The cave fell into deep silence.
The only sounds left were the low bubbling of lava beneath the bridge and the faint shifts of feet scraping against stone.
At the center of the bridge, Bobby and Daniella stood facing each other.
Neither looked away.
Daniella wore a smug expression. Her revolver was aid steadily at Bobby’s chest. She looked certain of victory.
Bobby’s face had already turned pale. Sweat dripped from his chin. His breathing was uneven. But he didn’t step back.
He tightened his grip around the dagger in his right hand.
Then, without warning, both of them moved.
Daniella fired her remaining bullets rapidly. The gunshots echoed through the cave, sharp and violent.
Bobby dashed forward.
So bullets he narrowly evaded. Others grazed him; his arm, his cheek, the side of his leg.
Thin lines of blood appeared.
"Ahh!"
He swung his dagger forward and followed it with a punch.
Daniella twisted her body smoothly, stepping left, then right. Her Cognis circulated visibly. She used it carefully—enhancing her body while sharpening her sight. Every strike Bobby made seed slow in her eyes.
He lacked experience.
His movents were aggressive but unrefined.
He was still adjusting to hand-to-hand combat. And now he faced soone who had trained in it since childhood.
***
The biggest difference between Highline nobles and Lowline nobles in Britannia was obvious in both power and capital that even a child could see it if they paid attention long enough. It was normal for nobles to make their children undergo training in hand-to-hand combat from a young age. Highline nobles had the wealth to hire skilled instructors, paying large sums without hesitation, or they could request guidance from relatives who were Alchemists themselves. Strength and combat knowledge were part of their upbringing. It was expected.
Lowlines were different.
Most did not have the capital to employ proper trainers. So of them were not even Alchemists. Only a few families produced low-ranking Alchemists, and even then, their connections were limited. So relied on old guard experience passed down through generations, but compared to Highlines, the gap was clear.
Bobby ca from a family of Flora Alchemists.
Healing, Restoration, and Saving lives.
Hand-to-hand combat had never been part of his training. He had been taught that Alchemy was ant to nd wounds, not create them. His role had always been, support.
But since entering the Trial of Steel, the values changed, sothing inside him had begun to change.
The coward who used to hide behind stronger people.
The obedient boy who followed his parents’ instructions without question.
The young duckling who never thought he needed to grow claws.
He had begun to change with the nature of the Trial.
Slowly, but steadily.
***
On the bridge, Daniella struck first.
As Bobby tried to slash toward her with his dagger, she stepped inside his reach and punched his nose. The impact snapped his head backward. Before he could recover, she grabbed his wrist, spun him around, and drove her knee into his stomach.
Air burst from his lungs.
He stumbled backward from the blow.
She didn’t give him space.
She yanked him forward again and punched his nose once more.
There was force in her strike. Real force. But because of the stimulant and the enhancent from his Cognis, he did not collapse instantly.
Still, damage added up.
She continued targeting his stomach and face.
Punch, Elbow, and Knee.
Blood began dropping steadily from his nose.
He coughed, and blood spilled from his mouth.
Finally, Bobby dropped to his knees.
"Cough! Cough! Cough!"
Blood splattered onto the bridge.
His vision darkened at the edges.
The dagger slipped from his hand and clattered against the stone.
"Awwn," Daniella said mockingly as she tightened her grip on his arm. "You look miserable now."
She laughed.
Then she raised her left leg and swung a heavy kick toward him.
But this ti... Bobby caught her leg.
His arm wrapped tightly around her ankle.
"Let go, you bastard!" Daniella snapped, trying to yank her leg free.
She twisted, pulling with strength enhanced by Cognis.
But Bobby did not budge.
She released his right hand in order to punch his face...
And that was the mistake.
The mont her grip loosened... Sothing inside him broke free.
His last form of resilience burst outward.
He had endured the pain, waited through the humiliation, and held onto consciousness for this opening.
Now that she was in his grasp...
He would end it.
"Ahhhhhhh!"
Cognis erupted from his body in a sudden surge.
The air around them trembled slightly as he forced himself to stand, lifting her from the ground while still gripping her leg.
His free hand ca up to reinforce his hold, increasing the force.
Daniella’s eyes widened.
"Eh?!"
She found herself suspended in the air.
Before she could stabilize herself, Bobby twisted his body, turning his back toward the lava, and swung her down with every ounce of strength he had left.
Boom!
Her body slamd into the bridge.
The stone shook.
Dust fell into the lava below, small cracks spread across the surface where she landed.
Daniella hit the ground hard and spat blood from her mouth.
The bridge beneath her fractured slightly from the impact.
"Let’s go!" Li shouted from the cage, unable to hide his excitent.
Daniella’s team stood frozen.
"Wait... is she really going to lose like that?" Scott stared at Zack, disbelief on his face.
"Calm down," Zack replied evenly, adjusting his glasses.
Both of them turned back to the bridge.
Daniella did not move, she laid flat on the stone, chest rising slowly.
Bobby also stood still for a mont...
Then swayed.
Neither side spoke.
The atmosphere between both cages tightened instantly.
Will it end in a draw?
That thought passed through all their minds.
Then...
"Tsk." Ezra clicked his tongue quietly.
Bobby’s body finally gave out, he collapsed forward onto the stone.
At the sa ti, Daniella’s fingers twitched.
Slowly, painfully, she forced her body to respond.
"No way," Li whispered in disbelief.
"So close..." Aliya bit her lip.
"Ah... ah..." Daniella staggered as she forced herself upright.
Her breathing was rough, her eyes had darkened.
"That bastard..." she muttered repeatedly. "I will kill you. I will kill you. I will kill you."
Her mind raced wildly.
Killing intent spread from her body.
Bobby lay motionless.
Unconscious.
The chanical voice echoed through the cave.
** Winner: Daniella **.
"Huh?" Daniella looked around; irritation clear on her face.
The chanical voice echoed again.
** Vacate the fight stand **.
"You’ve got to be joking," she said bitterly. A harsh laugh escaped her lips. "I’m not done with him."
Her gaze dropped to the ground where Bobby’s dagger had fallen.
Without hesitation, she picked it up.
The blade reflected the red glow of the lava.
"I’m going to kill this f*cking bastard."
Her voice was low now steady and unstable in a different way.
She began walking slowly toward Bobby’s unmoving body.
"Hey! Daniella, stop!" Zack’s voice cut through the cave.
She ignored him.
"Daniella, what are you doing?!" Nathalia shouted, slamming her palms against the cage bars to catch her attention.
"Do you want to give them free points after winning?!" she yelled.
But Daniella didn’t respond.
Her world had narrowed.
The sounds of her team.
The shouts from the opposite cage.
The bubbling lava.
All of it faded behind the single thought pounding in her mind.
Kill him!
"Tsk. She’s gone crazy again," Scott muttered, clenching his fist tightly.
"Soone stop her!" Li shouted in panic, trying to force their cage door open with both hands.
"Daniella, stop!" Aliya yelled as well.
But Daniella continued walking.
Slow steps.
Her fingers tightened around the dagger’s grip.
"I’m going to kill him," she repeated quietly. Her boots scraped against the stone.
"I’m going to..."
"Hey."
Ezra’s voice cut through the noise, it wasn’t loud, but calm.
Yet sothing in it carried weight.
It felt like the sensation you feel when cold water suddenly splashes on your body or when you get burnt. That feeling.
Daniella stopped; she turned her head slightly.
Their eyes t, and she felt it.
Kill Intent.
Not wild, not uncontrolled, not loud like hers.
It was quiet, cold, and complete.
Her body froze where she stood.
The dagger slipped from her hand and clattered onto the stone.
Her fingers trembled.
Her breathing stalled.
Ezra’s black eyes held no emotion.
They felt endless, Deep.
Like staring into sothing that had no bottom.
For a second...
No.
For longer than a second...
She felt as if she were falling.
Her legs shook, she couldn’t move, she couldn’t speak, her thoughts went blank.
Then...
Ezra casually turned his gaze away.
He walked toward Li as if nothing had happened, as if he had only spoken a simple word.
The pressure vanished instantly.
Daniella collapsed onto the stone, sitting heavily.
Her vision felt dark.
What... was that?
Her hands continued shaking.
"Damn it... damn it..."
She hit the stone floor with her palm several tis, trying to steady herself then she forced herself back onto her feet, her movents were stiff like a robot.
She walked back toward her cage without looking at anyone.
The locks clicked open.
"Hey, Daniella." Zack grabbed her shoulder firmly.
"What was the aning of that?" His face showed clear anger now.
"You almost cost us a forfeit over sothing that was your own fault." His voice rose slightly.
"If you hadn’t foolishly let your guard down, you wouldn’t have ended up so battered."
He removed his hand from her shoulder sharply.
Nathalia stepped forward.
"Can’t you at least say sothing?" she demanded. "An apology? Hello? Daniella?"
She snapped her fingers in front of her face.
Daniella did not respond.
Her fists remained clenched tightly at her sides, her face looked pale.
Almost like soone who had just seen sothing they could not understand.
She slowly sat down inside the cage, staring at the floor.
Nathalia watched her carefully.
Frustration built in her chest.
"Tsk."
She turned her attention away from Daniella.
"You guys should calm down," Scott said as the cage door opened fully.
"At least nothing serious happened in the end. And we won." He stepped forward confidently.
"This ti I won’t waste ti playing around," he said, cracking his knuckles once.
"I’m not that type of person."
He glanced toward the opposite cage.
"I’ll knock him out within four punches."
A smirk ford on his face as he walked toward the center of the bridge, ready for the second round.
anwhile, while all of that was happening, Li rushed toward Bobby the mont the locks opened.
He didn’t hesitate.
He slid one arm under Bobby’s shoulders and lifted him carefully.
"Easy... easy..." he muttered under his breath.
Aliya hurried beside him, helping support Bobby’s legs as they carried him back into their cage.
"How is he?" she asked quickly as they lowered Bobby onto a blanket spread on the stone floor.
"I honestly don’t know," Li replied, his voice tight with worry.
Bobby’s face had turned pale. The stimulant’s effect faded before their eyes. The extra bulk that had ford on his muscles shrank back to normal size. Steam rose faintly from his skin as if his body were overheating and cooling at the sa ti.
His Cognis was nearly depleted.
Thin streaks of blood trickled from the corners of his eyes, lips, and nose.
His nose had swollen badly from repeated blows and dislocation.
Aliya swallowed hard.
"He’ll be fine," Ezra said calmly as he crouched beside Bobby.
His tone did not waver.
He examined Bobby closely, observing the rhythm of his breathing and the faint pulse in his neck.
Then he placed his hand firmly on Bobby’s nose.
Without hesitation...
He pushed it back into place.
A sharp crack echoed inside the cage; more blood spilled briefly.
Aliya flinched at the sound.
The swelling reduced slightly after the bone was reset.
Ezra pulled his hand away and wiped the blood on a cloth.
"Okay... if you say so," Li exhaled slowly, relief washing over him.
He stood up. "I guess it’s my turn now."
His eyes shifted toward the center of the bridge.
"You don’t have to push yourself," Ezra said while washing the blood off his hands with water from a flask.
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Li replied.
He stepped out of the cage, breathing in and out deeply.
His chest rose and fell heavily.
I never planned on actually fighting seriously.
He paused for half a second and turned back.
Bobby lay flat on the blanket.
Unconscious and bruised, but he had fought.
Li stared at him.
I used to see him as Sir Veda’s little duckling. The weak one, the timid one, and the one I was clearly more useful than...
He let out a quiet breath.
"I guess I was jealous of him, huh..."
His steps resud toward the bridge.
Look at him now. I don’t even recognize that boy anymore.
He rembered how Bobby used to only speak freely when Sir Veda stood nearby.
What happened to him here... for him to grow like that?
Li looked down at his own hands.
They felt steady, but his thoughts were not.
"And here I am thinking about forfeiting quickly..."
He exhaled loudly.
"Bobby, why couldn’t you just stay weak?" he muttered quietly.
By the ti he reached the center of the bridge, Scott was already waiting for him.
Scott stood straight, relaxed, arms loose at his sides.
Li glanced down.
"Eh? How is this place clean?"
The bridge had been cracked and stained with blood monts ago.
Now it looked untouched; no fractures, no blood and no dust.
As if the previous fight had never happened.
"It’s the power of Alchemy, fool," Scott said with clear displeasure. "Aren’t you an Alchemist yourself?"
Li scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"Well... let’s not waste ti and finish this fight."
Scott lowered his stance.
Li swallowed.
"Ehnnn... my God..." He whispered under his breath.
"Just when I finally motivated myself to look cool while fighting..." He looked at Scott more closely.
This guy doesn’t look like soone who’ll drop his guard even once.
His palms felt slightly sweaty.
Should I just give up now?
The thought slipped into his mind for a second.
He forced it away shaking his head, he raised his fists and adjusted his footing.
Across the bridge, both cages watched closely.
The lava bubbled below; the heat shimred between them.
The chanical voice echoed through the cave.
** Second Round **.
A small pause.
** Begin **.
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