“Hey.”

While Miko was thinking about the preliminaries, the others approached him.

“Looks like you’re in a pretty difficult block.”

He said to Ace.

“I swear someone is out to get me.”

Ace looked a bit upset.

“Hey, look at the bright side. You’ll get another shot at the dragon stars.”

Sora said with a laugh.

“I wouldn’t be laughing if I were you. You’re facing Kaido. You have your hands full too.”

“Well, I’ll manage.”

Miko looked at Hina and Luka.

“I’m kinda looking forward to your matches the most. I was always curious about which one of you would win in a fight. I mean you both have broken abilities.”

“I don’t want to hear that from you.”

Luka said.

“Just watch out for my friends. Or you won’t even make it to the main tournament.”

Miko looked back at Robin and the others. He had to face the four of them who could use the infinity element of Ouroboros. It’ll definitely be a tough battle.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

He said.

“The agreement remains the same. We won’t hold back and will give it our all to win. This a competition, friendship means nothing now.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

“May the best man or woman win.”

Near by Kaido was looking at Miko’s group. He was focusing on Sora.

“I already fought Ace and wanted to test him out next so this works for me. This tournament will allow me to full assess Miko and his group’s strength.”

With everyone knowing which block they were in, preparations were quickly made to start the preliminaries. It was now time for the first block to take the stage. This block contained both Hina and Luka, which meant that they were going to go at it from the beginning.

The other students had to watch from the sidelines so that they could start the next block without delay.

Hina and Luka stood in the ring with over 100 other contestants. The ring was twice the size of a football field, so all the students could easily fit inside. There were a lot of people with nervous expressions while there were others who looked excited. Hina and Luka didn’t show much of either. They only looked focused. The two were thinking the same thing.

“This is will be a tough battle.”

“Ladies and gentlemen!”

The MC’s voice came from the speakers.

“Without further ado, the preliminaries will now begin!”

Cheers rained down on the students as they began to fight for a place in the main tournament.

*Bam!*

Whether it was out of excitement or nervousness, a student immediately attacked the nearest person to him thus signaling a chaotic battle.

“Ah!”

Hina was attacked by several students at once. From the look on their faces she could tell that they were desperate.

“I guess everyone has their problems.”

She clenched her fists and her limbs became veiny as if something was being pumped into her body. Cracking sounds came from her body as her muscle started to spasm. This all happened as she was quickly surrounded.

“Sorry, but I don’t care about your circumstances.”

She swung her leg to side.

*Bam!”

She slammed her leg in the closest attacker’s chest so hard that sounds

of their rib cage shattering reached Hina’s ears. While her other attackers were in shock, she pounced at them. She lifted a female student off the ground with an uppercut. Destroyed another student with a blow to the gut, and then forced another to the ground with an axe kick.

“I’m here to win just like the rest of you. Don’t expect no sympathy from me.”

The rest of her attackers froze in place with cold sweat covering their bodies. It looked like they were regretting their decision to attack her.

“If you’re not coming then I’ll come at you!”

She rushed forward which caused her attackers to snap out of their daze. They got ready to engage her.

Hina ducked under a hook and then sent a student flying with an uppercut. She then spun around and blocked a fire blast with her palms, before rushing at the attacker.

*Bam!*

Before she could reach her attacker a bolt of lightning fell from the sky and electrocuted everyone near her.

“Hey.”

She turned and saw Luka approaching her.

“Did I interrupt your warm up?”

Hina smiled.

“No, your timing is perfect.”

“Oh, Luka and Hina are facing off.”

In the waiting area, Miko and the others were watching the first block play out while waiting for their turn.

“Who do you think will win?”

He asked those around him. He was obviously enjoying the show.

Meanwhile Luka and Hina were staring each other down. Despite the two of them appearing to be wide open for surprise attacks no one thought about doing so. The reason was because the tension between the two of them were too much to handle. No one wanted to carelessly jump in and end up losing their lives.

“If I remember correctly you’re ban from creating weapons or monsters in the tournament because they become physical objects once created….Doesn’t that mean that you greatly handicapped? After all, you can’t use three of your four abilities.”

“Yeah, I’ll have to get by with what I have.”

Hina took a fighting stance.

“Even so, I don’t want you to hold back.”

Luka smirked.

“I wasn’t planning to.”

Electricity gathered at Luka’s feet. She then moved towards Hina with lightning fast speed. Hina leaped to the side and avoided a kick that came at her in an instant. Before her feet touched the ground properly she had to bend her back to avoid a quick punch. She lost her balance and fell to the ground and then started rolling to avoid Luka’s follow up attack.

She got to her feet and had to once again avoid an attack.

“What’s wrong? Am I too fast?”

Luka smiled and threw a kick at Hina, who leaped back to avoid it.

“?!”

While in mid-jump Hina saw an arc of lightning fired from Luka’s foot and charged at her.

*Bam!*

Hina folded her body in a ball and took the attack head on. Electricity surged into her body causing her great pain.

*Bam!*

Luka showed no mercy and kicked her while she was still curled up. She then chase after her to follow up with another attack. She released her claws and thrust them towards Hina’s shoulder.

“?!”

To her surprise, Hina twisted her body out of the way and got behind her. Hina stretched her hand towards Luka but could only grasp air. Luka moved like a bolt of lightning and circled around Hina.

*Bam!*

“Huh?”

Before she could attack, Luka was attacked by Hina with a kick. She blocked the kick with her arm and then countered with her claws. But Hina once again avoided it by twisting her body.

“As I thought, she’s able to perfectly follow my movements.”

Luka glanced at Hina while moving to attack her again and noticed something.

“Her eyes are gold.”

Hina’s purple eyes were now gold. Luka could sense that Hina’s eyes were completely locked on her every move.

“Then how about this?!”

Luka stretched her hand out and dozens of lightning spears rushed towards Hina. Bulging veins once again appeared on Hina’s body. These veins started pulsating as if they were pumping something in Hina’s body.

Luka then saw Hina move through the cluster of lightning spears and quickly advanced towards her with fast and precise movements. Seeing that, Luka thrust her palm out and an electric wave blocked Hina from reaching her. Hina clenched her fist and threw a punch.

*Bam!*

Her fist clashed with the electric wave and shattered it. However, this allowed Luka to distance herself.

(She’s faster and stronger than before. Her reactions are faster than before as well.)

Luka started observing Hina’s body and the changes to it.

(I heard that she’s able to modify her DNA but I heard that she transforms into a demonic being after doing so….That means that she has better control over that ability now and can make individual modifications to her body and no longer needs to take that form to modify herself.)

Luka deduced that the bugling veins had a doping affect to boost her physical abilities while the eyes were now beyond human abilities.

“Now this is what I’m talking about.”

Electricity wrapped around her arms and formed lightning blades. She then moved with the electricity at her feet, and charged towards Hina. She instantly appeared in front her and thrust her blades at Hina, who moved her head and body to avoid the attacks with minimal movements.

Hina aimed a kick at Luka’s chin but Luka was too fast as she instantly circled around Hina, who turned her body to keep track of her. Hina lifted her knee and hit Luka’s arm causing her lightning blade to miss the mark. Hina then followed up with a kick to the head, which Luka ducked under before taking a step forward and thrust her blades at Hina again. While on one leg Hina jumped back and then moved back even more when her other leg returned to the ground. She then started to move back to avoid Luka’s relentless attacks which all aimed at her vitals. Eventually Luka started hitting her marks. Her blades started scraping Hina’s sides, face, and limbs.

“Physical strength alone can’t defeat me. It will only put you on the defensive.”

Luka said while adding more cuts to Hina’s body. For every cut Hina received electricity would flow into her body further slowing her down.

“Ugh!”

Hina clenched her teeth and stretched her hands out and caught the lightning blades.

“Wha?!”

This shocked Luka and created an opening for Hina. Hina lifted her by her arms and then slammed her into the ground so hard it cracked.

“Argh!”

Luka groaned out in pain as she got to her feet. She immediately leaped back to avoid Hina’s attack.

“Looks like you can’t use those arms of yours anymore.”

Luka pointed at Hina’s hands which were now charred and bleeding.

“I wouldn’t say that.”

Hina’s skin started darkening, her ears became pointy like an elf’s, a red hue appeared in her golden eyes, her nails turned into black claws, and her teeth turned into fangs.

“Look, I’m all healed up.”

She showed off her hands that looked good as new.

“I see.”

A nervous smile appeared on Luka’s face.

(I heard that her dark form was powerful but it sure gives off quite the presence.)

While she was thinking that, Hina made her move. She shot forward with an explosive step and instantly cut the distance between the two of them. Luka and her attacked at the same time with fast punches.

*Bam!*

From the clash Luka was the one who lost. Her arm blew back with her hand busted up.

“Such power!”

Hina swung her leg at her midsection, Luka lifted her leg and blocked it.

*Bam!*

“Ah!”

It was like her leg was run over by a truck. She couldn’t contain the pain. Hina delivered another kick, one which Luka couldn’t block.

*Bam!*

Luka was sent flying across the field crashing into students who were fighting.

“Luka is on the defensive?!”

Robin and the other apostles were shocked to see their leader being forced back like this.

“Looks like I should thank Aeon. He really beefed you guys up.”

Miko said with a laugh.

“He’s a prick but he served as a good mentor.”

Said Sora.

“Well, Hina was trying to kill him for over a month without eating or sleeping so it’s natural that she would be this strong.”

“Oh, what’s that?”

In the stands, Tiana was excited by Hina’s form.

“She’s like a dark elf but she has this demonic aura too! She looks badass!”

Kimiko and the girls were annoyed by her excitement but didn’t say anything.

“Argh….”

Luka laid on top of a student and groaned in pain.

“Her attacks doesn’t lose to Zora’s.”

She sat up and the Ouroboros symbol appeared in her eyes.

“Luka’s getting serious.”

Miko said.

“Infinite Element Release!”

Infinity symbols started appearing on Luka’s wounded limbs. They were soon overflowing with power. She looked and saw Hina charging towards her. She smiled and did the same. The two quickly met and clenched their fists and threw a punch.

*BAM!*

Their fists clashed and caused powerful shockwaves around them. They both leaped back and rushed at each other again. Hina threw a kick while Luka fired a palm strike.

*Bam!*

Palm clashes with leg. Luka swept Hina off her pivot leg with a low kick. She then kicked her while she was falling. Hina crossed her arms in front of her and blocked the kick. The force of the kick caused her to bounce off the ground a couple times. Luka chases after her and aimed a stomp at her while she was still bouncing off the ground.

“Hah!”

Suddenly Hina fired a beam from her mouth which hit Luka and blew her back. Hina then stabled herself and spurted a pair of giant dove wings behind her. Under everyone’s gaze the wings’ feathers fired at Luka like bullets out of a machine gun. Luka flew back and avoided the feathers, that’s when she saw them start glowing.

“Shit!”

*BOOM!*

The feathers exploded and devoured her in a storm of flames.

“Huh?”

Hina then saw the flames look like they were being sucked into a vacuum. When she looked she saw Luka holding her hands in front of her.

“Absorption.”

A gold glow started coming off her body. She activated her Heavenly Vita. Hina noticed something forming behind Luka. Before long, a female warrior wearing a rugged armor and holding damaged weapons appeared behind her. She was covered in injuries but the will to fight was clear in her eyes.

“That’s a battle avatar right? It’s my first time seeing one.”

Hina said. Luka stretched her hand to the side and her Vita formed a golden sword.

“Ah!”

She shot forward like a golden arrow. Hina formed a dagger out of a red light.

“Let’s go!”

She charged forward as well. Luka swung her golden sword, Hina blocked it and parried it with her dagger and stabbed at Luka’s neck. Luka kicked her in the stomach to create some distance and then swung her sword again, a golden light rushed towards Hina, who used her wings to fly out of the way and then towards Luka.

Luka swung her sword at her but Hina flew over the slash and then stabbed her in the shoulder and twisted the dagger in her flesh.

“Ahh!”

Luka screamed out in pain.

“?!”

Luka’s Avatar then lifted its sword and swung its weapon down on Hina.

*Bam!*

Hina was forced into the ground while blocking the weapon with her dagger. She saw Luka approaching her from the corner of her eyes. As Luka was about to attack-

“The final 8 have been decided! Cease all fighting!”

The MC’s voice came from the speakers which caused both girls to halt. They looked around and saw that most of the students were all taken out while they were fighting. They then looked at each other and laughed.

Luka’s Avatar disappeared and Hina returned to normal. Luka then helped Hina up.

“And I almost had you too.”

“Yeah, keep telling yourself that.”

Hina said. They laughed and made their way off the ring while the crowd cheered.

“They got so heated that they accidentally took out most of the other students without knowing. Now that’s a good match.”

Tiana said in the crowd.

“I can’t wait to see more! Bring out the next block!”