"Both fighters ready?" Migan called out as Diana and Space took their positions in the arena.
"I lost last time in that stupid event, but I'm telling you now I won't be losing here," Space declared with renewed determination, clearly still bitter about his embarrassing performance in the obstacle throw.
"Oh really? Please try not to bore me," Diana replied with casual dismissiveness, her otherworldly confidence on full display.
"What did you say?" Space demanded, his face flushing with anger.
Diana stuck out her tongue playfully and began giggling, a sound like wind chimes in a gentle breeze.
"Why you little! NEBULA WAVE!" Space roared, launching his attack before the official start.
"Hey, I didn't even say ready yet!" Migan protested, but the gravitational attack was already racing toward Diana.
The wave struck her directly, but instead of the expected impact, she simply stood there as if nothing had happened.
"Hm, announce the winner already," Space said smugly.
"And why would they do that?" Diana asked conversationally.
"Huh? Why are you still up?" Space stared in disbelief.
"Woah, there's not even a scratch on her," Shinkei observed from the stands.
"Sorry about his rudeness. Please continue the countdown," Diana said to Mīgan with perfect politeness.
"OK, girl, I see you. Ready..." Mīgan began again.
"COMET RAIN!" Space interrupted, launching an even more powerful attack.
"Wow, you really are rude. Set, GO! TORNADO SLASH!" Diana countered, her technique manifesting as a spiraling vortex of compressed air.
"Oh my goodness, this wind is ridiculous," Anjero commented as the arena was engulfed in swirling currents that easily deflected Space's gravitational projectiles.
"What? WOAHHH!" Space cried out as Diana's wind technique picked him up like a leaf and hurled him from the ring with contemptuous ease.
"Such wasted potential," Diana said with genuine disappointment.
"Diana pushed Space out of the ring! The winner is Diana from Spirit North!" the announcers declared.
"That was quick," spectators murmured among themselves.
Diana walked over to where Space had landed outside the ring, her expression carrying something between pity and professional assessment.
"Such wasted potential. With that spirit, you should be stronger than that," she said, offering him a hand up.
"Shut the hell up! It's none of your business," Space replied, ignoring her gesture and climbing to his feet independently.
"Hm, practice more and you may be able to beat one of the Original Seven," Diana suggested.
"Really now? Hey, are you single?" Space asked, his anger apparently forgotten in the face of her beauty and power.
"I am, but I already have my eyes set on someone," Diana replied, her gaze shifting meaningfully toward the South section.
"Brrrr," Anjero shivered involuntarily.
"You OK, bro?" Shinkei asked with concern.
"Yeah, just got a weird chill down my spine," Anjero replied, though he couldn't shake the feeling that Diana's comment had been directed at him.
"S.E.I.D., if you'd please," Migan announced.
"The next match will be Kamira Yusei from Spirit South," S.E.I.D. declared.
"Finally, my turn to fight," Kamira said, standing with obvious eagerness.
"Versus Nanshi Furōresu from Spirit East Middle," S.E.I.D. concluded.
Kamira's excitement immediately transformed into agitation. "What the heck is this? I can't fight a little girl!"
"Yeah, can I forfeit, please?" Nanshi asked hopefully, clearly intimidated by the prospect of facing someone with Kamira's reputation.
"Sure you can. Nanshi forfeits the match," Migan announced.
"And the winner is Kamira Yusei," the first announcer declared, though the victory felt hollow.
"Kam, what's wrong?" Romaji asked, noticing his teammate's distressed expression.
"I may never be able to fight," Kamira said quietly, her hands clenching into fists. The forfeit had robbed her of the chance to prove herself in combat, leaving her with a technical victory that felt more like a defeat.
"Next match will be Romaji Jon-zu from Spirit South versus Tareik Purazuma from Spirit North," S.E.I.D. announced.
"You guys ready?" Migan asked.
"Of course! The main protagonist of this story is always ready to fight," Romaji declared with his characteristic confidence.
"Anyways," Migan said, clearly accustomed to his dramatic tendencies.
"Sure," his opponent—Tareik replied.
"Ready, set, FIGHT!"
"You ready, side character?" Romaji taunted.
"Let's just finish this. I don't feel like fighting for long. QUICKSAND!" Tareik announced, the arena floor immediately becoming unstable beneath Romaji's feet.
"Woah! BEAST TRANSFORMATION: EAGLE!" Romaji called out, sprouting magnificent wings that lifted him above the treacherous ground. "What was that about? Were you the one who almost got me and Mashū?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Tareik replied with unconvincing innocence.
"Can't believe I had to use this new power so quickly. Oh well, as long as the main character wins, it'll be OK," Romaji muttered to himself.
"SANDY HANDS!" Tareik announced, the quicksand forming grasping appendages that reached toward the airborne Romaji.
"Woah, trying to grab me now, huh? I hope this works like I think it will. BEAST TRANSFORMATION: DOLPHIN!" Romaji called out, diving directly into the sandy terrain.
"Why would he do that?!" Shinkei asked in alarm.
"Wait, just watch," Kamira said, understanding Romaji's strategy.
"Can someone save him so I don't get disqualified?" Tareik asked with genuine concern.
Suddenly, the arena began to rumble ominously.
"Woah, what's happening?" Tareik demanded.
Romaji burst from the sand directly behind his opponent, having used his dolphin transformation to navigate through the quicksand like water.
"Grit those teeth!" Romaji announced, preparing to deliver a decisive blow.
"Wait! I give up!" Tareik called out desperately.
"What?" Romaji paused in confusion.
"I give up. I don't like pain," Tareik explained matter-of-factly.
"OK then," Romaji replied, clearly disappointed by the anticlimactic ending.
"And the winner is Romaji from Spirit South," the announcers declared with obvious bewilderment.
"Well, OK, let's just get on with the last match of the day. The twins will be fighting in a double battle since they can't use their spirit separately," Migan announced.
As the final match proceeded, Romaji looked visibly disappointed by his opponent's quick surrender.
"It's OK, Romaji. Hey, let's go get some bread," Mashū suggested, recognizing his teammate's frustration.
"Bread! You mean it?" Romaji's face lit up immediately.
"Yeah, let's go right now," Mashū confirmed.
"Hey, Mashū, are you not gonna watch your girlfriends fight?" Anjero asked with amusement.
"Nah, I'm good, man. Shinkei, Kam, you coming?" Mashū replied.
"Sure, I'll go," Shinkei agreed.
"Kam?" Mashū asked when she didn't respond.
Kamira stood silent, her gaze fixed on the arena with an intensity that made everyone uncomfortable.
"I kinda thought so. Alright, we'll be by the food when you guys are done watching," Mashū said understandingly.
"Yeah, thanks, man," Anjero replied, though he was concerned by Kamira's demeanor.
The twins' fight ended quickly and predictably. Their opponents, being from different schools, had no coordination or teamwork whatsoever and didn't stand a chance against the Sanda twins' synchronized temporal manipulation.
"Well, this is over. Kam, you ready to go?" Anjero asked.
He noticed that Kamira was gritting her teeth and clenching her fists so tightly that her palms had begun to bleed.
"Kam!" he called more urgently.
"Huh? What? My bad, Anjero. I'm OK," Kamira replied, startled out of her reverie.
"Your hands would say differently," Anjero pointed out, looking at the blood on her hands.
"Oh... I'm seriously OK. Let's just go," she insisted.
They made their way to the food stalls where they found the rest of their team relaxing under a large tent.
"Anjero! Kam! How'd it go?" Mashū called out cheerfully.
"Well, we can tell you ourselves," Ichiji interrupted, appearing beside them with her sister.
"Oh, Kammy, I really do hope to see you fight tomorrow. You know, got a forfeit win and all," Tekai added with false sweetness.
Kamira turned to the food vendor, her voice carefully controlled. "Can I have dinner set B with extra beef and spinach?"
"Aww, of course you would want extra, little piggy," Tekai said with malicious glee.
"Hey, stop that!" Mashū intervened angrily.
"Oh, we're sorry, babe," Ichiji replied to Mashū, completely ignoring his defense of Kamira.
"And stop calling me that! I don't like females like you or your sister," Mashū declared firmly.
Both twins looked genuinely shocked, their confident facades cracking for the first time.
"This is all your fault, Kamira," Ichiji said venomously.
"No, it's your fault for being straight bullies to this girl. Like, grow up," Anjero interjected, his voice carrying steel.
"Anjero, Mashū, it's OK. I'm going to sleep," Kamira said quietly, taking her food and walking away.
"Kam..." Mashū started to follow her, but she was already gone.
"You two need to apologize to her," Mashū said firmly to the twins.
"The only way she'll get an apology is if she beats it out of us," the twins replied in unison.
"I believe she will, quite easily, in fact," Mashū said with confidence.
"What did you say?" Ichiji demanded.
"I mean, I only knew Kamira for a short time, but I can tell she'll win," Anjero replied calmly.
"You're lucky you're kinda cute, otherwise we'd mess up that pretty face of yours," Tekai threatened.
Anjero smiled—not with humor, but with the quiet confidence of someone who had faced far worse threats than a pair of spoiled bullies.
"Have a good night," he said simply.
As the twins walked away in frustrated defeat, Anjero turned to Mashū. "Oh yeah, where did everyone else go?"
"Oh yeah, they went home already. Everyone's tired," Mashū explained.
"OK, that makes sense. Did you want to go see Yoku before we turn in?" Anjero suggested.
"Yeah, sure, why not?" Mashū agreed.
As they made their way toward the medical facility, both boys were thinking about their teammate who had walked away alone. Tomorrow's matches would bring new challenges, but tonight, they needed to make sure their friends knew they weren't fighting those battles alone.
The tournament had revealed more than just fighting abilities—it had shown the bonds that held their team together, and the forces that threatened to tear them apart.
But for Seishin South, those bonds were stronger than any challenge they might face.
Tomorrow would prove just how strong.