The bell rang — the match had begun.

  Toma immediately launched a Blue Nova strike, the blast shooting straight toward Vaen. But Vaen raised his hands and released a surge of sand, blocking the attack with a shifting, earthen shield.

  “I see,” Toma called out, eyes narrowing as he analyzed the flow of sand. “So your ability is sand — meaning earth-type!”

  Vaen smirked. “So you were that curious?”

  “No,” Toma replied with confidence. “I just like knowing my opponent’s trump cards.”

  “As you wish! But don’t think I’ve already revealed all my cards!” Vaen answered, and sand coiled around his fists, forming what looked like massive boxing gloves made entirely of compacted earth.

  A heartbeat later, Vaen charged forward at full speed, his sand-coated fists swinging like wrecking balls. Toma tried to dodge, but Vaen’s punches were brutally heavy — the moment one connected, Toma was knocked straight to the ground.

  But Toma refused to stay down. He sprang back to his feet, leaping into the air and twisting into a spinning kick.

  Vaen didn’t even flinch. He raised his sand-gloved arms and blocked the strike with ease. “That won’t work anymore, Toma!”

  Even the commentator sounded stunned. “This is unbelievable! Has Toma really fallen behind!? He just can’t find an opening against his opponent!”

  “Alright! Time to get serious!” Toma shouted.

  Lightning-like energy burst around him as he activated Full Current, and he charged in again. His speed skyrocketed — and this time, his Blue Nova strikes were powerful enough to tear straight through Vaen’s sand defenses.

  Then Toma closed the distance and shifted into pure close-combat. Vaen tried to block with his sand-fists, but Toma focused the power of Blue Nova into his hands, shattering Vaen’s sand with every blow.

  From there, Toma pressed the attack relentlessly. His kicks and punches grew faster, sharper, more precise — each strike slamming into Vaen as the sand user struggled to keep up. Blow after blow landed, forcing Vaen into a frantic, desperate defense as Toma’s assault overwhelmed him completely.

  “Look at this, ladies and gentlemen!” the commentator burst out, voice filled with excitement. “Toma has already turned the tables and is now attacking at a breathtaking speed! It seems he’s preparing to deliver the finishing blow to Vaen and end the match!”

  Toma leapt high into the air, aiming to crash down and end everything in a single decisive strike.

  But just then, Vaen’s eyes sharpened with sudden focus.

  “SAND FLOOD!!!”

  In an instant, sand erupted from beneath his feet and surged across the entire arena floor like a living tide. Gasps spread through the audience as the stadium seemed to fall into stunned silence, everyone frozen at the sight of the arena transforming.

  Toma was still falling — only moments away from landing — when Vaen manipulated the sand and raised a towering sand barrier around himself. Toma collided with it head-first.

  But this had been Vaen’s trap from the beginning.

  The sand swallowed Toma, trapping him inside as Vaen summoned a violent sandstorm around the barrier. The swirling vortex roared, tossing Toma around inside like a ragdoll caught in a tornado.

  “Look at this, people! This is unbelievable! It seems like Vaen has actually captured Toma!?” the commentator cried.

  But then—

  A radiant blue light burst from the center of the sandstorm.

  Toma, still trapped within the raging mass, began channeling the power of Blue Nova into his palms, forcing the storm back with pure energy.

  Seeing what Toma was attempting, Vaen reacted instantly. He unleashed a massive wave of sand, crashing it down over Toma and burying him deep beneath the ground.

  “This is unbelievable, people! Toma has been buried in sand, and the referee has begun the countdown!”

  “Ten… nine… eight… seven… six… five…—”

  The commentator counted along with electric anticipation—

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  And then everything shook.

  Toma erupted from beneath the sand like a rocket, blasting into the air in an explosion of blue energy and sand.

  “People, look at this! Toma has broken free!” the commentator shouted.

  Vaen tried to trap him again, surrounding him with more sand—

  But Toma refused to be chained anymore.

  His Blue Nova strikes shattered the sand apart, ripping straight through every barrier Vaen attempted to raise.

  Toma advanced without fear, without hesitation — unstoppable.

  The close-combat clash reignited, fiercer than ever.

  With a running start, Toma spun into a powerful arc and landed a clean spinning kick directly to Vaen’s head.

  Vaen staggered, dazed and disoriented, struggling to stay upright.

  Toma didn’t let up for even a moment.

  He unleashed a relentless barrage — left jabs, right hooks, crushing kicks, each blow sharper and more precise than the last.

  With Vaen barely keeping his balance, it looked as though Toma was on the verge of knocking him out.

  “People, this is unbelievable! Is Toma really impossible to stop by any means?” the commentator shouted, his voice trembling with excitement.

  At that moment, Toma delivered another devastating kick to Vaen. The impact was so powerful that Vaen was launched several meters across the arena.

  Toma began closing the distance—

  But suddenly, his legs froze.

  His feet were stuck to the ground, sinking rapidly.

  “What the hell is this!?”

  Vaen lifted his head with a strained grin. “This is my final trump card… quicksand.”

  Toma’s eyes widened as Vaen continued, voice steady despite the beating he had taken. “Toma, think back. I told you—I don’t like revealing my cards too early. And I saved my strongest card, my ace, for the very end.”

  Toma tried to wrench himself free, but he was already sinking past his waist.

  “It’s pointless to struggle! No one escapes from quicksand! I’ll be honest—I wanted to save this technique for the next rounds… but unfortunately, you left me no choice!” Vaen’s tone hardened. “You fought well and cornered me, but this is the end. Now then—referee, as you can see, I’ve successfully trapped my opponent. Would you please begin the countdown?”

  Damn it! Even if I try to break out using Full Current, this sand is just too dense… I can’t move—I'm only sinking deeper! I was too careless!

  “Vaen has finally unleashed his ultimate secret technique: the Quicksand!” the commentator announced. “Toma is sinking, and the referee has started the countdown! Ten… nine… eight… seven…”

  Come on, Toma! It can’t end here! I have to think of something!

  What could blast through even quicksand like a rocket!? That’s it—I need to become the rocket myself! I’ll channel all of my power and Aima directly into my legs! And… launch!!

  “Six… five… four… three…”

  “Wait! Something is breaking out from beneath the quicksand—like a rocket!” the commentator yelled.

  Toma’s gamble paid off — the moment he forced enough Blue Nova energy into his legs, the quicksand finally gave way. He didn’t waste a heartbeat. Using the same explosive momentum that shot him upward, he launched himself out like a missile and drove a lightning-fast kick straight into Vaen’s head. Vaen dropped instantly, completely unconscious.

  The referee’s countdown ended in a roar, the commentator’s voice cracking as he shouted the final number. The arena erupted. Tens of thousands of voices rose together, chanting Toma’s name over and over again.

  This feeling… unreal. All these people—cheering for me…

  Toma stood frozen for a moment, overwhelmed, then lifted his left hand and punched the air with a sharp, triumphant, “Yes!!!”

  Somewhere above, the announcer boomed that Vaen had been carried off to the infirmary and that the crowd clearly had their favorite: Toma Sorien.

  Back in the locker room, Lyrien rushed toward him the second he stepped inside, eyes sparkling. “Toma, you were incredible!”

  Arlen shook his head with a shaky laugh. “When the quicksand swallowed you and the countdown started… I honestly thought it was over.”

  Toma let out a breath. “For a second, even I thought that. If I hadn’t remembered Carter’s teaching at the last possible moment…” He didn’t finish the sentence — he didn’t need to.

  Arvian crossed his arms with a stern look. “You were reckless. Way too close for comfort.”

  “Yeah… I know.” Toma nodded slowly. “I’ll pay more attention next time. I promise.”

  Arlen gave a small gesture toward the benches. “Alright, let’s give him some space to change. We do have a girl here, after all.”

  “You guys can head home,” Toma told them while grabbing a towel. “Once I’m done changing, I’m checking on Vaen.”

  Lyrien flashed him a warm smile on her way out. “Then make sure you rest afterwards!”

  ***

  Toma changed back into his clothes after the match and made his way toward the infirmary. The moment he stepped inside the medical room, Kaine looked up from the desk with a familiar smirk. “Back again already?”

  “Yeah. I’m looking for Vaen.”

  “He’s on the bed inside. Just… go easy on him. He has a mild concussion and needs to stay overnight. Physically he’s fine — I already healed everything else.”

  “Alright. Thanks, Kaine.”

  Toma approached the bed quietly, but Vaen’s voice reached him before he could speak. “Toma… what do you want? You really came all the way here just to rub it in that you’re better than me even in the infirmary?”

  “No. I came to check on you… and to tell you that you fought incredibly well.”

  “Oh please. I still lost.”

  “That doesn’t mean you should abandon your goals. With your ability, I honestly believe you could make it into one of the combat squads someday.”

  Vaen scoffed, but there was a spark in his eyes. “Who said I gave up!? I’ll never give up!”

  “That’s the spirit.” Toma let a satisfied smile surface as he turned toward the exit. “If you’re feeling that energetic, I’ll get going.”

  He had barely taken two steps when a softer voice called after him. “Toma!”

  He paused at the doorway.

  “That was impressive,” Vaen admitted, his tone calm for the first time. “Congratulations. No one has ever escaped my quicksand before.”

  Toma glanced back with a quiet grin. “I hope no one else ever will.”

  With that, he stepped out into the hallway — and immediately noticed Lyrien waiting at the far end, leaning gently against the wall.

  “What are you doing here, Lyrien? I thought you went home with Arlen and Arvian.”

  “I did,” she admitted as she walked toward him, her expression more serious than usual. “But I came back because… there was something I wanted to talk to you about.”

  “Okay. What’s going on?”

  She hesitated, fingers curling slightly at her side. “My match tomorrow… My opponent will be my older brother.

  And to be honest… I’m scared to fight him.”

  “What!? Your opponent tomorrow is your brother!?”