After Azel's victory in the first fight, the second one was about to begin. Elio versus Louis. Both stepped into the arena. Lisa saw the two opponents and said:
"Isn't that Elio the son of a soldier?" she asked.
"No, he's not anyone's son—at least, not from any good family. He comes from the lower quarters. He's not much of a talker, but I know his parents are dead," Clarck explained.
"Losing one's parents at such a young age and having to fend for oneself in the slums... It's sad, but it must have made him stronger. That's exactly the kind of soldier we need. What's his rank?" Clément asked.
"He's indeed very good at martial arts, but he has a Rank C power," Clarck replied sharply, as if to cut short Clément's budding enthusiasm.
"What a shame... With a Rank B, he could have become a notable warrior," said Lisa.
The three of them knew what they were talking about. Clément and Lisa had Rank A powers, which had allowed them to reach Level 6, whereas Clarck had a Rank B power and had struggled much more. He had only managed to reach Level 5 thanks to intense effort. Generally, people who reached Level 6 had A or A+ level talent. For Level 5, it was typically A- or B+. Clarck was one of the rare exceptions. The instructors avoided saying it outright, but talent was by far the most important factor. Most people knew this, but not saying it aloud allowed others to keep dreaming—and among those who dream, some try, and among those who try, a few succeed. The few who do succeed were highly respected in Asturies. Clarck had a level of respect not far from that of the director himself.
The two opponents got into position.
"I've trained hard to make up for the reach difference," said Louis with a slight smile.
"Then show me, instead of talking," Elio replied mockingly.
Frank announced the start of the fight.
Louis rushed forward with unexpected explosiveness. He followed up with a jab that Elio narrowly avoided, receiving a scratch on the cheek. Louis threw another, which Elio dodged with a step back, countering with a jab that was blocked by Louis's guard.
"I see—his strategy is to be explosive so I can't use my reach advantage," Elio thought.
That pattern repeated with some variations in attacks and blows received.
"Who is this Louis? He can't be the son of a well-known fighter or I'd know him," said Lisa.
"He's the son of a banker. His talent is ranked C+, but he's got a strong fighting spirit," Clarck replied.
He came from a good family, but not a warrior one—so he didn't have the optimal education to become a soldier.
"Wow, Louis has improved, don't you think?" Clara asked Azel.
"People don't improve that much in just a few weeks. He discovered he has good explosiveness and is capitalizing on it," Azel replied.
"That won't be enough," said Arthur, inserting himself into the conversation.
"Why not?" asked Azel, who didn't appreciate the corrective tone.
"The gap in technique is far too wide."
By that point, both fighters had taken a few hits. Like before, Louis approached and threw a jab that lightly grazed Elio. He followed up with a right hook. Elio responded with a lightning-fast counter straight to his opponent's jaw, using a pivoting motion few would have expected from him—combined with the force of Louis's own momentum. He fell to the ground, knocked out cold.
Elio's move was brilliant and seemed to contrast starkly with his earlier performance. Everyone was caught off guard—except Arthur.
"He's a vicious fighter—the worst kind," Arthur said.
Elio helped Louis to his feet, since he couldn't get up on his own, and brought him back to the spectators. Louis was still a bit dazed and had trouble understanding what had happened, but one thing was clear: he had lost, and felt somewhat ashamed.
"Impressive kid," said Clément, who hadn't been unmoved by that final strike.
"Even I, who trained him for a week, didn't expect that," said Clarck, who was now reevaluating Elio's level.
"I hope I see more surprises like that during the tournament. Who's up next?" Clément asked.
"Jason versus Kim—it's written on the sheet I gave you," Clarck replied with an irritated tone.
"And what are their last names?" Lisa asked.
"I don't know, I never remember those. Look, they're coming forward," Clarck said.
"Ohh, this is going to be interesting," Lisa said as she saw the fighters' faces.