The Crystals

Girijima paused his hazardous dash to check the anxiety on Zohaifa's face. But he only detected excitement. In a blink, Zohaifa changed his location via 'Lightning velocity' and stood in front of Girijima, facing him directly in the eyes.

Girijima, flustered, started to move around the platform but only to be followed by Zohaifa all around.

"I can't just be moving around. It's time to throw in some punches," Girijima thought to himself.

He, while moving, threw a barrage of punches, knocking Zohaifa off, letting him roll around the ground. Due to the fast movement they were in, it became hard for Zohaifa to stop the violent rolling.

"Zohaifa! If you fall out of the platform, you lose!" Marium shouted from the audience seat.

As Marium's words entered Zohaifa's ears, he buried his fingers on to the platform and somehow stopped the rolling.

"I got it. You are not physically as fast as I am, are you? You just used lightning to make yourself faster," Girijima remarked, "So, you cannot punch or kick while running with that move. I have the upper hand."

He started to circle Zohaifa again and threw punches from random directions. Zohaifa tried his best to block and dodge but none of his attempts were successful.

He thought to himself, "Its time. I was thinking the golden punch was too slow, seems my new move will turn out to be useful."

'Lightning Punch!'

In a blink, Zohaifa, with the speed of his 'Lightning velocity' threw himself along with his punch and landed at Girijima's gut. Girijima's eyes swole up in surprise and his lungs were unable to breathe. He slowly fell holding his gut.

"The match is over!" the referee declared.

The audience applauded at the brilliant performance of the two while Hagan just smiled. Could be of confidence arising from the fact that those two were weaker than him or could be of appreciation arising from the sight of their courage.

The workers, who led Zohaifa and Girijima to the arena, brought a stretcher to pick Girijima and took Zohiafa back to the building.

"Nice, a healing crystal!" Zohaifa exclaimed.

"Yes, if we don't give this facility how will the participants fight in the next round," one of the attendants spoke.

"Great!" said Zohaifa. He absorbed the aura, healed himself, and quickly rushed to the audience seats. Its Marium's fight after all.

"I heard it is Lazuli's daughter!" some of the audience we're speaking.

"Yes, we can expect a good show."

"I bet she is going to win this. The other one's name is unheard of."

"The winner of the previous match was Lazuli's student as well."

"That must be why he won."

The audience kept chattering.

Marium and Khadija stood on two sides of the platform, ready to give it their all.

The bell rang!

Khadija jumped at Marium the same way and attempted another punch. Marium repeated the same way also. Another jump. Another jab. Another jump. Thus, the fight continued with the same pattern.

"What are they doing? It is getting boring." an audience complained.

"Keep in mind that they are children. The fact they participated in this tournament is praiseworthy enough. They have trained their body to the level of warriors. But their mind is the same as that of children," Red-1 remarked.

"Don't they realize that it's the same thing repeating?"

"I am quite certain they do. But every punch of Khadija radiates her hope that this time must be different while every repetition of Marium covers her fear that if she chooses a different move, the outcome might be different. Dichotomous fighters with dichotomous minds and dichotomous styles."

"Are you a fighter or a poet?"

"I am just a gag character."

Marium and Khadija glared face to face at the center. Khadija shouted, "This is enough! 'Earth Crusher.'"

She punched at the center of the platform causing the center to sink down and the corners to go up.

"You can't move smoothly with this terrain. Can you?" taunted Khadija.