A/N: Oof, this chapter was much longer than anticipated, even after shortening some parts, but I'm glad I finished it. Hope you enjoy.

Edit: Realized I was naming one of the character after the team name. To avoid confusion leader of Team ONYX is Oni, not Onyx. Edited it for cohesion.


"Hello, everyone! Welcome to the annual Winter Tournament! I am Aki and I will be hosting the Freshmen Upper Division bracket! I hope everyone is excited as I am."

A wave of cheers rang through the sizable stadium while countless floodlights strafed across the sizable audience. It wasn't a packed crowd as can be seen by blots of empty seats scattered throughout, but it made sense considering this wasn't your standard arena found at Beacon Academy.

No, this was one of the arenas that constitute the Lewin Center, the largest multi-purpose facilities in the City of Vale. It was also the best place in all of Vale to host a large tournament like this, if you exclude when the Amity Colosseum rests in Vale for the Vytal festival. The large center was divided into five parts, with four peripheral "legs" attached to the large main body of the building. Considering one of these side structures were larger than any facilities in Beacon gives credence to the sheer size of the whole.

The crowd consists mostly of students and their parents, but there were many other people with no relation to the school attending. That's because the location of the Lewin Center is near the outskirts of the city where Amity Colosseum would rest - and this place was often used as extra facilities during the Vytal Festival as well - which meant that events are here often followed by festivities and today was no exception.

Since the school wanted to use this location every year for their tournaments, which can be costly to rent, they decided to make the tournament a large public event, akin to a holiday. It's a win-win for both sides. The school gets a large amount of capital and the public gets a break from the monotony of daily life.

Just outside the building were countless rows of stalls billowing with aromatic smoke of all sorts of deliciously fragrant snacks or flashing with eye-catching prizes waiting to entice people to play their games. And large crowds, often packed tightly, drift through the aisles like loose sand rolling down dunes, making such a loud ruckus that echoes of it can even be heard from the open sky arena.

"I know everyone had their fill of fun outside," Aki continued with a bright upbeat attitude, her exuberance magnified by the stadium's impressive speaker network. "But, it's now time to start the main event. And joining me as co-host is everyone's favorite new faculty member: Glynda Goodwitch! Please say a few words."

"...Hello…"

However, contrasting Aki's bubbly commentation, Glynda uttered the most depressing greeting, filled with a sense of disgust and not-wanting-to-be-here attitude she could muster, but still somehow came off with a bit of professionalism.

Yet, despite her attitude, it was still followed by applause, even some cheering, which mostly came from the students. Apparently, her strict, no nonsense attitude was one of the reasons that garnered her the favor of the students, but no one knows why…

"Come on, Glynda. Show a bit more spirit. Isn't this exciting? Aren't you excited?"

"The event is exciting, I can't deny that. However, as for my own excitement, I can't help but feel perplexed as to why I was selected as a host when I made no attempt to volunteer for it. Surely, there must be more capable faculty members for this role."

"I'm sure you will be fine! Don't worry about it too much."

The two teachers carried on the conversation like normal as if they weren't being broadcast to the whole arena, but this was all fine as there was still a little time left before the first match began and the two were filling the time, completely aware of the situation.

"But if you must know, I did want you to be my casting partner so I begged Ozpin to have you here with me."

The crowd fell into a hush at the bombshell Aki just dropped.

Despite the booth where the two teachers sat being hard to see, every student could imagine Glynda slowly turning her head and giving Aki a sharp stare that could cut through steel.

"Anyways," Aki went on, unfazed. "It seems that both sides are ready to go, so without further ado, let's welcome the first match of the from Group A!"

Cheers returned to the stadium once more and the lights all concentrated towards the center platform. Two gates on opposite sides opened, two students on either sides stepped into the spotlight.

"On the Red side, we have Lazlow and Adam from Teeeeeeam...LAZR!"

A wave of cheer resounds the stadium. There was a brief pause, but soon Aki's voice was replaced by Glynda

"And on Blue side, Jade and Yu...from Team JAYD."

Another wave of cheers.

Aki took over again. "Both teams have set up in their starting area, but before we begin, let's make sure both sides understand the rules. Each of you will have your Aura level monitored, if your Aura levels drop below 30% you are out of the match and should immediately stop fighting. If you leave the combat boundary, you are out of the match. Please refrain from using excessive force when your opponent's Aura is low or use anything that can cause physical damages. Breaking any of these rules will result in a disqualification. Do you understand?"

Both sides raised their weapons as a show of acknowledgement.

"Great! Have fun out there! Now without further ado, let the match begin. 3. 2. 1. GO!"


Ten minutes later.

"Phew! That was close!"

Jade plopped down on the empty locker room bench, grabbing her towel and wiping away the grime and sweat from their battle moments ago. On the opposite end of the bench, Yu did so as well.

They just finished their battle, but it was a much closer one than they had anticipated, leaving them exhausted.

"Come to think of it," Jade continued talking as she tossed her used towel into a bin. "This is the first time the two of us were in a proper fight together. I mean, we had the team exercises, but we never fought actual opponents together."

Yu paused his wiping as it suddenly dawned on him that what she said was true. However, his expression quickly soured.

"Is it? Is that why you were so distracted during the fight."

Jade froze. "Huh, what you're talking about?"

"Don't deny it, you were not focused at all on that fight. We've been training for how many months now? I don't know what it is, but I could feel it. You didn't seem to have the same energy today than when we were training."

Jade sighed. Of course a simple denial like that wouldn't fly past her brother. Just as she was familiar with her brother's personality, so too can her brother notice slight discrepancies in her behavior. It was just a little shocking for her since usually she was the one monitoring changes in his behavior and almost neve the other way around.

"Ok, I may have been a little unfocused. It's just, there's so much going on today and I have a lot of things on my mind right now."

"You want to talk about it?"

Jade tilted her head towards him in surprise. It was rare to hear him be the supportive one all of the sudden, considering he was always single mindedly focused on his training, and it made her almost want to just let everything out.

"Don't get me wrong," Yu continued. "If talking about it will get you to focus on the matches, then I'll listen, but don't expect me to cheer you up or anything."

Despite how serious he was, Jade couldn't help but chuckle at how straight forward his brother can be. It was kind of cute. But, she didn't want to drag him down with her own worry, especially since most of it is about "that" conversation with him she was planning, so she just shook her head reassuringly.

"Don't worry about it, I won't let it affect me from here on out."

"If you say so." Yu gave his sister one last curious look before scoffing. "Still, that's unlike you."

"Huh?" Jade gave her brother an incredulous look, but he didn't meet her eyes and continued scrubbing the sweat from his face.

"You always had a knack for being focused when necessary. No matter the situation or your own mental state, when something is asked of you and you are put on the spot, somehow, you always manage to deliver flawlessly. Whether it was your performances or school...or in battle, I've never seen you get fazed by anything. It's like you're a completely different person when in a pinch. Can't say that I'm a little envious."

"...I think you are overestimating me a bit."

"And I think you are underestimating yourself."

He got up from his seat, walked over to the towel bin, and, with just a little bit of aggression, slammed the soiled towel in.

"There's a reason why you stood out so much when we were younger. You had something special and people saw that, important people. How else would you have become the youngest performer in the Mistral Theatre Troupe?"

"I was lucky…"

"Lucky, my ass. You don't get that far on luck alone." He leaned on the wall next to the door and let out a huff. "Meanwhile, what sort of accolades do I have under my name? It makes me wonder sometimes, if we are even related."

"Don't say that!" Jade suddenly jumped up from her seat, a little angry, something that was also unlike her. But, it was too painful to hear him say something like that, after all they've been through, after all the pain and sorrow they've experienced, and she felt the need to do something about it.

Yu also seemed a little regretful for saying that and hung his head a little, but still maintained his frustration.

"In a way, I guess I'm glad you messed up back there. It shows that you can be normal sometimes."

Jade was about to refute him when suddenly Yu clutched his temples with a pained expression.

All of the tension suddenly went away as she went into "big sister mode" and rushed to his side.

"You okay!?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Still a bit lightheaded from the fight."

Jade recalled him taking a hit to the head earlier when he tried to guard her from an attack. However, it shouldn't have had any lasting side effects like this, which brought her back to her previous worries.

"You know, this is one of the things that's been bothering me earlier." She told him as she tried to support her brother's shoulder. In turn, he shrugged it off and stood firm as if to show he was fine.

"Is this about the other day? Look, I told you a thousand times, I'm fine. Even the doctor said I was completely fit and healthy."

"No, it's not about that. At least not directly. It just reminded me of something I've been meaning to talk to you about."

Yu gave her a curious look. "Oh? What might that be?"

Jade shook her head.

"Well, there's a lot I want to say, so now is not the best time. I'll let you know after the festival," she reassured him. "There's too much going on right now and I don't want to drag down you or the rest of the team. So, promise me, after the tournament, when everything calmed down and ended, let's talk alright?"

Yu stared blankly at her sister for a moment before letting out a defeated sigh.

"Is this really what was on your mind during the battle?"

Jade only replied with a short nod.

"Fine, if it makes you worry less, I promise."

Jade let out a breath of relief as his brother got off his perch by the door and went to collect his belongings in one of the lockers near his sister. However, as he approached, a hand on the locker frame, a shadow fell over his eyes.

"Whatever it takes to get to the finals," he added under his breath. His words were meant for himself, Jade felt that in a way, he was also directing it at her.

For a moment, Jade wondered why he was so focused on getting to the finals rather than winning. It could just be that he worded it differently, but normally, his brother would be the one focused on winning. Instead, the other members of their team have been hyping themselves to win the tournament and Yu never mentioned winning, only getting to the finals. Then, it suddenly dawned on her.

Just to be sure, she took out her Scroll and accessed the tournament ladder. She briefly looked over the matchups before it began, but because she was the first match of the day, she didn't have time to look beyond her own matches.

The freshmen tournament takes place in two stadiums. One for the Upper Division and one for the Lower Division. Placing in the upper or lower group was determined by team assessments the day prior. In other words, the upper division was the winner's bracket and the lower the loser's bracket.

They are currently in the Upper Division. Unlike the Lower Division, their tournament is held in duos, where each team is split into two groups, and separated to different sections of the bracket to prevent teammates from facing each other in the preliminary rounds. Only two full rounds are done today, the preliminary rounds, leaving the semi-finals and finals for tomorrow, which will move to the main stage along with the finalists from the other grades. It included the semi-finals in the case where both sections of a team make it to the finals, which would result in their automatic victory, to ensure there is at least a match for the audience to see.

Anyways, Jade scanned the brackets and discovered, to her surprise, Yin was in her section. She recalled her challenge to the other members of his team and bit her lip in frustration knowing that she might be the one that loses it for him. Thankfully, he is on the other side of the brackets, but that doesn't mean much as the next round is randomized, so it could be possible that they would fight in the next round. Still, the space between them gave her a level of comfort even if it was meaningless.

However, that wasn't what she was searching for. It was another pair near her matchups: Queen and Kingsley. If those two are part of their section of the tournament, that means the other two are in B section, which is why her brother was so focused on the finals.

She was actually thankful that Jaq and Ace ended up in the other section, since it would prevent Yu from clashing with Ace until the very end. If they even get to the end, that is.

Jade contemplated deliberately sabotaging her own matches, considering there's two matches she wanted to avoid, but quickly dismissed the notion. It didn't sit right with her. Just the mere thought of it felt like she was lying to her brother and that made her feel guilty. Plus, it would be unfair to Yin if she spent all this time helping him only to give him a free pass. She was sure Yin would be upset as well. So, without any other options, all she can do is hope for the best and let the pieces fall where they may.

After finishing checking the ladder, she switched apps on her scroll and sent a message to the other two members of their team, letting them know that they are about to head over to them. A few seconds later, a reply came back.

We're next to the east gate.

A short concise message from Amy. How like her.

She put away her scroll, then grabbed the rest of her personal items before heading towards the exit.

She beckoned to her brother as she passed by him.

"I think we've spent enough time here. Come on, let's go meet with our team before they have to go and prepare for their match."

Yu didn't respond back, but silently followed behind.

Jade opened the door which led into a long gray hallway, where the sounds of the current battle above them echoed down from the stairways not too far from them. The hallway was empty, which was a bit strange as the next team to compete usually will come to the locker room before the last fight finishes to prepare, but she didn't think too much of it and headed for the stairs. However, just as she rounded the corner, saw a familiar person running down the stairs in a hurry.

"Yin?"

The gray haired boy froze mid-step, a surprised look on his face.

"Oh, hi." His voice was small and timid. It was clearly noticeable that he was extremely nervous with the way he constantly played with his hand and the rapid foot tapping.

"Are you okay?"

He shuffled uncomfortably.

"Umm, yeah, I'm fine. It's just...I'm looking for Xeno. Have you guys seen him?"

Jade faced her brother to see if he knew anything, but he shook his head.

"No, we haven't seen him your match soon?"

"N-no, we still have some time left, but he just ditched me after we split with Oni and Nero for our groups and I haven't seen him since. I guess I'm just afraid he might not show up for the match. I don't know."

Even while talking, his anxiety intensified, almost to worrying levels, to the point it was making Jade anxious about him.

She doesn't blame him, though. Not only is he participating in a large public tournament, he also has the added pressure of performing well no thanks to her challenge with the other members of his team. She felt a bit bad about pushing him into this challenge since Yin would be the one taking the full brunt of the work. However, she did her best in the few days they had to help him train and this was the only way he could gain the respect of his teammates.

So, she could understand his nervousness and she felt it was her duty to help him whenever she can, so she put her hand gently on his shoulder, and exuded a warm aura to calm him.

"Hey, relax. I'm sure he'll show up when the time comes. He doesn't strike me as the type of person who would abandon a match for no reason."

"Yeah, I guess." He mumbled, unconvinced. "But what if he thinks I won't make it far anyways and just not try?"

"Hey, don't think like that." Jade shook his shoulders firmly, but gently. "I've seen your progress and you've definitely improved a lot. I'm sure he recognizes that too from the few times he saw us train. As long as you don't let the nerves get you, I'm sure you'll get far."

Yin nodded solemnly, his nervous tick subsiding slightly. Jade noticed his wavering Aura calmed as well, so she pushed the opportunity further.

"Hey, I know you'll do great. In fact, I'm looking forward to facing off against you whether it be the next round or in the semi-finals. If there's something to work towards, work towards that. Don't fuss about all the little things in between here and there. Just keep putting one foot ahead of the other until you reach the finish line with your head held high and I will be cheering for you all the way. And who knows, you might make it all the way to the end."

A small smile dotted the freckled youth's cheeks as Jade's comforting eroded the rest of his anxiety away. His shoulders slackened and his foot jitter abated.

"Heh, I doubt that, but thanks for the vote of confidence. Just take it a step at a time...I think I can at least do that."

"Good." Jade patted him on the shoulder before stepping back. "And about Xeno, I haven't seen or heard anyone pass by the locker room since our match so he probably wouldn't be down here. Have checked the outside stalls yet?"

"No, I haven't."

"Well, maybe he just went outside to grab some food and check out some of the booths."

A sudden realization dawned on Yin and he slammed his palms on his forehead for not thinking about that.

"Ugh, how could I not have thought of something so simple."

With that, he turned around and started running up the stairs. However, before he rounded the bend of the stairway, he paused and faced the siblings with a warm smile.

"Oh, before I forget. I just wanted to thank you guys for all the help you gave me. I wouldn't have gotten this far without both of you and Professor Aki. I just wanted to let you know."

Without waiting for a response, he hurried off, disappearing behind the metal stairway.

Jade waved briefly at the empty space left by the speeding kid before turning to his brother with a playful look.

"Hmm, seems like you were doing more than just practicing at the training center."

Yu scoffed. "Tsk, I didn't do shit. He just liked to watch me do my thing. He would fetch a drink for me sometimes and I would answer some of his questions. That's it."

"Uh huh."

He could be telling the truth, but even so, it looks like whatever he did had an impression on Yin and that made her happy.

Without anymore delay, the two of them continued up the stairs and arrived at a much nicer looking hall filled with lively people, juxtaposing the cold, lonely halls below. The sound of battle had died, signalling the recent match had concluded, so they hurried to the stadium entrance that Amy mentioned.

She paused just as she passed the gates leading to the audience seats, looking around the elevated rows of seats to find the rest of her teammates. It wasn't crowded so it shouldn't be too hard to spot them, yet she didn't see them anywhere.

"Over here!" A thin arm shot out from above the gate that they stood under, flailing energetically.

Following the arm, Amy's bright pink hair peaked over the railings.

"Geez, what took you so long?"

"Sorry, we bumped into Yin along the way and we had a small chat." Jade said as she walked around the railing to get to the seats above the entrance.

Meanwhile, Yu being the way he was, simply climbed over the banner above him which startled a few bystanders. Yu gave him a disapproving look, but he just shrugged it off.

"So, what did we miss?"

"Oh, nothing much, but thank god you're here now, cuz it's about to get spicy."

Amy redirected Jade attention to the stage where the two teams were already standing in the ring. However, instead of the four people present, there were only three.

And the lone student happened to be Ace Spades.

Before Jade could voice her confusion, the loudspeaker flared to life and Aki's voice came through.

"Uhm, after consulting with the staff, we see no problem with participating in the battle solo if your teammate agreed to it already. There's no rule against it."

There was a rumble within the crowd, a mixture of excitement and confusion.

All the while, Ace seemed to be relishing in it. He even beckoned to one of the attendants off to the side for a mic. A moment later, a bot that controls one of the live feeds floated close to him to let him speak.

"Ahem, attention all. I'm sure you're all wondering why I chose to stand alone, outnumbered, and outgunned."

His tone was just exuding the same smug energy as his expression.

"To that I say, the answer is simple." He paused for a second, driving up anticipation in the crowd while still maintaining his devious smile.

"That is, even with this handicap, I am more than capable to deal with scrubs of this level."

With that one line, the audience exploded in an uproar with a majority of them excited by the trash talk. It made sense since most of them are either young adults or a fan of competitive sports so these kinds of drama were par for the course.

"Well, that is one way of driving up the excitement." Aki's voice echoed through the speakers again.

"I'm not a fan of such behavior, but I do acknowledge that insulting your opponent is a valid tactic to rile them into more reckless behaviors."

Just as Glynda said, it seemed Ace's words were not taken well by the other team. Despite being too far to hear, just from their body language, it was clear they were hurling profanities Ace's way.

"He sure likes to get on people's nerves, doesn't he?" Amy whistled, amused but just a bit annoyed. "Yet for some reason he's still the most popular dude according to the girls in class. I don't understand it."

"To be honest, I'm not surprised." Diamon crossed his arm with a sigh. "I don't approve of his attitude either, but you must admit, his commanding charisma and confidence has a way of steering things his way. I mean, look at the reaction from the crowd. It's only the third match in the prelims and the crowd is going wild like it's the finals. Who else can garner such a reaction but him?"

Jade couldn't agree more. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Whenever I interacted with him, I always get the feeling that he's somehow in control of everything and you feel like you can just let him take you along."

"Hmmm, now that you mention it, it does feel like that. Maybe that's it..." Amy bobbed her head side to side as she thought about it.

"That being said," Diamon continued while stroking his chin. "This little stunt of his, I can't tell if it's hubris or merely a performance for the crowd. Perhaps even both."

Jade had no idea either, but what she didn't expect was the answer to come from behind them.

"Those are some nice theories, but I can say neither are true."

The entirety of Team JAYD swung their head around and found Jaq sitting behind them with the most unamused expression.

"Jaq? What are you doing here?"

Jaq reacted as if the answer was the most obvious thing in the world. "Well, where else would I be if I'm not fighting right now?"

"No, that's not what I meant. I mean, why did you agree to this? Letting Ace fight your fights for you doesn't seem like something you would do."

Jaq's expression soured and she grumbled audibly. It looks like she hit the mark.

"You're right. I wouldn't normally agree to this."

"So, why?"

"Well, first you must understand that whatever you may think Ace's motives are for doing this, frivolity is the least on his mind. He may act like everything he does is on a whim, but make no mistake, anything and everything from him is meticulously planned out and purposeful. As much as I hate to admit it, he can be considered an evil genius."

"So all this…"

Jaq seemed a little reluctant to divulge anymore. She clutched the oversized coat that hung around her shoulders tightly as if it's a charm before letting out a sigh and steeling herself to explain further.

"There's more to it, but let's just say, he wants me to be a trump card of sorts and doesn't want us to reveal our hand until the semi-finals."

"That's it?" Amy reacted with exasperation.

"Hey, like I said, I don't like his methods either, but he has a reason for all this that I cannot deny, so in the end we came to a compromise. I would let him have his way in the first round only if he agrees that I at least be present during the second round."

"But wouldn't all this be pointless if you don't make it to the semi-finals, or if he loses here?" Diamon asked.

"He's not going to lose," Yu cutted in, drawing an amused look from Jaq.

"Interesting, what makes you say that?"

"I've analyzed the matches. Based on practice sessions, there's no match ups in your bracket that he can't take on alone. In fact, I can probably take this pair on by myself and come out on top."

Yu spoke in a serious tone, yet, it garnered a chuckle out of Jaq, lifting her mood.

"You know, I think he was right about you."

Jaq spoke cryptically, garnering a confused look from Yu, but she quickly deflected his gaze by pointing at the field.

"Look, the match is starting. Why don't we watch and find out if you're right?"

Just as she said, a loud ring resonated in the hall, announcing the start of the match. The two members facing against Ace charged wildly at him while he just stood there, seemingly lax. However, just as they swung their weapon, Ace brought up his own, almost unnaturally fast, and deflected both attacks at the same time.

This did not falter his opponents as they followed up with a series of attacks in perfect sync with each other, alternating slashes between the two of them almost as if they were one person swinging a sword with each hand. Yet, no matter how well those two coordinated themselves, Ace always blocked or dodged them easily. It also doesn't help that the Ace's taunt earlier was still fresh in their mind, so the constant misses served to agitate them more.

And Ace was fully aware of this.

After failing a few times to land a hit on Ace, one of his opponents finally succumbed to his agitation. He let out a fierce scream and broke formation to get around Ace for an attack on his blind side, but a sly smile lit Ace's lips, revealing he accounted for this.

Rather than turning his attention to the second member, he rushed towards the opponent in front of him, dropping his weapon and performing a series of martial art techniques to disarm and disorient. The unlucky foe couldn't react fast enough to his sudden change in fighting style and ended up taking several punches and kicks before being locked in a grapple. On top of that, the second member had to redirect his sword to avoid hitting his partner.

As the sword whizzed by, Ace judo flipped the first one, knocking the wind out of him, and teleported his dagger and shortsword back into his hand before rushing the second member with an assault of slashes of his own, pushing the once offensive side into defense.

During this, Jade noticed something odd.

"Wait, I thought his Semblance allowed him to swap two object's place? I didn't see anything being swapped there."

"Yes, I noticed that as well." Diamon chimed in.

The two of them looked to Jaq for an answer.

"Ace didn't lie. His ability is swapping the position of two objects, but that demonstration of his Semblance during the start of school was meant to be a riddle for the class to figure out. If you think about it, if you swap a coin and a notebook which have extremely disproportionate sizes, shouldn't there be an explosive and implosive reaction created by a large object occupying a small void and a small object filling a large void respectively? But why isn't there one?"

Diamon furrowed his eyebrows trying to figure out what Jaq is trying to say while Amy almost immediately gave up thinking about it. However, Jade had an inkling about what she was alluding to and it seemed like Yu figured it out as well.

A small smile crept up Jaq's lips when she noticed their expression and decided to reveal the answer.

"If you count the air around it as part of the object, then theoretically a coin and a notebook are the same size."

"Wait, what!? That's cheating! No way it's that convenient!"

Amy nearly jumped out of her seat in indignation, which got a few heads to turn their way, but Jaq just shrugged casually.

"Hey, we don't create the rules of our semblance. Ace was resourceful enough to understand the full extent of his abilities and he made use of it. If you experimented with your own Semblance a bit, I'm sure all of you will discover some hidden secrets you weren't aware of yet."

There was a moment of silence from Team JAYD as they all thought about what Jaq said and they each had a different reaction. Diamon seemed to understood Jaq's message and returned to inspect the match without any further comment. Amy, while still a bit upset about this, could not deny Jaq's word and grudgingly yielded her complaint. Meanwhile, Jade couldn't help but turn away from the conversation in guilt as she personally experienced what Jaq mentioned and still have yet to tell her party members. And of course, Yu took note of Jaq's words, but remained steadfastly focused on the match.

Speaking of the match, during their short conversation Ace already knocked out the person he was fighting. Over the course of the minute they had their conversation, Ace drained his Aura like a gaping hole in a bucket of water. It was almost too easy for him in a one versus one scenario. Once one was down, the game was pretty much decided.

The remaining student Ace sluggishly got up just as his partner was eliminated. Ace's back was turned to him so he attempted a sneak attack. However, such trickery wasn't enough to fool Ace as he immediately spun around, his weapon now configured as a sniper, and blasted him straight in the chest. The shot sent him hurtling off the edge of the ring and slamming against the wall that elevated the audience seats, before he slowly crumbled to the ground, his Aura giving its last dying flicker before fading away.

"Match Over!" Aki's voice boomed over the speakers. "Victory goes to Ace from Team JAQK!"

The crowd exploded in a round of applause, much louder than previous matches and even a large group of them

Seeing that it was over, Jaq immediately prepared to leave, almost without Team JAYD even noticing. But she was courteous enough to give Jade a pat on her shoulder as she passed by.

"Well, it was great chatting with you, but I probably won't have the luxury to lounge around after this. From here on out, we are enemies. Though, we may be on different branches of the tournament, but I get the feeling that we will have a chance to fight each other again."

"Ah, yeah, me too…"

Jade gave an ambiguous response back. On the one hand, it was true that she felt that their two teams will butt heads somehow, but on the other hand, she didn't want to mention that it would only happen under her worst case scenario. So, instead, she could only hold a melancholy smile as Jaq descended the steps and disappeared under the exit gate.

As if on cue, the moment Jaq left the audience started shifting as well, most of them pooling towards the exits leaving only a few sitting around chatting with their cliques.

Once again, the speakers jumped to life, but it was Glynda who spoke through it.

"We will now be conducting a 30 min intermission. The next match will promptly start at 1pm."

"Well, now that all that nonsense is over, why don't we enjoy the festivities just a little. I know someone who wouldn't stop talking about it since you guys started your match."

"Woohoo, that's what I'm talking about."

Amy practically jumped out of her seat, bursting with excitement, revealing herself to be the person in question from Diamon. She was about to rush down the steps when Diamon placed a firm hand on her shoulder, stopping her, his expression serious.

"I must remind you, however, that we shouldn't be too frivolous as our match will be the first one after the break."

"Ugh, I know. You don't need to remind me." Amy rolled her eyes back at him. "Can you not be a killsport for once in your life?"

"Hmph, I'm trying to be diligent here. Something you forget from time to time."

"Blegh, I don't forget alright? I choose when to be diligent."

"Sounds like the words of a procrastinator."

"Uhm, let's not worry about all that right now. Why don't we just enjoy ourselves for now and think about it once the time comes. I'm sure we all need a little break right now." Jade quickly inserted herself between the two, seeing the two were about to get into a verbal bout again.

It's been a while since they were last at each other's throats like this. In fact, they have been inseparably close the first few weeks after school started, but slowly they went back to their verbal jousting.

Both Diamon and Amy had a moment of realization about what they just did and hung their heads a little in embarrassment, but just as quickly as they started to lambast each other, they quickly got over it.

"Yeah, let's not waste any more time here. We're all definitely going to make it to the finals together so this might be the last time we get a good relaxing break. Who's with me?"

Amy pumped her fist in the air to drive up the morale of her teammates and her infectious positivity improved the atmosphere of the team, well, with the exception of Yu, who remained stone faced as usual.

"On that, I can agree with. Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go."

All it took was one positive confirmation from Diamon for Amy took skip down the steps toward the exit in gleeful delight. The rest follow behind at their own pace, as the crowd was mostly gone, and together they exit the stadium, all glad for the reprieve, however short it may be, and hopeful for the coming battles.


Whether from the morale boost or the result of their daily training, Diamon and Amy were able to win their match handily after the tournament resumed. Even better, later one, Yin, who appeared much more confident knowing that Xeno showed up when the time came, was also able to eek out a victory against his opponents.

And soon, the first round of the preliminaries came to an end.

Shortly after the last battle, as the last team took a respite, the commentator box was abuzz with activity, preparing for the next round. The teams for the next round were set in stone, but the matchups were still in the air and several teams were waiting anxiously for their pairing since certain pairing could easily decide victory or defeat then and there.

Thankfully, it didn't take long and Professor Aki's voice boomed through the speakers once more.

"Alright, everybody. The matches have been drawn and decided. But first, I would like to call out everyone who made it to the second round and have them stand in the arena for their pairings."

There were several visible movements around the audience, signalling where the winners were all sitting. Even Jade shuffled in her seat after hearing her say that.

"Surprisingly, or maybe not, there were three full teams that made it to the second round. Congratulations to those teams. That leaves two teams with only duos, but do not lose hope, just because you are at a disadvantage doesn't mean you will fail. Do your best and you will have the same chance as everyone else to make it to the end."

A wave of cheers rolled through the crowd.

"Without further ado, please give a round of applause to the contestants of Round 2, starting with the complete teams. First, we have Team JAYD!"

Jade and her team stood up, and many in the audience sitting near them turned to look their way, applauding and giving encouraging words as they stepped down into the arena.

"Next, Team ONYX!"

Somewhere opposite to their position, two pairs of students sitting oddly apart, headed down.

"And last, but not least...Team JAQK!"

Unlike the previous two teams, the reaction from the crowd was much different. The cheering was louder, there were audience members shifting around to get a good look at them, and there were bustling conversations about them across the aisles. It was clear that Ace's stunt in the first round has captured the attention of everyone.

And despite all this, Team JAQK approached the stage solemnly, with the same amount of poise as all the other teams without acknowledging the crowd's reaction.

"You would think at least Ace would be basking in all this." Amy craned her neck close to Jade and whispered in her ears as they stood on the smooth concrete floor of the arena.

Jade didn't respond back, but she did nod her head in agreement. She thought she understood him, even if just a little bit, but everytime he does something like what he did today, it makes her doubt her own opinions on him.

"And for the two remaining teams," Aki continued on. "We have Zee and Ray from Team LAZR and Gao and Opal from Team GOLD."

The last four students approached the stage.

Once all sixteen contestants were lined up, Glynda took over for the next announcement.

"Now that everyone is present, here are the matchups for round two. Once you are done looking over it, please standby at the arena gates until your match is called. The first match begins in 5 minutes."

A large hologram appeared in the middle of the stadium. On it was each pair of students displayed inside a nice little box graphic linked to another pair in a similar graphic.

And the matches were listed, in battle order, as the following:

Jade/Yu vs Gao/Opal

Diamon/Amy vs Oni/Nero

Queen/Kingslely vs Yin/Xeno

Jaq/Ace vs Zee/Ray

There were several groans and sighs of relief across the contestant. It was easy to tell who was happy and who was upset by the matchups alone.

After a moment, each of the pairing faded away from the hologram until one remained, Jade's match, and it was also displayed on the large screen around the colosseum.

"Those participating in the first match, make your final preparation now, your match will begin in a few minutes."

Immediately after Glynda's voice faded away, the contestants who weren't participating started to break up and head towards the edge of the ring.

Meanwhile, Amy and Diamon stayed by their other members to give some encouraging words before leaving themselves.

"Alright, go show them what you're made of!"

"You guys got this! We believe in you."

"Thanks Amy. Diamon"

Jade offered a brimming smile for their encouragement, but it quickly faded away when she noticed a pair of students approaching them. Normally, she wouldn't react this way, but the pair were the last people she wanted to talk with right now.

"Well, well, if it isn't the ballerina and her circus act."

Oni and Nero got close to them with their usual prideful attitude.

"What do YOU guys want?" Amy went on the defensive, standing partially in front of Jade as if serving as a bouncer.

"Heh, nothing much. Just wanted to congratulate you guys for making it to the second round." Oni made the most exaggerated and haughty shrug.

"...thanks." Jade responded cautiously.

"Yeah, we totally didn't expect you guys to get this far in the first place."

"Why you…!?"

Amy angrily approached the two, but firmly held back by Diamon's hand on her shoulder. She gave him an exasperated look, pleading for a reason for holding her back, and he only gave her a solemn shake of his head.

"We don't want to start trouble now. If we get suspended from the tournament now, it will only serve to help them."

Diamon whispered quietly in her ears and she begrudgingly agreed with him. Yet, she still couldn't help but growl angry at the two. But that wasn't all Diamon wanted to say. In fact, he was also angry at the pair's inciting words, but he kept his cool.

"That being said, if you want some payback, we should do it during our match."

Amy agreed with a subtle nod of her head.

Meanwhile, Oni and Nero didn't pay any attention to the whispering of the two members and carried on with what they were saying.

"Are you done? Did you come just to make fun of us?" It was difficult for Jade to get angry at someone, but at this moment, she was feeling just a bit annoyed.

"Well," Oni acted as if he needed to think about it, but returned to a smug attitude. "Yeah, but also, I wanted to tell you that it looks like we are going to win the little bet we have going on."

The rest of Jade's team look at her in confusion, wondering what he meant. She didn't have the opportunity to tell them about the challenge she made with Team ONYX after they made it that day, so she briefly caught them up now.

After informing her team, she approached the two of them in defiance.

"Who says you will win?"

Nero scoffed.

"Do you see who they are going against? Yin would have trouble beating any of the teams in this round let alone the Royal Flushes. In fact, I think he got lucky getting this far since he had Xeno to carry him, but I don't think even Xeno can carry him out of this one."

"Meanwhile, we got lucky not facing Ace and Jaq this round and instead got an easy round facing you guys." Oni shifted his eyes towards Diamon and Amy, looking down upon them.

Amy growled angrily at him, but managed to hold back her irresistible urge to punch him in the face.

"We won't know until it happens. And I have the utmost confidence in my team's ability so I appreciate it if you don't mock them."

Jade tried to keep her tone as neutral as possible, but just a little edge got out.

"Yeah, whatever." Oni tossed aside Jade's warning like a piece of trash. "Still, we planned on making it to the final at the very least, but just got unlucky to be put in the same section as those two. If it were Kingsley and Queen, we might stand a chance, but I guess we just have to settle for a semi-final placement."

"Or alternatively, we could've gone to the Lower Division and easily get the win."

"Yeah, but who wants to be the king of losers anyways."

"Yeah, you right."

Oni and Nero boisterously laughed at their own joke, ignoring the rightfully furious team they just wasted their time on. However, before anyone on Team JAYD could say anymore, the two had their fill of trash talking and decided it was time to leave.

"Anyways, best of luck on your matches, but I do expect a 'heartfelt' apology from you at the end of the day when WE get placed in the finals. Later."

"See ya losers later."

The two of them marched away with the most irritating sense of self-importance, leaving a foul taste in all four members of Jade's team.

"God, they are such a prick," Amy fumed, finally able to express her pent up frustration.

"Well, being rich and snobby is the defining trait of the upper class."

"I guess you would know something about that."

Diamon looked really hurt over that throwaway comment from Amy and when she realized what she said she frantically waved her hand to clear up the misunderstanding.

"I meant because you're part of the upper class, so you might see people like that more often. I was definitely not comparing you to them."

Diamon breathe a sigh of relief, but it did present Amy with an opportunity to tease him a bit.

"But you do have one of those traits you just mentioned."

"Oh god, don't do this to me. Please tell me it's being rich, even if saying that makes me sound like a snob."

As the two were having their playful banter, the speakers flared to life again and Aki's voice came through.

"Alrighty, can we have the two teams for round one approach the stage. The match will begin shortly."

"Looks like it's time." Diamon commented, cutting the conversation he was having with Amy who equally controlled herself. With one final farewell, they wished the siblings the best of luck before heading towards the outer ring, leaving the two alone with their opponents who stood on the opposite side of the stage.

"Well, shall we do this?" Jade glanced at her brother beside her.

He merely nodded, and slowly approached the ring, weapon ready in hand, ready to fight. Jade followed close behind, the seed of doubt still lingering in the back of her mind, but after that disastrous conversation with Oni, she was more convinced that things would turn out well. So, with one final shake of her head, she locked away the swirling pool of doubt for later, put on the mask of focus, the same one she put on for every performance she ever did, and drew her two fans out.

The first match of the second round was about to begin.

"The winner is Jade and Yu from Team JAYD!"

The crowd cheered for their victory, but the two winners could only laboriously lift their hands in acknowledgement as they heaved out heavy breathes. This fight was much more difficult than their previous one, even when Jade wasn't distracted this time.

One of the main reasons was due to Gao's and Opal's semblances. Gao was able to produce high frequency sound waves with his voice and Opal could bend light waves to create kaleidoscopic displays to disorient her foes. Together, it was like being constantly bombarded by flashbangs.

Unfortunately for them, the siblings had Aura Sight which greatly helped them in pinpointing where their opponents would attack them even if their sight and hearing were impiaired, but that is not to say the constant audiovisual bombardment didn't affect them.

In fact, even now, the ringing in Jade's ear is dulling the loud applause from the crowd.

"We did it…" Jade panted as she placed a hand on her brother's back, both for stability and for encouragement.

He could only reply with a wheezing "Yeah" while trying to straighten out his slouched position.

After a brief period for both teams to collect themselves, they met at the center, shook hands, and left the stage for the next match.

As the two got down, Amy and Diamon eagerly awaited them at the final step.

"You guys did great out there!"

"Marvelous! I knew you guys would be able to handle that."

"Thanks, you guys." Jade wearily accepted the hug Amy went for, too tired to do anything about it. "I guess you guys are up next."

From what she remembered from the graphic, Amy and Diamon are going to fight against Oni and Nero.

"Yup," Amy confirmed with a big nod after extricating herself from the hug with Jade. She then did a pose as if trying to flex her muscle. "And we're going to show those two assholes what we are really made of. Just you wait."

"Haha, I look forward to it."

From there, the two duos split off, with Diamon and Amy retracing the path the siblings left from while they head to benches at the end of the arena.

Yu was stoic for most of the walk, but just as he approached his seat, his face contorted in discomfort and he clutched his head.

"What's wrong? A headache again?"

"It's nothing, I'm still a little disoriented from the last fight."

"Ah…" It was a reasonable excuse for his headache, but somehow, she felt that was just it, an excuse. She didn't want to poke at it further since it was nearing the end of the day anyways, so she decided to help him out at the very least.

"Wait, here. I'll go fetch us some water."

Yu merely nodded as Jade separated from his brother's side and went through the arena exit and into the cold stone hallway leading to the locker rooms. If she recalled, there was a water dispenser near the locker entrance.

However, as she neared the locker room, she heard a faint voice coming from inside. She was sure the place was empty so curiosity overtook her and she quietly approached the door. When she was an arm length away, the voices became clearer.

"...well I don't like it. Your schemes always leave a bad taste in my mouth."

Jade recognized that voice as Queen's.

"Hate it all you want, I'm just letting you know out of courtesy. I'm sure Kingsley can handle it on his own, but I want to tell you so, you know, you guys don't get your signals crossed."

That voice was definitely Ace's.

"Ugh, do what you will. I won't oppose it, but I will be letting Jaq know about it."

"..."

Jade leaned closer to the door to hear more, but all she could make out was a set of footsteps approaching the door. Not a moment later, it swung open aggressively. Jade managed to move back quickly to avoid the door, but definitely not enough to hide her presence.

Queen came out with a frustrated look, then it quickly changed to surprise when she saw Jade. There was a brief moment of silence as the two just stared at each other blankly.

"Ummm, hello there…"

Jade tried her best to sound normal, but Queen didn't respond back. She simply stormed away with a hint of guilt in her expression. Once she wasn't obstructing the doorway, Jade was given a clear view of the locker room and made eye contact with Ace, who was in the middle of something with Kingsley. Upon noticing her, Ace abruptly stopped talking and gave a cynical smirk.

"Well, well, it seems we have an eavesdropper in our midst."

He said something quietly to Kingsley and he gave a groan before leaving the locker room as well. Once it was just the two of them, Ace approached Jade at the doorway, but Jade unconsciously took a step back from an eerily menacing feeling she got from him.

"How much did you hear?" He said casually as he leaned against the door frame.

"N-not much, I just got here when Queen came out."

"Good."

"What are you planning?"

Ace's smile briefly faded away before he leaned closer, alluringly.

"Are you curious?"

"No, just concerned."

"It's nothing to concern yourself over. Perfectly legal conduct."

"That makes it sound worse."

"Heh, touche."

Ace finally leaned back and it was only then did Jade realize she was holding her breath the entire time.

"Let's just say I made a bet, just like what you did with those two in Team ONYX."

Jade narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"How did you hear about that?"

"Come on, those two don't know what subtlety is even if it hits them in the head. It wasn't hard to hear your conversation you guys had before the first match."

"..."

"I think it's valiant that you want to solve their team's internal conflict with this bet, but like they said, it's unlucky that they have to face off against Queen and Kingsley this round."

"If you heard us, then I'll repeat what I said before. Nothing is decided until it's over."

"True, and that's why I want to insert myself into this little game. Queen and Kingsley…" Ace paused for a moment as some other information crossed his mind. "...and me, to an extent, have been taking things easy since the last match. But after what I overhead, I 'suggested' to those two that they can go all out for their match. Hold nothing back and fight like their lives depend on it."

"Why, you…"

However, Ace brought up a hand to shush her.

"If you have that much faith in them, then I want to see if your faith is warranted. Prove to me that he actually has what it takes to be deemed worthy."

Jade balled her hand in a fist. Somehow, she felt betrayed, like the person she thought Ace to be turned out to be evil incarnate. She wanted to lash out at him, to call him out for his sadistic behavior, but before she could get a word out, the speakers cracked to life and Glynda announced the start of the second match.

Then, as the sound faded away, Ace decided their conversation was done and brushed passed her, heading back towards the arena. However, just as he was about to round the corner, he turned back to her, with his creepy smile.

"In either case, I'll see you in the finals."

And with that he disappeared.

Jade stood there for a good moment, trying to collect herself. After that whole thing with Oni and Nero, this was the last thing she needed. However, there's nothing she could about it now except to calm down and believe in Yin.

Once she got over that conversation, she realized what she was here for and quickly got two bottles of water from the drink dispenser and headed back to the arena.

However, rather than finding his brother sitting on the benches alone, she found Yin had taken her place at his side.

"Yin? What are you doing here?"

Jade didn't mean to startle Yin, but he still shot up in surprise.

"Oh, hi. I was coming over to congratulate you guys, but you already left. Then, I noticed Yu was a bit thirsty so I offered him my water jug. I hope I'm not bothering you guys."

He pointed at the large container which Yu was thirstily chugging as a form of proof.

"No, in fact, I appreciate it. I got hung up on...something...when I went to get water so you actually helped out."

Yin was practically beaming just from being complimented. He tried his best not to let it show, but it wasn't very successful.

Meanwhile, Yu finally quenched his thirst and thrusted the water back to its owner while giving a quiet "Thanks."

Yin took back his jug, but now that he completed everything he came here for, he froze awkwardly, unsure what to say or do next.

"So...uhm...congrats, I guess…"

"Thanks." Jade felt a pang of pity seeing him listlessly standing there like that so she tried her best to continue the conversation. "Your match is next, right?"

"Oh...yeah."

His expression became glum. Jade pinched herself, realizing that was probably not a good thing to mention since he is going against the Royal Flushes, so she wouldn't be surprised if his morale is low. On top of that, she couldn't help but recall what Ace said just moments ago and she clenched her hands tightly.

Does she tell him about it or not? She was afraid that saying something now will only further demoralize him, but not saying anything made it feel like sending a sheep to the slaughter.

But does it make any difference?

She shook her furiously to get rid of the negative thoughts plaguing her. Whatever Ace said was eroding her own confidence in him. Was that his intent or was just something she was hiding from herself?

Either way, it was dangerous to pursue that line of thought any further. Yin also had a worried look after seeing her odd behavior, so she tried her best to put on a smile.

"Hey, remember what I said early, the future isn't decided yet, anything is still possible as long as you believe in it."

Jade gave Yin a hardy pat on the back. He gave a weak nod, only half believing in her words, but not wanting to bring down the mood any further he straightened himself and put up a brave face.

"Mmmm, I'll try my best. Whatever the dice rolls, I'm ready for it."

"That's the spirit."

Yin walked away, with a modicum of confidence intact, which was more than Jade can hope for and not a second after, the blare of the horn signaled the start of the second match.

"We blitz'n or we shell'n"

Amy called out to Diamon as they faced Oni and Nero who stood on the other end of the stage. It was moments from the start of the match and both sides were at a ready stance.

"They're both mainly melee fighters. Although Oni has some reach, I think the best play is for you to hit them at range while I'll cover for you."

"Blitz it is." Amy had a wicked grin on her lips and placed her wand behind her back, the Dust crystal at its core glowing faintly. "Oh boy, I'm looking forward to blasting their smug face off."

"For once, I agree."

A second of silence passed.

Then, the blare of the horn shattered it and Amy flicked her wand out, sending a blast of condense energy at her opponent.

"Eat this!"

However, the bolt hit empty space as both Team ONYX split in opposite directions.

"Hah, you're not fooling me with that sneak attack again!"

"Tsk."

The two members of Team ONYX may have an attitude, but they were not dumb. Their hubris was not the bark of lame dogs but the result from years of validation. Just as Diamon pointed out that they were melee, the two of them realized sticking together against a Dust caster will put them at a disadvantage. So, they split up and converged on Amy.

"Rrrrg, don't underestimate me!" Amy shouted as she transformed her weapon to a spear.

"Right!" Diamon screamed, turning to face right.

Amy nodded. "Left!"

Diamon's shield raised up to block a rocket punch from Nero's gauntlet from the right while Amy's spear parried the lash from Oni on their left.

However, that did little to faze them. They crossed each other and followed up with a synchronized attack, with Nero sending a kick with his rocket boots down low and Oni making a horizontal slash just over his head.

It was difficult for Diamon to block both attacks at once, but not impossible. With a grunt, he channeled more Aura into the diamond in his arm guard and his energy shield expanded into a pavise that managed to catch both attacks. However, the accumulated force wasn't something he could bear for long so with another exertion he expelled the energy in his shield, knocking his opponents back.

"We need to take center," Diamon shouted to Amy as he drew out an opal from the mechanism on his arm guard. "We lost the initiative and standing on the edge is hampering our efficacy."

He whispered a few words under his breath and tossed the opal, which summoned a trail of chromatic lights before each sparkle detonated in a display of brilliance.

Oni and Nero had to dive out of the way to avoid the explosion, but that left them separated again.

Diamon made a curt nod in Nero's direction, signaling to focus on him now that their formation is shattered, which Amy acknowledged him with a short nod. Diamon charged first, now grasping a garnet in his right hand, which glowed with fiery energy that wrapped around his fist. Meanwhile, Amy took a moment to create the wing-like ribbon around her waist before soaring into the air.

"Not so fast!"

Amy barely got a meter off the ground when she felt something constrict around her ankle. She looked down to see Oni's whip blade securely fastened to her leg. There was a moment of tugging between the two, but ultimately, Oni won out and, with a sharp pull, he slammed her into the smooth metallic floor with a loud thud.

"Guh."

"Amy!"

Diamon wanted to turn around and help her, but Nero forced his attention back by sending a rocket boosted kick his way. He barely ducked under it, feeling the heat from the propulsion searing his cheeks, but before he could do anything else Nero followed up with a punch. His shield still down, Diamon met it with his energy charged fist. There was an explosion, and the crackling of Dust energy, as their fists met, causing a massive exothermic blast that knocked both contestants back and off their feet.

"Heh, I think I've figured out how your Semblance works now." Nero called out to Diamon with a smug look as he leapt to his feet. "Seems like once you expend the energy in your gems, there's a cooldown before you can use them again. I mean, why else would you not use your shield to block the attack."

Diamon clenched his teeth. He hit it right on the money, but he did his best to maintain a poker face to hide the fact. However, Nero's smile only widened, knowing he was right. Information like that can swing the flow of combat heavily and Diamon had tried his best to hide some of the weakness to his ability, but in high tension fights like these, and against intuitive opponents, it was only time before it would be revealed. Yet, the only thing he knows about Nero is that his Semblance allows him to adjust his mass, either making himself light as a feather or hit as hard as a sledge hammer.

His fist was still tingling from that punch, but he managed to keep it steady as he placed the garnet back into the slot in his arm guard. The recharge time on his diamond was about just about over, so instead of indulging Nero's gloating, he reactivated his shield and assumed a fighting position.

"Don't worry about me. I can handle this guy on my own."

Diamon let out a small sigh of relief hearing Amy's voice, defiant and energetic as ever. He may not be a fan of it when she directed that kind of mood towards him, but he sure feels like his back is covered when she directed it against an enemy.

"Who said I was worried?"

"Oh, I don't know, the same person who just called me 'Amy' just now."

"Hmmph, a slip of the tongue."

"Oh, a 'slip of the tongue,' is that what you're calling it?"

Despite their back facing each other, they both can feel the grin on the other's face. However, this was not the time to banter words.

"What do you think our odds are?" Amy asked Diamon under her breath, more serious this time.

"Sixty, seventy percent."

Amy brandished her weapon in excitement. "So, one hundred percent."

"If you round up."

"Well, I guess I'll see you at the finish line then."

Without another word, Amy rushed towards Oni with renewed fervor, taking him by surprise. She started with a series of jabs to force him back, then followed up with a wide slash. Yet, despite her ferocity and initiative, he was still able to avoid getting hit, but that didn't bother her, rather, it was what she expected. Following the series of misses, she put some distance between him and transformed her spear back into a wand. The Dust crystal embedded in it glowed purple and several orbs shot out and floated around her.

Realizing what she was going for, Oni attempted to rush her, but it was too late. The orb shot towards him simultaneously, too many and too fast for him to avoid completely, so he tried his best to mitigate the damage. His whip sword cut through the ones targeting his center of mass, leaving the orbs aimed at his limbs.

However, what he did not expect was the lunge that followed it.

The Dust power stab took him by surprise and he was thrown back. He fell on the ground and slid a short distance, but not enough for him to fall off the stage.

"Tsk."

"Damn it, you'll pay for that!" Oni was also aware of how close he was to falling off the stage and he got up with renewed belligerence.

"Hey, do you mind just taking a few more steps back? Do us both a favor here, so I don't have to waste more energy beating your ass."

"You think you're so funny, huh? Let's hear that again once I pay you back."

"Let's see you try."

Amy may be trash talking, but inside she was worried. She spent a lot of her Dust crystal energy into that attack hoping to finish him, but now that it failed, she was afraid that there isn't enough for another decisive strike like that.

Unless…

Before she could finish her train of thought, Oni was lashing at her with savage intensity. To avoid it, she took to the skies again. From her lofty position, she noticed that Diamon was struggling in the close quarter combat scenario with Nero, so she plunged down between the two of them, forcing Nero to retreat.

Likewise, Diamon redirected the energy from his shield to form a force field in front of Oni to prevent him from attacking now that Amy disengaged from him.

"Can we still do 'Bloody Sky'?" Amy asked in the brief respite they gained.

A brief look of shock crossed Diamon. That was a last resort move, but taking account of the situation, it was the kind of desperate maneuver they needed to turn it around.

He took out the garnet and turquoise and whispered a few words before secretly handing it to Amy. "We only got one shot at this. Don't waste it."

Amy nodded and stealthily placed both gems on top of the Dust crystal of her staff. There was a faint light, then the crackle of unstable energy pulsed from the core.

However, no matter how hard she tried to hide it, it was impossible to obscure something flashy like that and Oni noticed this.

"Nero! We need to take her down now!" He yelled angrily at his partner.

The two of them rushed towards Amy, desperate to stop whatever she was attempting, but Diamon stood up in front of her.

He dislodged the star shaped diamond from his gauntlet and whispered gently. "Star Diamond, guard us against wickedness."

The diamond glowed brightly and floated from his hand. It continuously grew brighter and brighter and when it seemed like it couldn't get any more brighter, a circular dome burst from it and surrounded Diamon and Amy.

On the outside, Oni and Nero's attack struck it and bounced off. However, that didn't stop them as they continuously bashed on it, hoping to get through.

"Rrgh, I can't hold out much longer!" Diamon shouted, his hand spread wide to maintain the dome. Beads of sweat formed on his brow from the intense concentration.

"I'm done. Hold on tight!"

"GO!"

Amy raised her spear up high, the chaotic energy now more intense and the Dust core at the point of shattering.

"Rragh!"

With one final grunt, she pushed the Dust crystal beyond the breaking point, causing it to shatter and release all the pent up energy tied to it from the two jewels.

The red pulse spread struck all four of them. On the large screen at the edges of the stadium where their Auras are displayed, all their Aura readings dropped to the brink of the match limit, each gauge pulsing red. However, that was not all that happened.

After Oni and Nero recovered, they realized that they were also floating in the air.

"Wha-?"

"Finish it, Amethyst!"

"Ooaaa."

Before they could react, Amy threw her spear at Oni and Diamon threw a ruby towards Nero. Oni easily deflected despite being disoriented, but the momentum pushed him, who was already precariously close to the edge, off the stadium.

There was a loud buzz Aki's voice blasted through the speakers, which were normally deafened for the current contestants. "Out-of-bound elimination for Oni."

However, Nero didn't fall for the same trick, he managed to avoid the blazing ruby and get his feet back on the ground with a mix of his Semblance and his rocket boots, but what he did not expect was for Diamon to barrel towards him.

Nero landed a solid punch against Diamon, dropping his Aura below the threshold, but it was not enough to stop his momentum as he grappled him and toss both himself and his opponent off the stage.

Another buzzer rang.

"Double elimination for Diamon and Nero, leaving Amy as the sole standing member. Therefore, the victory goes to Team JAYD!"

The crowd went wild. There was screaming, there was cheering, and there was the thunderous applause that accompanied it.

Jade ran up to the stage, where the wobbly Amy stood, victorious, and clasped her hand.

"You did it!"

Amy gave a weak smile before falling on her butt in exhaustion.

"Damn it, that's not fair." An angry Oni popped his head from under the stage as he got up from his prone position. "We would've had it if you didn't knock us off the stage."

Jade faced the complaining man and confronted him head on. "Those were part of the rules of engagement. She believed it was her best chance at victory and she took it. If you have a problem, take it up with organizers."

Oni clenched his fist, as if preparing to punch her, but she remained firm. Thankfully, he didn't follow through and walked away in exasperation.

"This changes nothing though. We will still win our bet WHEN Yin loses his match. So I hope you're ready to follow through with your wager once that happens."

Once he was gone, she returned to Amy, who was back on her feet, energetic as her usual self.

"Man, that felt good."

"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I must admit, I also feel great seeing him upset like that."

They chuckled to each other before walking off the stage where Diamon and Yu were waiting. They shared a moment together to relish in their victory, but soon, the speakers came to life calling for the next match to get ready.

Jade's smile disappeared when she heard the matchup and as she walked back to her seat, she watched Yin and Xeno approach the stage. Giving a brief excuse, she separated from her group and approached Yin.

"Hey."

"Oh! Hi." Yin had an expression of surprise.

"Umm," Jade paused, not sure what to say next. She came here on a whim, but now that she's here, she was unsure how to proceed. "Um, just want to say good luck."

He smiled, a sweet innocent smile. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

It was a short conversation, but it was enough for him. She watched him take the last few steps to the stage, his demeanor slightly more confident.

However, in the corner of her eyes, she saw Ace watching their interaction with a smile. Upon being spotted, his smile grew and he gave her a casual salute. She didn't want to give him the pleasure of reacting to his taunt, so she just walked back towards her team with the most cold expression she has.

Whatever happens now is up to Yin and all she can do is hope.

She returned to her teammates and they gave her a worried look.

"You think they can do it?"

"The next match is one to look forward to," Aki's voice boomed through the audience. "Yin and Xeno vs Queen and Kingsley. Truly a David versus Goliath fight here, but as their teacher, I can say Yin and Xeno has improved greatly in the last couple months so I am personally rooting for them."

"Please refrain from inputting personal opinion in the commentary." A cold response from Glynda.

"Anyways, both teams, are you ready?"

Four fists were raised signalling everyone was good to go.

"Then, without further ado, Team ONYX vs Team JAQK. Three. Two. One. Start!"

Things happened in an instant. One second Kingsley was standing on his side. The next he was towering over his opponents, hammer raised high.

The power within his swing was inhumane and the only thing Yin and Xeno could do was jump out of the way. Yet, even that wasn't enough.

A massive heat wave emitted from the impact, searing both of them. On screen, the bar under Yin and Xeno drained a scarily large amount.

"This is not looking good." Amy couldn't help but bite her nails while watching.

Jade could understand. In a way, it was like a bird playing with a worm and they are rooting for the worm to escape.

Meanwhile, Aki and Glynda were continuously commenting on the fight happening

"Looks like it's Team JAQK with the first strike. How will Team ONYX recover from this huge disadvantage."

"Team JAQK certainly has the upperhand, but the match it's still too early to call."

Their voices can be easily heard by the audience, but for the contestants, a sound bubble was around the stage so as to not distract them.

Following that initial strike, summoned several generic looking swords and telepathically shot them towards Kingsley. A month ago he could barely summon two, but now he can bring up five and control them telepathically.

Xeno also tried to attack him while he was distracted, but Queen suddenly appeared from his peripherals and stopped him with her bladed claws.

To Xeno, it was like she appeared out of nowhere, but to the audience, she just seemingly ran straight at him.

"Oh, looks like Queen made use of her Semblance to hide her presence." Aki's disembodied voice called out with a bit of excitement in her voice.

"How can you tell? Nothing seemed to change to me."

"Heh, heh, I just have a special ability to know these things."

"What? I didn't see anything happen either?" Amy exclaimed, clearly engrossed in both the commentary and the battle.

It was strange. Jade could feel a change in color from Queen's Aura when she rushed at Xeno, but didn't know that it was her Semblance activating. Perhaps Professor Aki has a Semblance similar to her own? Or even better.

Back in the match, Xeno continued to struggle against Queen's agile movement with his arm blades and Yin continuously retreated from the charging Kingsley while constantly creating and throwing his fake blades at him, to no avail.

However, Kingsley suddenly transformed his hammer back into a cannon and shot at his feet to propel himself into the air. While afloat, the muzzle of his weapon glowed red hot and out spewed a stream of fire, spilling out almost like a liquid. The trail of fire splashed in front of Yin, blocking his path, and forcing him to stop. Then, in one fluid motion, Kingsley transformed his weapon back into a hammer on his descent and slammed it into the ground, causing a seismic pulse to resonate from the point of contact. The pulse would've knocked Yin into the fire, but with a bit of quick thinking, he summoned a ring of shield around him to mitigate the effects of the flame while he tumbled through.

But now there's another problem.

Once he crossed the flame, he lost visuals on his opponent on the opposite side of the intense heat, so just when he thought he was safe, Kingsley suddenly burst through the fire, ignoring the damage he sustained from the flames, and lifted him off his feet by the collar

"Oh no." Jade couldn't help but exclaim at the turn of events. Knowing the brute strength of Kingsley, getting grabbed like that can spell the end for any person on the receiving end as he simply needs to toss him over the edge.

However, what actually happened, Jade did not expect.

Kingsley prepared to throw Yin as he struggled to break his iron grip on his collar, but nothing seemed to faze the towering giant. However, instead of throwing him off the stage, he tossed him towards the center which caused the audience to buzz.

"What's this? It seems like Kingsley has chosen to spare Yin instead of eliminating him. I wonder what his plan is?"

The commentator's remark reflected the public concern, or at the very least, Jade's concern. What could he possibly gain from keeping Yin in the match? If Ace's words were to be believed, shouldn't he eliminate Yin? Even if this was a good turn of event, Jade couldn't help but feel a bit scared at the meaning behind it.

"What's going on?" Jade leaned forward in nervousness.


Yin coughed profusely as he struggled to lift himself off the ground. His lungs burned from the flame and his muscles screaming from the abuse he had taken. While he was glad Kingsley didn't toss him off the stage, he wasn't exactly gentle either.

"Why did you keep me in the ring?" Yin moaned as he steadied himself. "I was at your mercy there, but you didn't eliminate me. Why?"

Kingsley just stood there casually, with the flames still burning behind him, and merely shrugged.

"That ain't my style. It's a bit boring if I win from just that."

"So you are saying you want to pummel me into submission instead."

"Bingo. Right on the money."

Yin grinded his teeth in frustration. He was clearly looking down on him, but that was not the problem. It was the fact that he believed Kingsley could squash him like a bug if he chose to. Leaving him in the match for longer was just for his own amusement.

But, if that is what he wants, then he wanted to make it as hard as possible for him.

Yin summoned a heavy greatsword this time. If a small sword barely scratches him, maybe a large one can do something.

Kingsley merely chuckled at his display of defiance and took a combat stance, beckoning Yin to attack.

"Rraagh!"

Yin yelled as he charged the goliath with his heavy sword raised high while Kingsley remained unmoving, his hammer poised, waiting for the opportune time to strike. He got closer and closer, and when he was finally in range, he put all his strength in the downward slash.

But then, Kingsley's hammer came swing up, not aimed at Yin, but at his created greatsword. The force of the impact shattered the fake sword into a thousand glittering pieces and sent sailing through the air, making several somersaults before smashing into the ground with a low thud.

"Hrrrk." The impact knocked the air from his lung and he took several seconds to catch his breath.

Heavy weapons don't work either. Yin made a mental note of that.

He struggled to get up again, expecting something from Kingsley, but surprisingly, he made no attempt to continue attacking. Rather, he just stood there watching in amusement.

"Oi, Queen, having trouble over there."

It seems in the recess from fighting Yin, Kingsley was keeping an eye on his teammate.

Yin followed Kingsley's gaze and found Xeno keeping toe-to-toe with Queen, a stark contrast to his own fight.

After being called out, Queen disengaged with Xeno and rendezvoused with Kingsley.

"Hmmph, if you are taking it so easy why don't we switch it up."

Kingsley shrugged. "Fine by me."

During their brief conversation, Xeno also regrouped with Yin. Though he did not say anything, Yin has gotten good at reading his body language and recognized he was checking his status.

"I can keep going." Yin whispered, stretching his muscles as if his whole ordeal with Kingsley was just a sore.

However, that was all the time they got to rest, as the two members of Team JAQK made their next move.

Queen leapt on the flat part of Kingsley's hammer and he launched her like baseball. She shot towards the pair as fast as a bullet and Yin, tried to intercept her with a few summon swords. However, the blades just flew through her as if she was intangible. Well, not fully ethereal, as there was the sound of collision, but not the sound that would be made from hitting flesh.

"Wha-"

The image distorted, revealing it to be a chunk of stone from the stage, and the real Queen was running towards them just below the illusion, leaving Yin barely enough time to bring up a summoned shield to block her scratch attack. Xeno was also caught in the flurry of attacks from Queen, but before he could assist his teammate, Kingsley came rushing in as well.

An all-out brawl ensued, where both teams engaged in close quarter combat, but it was clear that Team JAQK had the upper hand with the way they seamlessly time their attacks in a rhythm whereas Team ONYX were two separate entities fending off against one.

It was not looking good and Yin needed to do something drastic to shift the flow of combat.

Since it was clear that Queen and KIngsley's teamwork was far superior, he split up from Xeno causing Queen to chase him and break up their fluid formation.

Unlike Kingsley, Queen's attacks are much easier to defend against, but her nimbleness was hard to keep up. That meant, he was spending more time blocking than attacking.

But that's fine, because it gave him a moment to think.

It was clear that their opponent's were the stronger ones, but if they could separate the two long enough to double team one member, perhaps there is a chance.

A sudden idea popped into his head.

"Xeno, 'Cover of Darkness'!"

Without a word of acknowledgement, Xeno broke off from Kingsley towards Yin. Queen attempted to intercept him, but he suddenly flicked out his wrist and black smoke billowed from the underside of his bladed armguard, spreading rapidly in the arena. He also did the same with the other wrist and soon all four contestants were consumed by the darkness.

"A little smoke isn't enough to stop us!" Kingsley yelled through the darkness. Despite not being able to see anything, there was a faint red glow that bloomed within the blackness followed by a pillar of flame that dispersed the smoke.

However, because he blind fired, Queen was almost caught in its trail and barely rolled out of the way while coughing out the smoke she inhaled.

Then, from the fire and smoke, Yin emerged, the black smoke clinging to him like a cloak, a glowing staff in his hand.

"Hah, bold of you to charge me head on," Kingsley laughed as he transformed his weapon to the hammer to meet Yin's charge.

The exhaust ports on his hammer billowed as he brought the hammer down on Yin, but at the last moment, Yin halted his momentum and summoned two shields stacked on top of each other directly in front of Kingsley's trajectory. The first shield completely shattered upon contact, but it slowed the force enough for the second shield to deflect the blow somewhat. Then, using the follow through time from his attack, Yin swung his own weapon out of the smoke.

And from the smoke emerged a hammer, eerily similar in design to Kingsley's weapon. But not exactly.

You see, Yin was only able to create simplistic weapons or replicate a weapon's design without any of its intricacies. To recreate complicated weaponry, it required time and understanding of their mechanics, both of which he lacked so he did the next best thing. He created a hammer in the mold of Kingsley's, spliced one of Nero's rocket boosters he was able to examine before, and attached an explosive device at the head in order to create a similar effect as Kingsley's hammer strike.

And that strike landed solidly in Kingsley's abdomen. The explosive attached to the hammer detonated, shattering the replicated hammer into smithereens, but also blew Kingsley several meters away, leaving a dazed Yin standing with shaking hands and blown out eardrums.

"Kingsley!" Queen cried out after recovering from the smoke.

She attempted to take advantage of Yin's weakened state, but in doing so, forgot that there was another member in Yin's team.

From the remainder of the smoke, several darts flew out and struck Queen, sending an electrical pulse coursing through her. It didn't do much physical harm, but they did drain her Aura heavily. Then, Xeno emerged and, rather than attacking her in her weakened state, went for a grapple.

"Yin!" Xeno's hoarse voice called out, one of the very rare occasions that man spoke.

Yin broke out of his daze and saw his teammate setting up a finishing blow for him. However, after that last attack, his mental strength was too exhausted to form any more weapons. So instead, he morphed the remaining shield left standing into a heavy gauntlet and charged towards the two of them.

Queen struggled against Xeno's hold, but it was to no avail. Meanwhile, Xeno used himself as a fulcrum to swing Queen around and deliver her into Yin's driving fist.

There was a loud crack upon contact and Queen was brought to the ground.

All that was needed was one final strike to bring her Aura levels below the threshold.

The two members of Team Onyx raised what remained of their arsenal for one final attack.

What they did not expect was a raging bull barreling towards them.

Before they could land the final attack, Kingsley charged them out of nowhere and knocked both of them back with a shoulder charge. It wasn't enough to knock them out of the ring, but they both were close to following out. However, that was the least of their worries. Their plan to finish one member failed and both of them are quite exhausted. This might as well be the end.

But the end didn't seem to come soon. Instead, it seemed like Kingsley was guarding Queen for some reason.

Yin could barely make out Queen behind the burly man, but he did notice that her glasses were cracked after taking his punch. But that wasn't all. It was strange, but he could've sworn Queen's image distorted a bit as well, but it could well be his eyes playing tricks on him from being dazed.

"I think you've done enough."

Yin could hear Kingsley talking to Queen.

"But I can still fight."

"Not in that condition, you're not. Who knows what'll happen in the next minute. I think you should worry about yourself before anything else. Besides, I know you are struggling because this isn't the type of environment you fight effectively in."

"But, what about the…"

"I can handle it on my own."

"..."

After their conversation, Queen looked a bit worried, but let out a long sigh before raising her hand in the air.

"What's this? In a rare turn of events, Queen has decided to forfeit the match."

The sound bubble briefly lowered, letting the muffled outside sound in and the first thing they heard was the commentators.

Yin couldn't believe his ears. Queen, forfeiting? He still wasn't sure why she was forfeiting when her Aura was still at a decent level, but he was willing to accept the good fortune. After all, this was the original intent of their previous attack, even if it didn't work out.

The competition briefly halted as Queen headed off the stage, but before she stepped off, she gave Kingsley one last worried look.

"Try not to overdo it too much."

Kingsley didn't respond, but he had a smirk creepily similar to Ace's.

The sound barrier reenacted itself, signalling the match to resume. However brief, Yin was glad for a moment to catch his breath, but they were definitely not out of hot water yet.

"You know, I originally didn't plan to go all out on you guys." Kingsley casually spoke to them as if they weren't in a battle. "I thought I could indulge myself a little by letting you guys come at me, but it seems like I underestimated you."

Both Yin and Xeno tighten their expressions as they suddenly felt an overwhelming force from him.

"So, I've decided to come at you with all I got and I hope you do the same."

With one quick motion, he ripped his shirt off, revealing his bulging muscles. Not only that, but if Yin's eyes didn't play tricks on him, his body was noticeably redder and steam started to come out of him. Even from a distance, Yin could feel a rise in temperature.

This was it. This was Kingsley at his full power.

"COME! LET'S SEE WHO WILL STAND VICTORIOUS!"

Kingsley immediately set upon them, his weapon raised high in its hammer-axe configuration. Xeno and Yin barely have enough time to jump out of the way before the spot they stood became a crater of stone shards.

But that wasn't the end of it.

Without a delay, Kingsley was already priming his next strike, swinging his blazing hot weapon with impunity and twirling it as if it was weightless.

It took all of Yin's effort to avoid the insta-death weapon. However, with his attention on Yin, Xeno attempted to hit him from behind.

But, as if there were eyes on the back of his head, Kingsley suddenly adjusted his position and clipped him with the back of his hammer. Even if it was just a grazing blow, the impact sent him flying before crumbling on the ground, unmoving.

Yin created a gauntlet with an explosive attached and tried to use the opening Xeno gave him to land a blow, but just like before, Kingsley was ready for it. Before he could even reach him, the butt of Kingsley's hammer shot out and struck him squarely in the chest, knocking his breath out and stunning him. Then, twirling his hammer extravagantly, Kingsley lined up a finishing smash.

Through the violent pain in his chest, Yin managed to convert all his summoned weapons into shields and stacked them in front of him. Kingsley paid little attention to this and proceed to swing his weapon directly at the shields.

There was a massive screech as the hammer made contact. The first two shields shatter immediately, the third offered some resistance before following the first two. Yin gritted his teeth as maintained his concentration on keeping the remaining two up.

Meanwhile, Kingsley didn't even look fatigued as the exhaust ports on his hammer came to life with hot flames, adding more pressure to his blow.

The fourth shield was cracking and ready to give way.

"Aaaaah!" Yin screamed, desperately trying to hold up, but he couldn't muster any more strength.

Noticing this, Kingsley made one final push. The fourth shield broke and the fifth quickly followed. Without any more protection, the hammer struck Yin in the center of mass and he careened across the stage, bouncing off the ground before grinding to a halt near the edge.

On the display above, Yin's Aura level fell into the red, borderlining the threshold.

"Is that it!? Is that all you got." Kingsley was practically gloating at this point. He brandished his weapon once more, aiming it at Yin. "If it is, then I guess it's time to finish the fight."

Kingsley expected a look of defeat on his fallen opponent, but what he got instead was a look of determination. He was a little puzzled, until he noticed something off.

Usually, when someone is eliminated the commentator's would mention it to the contestants. When he looked up, to his surprise, Xeno was still active in the match. And just when he came to this realization, he felt someone jump on his shoulders.

"Rrraaa!" Xeno screamed as he plunged his fist into Kingsley's neck.

He felt a prick and noticed that Xeno struck him with the darts he used against Queen. A pulse of electricity bloomed out, tingling his body. His Aura levels were dropping fast.

Yin took this moment to dash from his prone position, a replica of Kingsley's weapon forming as he ran towards him.

"Not so fast!" Kingsley slammed his hammer into the ground, the shockwave destabilizing Yin, causing him to trip. Then, letting go of his hammer, he grabbed Xeno with both hands and flipped him over his shoulder and into the ground hard enough to crack the stage. But that wasn't all. Still holding onto Xeno, he tossed him into the air and with one deft motion, lifted his hammer as if about to hit a baseball.

There was an audible gasp that resounded through the crowd as the sound barrier went down, perhaps for the judges to call excessive force, but it was too late.

The hammer was already moving towards the falling Xeno.

However, it did not strike him. Instead, Kingsley used his excessive strength plus a blast from his weapon to halt his attack just as it approached Xeno. Rather than hitting him directly, he hit him with the massive air pressure. Instead of physical damage, Xeno was bombarded by the massive pressure traveling through his body and went sailing off the stage, this time actually unconscious.

"Xeno has been eliminated!"

Only Yin remained.

Kingsley finally faced him again, who just got back to his feet. Both of their Aura levels are low, so the next attack will be the decider.

"Hmmph, looks like it comes down to this."

"Yeah…"

They both understood what's happening. Together, they raised their weapon, holding them in the exact same way, readying themselves in the exact same posture. There was a moment of serenity as they stared off at each other.

"Gaaaaah!"

"Oaaaaaah!"

They charged at each other with ferocity. The distance between them quickly closed as they both raised their weapons for the finishing strike.

But, unlike Kingsley, Yin had something else up his sleeves. He still had the ability to call forth one more weapon and in the middle of the charge, launched a spear at Kingsley. It wasn't enough to stop him, but he did need to adjust his position to avoid it. However, that split second he gained was enough for him to get his swing moving first.

Yin's hit landed and was immediately followed up by Kingsley. Both were struck by explosive force and both were sent tumbling.

On the screen, both their Aura dropped below the threshold.

"What's this? A double elimination? Could the match be a tie?" Aki's excited voice blared through the sound system.

"According to the rules, the first person to stand on two feet and proclaim victory will be considered the victor."

There was silence in the crowd as they held their breath in anticipation.

"Come on, come one." Jade whispered to herself, getting caught up in all it, too. Even her teammates were watching with bated breath.

Both contestants remain unmoving.

But after a moment, there was a reaction.

The first person to struggle to his feet was Kingsley. He struggled laboriously to rise up, his hammer knocked away so he couldn't use it as a cane. From being on all four, to his knees, then finally to a standing position, Kingsley was the first to have both feet planted on the ground.

However, Yin wasn't completely gone. Sure, Kingsley was the first to rise, but he stirred not long after, also slowly lifting his body. He was in pain and his body felt like lead, but he still did, because he had to, he needed to.

Kingsley watched with a grin. "You fought well, but it looks like it's my win in the end."

He was about to raise his hand to proclaim victory when a sudden spasm in his muscle disoriented him and dropped him to his knees. Confused, he checked his body and found a crumbled dart stuck in his chest, the spot where Yin struck him. It seemed he acquired one of those darts from Xeno and placed it in his summoned weapons during their final showdown.

The shock was enough to give Yin the advantage, but just as he got to his feet, he was hit by a wave of vertigo. His vision blurred and his consciousness was fading.

There was a gasp from the crowd as they saw him swayed forward.

Just keep putting one foot ahead of the other until you reach the finish line.

In his fading mind, he heard that line and for a split second he had a moment of clarity.

"Wooaaaaa!" With a mighty scream to clear his head, he summoned a sword and planted it in the ground to keep himself steady and with his other hand, he raised it high in the air.

"I DECLARE MYSELF...THE VICTOR!"

The silence was shattered by thundering applause, and the crowd shifted like a wave as hundreds stood up to cheer.

And from the speakers the final verdict was declared.

"The match is over! Victory goes to Yin from Team ONYX!"

After hearing those words, Yin's vision darkened and he collapsed to the floor, unconscious.