chapter five

Edward slowly opened his eyes, adjusting to the flickering light above him that seemed blinding at first. As he turned to his right, he saw his brothers sleeping peacefully beside him. Kane's hand was tightly holding onto his, showing a sense of comfort and protection. Edward gently rubbed Kane's hand, causing him to stir from his slumber and rub his eyes sleepily.

"Edward, you're awake!" Kane exclaimed joyfully, relieved to see his brother conscious. He quickly got up and embraced Edward tightly, grateful for his recovery.

"Why did you use so much magic?" Kane asked with concern. "The healer mentioned that you were lucky not to have caused irreversible damage to yourself."

"Why do you push yourself so hard?" Kane continued, worry evident in his voice.

"I'm your big brother," Edward replied with a soft smile as he ruffled Kane's hair. "If I don't, then who will?"

Tears welled up in Edward's eyes as he realized the gravity of their current situation. "I'm sorry... because of me, we're left without a home to return to," Edward sobbed.

Kane's smile remained reassuring as he spoke, "As long as we have each other, we'll be okay."

Kane's words always lifted Edward's spirits, as they reminded him of their mother and the sense of security he felt being with his brother. Another set of arms wrapped around Edward, and he looked up to see Riley smiling warmly at him, further brightening his mood.

"But seriously, what do we do now?" Riley interjected, breaking the moment of warmth and camaraderie.

"Wow, thanks for the reminder, Riley," Kane quipped sarcastically, though a glimmer of amusement lit up his eyes.

Riley smirked in response, playfully mocking Kane's reaction.

"I might actually be able to help with the situation you find yourselves in," a deep voice announced from the doorway. A tall, black-haired man with glasses stood before them, clad in a cloak bearing the emblem of a viper.

"My captain has sent me to assist you in this predicament," the man introduced himself as Wendel Graf, the vice-captain of the Golden Viper Squad. "He finds it disheartening to witness such formidable abilities being underutilized."

.....

The scene was quite chaotic in the lunchroom, with Oliver, Henry, and Charlotte enjoying their meal together. Oliver couldn't help but be captivated by Charlotte's unique way of devouring her food with gusto. Henry's curiosity got the best of him as he noticed Charlotte's seemingly bottomless appetite.

"Where is it all going?" Henry pondered aloud, marveling at the amount of food being consumed by Charlotte.

"You know a lady has to eat," Charlotte responded nonchalantly, with bits of food scattered around her mouth. She then jokingly added, "You won't look like this if you don't eat.," flexing her muscles playfully. "Just look at me!"

Henry, caught off guard, stammered out a poorly chosen comment, "You look more like a gorilla," before quickly correcting himself, "I mean, you look like a goddess."

Charlotte peered at Henry with a mischievous twinkle in her eye, causing him to break into a nervous sweat. He rubbed the back of his neck anxiously and mumbled, "Fluttering won't get you anywhere." Charlotte blushed, turning her attention to Oliver.

"Am I cute, Oli," she teased, but Oliver seemed distracted, his gaze fixed on a mysterious figure in the distance.

Oliver's focus was drawn to a boy with striking white hair, clad in a black long-sleeved t-shirt, a necklace, brown combat jeans, and black combat boots. The boy exuded an air of power and intimidation, causing fear to ripple through the other fighters nearby. The intensity of the boy's actions during the previous exam left Oliver unsettled.

Having never witnessed such brutality before, Oliver felt a sense of unease as he observed the boy's commanding presence. As their eyes met, a brief but intense moment passed between Oliver and the enigmatic figure, each seemingly sizing up the other in silent contemplation.

...

The second round of the intense fight tournament has just kicked off, and the tension in the arena is palpable. Charlotte and Henry have each emerged victorious from their individual matches, setting the stage for even more thrilling battles to come.

As the crowd buzzes with anticipation, Oliver, our courageous protagonist, steps onto the Starbase arena, ready to face off against his formidable opponent, Tenji. Tenji cuts an imposing figure, with his massive frame, long black hair tied up in a bun, and the bandages wrapped tightly around his feet adding to his mystique.

With a confident aura, Tenji stretches out his powerful muscles, anticipation radiating from his every move as he locks eyes with Oliver. Oliver, on the other hand, bounces lightly on his feet, his eyes sharp and focused as he readies himself for the impending clash.

The moment arrives, and without skipping a beat, Tenji unleashes a lightning-fast fist towards Oliver. Our quick-witted protagonist manages to dodge the blow, but the sheer force behind Tenji's punch causes the air to whip past Oliver. Reacting swiftly, Oliver counters by stepping on Tenji's guard and delivering a powerful one-two punch straight to his opponent's midsection. However, to Oliver's surprise, Tenji seems unfazed by the impact.

Seeing that brute force alone won't be enough to best his formidable opponent, Oliver adapts his tactics. When Tenji goes for a leg swipe, Oliver evades by leaping backward multiple times, creating distance between them. As he strategizes his next move, Oliver harnesses the magical energy within him, channeling it into his legs to enhance his speed.

With a burst of agility, Oliver closes the gap between them, engaging in a fierce exchange of blows with Tenji. The wind swirls around them as they unleash a flurry of punches, each strike carrying the weight of their determination and skill.

However, Tenji's relentless pace proves too much for Oliver to keep up with. Despite his best efforts, Oliver finds himself on the receiving end of a series of punishing blows, causing him to stagger under the force of Tenji's assault. As Tenji gains the upper hand, he capitalizes on Oliver's moment of weakness, executing a sweeping kick that sends Oliver crashing into the arena wall with a resounding thud.

As Oliver struggles to regain his footing, a sense of urgency grips him. Realizing that he can't match Tenji's speed and power head-on, a new determination settles within Oliver. "I can't keep up with him at this pace," he muses, his mind racing as he seeks a way to turn the tide of the battle. "I need to rethink my strategy if I'm going to stand a chance against him."

"Fire magic: soaring heat wave"

As the intense battle continues in the arena, the fiery magic of soaring heat waves engulfs the surroundings, causing the air to crackle with searing heat. Tenji finds himself struggling in the scorching atmosphere, sweat dripping down his face and clouding his vision. His opponent, Oliver, grins victoriously as he witnesses the effects of his powerful magic on Tenji.

With determination fueling his movements, Oliver channels magic into his legs, propelling himself towards Tenji with incredible speed. In a swift motion, he lunges towards his adversary, aiming to deliver a devastating heel kick to Tenji's head. However, just as the blow is about to connect, Tenji deftly ducks out of sight, disappearing from Oliver's view in a blink of an eye.

Surprised by Tenji's evasive maneuver, Oliver lands on the ground, his senses on high alert as he searches for his agile opponent. Moving with lightning speed, Tenji suddenly reappears, launching a ferocious closeline attack that catches Oliver off guard. The impact sends Oliver crashing to the ground, the force of the blow shattering the already damaged arena floor into splintered fragments.

Undeterred by the turn of events, Tenji swiftly scales the arena walls, propelling himself to a higher vantage point in the air. As he reaches the pinnacle of his ascent, he begins to spin rapidly, creating a swirling vortex of air around his body. With precision and speed, Tenji takes aim at the shattered ground below and unleashes a powerful blast, hurtling towards the earth at breakneck speed.

The force of Tenji's attack rips through the already fragmented arena floor, reducing it to even smaller pieces in a chaotic display of destructive power.

Oliver lay on the damaged ground, a broken boy with blood seeping from his mouth and a busted forehead leaking crimson droplets. As Tenji gazed at Oliver's battered form, a victorious grin spread across his face. Triumphantly, he shouted at the top of his lungs, declaring, "Victory is mine!"

From the balcony of the arena, spectators watched in hushed anticipation as Tenji celebrated his presumed triumph. Charlotte and Henry stood side by side, gazing down at where Oliver's body lay motionless.

"Do you think he's alright?" Henry's concern was evident in his voice, but Charlotte remained silent, her eyes fixed on Oliver's twitching figure.

"The fight is not over," she finally stated, her voice determined.

Struggling to his feet, Oliver grasped a newfound understanding of Tenji's magic.

"I get it now," he thought to himself. "His magic allows him to manipulate the density of his body. To move swiftly, he decreases his density, sacrificing strength, and vice versa."

"I know what to do," Oliver whispered under his breath.

Unaware that his opponent had risen once more, Tenji continued to dart around the arena, attempting to evade the incoming threat. Oliver focused his magic, channeling his power with unwavering determination.

"Fire Magic: Blooming Flower of the Fall," he intoned, a mystical symbol materializing above his head. Brilliantly fiery petals emerged, transforming the battleground into a deadly yet enchanting field of flaming flowers.

Tenji, now cognizant of the danger surrounding him, swiftly decreased his body's mass, moving at lightning speed to dodge the fiery blossoms and locate Oliver amidst the swirling inferno. However, the task proved more challenging than he had anticipated.

As he navigated through the radiant blooms, Tenji found himself disoriented, unable to pinpoint Oliver's exact location. Abruptly, the flames intensified, blinding him momentarily. Startled, he attempted to step back, only to collide with Oliver who emerged from the shadows.

In a swift motion, Oliver unleashed a savage spinning leg kick, striking Tenji with incredible force. The impact propelled Tenji backward, his legs seized by Oliver's powerful grip. In a masterful display of skill and strength, Oliver executed a relentless powerbomb, slamming Tenji to the ground with a resounding thud, rendering him unconscious.