While Roy had completely dominated Naoi in their fight, leaving no room for debate on the power difference, his decision to overwhelm the woman at her strongest had cost him some strength.
Idor, an energy born from a mix of the body's physical and spiritual energies, was a game-changer when it circulated through the body.
This energy didn't just enhance the senses of its users, it also enhanced their physiques, strengthening their bodies far beyond normal.
Just because Roy had the strength didn't mean he had the durability.
While Sarah was a step above all, Roy did not count out the possibility of others noticing the damage he had suffered.
"Doesn't matter, won't change the outcome," the boy told himself, his Idor reacting to his confidence and letting out a strong blast of wind from around him.
Gasps came from the stand as his presence became bigger to their senses, but he ignored it, and locking eyes with his opponent, he burst forward once more.
Sarah didn't hesitate, she moved forward, and this time with their strength taken to a completely different level, they clashed.
Fist met fist, the two limbs retreating and giving way for their other limbs to shoot forward with more precise power.
After a few more exchanges of their upper limbs, Sarah spun around, the back of her foot coming for Roy's head.
Roy quickly took two steps back, and when the danger passed, he rushed back into the fray. He sought to take advantage of Sarah's short moment of imbalance, but the girl recovered very quickly and immediately launched an attack.
The girl's fist came before Roy could even decide on an attack, and feeling the accumulated strength in her limb, he dived to the side, rolled once, and quickly got to his feet.
Sarah didn't push her advantage; she waited for him to face her, and then she ran towards him with sharp intent.
Feeling he had been on the back foot for too long, tightening his fists, Roy brought them together, his arms tense, then he pulled them apart, power thrumming within him.
In the few seconds left for Sarah to reach Roy, her eyes narrowed. She had no idea what he had done, but her enhanced sight could catch traces of his muscles bulging beyond their normal size; she could sense the power he had compressed in them.
Gaining a basic understanding, it was not hard for the girl to know that Roy's state was only temporary, a product of a technique, his increased strength bound to rapidly eat away his little reserves of Idor.
With her clearly proven superior speed, her best course was to drag out the battle, drain her opponent, and then when he was out of Idor, clip him off.
That was the best option for Sarah, but while Roy might be a prick, he had some clear, correct understandings.
Dominance had to be shown to inform others of their place.
Tensing his muscles, contracting and expanding the power within him, Roy could already taste victory.
"Ascending Tiger," he roared within.
This was the true name of his family's fighting style, not the jargon the city and the rest of the state came up with.
It had taken Roy five long months to understand the technique, gaining a grasp on it such that he was able to somewhat employ it in battle.
Unaware that his opponent had already noticed the oddity of his body, he waited, letting her come close to him, step into his space, and attack.
Without fear, Sarah launched a fist, her limb shooting out at speeds that made her classmates' eyes sparkle; many of them in the stands wondered to what level they would need to train to attain such strength, but then Roy's right hand shot out.
Sarah's punch had been incredibly fast, but Roy's own blurred.
With extreme precision, he countered Sarah's attack, but after their fists collided, his eyes widened in confusion.
Having no time for theatrics, Sarah sent out another blow, this time with her left hand, her face cold as her fist clashed with Roy's, and this time he took a step back.
With the technique he had employed, Roy was more than sure that his already superior strength had been massively amplified, but yet, Sarah had not just countered his blows, she overpowered them.
His understanding of the Ascending Tiger still at the most manageable of levels, a glaring weakness in Roy's technique was his inability to engage his lower limbs in quick movements.
Keeping his compressed strength compact was already a burden for him.
"I need to do better."
On the spot, Roy pushed himself beyond his already established limit; he spun on the spot, his Idor rumbling through him, and he launched a kick at Sarah, the wind blasting apart as his feet moved.
Not intimidated, the girl raised her left arm and blocked the attack. She took a step forward, this causing Roy to retreat, but determined, he launched another attack.
Roy's next attack was easily foiled, his opponent taking another step forward, and the boy unrelenting, a situation where the two opponents were locked in a high-speed fight, one constantly on the retreat, began playing out.
The noise and image from around faded out of Roy's senses, his classmates' exclamations being squashed out.
Only Sarah existed in Roy's world, and desperation began spreading through him as he found himself being completely outclassed.
Without need to employ a technique, Sarah moved at a speed that surpassed Roy's, her strength overbearing, and within, he knew the only reason the battle was still going on was because she hadn't launched gone on the offence.
"Her Idor," Roy was quick to arrive at what could be the only reason for the huge disparity.
"How strong is her Idor, Green?"