The floating arena stood still in the morning sun, the sky clear yet charged with tension.
The holographic screen lit up above the stadium, casting an ominous glow over the field.
> [MATCH 3]
Sohan ⚔️ vs. Hridoy
Sohan slowly tightened the grip on his katana. He could feel it—this one would be different.
No illusions, no simulations. This was real.
Across from him stood Hridoy, calm and composed, his breath creating slight waves of heat in the air. Fire flickered gently across his shoulders, like a cloak made of embers.
Sohan narrowed his eyes.
> "A fire-user, huh?"
Hridoy met his gaze, his voice smooth, emotionless.
> "You're Sohan? I've heard of you."
> "And you play with fire," Sohan replied. "Let's see if you can handle a storm."
---
✦ The First Spark
The moment the bell rang, Hridoy moved first—
A burst of flame shot from his palms like arrows.
Sohan leapt backward, drawing his katana in one swift motion. He channeled the wind, his breathing precise.
> "Breath of Wind – Second Form: Sky Slip."
His body moved like a whisper in the breeze, dodging each fire shot with graceful ease.
But Hridoy didn't relent.
> "Flame Fang!"
He summoned a giant crescent of fire, shaped like a snarling beast, and hurled it across the ring.
Sohan gritted his teeth, slashed forward—
> "Breath of Water – First Form: Wave Slash!"
Water surged from his blade, colliding with the fire.
Ssssshhhhhhhhh!!
The arena filled with steam. The crowd leaned forward, watching two elemental forces cancel each other in a brilliant flash.
---
✦ Questions Beneath the Flame
As the steam cleared, the two stood facing each other—both unharmed, both unreadable.
But something felt… off.
There was familiarity in Hridoy's movements. The way he planted his feet, the way he narrowed his eyes. It was too practiced, too perfect.
> "You've trained for years with fire, haven't you?" Sohan asked.
Hridoy didn't answer at first. Then, his voice dropped into a quiet tone.
> "Because fire raised me.
Fire forged every part of who I am."
A flash of memory rushed through Sohan's mind.
A burnt-down building. A young boy watching silently from behind a smoke-filled alley. Familiar eyes… but older now.
Sohan's heart skipped a beat.
> "Wait… have we met before?"
Hridoy tilted his head.
> "You forgot me. But I didn't forget you."
---
✦ When Nature Awakens
Sohan stepped forward. His katana began to glow—faint flickers of fire, wind, electricity, and water swirling along the blade.
> "Nature Blade Technique – Elemental Storm Slash!"
His breathing deepened, channeling all four elements through his muscles, through his will.
Hridoy's flames intensified.
> "Flare Burst – Inferno Mode!"
His entire body ignited. The fire didn't consume him—it obeyed him.
He darted forward.
Sohan moved too.
Their blades and fists met at the center of the ring in an explosion of force.
BOOOOM!!!
A shockwave erupted, nearly knocking the other examinees off their feet.
Steam, fire, and wind danced violently in the aftermath.
---
✦ Burned Memories
They landed on opposite ends of the ring, both panting.
Sohan had a burn across his left arm. Hridoy's shirt was torn, a gash across his side. Blood steamed against his skin.
> "You're strong," Hridoy admitted.
> "So are you," Sohan replied. "Stronger than most I've fought."
Silence lingered between them—until Hridoy spoke again.
> "You vanished from our town ten years ago.
Left everything… including your past."
Sohan blinked.
> "Our town…?"
> "You were taken away by your aunt. But before that, we were neighbors.
Your dad… he trained my father."
Sohan's hands trembled slightly.
> "Why didn't I remember you…?"
> "Because people forget the weak," Hridoy said with a cold smile.
"But weak people don't forget the strong."
---
✦ One Last Clash
Sohan's chest burned—not from fire, but something deeper. Regret? Shame? Confusion?
He stepped forward again.
> "I won't forget this fight."
> "You won't be able to," Hridoy said.
He raised his arm. Fire swirled around him, forming wings of flame.
Sohan breathed in. Deep. Calm. He focused. Nature answered.
Four elements surged at once.
His katana sparked, shivered, then roared with power.
> "Elemental Harmony – Final Form: Nature's Judgement!"
> "Infernal Collapse!"
They charged.
The sky cracked open.
The fire and storm met at the center of the ring once more.
And this time… they both fell.
---
✦ The Verdict
Silence.
Smoke curled upward from their bodies. Both fighters lay on the ground, chests rising and falling.
No one stood victorious.
> "Result: DRAW."
The crowd murmured in astonishment. A rare outcome—but a fair one.
---
✦ Bonds Beneath Fire and Storm
Medics rushed in, treating both fighters. Neither could move. Yet their eyes met across the arena.
> "You're not the same kid," Hridoy whispered.
> "Neither are you," Sohan replied.
A pause.
> "We were never enemies," Hridoy said.
Sohan looked at the sky.
> "But we had to fight. To remember."
---
✦ Aftermath
Back in the waiting zone, Lamia watched silently.
> "That Hridoy guy… he's no ordinary student."
Tisha nodded.
> "His control is on another level. Like he's fought real battles."
Nose folded his arms.
> "This exam's revealing more than just power. It's pulling out buried history."
Sohan sat with a cold compress on his shoulder. His mind raced.
> Who else have I forgotten…?
How much of my past is missing?
---
The screen above shifted again.
> [MATCH 4]
Rajib vs. Snake]
---
[End of Chapter 9]