Earthside: The Weight of Leverage

Daichi lunged first, heavy and fast for his size. His arms swept wide, aiming to lock Kael in a crushing bear hug. Gasps rippled from the crowd—if he caught him, it would be over instantly.

But Kael moved forward. His body dropped low, slipping under Daichi's arms in one fluid motion. 

Daichi's hands clapped together on empty air.

Kael's grip found his opponent's thigh and collar in the same breath. His hips twisted, legs bracing, and before Daichi even realized what had happened—

He was airborne.

The entire field froze as Daichi's massive body flipped over Kael's shoulder and slammed into the mat with a thunderous crack.

Before the shock even faded, Kael followed through. His arms locked tight, his weight pressing down, pinning Daichi's shoulders flat against the mat.

The referee looked closely then slapped the mat.

"Winner: Hasunuma Kazuki!"

The roar that followed wasn't immediate. It started as silence—hundreds of jaws hanging open—before erupting into wild chaos.

"No way—he pinned Daichi that fast?!"

"What did I just see—?!"

"He… he threw him like nothing!"

Even the teachers stood stunned. Kurogane-sensei's scar twitched with a grin he couldn't hide, while Hana's hand flew to her mouth, eyes wide.

Riku and Takumi sat frozen, their smirks dead on their faces.

Kyotaro, though, was the first to break into a cheer. He pumped his fist into the air. "That's it! Perfect execution!"

Kael rose calmly as though he'd simply stretched his body. His breathing steady, his face calm.

To him, it was nothing. To everyone else—it was impossible.

And now, every eye in the festival was fixed on him.

Kael stepped down from the mat, adjusting the red headband back into place.

Hana grabbed his arm before he could take another step.

"How did you do that? He's twice your size!"

A faint smile tugged at Kael's face. "Timing."

Kyotaro jogged up beside them. "It wasn't just timing. That was a classic wrestling throw—the fireman's carry. He ducked Daichi's grab, shifted his weight under his center of gravity, and flipped him over his shoulder. Simple leverage."

"Leverage?" Hana repeated, still blinking.

"Exactly," Kyotaro said, warming to his explanation. "Daichi's strength didn't matter, because Kazuki used his own momentum against him. And once he hit the mat, Kazuki locked him down fast. Perfect technique. Textbook pin."

Hana glanced at Kael; her lips parted in awe. "Textbook or not, pulling it off against someone like Daichi… That wasn't simple."

Kael just shrugged. "Big or small, everyone falls the same if you know where to push."

For a moment, Hana just stared at him. Then she shook her head, muttering under her breath, "You're full of surprises, Kazuki…"

Behind them, the crowd was still buzzing, eyes glued to him as though they'd seen something impossible.

After the roar of the wrestling crowd died down and all three matches were decided, the announcer's voice carried across the field:

"Victory for Red Team! That makes it 2–0!"

Cheers erupted from the red banners, while groans rippled through the white.

But the tide turned quickly. In the tug of war, White Team dug in and rallied, heaving until Red's rope slipped through desperate hands. Then, in the chaos of the ball toss, White's coordination outmatched Red's energy.

"Winner: White Team!"

The score evened. 2–2.

The festival grounds buzzed with renewed tension.

Kael, however, was nowhere to be seen.

He sat alone on the stairs inside the school, away from the noise, his head tilted back against the wall. His arms rested loosely on his knees, but his gaze was distant.

Brooding.

Footsteps echoed down the hall. He turned just enough to see Hana approaching, carrying a small box wrapped neatly in cloth.

"There you are," she said softly. "I was looking for you."

Kael straightened a little as she stopped in front of him. She held out the box. "Brought you some food."

His eyes softened. He accepted it with both hands and bowed his head slightly. "Thank you."

He shifted to the side, patting the step beside him. "Sit."

Hana hesitated a moment, then slid down next to him. The two sat shoulder to shoulder, unwrapping the lunch in silence for a while, the faint hum of the crowd outside still leaking in through the windows.

Then, suddenly, Hana burst out.

"I'm sorry."

Kael blinked, chopsticks halfway to his mouth.

"I didn't mean to hurt you this morning," she went on quickly. "I was thinking about Kazuki so much… about what he'd feel if he came back and had to face all this… that I forgot." Her voice trembled. "I forgot that Kael of Numeria is also a person. With emotions. With feelings. Even if you don't show them on your face."

Her words lingered in the quiet stairwell.

Hana rested her chin on her hand, studying him. "Tell me about yourself, Kael. What did you do back in your own world?"

Kael set his chopsticks down slowly. He looked at her, his expression unreadable as ever—but his eyes, faintly, were softer than before. "I was an adventurer. My party and I raided dungeons, hunted bandits… traveled to so many places together."

Her lips curved faintly. "I like to travel too. That's partly why I enter tournaments—because they take me outside this town."

"If you like traveling so much, why not just go on your own instead of waiting for tournaments?" Kael asked.

"I have money problems," Hana admitted with a small sigh. "I only just found a part-time job to help with that. And besides…" her voice softened, "I don't like traveling alone."

Kael nodded slowly. "Hmm. And Kazuki… he's not really the traveling type." He met her eyes without hesitation. "What do you like about Kazuki, Hana?"

Color rose in her cheeks. "Wh–what makes you think I like Kazuki?"

Kael smirked faintly. "Oh, please. No girl takes a detour every single morning to wait outside someone's house just to walk with them to school unless she has some kind of feelings. I might be many things, but dense isn't one of them."

Hana's face warmed, her lips pressing into a thin line. She turned her head away. 

"…You're awfully direct," she muttered.

Kael smirked faintly, picking up a rice ball. "Comes with the job. Adventurers don't live long to dance around words."

She exhaled, shoulders sinking a little. "…I like that Kazuki tries. Even when he's clumsy, even when he's scared, he doesn't run away. When bullies stole my stuff away during exams, he gave me extras. He shared food with hungry strays whenever he saw them. Little gestures of kindness. Like plucking a flower and giving them to you without a word."

Kael studied her carefully, then nodded. "That's a good answer."

Hana blinked at him. "You sound like you're testing me."

"Not testing," he said, his voice calm, thoughtful. "Just… trying to understand him through your eyes. Since I'm walking around in his body."

Her gaze softened, just a little. For the first time since morning, she really looked at him — not Kazuki's face, not Kazuki's voice, but the way Kael sat there, shoulders steady, eyes sharp with an honesty Kazuki never carried.

"…You're different," she said quietly.

Kael chuckled under his breath. "Yeah. I've heard that a lot."

Silence stretched between them again, but this time it was gentler. Hana picked at her food, then offered him one of her dumplings.

"Here," she said, almost gruffly. "Adventurers need strength, right?"

Kael took it without hesitation. "Thanks. You know, you'd make a good party member."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what role would I have?"

His smirk widened. "Frontline fighter. Same as Zephy."

Hana tilted her head. "Who's Zephy?"

Kael's expression softened at the name. "Someone important. Someone who reminds me of you. Fierce, stubborn… but loyal. The kind of person you'd want by your side when things get dark."

For a heartbeat, Hana couldn't speak. Her chest tightened, and she looked down quickly before he could see the color rising in her cheeks.

"…Idiot," she muttered.

"When we have time," Kael said, "I'd like to teach you a couple of things in kendo. Your stance is good, but not perfect. I can show you some techniques from my world that might help. Just like you've taught me about this world."

Hana blinked, caught off guard. But before she could speak, the sound of hurried footsteps broke in. Kyotaro came rushing toward them, his expression strained.

"There you two are!" he said, slightly out of breath. "I've been looking everywhere. We've got a problem—big one—in the cavalry battle."

Kael exchanged a glance with Hana.

"Let's go. We'll face whatever it is." Kael said as the weight of the coming challenge settled over them.