The stadium lights dimmed slightly as the next match was announced.
> "Next match: Candidate Rajib — the Dagger Man — versus Candidate Tanvir!"
A subtle tension crept across the audience.
Rajib wasn't flashy like Sohan or loud like Sharif.
But there was something in his calm steps... a silence that hinted at precision.
He walked toward the arena, his coat fluttering slightly in the wind.
On his belt were four custom daggers, each with a unique glow.
---
Rajib: Born in Shadows
When Rajib was just twelve, he killed a monster with nothing but a kitchen knife.
That moment changed his life.
He trained alone, developing his ability: Dagger Manifestation.
He could summon and manipulate various types of daggers—razor, rust, ice, explosion, shadow...
Each dagger had its own trait. Each one was deadly.
But what made him dangerous wasn't the daggers themselves—
It was the way he used them.
> "One strike. That's all I need," Rajib often said.
---
The Opponent: Tanvir the Shifter
Tanvir's ability was unique.
He could shift the position of any two objects within a 10-meter range—
Even his opponent and a rock. Or a dagger and the air.
It was an unpredictable, mind-bending power.
"Hey dagger boy," Tanvir said as he cracked his neck, "Ready to lose your toys?"
Rajib didn't answer.
He just pulled out a single, pitch-black dagger and spun it slowly in his hand.
---
The Match Begins
> DING!
Tanvir made the first move.
He reached out his hand, activating his shift ability.
> "Swap!"
Rajib's position was instantly switched with a rock from the left corner of the arena.
He landed silently on his feet.
No reaction. No confusion.
He flicked his wrist.
> "Shadow Dagger."
From his sleeve, a black mist flowed, forming a dagger that could phase through solid objects.
He threw it.
Tanvir shifted positions again, barely dodging.
"Got some tricks, huh?"
Rajib didn't answer.
He summoned a second dagger—glowing faint blue.
> "Frost Dagger."
---
Mind vs. Instinct
Tanvir smirked. "You can't win if you don't know where I'll pop up next!"
He kept swapping locations—behind Rajib, beside him, above him.
Rajib never panicked.
He closed his eyes.
> "I don't need to see. I just need to feel."
He dropped all four daggers in a circle.
Each one began glowing.
Tanvir laughed. "What are you doing? Meditating?"
He lunged forward.
Suddenly—
Rajib stepped out of the circle.
The daggers pulsed.
> "Dagger Seal."
Tanvir's movement froze.
"What the—?!"
His body couldn't move. The circle had created a temporary trap zone based on his motion trajectory.
Rajib whispered, "You forgot... I'm not chasing you. I'm making you come to me."
---
Final Strike
As Tanvir struggled, Rajib summoned one final dagger.
It gleamed red—unstable and pulsing.
> "Explosion Dagger."
He threw it straight up.
Then—just before the dagger hit the ground—
> "Shift!"
Tanvir instinctively used his power, swapping the dagger with Rajib's position.
But Rajib smirked.
He had planned that.
> He wanted to be under it.
The dagger exploded—around Rajib's reinforced frost shield.
Tanvir, now directly in the blast zone, was blown backward.
> "W-Wha... you used my own power against me...?"
Rajib walked up calmly.
> "Checkmate."
---
The Bell Rings
> "Winner: Rajib!"
The audience was stunned. There were no massive blasts, no screaming.
Just silence.
Deadly, calculated silence.
---
Aftermath
Backstage, Sohan whistled. "That was scary... but cool."
Rakib added, "Remind me never to fight him in the dark."
Rajib didn't say anything.
He just cleaned his daggers, sheathed them one by one.
Tisha offered him water. "You okay?"
Rajib nodded. "Just... one fight closer."
---
Reflection
Later that night, Rajib stood alone by the training hall's rooftop.
The stars blinked silently.
"I don't fight to prove I'm strong," he thought.
> "I fight because I promised I'd protect those who can't."
He looked at the sky.
And remembered his sister—
The one he couldn't save when the monsters attacked their home five years ago.
"I'll become a hero... even if I have to cut through the darkness myself."
---
[End of Chapter 16]