Epispde 5

Sakamoto shuffled nervously through the long hallway leading to the arena. The walls seemed to stretch endlessly, and with each step, his doubts grew louder in his head.

"What am I even doing?" he muttered, glancing at his hands as if they held answers. "I can't use Shen. I'm not ready for this. But… five million yen, five million yen o guess I will have to use that technique!" He balled his fists, forcing a shaky grin onto his face. "All I have to do is stay alive. Yeah, just stay alive!"

He reached the edge of the ring and, to the bewilderment of the crowd, flopped onto it with a grin, lying on his side as if he were at a beach.

The commentator, baffled, adjusted his mic. "Well, uh… this is unusual, folks. In the red corner, we have a complete newbie, no record at all—Sakamoto!"

The crowd chuckled and murmured, unsure whether to take him seriously.

The commentator continued. "And, in the blue corner, also a newcomer to the tournament, but with a reputation for chaos outside the ring… Draven!"

The crowd hushed as Draven stepped onto the stage. At 160cm tall with an athletic build, he carried himself with a mixture of confidence and madness. His dark brown hair partially covered the line on his forehead, and his intense black eyes, with glowing white pupils, scanned the arena.

He wore a white T-shirt, red shoes, blue pants, and a jacket tied around his waist, giving him a casual yet intimidating air. His presence sent a ripple of energy through the audience, as if chaos itself had entered the ring.

Sakamoto sat up, waving at Draven like he was greeting an old friend. "Hey, we don't have to fight, you know? We could, uh, call it a draw? Split the point whatever ? I really need it—Grandma's gonna kill me if I come home broke!"

Draven ignored him entirely, his expression cold and focused. He turned to the commentator and asked flatly, "Can we start now?"

The commentator, momentarily stunned, nodded. "W-well, yes, if both fighters are ready—"

As the fight was about to begin, 1 man in black suits entered the VIP section. Their presence immediately drew attention.

The commentator's voice rose with excitement. "Ladies and gentlemen, a special honor! We have 1 ranked fighter joining us today! Please show your respect for: Cade, the S-Ranked Hunter!"

The crowd erupted into applause as Cade nodded coolly.

Another wave of cheers followed, but before the commentator could announce anything again, Draven made his move.

With no warning, Draven pressed his foot into the ground and launched himself forward like a missile, the sound of his takeoff reverberating through the arena—BOOM! He appeared in front of Sakamoto in an instant, his foot slicing through the air with enough force to create a sharp whoosh!

Sakamoto yelped, leaping backward just in time to dodge. "Hey, hey! It's not that serious, Kraken!" he shouted. Then, realizing his mistake, he added, "I mean, Draven! Draven!"

The crowd laughed nervously, but Draven wasn't amused. He landed smoothly and exhaled sharply, his focus sharpening.

Draven took a deep breath and channeled his Shen, the energy around him shifting as flames gathered in his throat. He opened his mouth, releasing a spinning, condensed fireball with a whoosh!

"Fire Release: Ball Burn Technique!"

The fireball roared as it spiraled toward Sakamoto, scorching the ground in its path. The crowd gasped, the heat radiating into the stands.

Lee, watching from above, closed his eyes and muttered, "I told you, Sakamoto. If you can't manipulate Shen, you won't survive."

The flames raced toward Sakamoto, their heat distorting the air. He stumbled back, waving his hands frantically. "H-Hey! Let's calm down, man! I was kidding! Don't turn me into a barbecue!"

But the fire closed in, and Sakamoto's instincts kicked in. He stretched out his hands, as if to block it, muttering to himself, "Okay, okay. At least… I can cut through it, right? With that technique"

In that moment, something inside him shifted.

"The Most Dark," he whispered.

Suddenly, his body erupted in a shadowy aura. His form began to change, morphing into a mysterious figure cloaked in a long, dark coat. A mask with small horns obscured his face, exuding a menacing presence. In one hand, he held a massive, ominous axe. The air around him grew heavy, an eerie chill spreading through the arena.

The crowd gasped, the sudden transformation leaving everyone stunned.

"What is this?!" the commentator yelled. "Sakamoto… isn't Sakamoto anymore!"

Sakamoto—or rather, the dark figure he had become—swung his axe with one powerful motion. WHOOSH! The spinning fireball split cleanly in half, the flames dissipating as they struck the ground on either side of him.

The ground beneath Sakamoto cracked as he vanished, reappearing above Draven in an instant. CRACK! He swung his axe downward with deadly force.

Draven's eyes widened, but he reacted quickly, channeling Shen into his feet to propel himself out of harm's way. The axe smashed into the arena floor with a deafening BOOM!, leaving a massive crater where Draven had been standing.

The crowd erupted into chaos, unsure of what they were witnessing.

"Who… what is he?!" someone screamed.

In the VIP section, Cade, the S-Ranked Hunter, narrowed his eyes. "An Od user… at this stage?"

Lee, still watching from above, was equally stunned. "What is this energy? It's not Shen. It's something else… darker."

Another fighter in the same observation room spoke up. "It's Od energy. The exact opposite of Shen. Powerful, dangerous… and evil."

Lee turned to him. "How does someone even use Od energy?"

The man replied, "It's the second state of Shen. If someone advances their Shen far enough, they can tap into Od. But… it's rare. Almost mythical. Only the legends of the past have been able to wield it."

Back in the arena, Draven smirked, brushing the dust from his shirt. "So you're a mad dog, huh? Good. So am I."

An explosion of energy erupted from his body, flames roaring around him as he grinned with wild excitement.

The crowd roared, the tension in the air thick enough to cut with a knife.

Sakamoto, in his darkened form, tilted his head slightly, the eerie mask giving nothing away.

The stage was set for chaos.