Sorry about not being able to continue with my chapter a day shenanigance, but real life threw itself in front of my writing.

Also, in response to opcrystal's review, yes, the reason the Heaven didn't just outright destroy Audun will be answered in the future. I would also like to thank you for your feedback, I would say that I have neglected the characters a bit. After this little mini arc, I will try to rectify and improve upon it. And thank you for your review, titanxtitan, although I must disagree with you on the slow story part? I feel I move too fast really. Anyway, enjoy all.

----------

Audun and Avari were relaxing in a hotel she had purchased. The room itself was fairly plain, with it really just being a room that was a bit larger than average, that held in it a bed and two adjacent chairs. A bathroom was also there, across from the bed. Audun and Avari themselves sat on a chair, which was large enough to comfortably hold them both.

“Tomorrow is the semi-finals Audun, and you have a huge fight ahead of you. While that angel winged guy doesn’t look threatening, the boy is of course the worry. If it gets too dangerous, I want you to promise me you are going to teleport straight out of there. “

“Avari, listen, I’m going to be fine. He may have caught me a bit off guard, but I can handle it.” ‘With a body as strong as mine, there should be no way he can kill me right away, at least.’

“Please, for my own comfort.”

“Fine, as long as you do the same if Renn is too much for you. From what you’ve told me, those tattoos are exceedingly dangerous. Neither of us can die here, especially so close to your home.” At the mention of her home, she began to look slightly dejected. Audun, feeling numerous complicated feeling, reached over to her and hugged her. “I’m sorry for bringing it up, but like you said, only two more days. Plus, with those gloves, we stand to make your family more powerful.”

Avari looked up at Audun, trying his best to calm her. To be honest, the feeling of feeling bad was merely a fleeting feeling, but having him hold her felt really comforting. She could tell for a long while now that feelings had been growing. Even though he was three years younger than her, he definitely was mature, and he did not look the part of a thirteen year old.

He looked down, and they met each other’s gazes. Both saw a care in the eyes of the other, and both felt their stomachs flutter. They then adjusted themselves to be closer, never losing that eye contact. The seconds passed by like eternities, and Audun finally moved his own face forward, and kissed Avari. Avari of course reciprocated, and the two felt their connection and relationship deepen. They were now closer than ever before, and found no trouble falling asleep together.

-----

Audun and Avari were both full of energy and nervous while they were waiting for him to be called out to the stage. His semi-final match would be against the angel winged guy that was over to his right, speaking with Renn. He looked to be about twenty, and also had long, black hair, while he didn’t wear a shirt. His pants were a dark purple, and his wings were of two different colors, one white and one black. RIght now, they were tucked into his back.

Also in Audun’s semi final match was Finis. He was sitting down and meditating, calm as a sea directly before a storm. Even though you couldn’t see a ripple, you could feel that it was about to explode. Audun knew that Finis was excited for their match, and he couldn’t help but feel similar. This is the first person who had truly made Audun sweat, who was of the True level. There was another boy in the room, but he looked panicked, and was probably going to drop as soon as he entered with Avari and Renn.

“Will the contestants for the first semi-final match please step outside.” Audun and Avari hugged each other tight, while they hadn’t spoken much since last night, it was because they hadn’t the time nor privacy to truly say what they wanted too. That being said, they were still exceedingly close, and it was obvious.

Which made it all the more infuriating when the angel winged guy walked over and gave Avari a white and black rose. “I’ll see you in the finals, oh beautiful goddess. Keep that flower to help remember what it is my soul is, as you will be connected to it soon.”

“She doesn’t want your stupid flower!” Audun growled angrily. Avari gave him a touch on the arm. He looked back to give her a smile, but even while smiling at her, he was plotting how to take down that Angel freak, who was already on stage by now.

Audun also left, and went onto the stage. This time, the stage was made up of various platforms, with the spaced in between leading to a bottomless cavern. It seemed they were basing the stage off the winged bastard this time. For the semifinals, since everyone exited the same door, they all had to spread out to different corners, so a sneak attack wouldn’t instantly end the fight, like for round one.

“Well now crowd, do we have an exciting match here. We have the mysterious Arimasen, the adored Angel, and the powerful Jr. Founder, all together to duke it out for the right to compete in the finals. Let’s not waste anymore time with introductions however, and let the fight, begin!”

Audun cast out his divine sense, and to his surprise, he found that Finis had one also. It seemed that there were more ways to achieving one before the sky realm than shattering one’s dantian. He decided to use this as a chance to ask the kid a favor.

‘Let me take care of that Angel b*tch, I owe him a one.’ He heard Finis snort. ‘Do as you please, you’re the only one I care about fighting here.’

With that, Finis sat down, causing Angel to be enraged. How dare someone sit themselves before him in the middle of a fight. He had suffered hundred of hardships, with parents who fought him on every step of his journey. In this cultivation world, he was alone, and he alone was going to conquer it.

These were the thoughts running through Angel’s head as Audun seemingly teleported next to him. The look that was on Audun’s face terrified him, and he turned to flee. Alas, Audun was too fast, and used his wind ki to smash directly into Angel’s right wing. It snapped, and Angel felt pain rack his entire body.

“AHHH! YOU BASTARD! DO YOU KNOW WHAT I HAD TO SACRIFICE FOR THAT BLACK WING! MY VERY SOUL!” Extending his left wing, the one that was white as the clouds above, he prepared to shoot out feathers with wind ki. Unfortunately, Audun was too much of a monster, and his next kick had landed directly onto his chest. His heart stopped momentarily, and then he fell down the gap between platforms.

Audun felt a little bad for how Angel had been dealt with, but also a bit of pride. He knew that this time, Avari was watching. He had hoped his display of strength had renewed her hope in him.

‘Now that that is settled, I shall begin the real fight.’ Finis said to him through divine sense. He began to stand up, and Audun immediately activated Martial Asura’s Requiem. There was a difference between using it and activating it. When merely using it, you would use whatever ki you cultivated to enhance a specific set of moves. When activating it instead, you open your mind’s eye, and enable your body to use world qi along with your chosen elemental ki.

World qi, on its own, was used as a psychic power, enabling the use of a rudimentary telekinesis and a sixth sense. While upon reaching the Sky Realm, you begin to have a slight control, very few had any true control of qi. The Bast clan arts were one of the few techniques that used the secondary property of qi, which was to enhance the destructive power of ki. It was much harder to control, and activating was an ability that only Sky experts were able to command. Until Audun.

All around Audun was a cocoon of wind and lightning ki. He stood his ground, knowing that he needed to probe Finis before taking the initiative. The kid was making his way towards him, seemingly slowly, but in less than a second, Audun felt a fist smash through his cocoon. He was a bit taken aback, but the cocoon enabled him to knock the fist away from his face. Using the forward momentum of the kid, he punched out.

“Domain.” Finis said that one word, and he could feel the energy in his fist depleting. He was confused for a split second, but was able to detect that both qi and ki were rapidly ejecting away from his attack, causing it to not only lose that power, but raw strength as well. Focusing on his arm, he forcefully called back his qi, and his punch regained some strength.

Finis had a look of surprise on his face when the punch landed, and was knocked to the edge of the platform they were currently on. The shock lasted for a good ten seconds, and the tension in the air could be felt. All of the sudden, Finis start laughing. ‘It looks as if I don’t need to hold back on you.’