the opening, pivoted, and struck his flank.
Zayn was knocked backward.
He struggled to regain his balance.
"See?" Azel said. "You change forms, but you keep the same bad habits."
Zayn remained silent.
"You still rely on your transformation to compensate for your mistakes. You think having more power means you can afford to move carelessly."
"That's not true."
"Then why can I still hit you so easily?"
Zayn clenched his teeth.
He looked at his bracelet.
Then he raised his head.
"Again."
Azel returned to his stance.
"This time, think before you attack."
Zayn didn't answer.
He selected another form.
The cyan and green light began to shine.
BIO…
He waited until the transformation was complete.
Then he moved.
This time, he didn't charge immediately.
He watched Azel.
He studied the position of his feet, the direction of his shoulders, and the distance separating them.
Azel advanced.
Zayn dodged.
A short movement, without immediately attempting a counterattack.
Azel followed up.
Zayn took a step backward, pivoted, and avoided the next strike.
Then he attacked.
Azel blocked his strike, but his expression changed slightly.
"Better."
Zayn smiled.
"I know."
"Don't start talking again."
"Okay."
A second passed.
"But I was right."
"Zayn."
"Yes, yes!"
Outside the training room, the screens were already announcing the upcoming matches.
NEXT MATCH: YOJURO HARIHIHO VS. ECHO.
In the corridors, Echo had just left his training room.
He stopped in front of the screen.
His gaze remained fixed on the name of his next opponent.
On the other side of the building, Yojuro was walking calmly toward the changing rooms.
His hands were in his pockets.
His violet eyes revealed no sign of concern.
The two fighters had yet to cross paths.
But their confrontation was now inevitable.
And while Zayn continued learning how to exploit the possibilities of his Omnihand, another battle was being prepared far away from him.
The Crown of Ashes offered no real rest.
Every victory brought the survivors closer to the next round.
And every fight revealed yet another reason not to underestimate those who remained.