The children were all on high alert, muscles tensed and eyes sharp. The air itself vibrated with palpable tension.
"Kill the blue energy guy!" one of them shouted, rushing straight toward Jayden.
Before he could reach his target, another child emerged from nowhere and eliminated him in a single precise, lightning-fast motion. At the same moment, Kyle leapt in with a spectacular acrobatic movement, his violent blade carving a glowing arc through the air as it struck the second opponent.
Jayden tried to step back, to escape… but Kyle reappeared instantly, slashing across his chest. Blood sprayed as Kyle followed up with relentless attacks, fast as lightning. Jayden barely managed to dodge, breathing heavily.
His attacks… they're even faster than the demon's… I won't be able to evade all of them… he thought, heart pounding violently.
Kyle continued his unstoppable assault. Jayden took a deep breath and focused his energy into his fist, preparing to counterattack. But Kyle dodged with lethal fluidity and responded with a powerful kick.
"Damn it… his attacks are too fast!" Jayden muttered between evasions.
Suddenly, a mysterious figure appeared, crouched near a hole in the ground. A confident smile stretched across his face.
"I wonder who made this hole… Anyway, I'll have to kill all of you to win!" Satsujin declared, his green-aura blade already drawn.
Jayden turned just in time to block the incoming strike.
"Who… who are you?" he asked cautiously.
"My name is Satsujin. I'm fourteen years old. You?" the boy laughed.
"Why kill people just to win? They have
families!" Jayden protested.
"LISTEN, kid. It's simple here: you kill… or you die!" Satsujin laughed, launching a Head Slice.
Kyle stepped in.
"Mind your own business."
Satsujin jumped back, then launched another slash. Kyle dodged and countered with a spinning strike, a violet dragon-like aura trailing his blade. Satsujin narrowly evaded but lost balance as Kyle swept his leg.
The Purple Styler prepared to decapitate him, but Satsujin caught the blade with his bare hands. His palms bled, yet he held firm.
From Satsujin's perspective, Kyle was terrifying—violet dragons erupting from his blade, his aura engulfing every movement. Satsujin performed an acrobatic escape while Kyle repositioned, readying a Head Slash.
Energy lines collided: violet against green. The impact was catastrophic. Both fighters were blasted backward. The mountain itself began to crack under the sheer force of their attacks.
Jayden tried to run, but an explosion sent him crashing to the ground. The shockwave and pain made him lose consciousness.
He woke up in the infirmary. His body reminded him of the brutality of the fight. He had lost… but he was alive.
I hope all of that was just a nightmare… And that energy around Kyle… those violet dragons…
The door opened. Kyle entered, holding a bandage, and placed his saber on Jayden's shoulder.
"Thanks!" Jayden whispered, still catching his breath.
Kyle remained nonchalant and walked out calmly.
Shortly after, Kim burst into the room.
"Kyle finished second in the Inter-Kills!" she announced with a smile.
Jayden and Kyle exchanged a surprised glance.
"Second…?" Kyle asked calmly.
"No one meditated on the mountain. Everyone fought, so there isn't really a first place," Kim explained, shrugging.
Jayden raised his hand, eyes burning with determination.
"Next exam… I'll be first! I'll surpass all of you!" he shouted.
Kim burst out laughing, while Kyle remained expressionless.
Jayden stood up, grabbed his sword, and left to train with his father.
On the way, he ran into Satsujin and his friends eating. Satsujin invited him to join them. Jayden smiled and ran over.
"He's the strongest blue energy user I've ever seen!" Satsujin exclaimed. "He channels his energy into his fists to hit harder!"
Everyone laughed. Kyle, still calm, stepped in.
"That's not very impressive… Blue Styler."
Jayden turned—and saw Kyle, saber in hand.
"You… me… duel."
The Blue Styler was surprised, but immediately understood.
The duel had started.
Kyle dashed forward, a lightning strike. Jayden dodged and counterattacked. Kyle accelerated—slash after slash, blinding speed. Jayden was cut across the torso. A violet dragon-like slash crossed his neck—Head Slice of a Purple Styler.
Jayden concentrated blue energy into his fist and countered. Kyle vanished.
SLASH.
Jayden dodged—but his sword flew away. He performed an acrobatic move, attempting a strike, but Kyle countered and slashed his back.
"I declare myself the winner," Kyle said coldly.
The crowd cheered, but Jayden stood up, furious. He grabbed his sword and stormed home. Once there, he threw it down in anger.
"Why did you do that?" Isaeah asked calmly.
Jayden stayed silent.
Isaeah grabbed his son by the collar and took him into the garden.
"You're like this because you lost a match, aren't you?" he asked, emotionless.
"How…?" Jayden whispered, surprised.
Isaeah calmly took Jayden's saber and assumed a Head Slice stance. But suddenly, a cube of energy appeared around Jayden. Bright lines surged through his body, propelling him at incredible speed.
SLASH.
Isaeah's blade stopped just at Jayden's neck, slightly cutting him.
"How…?" Jayden breathed, stunned.
"That's a very high-rank technique. It consumes a lot of energy. The Killing Cube is a dimension created by you and your own energy," Isaeah explained calmly, smiling.
He returned the sword to Jayden.
A close-up of Jayden's eye revealed something unusual—lack of confidence, and uncertainty… something rare for him.