Rising Against Fate

Amaya had nowhere to run; neither did she have anywhere to hide. Her defenses were useless, and Daichi was attacking at her continuously like a wild beast.

She had already tried several things, but he didn't slow down no matter how hard he was hit. It was as if he could no longer feel pain from her attacks.

"Damn you!"

She used what little mana left in her after the consecutive advanced class spells to create a wall in front of her. She was planning to use it as a screen to find an opening and escape behind Daichi.

However, even before she could activate the spell, Daichi reached in front of her.

"I am loving this! HAA-HA-HA-HA! Is that all you have got? Give me more! Show me that you can do better than that! Show me that you are strong!"

For the first time in all her battle, Amaya felt a chill running down her spine. Her eyes that looked fierce a while ago now had fear in them.

"It appears you are not the one I am looking for. You look like all those who have lost to me — weak and pathetic."

That came out as rude and offensive, but Amaya had no means to deny what he said. She had already lost as she had no courage to continue.

For the first time, she realized that she was weak. The brute force that she was proud of, the unorthodox technique that had helped her in countless battles, was no longer working.

However, what little pride she had left in her didn't allow her to withdraw. She realized if she were going to fall anyway, she would do it the hard way.

Amaya pushed back using all the force she could muster by creating a concrete shield using magic.

Since the shield was too close to Daichi's body, he couldn't break it with a punch. Instead, he took a step back and punched it from above with all the strength he could muster.

The shield broke, and the impact pushed Amaya out of the stadium.

With that decisive blow, Daichi won the match.

----

17th February 3068

It was a fine morning, and the old man was sipping his tea alone in his cabin. The room's atmosphere was calm with the gentle touch of classical music that was being played through speakers.

His cabin was specifically designed, keeping his preference in mind. There were several things that could be eye-catching to others, but to him, they were perfectly normal.

For example, there was a chessboard on the small table in front of his desk. Also, there were three bookshelves on the wall with paper books. These were the things that had gone out of practice centuries ago and were barely seen in modern times.

The peace of the room was disturbed when his assistant, Juro, hastily rushed inside to show him the transpad that he was holding.

"So, the boy withdrew, huh?"

Old man Kin looked a bit disappointed, but this wasn't something he didn't expect. He was already aware that Kat would withdraw at this stage of the tournament. He was just amazed by how right his prediction turned out to be.

Usually, one would expect courage from the younger generation, not wisdom. However, it was no surprise that the son of esteemed Markus Nerdy possessed both.

The old man was lost in deep thought as he started thinking about how different knowledge and wisdom were.

People with knowledge often had the habit of overthinking, while people with wisdom used whatever knowledge they possessed for the best possible outcome.

"Sir, what should we do about the match? Should we seek a replacement, or should we add another demonstration match?"

Kin didn't like being distracted while thinking, but he knew that they were running out of time. There were only two hours left before the start of the semi-finals.

"Bring the second match forward. We will need to find the participants for the demonstration match. Contact Kenji for that. I am sure he can arrange them."

Juro notified the management committee using his tanspad. He then texted Kenji about the situation.

Right when he was about to leave the pad on the table, he received Kenji's response.

The text was: "I have already arranged the participants. I will be sending the details soon."

"Ha-ha! So, the lad knew this would happen as well."

"You don't seem surprised, sir. Was it that natural to see him withdraw due to the fear of loss."

The old man looked at Juro and smiled. "Did you see what he wrote in the email he sent us?"

Juro looked at the email they received from Kat again. There, the only content in the email was 'I withdraw.'

"Now, do you think you will write something like that when you withdraw due to the fear of loss? I am sure not. One would come up with an excuse like they are not feeling well, or some family problem, and so on. But no. He said nothing like that, which means he isn't doing this because of the fear of losing."

"I understand the logic, but why would he withdraw otherwise?"

The old man smiled again. This time the smile was because he realized how predictable Juro's way of thinking was.

"Do you know what happens if he wins?"

"He would get to compete in the national under-20 ranking. That is if he were to win against Daichi. Withdrawal means based on participation; the judges will declare Daichi's rank as 3rd."

The old man looked at the small table in front of him. He seemed somewhat disappointed by the comment.

"Let's not go that far and predict what the judges will decide. They are democratic, but that doesn't mean they will just decide based on what the audience sees."

Juro realized what he said ended up offending the old man. "I am sorry, sir, but what else could possibly happen if he wins the match?"

"It's about pride, Juro. If you go to some other province and end up fighting against your own in a nation-wide competition, the media will make you the center of attention. In his clan's current position, it might not end up well for them."

Juro lowered his head as he realized he failed to understand the gravity of this situation.

"I understand now, sir. I will go and prepare for your departure to the arena. If you will excuse me."

Juro bowed profoundly and walked out of the room.