Kira stepped out of the tunnel and into the arena. The crowd's roar washed over her like a wave. Thousands of voices screaming at once, betting on who would win.
She didn't care about any of it.Her eyes scanned the battlefield. The dirt was still stained with Cassian's blood. The crater from his final stand was still visible. The broken wall where Kai had been buried earlier before his departure was still crumbling.
This was a place of death. A place where souls came to prove themselves or die trying.Kira's hand moved to the bow strapped across her back. She felt its familiar weight. The smooth wood. The tight string. It was the only thing she trusted in this place.
On the other side of the arena, another figure emerged from the opposite tunnel it was ezra he was tall. Much taller than kira, His build was lean but muscular and he wore simple dark clothing that looked worn. His hair was messy and dark brown, falling over his eyes slightly. But what stood out most were his hands they were wrapped in thick bandages. Both hands from his knuckles all the way up to his elbows.
As he walked toward the center of the arena, he was smiling. Not a friendly smile, not a nervous smile. It was a confident smile. The kind of smile that said he had already won before the fight even started.
The commentator's voice soundsd through the arena. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! OUR NEXT MATCH IS ABOUT TO BEGIN! ON ONE SIDE, WE HAVE KIRA! THE ARCHER WITH THE LIBRARY OF THE WAR MAIDEN! SHE SURVIVED THE REALM OF MONSTERS AND PROVED HER STRENGTH!"
The crowd erupted in approval and some people shouted her name.
"AND ON THE OTHER SIDE, WE HAVE EZRA! A MYSTERY FIGHTER WITH AN UNKNOWN LIBRARY! WHAT WILL HE BRING TO THIS BATTLE?!"
The crowd grew louder. They loved mysteries, they loved the unknown. Meanwhile kira and ezra reached the center of the arena. They stopped about twenty feet apart from each other. Their eyes locked into each other.
Ezra's smile widened. "An archer, huh? That's interesting. You know, archers are usually weak up close. They need distance to be effective."
Kira didn't respond. She just stared at him.Ezra chuckled. "Not much of a talker, are you? That's fine. I prefer to let my fists do the talking anyway."
He raised his bandaged hands in front of him. He cracked his knuckles. The sound was loud.The commentator raised his hand high in the air.
"FIGHTERS! ARE YOU READY?"
Kira reached behind her back and pulled out her bow. In one smooth motion, she notched an arrow. Her movements were well practiced. Ezra dropped into a fighting stance. His knees bent slightly, his hands raised. His smile never left his face.
The commentator's hand dropped. "BEGIN!"
Kira didn't hesitate at all the moment the word left the commentator's mouth, she fired.The arrow shot forward like a bullet. It cut through the air with a whistle. Straight toward Ezra's chest, but Ezra moved. He tilted his body to the side. The arrow passed by him, missing by inches. It buried itself in the ground behind him.
"Too slow girl " Ezra said.
Kira didn't respond. She notched another arrow and fired, then another, and then another.
Three arrows all fired in rapid succession. All aimed at different parts of Ezra's body, head , chest and his legs.But Ezra dodged them all. He moved like water he was smooth. His body weaved between the arrows effortlessly. He was fast.
"You're gonna have to do better than that!" Ezra shouted.
And then he charged. His feet pounded against the dirt as he closed the distance between them.Kira fired again point blank range. There was no way he could dodge this one.
But Ezra didn't dodge. Instead, he raised his bandaged hand and swatted the arrow out of the air. His hand moved so fast it was just a blur. The arrow spun off to the side and clattered to the ground.
Kira's eyes widened. He had just knocked an arrow out of the air with his bare hand.
Ezra smiled . "Got you."
He swung his fist forward. A punch aimed directly at Kira's face.Kira leaped backward. She created distance between them. Her feet slid across the dirt as she landed.But Ezra didn't stop. He kept charging forward, hee closed the gap again in seconds.
This time, Kira didn't fire an arrow. Instead, she muttered under her breath, ["Library of the War Maiden: Archive 2 - Shadow Step."]
Her body blurred and then she vanished.Ezra's fist swung through empty air. His eyes widened in surprise . "What?!" He said
Kira reappeared ten feet behind him. She had teleported Or at least, it looked like teleportation. In reality, she had moved so fast that the eye couldn't track her.She notched three arrows at once. All three were aimed at Ezra's back and she fired.
The arrows shot forward. Three streaks of death flying toward their target.But Ezra spun around. His hands moved in a blur. He knocked two of the arrows out of the air with his fists.The third one hit him. It struck his shoulder. But instead of piercing through, it bounced off like it had hit solid rock.
Ezra looked down at his shoulder. Then he looked back at Kira. His smile was gone now and now replaced with something more serious.
"Okay," he said. "I see you're not just some regular archer."
He reached up and grabbed the bandages on his right hand. And he began to unwrap them.The crowd leaned forward in their seats. Everyone was watching waiting to see what was underneath.
As the bandages fell away, Ezra's hand was revealed. But it wasn't a normal hand. It was covered in black markings and symbols.They glowed faintly with a red light.Ezra flexed his fingers. The markings pulsed with energy.
[Library of the Iron Fist," he said. "Archive 5 - Devil's Hand.]
The moment he said those words, his hand changed. The black markings spread. They crawled up his arm like living tattoos. His fingers elongated slightly. His nails became sharp. Like claws and then his hand began to glow. Red.
The crowd erupted, this was what they wanted to see, power and transformation.Kira's expression didn't change. But inside, she was calculating and analyzing her next move. This was a close range fighter with enhancement abilities.she needed to keep her distance.
Ezra crouched down. His legs tensed and then he launched himself forward. But this time, he was faster. Much faster than before he closed the distance in less than a second.
Kira tried to use Shadow Step again. But Ezra predicted it. He changed direction mid charge and swung his red hand toward where Kira was about to appear.
His fist connected. It slammed into Kira's side, the impact sent her flying. She crashed into the ground and rolled several times before coming to a stop.Pain exploded through her ribs. She gasped for air and her hand instinctively went to her side. It hurt really bad.
Her Chrono Gauge beeped.
[Chrono Gauge: Damage Update - Kira]
[Health Point: 100]
[Damage Taken: -25]
[Remaining HP: 75]
The crowd roared. First blood had been drawn.Kira slowly pushed herself up. Her breathing was heavy. She looked at Ezra. He was walking toward her slowly.
"You're strong," Ezra said. "But not strong enough."
Kira gritted her teeth. She reached behind her back and pulled out her bow again. But this time, something was different.She looked up at the sky. At the red hue that covered the Realm of tournament . And she saw them faint barely visible but they were there. It was stars Just like before. Just like when she fought the Hollow Oni.
She muttered under her breath,[ "Library of the War Maiden: Archive 10 - Greatsword of the Fallen Star."]
The sky above began to change two stars appeared. They burned bright than anything else in the sky.Ezra looked up. His smile faded. "Oh. You've got to be kidding me."
The two stars began to fall. They transformed as they descended becoming massive greatswords made of pure starlight.Ezra's eyes widened. He turned and started running. He wasn't going to just stand there and take this attack.But the swords were fast.They descended like meteors aimed directly at Ezra.
Ezra gritted his teeth. He stopped running and he turned around and raised both hands above his head. Both hands were glowing red now. He had unwrapped the bandages on his left hand too.
[Library of the Iron Fist: Archive 7 - Titan's Guard]
His hands grew larger. They expanded in size until they were each the size of shields. The red glow intensified. His arms bulged with muscle,the two greatswords slammed into his hands.
The impact was massive. The ground beneath Ezra's feet shattered. He was driven downward. His knees buckled, his arms shook.But he held. He was actually holding back the greatswords not until it started piercing through him.
The crowd went wild. This was incredible. The greatswords pressed down harder. Ezra's feet sank into the ground. His muscles strained. Sweat poured down his face. His teeth were clenched so hard they might crack.
"Is that all you got?!" Ezra shouted through the strain.
But Kira wasn't done. While Ezra was struggling to hold back the greatswords, she notched another arrow. This one was different. It glowed with purple energy her essence flowed into it.
["Library Art: Archive 4 - Sniper's Rifle Widow's Grace."]
Her bow transformed. It shifted and changed becoming a sleek sniper rifle. The same one she had used against the Hollow Oni.She aimed her right eye looked through the scope. She locked onto Ezra. He was still holding back the greatswords. He was vulnerable. Completely exposed at this point.This was her chance likely her only chance.
She took a breath, steadied her aim and then she fired.
The bullet shot forward. Faster than any arrow, faster than the eye could see. It cut through the air with a sound like thunder straight toward Ezra's head.