That time was now. He needed to shake his loser image, and beating Roxas would surely accomplish that.
The intermediate division’s field was already surrounded by a large number of spectators. Among them were Melia, Alicia, and Marni, whom he quickly smiled at before turning toward Roxas and readying himself for combat.
“Our contestants for the seventh match of the second round will be Sain Fostess and Roxas Bray!”
The bright voice of a female student echoed across the arena.
“They’re in the same year, but they specialize in different kinds of magic! Sain is darkkind, while Roxas is fivekind!”
“Sain hasn’t shown his hand yet. Darkkind tend to employ a lot of unique magic, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he still has a few cards up his sleeve. That’s definitely a point in his favor.”
“Speaking of unique magic, Sain’s first match ended in the blink of an eye, didn’t it? That was a superbly effective surprise attack, but maybe it was also a tactic to avoid showing his hand?”
“Maybe it was. Either way, we’ll find out soon, because that kind of surprise attack isn’t going to work multiple times. Roxas will definitely be ready for it. If Sain wants to win this one, he’ll have to get his hands dirty. Chances are that this is going to be an honest brawl.”
As Sain listened to the analyst’s commentary, he noted that it was both objective and very likely true. If one of them legitimately outclassed the other in skill, this match was going to make that difference abundantly clear. That was why he couldn’t afford to lose.
“On a side note, Sain is known in the intermediate division as the Darkness Dork.”
“Who’re you calling Darkness Dork?!” he exclaimed and shook his fist in the direction of the female student providing commentary.
What merit was there in disclosing that piece of information right now? It did, however, elicit a round of laughter from the stands, with the junior division students finding it particularly hilarious. For a good while, he continued to hear giggles from some of the younger children.
“Meanwhile, Roxas has a balanced fighting style based on fire and water. While he can’t use compound magic, he’s very good at controlling each element individually and using them according to their strengths. He’s no pushover when it comes to hand-to-hand combat, either.”
The analyst, possibly deeming it a tad unfair for Sain to be the only one to suffer an unexpected disclosure of personal information, offered some details on his opponent as well. Taken as a whole, it suggested that while Roxas seemed like a pretty headstrong guy, he was a careful fighter in the ring. His affinity for fire and water magic made him similar to Melia. It would, Sain figured, be like fighting a downgraded version of Melia, just without her compound magic and judicious boldness and extensive battlefield experience and—
He reconsidered. Comparing a regular student to Melia was doing his maid a disservice.
Sain studied his opponent. Roxas also carried a sword at his waist, but judging by his build and musculature, he was going to employ a fighting style that primarily relied on magic.
“By the way,” the commentator continued, “Roxas’s grades are some of the best among the intermediate first years. He’s been participating in the battle expo since his junior days, and he’s gone as far as the semifinals in the past. As for Sain... Hmm, it looks like it’ll be an uphill battle. This is your time, Sain! Let’s see what you’re made of!”
Sain pressed his lips together and tightened his fists. This was indeed his time, and he had every intention of showing them what he was made of.
“Let’s start the countdown!”
As numbers started flashing on the large screen in front of him, Sain closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. People still called him names like “loser” or “Darkness Dork,” and he would still snap back at them, but nowadays, that was more performance than honest anger. Frankly, it didn’t really bother him that much, anymore. That was what scared him. If he got used to failure, then what did he have left?
No, he was not a failure. At least, he wouldn’t remain one. He was going to become the dark knight. With his conviction reaffirmed, he opened his eyes and fixed them on his opponent just as the countdown reached zero.
“Let the match begin!”
Sain and Roxas began to circle each other warily, keeping their gazes locked and the distance between them even. For a while, they traded feints, each probing the other’s reaction. Then, Sain struck the first blow.
“Darku! ”
A black bullet shot out of his palm. It sped toward Roxas, who dodged it with ease.
“Hah! Get your kiddie spells out of there! This is the big boys’ arena!”
Roxas swiveled on his feet and charged down the field, closing the gap between them at breakneck speed.
He wants a swordfight? Wait, no—
Sain glanced at Roxas’s waist as he bore down on him. Seeing that the sword remained untouched, he quickly hopped out of his opponent’s path.
“Flare Shot! ”
Flames erupted from Roxas’s palm in a scattershot pattern.
“Ugh!”
They spread out as they flew, widening the attack’s coverage. Thanks to his timely evasion, Sain took only a glancing hit. It wasn’t fatal, but it still hurt, and he winced as his left shoulder and back flared with pain. He stumbled a few steps and went down to his knees.