Chapter 21

FRANCIS POV:

Survival of the fittest. The world is controlled by the will of the strong. The prey can't cross its predator, the natural set boundaries. Those who try to cross their boundaries get crushed, but that doesn't necessarily mean its unfair. Everything is a predator as much as it is a prey. We are not exactly classified into the weak and the strong, rather we are in categories of strong with weakness being the undeniable difference. For instance; A lion is strong to a cheetah, a cheetah is strong to a gazel, a gazel is strong to grasses, grasses are strong to the ground. So also a cheetah can't overcome its weakness to challenge a lion neither can a gazel overcome its weakness to challenge a cheetah  in that order. Stay in your zone of strength and you'd live a long purposeful life.

I didn't always belive in this. But the everyday society made it more prominent. My father was a pushover at his workplace. He basically licked the feet of his bosses. He'd smile and shriek with every insult he received, but once he was home, he gave the orders no one could refuse. The same man who bowed his head to his bosses, barked at my mother while she cowered to him. So also my mother, who would cower to a man I considered pathetic, would stand and speak on a high horse to me. She would even hit me when I refused to follow her orders. I had difficulty growing to accept this reality.

Unfortunately for me, this hierarchy of life is even more prominent in schools. You can't defy the upperclassmen or else you wanted to be trashed completely. I mean they beat up their lower classes for far less and since you'd always have someone lower than you, it's fair. You get to be your own strong as long as you stayed in your zone. I finally understood this. I finally made it my core and my principle. My history and experiences made it so. Then I met Su.

She was pathetic. She didn't understand or rather, she didn't want to understand something so simple. She'd always flare up and get beat up. It was getting sad to see. So I approached her.

"What's your problem. Why can't you understand your place in this world. The same core that gave your father a red source is giving you a yellow source. It just shows how much potential you have." I stated blankly. The truth was bitter but she had a duty to accept it and move on.

"What! The fuck! Who do you think you are to mutter those words to her!" She responded with a fierce look.

"I didn't say it to insult you nor am I saying it's a bad thing. Just know your place and accept you can never cross your weakness. You can clearly see that there's a gap between your source class and the next. You are not even the strongest in your source class. Why don't you focus on that and be happy instead of picking fights with everyone when you are weak."

Her eyes filled with tears. It was the frustration of the truth, one which I knew perfectly. But with this she would be able to overcome her suffering.

"You... you bastard!" She screamed as she punched me in the face. I barely felt it. It was exactly as I had told her. She could never overcome her weakness. If she didn't understand my words then she'd understand this. I clenched my fist and punched her deep in her guts. She fell on her knees and passed out. I thought she would learn from that but she didn't she kept fighting and kept getting knocked down even by me sometimes. Then one day, I woke up and reality began to change.

"Su knocked down a green source!"

"Really? who?"

"Some guy named Fred."

"Isn't he like her only friend."

"Must be a fluke or some sort of facade. I don't buy it."

The rumors rolled in. I didn't really pay much attention until the consistency became more prominent.

"Su beat down two yellow sources at a time."

"Are you kidding me? Then is it true she knocked out George's teeth?"

"Yes! Doesn't that make her the strongest yellow source of our set?"

There wasn't much to fear. I mean that is possible. I've worked my butt off and I became the strongest of the green sources. So of course she could do the same for the yellow sources.

"Su beat Beatrice!"

"What! isn't Beatrice a green source?"

"Oh my God! She's battling Raul at the moment!"

I rushed to the scene to see her deliver the last blow knocking down Raul. She truly was overcoming her weakness. It's not supposed to be possible yet I am in awe of her victory. I couldn't accept this. I wouldn't accept this. If it was possible then what have I been doing all my life. So I decided to challenge her. I fought with everything I got and it ended a draw. Although I was the one who spent more time at the infirmary. What the hell was going on? Was it just me who saw this as madness.

"Did you hear that she drew against Francis? Does that mean she's on par with the strongest of the green source?"

"She's not relenting! She fought and defeated Sarah. She's taking on the blue sources!"

She was defeating people I couldn't hope to stand against. She is messing up the hierarchy of life. What does this mean? I couldn't have been wrong or could I? I tried to take on the blue sources but the results were as I expected. Why can't I change things like she can? Why am I subjected to the will of nature but she is out there breaking it. What's SO DIFFERENT ABOUT US!

"Su is now number two in our set? Wow she's come a long way. She defeated Amr. Do you think she can take on Salim?"

"I am rooting for her! She's an inspiration. I am going to give it my all!"

Why her? Why can't I stand up to people she takes down. Why am I so weak? I have to put a stop to this. I'll take her down this time. I fought her a second time. Blow for blow I knew I couldn't compete. But she's a freaking yellow source. She was a bottom feeder! How am I loosing? Those thoughts filled my head as I fell watching her stand in victory as she looked at me. I lost to her. What about the barriers in life. Are they truly meaningless? Or is she just special.

"Su lost agianst Salim. It was a tough fight. I do wish she isn't bummed out."

"Su second match with Salim was a complete victory for Salim. I guess he is the only one above her."

"I can't believe this . Su and Salim drew! He wasn't able to take her down. Does this mean she would soon be able to defeat him? How far would she go!"

I witnessed her battle with Salim. I watched her give it her all. All the anger and hatred I felt for her melted to admiration. I have to beat her. I have to prove to myself that I can also change. She can't be the only one above the standards of this world. Is it even a standard? I just heard that one of the strongest Captains is a yellow source. I need to break away. Taking her down would be the first step. I will WIN! Cause if I don't then...

FRANCIS ROLAND VS SU MING

Both stood at the center of the stage and stared down at each other.

"Don't you dare hold back on me Su," Francis prattled as he pointed at her.

"She knows, she knows," She replied with a smirk.

"READY!"

Su's cloak formed from her forehead and engulfed her entire body while Francis' cloak formed from his back and engulfed his entire body.

"BEGIN!"

Francis launched himself quickly at her covering the distance between them. His eyes glowed as he struck firmly. She leaned back to dodge it. He struck again and continued with the barrage of swings (left then right) all missing as she stepped back dodging them. He gathered energy in his right fist and brought it down heavily at her but she stepped dash backwards to avoid it causing him to slam into the ground releasing a spiderweb of cracks.

"Tchh..." He hissed as he lifted his eyes to look at her. She kept a neutral face as she watched what he wanted to do next. He formed an energy sphere on his hand and charged it up till it began to vibrate. He launched it at her and it exploded into smaller spheres moving at incredible speed. Su began dodging them despite all the impossible angles they came at her from. Francis closed in from her blind spot with a fully charged fist. He struck at her but she lifted her hand to stop it in place and a wild green energy burst from the impact causing the ground below them to sink. Francis eyes widened with shock as she seemed unfazed by it.

"Thousand hand defense form, repel!" She called out as yellow energy spread from her hand, grew to half of Francis height then blasted him away. 

He bounced on his back, then on his face before landing on his feet as it dragged on the ground. Smoke trailed from his hand as it stung. He rose to his feet but then felt a fist digging deep into his guts. It was at that point he noticed Su in front of him. His hands flailed forward as he felt a painful  pressure forcing him upwards. As he moved a few inches up, Su spun and used her elbow to ram into his back. The upward pressure and the force from Su's elbow kept Francis suspended in the air for a few seconds. His eyes rolled back as saliva gushed from his mouth before he was launched deep into the ground releasing a wide shockwave. Su stood over the depression and watched as Francis staggered to his knees. He looked upwards to see her staring with a neutral expression. He gritted his teeth as he kept walking out of the depression, his energy rising till he stood directly infront of her. She lifted her eyes to look at him then smirked which irritated him.

"Why you..." He swong his right fist at her but she deflected it with her left then sunk her right fist deep into his guts. His eyes bulged out but he quickly regained himself and jabbed with his left. Before his hand could reach her face, she kneed him in the guts then gave him a neck chop, an elbow to his guts, then she punched his face thrice starting with a left before she finally ended the combo with a spinning kick which launched him in the air till he landed on the back of his neck twirling on the floor.

"Ghaaak" He coughed out. He immediately got to his feet and began shooting energy spheres at her. She kept dodging them with quick footworks as she got closer to him. A surprised look filled Francis' face, one with a hint of despair. As she closed in, he launched his right hand at her. As soon as she was about to dodge it, he opened it and released a flash bang blinding her. His face filled with a grin as he gave a left hook. She ducked, then grabbed his neck with a choke hold, she pressed on by lifting him into the air then slamming him into the ground sending a webcrack on the ground. She jumped back to create distance between them while she kept her eyes shut due to the blinding effect of the flash bang.

Francis was infuraited. He formed a Deep flare inbetween his fingers. He gathered so much power into it and shot it at Su. It moved faster than anything he had ever shot but as it got close to Su, she dodged it and it zoomed to the wall exploding with loud tremors on impact. Francis jaw dropped.

"My fastest attack... while blinded?" He felt a cold sweat drop from his forehead. Su opened her eyes and it had a darker glow. Francis gulped as he felt fear towards her. Her energy changed from a light yellow color to a golden rod color. With a single step she was in front of him. Punch after punch with his body swaying in the direction of each blow and his cloak cracking on impact.

"Heavy" is all Francis thought as he was under Su's onslaught. She attempted a roundhouse kick but he caught her leg. With a roar he spun her. Before he could toss her away, she launched an energy blast at his face which stunned his entire body. She dropped to her hands and flipped high into the air. She formed two energy spheres and threw them at him before forcing herself to the ground. She formed two more spheres in her hands and dashed towards him. She placed her hands in a diamond form thereby merging the spheres she had just formed and those that she had launched previously. They took the shape of a mini sun as they glowed blindly.

"Thousand-hands attack form. Reflection!" She jammed the attack into his body which shattered his cloak on impact. The ref tried to move to the scene but the attack turned into a large beam that pushed Francis into the wall thereafter creating a thunderous explosion which forced both Su and the ref to close their eyes.

The crowd cheered at the top of their voices. The ref had a shocked expression with his mouth slightly agaped. Once Su saw his expression, a deep worry filled her face. She started taking slow steps towards Francis location as her heart began to beat faster.

"Has she..." She thought to herself as her body began to tremble. The smoke screen settled and they all heard a cough from Francis. Su and the ref gave a sigh of relief. Francis walked out of the wall with his body shivering and smoke rising from it. He fell to his knees and coughed out blood. His mind dazed, his top burnt revealing a chared bloodied body. He could only lift one eye and was moments away from passing out. The crowd went silent as they watched him gasp for air.

"Why?" Francis spoke weakly as a tear rolled out from his opened eye.

"Huh?" She had a visible confused expression on her face.

"Why you? Why did you overcome the barrier of weakness while others like me remain stuck? How did you get so strong?" He coughed out as the tears still trailed from his eyes.

Su didn't respond. Her confused expression gradually morphed into one with irritation as she began to get a glimpse of what he meant.

"Ever since you started climbing to the top, I've trained so hellishly. I've pushed myself beyond my limits. I've broken my body more than anyone else and for what? To have a disgraceful beatdown by you? It feels so unfair. I guess some are just born blessed while others, pathetic," Francis began to giggle weakly as more tears flowed from his eyes.

"You are wrong! Born blessed? Give her a break. You speak like she doesn't train her ass off just so she could be on par with stronger sources. If she was blessed then how did she manage to come out as a yellow source when the previous user of her core, her father, her own flesh and blood, was a red source. Is that what you call a blessing from the little world you come from?" She let out an energy wave as she glared fiercely at Francis. His attention was gotten and the tears stopped rolling.

"You ask why? It's simple. It's because she keeps moving forward no matter the situation. Nothing and no one in this world remains stale. So we keep striving to move on. You on the other hand remain fixated in your tiny space. You imprison yourself by your archaic mentality and try to justify the life you've lived but you forget that the world is a much bigger place than you and it wouldn't wait for you to grovel at your past." She pointed at him now visibly annoyed. Francis looked downwards and he began to clench his fist. Su took a deep breath and continued.

"The lives we've lived, our history, aren't meant to be shackles to limit us. They are important knowledge and experiences meant to help us push forward. How do you expect to grow if you are not ready to move forward and adapt? Tell me how?" After a brief pause, she concluded with "She would never lose to someone like you." She took a drop stance (Pu Bu) as her energy spiked.

Francis punched himself hard in the face and blood dripped slowly from his nose. The crowd was taken by surprise at his action.

"To think I'll get my wake up call from you. What the hell.... I really, really dislike you after all, but I am grateful." His energy surged and spiralled. His cloak formed and he staggered back to his feet with a smile. His legs wobbled but he managed to maintain himself on his feet. Su smiled at him as she shifted from a drop stance to a boxing stance.

"I'll take my first step with this attack. I hope you are ready, SU!" He yelled out as he released an energy field around him. Blood splattered out from the wounds on his body and he could feel slight dizziness as the energy field fully formed. He brought his palms together and pointed his fingers to the ground. The energy field gathered at the tip of his middle fingers before he sent them racing on the ground forming a large "V" keeping Su at the center of it. A towering energy wall rose trapping her within.

"No way to run huh? So you are coming head on at her!" Su called out as she began to augment her cloak. Francis huffed out before he opened his fingers to form a Deep flare. He pulled the sphere at the center, back till it reached his ear as he crouched a bit.

"Deep flare, last light." He spoke with his voice almost disappearing.

He shot the attack at Su. It moved slower than other deep flare attacks but as it moved, the energy walls began to spirall into it, giving it a deeper color, increasing its size, increasing its pressure and boosting its speed. Su lifted her hands to guard but as it got close to her, the last of the energy wall spiralled in. Everything went slow for Su. Her eyes widended as a very bright green energy encircled the deep emerald flare. Her body trembled as a cold sweat ran down her head. The attack expanded when suddenly a bright and extremely loud explosion occured and rose to a height of eight meters causing the stage to vibrate as the area Su stood caved in. Cracks ran through the entire arena (walls and ground) as wind violently dispersed through the area even sending the ref and Francis to the walls behind them. It surged for a while and then began to relax. After everything calmed, there were sparks of electricity filling the air. Everyone began to feel a deep pressure coming out of the large crater where the explosion happened.

"That attack was something. I didn't think I would have to bring out this form before the finals." Su spoke as she walked out of the crater. Her cloak had become dark yellow and so was the menancing aura that rose from it. Her eyes glowed dark yellow also and her hair flailed around with the energy.

"It's frustrating. So much for last light, not even a scratch on you." Francis laughed softly in defeat while he stared at her. Before he knew it, she became blurry to his eye and soon after he went unconscious.

"WINNER! SU MING!"

Everyone went wild with praises. She calmed her energy and waved at the crowd. The medics rushed into the stage to check Francis. They injected him with a serum and lifted him unto a stretcher before carrying him out of the stage. Su was directed to the final waiting room.

AT THE VIP section, Louis clapped as he cheered for Su.

"Now that's something you don't see everyday." He commented.

"I am impressed. The deeper the colour of a class the stronger it becomes. It takes a lot of mental training and even deeper connection to your core in order to rise through its different class shades. It's not an easy feat to achieve. She might even have the potential to awaken someday. My only issue is the method by which she's doing it, regardless it's a very interesting development," Elizabeth said with a smile.

"Right! Now I am wondering how strong she'd become with more training. Furthermore, the finals would be ecstatic. Funny how its going to be an all group 7 finals." Louis praised.

"I hadn't even realized. Who do you think would win the next round?"

"I am still going with Kris since I placed my bet on him, but I wonder if Fred would give him a run for his money."

"I guess we will just have to wait and see." Elizabeth concluded.

"Yeah." Louis replied.

A soldier came to meet them and saluted,

"Sir!" Everyone is present and ready to take action.

"Good, now we wait for the other side." Elizabeth smirked.

IN THE SECOND round waiting room, Fred cheered for Su's win while Kris sat and looked at the screen. Once Fred calmed down, he looked at Kris.

"I guess we are up next." He spoke nervously.

"Forfeit this next round Fred."

Fred was shocked by this statement from Kris and wasn't sure how to respond. Kris stood to his feet and looked at him with a serious expression.

"You basically seem like you are barely holding on. You are in no state to battle and that's a fact you can't even hide. You wouldn't even be able to give me a decent challenge. So do yourself a favour and forfeit cause if you step on that stage with me, I'll show no mercy." Kris' eyes glowed as Fred took a gulp while sweat ran down his head.

"NEXT CONTESTANTS PLEASE PROCEED TO THE STAGE!"

Kris walked out of the waiting room and stood on the stage. He folded his hands and waited. After a few minutes, the announcer called out,

"WILL THE NEXT CONTESTANT PROCEED TO THE STAGE OR RISK DISQUALIFICATION!"

The crowd stared at the entrance, the VIP's stared at the entrance, Kris stared at the entrance.

"CONTESTANT FRED HAS ONE MORE MINUTE TO SHOW UP, UNLESS HE WOULD BE DISQUALIFIED!"