Hikari stepped out from under the cover of the overhang alongside the expansive and roaring stadium, the breeze flowing through her white hair as she looked out across the field with resolve. While various groups in the stands chanted her name, others shouted support for Harrow. By now, at the final event of placement exams the crowd had already picked out their favorite contenders and future Sentoki. Her entire life so far had culminated in this moment. The dark visage of the woman who had so quickly taken root in her psyche stood across from Hikari on the other side of the field, Harrows dark tendrils of writhing Ki feeling like they were searching for any crack in her confidence. Once again the crowd roared as the two young women stepped into view of the spectators. Hikari had been through almost two whole weeks of nothing but tests, trials and assessments of her skill, proving not only to herself but also to the hordes of cheering citizens that she was worthy of their faith and the title of a Sentoki. Despite all her efforts, there was a feeling seated deeply in her stomach that if she were to fail here, then it might as well have all been for naught.
In the crowd surrounding her, Hikari could see spots of white that littered the stands. In the last few days amongst her victories against other contenders, various merchants and shops had begun selling crudely crafted white wigs to the children and fans that supported her. In the center of the vast and barren arena grounds that had already been ruined and repaired countless times over the past days, Hikari could see her Uncle and Headmaster Hiro. Whether he had decided to officiate the match because of her or simply because her match with Harrow would be the final and culminating event of the Placement Exams she did not know, not that it mattered much to her at the moment. Hikari's focus was drawn only forward as she seemed to peer into the soul of her opponent with fierce determination. It was the same for Harrow. Long before either one of them had reached the untouched ring in the center of the battlefield, their Ki had begun sprawling out and dissipating into the air above them.
With calm and fluid motion, like an animal confidently staking its prey, the two young women approached each other, sending a chill down even Hiro's spine as he watched them finally reach the center of the field. Now standing only fifty or so feet away from one another. Their rivalry was beyond words. Any other two people would have likely been spewing all sorts of competitive and demeaning remarks, but Hikari and Harrow simply stood there imposingly as Hiro began to make his announcements to the crowd. "Welcome everyone to the culminating event of our exams!" He bellowed as he raised his left hand to the crowd. While in his right hand he held a glowing shard of Ki crystal that seemed to be capturing and amplifying his voice around the arena. "Over the past fifteen days you've all watched our honored students display the very best of their abilities in hopes of winning your favor and unleashing their potential! Now, at the end of our event we'll finish things with our two standout competitors, who have already impressed us all beyond belief! Harrow Hawthorne! And my very own niece Hikari Umitasora!" Hiro roared as the crowd cheered wildly, making the air start to shake from the reverberation.
"So let's hear it!" Hiro continued to roar, it had been evident throughout the exams that his role of hosting such an electrifying event was something he truly relished, and his boisterous, theatrical demeanor made him the perfect man for the job. "Who here wants to see our black sheep, private student Harrow Hawthorne claim the title of number one!" Hiro asked of the crowd as he put one hand to his ear and beckoned their response. The hairs on Hikari's neck stood up a bit as she listened to masses of enthusiastic citizens cheer for her demise. Once again Hiro's voice burst out with fervor as he put his hand to his opposite ear. "And who here wants to see the title claimed by the young Umitasora prodigy!" He said with a wide and proud smile that had not appeared when he addressed the crowd about Harrow.
For a brief second, Hikari's attention was pulled from the eyes of her opponent and towards the glowing mass of white that began emanating from a small area in the stands. Hikari's white Ki, while less common, was not entirely unique, and to her surprise a number of her fans and supporters who possessed Ki of a similar color had planned ahead of time to gather in the crowd. Giving Hikari an uplifting display of camaraderie and for a brief moment allowed her to not only enjoy but appreciate the place in which she was standing. The group chanted her name in unison as the mass of white Ki grew even larger in the corner of her vision. Almost as if she had forgotten about her opponent, Hikari closed her eyes and summoned as much of her Ki as she could, letting it rise far above her head and flare wildly. Giving her supporters a sign that needed no words. A sign that their support had rallied her, and she would not let them down.
As Hikari opened her eyes, her focus became once again unwavering in its targeting of her opponent. Throughout the entirety of the placement exams the two of them had been on each other's heels for the title of most promising. Even more so than the students that had all lost to them previously, this fight would determine the outcome and trajectory of both their futures as Sentoki. The majority of their previous battles, tests and trials had all been fodder compared to the duel that was about to ensue, and the crowd knew it just as well as the two of them. Hiro looked around a bit, even he was amazed how much more fanatic the support had been compared to previous years. As he took a few steps back he raised his hand one final time and set the final wheels of the placement exams into motion.
"Then let's begin! Hikari, Harrow, you both know the rules of conduct. You may begin at the sound of the bell. There are to be no killing blows or attacks with lethal intent. There are to be no wide ranging attacks that may affect the crowd, and if your opponent surrenders, you must oblige. Any breaking or ignoring of these rules will likely result in your immediate disqualification!" He added before turning on his heel and exiting the arena to the same area where Gado and the rest of the family were watching from. The two young women had barely heard his final announcements. They had already heard the spiel so many times over that why need not pay any attention, not that either of them could break their own focus if they had tried. They were both overwhelmingly filled with the instinct that if either of them faltered for even a second it would mean abject failure. The only sound that would penetrate their resolve was the sound of the signal to begin.
'Kronngg' Bellowed the chime of the bell that sat at the end of the colosseum like arena, its chime somehow seeming deeper and more foreboding than every other match it had rang for previously. Before the sounds of the bell had even dissipated, Hikari and Harrow had already met in their first clash. Half of the stadium jumped to their feet in response, belting their praise and disdain in equal measure as a swirling mass of entangled black and white Ki erupted from the center of the field. It came with a blinding brilliance, many of the citizens covered their eyes or averted their gaze for a brief second until the glare of the young women's ferocity gave way to the brawl that had begun. From the side of the arena, in the small box that housed the Umitasora family and a few acquaintances, not a single sound of cheer or celebratory gesture came from any one of them. Each of them knew the weight and seriousness that was entwined within the unfolding fight, despite their confidence in Hikari's abilities, they all observed with guarded focus in reverence for her defining moment.
"She's fast!" Hikari thought to herself as she dodged a jab from one of Harrow's ice coated fists. Despite their battle beginning with a grand display of strength that had left the field scarred with ice and scorched with flame, the two women had quickly engaged in a simple back-and-forth of martial arts, keeping the control of their elements to the area around their hands. Harrow's dark tinted Ice covered hands and forearms as if she were wearing armored gloves, giving each of her blows a devastating weight, while Hikari's hands were embellished with earring white flames that threatened to scorn whatever they touched. The two Sentoki prospects float quietly around the center of the field, neither one of them pulling back or pushing an advance as they exchanged carefully placed blows. "What's she doing?" Eiji said to the room, breaking the silence that had occupied the booth since the start of the match.
Hiro was the only one to respond to Eiji's inquiry. He leaned over a bit and kept his voice low, his eyes never leaving the dance of white and black that unfolded before him. "They're gauging each other…" Hiro replied almost absentmindedly. "Oh…" was all Eiji said in return, not wanting to show his inexperience to the rest of the room, when suddenly Okun leaned in from over his shoulder. "This isn't necessarily a relevant lesson, but it's a good one to learn… When two fighters -no matter how much they despite or resent each other- can recognize that they stand on the same precipice of power, this is to acknowledge another's skill, they cannot help but partake in the climbing of the ladder. Despite them both knowing that the way they're currently fighting is leagues away from the skill they truly possess, it's almost an instinctual ritual to summon more and more power out of your opponent. As if to say 'I will make you struggle to defeat me'. In their own way, it's a sign of respect they can only share because of their rivalry being so evenly matched, if either one of them truly believed that the other was weaker than themselves, they would have ended the match instantly. The first display they showed was an unspoken agreement of just that." Okun said succinctly as if he was in the middle of one of their lessons. "I think I understand… So whoever takes things to the next level of strength is almost losing a smaller battle within their fight by saying 'I need to use more power to defeat you'," Eiji replied with mild confidence, his grasp on the concept still somewhat tentative. As he spoke, Eiji could see a small smile form across the face of his father, uncle and brother all at the same time, as if they all relished in the experience he had described. "Exactly." Replied Okun. "And if you look now, it seems your sister has won the first small battle," Okun added as he pointed out into the arena grounds where Harrow had finally broken away from their close quarters combat and stood across the field from Hikari.
"She's fast but… it's tiring her out…" Hikari thought as a grimace of satisfaction painted itself on her face, fully intended to mock Harrow. Their battle was more akin to a game of strategy one plays across a table from their opponent than it was a duel of strength or even skill. Who would make the wrong step, create an opening, expend too much stamina or Ki, or fail to react in time to a divisive blow. These were the factors that would decide the outcome of their match. Without hesitation, as soon as Harrow caught sight of Hikari's smug expression, she unleashed a wave of ice that sped across the field in her direction. The air itself seemed to crystalize into black shards of ice that jutted from the ground as they approached, threatening to skewer Hikari if she did not act. Harrow's devilish smile returned, despite the minor shame of being the one forced to escalate their match, she also reveled in the use of her abilities and the chance to display more of her strength. With one swift motion, Hikari raised one hand above her head, her fingers held together and her palm flat as her Ki began condense into scorching white flames, flames that did not reach out wildly but instead burned with the intensity of a kiln or furnace. As she brought her hand down towards the approaching ice, the condensed flames extended out into a blade like appearance, easily wrenching through the shards of ice and parting their path.
As Hikari continued to hold her searing flame in place, her face steadfast and determined. The shards of black ice amassed on either side of her as Harrow's stream of attack kept on. Despite her blade of flames that momentarily held things at bay, Harrow's Ice began to build up, forming a wall that threatened to encase Hikari if she did not react. With a final surge of effort, Harrow's black Ki spiked above her head while she released a wave of ice that succeeded in surrounding Hikari completely. A bellow of triumph came from Harrow as she rushed forward toward the dome of ice that encased her opponent, ready to blindly strike from the outside and gain the advantage, but as she approached Harrow could hear a faint whistle coming from one of the cracks between the shards of ice. Before she could land her blow, the ice was scattered in every direction as a gust of violent swirling wind erupted from the place in which Hikari stood. Harrow swiftly dodged the shards that had been ejected in her direction, but the effort to do so had slowed her approach, giving Hikari the momentary advantage.
From behind one of the flying shards of ice that Harrow was in the act of evading, Hikari burst out with perfect timing. Placing herself only a few feet from her opponent as she swung her leg up and delivered a wind laced wide and sweeping kick to Harrow's ribs. Harrow's face winced a bit before contorting with both pain and fury, she wasn't able to react in time. A thin sheen of ice had begun to develop around the spot where Hikari's leg was poised to land, but it was swiftly shattered by the devastating torrent of wind that superseded the blow of Hikari's foot. With another grimace of smug satisfaction that only Harrow could see briefly, Hikari's foot followed through with the attack and sent Harrow rolling across the dusty surface of the arena.
The crowd roared with enthusiasm as Hikari landed the first critical strike of the match, the mere two minutes that had passed had been stretched by the suspense to feel more like half of an hour had gone by. Within the same instant that Hikari had struck Harrow, her feet were already moving across the ground towards her once again. "There's no time to gloat over one little strike, I have to keep pushing!" Hikari thought to herself as bursts of white flame erupted from her feet, propelling her into the air above where Harrow's body would come to a stop. "That bitch!" Harrow's mind screamed as she rolled across the ground like a lifeless petal in the wind. The pain of Hikari's impact took away her bodily control for just a few seconds. With the last rotation of her body skittering across the ground, she could see her opponent leap into the air, her fist wrapped in brilliant white flame and ready to land another demoralizing strike. "I have to catch her off guard! I have to move!" Harrow thought to herself as she buried the searing pain in her ribs deep out of her mind and lifted her head to see Hikari already descending towards her. Harrow gritted her teeth, her Ki instinctively flaring up and obscuring her body just a bit as she jumped to her feet and tried to evade, but it was no use. Hikari had closed in upon Harrow too quickly for her to evade entirely. She braced herself as Hikari's feet touched down just in front of her, if she had not moved as much as she did, then her opponent would have come down directly on top of her. Hikari repositioned herself with remarkable speed, the attack that had begun coming from overhead, she was able to redirect and now closed in on her opponent with a searing uppercut to Harrow's gut. Harrow seemed almost at a loss for how to defend herself as she planted one hand on Hikari shoulder in an effort to soften the blow, but Hikari's momentum carried through and struck harrow once again in the ribs, this time scorching and searing the area as he blow carried through.
To Hikari and the crowds surprise alike, Harrow and not gone flying back this time as one would have suspected. Instead, her body brunted the blow, her feet bound to the ground with a frozen foothold of ice. Hikari tried to jump back from the contact Harrow was still making with her shoulder, but in the midst of her attack she had failed to notice Harrow had chained her to the ground as well. The ice around Hikari's feet was much more subtle. Subtle enough to unnoticed, but still strong enough to make Hikari lose her step as she broke free and began to fall backwards. Harrow's hand lifted from her shoulder, and it was at this moment that Hikari caught sight of Harrow's other free hand, making some kind of clasping motion as if she was beckoning something forward. Hikari, thrusted her body forward in an attempt to replant her feet and keep herself from falling back, but at the same moment that she sought to rebalance herself, she was met with a blinding pain that etched itself across her back accompanied by a sharp cracking sound.
Hikari had quickly realized what had happened. Harrow hadn't failed to move out of the way in time. She had deliberately taken Hikari's blow in order to get in a strike of her own. Hikari could feel the warmth of her own blood as it leaked down her back. A series of gasps rang out from around the onlookers as both women dropped to one knee only mere inches from each other, their foreheads almost touching as both of them panted in pain. "Did you expect me to use my ice the whole fight?" Harrow taunted Hikari through ragged breaths, her hands clutching the spots on her ribs that had been bloodied and scorched. "I love watching weaklings like you fall after being hit with a water whip… stings doesn't it?" Harrow said as she tried to shakily stand to her feet. Hikari clenched her fist, in frustration and agony, the attack with which Harrow had deceived her with, left a bloody four inch gash just above her right shoulderblade. She had no time to reflect. Despite both of them being in gut wrenching pain, it was nothing compared to the agony that would come from losing the match, and before Harrow could gain another advantage, Hikari rose to her feet alongside her opponent.
Along the sidelines in the Umitasora booth, both Taiyo and Eiji had jumped to their feet as Harrow landed her blow against their sister, yet to both of their surprise, Gado, Kyuen and Hiro remained entirely unstirred. With a sort of stoic and unbroken gaze the three of them watched intently as the two young prodigies each rose back to their feet to continue on with their match. Normally, there were many rules and codes of conduct in place to prevent this kind of brutish fighting amongst Sentoki. Such as the ones that both Taiyo and Aimee managed to violate with their brawl in the northwestern training grounds, but the placement exams were different. There were no such rules against the savage kind fights that risked grave bodily harm. The placement exams were unique in the way that there were only two possible ways for a match to end. Defeat or forfeit.
The two young women each jumped back from each other, both summoning a gust of wind to help carry them a distance away. They each now stood about fifty feet apart, Hikari's arm hung slightly limp under the gash in her shoulder, and it was evident Harrow was in pain with every breath as the release of her hands around her ribs revealed the damaged flesh. Almost as if they had heard the ring of another bell, the two of them instantly burst into motion once again, letting their pain become a sort of numb pressure in the face of their determining battle. They met in another clash, once again reverting to close combat and hand to hand techniques. Yet unlike their last simple brawl, this time their moves were laced with varying intricate techniques. The both blocked and delivered blows fluidly, all while effortlessly changing elements with each blow. Fists and feet propelled by flame and wind met with their counterparts wrapped in ice while whips of water cracked in the air. When a blow failed to reach its mark, eruptions of flame and spires of ice erupted from the ends of their arms, extending their reach and damaging their opponent. It was like watching the elements themselves do battle, the bodies of Hikari and Harrow themselves seemed to melt away in the dance of battle.
As Harrow and Hikari resumed their trading of blows and demonstration of power, Hiro, Gado and Kyuen had broken their concentration for the first time since the match had begun, only exchanging a swift glance with each other before returning their eye to the match. Eiji had caught notice, he saw their eyes wander to meet one another as if there was some sort of innate understanding between them that needed no words, and in the same glance he caught sight of Taiyo. Whose face was etched with an expression showing that he had noticed it as well. "Nobodoru." Said Okun's voice from behind Eiji before he could summon the words to inquire what their shared glance was about. "Mhm," said Hiro and Gado in unison, both of them affecting a sort of grim air around them as they continued to watch. Around Kyuen, a different kind of feeling had overcome her. As he looked at her, Eiji could feel a sort of anticipation coming off of her, as though she was bracing herself for something to strike.
Eiji, along with Taiyo, looked back over their shoulders at Okun, waiting for him to dive into one of his explanations. "Nobodoru is a concept from the Iro'Kai people… it was stated in their beliefs that between two perfectly fitted rivals with matched desires and ambitions… there is an opportunity for rapid growth and development… In the days before the Sentoki, the Iro'Kai people would actually encourage a rivalry such as the one Hikari and Harrow are engaged in right now, since it was bound to produce at least one strong and highly capable fighter, oftentimes it would produce two. Much like your sister and Harrow at the moment, it was said that Nobodoru could be recognized by something called 'The Dance'... Look" Okun finished saying as he once again pointed Eiji's attention back towards the battlefield.
It was quickly apparent what Okun had meant by 'The Dance'. In spite of the power that was being displayed, and the viciousness at which the two young women attacked each other with, there was a sort of grace that came with each motion. It was like watching the ebb and flow of the tide as each one of them skilfully read the others movements, letting the block from each strike flow into their next attack as though they were both planning ten steps ahead. Fighting normally looked brutish and clunky, like rams butting heads, but the kind of battle that had emerged between Harrow and Hikari was more like watching two swift and masterful birds battling in the sky.
They were still evenly matched regardless of their injuries. It was almost rare that either one of them landed a successful strike during their exchange of blows, but the ones that did land made their appearance more than known as the both Hikari and Harrow gradually began accumulating more and more bloody marks that tattered their bodies. One of them needed to regain the advantage, otherwise the fight was set to continue on this way until one of them collapsed of exhaustion. But in a setting such as this, winning merely by endurance was hardly the victory that either of them was aiming for. The strain of their injuries piled on more and more as the black and white Ki and elements continued to clash. During their exchange, Harrow had taken notice of the effectiveness of her water whips, their speed and range were difficult for Hikari to evade, and a number of them had managed to leave even more gashes across her opponent's body.
Harrow wrenched a scream of exhilaration that came from the depths of her ambitions, her Ki flaring up and amassing behind before concentrating into six swirling tendrils that flailed around like the tentacles of some wild creature. Hikari jumped back in response, unsure of what Harrow's next move was, but she quickly realized her opponent's train of thought as she watched the writhing tendrils of Ki solidify into dark black-tinted ropes of water that snapped and cracked in the air. Hikari panted with the strain of her accumulated injuries, regretting her choice to put space in between the two of them and letting Harrow unfurl her frighting technique. "Damn… that's gonna be a prob-" Hikari's train of thought was cut short by another display of mastery from Harrow. As the tentacles of black water continued to whip around, cracking in the air, a sheen of dark black ice began to emerge from the same spot on Harrow's back as it covered around her body. Hikari's mind flashed back to a moment during her training with Kyuen where her aunt had warned her about his exact thing. While Harrow's tenacity and showmanship led her to use her ice in an aggressive and offensive manner, the true value of wielding an element like ice, came in its use for defense.
It only took a second for the ice to encapsulate Harrow's body like a suit of armor. Its form even mimicked a real suit of armor that would have been used by a swordsman of old days past. Hikari rallied herself for what was to come, letting her Ki flow freely as she watched Harrow begin to approach. Her steps were heavy and deliberate, closing the gap between them in dramatic fashion as Hikari stood her ground. "I need to find a way to get through that," Hikari thought to herself as she began to formulate a strategy. Once again, Hikari's Ki concentrated towards her hands, equating each one of them with the same blade-like formation of scorching flame that she had used to cut through Harrow's ice before. "She's going to be slow with all that ice around her… I just need to cut her down before those water whips get to-". In a flash of black, Harrow had unexpectedly closed the gap between them, catching Hikari off guard entirely as she drove her Ice-covered fist into her gut. "She's… Using all three of her elements at once!" Hikari managed to realize during the miniscule gap of time that occurred between Harrow's abrupt approach and the blow that followed.
She had drastically underestimated Harrow. The thought that she would be able to use her wind to balance out her speed hadn't even occurred to Hikari as a possibility, but it had been so. With swift brilliance Harrow had let the air burst from beneath her feet, jetting her towards her opponent in the blink of an eye. The air was ripped from Hikari's lungs as the force of the impact shot her backwards and into the stone wall of the arena. As she crashed into the wall she spurted up blood and cried out in agony, only for her screams to be snuffed short by another relentless blow from Harrow who hadn't hesitated in the slightest to continue her attack. She was pinned. With increasing force Harrow delivered blow after blow to Hikari's body, each strike leaving traces of blood that froze to her icy gauntlets, all the while each of the six watery limbs that protruded from her back began lashing at Hikari's limbs, rending her flesh and spurting blood against the stadium walls.
From behind the dark mask of ice that covered her face, a menacing laughter poured out from Harrow's lips. The crowd was nearly silent as they watched the onslaught occur, the fervor that flooded them all before seemingly sucked dry as they listened to the stifling cries of Hikari writing in agony. She couldn't move. The weight of each blow and the searing pain of each cut overwhelmed her senses until she felt entirely numb. Her vision reduced to a tunnel, the crashing sounds of Harrow's fists dulled to a muted roar, and for a moment the world felt like it did for one during a dream, detached and unreal. For the first time since she had met her rival Harrow, the thought of possibly losing her came into Hikari's mind, the weight of the shame already beginning to set in on her psyche, and it was heavy. Heavier than each of the blows that pummeled her body relentlessly. In that moment, as her body seemed to feel weightless against the wall, Hikari's mind flashed with a memory she had not visited in years.
Eleven years earlier… It had only been roughly a year and half since Annika had gone missing, and since returning from their search for her, Hikari noticed that Kyuen had more than doubled down in her training efforts. Hikari was only eight years old as she sat on the steps of her home, the orange sun beginning to descend behind the cliff face that towered over the house as she did. She often waited in this exact spot for Kyuen to return from her days of heavy training. In the time immediately after Annika's disappearance, Hikari seemed to cling to her aunt's side relentlessly, but for some reason that bothered the young girl to no end, Kyuen strictly forbade Hikari from watching her train. Hikari's expression lit up as she began to hear the familiar sound of Kyuen's footsteps shuffling down the path towards her home. She leapt off the steps and raced toward her, her arms extended outward as she met her exhausted aunt at the properties edge. She jumped without warning, wrapping her arms around her aunt with glee as she tilted her head back to look up at her. She was usually met with a warm and grateful smile from Kyuen when she returned from her mysterious training, but today, as Hikari looked into the face of the woman whose side she almost could bear to leave, she saw her face twisted as though she was in pain.
Kyuen didn't pull away. Instead she knelt down and returned her niece's embrace, her face still unable to hide her winces of pain as he did. Her body felt frail. Even to Hikari's young mind it was evident that something was wrong with Kyuen. Her excited demeanor quickly was quickly hushed by the strange difference that today seemed to bring. Adding to her confusion, Kyuen took Hikari by the hand as they walked the rest of the way to the house when normally, she would have scooped Hikari up in her arms and carried her. As they entered the house, the comforting routine that they had developed was broken once again, "I need to wash up…" Kyuen said meagerly as she let go of Hikari's hand and made her way up the stairs. Leaving Hikari amiss with confusion as she tried desperately to understand. For a moment she felt as though maybe she had done something wrong, like she had upset her aunt in some way or let her down. Her stomach twisted with shame and disappointment in herself, her feet almost moving themselves as she began to rush up the stairs in pursuit of her aunt with tears welling up in her eyes.
Hikari bursts through the door of the bathroom without warning, her vision blurred by her tears and her arms extended outwards once again. Without opening her eyes she flung herself against Kyuen's bare leg, only for the abrupt sensation of something wet and spongy pressed against her cheek to cut through her wails. Hikari pulled her head back and touched her cheek, it was wet and warm. She looked at her fingers to see that they had been painted bright red with the sight of blood. Her eyes widened as she brought her gaze up to the spot where she had pressed her face to see Kyuen's leg had been profusely bandaged around a wound that was still leaking blood. Hikari stepped back in horror as she let her eye scan the rest of Kyuen's body. After catching her mid-dressed and in only her undergarments, Hikari could see that her aunt's body had been almost literally torn to shreds. Soggy red bandages clung to countless spots on her battered form, each one hiding a wound that would have rendered most people unconscious. Hikari's hands clasped her mouth in shock as a gasp of lost innocence escaped her lips. "Hikari… you… you shouldn't barge in like that," was all Kyuen could say as she ushered the young girl back out the door and closed it behind her.
Kyuen had never acknowledged the moment again, nor did she offer any explanation as to where her injuries had come from. It wasn't until another three years later, when Kyuen was selected to succeed the former Goddesses of Fire, that Hikari had realized the connection between the two. It was around the same time Hikari had awakened her Mesukiro, in fact it wouldn't be a stretch to say that Hikari's realization was one of the things that led to her awakening, but when Kyuen had finally achieved the title she had striven for, it became clear to Hikari that the injuries she had seen Kyuen with that day were the evidence of her dedication to following in Annika's footsteps, that it was only through the grueling training and trials that left her body broken and tormented she was able to bring her dreams into reality.
As quickly as it had rushed in, the memory of that day began to flutter out of her mind, but not before it had bled into another much more recent memory. The memory of Kyuen's powerful demonstration just a few weeks ago. The green-hued lighting that had erupted from Kyuen's blade flashed through Hikari's mind, and despite her predicament of being pinned against the wall and pummeled upon, it struck her as odd that these were her thoughts. For a moment she couldn't reconcile Kyuen's achievement of being able to wield lightning with her goals of following in Annika's path. Hikari's ambition, as well as Kyuen's as far as her knowledge entailed, had always been directed towards becoming Goddess and upholding that title, so why then did Kyuen's separate achievement of a different kind of power seem to stand out to her so much? Hikari wondered as the last of her consciousness began to slip away. "I wonder… I wonder why she…" All of a sudden, like a rush of vitality that had flooded her mind she came to another realization.
"It was for… herself! Only herself!" Hikari's thoughts rang as the rush of her epiphany had seemed to ever so slightly bring her back to her crushing reality. Hikari had known since the beginning of the placement exams that her fight with Harrow was not the sole determination of her future with the Goddesses, and she now knew it was because of this idea, that she was in the position that she was in. She had come to realize the difference between herself and Harrow in this fight, unlike herself. Harrow was focused on nothing but this moment. "I can't win if my enemy is myself… she's got me pinned like this because the only singular thought in her mind is defeating me! She's not thinking about where this leads or how it affects her goals. Her only goal right now is to crush me!" She thought to herself as he caught a glimpse of Harrow's dark black eyes from behind her mask of ice. "Forget my goals… forget everything else… Just win!" Hikari said to herself as she focused the last thread of her concentration and Ki as much as she could, releasing it all at once in a burst of flames that seemed to emanate from her entire body at once., pushing Harrow back just enough for her body to fall to the ground.
"Gah!" Harrow exclaimed as the wall of fire rushed towards her and blinded her. The heat from the flames evaporating the ends of her flailing water tendrils as it pushed her back and took hikari out of her sights. The burst of intense flame had managed to melt through part of Harrow's armor as well, leaving her face half-exposed. Harrow quickly picked up her head to face her opponent once again, but Hikari's body had already disappeared from the spot in which it had peeled away from the wall and fallen. Harrow swung her head side to side desperately, until she found her opponent once again. Hikari had managed to move to her flank. She was barely on her feet, her body slumped forward as her arms and head hung lifelessly. Blood poured from the countless cuts that littered her limbs, and her ribs and torso looked as though they had been crushed by a boulder. She was all but dead on her feet, her ability to move at all gripped even Harrow for a moment as she looked at her opponent in disbelief.
"I don't even care if I lose at this point…" Hikari's voice muttered in a dreary, droning tone that only comes from someone who was clinging to life. Just like during her memory of the day she had seen Kyuen's body broken and tattered, her feet seemed to move of their own accord, taking one meager step forward towards Harrow as her head still hung low. "But I won't go down… without fighting any of this battle for myself!" Hikari announced with a cracked and strained yell that resembled the dying cry of an animal more than it did words. With another step forward she lifted her body and head to meet the gaze of her bewildered opponent. The sclera of her eyes had become a shade of deep red as they filled with blood, the white glow of irises a stark contrast as they enclosed her almost non-existent pupils. Hikari could barely see, her vision had become nothing more than a blend of shades and shadows, and despite this she knew where her target was. Like the water rising behind an unreleased dam, her Ki swelled up around her, as the memory of Kyuen's display flashed through her mind again.
"She's done for… she's barely standing…" Harrow thought to herself as she watched her opponent stumble forward helplessly. "It would be merciful of me… to end this now!" Harrow said to herself as she resumed her fighting stance and positioned herself to charge, not letting the sight of her unrelenting rival shake her confidence any longer. Like she had done before, Harrow summoned a gust of wind beneath her feet and projected herself towards Hikari, her ice covered fist raised and ready to finish things. She swung, expecting to feel the weight of Hikari's body against her fist but instead was met with the unfamiliar feeling of striking at nothing but air. Harrow stumbled as the momentum of her swing that had failed to land dragged her forward. Once again, Hikari had somehow positioned herself at Harrow flank, somehow moving at a speed that Harrow failed to catch. Frustrated, Harrow spun on her heel, and rushed in once again, this time choosing to drop some of her icy armor in hopes for an increase in speed, but once more she was met with nothing but the feel of air against her fist as Hikari continued to evade her. Something was off. Something had changed in Hkari's method of fighting, something she had never displayed in all of her previous matches which Harrow had studied so carefully. She was still almost lifeless, she looked like a walking corpse as she managed to disappear and reappear over and over again somehow still on her feet as she dodged Harrow's reckless blows.
There was a weight in the air as Horrow continued her assault. Something was building around Hikari as the glow of her Ki slowly began to return to its previous strength. An uneasy feeling took over Harrow as she tried to land the finishing blow, a feeling that shook her own confidence, and left an unpleasant taste in her mouth. "Agh! Just go down already, you worm!" Harrow belted in anger as she swung again, only this time, Hikari did not disappear from her sight. Hikari's body moved back effortlessly, just narrowly dodging Harrow's blow as she raised her hand above her head. The air around them cracked, the hair on Harrow's arm and neck stood on end as time slowed to a crawl. Harrow could feel the weight of Hikari's Ki that was saturated in the air all rushing in at once like an implosion. She brought her gaze up to meet her opponents, only to see that Hikari's eyes had fully glazed over. She was already unconscious and fighting purely off instinct and will alone. The hand that was raised above Hikari's head seemed to flash so brightly that for a brief second, not a single person who was in the first few rows of the arena could see anything. Before Harrow could do anything that would change the outcome, Hikari's hand came crashing down, and along with it came a searing bolt of lightning that tore through Harrow's body like she had been made of paper. The thunderous crash rang out, and it was only mid-swing that Hikari seemed to regain consciousness so that she could witness her victory, but the sight that Hikari awakened to was not the one she had imagined. The white sparking bolt of energy that had come crashing down long with her hand gave way to a bright red spray of blood, and to Hikari's horror, the body of her rival thudded to the ground at her feet.
Hikari's eyes seemed to peel open at the sight. Harrow's body had been torn open from her shoulder to her hip, the red spurting gorge in her flesh tinged black at the edges from the shock of her strike. Panic set in as Hikari continued to come too. Within seconds the paramedics had rushed the field and were already working to stabilize Harrow, the glow of multiple medical Shishogan users surrounding her body as she lay there, still choking and spurting up blood. Hikari watched as Harrow's face became paler by the second, the blood pouring out of her starting to pool around her body in a ghoulish sight. For a moment everything stopped, the sound of the commotion became muted as Hikari looked down at her hands that had been spattered with Harrow's blood. "I… I killed her? What… What happened?!" Harrow panicked as she dropped to her knees and clutched her skull. There had been a moment of baited breath that washed over the crowd as they sat on the edges of their seats, but that moment quickly gave way to an array of groans and sounds of horror, only to just as quickly turn to overwhelming jeers of disapproval.
The booing and yelling of the crowd grew louder by the second. Even some of those who had come to cheer Hikari on joined in the slander and aggressive shouting that was all focused towards her. After another second, Hikari felt the familiar weight of Kyuen's embrace lifting her from her feet and heard the voice of her uncle saying something she couldn't make out in her moment of duress.
It had all been a blur. Since the moment her battle had ended in its simultaneously spectacular and gruesome manner, Hikari had been unable to make sense of anything. She couldn't remember what had happened, only the sight of Harrow's body torn asunder and feebly writhing on the ground filled her waking mind as she sat in the chair outside of Hiro's office. Beside her, a medical Senokti tended to her wounds, she was in too much shock to notice it was in fact Sumiko Harabani who was healing her. She had been whisked to Hiro's office directly after the incident and stuck in a seat outside his door while Hiro and the other judges of the placement exams deliberated on how to proceed. "I… I killed her… She's… dead…" Hikari muttered as though she was stuck in a trance. All of a sudden, both a wave of guilt and heart wrenching disappointment came over her, "I… I'll be disqualified…" She whispered softly, her voice laced with shame for even letting the thought occur to her amidst the situation.
"She's not dead." Said the soft and gentle voice of Sumiko as she continued to close up some of the wounds that covered Hikari's left arm. "She's in bad shape but… she should pull through," Sumiko added as she looked at Hikari from below her brow. Hikari quickly turned her head to meet Sumiko's gaze, her eyes finally showing some signs of life returning as she heard her words. "She's… she's gonna be okay?" Hikari's voice squeaked as her eyes began to fill with tears of relief. Despite the pain she was still in, Hikari managed to fling both of her arms around Sumiko before she broke down completely. "I… don't know what happened, Sumiko!" Hikari bawled as she buried her face into Sumiko's shoulder. "I didn't want her dead! I wanted to win but… I never wanted to kill her! You have to believe me!" Hikari bellowed as she continued to sob. "Shhh, shhhh, I know… it's okay now…" Sumiko cooed as she wrapped her arms around Hikari and patted her head comfortingly before taking her by the shoulder and putting some space between them. "We have the best teams working on her as we speak, and they're going to do everything they can to keep her alive," She said with a soft smile and a warm confidence that seemed to put Hikari somewhat at ease. The two of them sat there for a second until the doors of the office swung open, and Hiro stepped out with a solemn look across his face. "Come in, we're ready to see you now" was all he said to Hikari before turning back around and waiting for her to follow behind him.