1
I woke up two hours later. When I did, I realized my head was resting on Lisa's lap.
"Hey, sweetheart," I murmured, scratching my head.
"You are so reckless," Lisa said. "Your finger was destroyed."
I looked around. Elizabeth and Elias were being injected with mana stones (or so I assumed).
"Wow," I said. "Looks like it was a rough one."
"..."
"What?" I asked, confused.
"Nothing," Lisa sighed. "All of you are just... reckless."
"...."
I just looked at her, smiling.
"Why so tough on me?"
"Dylan..."
She looked annoyed, yet there was a smile playing on her lips.
"Dylan, I love you," she said.
She kissed me. Even though my body ached, kissing her made everything feel okay.
"I love you too," I said. "You're so good to me."
"...."
She blushed. She had worked at the mansion to gain experience while her parents were away on a trip, but now she was living with them again.
"Dylan, it's your turn to face Michael," Lisa said. "He..."
"What?"
"I want you to see him. I want you to help him."
As she made the request, Lisa touched my hand.
"He swallowed a bunch of mana crystals to boost his power," she whispered. "I want you to... help him."
"Don't worry," I promised. "I'll talk to him."
"Thank you," she said. "Your match starts soon."
I stood up and walked through the hallways. Anxiety hit me like a truck. He did what? Why? Is he okay? Who gave him that idea? Why did he do it?!
"Gk."
A wave of nausea washed over me. I covered my mouth, feeling warm saliva. I had to... Michael was walking right beside me.
"Oh, hey, Michael. Great match earlier, haha," I stammered.
"...."
We passed each other without another word.
Michael had grown taller than me, I think. He didn't say a thing.
"...."
I watched him walk away.
2
I stood across from Michael in the arena, both of us inside the orange circle. I wasn't even sure if I wanted to fight...
"Michael, you—" I was interrupted immediately.
"Ice ball," Michael said.
The air grew dense until a sharp, freezing blizzard appeared. A light blue glow formed a sphere of ice that came screaming toward me.
"Fire Flame," I commanded.
A current raced through my arm until my key began to vibrate. A small, hot orange-red flame appeared; I launched it at the ice ball, shattering it.
Steam erupted, accompanied by the smell of something burning. My skin was slightly singed, but it was minor.
"Air ball," I said.
Air swirled around my arm, forming a green sphere. With the sound of a firing projectile, it flew toward Michael.
"Ice ball," Michael countered.
Again, the air thickened. Bells chimed as a light blue glow formed another ice sphere, launched with force against my air ball.
My air attack was shredded like paper, and the ice ball kept coming at high speed.
"Fire gust!" I yelled.
Flames erupted from my key as if it were a lighter.
I'd only spent three reserves so far. My attacks were weak; I was relying entirely on the type-advantage table.
"Psycho beam!" I shouted, raising my key.
The constant vibration continued as a pink beam shot out. I couldn't move, or the spell would cancel.
"Water Expulse," Michael said.
A splashing sound signaled a jet of water firing back.
Both attacks collided, but after five seconds, they dispersed, leaving nothing but an empty void.
"Ice Knockout," Michael muttered, and the cold intensified again.
"Air rope!" I cried.
Green wind whipped around my arm. It blew toward Michael, binding him and tossing him away, preventing him from casting his spell.
My breathing grew heavy, and sweat poured off me.
"..."
Smoke rose as Michael emerged from the debris. How could he keep fighting like this after what he did to himself? Was it some kind of doping?
"Dylan Tyler, forgive me... but I can't let you win," Michael said.
"...What?"
I didn't understand. What was happening?
"Water ice expulse," Michael shouted.
Ice + Water.
"Tsk, air impulse!"
A windy sensation surged through my legs. I jumped with all my weight, soaring into the air and avoiding the freezing jet of water aimed at me.
But I couldn't dodge the ice stake. It drove deep into my shoulder, and blood began to pour out.
3
"Michael, I will always be with you."
Those were the last words Michael had heard from him...
His reason for living, his reason for continuing, lay sealed away. His father...
"I will release your father if you bring me Dylan and prevent him from winning the tournament."
It was a good offer... or rather, an obligation.
◇◆◇◆
It hurt, it burned—it was like a needle but a thousand times worse. My breath hitched as I spat dry saliva.
"Give up, Dylan. I need this."
Michael stood up after his declaration.
It hurt, it burned, I couldn't move... and yet, I wanted to move. Blood was everywhere. I had to stop him before my vision blurred.
"Michael," I gasped. "I-I will stop you."
With a flame, I melted the ice stake in my shoulder.
"Fire ball!"
Burning fire erupted from my key, scorching everything in its path, incinerating everything in its way.
"Water ball!"
"Air rope!"
As Michael launched a counterattack, I caught him with my air rope, pulling him in and striking him with a hard right hook—probably the only decent punch I've ever thrown in my life.
More blood spilled. My eyes began to cloud over, and my shoulder was killing me.
"Water cure," I whispered, placing my hand on my wound.
Now that I thought about it, Lisa had healed me from head to toe earlier, and I could hear again.
"Ice Crush," Michael said. A fist of ice appeared as the air grew dense.
"Fire Flame!"
Flame and ice impacted, creating more smoke. my hand throbbed.
Why am I doing this? Do I even care about him?
"If you win the tournament, I'll give you more details and Morty's whole story."
Fuyumura's voice echoed in my head. I was doing this for my own benefit. Yeah, it's not like I wanted to save him... right?
"Michael, can we talk?" I asked.
Ice flew at me again with the sound of bells. I raised my key, creating a flame with the click of a lighter. Smoke billowed from the impact.
"Psycho Shock!"
I raised my key, and it began to glow and vibrate before releasing a pink electrical beam.
Michael took the hit point-blank. He spat out saliva, clutching his stomach and hyperventilating.
"Air ball," I said, raising my key again. Air swirled, creating a green sphere.
I launched it, but Michael fired his own air ball, and both attacks neutralized each other.
"Dylan Tyler," Michael said. "I'm going to—"
"Water ball!" I cut him off.
The sphere of water pushed Michael back further, but he managed to stop himself just before the orange line.
"Ice water expulse," Michael yelled.
Freezing water flooded the floor, reaching my boots before instantly turning to ice, trapping me.
"Fire Flame!" I shouted. The heat melted the ice, causing a massive cloud of steam.
My hands were completely burned, and Michael's left cheek was scorched, blood trickling from his forehead.
"Give up," Michael said. "You're in worse shape than I am... why?"
"I won't give up," I growled.
"...."
I had 9 reserves left, but my body was screaming, and I...
"Fine," he said. "If that's what you want."
He raised his key to the left and recited an incantation I couldn't understand. Suddenly, the wind intensified, and gray rain clouds swarmed the sky.
"Psycho Barrier!"
The vibration was rapid. With a holographic sound, a pink barrier appeared.
A water tornado slammed into the barrier with such force that I was shoved back two steps. I was inches away from disqualification.
Neither of us could take anymore; it was written all over our faces. I only had 5 reserves left. What do I do?
"Air Gun!" I shouted. The wind raced through my arm. I was putting all 4 of my remaining reserves into this. If it didn't work, I was screwed.
This was my secret move—a concentration of mana that could alter the mana of others (totally not inspired by Naruto).
"Water Ball," Michael said.
We both charged, crashing into each other. I felt like other people were trying to stop us, but—
The water ball slammed into my abdomen. With brutal force, I was sent flying outside the orange line, crashing against the wall.
Blood is scarce, and the world is turning black...