The Broken Halo

"You lost."

Akaza remained on the ground for a few seconds.

His throat hurt, his vision was still slightly blurred, and every breath reminded him of the arm that had been wrapped around his neck. Blood from the reopened wounds on his calf and forearm had already stained his clothes.

Sonya stared down at him with a dark expression.

Akaza slowly sat up, but he did not look away from her.

"I’m not disappointed because you lost," Sonya said. "Rovan was strong. Stronger than what he showed, and skilled enough to deserve the win."

Her voice became colder.

"I’m disappointed because you chose to lose."

Akaza remained silent.

"You knew you were injured. You knew those injuries were getting worse. You also knew that one more victory was enough for you to pass, but the moment you found a fight you enjoyed, you forgot everything."

Sonya unfolded her arms and pointed toward Stage Five.

"You fought as if this was training. As if somebody would stop the battle before something truly bad happened. You kept your gravity hidden, allowed your wounds to slow you down, and only used your ability after he had already trapped you."

Her lips curled, but there was no amusement in the expression.

"That was not confidence. That was stupidity."

Akaza said nothing in his defence.

He did not tell her that he wanted to test himself. He did not say that the battle had been enjoyable or that Rovan was stronger than expected.

Every word Sonya said was true.

Still, the loss itself was not what disappointed him most.

What bothered him was that he had eventually used gravity manipulation.

He had entered the battle wanting to see how far his fists, body, demonic energy, and techniques could take him without his ability. If he had lost without using gravity, then at least he would have remained true to that decision.

Instead, he used it at the worst possible moment.

He exposed his unique ability, failed to escape, and still lost.

He had gained nothing from hiding it.

Simon watched Akaza for a few seconds before speaking.

"Everything you did was foolish."

His tone was calm. There was no anger in it, and that made the words feel harsher.

"You had a clear objective. Win one more battle and pass the test. Instead of acting according to that objective, you acted according to your feelings."

Akaza shifted his gaze toward Simon.

Simon continued.

"You wanted an enjoyable battle, so you refused to use your gravity manipulation abilities.You wanted to test yourself, so you ignored your injuries. When you started losing, you abandoned that decision and used gravity out of desperation."

Simon’s sky-blue eyes were utterly indifferent.

"You chose the worst parts of both decisions."

Akaza’s fingers tightened slightly.

"If you wanted to hide your ability, then you should have accepted the loss without revealing it. If you wanted to win, then you should have used it before Rovan controlled the battle. You did neither."

Simon glanced toward Stage Five, where the dark red runes were still removing the last traces of blood.

"Rovan could have killed you."

Akaza’s expression changed slightly at Simon’s words.

"You never surrendered," Simon said. "You only lost consciousness. According to the rules, he could have tightened his arm until your throat was crushed or twisted your neck after you stopped moving."

Akaza knew that Simon was right, the officials would not have interfered.

They had already allowed unconscious demons to be killed because an unconscious demon had not surrendered. Rovan had shown restraint, but Akaza had no right to assume that his opponent would be merciful.

"If he wanted you dead, the official would have announced his victory over your corpse," Simon continued. "Sonya and I would have been outside the barrier. We could either watch you die or interfere, break Velmora’s rules, and create an annoying problem for us."

Simon paused, allowing the scenario to settle in Akaza’s mind.

"Your life would have ended because you wanted the battle to remain entertaining."

The sounds of combat continued around them, but Akaza barely heard them.

Simon had not exaggerated anything.

Rovan could have killed him.

And if this had happened outside Velmora, there would not have been an official, a barrier, or guards to carry him away afterward. An enemy would have taken his life, his spatial ring, and anything else of value before leaving his corpse behind.

Simon looked at Akaza calmly.

"There is no shame in losing to somebody stronger or more skilled. Rovan earned his victory. But you did not lose only because he was strong. You gave him advantages until he had enough to defeat you."

His voice remained flat.

"A hidden ability that you refuse to use before dying is not a trump card. It is an offering for whoever searches your corpse."

Akaza lowered his gaze.

"Your love for battle can help you improve," Simon said. "But if pleasure becomes more important than the result, then it becomes a weakness. Enemies do not care whether you enjoyed the fight. The dead do not receive rewards for having fun."

Sonya folded her arms again.

For once, she did not interrupt or add another insult.

Akaza thought deeply about their words.

He remembered each opening Rovan had used. His injured calf had delayed him. His wounded forearm had slowed his fist. Even then, gravity could have changed the match before the chokehold.

But he had waited.

Not because he lacked the ability to win, but because he wanted the fight to continue the way he enjoyed it.

Akaza slowly nodded.

He still did not try to explain himself.

There was nothing to explain.

The combat test continued while Akaza sat and controlled his breathing. Simon and Sonya had already secured two victories each, so their places in the campaign were confirmed.

Ammor soon won his second match by forcing a Superior Archfiend to carry slabs of earth and forcing him to surrender. Virella also earned her second victory after filling her stage with roots and trapping a Superior Archfiend before he could reach her.

Both of them passed.

Several more battles ended before Akaza’s token glowed for the third time.

He stood despite the pain in his calf and looked at the number on its surface.

Stage Two.

His opponent was a Supreme Archfiend with flame affinity. The demon looked at Akaza’s injuries and entered the stage with visible confidence.

The moment the barrier closed, Akaza used gravity.

Ohm!

The Supreme Archfiend had barely gathered flames around his arms when an invisible weight slammed him onto one knee. His fire bent toward the ground, and cracks spread beneath his hands.

Akaza crossed the stage before the demon could adjust.

His first punch causes the muscles in the demon’s arms to nearly shatter.

He tried protecting himself but it was to no avail.

The second sent him rolling across the floor.

When Akaza increased the gravity again, the Supreme Archfiend could not rise at all. He struggled for a few seconds, then surrendered before Akaza reached him.

"Stage Two. Winner, Akaza."

The fight had ended almost as soon as it began.

Despite his injuries, Akaza had secured his second victory and passed the combat test.

This time, he listened to Simon.

And he did not make the same mistake.

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