Mirik's POV-

Now that everyone had seen how the atmosphere inside the stadium was they slowly calmed themselves down. One by one the participants started entering through the door. I waited for everyone to leave as I was still anxious.

I closed my eyes and took deep breaths. I slapped myself and concentrated. When I opened my eyes back again everyone had left. I opened the door as the bright light of the stadium made me squint my eyes. It took some seconds before I readjusted myself. It was a big stadium with several platform stages on which the fight was going to take place. But in the center was a big stage significantly bigger than the other. It was surely for the big matches.

As I was the last to enter I saw that all the participants had taken their places. I was the only one who was not on his stage. I slowly walked towards my stage. The crowd was waiting for the competition to begin and started booing as I was the last one to get on the stage. The booing noises resounded in the stadium as I got into my position.

The referee looked at me with an annoyed gaze and asked me to take positions. My opponent was a guy I had never seen before. Maybe he was a senior. He had red curly hair and was taller than me. He had no armour but his weapon of choice was gauntlets. They were silver in color and one had claws on it while the other was a normal glove-like shape. I thought in my mind about the reason for such weird-looking gauntlets.

"Let's get this shit done quick. What do you say? " He said as he looked at me while he took an open palm stance.

"... Yeah. Let's do it. " I replied as I started feeling a tingling sensation inside me. What was this? Was this addiction? Shit. Addicted to fighting....it sure has a nice ring to it. I was in my normal school uniform but everyone else had fancy clothing, maybe that symbolized something like their spirits or clans.

I took out my baton and took a forward stance with it. I had the choice here if I wanted to attack first. I had always liked to counter the attacks as they suited me better. But that was against normal humans, these guys we're on another level. And his weird gauntlets were better off if they were not used and that meant I had to attack first and send that guy on the defense.

"Now that participants have taken their places, ladies and gentlemen be ready as the fights are about to start. Be sure to put your money on our young horses here." The announcer announced. I sighed inside my mind. All the bullshit about earning your name was so that they could use us to earn money.

"The fight begins when I say fight. 3.....2......1......gooooooo." The announcer announced. As soon as I heard that I burst through the air as I went like a bullet towards the red-haired guy.

But to my surprise, it was not just me who had the idea to attack. He also came like a bullet towards me and much faster than me. He attacked with his claw. The attack was so fast that I wasn't able to dodge. I pressed the button on the baton as it opened up into a staff. I used this opening movement to attack his neck. But he sensed my attack and stopped it with his other hand. I used this as a propelling force and got out of his attack.