Early on the 6th of January in Seolhart, a crowd slowly began to show up at the Won-won Arena for the Belle Star Stakes of the St. Goken Meet. The birds sang their songs, the sky gradients of soft blues, pinks, purples, and oranges with the waning crescent moon humming in the air while the sun slowly rose.
Due to it being an early round, not everyone was required to sign up for this round so there were only 10 students upon the field. Amongst those ten stood So-Yi, Tae, Yi Yunso, Mizu, Galia, Sonico, Ro Kwang, Ahmed, Chin Hyo, and Akagi Mori.
"A small crowd today, but I'm seeing some tough competitors here. Let's see who we have this year...oh I see we have some returning faces like Tae Chi-Won and Yi Yunso. Ahh and the prankster Akagi Mori is here also," One announcer said, his eyes scouting the students then grunted as he locked onto So-Yi. "And is that...the Silver Mercenary?"
The second announcer stared at So-Yi as well, gasping and slightly covering her mouth with her hand. She watched as So-Yi talked with Hyeon Bae and Su-Yun. "It is..! We haven't seen her for the last two years! I wonder what is bringing her back."
"Okay, the Belle Star Stakes is a Speed and Wits competition. This involves a 800m Dash with obstacles upon the track, so this requires pacing and intelligence," Su-Yun said, reading the booklet she was handed by one of the officials then looked back up to So-Yi and Mizu.
"We are at a disadvantage. The other seven are Bulan Students, so if any one of them wins they take home the first Trophy," Mizu said, looking back at the competition with a serious expression.
"Regardless, you two got this! I know you've got this, So-Yi," Hyeon Bae said encouragingly, giving So-Yi a determined smile with gleaming eyes.
So-Yi nodded at Hyeon Bae with a smile then turned around, hearing someone approaching her then locked eyes with Tae. "Tae..."
"Well, well! The Silver Mercenary actually decided to show up? Do you remember why you're even here, or is this just something for you to do?" Tae asked, putting her hood over her head with a grin.
So-Yi smirked at Tae and adjusted her tattered white cloak and the silver armor upon her shoulders. "I remember why I became a Valkyria in the first place...and it's not for anyone but the person who believed in me first. I am a Valkyria because I can be, and I will show her my wings."
Tae's grin grew wider as she began to laugh, her eyes gleaming a crimson red to So-Yi's light blue eyes. "There she is...there is the Silver Mercenary! Let's see how good you truly are. Bulan High School's Class Rep is here, there's eight of us and only two of you. How good will do you do?"
Akagi snuck around So-Yi and bend down to her shoes, sneakily loosening her shoelaces and snickered before popping back up quickly. "Tae-chan!~ Let's go! The competition is about to begin!"
Tae looked over at Akagi and hummed then redirected her gaze back to So-Yi. "I'm looking forward to seeing what you can do here and now. There's no turning back from here!"
Mizu watched as Tae walked away and crossed his arms, humming lightly then looked over to So-Yi. "Is she your rival or something?"
"Yeah, we used to be very close back then. But now, we're on the opposite ends of the battlefield. Don't worry though, I don't intend on losing any of these Stakes," So-Yi said, walking off to the starting gates for the beginning of the stakes.
Hyeon Bae noticed something off about So-Yi's shoes as she headed toward the gates then gasped, realizing her shoe was untied but it was too late to say anything as she was already at the gates. "Oh no...her shoelace is undone!"
"What?!" Su-Yun hissed, panicking as she looked at So-Yi at the 8th gate.
Everyone lined up at the gates, the track expanding for the obstacles to appear. As everyone prepared, So-Yi took a deep breath and exhaled then glanced down, noticing her shoe was untied. Akagi snickered beside her, getting into position to run while So-Yi bent down to tie her shoe as the gates opened.
"Ahhhh!! What is she doing?!" Su-Yun panicked, placing her hands over her head.
"Sang So-Yi! What are you doing?" Mizu asked, stopping and jogging backwards beside So-Yi. "Everyone's already ahead!"
"My shoe is untied...I've got to prioritize my safety and others," So-Yi said, tying her shoes then rose up.
"We have to hurry, So-Yi! Let's—" Mizu began, his sentence stopping from So-Yi's powerful stride that picked up dust.
Akagi laughed as she ran down the track and dodged each obstacle, cheerful that her plan to delay So-Yi worked. "Now we don't have to worry! We've got this in the bag!"
As she said those words, So-Yi past by her like a speeding bullet, each step leaving a footprint into the ground from her pressurizing strides. Akagi's eyes widened as she saw So-Yi run past her in slow motion, So-Yi's eyes emitting intense pressure while she rushed forward.
"Would you look at that!? The Silver Mercenary is back! Look at how fast she's going to catch up to Chi-Won in a matter of seconds!" The male announcer exclaimed, springing out of his seat with widened eyes.
Su-Yun rubbed her eyes quickly, her jaw dropping as she watched So-Yi launch through the field. "What...what is this..?"
Sonico looked behind himself as he felt So-Yi's pressure, chills crawling down his spine from the tensing air. "She's back after all these years huh..? I'm not going to let you catch up to Class Rep!"
Sonico waited for So-Yi to approach him then drifted around into a Blur Boost straight toward So-Yi. So-Yi manifested her Silver Swallowtail butterfly and leaped toward him, phasing through his boost then Fluttered forward. He grunted as he drifted back around and rushed forward with Akagi to try to slow down So-Yi.
Akagi grinned as she generated a ball of energy in her hand then launched it toward So-Yi, but she swiftly dodged the orb then looked back to see Sonico already had caught up to her. She dodged his roundhouse then rounded off one hand to evade Akagi, twisting around on her hand to deliver a heavy round kick to Akagi's head.
Akagi groaned as she flew toward the rails, crashing into them with a groan and a comedically large knot in her head. "What the..."
So-Yi continued forward without a second thought, noticing both Tae the High Wolf and Yi Yunso the Ruby City racing ahead and dodging the obstacles with ease. "You may can slow me down...but such distractions aren't enough..."
So-Yi stomped her foot down, the step releasing immense pressure from her body, light blue and black energy swarming around her body as she began her spurt. She kicked up part of the ground as she rushed ahead, the crowd going crazy with cheers as they watched So-Yi catch up with the leading two.
"Heh! So I guess the others couldn't slow you down? It's pretty much too late for the comeback though, Silver Mercenary!" Tae laughed, using her Pack Mentality to boost her speed continuously and began breaking free from So-Yi. "Yi Yunso, keep her steady!"
"She won't be doing anything!" So-Yi called out, launching her butterfly forward then warped forward and pivoted around in the air, launching two blasts of energy toward Yi Yunso. "Like I told Mizu, I don't plan on losing!"
Yi Yunso gasped as she dodged the first energy blast then put up a scarlet shield of energy to block the second. "Nice try, love! You're gonna have to try harder than tha—!"
The first energy blast that missed her had boomeranged around and struck her from behind, causing her to lose focus and drop her shield. The second blast of energy crashed upon her stomach, pinning her against the two blasts the both orbs detonated into an explosion.
Tae grunted in awe as she watched So-Yi's demonstration of raw intelligence then looked back ahead, growling with a highly competitive spirit. "I won't lose to you, So-Yi! I haven't lost a single Meet since you left and I won't start now!"
So-Yi raced neck and neck with Tae, both Valkyrias reaching the last 400m within seconds. Tae began panting heavily as she slightly broke away from So-Yi's, her smile growing as she saw the finish first but felt spirit breaking pressure behind her then looked back in raw shock.
So-Yi's pressure began to increase with her growing ambition, her aura flashing between light blue and black to silver. Her Holy Fire began erupting from her chest, her Silver Swallowtail fluttering around her erratically. "I refuse...to lose to you!"
So-Yi blew past Tae with a second more powerful spurt, her Spirit alive with energy she didn't know she had. Her battlesuit began to glow with energy, her cloak flowing behind her as she evaded and bursted through every obstacle the the finish.
"And we have our winner! The Silver Mercenary takes first and it's not even close! What in the world is this pressure?! It's like she never even left!" The male announcer yelled, tossing his headset on the table as he cheered.
"Oh my God! Did you see that?! Her legendary Second Burst! It's like she's two people in one, it's incredible!" The female announcer exclaimed, laughing and leaning away from her co-worker as he ran around the room.
Yochanan, who was watching from the top of the stands, looked down at So-Yi with an intrigued expression and hummed. "I can see why you originally scouted her months ago. Yesha let you give her a butterfly, and admittedly...she is levels ahead of Woo-Chi."
I nodded as I stood beside my forerunner, crossing my arms with a smile. "She's a good choice, but let's not choose too fast. Remember there are 50 to choose from plus those getting scholarships to Class S. Let's wait before we decide."
"I agree, I was just making an observation. I do have to admit, that Tae Chi-Won girl does know how to lead a pack. Her leadership skills, when honed, is a good choice also," Yochanan said, looking over at me.
I nodded in agreement again. "She's roudy, but full of life. Something we need in these upcoming times."
Tae panted softly and stopped running, resting with her hands upon her knees with multiple questions in her mind. She looked up at So-Yi, noticing her looking at the large digital board in the distance. "Sang So-Yi!"
So-Yi turned around to face Tae and walked over to her, standing in front of her then held her hand out toward Tae. "That was a good race, Tae. Let's enter the others, and push to the top together."
Tae looked at So-Yi's hand then back up at her eyes, her lips curling into a wide grin as she took So-Yi's hand. "Yeah! Let's climb to the top! Next time, I'll destroy you and take home the gold!"
Mizu watched Tae and So-Yi, amazed by So-Yi's performance and looked up at the board to see how far ahead So-Yi truly was. "She's been hiding all of this power..? Just who is Sang So-Yi..?"
The first Stake concluded with the second Stake happening in five hours to give the students who ran the first time to rest. The students returned to Seolhart Hotel to rest and get breakfast to refuel while So-Yi stayed behind as a few paparazzi wanted to interview her.
"Over here! Silver Mercenary! I have a question!" One interviewer said, holding his microphone through the packed crowd.
"I have one! How do you feel after your big win this morning?" Another asked, holding her pen and journal up.
"Hey! Everyone back off! You're overcrowding the space here! Move it or get beat down!" Tae called out, pushing the interviewers away from So-Yi then grabbed her hand to bring her into the hotel. "'Cuse me! Coming through!"
Sang So-Yi followed Tae into the hotel then looked back at the paparazzi outside. "I didn't mind answering them."
"That's the problem, you don't mind anything sometimes. Those guys were most definitely going to use your answers for drama. It's best to avoid them," Tae said, bringing her to the lounge area then sat down on one of the couches.
"If it isn't the Silver Mercenary, who would've thought you would be hiding something too?" Ye-Won asked with a smile, walking over to So-Yi. "Congratulations on your win and bringing home the first trophy to Grushia! Let's keep the momentum!"
"Yeah, yeah, you all are definitely losing the next one. After that performance, So-Yi isn't at her top anymore so the playing field is even!" Ramud said before taking a bite out of his breakfast sandwich.
"Is that what you think? You believe that Bulan has a chance of winning this?" Ko'rai asked, walking into the lounge with a chuckle and stared at Ramud.
Ramud glanced over at Ko'rai and smirked, finishing his sandwich quickly then wiped his hands with his napkins before standing up. "Ha! If it isn't my own personal rival, The Reshinun King! You sound very confident this morning, a lucky dream I assume?"
"I see the Knight of Helios still has jokes. It's nice to know that Tae hasn't slowed you down. Sure, So-Yi might be a heavy hitter but she isn't close to our secret weapon! She is!" Ko'rai said, pointing to Hyeon Bae.
Hyeon Bae pointed to herself as she was eating a waffle, noticing everyone in the room directing their gazes toward her. She squeaked quietly and waved her arms in front of her bashfully. "A-Aniyo! I'm no secret weapon! No sir, take that back Ko'rai!"
"You mean the girl who suddenly rose to A-Rank by doing absolutely shit?" Ro Kwang asked from the background.
Ramud closed his eyes, his lips slowly curling into a smirk as he tried not to laugh at his friend's absurd comment. "Ro Kwang, bro. Lock in, bro..."
"My fault, I'm tweaking, but for real! She literally woke up off the couch an A Rank! Like what's her special ability other than summoning a dog and her Guardian Angel? Tell me how do we logically lose to her?" Ro Kwang asked, holding both hands toward Hyeon Bae.
"Aye, not too much on Hyeon Bae! You're the same guy who came dead last in the race, that shit is logically impossible!" Kim Eun called out, defending Hyeon Bae and tossed her crumbled wrapper at Ro Kwang's head.
At that moment, no one could contain their laughter as it was true. Mizu was in dead last due to shock of So-Yi's speed, but still managed to beat Ro Kwang in the race. At that very moment, Ro Kwang let out a groan and got up to go back to his room with a red face.
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The clock had struck 11 AM and the Iksu Verizion Arena began to fill up with families and friends around Bulan, each person excited to watch the Graded A-1 Liao Ru Cup after hearing news of the Belle Star Stakes. Just like the first event, there were only ten students on the field yet this time the numbers were even.
"Seems like we're getting a classic Strength Showdown this morning between the two teams. No signs of the Silver Mercenary nor the High Wolf, seems they are resting up, but we do have the Reshinun King and the Knight of Helios," The male announcer said, taking high interest in the matchup.
"In this event, both teams will be competing in a game of Dodgeball Demolition! Oh, I'm really excited to see the heavy hitters on both ends!" The female announcer exclaimed, giggling with excitement as she looked down at the field.
Bulan's team consisted of: Ramud, Nae Ki-Pam, Akagi Mori, Galia, and Yi Yunso. Grushia's team consisted of Ko'rai, Ahmed, Reene, Kim Eun, and Hwang Ji-yong. Both sides stood on the opposite ends of the yellow field, preparing themselves within the time limit they had.
"Reene," Ko'rai said, walking toward her and placing his hand upon her head gently with a smile. "I'm glad you came out here. It takes a lot of courage to let go of your fears...but I see you aren't alone..~"
Reene blushed as Ko'rai rubbed her hair and let out a soft noise as she began to nuzzle into his hand, the Tall Stranger standing behind her in a protective manner. "I couldn't forget about my Eonni..~ She's always with me.."
Kim Eun stared at the Tall Stranger, remembering seeing her within the Road of the Border and shuddered, now knowing that she's connected to Reene. "Geez...I'm glad to know she's on our side. You don't want to know what she's like unrestrained."
"Nugu?" Hwang asked, lowering her circle lens sunglasses, searching around for who Kim Eun was talking about. "You talking about Reene? I hear she has S Rank Stamina, so she's gonna be a huge help."
Kim Eun glanced over at Hwang Ji-yong, realizing she doesn't have any Liminal Energy in her body at all, so she couldn't see Butterfly nor Moth Residents. She hummed softly, placing a hand upon her hip. "Hm, yeah. That's what I meant."
Ramud watched Ko'rai's team and rested his hands behind his head, his gaze focused upon Ko'rai and Reene. "That girl that Ko'rai is so close with. I have never seen her before. Do you know who she is?"
"No idea," Akagi said, texting her friends on her phone and snickered at a message.
"No, she doesn't look familiar," Galia answered, crossing his arms as he looked at Ko'rai and the others.
"I don't care about them, who the hell are those two fine ass chicks?" Nae Ki-Pam asked, pointing at Kim Eun and Hwang Ji-yong.
"I'm gonna assume things with Mi-Ri didn't work out? Besides, you ain't got a chance with Kim Eun nor Hwang. They are out of your league, pal," Ramud said, chuckling lightly and shaking his head. "Besides, your focus should be on Ko'rai and Ahmed. They are the threats here."
"How big of threats is the question. We know Ahmed is Sorien, so he has the Void Technique and Ko'rai is pure Alrean, a Tribal Leader at that...but are they stronger than you?" Yi Yunso asked, looking over at Ramud with a curious expression.
Ramud chuckled softly and exhaled, tilting his head to the side at her questions. "Now that's a peculiar question from you, Yunso. There's only one way to find out."
[Match Start!]
The buzzer sounded from above, the Valkyria Captain throwing two balls out onto the field then leaped backwards as a wall of energy surrounded both teams. Akagi wasted zero time rushing toward one of the balls and snatching it up, licking her lips with a devious grin as she locked onto Hwang.
"Get ready! It's about to get tricky here! Taste my Twisted Tempo!" Akagi laughed, cloaking the ball in her aura then launched it across the field.
The ball flew toward Hwang Ji-yong at high speeds then vanished and reappeared behind her, but Hwang didn't react as her hands remained in her pockets. She smirked and amplified her own energy, using the spiralling aura as a shield to block the dodge ball.
"Nani!? How did she do that?" Akagi asked in shock, her star shaped sunglasses tilting off her face.
Hwang took her hand from her pocket then picked up the ball that was thrown at her and scoffed. "A trick like that wouldn't work on someone like us. Let's show them, Eun!"
Kim Eun smacked her fist against her palm and grinned, dashing forward and rounding off one hand then sprang into the air. "Let's go, Hwang! Ramp it up!"
Hwang smacked the ball against her hand then launched it in the air, Kim Eun letting out a bellow as she kicked the ball toward Akagi while Hwang Ji-yong amplified her winds to speed up the ball. Akagi smirked and grunted heavily as she caught the ball, sliding backwards against the ground and exhaled heavily.
"Whoa, now that's a nice response. Still, I can't believe they were able to counter Twisted Tempo like it was nothing. Heh, it seems Class 12-A finally has some new tricks," Ramud said, crossing his arms as he continued watching from the back.
Yi Yunso walked over to the second ball and picked it up gracefully, smiling as she looked forward and targeted Reene. "After seeing the Silver Mercenary in action again, nothing excites me more than to see her appear again! Nothing will stop me from facing Sang So-Yi again!"
Reene gasped as Yi Yunso launched the ball toward her, but Ahmed charged in front of her and caught the ball for her. "Ahmed..! Thank you."
Ahmed smiled at Reene then walked forward, gray energy surrounding the ball as he prepared his throw but stopped when he sensed Akagi's ball headed his way. Narrowly dodging her throw he tossed his ball in the air then palmed it, the force of his strike launching the ball toward Akagi like a bullet train.
"Haha!! I love this! Finally, some worthy challengers for my tricks!" Akagi laughed, getting low on the ground then performed a Flare to deflect the ball into the air.
Galia charged forward and launched himself in the air, manifesting a dragon tail of ice to hit the ball toward Kim Eun and the others. "This will take out three of you at once!"
"Move out of the way!" Ahmed called out, using a void to teleport out of the way.
Kim Eun and Hwang Ji-yong ran from the danger zone and took cover just as the ball hit the ground with a heavy crash, a dome explosion of ice detonating where they once stood. The crowd cheered loudly at the action, the energy only building up the adrenaline within the students.
"Whoohoo!! Now this is some action! You almost got 'em, Ice Dragon!" Akagi called out, laughing with excitement and looked up at Galia in the air.
Galia stared down at Ko'rai, wondering why he isn't moving to help the team and growled lowly. 'I wasn't aiming for them specifically...my aim was just off..'
"Come on! Get 'em Class!" Jiahn cheered from the stands, clapping her hands in support of Grushia High School.
"Go Class 12-A!" Hyeon Bae cheered, waving her flag left and right in the air.
"Akagi! Stop targeting one person and change it up! Yi Yunso, get on defense!" Tae yelled out, gripping the rails and slightly leaned over them.
"Yo, Ki-Pam, lock in bro! You gotta move faster!" Ro Kwang called out, ringing his bell in the air in support.
Both Classes were lively with support, both side yelling out cheers and strategies to their mates on the field. The cheers filled the air, the sun gleaming down upon the field as the dodge balls flew across the field like rockets, and energy began uplifting from the field as both sides began putting their all into the event.
Akagi rushed forward as Kim Eun threw her ball then grabbed it from mid air and twirled around, adding momentum into her throw before launching the ball at full speed. "Let's see you dodge my Loop dé Fleur!"
Kim Eun grunted as she made a full stop, watching as the ball curved around her and spun back around, striking her upon her back and taking her to the ground. She grunted as she got up on one knee, sensing the ball coming toward her from the left.
Before she could be struck a second time, Hwang Ji-yong charged forward and palmed the ball, causing it to bounce off the ground into the sky. She began charging up an orb of energy as the ball began to fall back down and released a blast of energy toward the ball.
"Yunso!" Galia called out, looking toward her for defensive assistance.
Yi Yunso ran toward Akagi and formed a scarlet disk of energy then launched it toward her, the disk flying in front of Akagi to deflect the ball into the air. "Galia, target Hwang Ji-yong first!"
Galia nodded and ran toward the ball as it began to descend, his eyes watching the falling dodgeball carefully while leaping into the air. As he prepared his counter, a ball cloaked in liminal energy struck Galia's midsection and sent him flying backwards into the energy wall.
Everyone looked surprised to see Galia fly backwards then looked to who threw the ball, everyone's eyes falling upon Reene. With a sudden fierce gaze, Reene began walking forward as the Valkyria Captain tossed in another ball then charged toward it.
"Not a chance, Missy!" Akagi called out, dashing toward the ball and reached out to grab it.
Reene's eyes began emitting blue fiery energy, her ambition growing stronger and allowing her to snatch the ball up first. She ran forward and pivoted around, launching the ball at Akagi's back but she swiftly dodged and launched the ball back to Reene with a heel kick.
"Hachi!" Reene called out, grunting as a burst of Liminal Energy began flowing behind her.
A long arm stretched out and caught the ball, a rift appearing behind Reene as the Tall Stranger became visible, her aura emitting intense pressure upon the field. Ramud and his team grunted at the intense pressure, Reene's Delirium awakening with mighty force.
Ko'rai smirked and crossed his arms, watching Reene finally in action. "There she is. Now she's finally awakened."
"Whoa, this pressure is rather intense! What did you say to her bro?" Ahmed asked, falling back beside Ko'rai and looked at Reene's spiralling Liminal Energy.
Ko'rai chuckled, closing his eyes and rubbing under his nose. "I told her if we win this event, I'll take her on a date. I think it's the right motivation to get her in the game."
"Do you feel this energy people?! This energy feels like a mix between Liminal Energy and Rebirth Energy! Who is this sleeper Student?!" The male announcer commented, keeping a close eye upon the awakened Reene.
Akagi hummed with excitement and stared at Reene as she grabbed a ball from the ground. "Oh? Now this is new. I've heard about Hyeon Bae's Delirium, but another girl having it? I suppose you are also a Resident huh?"
Reene stared at Akagi with a focused expression and braced herself for Akagi's next attack. "I am...this is my Big Sister, Hachishakusama, the Tall Stranger."
Akagi laughed with delight and began charging up her throw, aura surging around the ball while her eyes began to glow. "I haven't faced a Border Resident before, but something about you is so strange. I guess I'll have to figure you out!"
I stared down at Reene and looked at my hand, noticing the Crest of Death humming faintly upon my hand. 'Could she really be her daughter..? Is that why no one can find the Rebirth Skull..?'
Akagi bellowed as she launched a Twisted Tempo toward Reene, but Reene sensed the angle switch and dodged the ball, causing it to rush toward Akagi. Akagi gasped and ducked under her own ball then rose up, groaning heavily as Hachi launched a ball against her face.
Nae Ki-Pam grunted as he knew the situation was dire, his first instinct being to grab a ball and run around the field to get behind Reene. The moment he threw a ball, a skeleton hand rose up from the ground and stopped it in mid air, catching him by surprise.
"That won't work anymore...I have eyes everywhere," Reene said, shifting her foot around and looked back at Nae Ki-Pam, her eyes igniting with a blue fire.
Ramud huffed lightly and rolled his shoulders, walking forward to finally take action as he knew things were getting out of hand. "To know Grushia has Sleeper Students, I guess it's time for me to finally take the plate."
"Ahh! The Knight of Helios has finally decided to step forward! The battlefield might become even now!" The female announcer exclaimed, clapping her hands together with excitement.
Ramud picked up a ball and encased it in fire, locking onto Hwang and launched it at her at blazing speeds. Hwang Ji-yong tried to block the ball, but the impact broke through her guard and knocked her back, the ball bouncing off her and striking Kim Eun for a double hit.
Ramud charged forward and leaped in the air, kicking the ball toward Ahmed but he summoned a black hole to suck the ball inside then closed the void. A white hole opened above Ramud while he was in the air, spitting the ball out at high speeds but Ramud unleashed flames from his feet to propel himself away.
"Yeah! Now the tables have turned! Let's go!" Akagi exclaimed with laughter, kicking a ball into the air and caught it before throwing it. "Stutter Shock!"
The ball flew toward Reene and stuttered in the air before appearing at her side and crashing into her ribs, causing Reene to grunt heavily as she was knocked to the side but still stood strong. Akagi's ribbons in her hair rose up in shock at Reene's stamina, caught off guard by her horsepower defense.
"It's my turn!" Reene called out, grabbing the ball from the ground and coated it with Liminal Energy then stomped on the ground as she launched it toward Akagi.
The ball split into five separate balls, each one colliding with each other and flying around the arena while ricocheting off the walls. Akagi, Yi Yunso, and Nae Ki-Pam gasped as they watched the speeding balls, unable to keep track of each of them while Ramud remained calm while he searched for the real ball.
"Don't worry, I've got this," Ramud said, catching sight of the real ball then watched as it ricocheted off the wall toward him. "Ra Hu...Sha!"
Ramud roared as he punched the speeding ball, the ball bending around his fist like water before flying toward Ko'rai at near invisible speeds. Ko'rai uncrossed his arms with a grin, his golden eyes glowing as he watched the ball fly straight toward him then dodged at the last second.
"Oh, ho...so you're coming right for me huh? Well, I guess I should start playing too huh?" Ko'rai said, catching a ball the Valkyria Captain tossed over the energy wall. "Iso! Everyone stand back!"
Everyone began to back away from Ko'rai and Ramud as Ko'rai called ouy Ramud alone. He tossed the ball into the air then struck it with a Dragon Crush, sending the ball flying toward Ramud, but he deflected the ball back with a burning swipe.
Ko'rai ran forward and hopped forward, bumping the ball off his chest then feinted a hit, letting the ball hit the ground then kicked it at full force. The ball drilled into the ground in rotating motion as it rushed through the ground, drifting around Ramud and striking Yi Yunso against her stomach, driving her into the energy wall and taking her out.
Nae Ki-Pam couldn't believe his eyes at Ko'rai's strength, his gaze treading along the trench in the ground the ball had created then landed upon the smoke cloud covering Yi Yunso. "No way...is this the power of the Reshinun Tribe?"
The field was now even with Ko'rai, Ahmed, and Reene standing on one side and Ramud, Akagi, and Nae Ki-Pam standing on the other end. The air was tense, the crowd growing silent with anticipation of the next move, no one daring to break the silence.
Akagi winded her arm in a circle and fixed her sunglasses with a wide grin, chuckling mischievously and watched as a ball rolled toward her. She stepped on the ball and exhaled slowly. "This is getting preeetty close now. So I guess it's time for my triumph card!"
Akagi kicked the ball up then used her aura to split the ball into two exact duplicates and locked onto Reene before launching a Twisted Tempo and Loop dé Fleur toward her. "Face my Twisted Joker!"
Reene grunted as the first ball warped behind her as the second looped around her twice at high speeds before both charged toward her at a stuttering pace. Hachi held out her hands on either side, blocking the attack but grunted as the destructive force began ripping through her liminal energy.
Reene grunted as she noticed both balls slowly disintegrating Hachi's arms, but couldn't understand why and the worry and frustration began settling in. 'What is this..?! Why is Hachi's defense not working..?!'
Both dodgeballs continued to shred through Hachi's arms until they began to reach Reene, but a strong suction force began dragging her away into Ahmed's arms then he tossed her towards Ko'rai. Quickly, he used the same black hole to redirect Nae Ki-Pam's ball around toward him.
Nae Ki-Pam ran forward and slid along the ground upon both knees to dodge the ball then quickly got up with another ball in hand. "Bulan will not lose to you!"
Ahmed's lips curled into a wide smile as he transformed into his Awakened Form, gray spatial energy surging around his body as his Crest of Sorien began gleaming brightly upon his back. "So you do have some backbone in you! Don't throw this match now!"
Ki-Pam roared as he launched the ball toward Ahmed then rushed behind it, but Ahmed warped toward the ball and palmed it with great force. The ball flew back toward Nae Ki-Pam, but he managed to counter it by surrounding his head in stone to headbutt it back.
"Let There Be Light!" Ahmed bellowed, opening a white void and aimed it at the airborne ball, unleashing a powerful Flash Mekori toward the ball.
The beam struck the ball with a powerful explosion, sending the ball flying around the arena at invisible speeds, everyone now on high alert. Akagi laughed with delight as the chaos only made her more excited, her aura beginning to surge around her body.
Akagi took on a Dragon Stance, her twisted energy spiralling around her body defensively. "Now I can show you all what I can really do! Twisted Fleur!"
Akagi perfectly matched her timing with the ball, palming it and sending it crashing toward Reene and landing clean upon her stomach. The ball bounced off her body and looped around before warping and striking Ahmed upon his back, causing him to crash to the ground.
Ko'rai watched as the ball looped around then stuttered, the ball looping around Ahmed and warping toward him directly. Ko'rai chuckled lowly, his dragonic tattoos glowing as he calmly transformed into his Awakened Form, Reshinun letting out a roar as fiery pillars erupted around him to block the ball.
Ramud, Nae Ki-Pam, and Akagi looked up at the large white bipedal dragon, her body made of furlike feathers instead of scales with a golden ring around her tail. She looked down at the trio, letting out her cry which shook the grounds then turned into an orb of energy before entering Ko'rai's body.
"It's time we end this! Reshinun Boost Time 10!" Ko'rai bellowed, his draconic energy flowing around his body like raging winds with colors shifting between red, blue, and orange.
Before anyone could act, Ko'rai stomped on the ground, causing both balls to rise in the air then let out a Dragon Scream, the shockwaves launching both dodge balls and striking both Akagi and Nae Ki-Pam clean. Both students groaned as they were taken out by the Reshinun King, leaving only Ramud alone.
"So, it's just us. I knew at some point, it would come down to us," Ramud said, watching as a special ball entered the arena.
"It's time for people to see...which Alrean Tribe can stand true when they go all out," Ko'rai said with a grin, steam rising off his body due to the heat of his energy and the rising pressure within himself.
[Demolition Ball is in play!]
[Combat is allowed, however only hits with the Demotion Ball is counted.]
Ramud and Ko'rai glanced at the golden ball on the ground, both of them charging toward it at top speeds. Ramud shifted his footwork, landing a sweeping kick upon Ko'rai and grappled him, tossing him aside. Ko'rai slid across the grass, looking up to see Ramud with the Demolition Ball in his hand.
Ramud launched the ball toward him, the ball cutting through the winds toward his face, but Ko'rai's body became a blur as he moved out the way. Ramud grunted in shock at his enhanced speed, groaning heavily as Ko'rai landed a drilling gut blow upon his stomach.
"What a CRUSHING blow from Ko'rai! Such an attack like that could leave the Knight of Helios staggered! What will he do?!" The male announcer commentated, now on the edge of his seat.
Ramud grunted as he stumbled backwards while clutching his stomach, but stood his ground, his golden gauntlet appearing upon his hand. He let out a roar as he responded back with his own gut blow, the raw force driving Ko'rai backwards and causing him to stagger as well.
"Heh...so you're also showing your Dragon..Helios," Ko'rai said with a strained chuckle, grunting as he stood up straight.
Ramud looked at his golden gauntlet with a smirk, realizing Helios had begun responding due to Reshinun being awake. "Seems like he's awake now because your dragon is. He's saying, it's time to dethrone the king! It's time for a new Alrean King to rise!"
"Galia couldn't get it done, and in your truth, you do beat me. But here's the reality of the situation...God blessed me with royal blood so I could rule as He. If you want my crown, you will have to earn it but trust, you can be David, but I'm the Goliath you can not conquer," Ko'rai replied, stomping on the ground and caused the ball behind him to bounce up.
Ramud's grin only grew after hearing Ko'rai's electrifying response, the crowd cheering wildly as the final stretch of the event arrived. He let out a roar and charged toward Ko'rai, his golden dragon armor manifesting around his body as he launched a punch toward Ko'rai.
"And when I say you won't rise above the mountain I stand on..." Ko'rai began, phasing through Ramud's attack with a back step. "I mean it."
Ko'rai struck Ramud with an elbow then used a wave of pressure to push him back, giving him enough time to warp behind the ball and headbutt it toward Ramud. Ramud looked up to see the ball headed toward him, but he managed to dodge the last second before entering his ginga.
Sweeping the ball into the air with a kick, he launched it forward with a Capoeira kick then ran behind it and jumped up in the air. He struck the ball with a missile dropkick, increasing the velocity of the ball to cause lightning to surge around it as it flew toward Ko'rai.
"Reshinun!" Ko'rai roared, catching the ball and grunted heavily as the force of the ball began pushing him across the field, Reshinun manifesting her wings to help Ko'rai resist the pushing force.
"Here! Have a little extra for the troubles! Today I become King of Alreans!" Ramud bellowed, forming a ball of plasma energy within his hands then fired it toward Ko'rai.
Ko'rai grunted heavily as the ball of plasma added even more force to the Demolition Ball, making it harder for him to resist the raw pressure. His sleeves began exploding off his shirt from the shredding force of the ball, his back pressing against the energy wall firmly as he tried to stop the ball.
Ko'rai growled lowly as his aura began to surge, red, blue, and orange lightning cracking around his body and the Crest of Reshinun shone brightly upon his body. "Reshinun...Boost...Times 20!!"
Ko'rai's aura began pulsing with a calm rumble, his enhanced attributes allowing him to push back against Ramud's attack. With a roar, he deflected the ball into the air and grunted heavily as his core began to glow, the energy within him overflowing.
Unable to hold back the energy anymore and as the ball fell down, Ko'rai let out a devastating roar and unleashed a wild blazing beam of energy against the ball, the explosion launching the ball toward Ramud and striking him against his chest to send him flying.
The crowd fell silent as both students reverted to normal and collapsed onto the ground, spent and exhausted. Due to the heavy chaos, no one knew what the verdict was until the replay was shown on the big screens.
"Oh– And there we have it! The ball struck Ramud clean and took him out of the game! The winners of the Liao Ru Cup is Grushia High School! They have won two Cups so far in this St. Goken Meet, they are on a heavy roll after two years of not competing!" The female announcer cheered, clapping her hands together with excitement.
The crowd erupted in cheers as Tae and her friends groaned with disappointment, taking their second loss of the day. Jiahn, Hyeon Bae, and the others cheered happily and hugged each other, each of them happy about their second win of the day.
-----------------------------------
Ha-Rin walked onto the field of the Chegal Stadium and looked up at the cloudy sky, taking a deep breath and exhaling softly. She closed her eyes slowly, imagining multiple scenarios within her head against Woo-Chi, each scenario a win for Ha-Rin.
Nu So-Hee watched Ha-Rin from the sidelines, blowing bubbles from a star shaped wand and watched each translucent orb float into the air. She looked back as she heard footsteps approaching the field, her lips curling into a smirk as she recognized the three students immediately.
Woo-Chi stared at Ha-Rin, her eyes twitching with spite as she immediately stormed forward with a yell. "Kan Ha-Rin!"
Ha-Rin glanced over at Woo-Chi with a surprised expression gasping and groaning as she was caught with a devastating right hook to her jaw. She staggered to the side, faltering onto one knee and held her cheek as she looked up at Woo-Chi.
Woo-Chi stared down at Ha-Rin with a vengeance, lightning surging around her body with a powerful might. "It's time...it's time that I destroy you and fix everything you took away from me! I'm not doing this for the sake of Bulan's reputation...I'm doing this for me!"
Woo-Chi made a spear hand with her right hand, her eyes surging with hatred as she thrusted her hand toward Ha-Rin's neck. Just as Nu So-Hee rose up from the ground and Ha-Rin flinched, a hand caught Woo-Chi's wrist causing a thunderous clap to echo.
Woo-Chi quickly glanced over to the intercepter, her eyes widening with shock and slight betrayal as she stared at So-Yi, her aura flowing off her body like a silver flames. "Sang So-Yi...mwo hae..?"
So-Yi's eyes flashed silver, her gaze slowly shifting over to Woo-Chi. "This is not the way. I get you want justice, but this isn't what Mr. Nox taught."
Woo-Chi grit her teeth and snatched her hand away from So-Yi's, shooting her a glare. "Don't you dare talk to me about what's the way or what not! You weren't the one who was nearly killed! You weren't abandoned and left for dead! You weren't left alone for two years without justice and being punished for HER actions!"
So-Yi glanced over at Tae, Nu So-Hee, and Soel-na, who watched from the background, then looked back at Ha-Rin on the ground. She closed her eyes slowly, letting out a nose exhale. "Yeah, but she's already getting her justice. She's been abandoned, shamed, ridiculed and rebuked. She's been left for dead spiritually."
"Tch! What would you know about being dead? The closest you've gotten to being dead is burying your own father...that's all you know about death! I lived it and God continues to protect her! You know nothing!" Woo-Chi exploded, the winds around her body becoming more unstable as she gripped her hair.
So-Yi's heart slightly broke from Woo-Chi's comment about her father, her gaze growing cold and mercenary-like as blurred images of her father's burial flashed in her mind. "Don't bring my father into this, Min Woo-Chi. He has nothing to do with this."
"What!? You're actively protecting a criminal! Two of them, but I supposed scandalous behavior runs in the family! Since you want to protect Ha-Rin's legacy, I'll bury yours next to hers...and I'll bury your legacy next to your father's," Woo-Chi proclaimed coldly, a wicked grin forming upon her face.
So-Yi's ears began ringing as her composure began to break, a crack in her reality forming in her eyes. Strands of her hair began to fall over her face, silver energy radiating from her body as a Holy Fire began to burn from her chest. She let out a nose exhale and a cold smirk formed on her face.
"Hey, Min Woo-Chi...Jugeullae? Mwo?!" So-Yi yelled, finally snapping and slapping Woo-Chi across her face.
Everyone covered their mouths as So-Yi slapped fire out of Woo-Chi, a burning handprint left upon Woo-Chi's cheek. Woo-Chi giggled softly, her bangs covering her eyes then she let out a laugh, her mental state deteriorating slowly as her winds slowly began corroding into Suffocating Winds.
"So...you made up your mind. In this event, I'll be destroying you first..." Woo-Chi said, looking over at So-Yi through her bangs, her left eye flashing a sinister violet.
Ha-Rin stared at the two, watching the two once close friends now standing on opposite ends of the battlefield, not in friendly competition but a heated rivalry between the two. I silently watched from the top of the stadium, my heart breaking to see Woo-Chi so consumed in her own hatred for Ha-Rin.