The arena was silent. All eyes were on Shiro and King Lintaro, standing face to face in the center of the royal ground. The nobles watched from the sides, their expressions mixed with curiosity, doubt, and a hint of excitement.
"Begin!" Jowa's voice echoed.
Without hesitation, Shiro launched forward, unleashing everything he had. His aura surged wildly, and his speed was incredible. Every punch, every strike, carried a force most fighters could only dream of. Yet, Lintaro didn't move an inch.
In a blur, the King began dodging every attack effortlessly, his calm expression unshaken.
"You are amazing for someone who hasn't trained," Lintaro said mid-dodge. "You're special, kid. Train... and you will surpass even me."
Suddenly, he disappeared.
Riku blinked. "Where did he go?!"
In the next instant, Lintaro reappeared right in front of Shiro, his hand already pressed against Shiro's stomach, ready to strike. But before the blow landed, Shiro collapsed to the ground, unconscious. It all happened within a fraction of a second.
Liro crossed his arms and shook his head. "This was expected."
But then, something unexpected happened.
Shiro stirred. Slowly, he stood up, wiping a bit of blood from his lip. "I want to fight more."
The nobles raised their eyebrows.
Lintaro tilted his head. "You're strong and amazing. There's no need for us to continue."
"It's not that," Shiro said, his tone serious.
Jowa narrowed his eyes. "What's he talking about now?"
Shiro took a breath. "I've always wanted to fight someone like you. All my life, my body moved on its own during fights. I never understood how. But now... against you, my instincts can't keep up. They've stopped working. You're too fast. And that's why... I want to fight you. Not by instinct. I want to learn to fight by myself."
A silence fell over the group. Then, Jowa chuckled.
Lintaro smiled. "I see."
Without another word, the King moved again, attacking Shiro—not with his full power, but with just enough strength to push him.
Ken observed from the sidelines. "He's an odd one for sure."
"He's not someone from this era, is he?" Jowa laughed.
Shiro gritted his teeth as he blocked and dodged, struggling to keep up. But something was different. With every movement, he adapted. His speed was increasing. His power, sharpening.
Lintaro narrowed his eyes as he paused mid-fight. "You're adapting... at an unnatural rate. Without training... you're learning every move."
The nobles looked at one another.
"His aura... it's changing."
"His power is increasing."
"He's already above Jowa now... what is he?"
Lintaro took a step back and watched. "With this rate of adaptation, it won't take long for you to rival me. Or even defeat me."
Shiro looked down at his hands, clenching them. "Yes... I can feel it. My strength... my speed... it's getting better
Lintaro increased his speed once more, vanishing and reappearing in front of Shiro in a blink. This time, Shiro couldn't react in time. He was sent flying back, crashing into the ground with a loud impact.
"You're adapting so fast," Lintaro said, his eyes focused. "You can't be a normal human."
Shiro pushed himself up slowly, dirt clinging to his skin, blood trickling down his cheek. "Can we… fight more?"
Lintaro raised an eyebrow. "You still have strength left?"
Shiro nodded. "Yes."
The nobles exchanged glances, stunned.
"He still wants to fight?" Liro said.
"This is insane…" Kyusu added.
Shiro and Lintaro launched at each other again. Lintaro moved with the same speed he used earlier—the very one that had knocked Shiro out before. But this time… Shiro reacted.
Just a fraction of a second before the blow landed, Shiro raised his arms and blocked it. The force sent a shockwave through the ground, his legs trembling under the weight of the impact, but he stayed standing.
"He blocked it…!" Riku shouted.
"Wait… how?" Ken asked. "That was the same attack that knocked him down earlier!"
"His aura keeps rising…" Kyusu said. "When is it going to stop?"
Jowa laughed softly, arms crossed. "Our kingdom is lucky to have someone like him."
Lintaro took a step back, eyes shining with something close to admiration. "Shiro… in just one fight, you've grown this much. You can't be an ordinary human. You're something special. I'm truly glad you were born in this kingdom."
Shiro stood tall, breathing heavily but smiling faintly. "And I'm glad I met someone like you to push me this far."
Lintaro's smile returned. "Let's fight some more."
"Let's do it," Shiro said.
They clashed again.
Lintaro's attacks grew faster and stronger, forcing Shiro to his limit again and again. Each hit pushed him closer to the edge—but every time, Shiro broke through that limit, even if only by a little. His instincts sharpened. His body grew more responsive. His aura pulsed with power that hadn't been there minutes ago.
The nobles could barely believe what they were seeing.
"He's changing right in front of us…" Liro whispered.
"He's starting to react to Lintaro's attacks!" Kyusu gasped.
"He's reaching Lintaro's level in real-time," Ken added.
But then—
Lintaro's expression turned serious.
"I shall not hold back now," he said.
In a blink, Lintaro unleashed a flurry of attacks at a speed and power unlike before. He had been holding back—but not anymore. This was Some of his true strength.
Shiro tried to react, but the sheer pressure overwhelmed him. He blocked what he could, dodged where he was able, but Lintaro's power was too much.
Blow after blow landed.
Shiro's body hit the ground hard, dust rising around him. He tried to stand again, one knee pushing against the ground…
But his vision blurred.
And then—
He collapsed, unconscious.
Silence filled the field.
Even Lintaro paused, watching the boy with a rare look of respect.