"You lost."
Akaza remained on the ground for a few seconds.
His throat hurt, his vision was still slightly blurred, and every breath reminded him of the arm that had been wrapped around his neck. Blood from the reopened wounds on his calf and forearm had already stained his clothes.
Sonya stared down at him with a dark expression.
Akaza slowly sat up, but he did not look away from her.
"I'm not disappointed because you lost," Sonya said. "Rovan was strong. Stronger than what he showed, and skilled enough to deserve the win."
Her voice became colder.
"I'm disappointed because you chose to lose."
Akaza remained silent.
"You knew you were injured. You knew those injuries were getting worse. You also knew that one more victory was enough for you to pass, but the moment you found a fight you enjoyed, you forgot everything."
Sonya unfolded her arms and pointed toward Stage Five.
