The morning sun shone brightly over the Colosseum, its golden rays bouncing off the polished stone walls. Despite the warmth of the sun, a tense chill ran through the air as three warriors stood at the center of the battlefield—Sho Hikari, Kiyoshi Seiryu, and Hima Yukihana.
The crowd roared with excitement, eager to witness the battle that would determine the final warrior to advance to the semi-finals.
Jun stepped forward, his voice booming across the stadium.
"Only one of you will advance to the next stage. You three have fought bravely, but now you must prove yourself once more."
Sho stood still, his eyes scanning the crowd. Kyoko wasn't here. A strange emptiness settled in his chest. He had hoped to see her one last time before this match, but she had left the tournament without saying a word.
Jun raised his hand. "The first match will be Kiyoshi Seiryu versus Hima Yukihana!"
The crowd erupted into cheers as the two fighters stepped forward.
Kiyoshi Seiryu—the new representative of the Azure dragon clan, standing tall and composed. His brown hair shimmered under the sunlight, and his Blue eyes burned with quiet confidence.
Hima Yukihana—the ice warrior of the Snow Blossom Clan, a fierce and graceful fighter. She tucked a strand of her long white hair behind her ear, her icy blue eyes locked onto Kiyoshi with unwavering determination.
Jun lowered his hand.
"Begin!"
The Storm Unleashed
The moment Jun's voice echoed through the Colosseum, Hima activated her awakening.
A powerful gust of cold air swept through the battlefield, and in an instant, the entire Colosseum was engulfed in a blinding snowstorm.
Snowflakes danced violently in the air, mist swirled around the field, and frost began creeping up the stone pillars surrounding them.
The crowd gasped as the visibility dropped to nearly zero—they could barely see what was happening inside the mist-covered battlefield.
But within the storm, something was moving.
A faint whirling sound echoed through the air. Something was spinning rapidly—a force so strong it seemed to cut through the mist itself.
Kiyoshi closed his eyes, sensing the energy around him. His golden aura flared, the sheer intensity of his power melting the frost on his armor.
With a deep breath, he released his power.
A golden lion formed from his aura, its fiery mane crackling like lightning.
The lion let out a mighty roar, its sound piercing through the mist, shaking the battlefield.
Kiyoshi leaped onto the lion's back, soaring above the battlefield as his mount charged toward Hima.
Hima clenched her fists, summoning a barrage of ice spears.
With a flick of her hand, she launched them at the lion.
Each spear was razor-sharp, cutting through the air like deadly missiles.
But Kiyoshi barely flinched.
With a single command, his lion spun in the air, dodging the attacks with incredible agility.
Hima gritted her teeth. "I won't lose this easily!"
She summoned more ice soldiers, each one wielding frost-covered weapons, and commanded them to attack Kiyoshi from all sides.
But Kiyoshi's lion burned too brightly.
With a single swipe of its massive golden claws, the ice soldiers shattered into thousands of frozen shards.
Hima staggered back, sweat forming on her brow despite the freezing temperature.
This wasn't just any opponent.
Kiyoshi Seiryu was a force beyond her control.
Kiyoshi didn't waste time.
He descended from the lion, landing gracefully in front of Hima.
With a swift movement, he unsheathed his sword, its blade gleaming with golden energy.
In the blink of an eye, the sword was at Hima's neck.
The crowd gasped.
Hima's heart pounded.
She stared at Kiyoshi, her breath shaky. She had given it everything, but his strength was on a different level.
Slowly, she raised her hands in surrender.
"I… I withdraw."
A heavy silence fell over the battlefield.
Then—
The crowd erupted into cheers.
Jun stepped forward, raising his hand.
"Kiyoshi Seiryu wins!"
Kiyoshi lowered his sword, stepping back as Hima took a deep breath, her body trembling from exhaustion.
She turned to Kiyoshi and gave him a small smile. "You're strong. Stronger than I expected."
Kiyoshi nodded, his golden eyes calm. "You fought well, Hima."
Sho watched from the sidelines, his fists clenched.
Now, it was his turn.
As the snowstorm cleared, he stepped forward, determined to prove himself in the next battle.