Lee was the only one who stayed sullen. Fairy tales about the great master? What the hell were they all talking about?! There must be a more reasonable explanation! Lee couldn’t stand hearing about Kyon's abilities, as well as watching the impossible (even in theory) battle.

If his own fan defeated Tsayan (which Lee refused to believe) his pride would be completely crushed. The star of the Stones had developed a distaste to the young upstart in the arena... Lee wanted him to lose or even better to die. It was pure nonsense… To the hell with changing the history of the world! The boy was a scum albeit agile and moving unusually fast. He would never win. Tsayan’s golden skin is indestructible. The moment he activated it, Kyon couldn’t possibly harm him. However, he wasn’t doing any significant damage at the moment either.

{What’s the matter with me?} - Lee wanted to beat himself but he couldn’t deny his feelings. Could his own reputation be more important to him than family honor?

{I don’t give a damn... I don’t give a damn that he is my fan... I hate him for being so impudent. I’ve always hated cocky bastards... Yes, that's right.} - Lee calmed down.

«Come on, Kyon! Defeat the bastard!» … «I believe in you, Kyon! You can do it!» … «Kyon Stone, you must take from Tsayan his title of the king of the battles!» … «Prove to everyone that you were created to change history!» – Little by little, the Stones began to support the lucky guy. His victory would bring their family greatness, as well as the belief that one of the Stones was a student of the greatest master in the world.

Tsayan's face turned red. He couldn’t hide his hatred of the enemy in front of him. Tsayan couldn’t hit him at all even if he seemed to touch him more than once.

No one suspected that Kyon could feel Tsayan’s level of the battle fist. In just one minute of the battle, Kyon had learned most of the so-called grasy style. The problem with many fighters is their lack of creativity during the battle. Any style completely and utterly limits their way of movement. Juno, for example, has completely forgotten Jean's teaching and without his guidance, she has no style at the moment. She moves solely according to her reflexes, habits and creativity. She is gradually approaching the fourth level of the battle fist. What a talented girl!

{And yet, the peak of the advanced phase is the limit.} - Kyon warned himself. Fighting with opponents more than 13 stages above is to take an unjustified risk of getting a blow that could break him.

Of course, he could use the additional 3 levels of the battle fist. He could also start engaging some elements, but the enemy of 15 stages stronger (one phase and a half) was his limit, it would be disastrous to fight an even stronger opponent.

Kyon heard the Stones cheering for him and nodded. It was time to win. Off with showing off and taking the risk.

«When will you finally die?!» - Tsayan roared, his voice breaking. There appeared an offshoot of sharp brown granite, an analogue of a two-handed sword. He rushed to get to Kyon's neck.

~ whoosh ~

But the sudden attack did not find its target. Tsayan had missed again.

«Pathetic bastard! I am fucking sick of your tricks! Aren’t you capable of anything but dodging like a coward and poking me with your worthless fists!» - Tsayan launched a quick attack with the two-handed impromptu sword, his eyes red with rage. The use of weapons was forbidden but they could be created with the earth element.

«Tsayan is using the earth element! He knows he can’t win without it! Shame on you! Boo!» … «Ha ha ha! You have fallen off your pedestal, Tsayan. You should be ashamed of yourself! It’s so low of you to be the first to engage an additional element against an unfit adversary!» - The Stones were happy to taunt Tsayan. They couldn’t miss such a great opportunity to give him some hard time.

«Don't let him touch you! You’d better give up! You can’t defeat an earthbender!» - Stephanie shouted with emotion in her voice.

In response, in Kyon’s hands appeared an equally long two-handed sword made of rock glinting green. The advanced grade of the earth element enabled him to create an adamantium of its full version. It was more durable than the one he made with the basic grade.

*clang*

The collision of attacks cut Tsayan’s sword in two leaving a perfectly straight line.

Tsayan’s eyes widened, a tiny cut bled on his chest. He reflexively backed away in sharp pain. The first blood had been shed.

«Are you an earthbender, too?!» - exclaimed Tsayan. The cut stopped bleeding as soon as he infused it with pure energy.

«He wounded Tsayan! HA! Ha ha ha ha ha!» … «He bends the earth, too.» … «That’s his second element! I wonder what grade it is.» … «The sword he created broke Tsayan’s granite and cut his chest. Is it possible? How hard is the rock he uses?» … «If it broke the granite his earth element must be at least of the advanced grade.» … «I don’t know anyone in our days who has mastered the advanced grade being in the base phase» … «What about Prince Charles?» … «Well, he is an exception... And that information is outdated. Maybe it’s completely false.»

Everyone, and Tsayan in particular was struck how hard the green rock created by Kyon was. In fact, as the development increases, any material created by the earth gets significantly stronger. Clay will be stronger than stone, stone will get stronger than metal, metal will surpass diamond. Given the difference of 13 stages, they could only imagine how strong the green rock in the mysterious boy’s hands was.

«You’re a presumptuous fool! There is no earthbender stronger than me at my stage. You cut one of the weakest rocks in my arsenal because I did not consider you worthy to die from my golden quartz.» - Tsayan said with contempt in his voice, burning with shame. He needed to justify his failure in front of the audience.

The guests went out of their stupor. Some of them nodded in understanding. Now everything was clear.

«Shove you lame excuses up your ass. It’s sickening to listen to you.» - Everyone heard Kyon’s snarky voice.

Tsayan winced angrily. A long sword made of gold quartz grew in his hands. «I don’t have to explain myself to you. Now get ready to experience what it means to be the strongest earthbender!»

«Watch out! Gold quartz is stronger than steel! When you cross sword with Tsayan your weak rock will be cut in two! Even Lee’s granite could not withstand it!» - Stephanie warned with concern.

Tsayan straightened his back, approached Kyon and, with a masterful movement, landed a measured diagonal blow with his sword. His master used to tell him there’s no need to be cunning to defeat the weak, one single blow was enough. He had no doubt in his rock, like a tiger in front of a dog.

When Tsayan saw that Kyon wasn’t going to avoid him, on the contrary, he was ready to attack, his lips curved in a grin. «Dumb creature, DIE!»

~clang~

A perfect even cut on the gold quartz seemed to have cut through Tsayan’s mind and soul.

«Wh-a-a-at?!»

Poor Richie fainted. His friend caught him just in time.

Kyon’s sword went further and left a long, deep cut on Tsayan’s chest. Together with the previous one, it made a cross. Blood oozed from the wound but stopped as soon as pure energy had been infused.

Tsayan stepped back wincing in pain. His flesh had been cut twice... He was embarrassed.

In the perfect silence, he heard the stump of his gold quartz sword fall on the ground. It scared almost everyone present waking their minds out of oblivion.

«He has cut the golden quartz! He has cut it through! A practitioner of 13 stages below him in development has cut his legendary rock!» … «This is our kinsman, a Stone, our hero!» … «It’s impossible! Please, wake me up!» … «How?! Even Lee’s granite failed to do anything to him! How could the rock of the practitioner a phase below do something like that?!» … «Look, Kyon’s green sword is almost unscathed! Ahhhhh!» … «What kind of rock is that!? I have never seen anything stronger in my life! Does our family own anything of the kind?! It’s harder than metal!» … «He turns out to have an advanced grade of the earth element! Ha! I told you! And you did not believe me.»

Each new talent in the hated boy gave Dinah a sharp pain in the chest. She was changing her opinion of him. She seemed to be looking at a different person. He was a talented genius with incredible skills. Where did he master earthbending and how could he make rock so strong?! The girl was getting more and more questions.

The questions in Anna’s head had long gained critical mass. She didn’t want to think about it anymore. Instead, her interest in Kyon was rising like the mercury column in the oven.

«Cornelia, you’re going to rub off my forehead, be more gentle.» - XiaoBai complained.

The guests rubbed their eyes. Some yelled, the others tore off their hair. If the quality of the rocks was approximately equal, the attacks should have crossed and, as a result, pure energy and inertia should have recoiled bringing Kyon in serious trouble. Instead, his green sword had crushed the gold quartz with its strength and sharpness as if it was an adult compared to a baby. And it was with a difference of 13 stages. No one could stay calm.

Stephanie opened and closed her mouth like a fish. She was lost for words. It was not the first time the mysterious boy had torn her expectations apart like a predator. She was afraid to assume at least something in advance. Did he really have a legendary master? Judging by his speed, technique and rock strength - HE DID!

Lee snorted angrily. He clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging into his palms. He looked at Kyon's green sword. There was nothing but a small nick on its blade.

{Why is his rock so strong?! There’s no rock so strong in my family or I would have already created it!} - Lee wanted the ground to swallow him up. The mean glances in the audience made his terrible mood even worse. If his fan had cut Tsayan’s swords, he would cut his rock so easily he cuts butter with a knife.

Juno nervously hugged herself. Her thoughts were a mess of chaos every time it came to Kyon. His technique of movements was at the divine level, his style of movements implied a sky-high level of the battle fist, he was a bender of nine elements, and now he’d manifested rock of incomparable strength. When she looked into his deep eyes the color of obsidian that radiating calm confidence, a chill ran down her back.

Kyon was incredibly happy, indeed. He understood perfectly well if the golden quartz were twice as strong he’d never been able to cut it up. The clash of attacks would have turned out a disaster, his earth element would have been completely useless. He couldn’t defend himself with it... He could only attack. Fortunately, his attacks were rather successful. There it was adamantium, the crown of perfection created by human scientists. Except for carbon skin, of course. Its properties were much more amazing.

Kyon sarcastically turned Tsayan's previous words against him:

«I’ve experienced what it means to be the strongest earthbender. I must admit it feels nice to humiliate a mediocrity like you.»

Some of the Stones burst out laughing. The faces of some Browns were distorted by strong emotions. There was a pinch of anger at Kyon and three spoonfuls of shame for their kinsman.

Tsayan's chest heaved in rage as if he had sprinted 10 kilometers (about 6 miles) «Fool! You are mistaken! I will show you the true power of the most powerful earthbender! Behold! The quartz of light!» - An elegant two-handed golden sword grew in his hand. It flared up like the sun. Tsayan looked like an archangel with its weapon.

«He’s mastered the attribute of light! That's his third element!» … «Now I see why he is considered the most powerful earthbender for his stage!» … «Oh my God, does it mean he let Lee win!?» … «You are saying that the leader of the Stones couldn't make Tsayan to fight with full capacity but Kyon could?! That’s pure nonsense?!» - The Stones and the other guests were stunned.

Lee wanted to bury himself underground. He looked at with barely concealed hatred. He wanted to strangle the braggart, the jerk who had indirectly humiliated him.

«This is our tiger of the Browns. You may envy in silence!» … «Haha you are incredible, Tsayan!» … «It was expected of you. You let even Lee win! Hehe...» - The Browns broke into a smile. There was a pinch of relief and three spoonfuls of pride in their smiles.

Stephanie had an urge to warn Kyon but the words couldn’t leave her mouth. If the mysterious boy had crushed her expectations once again, she would die embarrassed of her useless advice.

The bright sword in Tsayan’s hand emanated pleasant warmth. Each stroke left a trace of sparks. It seemed he could cut the sky in two.