The Tournament I

"Do you know the Esper academy SCSP event has started?" Lurio said

"Really! it's already that time, the last one was very interesting. I doubt if this one can be much." Laurence said.

"Don't be like that Laurence, I've seen their skills and I can tell, that some of them would even be stronger than your time" Lurio said.

Laurence stopped with the paper he was writing on and looked at Lurio.

"I was not available, however I heard that you let the prisoner go" he said to Lurio.

Lurio scoffed, "It's the bureau's fault for not having enough information. Thanks to Karl Asgeir Frydenlord, we were all able to make it back alive"

"The first son of the Frydenlord? His an esper? what rank?"

"An S rank hunter to be precise. I'm sure by the time he comes out of the academy. He'll shake the entire world"

"Ah...I've been listening to you since, but aren't you placing too much expectations on this boy" Tyron the third person in the office said.

"Hmm, he's definitely strong" Lurio said.

"Alright, we have special privileges right? So we should be able to view their tournament channel" Tyron said.

"Do you agree Laurence?" Lurio asked.

"Don't just slack with work, we've got much paperwork on ground" he said as they both joyfully changed the TV channel.

....

Ryszard stood with his opponent on the floor, six laser dots swirled behind him.

[He's growing with the cheat you have given him]

"Looks like your fan boy is strong" Rachel said, standing behind Karl who was sitting, focused on the TV.

He looked at her, "Where have you been?"

"Sorting out myself?"

Her response made Karl feel the awkwardness again, he turned back to the TV.

"You were impressive"

"I barely fought. Wait till we meet on that stage" She said and took a seat on the sofa next to Karl. Having taken off her armour, her skin glowed in her yellow gown that reached above her knees, it was slim fitted and brought out her curves and ass. Karl belatedly saw and fought to take his eyes of.

Quinn walked to the stage, looking frightened as usual. His opponent Leo Fereirra, a French boy from a very prestigious fencing family, even though it was now a run down sport. Quinn had done more than enough research on him within minutes and also found out that his opponent is a rank B hunter that also awakened on the examination day and his skills as an hunter seemed to be close combat because he is in the warrior class, while Quinn is in the archer class.

He arrived to the middle of the stage and stared at his opponent, he sighed and did a battle bow as they started.

~Swooosh~

"The first thing a close combatant always seeks is closing the distance, you are an archer class and the fact that you have an explosive power gives you edge over a warrior class. While others would be stopping a warrior class from getting closer, what you should do is use his persistency to close the distance between you two to your advantage...." Akinwale's voice rang in Quinn's head as Leo ran towards him.

'He was right, thank you'

"Arctic bomb!"

~KABOOOM~

~Crackle~

A large ball of ice in shape of a morningstar exploded out of nowhere, with edges so sharp they looked like they could tear space. Leo was sent flying by the impact of the explosion. He sustained forehead injury and blood run down the his right eye.

"...that is a dangerous explosive power..." he said to himself, holding tight his rapier sword(which he was yet to unsheath) to his waist.

The stage was left with a large stain of ice and a big ball of ice in form of a morningstar right in the middle of the stages, refusing to melt. Quinn ran towards the left of where the ice exploded.

"Ice shot!"

~pak~

~pak~

~pak~

~pak~

...

~clang~

~clang~

~clang~

~clang~

...

Series of ice cone was shot at Leo from Quinn's hand but Leo drew out his sword and blocked all of them, he ran over towards the towards the right of the ice explosion, and dashed to close the distance.

Akinwale grinned from where he was watching. "He fell into the trap"

"Ice Trails"

~Thrrrikkkkshhh~

~Splurts~

Like a trap a Trail of sharp ice cone suddenly rose from the ground and raised Leo's body with it, his body was badly stabbed, the little ice stabbed his legs and the tall once stabbed from his groin, his chest, his arm, his blood scattered abroad on the ground. The medic ran into the stage as it was very dire.

Quinn staggered backwards in fear if what he has done.

While Akinwale smiled evilly.

"He listened and did it the way I told him to..." he said.

"I see, then it's your victory not his" Pascal said.

"What? I was not the one fighting there"

"It doesn't matter, You should let him see what he is capable of, not help him" Pascal said.

"Whatever" he said angrily and walked away from Pascal.

[Quinn won by strategy, its impressive, he knows his skills and used them thoughtfully, the first was suppose to give way to the second, the second was used as a diversion while he poured his all into the third which was meant to be his final blow]

'That is too intelligent to be his idea, I've seen him fight, he fights uncoordinatedly and inexperienced.'

[What are you suggesting?]

'Someone told him to fight like that?'

[Are you saying, there was someone that was able to analyse the opponent's skill before even fighting and everything went as he predicted, how's that possible without Foresight?]

Karl smiled, "It's not"

"Looks like the new guy is up next" Someone in the room said.

Karl's eyes were immediately fixated on the screen of the TV as Falcon mounted the stage. He watched how Falcon defeated his opponent before the match even started.

Rachel watched Karl all through.

'That glare in his eyes, I've never seen it on him before...' She said in her mind.

....

The first round of the match came to an end in the late night of the same day, narrowing the next matches to 16, which was then the second round and the seemed to be the toughest of all the matches as the match up was deadly from what have been seen in the first round.

1. Fujimoto Tetsuyoki vs Rachel Burton

2. Egwuatu Pascal vs Ryszard Watson

3. Quinn Nieves vs Falcon Noble

4. Adebayo Akinwale vs Ketifat Kasim

5. Azelle de Kiek vs Karl Asgeir Frydenlord

6. Joey Elmond vs Samuel Lesly

7. Saton Nara vs Dimitry Rhys

8. Isabelle Reid vs Chester Lowe

9. Ryusaki Nanaho vs Ubaid Saky

10. Herman Greseth vs Harun Al Rachid ibn Khaalid el-Amara

11. Yasmine Davilla vs Hao Bao

12. Pistorius Cleopatra vs Rugstarf Marrlair

13. Temperance Sanjeev vs Avasa Shriram

14. Kojo Madaki vs Ching Qingge

15. Emma Kornivola vs Yoon Young-mi

16. Penelope Devane vs Zbyszko Giza

Karl's eyes was fixated on the ranking table as he continued his pushup while sweating profusely.

[You look like you are worried, is it about Quinn?]

"Yes it is" Karl said and stopped.

[3407, you are going to 10,000]

"I can't help but be worried..."

[You won't be so crazy as to kill him...what you should truly be intrigued about is, if you win this round and Dimitry wins his, you both will be fighting]

Karl smiled "It is indeed exciting but what I'm most excited to see tomorrow is Rachel's fight with the fat guy that can nullify damage. Weight has always been a crucial factor to Rachel's ability, and my instincts tell me it would be useless against that guy." He grabbed a tracksuit and wore it, zipped up to below his Jaw. "I should probably tell her right"

[You normally wouldn't care, don't you want to see her fight on her own]

"..." Kal did not respond to Black but jogged outside and stood afar off Rachel's hostel.

Rachel was fast asleep, the darkness in the shadow of her corners began to rise. She immediately opened her eyes.

"It is I" Quincy whispered, "Lord Karl wants to see you" she said and sank back into the shadows.

Rachel found it disturbing and weird, "Karl wants to see me?" She said to herself and wore her sweatpants and a thick hood because of the cold outside, she tied her blonde hair up and wore a sneakers then she went outside. Karl was seated on the wooden chair in far away from her hostel. She jogged there but was already panting.

"Oh? oh? Just how many meters you are breathing so heavily, are you sure you are ready to take on the fat guy?" Karl said to her as she arrived.

"Is that what you called me here to say?" She said, stopping in front of him and catching her breathe.

"He's strong" He said

"So am I" She replies him, "Besides he's A rank, I'm S rank"

"I don't think you should always trust and rely on that student ranking system, its not even the real deal" Karl said.

She looked at him while standing, blocking the bright light of the moon from his face and making her beautiful face and blue eyes shine in it. Karl looked at her, '...I should probably not tell her, Rachel is strong, this battle should help her grow even if she loses"

"Just so you know, I don't plan on loosing at all, I will make sure I fight you in the finals" she said.

Karl smiled, "I'll be expecting you" he said and stood up.

Rachel's face reddened in blush, 'The hell, his response is different from the usual...'

Karl was about going but he suddenly stopped as Rachel's hand held his, she turned her face down, hiding the expression on her face from him.

"Is that really all?" She said, "Did you wake me up to say all that?"

"I wanted to wish you a good luck before your fight" Karl said

"That's not how you do it fool..." she muttered underneath her lips.

"Huh?"

~Hugs~

She wrapped her hands around him and hugged him tight. Karl stood there frozen for a moment as she placed her head on his chest. Which began to beat faster than he can control. He tried his breathing techniques amidst the minutes of these happening but nine of them could stop the thumping in his heart, his hands on it own went round her waist.

"I'm definitely going to win tomorrow" She said.