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(Point of view – Son Ethan)
The sun was scorching the stadium as if it wanted to fry anyone stepping into that ring. It was hard to even breathe, with the heat rising from the concrete, distorting everything as though we were stuck in a bad dream. On the other side, Mai stared at me with a complicated expression mixing pain, anger, and something I preferred not to identify. Is there anything harder than fighting someone we love?
"Ethan…" she began, her voice trembling, gripping her laser pistol firmly. The weapon buzzed softly, menacing like a bee ready to strike. "I didn't want it to be like this."
"Does it really have to be?" I replied, heart tight. "Mai, don't make this harder than it has to be."
"It's already hard!" She fired—literally and figuratively. ZIIM! A red laser sliced through the air, whizzing past my cheek so close I felt the heat on my skin. On pure reflex, I jumped aside.
"Hey, take it easy!" I said, raising my hands defensively. "I'm not here to hurt you."
"You've already hurt me!" she shouted, her voice laden with deep hurt, eyes shining like wet glass. It was sad, not in a way that makes you laugh, but in a way that makes you ache, realizing that the person I'd taken in was now standing there, wanting me down. The irony of loving too much is that you suffer more.
She lunged with an agility I didn't expect, firing more shots. ZAP! ZAP! Laser beams tore through the air, whizzing like luminous arrows. I rolled on the ground, barely dodging. My skin burned with the heat of the explosions around me.
"Damn it, Mai, don't force me to fight back!" I warned, jumping up quickly and feeling my ki rise, hot like boiling water in my veins.
"And you think it's not too late for that?" she spat bitterly. "Ever since Pilaf left me behind, you took me in, made me feel alive again. And now, look where that's gotten us!"
I sighed, weighing my words. This wasn't just any fight. There were feelings involved—more dangerous than any weapon or technique I'd ever faced.
"Mai, I can't control what you feel. I only know I don't want to hurt you."
She gave a sad, bitter smile, like fruit that ripened too soon.
"Then let the best one win!"
Without another word, she lunged, pulling a smoke grenade and tossing it to the ground. PUFF! A black cloud spread across the ring, blinding me as if it were a moonless night. Coughing, I tried to see something through the darkness.
Suddenly, I heard the clear sound of metal sliding. SHIIIING! An electric sword cut through the smoke, appearing like lightning in a storm. I dodged quickly, but not completely—a searing pain lanced through my arm where the blade grazed me. ARGH!
The smoke cleared, revealing Mai with that glowing sword in her hand. Her face was pure sadness and hurt, like a broken doll trying to put itself back together.
"Why did you do this to me, Ethan? Why did you take me in? Why did you care for me?" she asked in almost a whisper, tears running down her cheeks like thin rivers.
"Because I saw more in you than just a rival, Mai," I replied honestly. "Because you deserved something better than Pilaf abandoning you."
She bit her lower lip, shaking her head, upset.
"You made me believe in something that never existed!"
Mai charged again, the electric blade buzzing loudly, aiming to cut more than just my flesh—it seemed to be trying to wound my soul. At the last instant, I grabbed her wrists firmly, keeping the sword away from my face.
"Stop it, Mai! We don't have to hurt each other any more!"
She struggled to break free, but I realized her strength was fading. The weight of her pain was far greater than her will to fight. Her eyes locked on mine, filled with despair.
"I just wanted to be loved, Ethan. That's all…"
"And you are!" I shouted back, as frustrated as she was. "Just end this madness!"
She wavered, letting the sword fall to the ground with a metallic clang. The silence that followed was heavier than any blow could be.
We stood there, breathing heavily, while the crowd tried to figure out what the hell had just happened. Slowly, she backed away, defeated not by me, but by the hurt she carried.
I reached out my hand, hesitant. Mai looked at me for a long moment before taking it in a light, fragile touch filled with silent meaning.
"Let's go, Ethan," she said softly, overcome by her own inner struggle.
We left the ring in absolute silence. No applause, no whistles, just the perplexed murmuring of people who had witnessed something they never expected. The sun, which had seemed so fierce before, now seemed almost sad, slowly slipping behind the clouds like someone who bows out after a show that's gone wrong.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the sinister presence of Piccolo Jr. watching everything from the sidelines, wearing a dark grin like someone who knew the tournament still hid something far worse than a broken heart.
Because, in the end, who would've guessed that in a fight like this, the real winner would be the first to surrender to the heart? And if this battle was already like that, what awaits me when the enemy is truly someone willing to kill without a second thought?
But that, for now, is a story for another day.
As we slowly made our way down the corridor toward the exit, I felt the weight of everyone's eyes on us, but none of it mattered at that moment. All I could sense was Mai's cold, trembling hand in mine, a constant reminder of the emotional fight we had just gone through. The silence between us was as eloquent as a whole conversation.
"Ethan…" Mai whispered, breaking the silence. "Do you really think you can forgive me after all this?"
I smiled softly, looking at her with all the sincerity I could muster.
"I forgave you a long time ago, Mai. Now you just have to forgive yourself."
And, for the first time, her smile was genuine. Small, shy, yet genuine, like the first ray of sun breaking through a storm.