Fight

The girl with the spear attacked first, her weapon darting forward like a striking snake.

Kailash sidestepped, using his sword to deflect the blow, but she was fast, following up with a spinning sweep that forced him to leap back.

Before he could recover, the boy with the mace charged in, swinging his weapon in a wide arc.

Kailash ducked just in time, feeling the air whoosh past his head.

"You guys don't believe in breaks, huh?" Kailash said, blocking the next strike with his sword.

The beast, meanwhile, circled him slowly, its eyes fixed on his every move.

Kailash could feel the tension building one mistake, and it would pounce.

He deflected another blow from the spear girl, using the momentum to spin away from the mace boy's next attack.

With a quick slash of his sword, he managed to nick the girl's arm, forcing her to back off.

The beast took that moment to lunge, its fangs aimed at Kailash's throat.

He barely had time to react, swinging his sword upward.

The blade caught the creature's side, leaving a shallow gash, but its momentum still knocked him to the ground.

"Could you not?" Kailash grunted, rolling out of the way as the beast's claws raked the ground where he'd been.

He scrambled to his feet, channeling his Qi into the sword.

The blade glowed faintly, and he swung it in a wide arc.

The Gale Strike technique activated, sending a sharp gust of wind toward the beast.

The force knocked it back, giving Kailash a moment to breathe.

The spear girl and mace boy weren't about to give him that luxury, though.

They attacked simultaneously, one striking high and the other low.

Kailash gritted his teeth, using his sword to block the spear while kicking the mace boy's weapon aside.

"Two against one isn't fair, you know," he said, jumping back to avoid another strike.

The spear girl smirked. "Fairness isn't the point."

"Yeah, I noticed," Kailash muttered.

He focused his Qi again, this time using the Gale Strike to create a small whirlwind around him.

The sudden burst of wind forced his opponents to back off, and even the beast hesitated.

Taking advantage of the moment, Kailash lunged at the spear girl, delivering a powerful strike that sent her weapon flying.

She stumbled back, clutching her arm.

The mace boy growled, charging again, but Kailash sidestepped and used the flat of his blade to knock the mace out of his hands.

A quick kick to the chest sent him sprawling.

Now it was just him and the beast.

The creature growled, its fangs bared as it lunged again. Kailash swung his sword in a precise arc, the Gale Strike activating just in time to release a sharp gust of wind that collided with the beast mid-air.

The force sent the creature tumbling sideways, its claws scraping the dirt as it tried to regain its footing.

Kailash didn't give it a chance. He charged forward, channeling his Qi into his sword for a stronger attack.

The blade gleamed with a faint silver hue as he brought it down in a diagonal slash across the beast's side.

The creature roared in pain, blood seeping from the wound, but it wasn't done yet.

It lashed out with its tail, catching Kailash across the ribs.

He staggered back, gasping as pain shot through his side. "Okay, that hurt," he muttered, clutching his ribs. "You've got a strong tail. Noted."

The beast snarled, circling him again, its yellow eyes gleaming with determination.

Kailash tightened his grip on the sword, ignoring the throbbing pain in his side. He needed to end this quickly.

The beast lunged once more, its claws slashing toward his chest.

This time, Kailash met it head-on, sidestepping at the last moment and driving his sword into its side.

The blade pierced deep, and with a surge of Qi, he released another Gale Strike from point-blank range.

The blast sent the beast sprawling, its body skidding across the arena floor. It tried to rise, but its legs wobbled, and it collapsed with a final growl.

The crowd erupted in cheers as the overseer stepped forward, raising his hand.

"Victory to Kailash Varuna of Kalith Village!"

Kailash exhaled heavily, wiping sweat from his brow as he lowered his sword.

His body ached, his ribs throbbed, and his Qi reserves were almost empty, but he had done it. He had survived.

As he stumbled out of the arena, Ravi was waiting for him with a smirk. "Not bad, kid. For a moment there, I thought you were going to get eaten."

Kailash shot him a tired glare. "Thanks for the vote of confidence. I think my ribs are broken, by the way."

Ravi shrugged. "Eh, you'll live. Besides, pain builds character."

Kailash groaned, leaning against the wall as he tried to catch his breath. "If that's true, I should have more character than anyone here by now."

That evening, as the other competitors prepared for their next matches, Kailash found a quiet corner to sit and think about today's fight.

His body screamed for rest, but his mind was racing.

The second round had proven to be far more brutal than he'd expected, and he knew the next challenges would only get harder.

Still, as he looked down at his Basic Spirit Sword, he couldn't help but feel a flicker of pride.

He had fought harder than ever before, using everything he had learned, and it had paid off.

The sword buzzed faintly in his hand, almost as if it was congratulating him.

Kailash smirked. "You didn't scream this time. I think we're making progress."

For once, the sword stayed silent, and Kailash allowed himself a moment of peace.