Chapter 46: Kai vs. Nali – Clash of Forms
The arena pulsed with tension.
Spectators leaned forward. Some whispered, others held their breath. The coliseum — a basin of stone forged by forgotten wars — had seen countless duels. But this match had a different air.
On one side stood Nali of Bonewheel Monastery, draped in dual-toned silks of white and rust-red. Her twin stances — Fluid and Fang — were legendary among rogue disciplines. Her body flowed like water one moment, snapped like a whip the next.
On the other stood Kai of Emberlight, no title, no sect insignia — just a calm stillness that made the arena feel colder.
His hands were at his sides. His stance unremarkable.
Too relaxed.
It irritated Nali.
She bowed politely.
Kai returned the gesture — barely.
The bell sounded.
⸻
Round One: Feel the Edges
Nali struck first.
Her Fluid Form moved like smoke. A sweeping low kick, followed by a spiraling elbow aimed at Kai's neck. Her Ki rippled — sharp and clean. The blows could snap ribs or shatter a collarbone.
Kai moved defensively, weaving between strikes like a reed in the wind.
No retaliation.
He blocked a three-strike combo with one hand, foot skimming back over the sand.
Nali narrowed her eyes.
She flipped back, changed stance — into Fang Form — and came in hard. Her hands became spears. Her feet hammered the ground.
Kai bent at the waist, tilted sideways, dodged a high knee by a hair's breadth.
He still hadn't thrown a single offensive technique.
From the stands, Veiga growled. "He's playing with her."
Jura Veyl, arms folded, said nothing — only watching intently.
Down in the pit, Nali felt it too.
He was measuring her. Gauging her movements. Like she was a stepping stone.
Her pride flared.
She twisted mid-air, releasing a technique — "Bonewheel Flare: Second Spin!"
Her entire body rotated, limbs lashing outward like serrated fans. The air screamed.
Kai stepped once to the left.
And vanished.
⸻
Veilstep – Third Layer: Fracture Step
A crack echoed through the air — not from impact, but space.
Kai reappeared behind Nali, one hand resting lightly on her shoulder.
Her body locked. She hadn't even felt him cross the distance.
"Fracture Step," Kai murmured.
His foot twisted.
Nali was launched into the arena wall by a rupturing shockwave, debris raining around her as the audience erupted in stunned gasps.
Kai didn't follow up.
He just stood there, posture calm, breathing steady.
Nali pulled herself from the rubble, blood at the corner of her lip. She staggered forward, arms raised.
But her stance was shaky now.
"Yield," Kai said quietly.
"I don't yield," she spat.
Kai sighed once, like it disappointed him.
His form blurred again — Veilstep still active — and before Nali could blink, her stance was dismantled. A shoulder check, a sweeping kick, a palm strike that inverted her balance.
She hit the ground, this time unable to rise.
⸻
Match Over.
The bell rang.
Silence.
Then — an explosion of cheers, disbelief, and awe.
Veiga folded her arms, scowling. "He didn't even use Ki offensively."
Jura finally spoke. "No… but he bent reality around it."
Instructor Vale exhaled through her nose. "That was restraint."
⸻
Kai walked back toward the tunnel.
In his mind, the battle hadn't even scratched the surface.
"Veilstep's Third Layer… too stable. I need to push it further."
He disappeared into the shadows as the next match was called.
Up next: Jura Veyl vs. Veiga the Scorchhand.
And Kai would be watching closely.