The crowd had barely settled from whatever that last match was when the next names exploded onto the hologram display.
✧ IKAZUCHI KOHAN vs. KANO SHIBUKI ✧
Whispers rippled through the crowd. Ikazuchi—the wildcard, the storm-bringer—was going up against Kano, the very guy who steamrolled Yuna with those brutal shockwaves.
Tension? Thick.
Drama? Guaranteed.
Up in the stands…
Yuna leaned forward, resting her arms on the railing. She was calm—but her eyes tracked every movement.
"He better not get too cocky," she muttered.
"Sounds like you're worried," Jin said behind her.
"I'm not worried," she replied, though her nails dug into the metal rail. "I just… don't want to see him get flattened like I did."
Down below…
Kano cracked his neck as he stepped into the arena. Stocky build, jet-black eyes—he looked like a living fault line. His Spark wasn't flashy, but it was dangerous.
"I was hoping for a real fight this time," Kano muttered, stretching his fingers. "You got more bark than that girl. Let's see the bite."
Ikazuchi rolled his neck, sparks dancing along his arms. "You'll see."
But truth was? He was nervous.
Lightning buzzed beneath his skin. Still new. Still wild. Ever since his awakening, it felt like the power wanted to run ahead of him—and sometimes, it did.
The announcer raised the mic.
"Quarterfinal Match Three… BEGIN!!"
BOOM—
Kano slammed the ground with his foot, sending a pulse through the platform that detonated upward in a violent burst. Ikazuchi dodged left, lightning sparking from his soles as he zipped across the arena in a blur.
"Whoa—!"
Another pulse cracked under him. Ikazuchi dove forward, rolled, then fired a bolt behind him. It struck the ground near Kano—just a warning shot, but enough to get spacing.
"Don't try to outrun me," Kano shouted. "I'm not aiming where you are. I'm aiming where you're going."
He slammed again.
Ikazuchi flipped mid-air—but this time, the ground chased him. A series of delayed shockwaves popped in sequence, like invisible mines detonating right behind his heels.
"Damn—this guy's reading me."
Up in the stands, Yuna cupped her hands around her mouth.
"Stop dashing in a straight line, idiot! He's predicting your momentum!"
Ikazuchi stumbled mid-run, eyes flicking toward her voice—just in time for a shockwave to clip his ankle and launch him into the air.
He twisted mid-flight, barely catching himself with a spark-powered flip, and landed hard.
Kano was already closing in.
"I got your rhythm now, Spark Boy."
Another slam. A big one.
This one hit like a cannon—the floor beneath Ikazuchi shattered upward in a geyser of stone and concussive force.
Ikazuchi grunted, backflipped—then vanished in a blink with a crack of lightning. He reappeared midair behind Kano, eyes glowing.
"Alright… Enough running."
He raised both hands, gathering voltage in a twisting, gold-yellow orb.
Kano turned—smirked—and fired a burst of vibration upward. Ikazuchi's bolt shot through it—but the vibrations scrambled its trajectory, deflecting it harmlessly to the side.
"That's your lightning?" Kano taunted. "It's cute. I don't need to block it—I can shake it apart."
Ikazuchi gritted his teeth. He was fast, he was charged—but none of it mattered if he couldn't land a solid hit.
Yuna's voice again, sharp and clear:
"Your lightning's not just for offense! Use it smarter, not harder!"
That clicked.
He sparked downward, slamming into the ground with a discharge that sent electric tendrils across the arena floor. Not just a single blast—a trap.
Kano raised a foot to stomp—but paused.
"...Clever."
He hesitated—and that was all Ikazuchi needed.
He slid forward on a rail of his own lightning, bypassing the trap he'd laid. The fake-out. And just as Kano shifted his stance—BOOM.
A punch. Supercharged.
Not a lightning bolt—but a fist wrapped in compressed electricity.
It hit like thunder.
Kano skidded back, coughing. His chest armor was cracked, smoking.
The crowd erupted.
Ikazuchi stood panting, sparks crackling from his hair to his boots. His breathing was ragged. The power was still unstable—but for a moment, it listened.
"Better," Yuna said from above, a small smile tugging at her lips.
But Kano wasn't down yet.
"You're not bad," Kano growled, voice lower now. "But you don't have enough power to finish me."
He stomped—and a massive ring of vibrations rippled outward. Wide-area attack. Ikazuchi had no time to dodge—
Until lightning burst beneath him and he launched upward like a bolt from the gods.
He flipped midair. Electricity surged into his hands again—brighter this time.
He raised both arms and formed a jagged, sparking javelin of gold.
"Let's try this—!"
He hurled it down—
But Kano anticipated.
He punched the ground just as it landed—
The shockwave met the lightning head-on.
KA-THOOM—
The arena exploded with white light.
Dust. Cracks. Static hanging in the air.
When it cleared—
Ikazuchi was on one knee.
And Kano… was still standing.
Barely.
The announcer checked the monitor, glanced at the field, and hesitated—
Then the results flashed across the sky:
Winner: Ikazuchi Kohan.
By damage margin.
The crowd ROARED.
Ikazuchi stood slowly, panting. Sweat and sparks ran down his face.
From the stands, Yuna hollered, "You absolute idiot! That was reckless and messy and stupid—"
She paused.
Then added, quieter,
"...but good job."
Ikazuchi blinked up at her, then smiled. Just a little.
Backstage…
Hinote—watched the screen flicker.
He wasn't smiling.
"Damn..." he muttered, fire dancing behind his eyes.
"Ikazuchi Kohan."
He stood, ready.
Only one quarterfinal left.
Hinote vs. Ryushi.
And nothing would stop him from reaching the boy with lightning in his blood.
Not anymore.