Episode 12 — The Dragon and the Fang
The arena of Hoshinawa was silent for a heartbeat.
Then the roar came.
"Shin! Shin! Shin!"
"Raizen! Raizen! Raizen!"
The people were on their feet, their chants splitting the heavens. The ground itself trembled beneath the cries of thousands, their voices like waves colliding in a storm.
At the center of it all, two warriors stood locked in defiance.
Shin's white eyes glowed fiercely, his golden aura flaring brighter with every breath. Across from him, Raizen's crimson aura blazed hotter, coils of scarlet ki swirling like fire made flesh.
"You're still standing," Raizen muttered, his voice low, dangerous. "Then I'll crush you where you stand."
The Opening Exchanges
The gong rang.
Raizen lunged first, a crimson blur cutting across the battlefield. His fists snapped forward, heavy with killing intent.
Shin bent aside, his movements sharper than before. A flash of golden light burst from his fist, his Dragon Fist catching Raizen square on the jaw.
The Iron Fang prodigy staggered back. Crimson sparks flickered as blood trickled at the corner of his lips.
The crowd gasped as one.
"He hit him!"
"Shin pushed Raizen back!"
Raizen's head lowered, his eyes narrowing with fury. He charged again, fists hammering in a relentless storm.
But Shin was no longer the boy who stumbled beneath his blows. He deflected, parried, and answered with precise counters. Golden sparks erupted each time their fists collided, scattering across the shattered stone like fireflies.
Strike. Block. Counter. Kick. Parry. Counter.
Their movements blurred, faster than the eye could follow. Each collision split the air, shockwaves rumbling like thunder.
Shin Ascends
As the battle raged, something impossible began to happen.
Shin's aura grew brighter. His golden flames climbed higher, wrapping his body like armor. His white eyes blazed like twin suns, cold yet radiant. His every step grew steadier, his every strike heavier.
With every breath, he became stronger. With every clash, his movements grew sharper.
From the stands, someone gasped. "He's… he's growing stronger during the fight!"
Murmurs rippled through the crowd, awe mixing with fear.
Raizen gritted his teeth, his crimson aura flaring hotter. But Shin pressed forward, his fists blazing like a dragon unchained. One strike hammered into Raizen's ribs. Another cracked against his cheek. A third forced his guard wide.
Blood sprayed. Raizen staggered.
For the first time, the crimson prodigy looked shaken.
Raizen's Fury
"Enough!"
Raizen roared, his aura erupting violently. Crimson flames lashed outward, the tiles beneath his feet cracking, glowing red-hot.
From the master's seats, Gendo rose. His voice was thunder.
"End this, Raizen! Show him the true fangs of Iron Fang Dojo!"
Raizen's ki surged, condensing into a monstrous form. Crimson light coiled into the shape of a giant beast, fangs bared, its maw snapping around his arm. The air rippled with heat, distorting the very space.
"Crimson Fang Strike!" he bellowed.
His body blurred forward, a predator closing in for the kill.
Shin's Answer
Shin's chest rose and fell. His body ached, but his spirit did not falter.
His golden aura roared higher, brighter, as if answering the challenge. Light flared around his arm, shaping into a dragon larger and more radiant than before. Its roar echoed across the battlefield.
"Dragon Fist!"
He charged.
The crimson fang snapped.
The golden dragon roared.
The Final Collision
The world exploded.
Light devoured the arena. A shockwave split the sky. Stone tiles shattered and launched into the air, dust and debris spiraling like a storm.
Spectators shielded their faces as the blast rattled the walls of the city. Masters raised their arms to protect their disciples from the rolling force.
For a heartbeat, all sound vanished. The world was nothing but blinding light.
Then the dust began to fall.
Standing… and Collapse
At the center of the devastation, Shin still stood. His chest rose and fell, heavy but steady. His golden aura flickered faint, yet alive. His white eyes glowed dimly, but his body refused to bow.
Across from him, Raizen lay in the rubble, his crimson aura extinguished. His arms trembled as he tried to rise, but his strength was gone.
Elder Kuroda's voice rang clear, beginning the count.
"One! Two! Three!"
The Silver Dragon side of the stands erupted. "Shin! Shin! Shin!"
Raizen's disciples screamed his name desperately.
"Seven!"
Shin swayed, his body giving way. His knees buckled.
With a heavy thud, he collapsed beside Raizen.
The crowd gasped.
Elder Kuroda paused, then slammed his staff against the stone. "Reset the count! Begin again!"
"One! Two! Three!"
Both warriors stirred, groaning. Both clawed at the ground, dragging their battered bodies upward.
But when the count reached ten, neither could stand.
The Draw
"Ten! Out!" Elder Kuroda declared, his voice echoing like judgment. "The final match… ends in a draw!"
The arena erupted into chaos. Half roared Shin's name, half screamed for Raizen, all united in awe.
Neither had lost. Neither had won. They had broken each other on the anvil of destiny.
At the master's seats, Ryuzen closed his eyes, pride glimmering faintly. You've done enough, Shin. Far more than enough.
Across from him, Gendo's face twisted with fury. But behind his clenched jaw flickered something more dangerous—a gleam of hunger. This power… it's not normal. Raizen will need more.
Aftermath
Healers rushed forward, lifting both boys onto stretchers. The arena quieted, voices dropping to whispers as the two champions were carried away. Ten long minutes passed before they stirred, groaning back into consciousness.
When Shin's eyes opened, his aura was gone, but his spirit still burned. When Raizen's gaze lifted, it was not defeat that filled his crimson eyes, but challenge.
Finally, Elder Kuroda raised his staff once more. The crowd hushed instantly.
"This tournament was not only for glory," he declared. "Its true purpose was to seek out those strong enough to walk beyond Hoshinawa—to carry our banner into the greater martial world."
Gasps spread like fire through the stands.
"In four years' time, the Pre-Qualification Tournament shall be held. Fighters from every province will gather. Those who endure shall step into the Grand City Tournament one year after that. Beyond it waits the path to immortality."
His voice rang like a bell across the broken arena.
"And so, the chosen four of Hoshinawa are these: Shin of Silver Dragon. Raizen of Iron Fang. Taro of Silver Dragon. And Kenta of Iron Fang. Train well. For in five years, the true battlefield shall await you."
The arena erupted in thunderous cheers, the voices of thousands echoing into the heavens like destiny itself.