Announcer:
"Hello, and congratulations to all of the semi-finalists. Please come forward."
We gathered on the stage, forming a loose circle around the announcer. As he looked over us, something in the air shifted—subtle, but unmistakable.
So this is what the semifinals feel like…
"You will once again draw lots to determine the next round."
While he continued explaining the rules, my gaze drifted across the other participants. The moment I focused, a knot twisted in my gut. The pressure radiating from them was dense, oppressive—far heavier than anything I'd felt from Mercenary Tao.
These guys… they're on another level.
"Now, if there are no further questions, let's begin the draw."
I stepped forward and slipped my hand into the box. The paper felt heavier than it should have. I unfolded it and handed it to the announcer. He glanced down and began marking the bracket.
"The first match will be—
[Yuji Itadori vs. Tien Shinhan]"
A murmur rippled through the arena.
"The second match will be—
[Goku vs. Anonymous]
The third match—
[Junior vs. Krillin]
The fourth match—
[Hero vs. Yamcha]"
I turned my eyes toward my opponent. Calm. Focused. Not even a hint of tension on his face.
So that's Tien Shinhan…
I didn't dwell on it. I knew one moment of Hesitation and I would lose. As I walked toward the stage, one thought settled firmly in my mind.
Give it my all. From the very first second.
This time, I wore nothing special—just a plain T-shirt and trousers, which, to be honest, didn't seem to last long either.
On the platform, we took our stances. No words. No gestures. Yet my pulse quickened, excitement surging through my veins. The competitive energy in the air was intoxicating. Cursed energy tightened around my fists like a second skin.
I'm not holding back.
The bell rang.
I burst forward, driving a knee toward his torso—
—blocked instantly by his elbow.
Before I could recover, a sharp hook came flying in. I flipped back at the last moment, his fist slicing through the air where my face had been. The instant my feet touched the ground, he was already there.
Too fast—!
I snapped out a right jab as he aimed for my exposed left side. I blocked with my free hand and countered, but he didn't give me a breath. A left punch and a knee came together, perfectly timed. My guard shattered.
The knee slammed into my gut.
The air was ripped from my lungs as my body was hurled backward, boots scraping violently across the stage.
He didn't let up.
He surged forward, hands shooting out to seize my arms. One was pinned instantly—sticky hands. I tried to force space and throw a right, but he smothered the movement. Our arms stayed connected, and in that moment, I understood.
He's reading me.
Every twitch. Every shift in muscle. My next move was already exposed before I made it.
A headbutt snapped forward.
I barely leaned back in time.
Boom.
Our kicks collided midair, the shockwave rattling through my legs and forcing us apart. We both slid back, resetting.
No time.
We lunged again. I spun into a kick—
—and passed straight through him.
Afterimage—!
Pain exploded across my face as a kick smashed into me from the side. Before I could even hit the ground, another blow slammed into my back, launching me airborne.
Then—
He was in front of me.
An axe kick descended.
I raised my guard, but it crushed straight through. My body folded around his leg as I was driven down.
The floor shattered beneath me.
Agony flared white-hot through my spine. For a split second, my vision blurred.
Get up. Now.
I forced myself upright, teeth clenched, Reverse Cursed Technique surging as my body stitched itself back together.
I dropped low, hands near my waist, forming a grabing handmotion, breathing steady despite the pain.
If I keep fighting his game, I'll lose.
Cursed energy flowed outward as I muttered:
[New Shadow Style: Simple Domain]
A precise 2.21-meter radius bloomed around me, rippling like disturbed water.
Tien appeared—
—and I felt him instantly.
Got you.
The moment he crossed the boundary, I reacted. Falling backward, I struck with both legs, smashing into him and launching him upward. I landed smoothly and reset my stance.
He vanished.
Reappeared right in front of me.
Detected.
I leapt over his head, dodging his strike—but the instant my feet touched down, he was already behind me.
Another hook.
I rolled away, the wind of his fist brushing past my shoulder.
Now we paused.
He didn't rush.
He observed.
He's adapting…
We charged again. I feinted a right cross. He read it and prepared the counter—right on cue. I drove in with a knee instead.
Blocked.
I followed with a punch, shifting it mid-motion into an elbow strike. He caught my arm, absorbing the impact effortlessly. Cursed energy surged into my left fist as I aimed for his gut—
—but he redirected it with a rising knee, striking the back of my hand.
Then he disappeared.
Reappeared behind me.
I turned and threw a roundhouse—
Afterimage.
Again.
And again.
He blinked in and out of sight, circling me at impossible speeds. He was even faster than before, staying just outside my Simple Domain's reach.
Damn it… He's controlling the pace.
For the first time, I felt it clearly.
I'm being pushed back, well he is holding back.
I rushed him in a desperate barrage when he appeared again, fists flying with everything I had.
He dodged every strike.
A massive kick slammed into my side.
The impact sent me skidding across the stage, boots scraping inches from the arena's edge.
One more hit like that… and I'm done.
What I needed—desperately—was to land a Black Flash.
But against that speed, a normal strike was almost impossible. Landing a perfectly focused one? That felt completely out of reach.
At this rate… I'll lose.
Simple Domain alone wasn't enough. Even when I detected him, my body lagged behind my perception. I could see it coming—feel it—but my muscles just couldn't keep up. And I had to do that while remaining in the range of the domain
So what can I change?
Both in regard to strength and technique, he is way out of my league.
Then the answer hit me all at once.
Blood Manipulation.
If I couldn't make him slower, then I had to make myself faster—not in movement, but in reaction. By forcing my blood to circulate faster, sharpening oxygen delivery, accelerating neural response…
I don't need to outrun him.
I just need to move first—even by a fraction of a second.
Cursed energy surged inward as I took control of my circulation, pushing my body beyond its natural limits. My heartbeat thundered in my ears, heat flooding my limbs.
[Flowing Red Scale]
distinct, glowing red markings begin to appear across my eyes.
In a way i was taking a risk here as I lack full mastery over, and in the case of a miscalculation. This will tear me apart. I have to use the reverse curse technique continuously just to make it stable
So my time was already limited, but if I didn't do it—
—I wouldn't land a Black Flash.
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