CHAPTER 12:A BATTLE BETWEEN FRIENDS

Ringborn – Chapter 12: A Battle Between Friends

The crowd roared with excitement as the announcer's voice echoed through the massive stadium.

"Ladies and gentlemen! The next match is a battle between allies—Akira Tanaka versus Ren Ayashi!"

Gasps filled the arena. Friends fighting each other? This was unexpected. Ryo, Hajime, and the others watched with wide eyes. Akira took a deep breath, stepping forward. Ren smirked, cracking his knuckles.

"Well, Akira, guess we have to go all out," Ren said.

"Of course," Akira replied, clenching his fists.

The tension in the air thickened as the countdown began.

"3… 2… 1… FIGHT!"

Ren wasted no time. His body morphed, shrinking into a compact ball as he rolled at full speed toward Akira. The ground shook under the force of his movement. Akira's eyes widened, but he quickly reacted, leaping high into the air.

"You're gonna lose, Ren!" he shouted mid-air.

Ren chuckled. "Let's see about that!"

Akira extended his arm and unleashed a powerful Water Slash. A sharp wave of water cut through the air, crashing toward Ren. Instead of dodging, Ren raised his muscular arms and blocked it with his bare hands. Water splashed around him, but he stood firm, completely unfazed.

"Ooo, good," Akira admitted, landing back on the battlefield.

Ren grinned. "Now, my turn!" He charged forward and delivered a crushing punch—Ultimate Strike!

Akira couldn't dodge in time. The punch landed square on his stomach, sending him flying backward. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth as he skidded across the ground. His vision blurred for a moment.

"Akira!" Ryo shouted from the stands.

Akira's mother, watching from home, clasped her hands together, eyes filled with worry. "Please… get up, Akira," she whispered.

Akira groaned, pushing himself up with shaky arms. His breath was heavy, but a fierce determination burned in his eyes. "I'm not done yet!"

He lifted both hands, and a massive tsunami formed behind him. The entire stadium gasped.

Ren's confident expression faltered for a split second. "Damn… this is serious."

The wave crashed toward Ren, swallowing him in an instant. For a moment, silence filled the battlefield. But then—

"My bad, bro."

Ren exploded out of the water, landing on the ground with force. His entire body grew larger, muscles expanding. He cracked his neck. "That was strong, but not enough to take me down!"

Akira narrowed his eyes. "I figured."

Ren suddenly shrunk down to the size of an ant. The crowd gasped.

Akira looked around in confusion. "Where did you go?!"

Suddenly, Akira felt a tickling sensation on his leg. A grin spread across his face. "Nice trick, but I'm not falling for it!"

Without hesitation, he swung his fist downward. Ren barely dodged, regrowing to his normal size. "Not bad, Akira. You've gotten stronger."

"So have you."

Ren lunged forward. Akira ducked, countering with a spinning water punch. Ren barely blocked it in time. The two exchanged rapid blows, their fists clashing like thunder.

Then, Ren took a deep breath. "Sorry, Akira… but this is the end."

The sky above the stadium darkened. Ren jumped high into the air, gripping an enormous sky hammer made of pure energy.

Akira's eyes widened. "Oh, sh—"

BOOM!

The hammer crashed down, sending shockwaves across the battlefield. When the dust settled, Akira was lying motionless, defeated. The crowd fell silent.

Then, the announcer's voice rang through the stadium.

"The winner is… REN AYASHI!"

The audience erupted into cheers. Ren extended a hand to Akira, who smiled weakly and accepted it.

"You're strong, Ren," Akira said.

"You too," Ren replied.

In the stands, Ryo clenched his fists. "What an insane fight… I have to get stronger."

High above the stadium, a mysterious man with a cigarette watched the match with interest. His eyes gleamed.

"This generation of Ringborns… might be trouble."