Chapter 44: Round One Wraps Up

Holline and Kensu were ready on the stage for the next round. Kensu was Josie's boyfriend, so Holline was sure to keep an open mind about his skill. She expected to see some sort of experience in fighting and maybe even some technique, but she was feeling very confident. She held herself high, kept her stance locked, and her focus on the opponent. She wanted to put across an intimidating presence, but she could tell that Kensu was going for a similar plan. When the fight started Kensu went straight for it, not wanting to give Holline too much time to settle. He went completely offensive and Holline let it happen so she could get an idea of just how powerful he might be.

It didn't seem to be a lot, as far as she was concerned. It wasn't too difficult for her to block all the attacks. She certainly didn't want to put in too much effort at this point, letting Kensu tire himself out wasn't a bad idea. As Kensu continued with his pressure and attempts Holline started to realise that she could sense some energy in him, he definitely had at least a little grip on Ki usage. This intrigued her into letting Kensu continue to show his stuff, just in case there was the chance of a really good fight.

Holline would step back as Kensu pushed on, allowing them both to move across the stage as the fight went on. Kensu mixed things up, using both punches and kicks, but primarily aiming higher up. This meant that it limited him on target space. Holline was only needing to use her hands to block or move her body slightly to avoid being hit. She knew a way in to this fight, a way of shifting it in her favour. She was still interested in seeing Kensu use some energy but knew that it may need to be drawn out. Holline avoided a few more attempts and swept at Kensu's legs with her own right leg. It was a simple trick, but it worked. Kensu's left leg was taken out from under him and he dropped down towards the left, he had to readjust and stick out his hand to steady himself, but Holline then punched him in the chest, knocking him back.

Kensu rolled back, getting on one knee and attempted to pounce forward back into the fight. There was a slight burst of energy, that Holline managed to pick up on, but it wasn't enough to cause her any trouble, though it did get Kensu back onto is feet and ready to go again. Holline immediately returned to a defensive positioning. Kensu was a little frustrated by this and grunted as he rushed in to throw some more punches and kicks. Holline had no trouble avoiding any of it.

She ducked under Kensu's last punch and then twisted around and sent a kick into Kensu's gut. That hit knocked him stumbling back and Holline then rolled forward and pounced towards him, getting above him and dropping down with a punch. There wasn't too much speed in the move and Kensu managed to step back to avoid it, but Holline looked up immediately and pulled off an uppercut, creating a clear opening and pushing her hands forward, using her Ki to push Kensu back. He fell to the ground with a thud but rushed back to his feet.

There was a little bit of distance between the two and Holline wasn't intending to move into an attack. Neither was Kensu. He took a moment to focus his energy. He clenched his fists, cracking his knuckles and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes for a couple of seconds and Holline started to feel some of his energy gathering and rising. He was manipulating his Ki and getting ready to go in for a quick attack. Holline was only guessing this was his intention. He may have some technique as a fighter, but his usage of Ki wasn't yet good enough, so he may be predictable.

Kensu opened his eyes and darted in, Holline was ready for the attack and well prepared to defend against any attacks. She did, however, continue to hold back her own strength, which seemed to be a bad idea in this moment as Kensu was proving to be almost equal to the energy that she was using for her defence. Holline found herself being pushed back by Kensu's attacks and it was unsettling for her in that moment. She managed to narrowly duck under a few jabs and then jump up over a sweeping leg, but her footing wasn't quite accurate, and she slipped a little, but managed to stay on her feet and catch an incoming fist.

She begins to acknowledge that she underestimated Kensu in that moment and it left her with a little bit of worry in her head. She powered up her own energy, the aura bursting out and knocking Kensu back a little, he stumbled back across the stage and Holline flashed forward, coming close to Kensu and causing him to stumble again. He was very close to the edge. He swung a fist for Holline's face, which she easily avoided and then pushed Kensu in the chest. He was taken off of his feet and fell off of the stage, hitting the grass with a thud.

Holline's energy powers down and she takes a breath. It takes a second for her to realise that in a slight panic she ended the fight quicker than she had hoped, but then again, it felt good to unlock her energy for that brief moment. Kensu, on the other hand, wasn't happy. He stood up and turned his back on Holline, walking to the waiting area. Holline jumped down and rushed to catch up with him.

"Hey, Kensu," she called out, causing him to stop, but not turn around. "You're a good fighter, and I can't wait to see just how good you and Josie become. Maybe we'll get a chance to fight another time."

"Don't speak to me like you know more than me," Kensu snapped back, clearly not liking being spoken to about improvement by someone younger than him. He still didn't turn around to face her.

"I didn't mean to offend you, I just think you've got a lot more potential, and… I have a lot of experience, despite my age," Holline continued, trying to remain a little upbeat, but also feeling very anxious all of a sudden.

"I appreciate it… See ya," Kensu said, sighing and walking off, presumably to find Josie. Holline released a sigh herself, as she returned to the waiting area with Noca and Pan. The last fight of round one was coming next, between Uub and Zora.

Uub was still just standing on the opposite side of the room from most of the people there, with his eyes closed and his back against the wall. He was in deep thought and a great state of focus while the minutes counted down for his fight to begin. He was so deep in thought that he didn't notice someone standing in front of him, but that was probably due to their power level being quite small, in comparison to his own.

Uub heard a female clear their throat and he opened his eyes slowly. Zora was standing before him, she was about his height, rather attractive and seemed to be quite nervous.

"May I help you?" Uub asked, not sure of what he should be saying, or why she would be coming to speak to him.

"Oh, I just wanted to say I really admire your skills," Zora said, exuding confidence when she spoke, suddenly making Uub shoulder some of the nervousness.

"What do you know of my skills?" He asked, not trying to sound rude, but genuinely wondering.

"The last tournament, you did really well, and I don't live too far from your village," Zora explained. An inquisitive look crossed Uub's face and he seemed to stiffen a little. This person may have seen his training regimen, it almost worried him.

"Are you implying you've seen me fight in person?" Uub questioned. Zora chuckled and held a finger to her lips, suggesting she will keep her silence from then on. She smiled at Uub before turning away and heading to the door to wait. Uub watched her, eyes narrowed slightly. He wasn't about to drop his defences for this young woman. He would maintain his strength and see this fight through with complete focus.

The announcement came from outside on the stage, Uub and Zora were called to come out. It was time for their fight. As the two fighters stood side by side and walked out, Uub couldn't help but keep his senses focussed on the mysterious young woman. He was even watching her out of his peripheral vision. It was almost like he didn't trust the young lady, but he wasn't sure why. He had just built up such a wall around himself. There weren't many people he did trust. He needed to divert his attention to the fight. That was important.

They both stood on the stage and walked to opposite sides, taking their stances and readying up. Uub had spent many, many years training so his stance was basically perfect. Zora, on the other hand, seemed to have a stance similar to Uub's but slightly weaker, and a little more open. Uub noticed it but didn't dwell on it. He needed to push all other thoughts from his mind. The fight was all that mattered now. The announcer gave them their signal and the fight started. There were people in the crowd cheering for Uub after having seen him fight his way to the Semi-Final in the last tournament, but again, Uub ignored it. He immediately moved forward and went for an attack on Zora. He wasn't about to go easy on anyone.

Zora wasn't prepared for such a quick move and had to throw up a defensive block, but it was too weak and Uub managed to break through it with ease. Zora was knocked back and fell to the ground, but quickly jumped again, only for Uub to charge forward. She managed to duck to the left and roll away, but Uub turned and moved towards her again. Zora had the chance to block and dodge properly now, but Uub's speed was too much for her and it appeared that dodging wasn't an option. It was block and get hit. Either way, she would be taking some damage.

Uub found it a little uncomfortable to be fighting a woman, but it was a tournament, it was martial arts. This happened a lot. This didn't stop him from pulling his punches a little. He didn't want to cause serious damage and began to get the impression that she isn't the best fighter. Zora can tell that Uub starts to hold back when one of his punches grazes her face and she barely felt it. She continues to back away as Uub carries on with his weakened barrage. Another punch comes towards her face and Zora smirks as she lowers her arms from the block and lifts them up again, grabbing Uub's arm in hers and swinging him over her head.

The experienced fighter hits the ground but jumps up again and backs off to give a bit of distance. He seems surprised. Zora stands there smirking. Uub tries analysing the scenario but can't get the best read on her now. Zora cracks her neck and rushes in at a blistering pace, at least it appears blistering to the normal human. Uub could tell she was fast, but he was certainly faster. He dodged to the side as Zora turned and grabbed his arm again and pulled him to her. She smashed a fist against his face and Uub fell back, stumbling. He hit the ground but was back to his feet immediately.

He got back into his stance and stood there eyeing up this strange woman. She smirked at him again and started to walk towards him, slowly. Uub kept his defences up, unsure of what was coming his way. Zora chuckled a little.

"You shouldn't underestimate me just because I'm a woman, Uub," She said, a hint of amusement in her voice, but there was some subtle annoyance and anger there. "I assumed you would be better than that."

"You were hiding your power," Uub replied, "Of course I was going to underestimate you if I was basing my opinion on your power on what you were showing me. It wasn't enough to make a proper assessment."

Zora, still smirking, sighed and darted in again. She aimed her punch for Uub's face, but he caught it with ease. Zora was ready for this as she lifted her legs to wrap them round Uub's arm and then swung back, throwing him towards the ground. Uub smashed down, but managed to break free and roll away, getting back to his feet quickly. Zora didn't stop there as she darted in. Uub threw up a guard, but Zora dropped down at the last minute and slid across the ground, past Uub. She then jumped up and kicked him in the back of the head and followed up by dropping to the ground, and then pulled his legs back out from under him.

Uub fell forward but put his arms out to stop himself and pushed up again, swinging around in time to catch another one of Zora's punches. He still seemed a little anxious to fight back with his full strength, but Zora was starting to get a little annoyed with Uub's continued underestimation of her abilities. Zora charged forwards again, Uub prepared his block and expected Zora to try going low again so he adjusted to make sure he stopped that. Zora, instead, jumped up and kicked Uub in the side of the head. He was knocked to the right a little as Zora dropped in front of him and punched him in the face, knocking him to his knees. She then backed up and jumped in with a spinning kick into his head again.

Uub rolled away but ended up on his front again and pushed himself up. Zora walked towards him. She wasn't impressed with Uub's continued arrogance. As she got closer Uub got back to his feet, cracked his neck, shook his head and turned to face Zora. As she continued towards him Uub blinked and then phased towards her, using his forearm to knock her back. She lost her footing and stumbled, hitting the ground. Uub stands over her.

"I was underestimating you, but now I know that I can beat you," Uub said, matter-of-factly. He was showing a little overconfidence, but Zora knew it was true. Zora slowly stood up. Uub thrust his hand forward and simply used his Ki to influence the air and push her back, off of the stage. Zora hit the grass. She was out. Uub won.

As the announcer was confirming the victor Uub jumped down from the stage and helped Zora to her feet.

"You intrigue me," Uub said. Zora was a little blindsided by this. She blinked a couple of times, struggling to find some words. "You definitely have great abilities and a drive to get better with them. I would love to train with you and find out more about where you learned how to fight."

Zora was a loss for words and chuckled nervously.

"Yeah, of course. To be honest, I was hoping you would say that. I'll be more than happy to talk to you some more."

The two of them smirked and walked back to the fighters' area together. When they were in there everyone listened to what the announcer had to say next.

"So, there you have it, folks. The end of Round One! Did you all have a great time?" Pause for audience cheer. "Great! Now, let us take a look at the match-ups for the Quarter-Final round!"

The Quarter-Final match-ups showed up on all the screens:

NOCA vs VEGETA

PAN vs SOFIA

JOJI vs TORAI

HOLLINE vs UUB

Everybody already knew who they would be up against, but to see it on the board made them all feel excited and pumped to get on with things. Holline looked over to Uub and noticed that he wasn't paying her any attention, as if she wasn't worth it. She glared at him and vowed to herself to make a show of it. Joji and Sofia left with Yaiko almost immediately. Torai eyed up Joji trying to get a fix on him. He would have to be at his best for that challenge. Pan watch Sofia leave and looked to Noca to get anything from him. Noca just smirked at his girlfriend, assuredly. Noca then turned his attention to Vegeta. The two of them fixed their glares on one another, but both glares turned into smirks. They knew the challenge would be tough, but their fight would be spectacular.

The announcer carried on and informed everyone about the start times the next day. He bid farewell to the crowds and returned to the waiting area. He made sure all the fighters were good and then told them to rest-up. Everyone left after that. Presumably to go back to wherever they were staying so they could rest-up, shower, eat, or get in any last-minute training before the next round.

As the evening drew on, Pan and Noca decided to go for a walk together. Check out some more of the market stalls and just spend some quality time together. Noca had something on his mind though.

"Your power," Noca started, "You really did train while I was away, didn't you?"

"Of course, I did. You think I just moped around waiting for you?" Pan said with a laugh. Noca laughed nervously.

"Well, no, but… you know what I mean?" Noca replied, awkwardly. "You just, improved so much. And there's still more to it."

Pan smirked to herself as they kept walking. She was held onto Noca's arm as they started to get to a more isolated area.

"Does it impress you?" She asked him, stopping and looking up into his eyes.

"You know it does," Noca answered, smiling down at her. "It excites me."

Pan chuckled and moved to kiss Noca, slowly. Noca put his hand on Pan's face as they stood there kissing for a few seconds. They broke the kiss, eyed each other up and then started walking back towards the busy areas, hand-in-hand. They met up with Bra and Dom and started to head back to the Capsule House. On the way there Noca noticed something. Or someone, rather. It was Yaiko. He appeared to be by himself, just standing, isolated away from everything, down some alleyway. He had his hood up and his headphones on. Bra, Dom, and Pan continued to walk on as Noca stopped, suddenly. He walked towards Yaiko. As Noca gets closer Yaiko seems to react he looks up and turns to face Noca, he suddenly stumbles back and almost falls over, but Noca grabs his arm to help him.

"I got you," Noca says, stopping Yaiko from falling, just in time. "You ok, out here alone?"

"I'm fine," Yaiko said, pulling his arm away and glaring up at Noca. "Leave me alone."

"I'm not gonna hurt you or anything, I was just wondering if you're ok," Noca said, trying to be friendly to this complete stranger. "I'm a friend."

Before Yaiko could react in any way both Sofia and Joji showed up. Joji pulled Yaiko away, roughly, as Sofia pushed Noca back.

"Leave him alone," Sofia said as they all rushed off quickly. Noca was stood on his own and wondered what had happened but didn't want to follow on. He didn't like the idea of getting into a fight before the he had to. He carried on walking back to the Capsule House, catching up with his friends.

Meanwhile, Joji had dragged Yaiko away to a different isolated area, another dark alley. He took the young man by the throat and held him against the wall.

"What is your problem, hiding away from us like that? Talking to him?" Joji was making it hard for Yaiko to breathe, but Sofia quickly arrived at pushed Joji back.

"Leave him alone," Sofia said, imposing her strength on Joji. She then turned to Yaiko and everything about her seemed to soften. "Are you ok?"

Yaiko nodded, clearly a little shaken, he then turned to face Joji nervously and cowered a little.

"He's weak. I don't see why we have to work with him," Joji said, angrily. "He's not even in the tournament anymore, just leave him down this alley."

Sofia stood up and glared at Joji.

"You know we need him. It doesn't matter if he's not in the tournament. We are. Plus, it's only a recon mission," Sofia explained. Joji glared down at the two of them and spat on the ground. He turned and walked away, leaving the two of them alone. Sofia immediately turned back to Yaiko, helping him up. Yaiko seemed to be very shaken and upset.

"I'm sorry, Sofia…" He muttered.

"Why are you sorry?"

"I'm a failure… I'll never do what I'm supposed to. Why was I picked?" Yaiko said, starting to cry a little. Sofia was getting a little upset too and lifted his head to face her.

"You have more chances to prove yourself. You know that. You will do what needs to be done when the time comes," Sofia explains to him. Yaiko sniffs and nods. Sofia wipes his tears away. "Stay strong. I won't protect you everytime."

New chapter. Like what you read, excited for more, have a question? Leave a review or drop me a PM. I'm always thrilled to see what people have to say. Much love to my readers!

Next Time... Chapter 45: Pride and Power