An announcement echoed throughout the arena:
Commentator:
"After Round Six ended with the score tied..."
"We now enter Round Seven."
The crowd turned their attention toward the first side of the arena.
"On the first side stands a martial arts master."
"Her body is agile."
"Her reflexes are flawless."
"Every punch and kick is like a perfectly programmed attack."
"She is... Akari."
Some spectators began whispering.
"Fighting bare-handed?"
"Hmm... if her opponent is strong, this will be difficult."
Airi smiled warmly toward Akari.
Airi:
"Hey, Akari... good luck, okay? I'm sure you can do it."
Akari smiled back kindly.
Akari:
"Thank you, Airi. I'll do my best."
Hikari's eyes sparkled.
Hikari:
"Mom... Big Sis Akari is amazing, right?"
Arou calmly watched the arena.
Arou:
"She's fighting bare-handed... but if she stays focused, she might have a chance."
Suddenly, the ground on the opposite side of the arena began to tremble.
Hot smoke rose into the air.
The sound of cracking stone echoed throughout the Colosseum.
The official announcement appeared.
Commentator:
"And on the opposing side..."
"A ruler of the fire element."
"The King of Lava."
"Every movement he makes can destroy everything around him."
"He is... Vulcan."
The crowd held their breath.
A burning aura spread across the arena.
Small streams of lava emerged from the ground.
Some spectators commented:
"This looks difficult for Akari."
"She's fighting bare-handed... but she seems focused."
"Let's see how she moves first."
Akari stared at Vulcan as he appeared.
Her smile remained calm.
She adjusted her stance, ready to move.
The final announcement echoed.
Commentator:
"Round Seven... begins!"
Akari dashed forward at incredible speed, preparing to unleash punches and kicks, while Vulcan gathered heat energy as lava flowed around him.
The crowd held their breath, still skeptical but focused on the battle between a bare-handed martial artist and the King of Lava.
---
Akari stood upright, her breathing steady.
She stared at Vulcan, who slowly advanced while lava flowed from the ground around him.
The audience watched nervously.
Hikari:
"Big Sis Akari... please don't get hurt."
Airi:
"She knows exactly what she's doing."
"Her focus is incredible."
Vulcan raised one hand.
The lava around his feet began to splatter.
Hot smoke filled the surrounding area.
He still wasn't attacking seriously.
He was merely displaying a fraction of his power.
Akari moved swiftly, dodging with perfect body control.
Her hands were empty, but every punch and kick targeted weak points rather than striking recklessly.
The crowd whispered:
"She's fighting bare-handed... but her dodging is incredibly precise."
"Vulcan isn't even going all out yet, but Akari already looks prepared."
Akari closed the distance, rushing from the side.
A flying kick aimed at Vulcan's flank—
but Vulcan blocked it with a thin lava shield.
The heat distorted the air around them.
Lumina:
"This is going to be a long fight..."
"Akari has to read his patterns carefully."
Vulcan gathered even more lava, increasing the pressure throughout the arena floor.
Akari responded with a rapid combination of punches and kicks, using her agility to maintain distance while staying safe.
The crowd became increasingly focused.
"She's matching lava with nothing but her own body..."
"Every movement is perfectly calculated."
"Bare-handed... but incredibly professional."
Nora:
"Agile... and focused."
"Akari really is one of Airi's amazing friends."
Priscilla:
"Power isn't always about elements."
"A trained body can be a weapon too."
Vulcan released larger bursts of lava.
Akari spun around them gracefully, positioning herself in safe spots while waiting for an opening.
The crowd held its breath.
Everyone knew this battle would not end quickly.
A bare-handed fighter against the King of Lava—
every second was a gamble with her life.
---
Akari stood firmly in the arena.
White clouds began swirling around her hands.
A cloud armor formed around her body, enhancing the power of her punches and kicks.
Airi:
"This..."
"Akari's forbidden technique."
Lumina:
"She looks much stronger now."
The ground on the opposite side trembled once again.
Hot smoke billowed upward.
Vulcan emerged.
His body radiated heat while lava gathered around him.
With a dramatic motion, the lava condensed into a gigantic weapon.
The Hell Scythe.
Hikari:
"Whoa... he's using a weapon now!"
Arou:
"One hit from that..."
"Could be fatal if Akari lets her guard down."
Vulcan raised the Hell Scythe.
The entire arena was engulfed in heat.
Parts of the arena floor began melting.
The crowd stared nervously.
Tomo:
"It's so hot..."
"Even the arena feels like it's burning."
Haru:
"Akari has to keep moving."
"One mistake and it's over."
Akari lowered her head briefly and regulated her breathing.
Then she unleashed punches and kicks wrapped in cloud energy.
The cloud armor absorbed part of the lava's heat.
Every movement left swirling trails of white energy behind her.
The crowd reacted realistically:
"Akari's forbidden technique is incredible."
"Vulcan's Hell Scythe is terrifying."
"She's still keeping up even while fighting bare-handed."
Priscilla:
"Her agility and concentration..."
"They're extraordinary."
Nora:
"She's moving with perfect rhythm."
Nova:
"Speed and precision..."
"This isn't ordinary skill."
Rei:
"A martial artist fighting bare-handed against the armed King of Lava..."
"This is genuinely intense."
Arou:
"One mistake..."
"Could be fatal."
Hikari:
"Wow..."
"She's fighting lava with her bare hands."
Airi:
"She understands her limits perfectly..."
"Amazing."
Vulcan leapt high into the air.
The Hell Scythe swung downward, releasing streams of molten lava.
Akari spun around, using her cloud armor to deflect the lava fragments before closing the distance and retaliating with punches and kicks powerful enough to knock lava aside.
The crowd held its breath.
The burning heat filled the arena.
The battle had truly begun.
Two forbidden techniques.
Bare hands versus a colossal weapon.
---
The arena burned with intense heat.
Lava flowed everywhere.
Akari and Vulcan were now fighting at full power.
Akari's cloud armor spun faster than ever.
Every punch and kick left white shockwaves behind.
Vulcan spun his Hell Scythe as lava erupted in every direction.
The audience watched silently.
Akari launched one final attack.
Her body rotated gracefully as her bare hands cut through the scorching air.
But Vulcan—
armed with the Hell Scythe and overwhelming lava—
blocked every movement.
Whispers spread through the crowd.
"She... can't keep up anymore."
"The lava's power is simply too overwhelming."
Akari staggered.
Her injuries were severe.
Her body began to break apart.
With one final motion—
Vulcan's Hell Scythe unleashed a wave of lava that engulfed her completely.
Akari's body slowly turned into dust.
The particles drifted through the arena air.
Airi stared at the scene.
Her eyes became watery.
Her voice trembled.
Airi:
"Akari..."
"No..."
Hikari:
"N-No..."
"Big Sis Akari..."
Lumina:
"She's..."
"Gone..."
Arou:
"It was a brutal battle."
"Akari fought with everything she had."
Nora:
"She really was Airi's friend..."
"But her opponent's power was simply too great."
Priscilla:
"She gave everything."
"Facing an opponent like that was never easy."
Nova:
"Akari fought until the very end."
"The forbidden technique and the Hell Scythe..."
"Almost impossible to avoid."
Rei:
"She was brave..."
"But the lava was truly fatal."
Tomo:
"Amazing..."
"But tragic."
An announcement echoed across the arena.
Commentator:
"Round Seven has concluded."
"The winner is... Vulcan!"
The crowd held its breath.
Some nodded in respect toward Akari.
Others stared silently at the arena.
The scoreboard appeared.
Invaders: 4
Warriors: 3
The arena remained unbearably hot.
Akari's dust continued drifting through the air.
Airi lowered her head briefly.
Holding back tears.
Yet her eyes remained filled with determination.
Losing Akari left a deep emotional wound.
But she knew the tournament was not over.
The battles would continue.