"Okay, the semifinals will now get underway! Sato and Sakura versus Ren and Arashi. Begin!" Hibiki commanded.


    Sato and Arashi both sprinted for each other, their range rapidly reducing. Arashi landed the first blow with his flaming claw.


    Sakura sighed, "Idiots. This is a team match! So act with your partners, not on your own!"


    Sato and Arashi ignored her. Sato swung his bronze blade at Arashi who caught the weapon in between his hands. The orange-haired Bakemono smirked, "This is too easy human." Arashi brought his leg around tripping Sato and grabbing his sword.


    "Damn it. I''m not gonna lose to you, pyro!"


    "Um, Arashi, right?" Ren asked nervously.


    "Not now!" Arashi snapped at Ren. Sato ran towards Arashi bringing his fist back. He extended his arm. Arashi blocked with the bronze weapon causing Sato''s hand to bleed. Arashi sighed, "And to think, this is the same guy who was talking about using his brain the last round. Pathetic."


    "I''ll show you pathetic!" Sato extended his leg out. Arashi dodged, flying up into the air. Arashi lunged down slashing his blazing claws at Sato, knocking him down again.


    Sato was about to get up when a bell rang. "Time''s up! Arashi and Ren are the winners!" Hibiki declared


    "What?!" Sato shouted as he got back on his feet. "How?"


    "I just told you how. Your time ran out. In a partner match, you only have five minutes so you have to use teamwork to knock your opponents down the most. Sato, you were knocked down twice. No one else was at all. Not that either of you used teamwork though."


    "What kind of rules are these?!" Sato asked furiously.


    Sakura tossed him a huge book. "There''s the rule book. Read it. I didn''t even get to fight cause of you assholes." Sakura turned her head away, crossing her arms.


    "The final round will begin tomorrow morning. Arashi! Ren! Both of you please be prepared to give it your all." Hibiki informed them.


    After everyone finished eating dinner at the castle, Ai walked into Arashi''s room. "What is it?" Arashi rubbed his eyes. "Oh, it''s you. Isn''t it past your bedtime or something?"


    "Arashi?" Ai started awkwardly. "Do you mind if I talk to you for a while?"


    "Yes." Arashi threw the white covers over his face. "Go to bed."


    "Please," Ai begged. "It''ll just be for a little bit."


    "You''re not going away until I say yes, are you?" Ai shook her head and Arashi sighed in response. "Fine. What do you want to talk to me about?"


    "It''s about Ren." The eleven-year-old said softly. "Can you forfeit the tournament for him?"


    "Now why would I do that? If he wants to win, he''s going have to do it by knocking me out or killing me. I''m the only survivor of my people. I have my pride you know." Arashi said coldly.


    "But…" Ai pouted. "Unless Ren wins the tournament, his mom will die!"Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    "Big whoop. He''ll get over it. Everyone in my entire family is dead!" Arashi snapped. "This will teach the boy to become a man."


    Ai grunted, "Then you should be the one who understands the most!" The Magic Bakemono slammed the door.


    Arashi sighed, "I''m not losing tomorrow. It''s not my problem."


    The next morning, the final round of the Sihalia Battle Royale was about to begin. "Welcome everyone!" Hibiki spoke loud and clear. "To the final round! Ren, Wolf Bakemono versus Arashi, Fire-Bat Bakemono! Begin!" Hibiki declared.


    Arashi was about to walk down the stadium when Hikaru pulled him back. "Arashi. You''re still injured form your fight with Yoshi."


    "Oh yeah! I can heal you now!" Ai offered. "My magic energy is completely restored." She pounded her chest proudly.


    Arashi frowned, "No thanks." He walked down the steps to the stadium where Ren was waiting.


    "Begin!" Hibiki declared.


    Arashi sprinted towards Ren, minimizing the distance between the two. He swiped at Ren with his flaming claws. He knocked the Wolf Bakemono into the air. Ren caught his fall, flipping airborne.


    "Here goes everything!" Ren lunged at Arashi with his fist. Blue sparks of energy started to surround Ren''s fist pushing Arashi back.


    "Damn." Arashi jumped back. "He''s better than I thought."


    Ren ran towards Arashi on all fours, elbowing him into the sky. "Ha! Payback!"


    Arashi laughed as he floated in the sky. "Yeah, it would be. If I couldn''t fly."


    Ren grunted, "I''m not done yet!" The blue-haired Wolf Bakemono leaped into the sky, his leg surrounded by blue spurs of energy. His leg made contact with Arashi''s mid-section plummeting through the sky.


    Arashi fell, his side slamming into the ground. Smoke erupted from the collision. When the smoke cleared Arashi was surrounded by a veil of blue flames. He smirked, "Finally, I''ve been waiting all this damn time to use this."


    "Hold on! Since when can he do that?!" A jealous Sato questioned.


    "Oh yeah. You weren''t with us the first time he used it," Sakura remembered. "He used it back when he fought against Yoshi. It was the only time in that fight where he was actually almost at his level.


    "I see." Sato grunted, "Everyone''s so much stronger than me. Hikaru, Niji, Yoshi, and now even Arashi." He gripped his hands tight on the railing. "I have to get stronger."


    Ai had a gloomy look on her face. "Please, Arashi. Don''t do this."


    Arashi dashed towards Ren swinging blue blazing claws at him. He knocked him high up into the air past the clouds. Ren''s neck shot back as he rocketed into the sky. "Say your prayers!" Arashi brought around his flaming leg. He suddenly stopped mid-attack. He wrapped Ren''s arms around his own body, surrounding Ren in a barely visible shield of blue flames. Both of the Bakemono plummeted to the ground. When the two collided with the surface, Ren realized he was still standing while Arashi just lied on the floor.


    Everyone gasped but then Hibiki rose his right arm. "Ren, Wolf Bakemono is the winner of the Sihalia Battle Royale." The teenager declared. "Here''s your trophy." He handed Ren a golden trophy with the word''s Sihalia''s Pride inscribed on it. "And here''s your prize money.


    "Thank you, Your Majesty." Ren took the large bag of coins gratefully.


    Arashi got up and walked back to the stands. Sato laughed, "Guess you''re not so great after all, pyro."


    ''Shut it, human!" Arashi snapped back.


    "It was kind of funny watching you get your butt kicked by a kid though," Sakura added. "Hey, maybe Ai could beat you too."


    "It''s too bad you didn''t win. We could''ve had such a nice buffet with that prize money," Hikaru mentioned. "Well, anyway. It''s been about a month, so we should be getting back to Fairport City now."


    "Finally! Niji here we come." Arashi said with vengeance burning in his sapphire blue eyes.


    Sakura laughed, "Please you couldn''t even beat a kid. How are you gonna beat Niji?"


    Arashi groaned, "Just stop already!"


    As Sato, Sakura, and Arashi walked off, Ai tapped Arashi on the back. He turned his head, "What is it?"


    Ai smiled kindly, "Thank you. For throwing the match."


    Arashi smiled his first genuine smile back, "You''re welcome. But tell the others and I''ll hurt you."


    The group was just leaving the castle after thanking Queen Hikari for everything when Hikaru made a suggestion. "So how about we go to Greydale Town? I have to run some errands there, but it''ll be a great learning experience for you kids. Plus it''s an alternative route to taking that long nasty cave and then having to go through a village too. If we go to Greydale, it''ll be one smooth path."


    Sakura looked uneasy, "Um, does it have to be Greydale? I actually kind of like the cave."


    "Very well. We''ll vote on it," Hikaru offered.


    "I vote for Greydale!" Ai perked up. "We haven''t been there yet."


    Sato raised his hand, "Me too."


    "I don''t care." Arashi put his hands in his pockets.


    "Okay, then it''s settled. Greydale it is." Hikaru affirmed.


    "I don''t feel so good," Sakura mumbled.