Chapter 205: A Brief Rest, And Another Spar

When Kazuichi came to, he found himself lying on his back, staring up at the sky. The sun was blinding, and he had to squint to make out the figures standing around him. His head throbbed, and his entire body ached as if he had been hit by a freight train.

"Kazuichi! Are you okay?"

The voice was familiar, but it took a moment for Kazuichi to place it. He turned his head slightly, blinking against the harsh light. Arisu was kneeling beside him, her face etched with concern. Beside her were Jurou, Lea, and Ayaka, all looking equally worried.

"What... happened?" Kazuichi croaked, his throat dry and scratchy. He tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness forced him back down.

"You collapsed during the fight," Arisu explained, her voice gentle but urgent. "You were doing great, and then... you just went down. It was like you lost all your energy at once." 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Kazuichi frowned, trying to remember the fight. It had all been going well, and then... that strange sensation. It was like something had drained the life out of him, leaving him weak and vulnerable.

"I don’t know what happened," Kazuichi admitted, his voice strained. "It felt like... something was wrong with me."

"We need to get you checked out," Lea said, her tone firm. "This isn’t normal, Kazuichi. You could have seriously hurt yourself."

Kazuichi wanted to argue, to insist that he was fine, but he knew they were right. Whatever had happened, it wasn’t something he could just shake off. And with the sparring matches still ongoing, he couldn’t afford to be at anything less than full strength.

But before he could say anything more, the instructor approached, his expression unreadable. "Kazuichi," he said, his tone clipped. "You’ll be excused from the next round. Go and rest. We’ll have someone take a look at you."

Kazuichi opened his mouth to protest, but the look in the instructor’s eyes told him it would be futile. Reluctantly, he nodded and allowed Arisu and Jurou to help him to his feet.

As they led him away from the sparring grounds, Kazuichi couldn’t shake the feeling that something was deeply wrong. Whatever had caused him to collapse, it wasn’t just exhaustion. It was something more—something dangerous.

And as he walked away, he couldn’t help but wonder what it all meant. Was it connected to the meteorite? To Ryuunosuke’s cryptic warning? Or was it something else entirely, something that none of them had seen coming?

As they approached the medical tent, Kazuichi’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the next match being announced. He glanced back, his vision still a mess of a blur.

— — —

The sun climbed higher in the sky as the matches continued, the once crisp morning air now heavy with the scent of sweat and the sound of grunts and clashes. The sparring grounds had become a battlefield, each pair of Hybrids locked in their own intense struggle. Kazuichi watched the matches unfold, his muscles still tight with the residual adrenaline from his earlier victory. But there was no time to relax. The instructors were moving quickly, and he knew that his next challenge could come at any moment.

He didn’t have to wait long. As another match concluded, the instructor stepped forward, his voice carrying across the sparring grounds. "Next match: Kazuichi vs. a Merc Hybrid."

A murmur rippled through the crowd. The Merc Hybrids were known for their ruthless combat skills, often hired as mercenaries before joining the training camp. They were tough, experienced fighters who didn’t hold back. Kazuichi felt a chill run down his spine, but he pushed the feeling aside. He had already faced one tough opponent today. He could handle another.

Kazuichi stepped into the sparring area, his eyes narrowing as his opponent approached. The Merc Hybrid was taller and more muscular than him, with a scar running down the side of his face—a testament to the battles he had fought. His eyes were cold and calculating, sizing Kazuichi up with a predatory gaze.

"So, you’re the next one up?" the Merc Hybrid said, his voice a low rumble. He cracked his knuckles, the sound like small explosions in the tense air. "I hope you’re ready to lose."

Kazuichi met his gaze without flinching. "We’ll see about that."

The instructor raised his hand, and the crowd fell silent in anticipation. "Begin!"

The Merc Hybrid moved first, charging at Kazuichi with surprising speed for someone his size. Kazuichi barely had time to react, throwing himself to the side as the Hybrid’s fist came crashing down where he had just been standing.

"Boom!" The impact shook the ground, a clear reminder of the power behind the Merc Hybrid’s strikes.

Kazuichi rolled to his feet, his heart racing. He needed to stay on his toes—one hit from this guy could end the match in an instant. The Merc Hybrid turned, his eyes narrowing as he advanced on Kazuichi again, this time with a calculated precision. His fists came at Kazuichi in a flurry, each strike aimed at a vital point.

"Whap! Whap! Whap!" The sounds of fists cutting through the air were sharp and relentless.

Kazuichi dodged and blocked as best he could, but the Merc Hybrid was relentless. Each punch that connected sent shockwaves through Kazuichi’s body, rattling his bones. He could feel the strength behind each blow, and it took everything he had to stay on his feet.

"You’re quick, I’ll give you that," the Merc Hybrid growled, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous light. "But you won’t be able to keep this up forever."

Kazuichi didn’t respond, focusing on finding an opening. He knew he couldn’t outmuscle his opponent—he had to outthink him. But the Merc Hybrid was a skilled fighter, and his movements were precise and efficient. Kazuichi was barely holding on, his mind racing as he searched for a way to turn the tide.

Then, he saw it—a slight hesitation in the Merc Hybrid’s movements, a fraction of a second where his guard dropped as he prepared for his next attack. It was a small window, but it was all Kazuichi needed.

The Merc Hybrid swung a powerful punch aimed at Kazuichi’s ribs, but Kazuichi twisted his body at the last moment, letting the fist graze past him. With the Merc Hybrid’s arm extended, Kazuichi moved in close, driving his elbow into the Hybrid’s exposed side.

"Thud!" The impact was solid, and the Merc Hybrid grunted in pain, his body recoiling from the blow. Kazuichi didn’t give him a chance to recover—he followed up with a rapid series of strikes, each aimed at a vulnerable spot.

"Crack! Crack! Crack!" The sound of Kazuichi’s fists connecting with flesh echoed across the sparring grounds.

But the Merc Hybrid was tougher than he had anticipated. Despite the barrage of hits, the Hybrid managed to stay on his feet, his expression twisting into a snarl of anger. With a roar, he lunged at Kazuichi, catching him off guard with a powerful backhand that sent Kazuichi sprawling to the ground.

"Boom!" The ground seemed to shake as Kazuichi hit the dirt, the breath knocked out of him. Pain flared through his side where the blow had landed, and for a moment, the world spun around him.

"Get up, kid!" the Merc Hybrid taunted, his voice filled with dark amusement. "I thought you were tougher than this!"

Kazuichi gritted his teeth, forcing himself to his feet despite the throbbing pain in his side. His vision blurred for a moment, and a strange sensation washed over him—a sudden wave of dizziness and nausea that made him stumble.

"What...?" Kazuichi muttered under his breath, his head pounding. Something was wrong. He felt off-balance, his body uncooperative. The Merc Hybrid’s taunt seemed to echo in his ears, distorted and distant.