Episode 10 — The Fang of Iron, the Spirit of Dragon
The arena was alive with thunder. Stamping feet shook the stone steps, banners whipped violently in the wind, and the voices of thousands collided into a single roar. At the center, Elder Kuroda raised his staff high.
With one motion, silence spread through the chaos like a wave. His voice, steady and commanding, rolled across the arena.
"Final match! Two dojos remain—Silver Dragon and Iron Fang! The rules stand as before. No killing. Victory is decided by knockout, or by failing to rise before the count of ten. Warriors, prepare yourselves. Let the first battle… begin!"
The crowd erupted again, splitting into two storms.
"Silver Dragon! Silver Dragon!"
"Iron Fang! Iron Fang!"
The chants clashed above the arena like lightning, filling the air with tension so sharp it seemed to cut the lungs.
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Match 1 — Taro vs. Raizen
Taro stepped forward first. His body carried bruises from the semifinals, his ribs bandaged beneath his robe, but fire still burned in his eyes. He rolled his shoulders, spat to the side, and thrust a fist toward his chosen opponent.
"You're mine first," he growled.
Raizen entered with quiet steps. His aura shimmered faintly crimson, flickering like embers that promised to become an inferno. The crowd's cheers faltered into a hushed unease. Even without a word, Raizen's presence unsettled all who watched.
The gong rang.
Taro burst forward, his fists blazing as he unleashed the Blazing Fang Rush. His strikes rained like a storm, each punch and kick aimed with reckless determination. The arena gasped as Raizen blocked each blow with minimal movement, his arms folding, shifting, redirecting. His feet never left their place on the stone.
"You're loud," Raizen muttered, his voice cold and calm. He caught Taro's fist mid-strike, locking him in place. "But noise isn't strength."
His counter came in a single devastating motion—a straight punch to the gut. The impact cracked like thunder. Taro staggered back, air torn from his lungs, skidding across the arena floor.
"Stand up!" Shin's voice rang from the sidelines, fists clenched tight.
Taro groaned, spitting blood. And yet, he grinned through the pain. "I'm not… done yet!"
He forced his ki higher, his fists burning with brighter fire. His steps pounded forward, his roar echoing as he swung again and again, hammering at Raizen's guard. The crowd screamed as Taro's assault forced the prodigy to shift slightly, dust flying beneath his heels.
For a heartbeat, it looked as though Raizen might yield ground.
Then his eyes flared crimson. His aura erupted outward, swirling in a violent storm of blood-red flame.
"Bloodflare Aura…" whispered an elder in the crowd, his voice trembling.
Raizen blurred into motion. He slipped between Taro's furious strikes, counters snapping like hammers. One crushed into Taro's ribs. Another smashed across his jaw. A third slammed into his chest with crushing weight.
Taro dropped to his knees, coughing blood. His body shook under the storm of strikes.
Raizen raised his hand high, crimson energy coiling around his fist like a predator. His voice cut through the chaos.
"End."
The fist came down. The shockwave blasted outward, throwing dust and stone across the floor. Taro slammed into the tiles, flat and unmoving.
"Winner—Raizen of Iron Fang!" Elder Kuroda's voice boomed.
Iron Fang's half of the arena erupted into triumphant screams. The other half cried desperately for Taro.
Healers rushed to lift him. His swollen eyes cracked open. With bloodied lips, he forced a grin toward Shin.
"It's all you now… don't lose."
And with that, he was carried away.
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Match 2 — Shin vs. Kenta
Shin stepped forward. The storm within him pulsed steady, his fists tightening as he watched his brother vanish into the healer's arms. His body still carried bruises from the earlier rounds, but his resolve blazed brighter than any wound.
Kenta loomed before him. Broad-shouldered, towering, his muscles coiled like steel cables. His smirk showed no mercy.
"You're smaller than I thought," he rumbled, cracking his neck. "Easy to break."
The gong rang.
Kenta charged like a bull. His first punch came down like a boulder. The stone tiles shattered as Shin slid aside just in time, dust spraying upward.
Another punch followed, then another—each strike splitting the air with terrifying force. The arena shook beneath the weight of his blows.
"Run all you like!" Kenta roared, spinning with a wide kick. The strike grazed Shin's guard and sent him tumbling across the floor.
Gasps filled the arena. But Shin rolled to his feet quickly, chest rising and falling in steady rhythm. His eyes remained calm.
"That all?" Shin asked softly.
Kenta snarled, rushing again. But this time Shin's fist shimmered faint gold. He struck Kenta's ribs. The glowing maw of a dragon flared briefly, forcing the giant back a single step. The crowd erupted.
Kenta only grinned savagely. "Not bad. But I'm not like the others."
He seized Shin by the collar, lifted him high, and slammed him into the stone. The ground shattered beneath them, cracks spreading outward.
"One! Two! Three!" Elder Kuroda began the count.
Shin's vision swam, his ribs burning. But his spirit did not falter. At four, he slammed his fist into the ground, forcing his body upright. His eyes blazed with renewed fire.
"Good," Kenta growled. "At least you can stand."
The clash resumed. Kenta's fists swung like wrecking balls, each blow heavy enough to break bone. Shin darted between them, blocking one, deflecting another, countering with precise jabs and kicks. Golden sparks flared with every strike.
Stone dust filled the air. Each impact echoed like rolling thunder. Shin's speed met Kenta's strength, neither relenting.
Finally, Kenta roared, his ki surging iron-gray. His muscles swelled as power erupted from his body. "Iron Crusher!"
He hurled a devastating punch, the ground splitting before it even landed.
Shin planted his feet, his aura arms blazing gold light. "Dragon Fist!"
The two strikes collided. The sound was deafening, like mountains colliding. Shockwaves blasted outward, dust exploding in waves across the arena.
When the haze cleared, both fighters stood still. For a moment, the world held its breath.
Then Kenta's eyes widened. Trembling, he staggered back. Shin's fist pressed firmly against his chest, golden light still burning bright.
With a grunt, the Iron Fang giant's knees buckled. His body collapsed into the shattered tiles, the ground cracking beneath his massive frame.
"Ten! Out!" Elder Kuroda thundered. "Winner—Shin of Silver Dragon!"
The Silver Dragon half of the arena erupted in wild cheers. Shin stood tall, his chest heaving, sweat dripping, his fist still glowing faintly with golden light.
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The Stage is Set
The chants split the air once more.
"Shin! Shin! Shin!"
"Raizen! Raizen! Raizen!"
Across the arena, Raizen's crimson aura coiled like fire made flesh. His eyes glowed mercilessly, cold and sharp as blades.
Elder Kuroda raised his staff, his voice cutting through the chaos.
"The final match! Shin of Silver Dragon versus Raizen of Iron Fang! This battle will decide the champions of Hoshinawa!"
The mountains themselves seemed to echo with the roar that followed.
Shin clenched his fists, his storm raging within. Raizen's crimson gaze promised destruction.
The spirit of the dragon stood against the fang of iron.
The final clash had come.