As Kaizo made his way toward the competitor’s tunnel for the quarterfinals, the mood shifted. The lights dimmed. The air cooled.

  Near the entrance stood… a figure.

  Overwhelming, in both presence and size. A girl—clearly a spoiled individual—with a towering frame and unmistakable confidence. Her Academy jacket stretched against her body, to the point the Kaizo couldn’t tell what school she was a part of, and she leaned with a smug grin like she owned the next match.

  “You,” she said, pointing. “You're pretty impressive in combat, you know?”

  Kaizo looked at her once, smirked, and replied, “Thanks… I see that you’ve been waiting here for some time though, is there something you need from me? ”

  She grinned wider. “Join my school, and I'll let you get access to things you could never imagine in your life. Plus, you could be my new number 1 combat representative at my school, and earn a ton of endorsements.”

  Kaizo squinted. “Tempting, but I’ve got this thing going pretty well for me so far and I don’t want to mess it up so...”

  Her expression changed. “Really, think about it. My father is a very influential man and can do things you could never imagine.”

  Kaizo nodded slowly. He understood that she’s not only tempting him, but threatening him as well.

  Then he turned to the screen again.

  [“Huh, I’m pretty popular… This is new.”]

  He walked past her without flinching.

  “…You’ll regret it..,” she muttered behind him.

  Kaizo just lifted a hand lazily in farewell, not even looking back.

  “Yeah yeah. That's what they all say...”

  The second battlefield was already buzzing with anticipation as the crowd settled in. The light dimmed slightly, drawing all attention to the spotlighted arena. Kaizo stepped through the tunnel again—this time with less of a smirk, more of a hunter’s focus. Across from him stood a broad-shouldered, stocky guy holding a hammer almost comically large, its design colorful and cartoonish, but the sheer weight behind it was no joke. Rikuto Genzai, as the boy called himself

  He grinned. “Hope you’re ready to get flattened, playboy.”

  Kaizo rolled his neck once. “Uh-huh. Do me a favor and just stop talking.”

  DING. The match started.

  The massive hammer came swinging down like a wrecking ball—but Kaizo’s fist, surrounded by glowing white Kensei, met it mid-air.

  BOOM!

  A shockwave erupted from the impact, sending dust, loose petals from decorative trees, and even a few chairs flying. The crowd gasped.

  Up in the skyline section:

  {Kagari’s School’s Principal} Shirogane: “I’ll admit, the kid's quick. But he won’t last long against raw force.”

  Ayame (smirking): “Oh please.”

  She smoothly slid on a pair of sleek, black shades.

  Ayame (confident): “Kaizo’s just getting warmed up.”

  Kagari (leaning forward): “Interesting. The more I watch him, the more intrigued I am… How does he move like that?”

  Yumi (arms crossed): “I would… also like to know that as well.”

  Back in the ring, Kaizo landed in a low Spider-Man like crouch, as his soles skidded across the ground. Rikuto’s hammer came down again. Kaizo blocked with crossed arms—WHAM—the platform cracked beneath him.

  He leapt back for space, then ducked under a horizontal swing, retaliating with a clean straight punch—BANG!—only to be met by the wide face of the hammer once more.

  “Not bad,” Kaizo muttered in his head. Definitely better than the last guy..

  The two clashed again and again—Kaizo bobbing, weaving, using compact strikes to chip at openings. Another major clash: Kaizo braced his arm, pouring Kensei into his bicep and forearm, turning it pure white.

  CRASH!

  The collision sent both fighters sliding back several meters.

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Rikuto grinned. “Let’s turn this up.”

  The hammer suddenly expanded, its segmented head unraveling like a mechanical whip. The crowd roared as he spun it, lashing out in wild arcs. One blow caught Kaizo’s ribs—WHACK—and launched him into a wall. Luckly, Regen Protocol had already gone into action (Secretly), so Kaizo had already got up, and was analyzing the new “hammer” in front of him.

  “Still think you’re untouchable?” the Rikuto taunted, winding back for another strike.

  [“Yo, who is he feeling like?”]

  Kaizo slowly stood up, shaking the dust from his shoulders. “You’re still talking, huh?.” He cracked his neck. “You’re not a very considerate person, are you?”

  He blitzed in again.

  A final round of high-speed collisions followed, both combatants giving their all. Kaizo’s movements became sharper, more fluid—his Kensei visibly becoming more consistent as he began getting more in rhythm, the feeling of fighting rushing back into his blood, fueling his ambition and competitiveness for one purpose: to win.

  They charged at each other one last time. Rikuto’s hammer condensed into its biggest possible size as Kaizo activated ? of the Strength Set, so his arm wouldn’t shatter (hopefully).

  CRUNCH!

  Kaizo struck the hammer dead center—shattering off the top with a violent snap. The hammer flew into the air and collided into a wall, almost hitting some spectators as Kaizo spun uncontrollably from the force of the strike, flipping repeatedly like a rolling scroll—

  —and proceeded to use that momentum to land a brutal spinning heel kick on the top of Rikuto's head.

  WHUD. Rikuto did not get up from that one.

  Silence.

  Then the referee blinked and stepped forward. Her face was in absolute shock as she checked his pulse, and also gave Kaizo a look as if she was in disbelief. Afterwards, she called the match.

  “WINNER: KAIZO NEKODAIRA!”

  The crowd exploded. Ayame leaned back, smiling from behind her shades.

  Yumi squeezed Infinity tightly, which woke him up.

  Kagari, still watching closely, tilted her head, in excitement.

  After he gets back, Kaizo exhales softly, letting the pressure of the last match dissolve off his shoulders as he drops onto the bench in the locker room. The air is calm here—detached from the roar of the arena—but the familiar feeling of victory calmed him down.

  He raises his eyes to the hovering tv-screen on the wall. The semi-final broadcast plays in real-time:

  Arashi Kaze. It looked as if he had a… Wind Horizon?

  The guy looks like a blur- kicking off air, cutting through objects and opponents with razor winds, he looked as if he could give Kaizo a run for his money.

  Kaizo stares, laying on the bench, silent.

  [Cut: Yumi lounges in the audience area, Infinity sprawled across her lap like a hairy black coconut.]

  Meow. {“Congrats on giving some random boy CTE.”}

  Kaizo’s eye flickers with a grin, responding via the IF link.

  “Appreciate it. Though this next one’s gonna be different.”

  Meow. {“So what do we think about the next fight?”}

  He pauses, eyes narrowing slightly at the screen.

  “Never fought a Horizon user before. Not exactly something I can prepare for... but what can you? That ain’t something I worry about.”

  He turns to the audience.

  [“And no, I’m not gonna say I’m fearless. That’d be dumb. I just don’t fear a lot. Maybe just dying a virgin… but we all know that’s impossible..”]

  [Cut: Arena screen shows Kaze delivering the finishing blow—an elegant spiral slash of wind that tears across the stage.]

  Kaizo leans forward, eyes sharpening like a hunter locking in on his prey. The world narrows. Everything else dims. His focus clicks into something superhuman—the camera in his head starts rolling.

  > RECORDING...

  He watches every micro-movement from the replay:

  The wind-propulsion from Kaze’s feet.

  His directional movement before every attack.

  The speed at which he swings his arm—showy, unnecessary, aimed at grabbing attention.

  It was almost as if he was showboating.

  Kaizo’s brain memorizes everything crystal clear.

  His photographic memory stores each second in vivid detail.

  > Save to Photos. Folder: "Arashi Kaze."

  Infinity’s voice creeps in through the IF again.

  Meow... {“What are you doing?”}

  Kaizo doesn’t blink.

  “I’m memorizing his patterns and his habits. You know, I got to get the advantage over him."

  Infinity smirks. Meow. {“But why does your brain look like your phone screen? You’re looking like a psycho.”}

  “Takes one to know one.” Kaizo mutters with a grin.

  He stands up, rolling his shoulders, stretching his limbs. All he is thinking about right now is getting this last fight over with.

  “Hmm, why am I getting this feeling he’s trying to impress someone?” he mutters to himself, watching Kaze’s smug little celebration on screen. (slight pause) Guess I’m gonna have to ruin whatever he plans on doing...”

  He tilts his head, cracking his neck left, then right.

  One last breath.

  Kaizo strides off toward the tunnel entrance, his hoodie now draped across his shoulders like a cloak. The air shifts.

  The final battle looms.