Both Rai and Raiden kneeled in a ceremonious position facing away from each other as Lord Hideyoshi began. The ancient arena hummed with anticipation, generations of Fujiwara clan members watching from the stone tiers that surrounded the battleground.

  "The Raijin-no-Tatakai is a sacred spectacle of our bloodline," Lord Hideyoshi announced, his voice carrying across the hushed crowd. "A battle where two warriors prove their worth through lightning and combat, continuing until surrender, unconsciousness, or death. Today, our clan witnesses the judgment of the ancestors upon these brothers."

  As Rai and Raiden both stood, they began walking closer to each other. Two brothers representing two different paths—Raiden seeking validation that he was worthy despite his differences, and Rai determined to showcase why he was considered a prodigy whose greatness would forever outshine Raiden's perceived failures.

  Lightning energy crackled across the arena. Raiden's steps released bursts of the traditional Fujiwara blue-white lightning, each footfall leaving scorched marks on the stone floor. But Rai was different—his lightning manifested in stunning crimson with feints of orange, marking him as truly exceptional even among the elite Fujiwara.

  Lord Hiroshi watched intently from his privileged position, mentally cataloging every aspect of the coming battle. This demonstration would prove crucial in his negotiations with the Academy. They needed to understand the true power the Fujiwara could bring to bear—and why Rai specifically would be an unstoppable force against the Seven Deadly.

  "You prefer martial arts rather than sorcery, right brother?" Rai said, taunting Raiden. "Fine, I'll beat your ass with your own style."

  Rai took a martial artist stance, extending his right foot forward in ceremony. "Let's begin."

  Raiden took a similar stance, also extending his right foot. The two feet were side by side as they sized each other up, both of them clasping lightning energy into their hands.

  The two began sparring, each second's movements faster than the last. Although they had the entire arena at their disposal, their right feet remained anchored to their initial starting points. Their movements were so precise it was as if they were fighting within the confines of a telephone booth, neither giving an inch of ceremonial ground.

  Their mother watched in sorrow as her two boys fought, while their father observed with cool calculation, hoping for Rai to finish it quickly and decisively.

  Almost in sync, the two stepped back to gather space between them. Rai suddenly disappeared—not just moving quickly but seemingly phasing through reality itself—then reappeared in front of Raiden with a devastating left punch to his face. The impact created a thunderclap that echoed through the arena, drawing gasps from the audience.

  Raiden flipped and landed on his hands, using the momentum to swing a kick at the back of Rai's head, temporarily stunning him. Raiden tried to push himself onto his feet to continue the combo, but his body betrayed him—limbs sluggish and unresponsive, still recovering from the brutal trials he had endured. The momentary hesitation cost him dearly.

  Rai sent an electrical pulse of red lighting across the entire arena. Raiden attempted to dodge the pulses but Rai was quicker, punching him across the face again with even greater force.

  Stolen story; please report.

  "No matter how quick you are, you're always a step behind!" Rai shouted in frustration.

  Raiden remained calm and quiet, analyzing his brother's movements. "I can keep up," he thought to himself, though his body disagreed. The lightning burns from the trials throbbed with fresh pain, his muscles still not fully recovered from days of continuous electrical torture. Despite completing the trials, his body felt as insignificant and inadequate as it had when he was first rejected by the clan.

  Rai blitzed Raiden again, and the two continued exchanging blows. Seeps of lightning strikes reached the audience stands as patrons began moving out of the way. The battle had escalated beyond a display of skill to something bordering on lethal.

  Raiden headbutted Rai and grabbed his wrist, sending an egregious amount of lightning into his brother. Rai was momentarily stunned, concentrating to ensure the wave of lightning didn't throw off his own current. Then, to Raiden's horror, Rai began to laugh.

  "If this is what you experienced in your trials..." The sentence hung in the air as Rai began sending electrical currents into Raiden that dwarfed his own attack. "Then I will show you what real lightning can summon!"

  Rai surged even more deadly electrical currents into Raiden's body. So much lightning emitted from Rai that the arena filled with red, deadly energy. The audience members nearest the battle scrambled back, some even fleeing the arena entirely in fear for their lives. The power Rai displayed wasn't just impressive—it was terrifying.

  Raiden screamed in agony, his body convulsing as lightning more potent than anything from the trials coursed through him. The pain was beyond comprehension, beyond endurance. Yet even as his consciousness began to fade, a bitter thought crossed his mind—he had survived the trials only to fail here, proving what they had always believed: he would never be enough.

  "Enough," Raiden's mother began to whimper, seeing her son's suffering. "RAI, STOP!" she finally screamed from the crowd.

  Raiden lay unconscious, red sparks of lightning still emitting from his body. His limbs twitched involuntarily, muscles contracting from electrical overload. Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth where he had bitten through his lip during the final assault.

  Rai walked away, saying simply, "Pathetic."

  As Rai departed, he looked up at Lord Hiroshi. "You say the Seven Deadly is a threat to the Academy?"

  Lord Hiroshi nodded, a satisfied smile playing at the corner of his mouth. The display had exceeded even his expectations. The power Rai had demonstrated would be more than enough to impress—or intimidate—the Academy officials.

  "I'll defeat them myself," Rai declared, "and bring honor to the Fujiwara clan."

  Lord Hideyoshi rose from his seat, surveying the aftermath of the battle with approval. "The ancestors have judged," he announced to the remaining spectators. "Rai Fujiwara has proven himself not just as heir to our bloodline, but as perhaps the greatest lightning wielder in our clan's long history."

  His voice carried across the arena as he continued. "With such power at our command, the Fujiwara clan will rise to even greater prominence in Japan. Let the other families see what true mastery looks like. Let the Academy understand who holds the real power in this nation."

  The elders nodded in agreement, many shooting appreciative glances toward Lord Hiroshi. His political maneuvering had positioned them perfectly to capitalize on the coming crisis.

  Raiden's mother rushed into the battlefield, cradling her son's head in her lap. "My precious child, I'm sorry," she whispered, tears falling onto his scarred face. Her gentle hands tried to brush away the lingering electricity that still sparked across his skin.

  Raiden's father remained in the stands, marveling at Rai's strength. After a moment of consideration, he turned and walked away, not sparing a second glance for his fallen son. In his eyes, the outcome had merely confirmed what he had always known—one son was destined for greatness, and the other was destined to fail.

  Raiden lay in his mother's arms, unconscious but alive. The scarred body that had endured the trials had been pushed beyond its limits, yet somehow still clung to life. In defeat, he had demonstrated a different kind of strength—the ability to survive what should have killed him. But in the eyes of the Fujiwara clan, survival alone was never enough.