Chapter 18: The Strongest

Asumi, Taichi, and Meguri regrouped in Meguri’s dorm.

“So, one of us needs to become Rank #1 as soon as we can…” Asumi said. “But one of us needs to beat Natsu to get there.”

Each of their gazes flicked between them, hoping for somebody to step up.

“Well, I can’t be the one to do it – I’m Rank #6 now, so it doesn’t make much sense. I’d have to climb up to Rank #4, then beat both of you to reach Rank #2 and face Natsu,” Meguri stated bluntly. “It’s either you or Taichi, Asumi.”

“Well, I’m not Rank #2, and Asumi and I are equally strong if the match earlier today was any indicator, so…”

Both Taichi and Meguri’s gazes moved to Asumi.

“...me?!” Asumi cried out.

“Well, you’re aiming for Rank #1, aren’t you?” Taichi confirmed.

“Well, yes, but…” Asumi trailed off. “No, you’re right. I should fight Natsu.”

“And Asumi, if you’re out of your depth when fighting him, you can fight me, and if you lose, I’ll take him on, okay?” Taichi offered.

“That is a good idea!” Meguri praised.

“No,” Asumi said. “I won’t do that. I’m going to beat Natsu. I’ll challenge him to a duel and schedule it tomorrow. And if I lose that one, I’ll challenge him the day after. Taichi’s right – I’m aiming for Rank #1 for myself anyway, so I’ll fight Natsu as many times as it takes to get there.”

“Asumi, if you’re out of your depth, for Tadok-”

Meguri was cut off swiftly by Asumi.

“I’ll win,” she stated.

Taichi hesitantly nodded.

“Alright – duel him tomorrow. We’ll see how that goes. For now…” Taichi collapsed on Meguri’s bed. “I’m going back to sleep.”

“Go to your own room, idiot!” Meguri yelled, pulling him out of her bed, onto the floor.

“Fine, fine.”

The next day came, and Natsu, as per the rules of the academy, accepted Asumi’s duel. Asumi and Taichi woke up at 5:00 AM as per their normal routine and went on their jog. Each time they went out, Asumi was using considerably less mana to boost her physical attributes so that she could train her physical endurance to a higher level. She still needed a considerable amount of mana to keep up with Taichi’s bare physical endurance, but her goal was to bring herself closer to his level without it.

They went back to the obstacle course after their 100-kilometer run, meeting Meguri. The three of them raced through the field in relative silence, their chests burning with the anticipation of the future match. Asumi was in perfect form, clearing the obstacle courses in record times compared to previous trials. She was absolutely prepared for the duel.

Once they finished training, the three of them headed to the first arena of the tournament, where Asumi and Taichi had fought.

Class was back in session, but duels took precedence in Eclipse Academy, especially between the Top Ten.

They walked into the arena, the mana from Asumi’s match a day prior still barely clinging to the air around them, making it feel heavier. Natsu, with his vest and shinai already equipped, turned his neck slightly with a small chuckle.

“Guess the Snow Princess really showed, huh? Never thought you’d challenge me, considering how it went last time.”

“I’m not the same person I was back then,” Asumi responded. “I won’t lose.”

“Sure you won’t,” Natsu teased. “Grab your shinai, Princess. Kodaka Sensei will be here soon to supervise.”

Asumi got equipped for the fight, standing at the center of the arena while Taichi and Meguri went up to the stands to watch the match.

Kodaka walked in, groaning as he positioned himself at the center of the arena.

“You can call off the match if you wish, Yuki. We can go back to class and not have to watch a punching bag show.”

“I won’t call it off,” Asumi stated strongly. “I’ll win.”

“Well said,” Kodaka nodded. “Guess we’ll see if you back it up, huh? Alright, shake hands.”

The two of them shook hands, Asumi’s hand already warm from the buildup of mana through her training. The magic energy pulsed through her body like blood, and she was ready to fight. More ready than she ever thought she’d feel.

“Off to your sides.”

The two of them turned away from each other, taking 10 paces in opposing directions – Taichi and Meguri already sweating in the audience from the tension.

“Three, two, one, start!”

Asumi raced forward toward Natsu, explosions blooming from her feet as she closed in with her swinging shinai. Natsu raised his shinai instantly, blocking the blow, but feeling the toll in his arms — his health bar reduced.

“Huh…” Natsu muttered with a smirk.

Asumi continued her pursuit, swinging her shinai aggressively, forcing Natsu to defend.

Each movement of hers was swift, fueled by the power of her fire — just like how she’d thrust herself through her runs with Taichi.

Natsu made an attempt to counter, raising his shinai up and swinging down on her head.

The sword came down, barely grazing her golden hair as she blew herself away to the side, dodging just like the obstacle course.

All of her experiences ever since meeting Taichi, ever since losing to Natsu last time, were flowing through her like instinct, pushing her every movement.

“She’s fighting well… but why is she staying in close range? That’s not her specialty.” Meguri muttered from the crowd.

“It’s because she’s fighting Natsu. He won’t go all out until he either gets scared or hits 50% health,” Taichi explained. “She has to do as much damage as she can before he starts using his aspect, and the best way to do that is with direct hits from the shinai unless she manages to do something extravagant with her aspect.”

“I see… then it’s a good thing,” Meguri nodded.

“What is?”

Asumi struck Natsu’s side and thrust herself forward to follow with a strike to his head, dropping Natsu’s health bar to 80%.

He clenched his fist, pulling back from her to regroup, making Meguri smirk.

“It’s a good thing that she chose somebody as strong as you to model her swordplay after.”

Asumi continued rushing, her shinai moving in a quick flurry, her arms moving faster than most of the audience could track, leaving a trail of fire in their wake.

“The way she’s fighting right now… it may be modeled after my style — my dad’s style — but if she fights this way for too long…”

Natsu managed to parry one of Asumi’s heavy blows, pushing her guard away and getting a clean hit — finally turning this into a real battle. He rushed forward, and Asumi moved to defense, gripping her shinai tightly, but Natsu blew her guard away easily once again.

Too easily.

“She won’t be able to keep up,” Taichi sighed.

“What’s going on?” Meguri asked, staring at the sight of Natsu now dominating the swordplay.

“Asumi was probably using her aspect to simulate multi-hit speed attacks, but she specializes at single-hit heavy attacks,” Taichi explained. “So if she’s hitting that quickly, at a speed her body isn’t used to, and hitting that hard, even if she’s compensating with her aspect…”

“Her arms will become too strained,” Meguri finished, staring at the fight. “But surely she knew that… what’s your plan, Asumi?”

On the complete backfoot, Asumi was getting dominated by Natsu’s shinai, bringing their health to equal. They were running around the arena clashing their shinais, but Asumi simply couldn’t muster the strength to hold a candle to Natsu anymore. She jumped back, panting, squeezing her right arm.

“Heh… I was almost worried!” Natsu chuckled, flaunting his shinai on his shoulder. “But I guess this will end up just being like last time, huh?”

“Don’t be so sure…” Asumi muttered.

Mana began pulsing through the arena, clinging to the air and across the audience, sending a shiver down Natsu’s spine.

“Wait,” Meguri murmured, leaning forward. “Taichi… those marks on the floor.”

Taichi followed her gaze.

At first, they were barely visible — faint pinpricks of light scattered across the arena floor.

“When did she do that…?” Meguri whispered.

Taichi’s eyes widened — all of those positions… they felt familiar. He replayed each part of the battle — racing through his head trying to find out when she could’ve placed those embers.

“It was every time Natsu hit her…” Taichi muttered.

“Every time...?” Meguri repeated. “So she was trying to lure Natsu into this position?”

“Asumi taught me that Natsu’s greatest and possibly only weakness is his overconfidence. To beat him, exploiting it is essential.”

Asumi smirked, raising her arm up high, flowing her mana through the field and expanding the embers into roaring flames.

“Bloom.”

Each ember fanned out, surrounding Natsu with flower-like blooms of flames tracing the floor of the arena, forcing him to stand amongst her flames while she was at a safe distance.

Taichi clenched his fist.

“This is like a more refined version of the first big attack she tried to use in her fight against me…” he said.

Back on the field, a veil of fire formed over Natsu’s body, shielding him from the flames just like how Asumi protected herself in Taichi’s match.

“Did you really think this would work?” Natsu laughed.

“Right back at you,” Asumi muttered..

Her mana continued to flare, the heat increasing more and more, pressing against his shield with layers of heat — from the audience, it looked like the air itself was beginning to shimmer from the sheer heat. Eventually, the flames began searing through Natsu’s shield, chipping away at his health bar.

60%.

55%.

50%.

His health kept chipping away as the crowd roared in excitement. Asumi was beating Natsu.

“Why didn’t Natsu’s shield work?” Taichi asked.

“If shielding yourself from an aspect was so easy, even if it’s your own element, then you wouldn’t be so special; Taichi,” Meguri explained. “Asumi’s shield works because of how strong her mana control is. That’s the one strength she has superior to Natsu, and she’s really pulling out all the stops against him.”

The flames finally died down as Natsu stepped out, his vest still smoldering with leftover embers.

“Well…” he said, cracking his neck. “That wasn’t fun.”

Lightning snapped through the air, forcing the crowd to recoil. The floor scorched black beneath Natsu’s feet as mana surged around him in waves, giving everybody a stark reminder.

The fight was nowhere near over.