The air was still.
After Rajib's cold and calculated match, the audience needed something more explosive—something unpredictable.
And they were about to get it.
> "Next match: Candidate Rakib vs. Candidate Mihir!"
---
Rakib: A Beam of Burden
Rakib stood up, hands wrapped in insulating gloves, sleeves rolled up.
His heart was pounding faster than usual.
Because this wasn't just a battle.
> It was the moment he would face the voices that said— "You can't control it." "You're dangerous." "You'll never become a hero."
He looked at his hands—the same hands that could shoot lasers hot enough to pierce steel.
Hands that once accidentally burned a tree during childhood.
Now, they trembled.
But not from fear.
From hope.
---
The Opponent: Mihir the Magnetist
Mihir stepped onto the field, his black coat lined with silver thread. He had a calm smile and sharp eyes.
His power? Magnetic field manipulation.
He could attract or repel metal within a ten-meter range, shaping it into barriers, weapons, or projectiles.
He had already taken down one heavy striker in the prelims.
"Ready to fry?" Mihir taunted, brushing his silver streaked hair back.
Rakib didn't respond.
He took a deep breath and walked forward.
---
The Match Begins
> DING!
Mihir instantly summoned two steel rods from behind the stage.
He floated them midair, circling them like twin blades.
"Come on, Laser Boy. Light me up."
Rakib didn't move.
Instead, he raised his right palm slowly.
A blue-white spark crackled on his fingertips.
Mihir narrowed his eyes.
Then the rod lashed out like a whip.
Rakib dodged sideways, his hair nearly sliced.
Another rod spun toward his back.
Rakib twisted midair and—
> PEW!!
A thin beam of light erupted from his palm, slicing the rod cleanly in two.
---
The Danger of Power
But something was wrong.
> "Tch... too strong again."
Rakib grabbed his wrist. Smoke curled up from his glove.
The laser had pierced through more than it should have.
Mihir laughed. "What's wrong? Can't keep the heat down?"
Rakib gritted his teeth.
> "If I use it too much, I could hurt someone."
Suddenly, Mihir pulled every metal fragment nearby and sent them flying like shrapnel.
Rakib spun and shot two beams, melting the debris mid-air.
But the shots kept growing stronger.
> His energy was going out of control again.
---
Flashback: A Childhood Promise
He remembered the first time he met Snipy, Hero Rank #2.
Snipy had the same laser ability.
Rakib had cried in front of him once, saying:
> "I want to help people… but I keep hurting them."
Snipy had smiled.
> "Then train until your light shines only where you aim it."
---
Back to the Fight
Rakib blinked. His eyes now glowed faintly.
Mihir noticed.
> "What's this—your awakening?"
Rakib didn't answer.
He raised both hands.
Two laser rings hovered near his fists like halos.
> "Limiter mode... disengaged."
With extreme focus, he aimed one beam at the ground near Mihir—not to hit, but to launch himself.
He blasted off like a bullet, circling Mihir at high speed.
Laser shots lit up the stadium like a fireworks show.
Mihir tried to catch him with his magnetism, but Rakib's movement was erratic.
Then—
> BOOM!
A powerful shot cut through Mihir's defense ring, grazing his shoulder.
He dropped to one knee.
Before he could recover—
> ZAP!!
Rakib landed behind him and pressed a glowing hand to his back.
"I could've burned your spine," Rakib whispered.
"But I didn't. I won't."
---
Victory
> "Winner: Rakib!"
The crowd erupted.
Some stood in disbelief.
Not just at Rakib's power.
But at his control.
---
Aftermath
As Rakib walked backstage, Sohan gave him a high-five.
"You did it! You're getting more focused."
Rakib smiled for the first time in a while.
"I finally feel like… I deserve to call myself a hero."
Tisha added, "You've always deserved it. You just had to believe it too."
---
The Burden Lifted
Later, Rakib sat alone under a dim light.
He opened a small notebook—full of sketches of tech gloves and cooling systems.
"Next time," he whispered, "my power won't burn at all."
He looked up at the night sky, where stars blinked faintly.
And for the first time, they didn't seem so far away.
---
[End of Chapter 17]