Champion of the Tournment

The next day, bathed in the pale morning light filtering through the arena's windows, Terran felt a profound sense of weariness mixed with a strange exhilaration. His body ached, but his spirit burned. His father, the Great Hero, stood watching him, his expression unreadable. The lingering scent of battle from the previous day's battle still hung heavy in the air.

Vin and Uriko, their injuries surprisingly minor, were recovering in the designated healer's quarters. Their match had ended in a stalemate, a draw that left the crowd buzzing with speculation of how the Finals will be determined. 

Enuma,  looming mischief, whisper and idea to me, "Interesting. I propose a change of plans. The final will be a test of your strength against two formidable opponents. Vin and Uriko, together."

A wave of surprise washed over me. I was ready for a rematch against the princess. I had expected a one-on-one final, a direct confrontation. 

But the idea of facing the combined power of Vin and Uriko, two formidable fighters, was enticing. And yet, a small voice whispered of the unspoken pressure.

"I accept," I replied with a voice resonating with newfound conviction. I had looked at his father and the other organizers of the tournament. I declared "I will face them." referring to both women. 

I turned to the girls, who were emerging from their quarters, their eyes sparkling with determination. "You two, will you fight together in the finals against me?"

Vin and Uriko looked at each other. A silent understanding passed between them. They said in unison, their voices firm.  "We accept," 

The final day of the tournament arrived, drawing a massive crowd. The arena buzzed with anticipation. Rumormongers, ever present in such gatherings, whispered tales of son of hero's disgrace. My supposed abandonment of the path of following my father's footsteps, and his newfound fighting style. 

Yet, the sheer power he displayed in the semifinals had silenced much of the criticism. Now, the crowd was a mixture of awe and skepticism. The announcement came in for the final match. 

"Due to a draw in the semifinals. Terran suggested for the final battle for the championship. We now announce the matchup! Terran Kamina versus both Uriko Anadine and Vin Stoke!!"

With the announcement, the crowd roared in excitement. It was new, it was unexpected. After witnessing the son of the hero battle his own father. This was so exciting for the crowd to witness for a Finals. 

Later as the match ready to start. Stepping into the center of the arena, I addressed the crowd, with a voice ringing clear. "This is not a fight against Vin and Uriko. This is my first step. My declaration. I will break free from the shadow of my father, the Hero of Demon War. I will forge my own path."

Enuma said, "That is perfect, you will definitely stand out and be remember for this." 

Uriko, stepping forward alongside Vin, declared, "We may not have always been on the same side of the arena, but we understand the spirit of this tournament. We will not lose to Terran." The words hung in the air, a challenge, a promise.

The final battle began. The roar of the crowd was deafening. Terran, Vin, and Uriko clashed, their movements a whirlwind of power and skill. The air crackled with the intensity of the fight. 

 The clash of steel, the cries of the crowd, and the rhythmic thud of blows created a symphony of conflict. The battle raged on, a testament to the strength of the three competitors.

The clash abruptly stopped and Terran stood between Uriko and Vin, his gaze unwavering. 

Uriko, a whirlwind of silver-and-gold, launched herself at Terran. Her spear, a blur of polished steel, danced around him, a relentless barrage of strikes. 

 Vin, her figure a phantom of movement, remained a step back, a shadow hovering near the edge of the battlefield. Her movements were a silent symphony of support, a constant threat to Terran's balance.

Vin launched her kunai at me after coming out of an engaged shoulder press between Terran and Uriko. As the clash heated up, it looked as I was only focused on the Princess in front of me. 

The kunai trap started, the crowd murmured in anticpation. There were other traps set up by Vin as well. However, I kept up my footwork. It was fluid, almost mesmerizing dance. I evaded the Kunai, then evaded Uriko's spear with practiced ease. 

My fists, now sharp as honed steel, connected with a satisfying crackle, each blow aimed with calculated fury. The attacks precise and powerful, almost a whirlwind of motion, a living testament to the improvement combat skills.

The fists were blocked by Uriko using her spear shaft. Uriko, her spear never wavering, declared, "I have never lost to you, Terran. Today, that will change." Her words, though confident, held a hint of desperation.

I appeared seemingly unfazed, continued dance of dodging the spear and the traps. I then shouted my next move. 

Shouting my battle cry, "Breakthrough the Green Light of Gaia." 

Making use of my breakthrough magic, a surge of energy coursing through my body, amplifying and enhancing myself physically. The strikes unleashed a series of powerful special attacks, each one designed to break through Uriko's defenses.

Suddenly I moved with an almost inhuman grace, the crowd gasping at his speed and precision. Heero who was watching in the stands said aloud. "This is so fantastic! I cannot wait to tell Akari about this. I am proud of the boy!" 

Vin, for a moment, thought she was far enough away to avoid fists. She had set up more traps, as she felt she understood Terran's movements better and could layer the trap and finish the job. 

But then I made my move because I locked onto her position. With quick leap backwards while glowing green, Uriko moved to close the distance again. Then I disappeared from the princess' view. 

Heero stood up in amazement. He and not many could follow my movements in the arena. "He just kick the air and start moving a different direction?!" Heero murmured as he watch the next kick into the air. 

With the kicks, I was launching myself off the air pressure to were I could get behind Vin. A swift, powerful jab, a lightning-fast flurry of blows, and Vin crumpled to the ground. The crowd gasped, a collective breath caught in their throats.

Uriko, momentarily stunned by the sudden fall of her ally, found herself facing the full force of fists of fury. The battle changed quickly. As I ran towards her, then leap sideways and kicked the air again to vanish from her sight. 

I had skipped through air with the kicks and was behind Uriko. I used my battle cry, "Fang of Heavenly Light • Meteor Flash Screw Attack."

Enuma mocked my at that moment, "Your attack name still makes me cringe." but I did not care at that moment. I had hopped to the front of Uriko, who was still reeling from my strike. I wanted her to see me, as we looked into each others eyes on the battlefield. 

I called my next battle cry, "Fang of Heavenly Light • Flash Suplex Attack!" As I hugged her to flip her over and smash her into the ground. I made sure she landed squarely on her back. Yet, she definitely was never going to let my suplex attack go unpunished in the future. 

After that final attack it was clear that Uriko lay defeated. She struggle to stir on the ground. 

Heero had descended with proud, measured strides, eyes shining with pride and joy written across his face. The announcement went out, "The new champion of the Unai City Battle Tournment is Terran Kamina!!"

The crowd hushed in awe, witnessing the moment of reconciliation and pride between father and son. Terran looked up at his father, a mixture of relief and happiness filling him. “Thanks, Dad. I fought hard, and I did it my way. I finally found my path.” 

 I turned to my friends, Vin and Uriko, who approached with smiles and breathless excitement. Uriko declared, "You won today, but I will win the next time." as she wore a grin accross her face. 

Then she shouted, "Explain yourself.  Are you the same person? The boy. I grew up with, who will be the next hero, Terran Kamina?"

Uriko placed a hand on his shoulder, her eyes shining with admiration. “You’ve changed so much, Terran. Your style—your magic, your fighting—it’s incredible. I’ve never seen anything like it. I used to think you only had your magic swordsman techniques, but now… you’re something so much more. You’re awesome.”

Terran chuckled, feeling a warmth spread through him. “This is just the beginning. Today was the first step. The real adventure starts now. We’ve proven ourselves here, but there’s a whole world out there waiting for us. The Hunter’s Guild has more dangerous quests, more mysteries to uncover, and I want to face them all—together.”

Uriko smiled softly, her voice steady. “I’ll be there. I won’t let you forget that I will chase you as our leader. I definitely be part of your journey.”

The trio shared a moment of camaraderie, knowing that their journey was just beginning. The echoes of the crowd still rang in the arena, but their focus was on the future—on the adventures that awaited beyond the horizon, where they would forge their legends, step by step, victory by victory.

And as for Enuma, the demon king’s voice echoed faintly, “Well, well, son of the hero. It is like you’re finally starting to walk your own path. Just remember—no matter how far you go, Try not to look so cheap and pathetic. You have reputation to uphold being my disciple.”

I replied to the Demon King, "Master, I will make sure the training you shared with me will live on forever."