The Colosseum was alive, filled with roaring cheers as Sho Hikari and Kiyoshi Seiryu stepped onto the battlefield. The crowd had witnessed fierce battles, but this match carried a different kind of weight—Sho, the underdog, versus Kiyoshi, the Seiryu clan's proud warrior.
Jun raised his hand, his voice echoing through the arena.
"The next match—Sho Hikari versus Kiyoshi Seiryu! Fighters, take your positions!"
The moment had come.
Sho stood still, his heart steady. His body ached from his previous fights, but his mind remained sharp. Across from him, Kiyoshi looked just as composed, though there was something burning in his blue eyes—determination, but also something deeper… something unreadable.
The Colosseum fell into silence.
Then—
"Begin!"
Neither moved.
The tension between them felt like a blade against the skin, sharp and unyielding.
Then, without warning, Kiyoshi made the first move.
He summoned his golden lion, its majestic form crackling with energy, its eyes glowing with fiery intensity.
With a loud roar, the lion leaped forward, charging at Sho with blinding speed.
Sho didn't flinch.
Instead, he calmly raised his hand and activated his Reverse Ring.
A sudden shift in energy filled the battlefield.
The attack twisted in mid-air, reversing its direction—the golden lion turned against its master, its once-loyal form lunging straight at Kiyoshi.
Kiyoshi's eyes widened in shock.
"No—!"
He struggled to control his own summon, but the backlash was too intense. The lion, unable to resist the force of the Reverse Ring, clawed at his face with a devastating swipe.
A horrifying cry of pain erupted from Kiyoshi as he stumbled backward, clutching his left eye. Blood trickled down his face, the damage clear for everyone to see.
The crowd gasped in shock.
Sho stood still, his heart twisting in pain. He hadn't intended for this… but his expression didn't change. He couldn't show weakness now.
Kiyoshi, despite the injury, didn't fall.
He stood tall, his remaining eye burning with rage and resolve. His aura pulsed dangerously.
Sho watched closely.
Then—something changed.
A strange energy filled the Colosseum, and for the first time, the roaring crowd fell completely silent.
Sho's chest tightened. Something was happening.
Kiyoshi's blue eye blinked strangely, and then—
"Awaken."
His voice rang through the air, and in an instant, his power exploded outward.
Sho's eyes narrowed as Jun, observing from the side, quickly analyzed Kiyoshi's power level.
"45,000… not bad, but not enough," Jun muttered under his breath.
Kiyoshi's awakened state manifested as three massive dragons, their forms twisting and coiling with shimmering blue aura. They roared in unison, their eyes locked onto Sho as their master pointed forward.
"Attack!"
The dragons surged forward, tearing through the air like unstoppable forces of nature.
Sho exhaled slowly.
"I don't need to awaken for him," he muttered to himself.
Just as the dragons were about to crash into him—
Sho activated Reverse Ring once more.
The energy in the air shifted violently.
The three dragons twisted mid-flight, reversing their trajectory and slamming back into Kiyoshi.
A deafening explosion erupted as Kiyoshi was engulfed in his own power.
Smoke and dust filled the battlefield.
When it cleared, Kiyoshi was lying on the ground, his body covered in serious injuries. His breaths were ragged, and blood stained his once-proud armor.
He slowly lifted his head, his vision blurred.
His eye scanned the crowd, searching… searching…
And then—he saw her.
Kyoko.
His chest tightened.
Even through his pain, he desperately wanted her attention, her sympathy, her concern.
But instead—
She stood among the crowd, her gaze fixed on Sho.
Then—
"Good job, Sho!" she shouted.
Kiyoshi's heart shattered.
His body, already weak, felt even heavier.
He had lost.
Not just the battle.
But her.
Two soldiers rushed onto the battlefield, carefully lifting Kiyoshi's broken form. His remaining eye stayed locked onto Kyoko, his emotions unreadable.
Sho watched, his fists clenched.
Deep down, he felt sad for Kiyoshi—but he couldn't allow himself to express it.
Jun stepped forward, his voice ringing through the Colosseum.
"Sho Hikari is the winner! He will advance to the semi-finals!"
The crowd erupted into cheers.
Sho remained still.
Jun approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Rest well, Sho. The semi-finals begin the day after tomorrow."
Sho nodded silently, his mind filled with thoughts.
He had won.
But for some reason—it didn't feel like a victory.