Chapter 14: Trial by Ascension II
The wind picked up slightly across the arena as Kai stepped back to center.
His first opponent, Saris, was already being stretchered off the stage. He hadn't been unconscious—just unable to stand. That made it worse. Everyone had seen it. A single phrase, a subtle step, and a cadet built like a fortress had crumbled.
Now, a new presence emerged.
Elen Vire.
She moved like a flicker of flame—sharp, fast, untethered. Her uniform was modified, sleeveless, with black sashes at her wrists to better conceal the sleek twin daggers she wielded with an artist's precision.
A known speed fighter. One of Vale's personal disciples.
Her eyes sparkled with interest as she circled Kai.
"So you're the one who's got everyone whispering," she said. Her voice was soft, melodic—but her stance was tight, coiled like a spring. "Let's see if you're just smoke and mirrors."
Kai didn't answer. He just exhaled.
The match bell chimed.
Elen blurred into motion.
She was fast—faster than Saris by leagues. She darted low and right, blades flashing with a silver sheen as she aimed for his ribs. Kai deflected the first strike with the back of his wrist, pivoted, and barely dodged the second blade with a backward sway.
He answered with a straight punch—blocked. She twisted, kicked toward his head—parried.
Steel hissed through the air. Elen moved like a dancer, chaining strikes with acrobatic ease, cutting from multiple angles with footwork meant to overwhelm.
Kai took it all in.
Three seconds.
Her rhythm was fast, but her transitions were predictable. She used high-speed offense to keep her opponents on the defensive. But she was aggressive—too aggressive. Her second blade always followed a specific arc.
Five seconds.
Kai sidestepped her third slash, spinning to her flank.
She pivoted, dagger arcing up.
He dropped low.
"Balance Reaper."
His palm struck her lead hip with exact force—an unassuming spot, but the epicenter of her core motion. Her breath hitched as her footing collapsed. She stumbled—
But she didn't fall.
Elen gritted her teeth, flipped backward, and threw one of her daggers mid-air, forcing Kai to shift. She landed in a crouch, panting.
"You already read me, didn't you?"
Kai didn't smile. "You telegraph your second strike. You trust your speed too much."
A pause.
Then she smirked.
"Alright. No more holding back."
She crossed her fingers in front of her chest—ki surged up her arms in twin streams.
"Spiral Slash Mirage!"
She lunged.
Now she was truly fast.
To the untrained eye, she appeared to split—three versions of her closing in. Kai's perception narrowed. He saw the trail, the subtle delay in her knee's bend, the false weight shift of the illusions.
The real one was on the right.
He pivoted into her arc.
Their arms clashed—steel scraping his bracer.
He leaned in close, palm already forming.
"Balance Reaper."
His elbow shot into her back knee.
This time, the effect was immediate. Her form collapsed—dagger falling from her grip as she grunted in pain. He twisted, caught her arm, and spun her to the ground in a controlled lock.
The bell rang.
🟩 Combat Assessment Recorded – Match 2: Victory
The crowd broke into a wave of murmurs again—more stunned than celebratory.
Kai helped her up.
Elen winced, but nodded. "You're precise. Scary precise."
"You're fast," Kai replied, his voice still quiet. "Faster than me. But you rely on momentum. Once that's gone…"
"You cut through it like paper."
She gave him a grudging smile. "Don't lose. I want to say I fell to the one who took the trial."
He nodded, then turned to the next announcer's call.
"Match Three: Kai versus Joran Frek."
He walked back to center as the next opponent stepped forward—a towering cadet with a massive glaive strapped to his back and calloused fists like stone slabs.
The kind who didn't speak much.
Kai rolled his neck and cracked his knuckles.
Two down.
Three to go.
And then the final test.