"Mum!" Ji-an gasped, reaching out desperately. But as she stretched her trembling fingers forward, the figure of her mother faded into mist. A cruel trick of the mind. She jerked awake, her body drenched in cold sweat, only to find herself lying in a medic bed, inside the mansion. The smell of antiseptics filled her nostrils, and the sharp sting of her wounds reminded her of reality.
As the realization hit, tears welled in her eyes. "I lost again… to the Jang family… after everything." Her voice was barely audible, but the weight of her emotions was suffocating. Her fingers clutched the white sheets tightly, her teeth grinding together in frustration.
On the other side of the room, separated by a silver linen curtain, Dae-chul lay motionless on his own bed. He too, was receiving treatment. His eyes remained open, staring blankly at the ceiling as he listened to Ji-an's muffled sobs. "I really do want to know why you hate me so much, Ji-an…" Dae-chul thought to himself, before closing his eyes once more.
Suddenly, a loud roar erupted from the arena outside. The announcer's voice boomed over the speakers. "GYU-TAEWOO HAS WON AGAINST SEO-YUN!" The crowd's cheers shook the air. But inside the medic room, the weight of failure hung heavier than the noise outside.
The tension in the arena was thick as the announcer's voice echoed, "Shin Bora vs. Kang Seo-jun!" Shin Bora, an E5-ranked earth user, stepped into the ring. His dark brown skin glistened under the stadium lights, his body lean but well-built. He cracked his neck, a smirk forming on his face.
"So, I'm up against the monster himself."
Bora had always known Seo-jun was on another level. During the EDC selection trials, Seo-jun had placed first, effortlessly outclassing all fifteen candidates who had made it to the final round. Bora had placed Seventh, and that was after pushing himself to his absolute limit. Yet, now he had a chance to prove himself.
As Seo-jun entered, the ground crackled beneath his feet.The entire stadium erupted in cheers."SEO-JUN! SEO-JUN! SEO-JUN!"
The girls in the crowd screamed in admiration. He was powerful, he was handsome he was everything they adored.
Women swooned, men admired, and every young aspiring fighter looked at him as the pinnacle of talent. Seo-jun, however, was uninterested.
He ignored the cheers, his expression blank as he stepped into the arena. His fiery red eyes locked onto Bora like a predator gazing at his prey. Watching from outside the battle arena, Ji-ho and Lee Do-hyun watched intently. "What kind of monster is he?" they both thought simultaneously.
The announcer wasted no time."Begin!"
Bora immediately jumped back, creating distance. He slammed his foot into the ground, channeling his mana. The earth beneath them rumbled. Sharp, spinning stone projectiles launched toward Seo-jun at high speed.BOOM! The instant they entered Seo-jun's space, they vaporized into thin air.
Bora's eyes widened. "The hell? My earth mana isn't even touching him?" Seo-jun tilted his head slightly, his eyes filled with boredom. "Is that all you have to offer?" The temperature in the arena skyrocketed. Even with the protective barrier separating the audience, the heat radiated outward, forcing some spectators to take a step back. Lee Do-hyun, despite being outside the fighting ring, felt a wave of heat wash over him. He gritted his teeth.
"This bastard… His mana alone is this overwhelming?" Bora smirked. "You really are a monster." Seo-jun's eyes sharpened. "Then stop wasting my time." Bora clicked his tongue. "Tch. Fine!"
Bora took a deep breath and spread his arms wide. The ground trembled violently as he summoned his strongest technique.
The arena floor split open, revealing thick, jagged stone pillars rising around Seo-jun, attempting to trap him in an Earth Coffin.
From above, sharp rock shards began forming, ready to impale Seo-jun from every direction. "I got him!" Bora shouted. CRACK!
BOOM! The stone coffin shattered within seconds. Before Bora could process what happened, a gust of wind blasted past him.
His instincts screamed, he turned but, Seo-jun was already behind him. "Impossible!How did he move so fast?" A single heavy blow landed on Bora's stomach.
His body lifted off the ground, his vision blurred, and a second later. Bora's body crashed into the arena floor, creating a small crater.
Bora coughed violently. His vision spun. His body refused to move. He clenched his teeth in frustration. "Damn it.. I can't… lose like this!" Struggling to his feet, he summoned everything he had left.A massive boulder, twice the size of industrial fridge, formed in midair. He reshaped it into a spinning disc, the edges sharp and reinforced with dense earth mana. The sheer weight of it made the ground crack.
He lifted his trembling hands, sweat pouring down his face. "Don't act so cocky, we are teammate afterall!" Bora roared as he launched it at Seo-jun. The massive spinning stone ripped through the air, creating a loud, whirring noise. Seo-jun watched, unimpressed. He raised one hand. As the attack reached him, he caught it with his bare palm. The entire crowd went silent.
Bora's jaw dropped.
"H-He stopped it… with one hand?" Seo-jun sighed. With a simple clench of his fingers, the spinning stone cracked and crumbled into dust. Bora took a step back, his legs shaking. "This… This isn't a fight. This is a massacre." Seo-jun slowly stepped forward.
The heat intensified. Flames flickered around him. "Teammate, huh?" Seo-jun muttered. "Let me show you the difference between us."
Before Bora could blink, Seo-jun moved. A blinding flash. The sound of something slicing through the air, a sharp pain in his neck. The next moment, Bora was on the ground. The entire crowd sat in stunned silence. Nobody saw it, not the audience, except some of the refeeres.
The only ones who saw what happened were the elites watching from the stands. In the VIP area, Mr. Geon-woo's lips curled slightly. "Taek… What kind of training did you put this boy through?"
Seo-jun, standing over Bora's collapsed body, turned his gaze towards Geon-woo. Then He bowed slightly. It was a brief, barely noticeable gesture, but it spoke volumes.
Geon-woo nodded. The announcer finally broke the silence."KANG SEO-JUN WINS!!!" The crowd exploded into cheers. But just as Seo-jun started to walk away, Bora used the last of his strength to grab his leg.
His fingers trembled.His breathing was ragged. "Tell me why…we are just one rank apart from eachother?" Bora whispered. "So why.....is the gap so wide between us?" Seo-jun looked down at him."Because…" He pulled his leg free. Power isn't measured by ranks or titles. You were never my equal. Not then. Not now ." And with that, he left the arena. As he passed Ji-ho. Ji-ho muttered,
"To the neck, really? "To the neck? Really?" Seo-jun stopped mid-step, his eyes calm, his face unreadable. From the stands, Ha-eun and Byung stared at Ji-ho in disbelief. Someone else, Who can read seo-jun movements, who is he really ?" The two troubled soilders wondered. Seo-jun's lips twitched.For the first time in a long time. He smirked.
The crowd was still buzzing from the previous victory, but the announcer wasted no time. "Next match, Ryu Ha-eun versus Im Ju-won!" The arena shifted its focus. The young girl stepped forward, her long yellow hair tied into a ponytail, her sword resting lazily on her shoulder, Ryu Ha-eun. The only female E4 at her age.
Her opponent, Im Ju-won, a tall, broad-shouldered boy with pale skin, walked into the arena. Cold mist followed his steps. He was an ice user, an E5. Ju-won took a deep breath, exhaling frosty air. He was nervous. Everyone knew Ha-eun was fast...too fast.
"Ha-eun," he called, forcing a grin. "Go easy on me, yeah?" Ha-eun smirked, rolling her shoulders. "I'll think about it."
"Begin!" Before Ju-won could even react, Ha-eun was gone. His eyes widened. Where, a sharp gust of wind rushed past him, and suddenly, "Behind you," Ha-eun whispered.
Ju-won spun, ice forming around his hands. But before he could release his magic, a blur flashed in front of him. A fist slammed into his gut. "Guh!"
Ju-won gasped, his body lifting off the ground from the force. Pain exploded through his stomach. He barely had time to process it before a kick to the chest sent him flying. He crashed onto the arena floor, rolling like a ragdoll. The crowd gasped. "What the hell was that?!" someone shouted. Ju-won groaned, pushing himself up. His ribs ached.
"Damn it..." He raised his hand, ice crackling in his palm. He swung his arm, releasing a wave of frost across the battlefield. "Let's see you dodge this!" The cold mist spread, the ground freezing instantly. His plan was simple, cover everything in ice, make it harder for her to move. But Ha-eun just sighed. "That's cute." Then, she was gone again.
Ju-won barely had time to blink before he felt something slam into the back of his head. A knee. His vision blurred. His legs wobbled. His ears rang. "Stay awake!" he told himself, but his body refused to listen.
Then, another hit. A kick to the side of his head. "Agh!" He stumbled, barely standing.
Ha-eun was in front of him now, her sword resting against her shoulder again.
"That's it?" she asked, tilting her head. "I thought you'd last longer." Ju-won's breath came in ragged gasps. He clenched his fists, trying to summon more ice, but his body wouldn't move. Ha-eun sighed. "Alright, time to end this." She dashed forward, too fast for the crowd to follow. Her knee slammed into Ju-won's chin. His head snapped back. His body lifted off the ground. Darkness swallowed his vision before he even hit the floor. Silence.
Then, the announcer's voice echoed through the arena."Winner: Ryu Ha-eun!" The crowd erupted into cheers and murmurs. "She's insane!" "That speed... how do you even fight against that?" "Poor Ju-won never stood a chance." Byung, arms crossed, let out a low chuckle. "She's still frightening as ever."
The blonde announcer stepped forward, her voice loud and clear. "Next match, Chan-woo vs. Oh Jun-u!"
Both fighters entered the arena. They were the same rank, but Jun-u was clearly stronger. Chan-woo tried to attack, but Jun-u dodged easily. Then, with one strong hit, he knocked Chan-woo down.
The announcer raised her hand. "Winner, Oh Jun-u!" The crowd cheered as the match ended quickly. It was a friendly match to entertain the people and Geon-woo but it had to turned to an all out battle.