History maker

The announcer signaled for the fight to begin, and Ryo charged towards Zach with a punch. Zach deftly blocked the attack with his sword and launched a swift counterattack, pushing Ryo back.

Undeterred, Ryo rushed towards Zach again, this time with even more force. With a resounding crack, his punch connected with Zach's sword, sending him flying into the wall. The impact was so intense that the wall shattered, sending debris flying everywhere.

Ryo stopped in his tracks, thinking he had already won. He let his guard down for a moment, and in that moment, Zach had somehow gotten behind him. With quick and precise movement, he sliced Ryo's arm clean off.

Ryo fell to his knees, his muffled screams of agony echoing through the arena. The crowd was stunned into silence as medical personnel rushed onto the stage to attend to Ryo's injuries. Azrael sat frozen in his seat, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

The fight was over, and Zach emerged as the victor, maintaining his undefeated streak. But the cost of his victory was high, and the arena was left in a somber mood as the students contemplated the brutality of the fight.

In the arena, the students watched in silence as Zach stood victorious, while Ryo grunted in pain on the floor. But what did these students feel? It was not shock, as they had already expected this result. They felt fear and disheartened, realizing the unfathomable power of the top ten, and the hopelessness of ever being able to reach them. If Ryo couldn't, who could?

Breaking the silence, Azrael spoke up, "Pathetic." He looked Zach dead in the eyes and continued, "How much of a pathetic loser does one have to be to cut off an opponent's arm in a friendly duel?"

Zach responded defensively, "Shut up, you're another weakling who understands nothing-"

Azrael cut him off, "Oh, but I do understand. You were afraid since he challenged you, weren't you? You were afraid everyone would see you're not as strong as you were made out to be. You were scared when Ryo's punches hit, and you were afraid one of these students would see a chance. And there'll be one challenger after another until you eventually fall."

As he walked out of the seats toward the arena, Azrael continued, "You're a pathetic and scared weakling who's so terrified of a challenge, you took a person's arm just to scare people out of it." His face was filled with anger as he watched Ryo getting carried out with his once-attached arm on the floor.

"You're a coward," Azrael said, his anger growing. Zach's pressuring ki filled the air, and his face was painted with anger.

"But I'm not scared...just disappointed," Azrael continued.

"Those words, I'll make you pay for them. I challenge you to a rank fight, Azrael," Zach said as his ki flared.

"Ha, of course, you'd challenge the one person that can't use ki," Azrael said as he walked toward the place where the swords were kept to take one.

"But unlike you, I'm not afraid of a challenge, so... come," Azrael said as he went into a stance.

"Then I'll fight you with my ki suppressed," Zach said as the intense ki dissipated, but the anger on his face still very present.

A smirk appeared across Azrael's face. "OK, then," he said.

After announcing the challenge, the announcer informed the students that the Vice Headmaster must approve the rules and the fight before it could happen. The students waited for about thirty minutes before the announcer returned and declared that the fight had been approved.

Some minutes before the announcer began the three-second countdown to signal the start of the fight, Ryo regained consciousness in the infirmary. The nurse attending to him updated Ryo on what was happening at the arena, including Zach's acceptance of the challenge.

"Haha, so Azrael tricked him, huh?" Ryo chuckled.

"Tricked?" the nurse asked, puzzled.

"In a duel without ki..." Zach muttered.

The announcer's countdown ended, and the match began. But it ended almost as soon as it started.

"Not even the top ten stands a chance," Ryo remarked.

Zach was caught off guard, having suppressed his ki completely. He realized, too late, that he had been cut by Azrael's sword. Zach fell to the ground, crying out in pain as Azrael stood over him.

"Pathetic," Azrael said, looking down at Zach with disdain.

The entire academy was full with talks about the fight they had watched , that was the topic till the day had ended.

In a dimly lit room somewhere in the Zeforn Empire, a man in armor sat hunched over his desk, studying the maps laid out before him. His face was creased in deep thought. Suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows behind him.

"I bring orders from the Family Head, commander" the man said, his voice barely audible.

The commander did not look up from his maps. "What is it?" he asked.

"A military recruitment for a student named Azrael from Ryzel. It must be sent out immediately," the messenger said.

"Why?" the commander asked, still not looking up.

"No reason was given by the Family Head, but the order follows your son Zach's defeat at the hands of this student," the messenger explained.

The commander's face remained expressionless, but the atmosphere in the room shifted. He didn't speak for a few seconds.

"Who is he?" the commander finally asked.

"He's a normal kid from a small town called Rivers Crossing. He can't use ki, but he's exceptionally talented with the sword. In his fight against Zach, Zach's ki was also suppressed," the messenger said.

"Is this recruitment just so Zach can keep his rank? Does the Family Head not consider our family's reputation? I will not carry out such a--"

"The Family Head also said that I informed you the order must be carried out as instructed. Any refusal will not be tolerated," the messenger interrupted firmly.

The commander's oppressive aura loomed over the room even more, but he kept his face expressionless. His anger was clear, though.

"Tell Aaron to prepare," the commander said.

"Understood" the messenger replied before disappearing back into the shadows.