Maun came to find me in the praying grounds. I was lying supine on the grass, like fish drying under the sun. I knew I was supposed to take Lotus position, but this one served its purpose for me, really. The breathing pattern I was asked to do as well as the sunbathing helped ease some warmth into my bones—warmth I realized I was missing. Like the Abbot said, it helped tune me to the energies concerning my domain. And with the help of the rich and spiritual air circulating about the place, I did not have trouble reaching that prized zen state...even with my erroneous posture.

Maun squatted next to me, poking my cheek. I felt him arrive considering my heightened state of awareness, despite his tentative and hushed footsteps.

I opened my eyes and met his silver violet ones, quirking a questioning brow. "What is it?"

"You've got a fight in twenty minutes," he signed. "Mistress Veronika asked me to come and find you just in case you forgot."

"Oh, right," I whispered. "I do have a fight, don't I? Against that guy?"

He nodded. "We should go."

I unwillingly stretched my lazy bones and stood up, yawning. "I think I quite like...breathing..." I said. "Anyway, I should probably go."

I went back to the arena and slipped into my lion costume, pulling the furry mask over my head. I pulled on my stiff joints and heard the sharp pops as they jolted into place. I moved my head around in a circle then quietly made my way out towards the dugout at the urgings of a monk who moved to my side informing me of the need for my presence.

I nodded numbly his way. The audience had already reconvened in the arena, and they filled the air with a distant hum of excited chatter. I gravitated towards the sound. It filled my ear more and more as I emerged into the open sky. Looking up, I breathed in the expanse of the space, finding it much wider than I had initially thought it to be.

"And now for the final fight that shall mark the end of this tournament!" the announcer's ear-piercing voice resounded. "Normally, we settle the champions, but our last fight is a rematch, which I know you're all very excited to see!"

The hushed whispers rose in volume and turned into cheers. I looked over to my side and found Black Flame, standing tall and gazing upon the audience like a king. I felt like I should be upset somehow, especially with this attitude coming from him...like the win had already been secured, somehow. All I felt inside, however, was numbing calmness—as though nothing could threaten me at all.

I did not know what to make of this feeling. It felt like transcendence—being beyond all things that should worry me in what little insignificant struggle existed in my own small corner in the universe. This whole tournament might define my life right now, but I knew I would soon move beyond it to take on bigger things.

And this opponent beside me, one who Eren feared so much and the one I worried most about earlier in the tournament, was a smidgen of a problem...like a small pebble I unfortunately happened to trip over on the road.

It felt cold, this sense of detachment, but it wasn't too bad. For these times, it served its purpose, and it calmed down my hyperactive thoughts. I dwelled less on my imagination, more on the sensations.

"Let's welcome our challenger! Lionheart!"

The resounding howls of approval and excitement thundered through the arena once more. I gazed about calmly and spotted people holding up signs with my name on them. One even said, 'You better win. I bet my whole fortune on you!'

I exasperatedly rolled my eyes under the mask. Why'd it have to be my fault? It wasn't my money. It wasn't my fortune. If I would be getting twenty percent of the bet, or maybe fifty, I might care. But no.

I faced Black Flame as we were prompted to take our stances to begin the fight. As I got into position, I felt a surge of malice welling up from inside me. I gazed deeper at my opponent and the world around us seemed to fade away—the distant voices muted and the commotion seemed suddenly miles away...like a cold wall had suddenly descended from the heavens, locking both of us inside and separating us from the rest of the world.

I could not see Black Flame's eyes, but I felt they were on me.

He remained steady. However, I could smell the unease rising from him. Slowly, I limbered into position and as I prepared with ease; the air getting heavier around me was palpable, even to me. For a second, I thought about how unfortunate this guy was to fall under the day where my Domain was at its strongest.

"Shall we resume where we last stopped?" I asked.

Black Flame, this time, did not dare take the initiative. The intimidation was much stronger this time compared with Mushroom Soup. Had I been on this level towards my previous opponent, he would have willingly fallen to his knees and surrendered the fight. The fact that Black Flame was still standing before me in a state just as aware and alert as before was a clear testament to his willpower and capabilities.

In this regard, I could not crank up the death aura anymore lest I risk actually summoning creatures I least wanted to see. However, I indulged in treading along the limits of my capabilities. I figured if I had to learn to control this thing, I had to use it thoroughly. Sure, it was risky.

Was I worried? Disturbingly no.

"Amber, keep a watch out for me. Remind me not to go over the top and pull me back if needed," I said.

"I'm in a good mood, so your request shall be granted," Amber told me. "Just be careful. People won't figure it out, but they'll have doubts. Since this is a subtle way of doing things, they'll probably think it's a technique of a sort."

"Do they not fall short on these things? Or is it particularly rare?"

"From what I learned, no."

"Very well. Works for me."

I moved in decisively, taking a hold of the rhythm this time. I had long since realized that Black Flame was not the type of opponent to take my time with. The less opportunity he had to move, the less likely there was of a reversal. I would no longer allow myself to be that aimless thing floating in his sea, waiting to be swept by his waves.

Since his prized style concerned his legs, I would target the places where he couldn't use them to protect himself. I'd already run my idea through my trusty sparring partner and though we couldn't replicate the conditions exactly, it was still worth a shot towards the actual thing.

Of course, I did not expect that he would take my attacks without fighting back.

I'd thrown in a shot towards his solar plexus and he caught my fist, throwing it off course as he retaliated with a knee to the gut. I veered to the side, avoiding the hit, then used the momentum of my maneuver to swing a punch at his neck. He blocked with his arm, throwing his feet high to target my underarm, which I had exposed following my attempt to strike.

In response, I blocked his shin with my own arm, moving my elbow down to sweep it aside. I made sure to put some force in the strike. I felt the point of my elbow dig into his flesh as deep as the bone. It didn't sting for me as much as it did for him, but he smoothly recovered and halted himself from losing balance.

Unfortunately enough.

He spun around, following the direction of my attack. He used the strength generated from the turn to fuel a roundhouse kick that came hurtling at my face. Hurriedly, I ducked to avoid, then proceeded to tackle him to the ground where I decisively tucked a punch into his gut.

I heard him gasp for breath. This wasn't enough to satisfy me, though. I twisted him about in my arms, limbering up around him so that I could strangle him better. A cold-blooded rage rose up in me—it was not one of anger, just pure violence.

"Tone down. You're creeping on that limit there."

I forced myself to calm down but maintained my grip around his air supply.

Unfortunately, my moment of hesitance also opened an opportunity for Black Flame to retaliate. In the split second I wavered, he launched the back of his head against my face. The impact made me see stars, and I felt my nose trickle with blood. Forced back, I was pushed down onto the ground. This time, Black Flame climbed on top of me, matching the aggression I previously exhibited with something just as sharp.

Thankfully, the cold-bloodedness eased the panic before it could set deep in my bones and paralyze me. When he sent a punch down on my face, I leaned to the side to avoid. I glanced at the knuckles that had buried into the concrete and jabbed at his throat. The strike sent him wheezing, as expected. I used that opportunity to get his weight off of me. I reversed our positions and this time climbed up to my feet to stomp at his stomach, which lay unguarded.

I brushed off the blood that had poured down my lips, licking off the rest. The metallic taste filled my mouth and I felt my bloodlust surge up even further.

"Calm your tits!" Amber hollered in my head, forcing back a semblance of reason in my rapidly consumed mind.

"This fight! This fight is unexpectedly the most brutal we had seen just yet!" the announcer's voice broke the silence—so loud it even broke the little, somewhat isolated world between Black Flame and myself.

An unsettling silence blanketed the whole arena. Half of it, I would assume, was from tension. The other was disbelief.

I bet the killing intent that curled in the air right now was even sharper than the one I had felt on Maun prior. And it probably wouldn't be something that anyone would expect to see in a fight between would-be disciples and juveniles.

Black Flame trembled by my feet. I sent another strike his way, this time mercilessly targeting his throat. However, he rolled out of the way and swept his legs at my ankles. Not expecting the attack, I had a tumble. My back crashed on the ground, breath knocked out of my lungs.

I coughed. Unfortunately, I did not have the time to gather my composure. Black Flame had rolled over to where I lie supine, sending a punch where my face was. I caught him by the wrist, guiding his hand so that it landed by my ear instead of my face. I then pulled him in, putting pressure on the sensitive underside of his arm to force him to yield to the direction of my urging.

I twisted the both of us so that we rolled over and I was straddling his torso. I then pressed my arm against his throat, putting the whole of my body weight down towards that pressure point.

"You...really like strangling...people," he rasped out. "You deserve a snake more than a lion!"

He called on his fire.

I felt a sear on my flesh all over. Repelled, I jumped back, brushing down the flames from my clothes. They took a bit of effort to put out. My skin had already slight burns and my costume had spots where they were burned through.

"Damn."

It seemed to me this fight was only getting more intense. I had hoped to settle it much faster, but it looked like I would have to toil a bit more.