Another explosion detonated beneath my feet and hurled sideways through the air. The recoil twisted my body, heat roaring past my ears as the arena floor blurred below.
"My thrum stat," I shouted, grinning like an idiot despite the strain in my arms, "is the one thing I am confident in!"
I did not give him ti to answer.
Explosions chained together in rapid succession.
Each detonation overlapped the last, pushing higher, faster, then snapping sideways again. The pressure shook the air. Stone cracked. Smoke swallowed the space between us.
Lioren cut through it.
His blade carved a clean path through the explosions, wind screaming as it condensed around the edge. Each swing split the blasts apart instead of deflecting them. It was terrifying.
But Lioren knew better.
I saw it in his eyes, just for a mont. If this kept going, he would lose.
The result of that should have made hesitate. Drawing this much attention, especially from the Ocypete elders, was dangerous.
Instead, my thoughts slipped sideways.
My real cousin always believed in .
She tried to pull into things. Tried to stand beside . Tried to make space for in her life. And every ti, I stepped back.
I hid behind sha. Sha that I was not talented enough. Not impressive enough. Not worth standing next to soone like her. I convinced myself I was a burden. That my presence would only drag her down.
And now, in the middle of the arena, staring down at Lioren, that sa feeling rose up again.
I realized I was staring too long only when Kaye narrowed her eyes in my mory.
"What is wrong with you?" she asked. "Why are you looking at like that?"
The mory snapped apart.
I clenched my jaw.
Stopping self-loathing might be beyond right now, but accepting verbal beatings from others is another thing.
"...Thank you," I thought. "I will do my best this ti."
I detonated.
The explosion kicked beneath my feet, flipping midair above him as pressure thundered outward.
I twisted my body, extended my arms downward, and compressed everything into a focused strike.
Two layers. This was the fastest I could do with the limited ti fra.
The blast forced him down and crushed what remained of his footing.
Stone ruptured as he slamd into the arena floor, the impact carving a shallow crater beneath him.
When the dust cleared, Lioren was on one knee.
Stone erupted outward in a ring as a shallow crater ford beneath him. The shockwave rolled across the arena floor and rattled the barrier walls.
When the dust cleared, Lioren was on one knee.
His uniform was torn and stained. Dirt sared across his chest and sleeves. Blood ran from a cut along his cheekbone. He leaned heavily on his sword, using it like a cane just to stay upright.
The wind enhancent was failing.
One wing had already dispersed into loose currents. The other flickered weakly behind him, its shape unstable.
I had promised myself I would beat him badly enough that even his mother would hesitate to call him handso.
Turns out bruises, dirt, tears, and blood only made him look like so kind of ruined artwork instead of less attractive.
Life sure is unfair.
He squinted upward, blinded by the sunlight at first. When his eyes adjusted, he saw hovering above him. I was rising and falling in short, uneven bursts as explosions kept aloft.
I felt ridiculous.
Like a human pogo stick.
I wanted to look cool too, damn it.
Anyone would. Instead, I was soaked in sweat, chest heaving, muscles screaming. Not because I was low on thrum. I still had more than enough to keep blasting until evening.
My body just could not keep up.
Lioren laughed quietly.
It was rough and hoarse, like it hurt to do.
"I really lost," he muttered.
He loosened his grip.
The sword slipped from his fingers and clattered against the stone.
The remaining wing dissolved into scattered wind. The extended blade unraveled and vanished like smoke.
He straightened as much as he could and looked at properly.
He smiled.
Not the smug and the cold, superior curl of his mouth from the cafeteria.
A real smile.
"I lost because you were stronger."
For half a second, my brain short-circuited.
"Why is this snake-like bastard arting like this?"
Then he raised his hand and flipped off.
I snapped.
Explosions ignited beneath my feet as I surged forward, intent on knocking that stupid smile right out of his face.
Before I could reach him, a sharp voice cut through the air.
"Match over!"
Professor Zy’s voice echoed across the arena.
"The winner is Matthew Pier Sallinin!"
The pressure vanished instantly. The barrier disengaged. The crowd erupted.
I fell towards the ground, fists clenched, staring up at Lioren as he kept smiling, like he had just reached so life-changing conclusion.
And then it hit , that hand gesture he just did.
A mory earlier resurfaced.
_________________________________
Lioren narrowed his eyes. "What is that gesture supposed to an?"
"Oh, nothing," I said casually, lowering my hand. "It’s a gesture of respect before a fight. You raise your middle finger like this toward soone you consider a worthy opponent."
_________________________________
I had taught him that.
I clicked my tongue and let myself ease on the ground.
_________________________________
It was now Friday.
Yesterday’s match had given attention. I expected that much. What I did not expect was how bad it would be.
Bad as in this.
"Good morning, Matt!"
Nagi greeted with a bright smile while flipping off.
I sighed.
The Finster group was there too, congratulating on the match. Apparently, soone had recorded it.
The footage spread fast online.
People kept talking about Lioren’s acknowledgnt as if it were so historic mont.
They talked about the unique gesture, too.
In an interview, Lioren said it was a gesture to do to soone you formally acknowledge as strong.
Maku approached next.
"That was a good match," he said honestly.
"If you fail the graduate, Excellia, call . I will recruit you as a junior knight under my na."
Then he flipped off and walked away like this was normal behavior.
Waffle followed soon after. She bowed slightly, polite as always.
"Nice to et you," she said. "I was wondering about your explosion."
The mont the thought crossed her mind, it ca spilling out.
"Your ability just now. That wasn’t magic, was it?"
I opened my mouth, but before I could say anything, she answered the question herself.
"It doesn’t match any docunted exclusive skill either," she continued, pacing a little as she talked.
"There was no chant, no structured thrum flow, and the output curve was completely abnormal. Are you sure it isn’t a bloodline ability? Or maybe a mutation?"
Then she suddenly stopped and looked straight at .
"Oh! and that gesture. The one you and Lioren did."
Before I could warn her, she raised her hand and copied it perfectly, middle finger aid right at my face.
My soul tried to leave my body.
I swear I felt my remaining dignity curl up and die on the spot.
"Sto-!" I hissed, half lunging forward in my seat, half dying inside.
Too late.
Waffle blinked, completely innocent. "Like that, right?"
....
Finster approached last.
"I knew you were strong," he said, arms crossed. "But I did not expect you could fly."
Then he frowned.
"Why did you not show that gesture you did with Lioren? Did you not consider a worthy opponent?"
He leaned closer.
"Just so you know, I already acknowledged you way before we started the match."
He raised his hand, irritation written all over his face.
I panicked.
I grabbed his hand with both of mine and forced it down.
...
...
...
The group stared at us.
Inside my head, I was screaming.
Absolutely not. No. Never.
My favorite character. Finster Regleia Blu.
In the flesh!
Should not be flipping off his biggest fan, who crossed worlds just to save him.
I tightened my grip.
Finster, apparently taking this as a challenge, strained harder to raise his finger.
We stood like that.
Locked in a silent struggle over a single gesture.
...
...
...
"You know," Tasora said after a long pause, "you already denied it before, but you have to admit this looks pretty gay."
She then continued, "nagi was already here for you, and you still try to bag another one. How greedy can you be?"
I stared at her.
The situation was spiraling.
The longer this went on, the more unhinged everything beca. I could practically feel my last few remaining brain cells dying.
A calm voice cut through the ss.
"Congratulations on your victory. It was a good match."
"Kyaaaaa!"
"Aaaaaaah!"
Azalea and Nagi scread at the sa ti.
Heck, I almost scread too, but I was slowly getting used to this by now.
Cwal stood there, unfazed.
"Should we proceed with our plan this weekend?" he asked.
"Oh, and I would also like to personally test how strong you are myself."
He flipped off.
Tasora saw this and stiffened.
"Impossible," she muttered. "A reverse harem in the first week."
She nodded to herself. "Umu. Umu."
Then she looked at seriously.
"It may be too early for you to face , but I acknowledge your skill at least in that departnt."
She flipped off with absolute conviction.
I felt like I had just been lobotomized.
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