Zack grinned, then exhaled slowly, his expression turning serious."Here I come, Mohawk genius."
He moved.
Zack thrust forward. Ro sidestepped and swung a low kick toward Zack's legs but before it landed, Zack tackled him backward. The sudden shift caught Ro off guard.
Still, Ro reacted fast. He grabbed Zack's arm, preparing to slam him into the floor.
Zack didn't budge.
With ease, he twisted his weight and hurled Ro down instead, the impact echoing through the arena.
"Is that all, Mohawk?" Zack asked calmly.
Ro lay there for a moment, frustration etched across his face. Then he inhaled, forcing himself to calm down. As he stood, he finally studied Zack properly.
Black hair. Blue eyes. Slightly taller than Ro, broader, heavier build.
Younger than me… Ro realized.
Ro grinned.
I can't let this brat beat me. I've got my own brats watching. Me falling here? No damn way.
His eyes flicked to Kenji. The boy's gaze was dark, intense—but beneath it, excitement burned.
Watch me, Kenji. This is what your older brother can do.
Ro stepped back slightly."Hey, brat. I'll be honest my fighting style's Wind. From what I've seen, you're a Water Style user, right?"
Zack paused, then chuckled, shaking his head.
Ro scowled. "Oi. Rude to laugh at someone, bastard."
"Sorry, Mohawk," Zack said with a sigh. "I'm a Shadow Style user."
Ro's eyes widened. From the stands, Ray stiffened as well.
"Bullshit," Ro snapped. "There're only four styles."
"That's what I thought too," Zack replied calmly. "Yet here I am."
Ro clenched his fists. "You've been using Water Style this whole time. Don't sell me that shadow crap."
"You curse too much," Zack said flatly. His expression hardened as he took his stance.
Then he vanished forward.
Zack slashed downward. Ro sidestepped cleanly—but pain exploded across his chest.
The hell—!?
Ro staggered back, staring at Zack. The swordsman's free hand was still extended, clenched into a fist.
I didn't see him move… I didn't hear him either.
Zack advanced again, thrusting forward. Ro charged in, launching a high kick aimed at the sword. Zack allowed the blade to be knocked aside but he never released his grip.
Then he dipped, moving toward a blind spot.
Ro was still spinning from the kick's momentum.
Zack was gone.
Zack moved within Ro's blind spot, sword humming as Hashi surged through it. The wooden blade cracked, splintering under the pressure.
"Supreme Weapon Technique: Splitting Tree — Dividing Skies."
The sword carved upward in a brutal bloody vertical arc.
Wood tore through the wind, slashed through fabric, plunged flesh, and muscle. Zack's sword had cut Ro's side, now blood escaped, spilling into the stage.
Staining the dobok, the blood darkening Ro's white clothing. Ro grabbed his side in pain, his hand being stained red by his blood.
The crowd fell silent.
Mitchell leapt onto the stage alongside healers in black. They began chanting as green and blue light poured into Ro's wound, slowing the bleeding.
Zack stared down at Ro, then at his blood-stained sword, a small smirk forming.
He had forced Hashi into the wooden blade until it possessed the sharpness, density, and destructive power of iron.
Mitchell knew that.
She glanced at Zack from the corner of her eye then turned to the crowd, restoring her smile.
"DON'T WORRY EVERYTHING IS FINE! OUR HEALERS ARE HANDLING THE SITUATION AND RO WILL BE FINE!... THE WINNER OF THE FINAL ROUND… YOUR SWORD CHAMPION—ZACK!"
Applause erupted, though uneven and stunned.
Mitchell looked between the two fighters, she smiled at them sadly for some reason.
Kenji stared down at Ro, his eyes dark and unreadable. The rest of the family wore clear concern but Kenji remained still.
Worried.
Yet burning.