Chapter-244

"As I said originally, you are clearly exhausted," Sin said calmly standing over the wheezing man. "Rushing at me recklessly in anger only worsened your fatigue. If you had taken a moment to rest first, you may have fared better."

Number 2 glared up at Sin, humiliation burning in his eyes. But his body was spent - nearly five consecutive all-out fights had drained every last bit of his energy.

Seeing his opponent had nothing left, Sin extended a hand down. "You fought well and should hold your head high. Here, let me help you up."

With the last remnants of his pride shattered, Number 2 reluctantly took Sin's hand. As Sin pulled the thoroughly defeated man to his feet, the officiator stepped forward.

"Number 2 is unable to continue. Number 5 wins and will advance to the final match."

Sin turned to Number 2 one last time. "You have the heart of a warrior. Keep training and I'm sure we will meet again in the arena."

With those final words of encouragement, Sin strode off to prepare for the next fight like Shonen Manga's character.

Supportive shouts rang out from Stephen and Marlin up in the stands as Sin waved in acknowledgment. Though his first match had ended anti-climatically.

As Sin walked off the arena floor after his swift victory, he heard Stephen and Marlin cheering wildly for him from the stands above. But mixed in with his loyal companions' praise, angry shouts from other spectators rang out.

"Fraud!" one man yelled. "He's using evil magic to win!"

"He made a pact with a demon for that eye!" another spectator accused. "Make him show what's under that seal!"

More vitriol echoed through the crowd as suspicions mounted around Sin's concealed right eye. Though he had tried to keep his unique ocular abilities discreet, rumors had started spreading about the strange markings always hidden behind his eyepatch.

To the superstitious citizens of this realm, the unknown powers of Sin's Sharingan eye appeared occult and sinister. Without understanding, they assumed some malevolent force must be granting Sin unnatural strength.

Up in the honored victor's box, Marlin and Stephen bristled with outrage as the barrage of slander continued.

"How dare they insult our master!" Marlin exclaimed furiously. He started to rise from his seat to confront the hecklers before Stephen put a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Don't engage," the level-headed man advised. "Their petty words cannot harm Master Sin."

Though still fuming, Marlin reluctantly settled back down.

On the arena floor far below, Sin appeared unbothered by the ongoing accusations swirling around him. He had expected some suspicions and envy to arise as he progressed further into the prestigious tournament. Baseless rumors came with the territory of success.

The officiators and judges also paid the angry shouts no mind. Competitors utilizing exotic magics or unique abilities were commonplace. Sin had passed all required inspections and qualifications for the tournament, so his right to compete could not be questioned. 

A few of the rowdier spectators tried to work their way towards the arena floor, still hurling insults and demanding Sin reveal his eye. But tournament security swiftly intercepted them and escorted them away.

Soon the disgruntled troublemakers had been removed and relative calm returned. Up in the stands, Marlin still fumed quietly. But Stephen nodded in satisfaction as order was restored.

"As expected, fools cannot impede our master's ascent," he remarked.

Down below, Sin finished conferring with the judges about his next match and strode purposefully back into position. He would not be distracted by the petty noise of detractors. There was still a long competitive road ahead and many more powerful foes to face (Sin thought as an overall journey ahead of his life).

With his loyal companions steadfastly supporting him and chaos in the crowd swiftly contained, Sin focused his mind on the challenges ahead. The rumors and accusations would surely persist, but so too would Sin's determination to keep excelling and proving his strength.

With the distractions around his controversial first match now settled; Sin turned his gaze towards the other arena zone. There, the battle royale bracket of Numbers 6 through 10 was reaching its climax.

To Sin's surprise, Number 6 had emerged victorious after his last bout, winning the right to advance to the Final fight. As the dust cleared from Number 6's final match, Sin studied the mysterious man intently. Something about his opponent's energy signature and the way he carried himself seemed oddly familiar, though Sin could not place why.

Activating his Sharingan eye discreetly on his left eye, Sin scanned Number 6 more closely. The visual abilities granted by his dojutsu allowed Sin to perceive things on a profound level beyond normal sight. As he analyzed Number 6's chakra and posture, faint alarms began ringing in Sin's mind. There were layers and complexities to this man that even Sin's refined vision could not decipher.

Before he could probe further, Number 6 happened to glance up and notice Sin's intense stare. But rather than appearing unsettled, the enigmatic man simply smiled and raised a hand in friendly greeting.

"I look forward to a good match, Number 5!" Number 6 called out cheerily across the arena floor. His tone and expression radiated kindness and humility, like a gentle scholar rather than a hardened fighter.

Taken aback slightly, Sin ended his visual examination and returned the polite wave. Perhaps he was being excessively suspicious based on vague familiarity. This benevolent-looking gentleman certainly did not seem like someone harboring ill intent or dangerous secrets.

Still, Sin could not shake the sense that there was more to Number 6 than meets the eye. The subtle clues in his aura and patterns were too aligned with teachings from Sin's previous existence to ignore entirely, even if the man's outward behavior appeared perfectly benign.

Glancing around, Sin noticed tournament officials gathering below the honored victor's box where Stephen and Marlin eagerly awaited the Final face-off. It was time for the closing bout between the last competitors standing from the two brackets.

Pushing his speculations aside, for now, Sin made his way to the center of the arena. Number 6 was already there smiling calmly, showing no hint of combativeness or competitiveness.

Yet when the officiator gave the signal to begin, Number 6's friendly facade vanished. In a blur, he closed the distance between them and unleashed a barrage of blindingly fast strikes. Caught momentarily off guard, Sin blocked the flurry of attacks.

This man was clearly exceptionally skilled at masking his true talents. But Sin had strength that far surpassed normal of his age and was cunning to adapt quickly, even against mysterious opponents.

The arena rumbled with the force of Number 6's exchanges. While keeping half his focus on defending against Number 6's unpredictable moves, Sin's mind continued racing to decipher who this deceptively powerful contender truly was. What secrets lay behind that disarming smile? The Final now hinged on whether Sin could unveil the truth in time.