Kairos slowly rose to his feet, dusting himself off. The sting of defeat clung to him like an unshakable shadow, and his pride burned hotter than his aching muscles. This wasn't a fair match—he knew it. Despite the rules prohibiting beast-enhanced strength, Rivet's movents had been anything but human.
"Co on, stand up and co or are you done?" Rivet called out, standing at the edge of the platform, looking down at Kairos with that sa smug expression that made his blood boil.
Kairos clenched his fists, his frustration boiling over. He could see it in Rivet's eyes—he wasn't just calling him out; he was mocking him, trying to bait him into another fight, despite already securing his victory.
Kairos gritted his teeth and threw up his middle finger. "You cheated in the match anyway. You used your abnormal strength. I would've won if not for that."
A smirk blood on Rivet's face, his posture shifting into one of absolute confidence. He licked his lips in amusent. "Why don't we go on with Summon's ability? I doubt it would make any difference."
Kairos hesitated, shaking his head in response. 'That would make matters worse. He has too much experience and knowledge about Summons. I can't beat him either way.'
But Rivet had no intention of letting Kairos off so easily. He suddenly lunged from the platform, moving with a speed that was twice as fast as in their match. Kairos barely had ti to register the attack. He wasn't prepared—there was no way to block it. He braced himself, expecting a devastating impact.
However, at the last second, soone stepped between them. A hand shot out, catching Rivet's fist mid-strike, stopping it like it carried no force at all.
"That's enough, Rivet. You won't lay a hand on my friend," Carlos said, his voice sharp and unwavering. His grip remained firm around Rivet's fist, his serious gaze locked onto his opponent.
For the first ti, Rivet's arrogance faltered. His bravado shrank in the face of Carlos's intervention, and he instinctively pulled his hand away. He didn't want this fight, not against Carlos.
Kairos, still catching his breath, watched the exchange in confusion.
Rivet clicked his tongue, clearly annoyed by the situation. "Sheesh, I don't know when so Family mbers beca so disgusting, caring for trash." He scoffed, turning on his heel and walking away into the crowd, leaving the two behind.
Kairos remained frozen, his mind running in circles. Why had Carlos stepped in? What did he gain from this? He wasn't used to kindness that ca without a price.
Carlos turned to him with an easy smile. "Hope you're alright? You did well too."
Kairos stared at him blankly before blurting out, "Why did you help ?"
The question seed to catch Carlos off guard, but Kairos wasn't playing dumb. In the city where he had grown up, no one helped others unless there was sothing to gain. He had been raised in a world where trust was a liability, where kindness was a debt that always ca with an interest.
Carlos furrowed his brows before letting out a short chuckle. "What do you an? Friends protect other friends. The only reason you lost is that you haven't learned proper Summon integration."
He gestured toward the ongoing matches, and Kairos turned his gaze toward them.
For the first ti, he truly observed the way others fought. At first, he had thought they were simply stronger, faster, more skilled. But now, as he paid closer attention, he saw sothing else entirely.
Their movents were fluid—like water, fast and steady.
'So that's it... they're using their Summons to increase their physical capabilities,' Kairos thought, realization dawning on him. His mind rewound to his first fight with Darnell. At the ti, he had simply thought Darnell was stronger, but now he understood. It wasn't just an enhancent of strength and speed. Darnell had rged with his Summon, becoming sothing greater.
"So that's why I lost..." Kairos muttered under his breath, the weight of his own inexperience settling heavily on him.
Carlos, seeing the grim expression on his face, slung an arm over his shoulders with a laugh. "Co on, idiot, don't be so down. Let's watch the other fights. You did well for a beginner, and I can teach you how to integrate later when we get ho."
Kairos let out a sigh but nodded. He had a long way to go, but at least now, he had a clearer understanding of what he lacked.
Together, they turned their attention to the final matches. One after the other, battles concluded swiftly, with victors erging within seconds. Then, a particular match caught Kairos's attention. A female student stepped onto the platform, facing off against a male opponent. There was sothing familiar about her.
He squinted, straining his mory. Then, it clicked.
'Kaela—'
He had t her during the environntal survival class the other day.
The match began, and unlike many of the others, this one was utterly one-sided—but not in the male student's favor. He charged at Kaela with impressive speed, but she barely moved. And yet, despite her lack of exaggerated movent, her attacks were precise, decisive, and devastatingly quick.
Kaela ended the match with just two blows, sending her opponent flying off the platform with almost no effort.
As soon as her victory was confird, she simply stepped off the stage and disappeared into the crowd without fanfare.
'She's more silent than yesterday...' Kairos noted, watching her retreat.
The rest of the battles continued, but none were as surprising as hers. Eventually, when all the matches concluded, Sergeant Lloyd stepped forward, commanding the attention of the students.
"I have taken all your battles into consideration. You have done well, though so of you still need to work harder." His gaze swept over the exhausted students before glancing at his watch. With a sigh, he crossed his arms. "Looks like we've run past my lecture period. Proceed to your other classes. We'll continue next ti."
With that, the students were dismissed.
Reviews
All reviews (0)