Heir of the Lost Wish

Lucian turned around and saw a young man with bronze-colored hair, whose bright smile seemed a bit ridiculous and naïve.

His tousled hair gave him a laid-back and somewhat rebellious look.

He wore black leggings and had tied his uniform around his waist, as if it was just an accessory. A bandage was placed on his eyebrow, and another on his nose, as if he had just come out of a fight. This young man, with energetic features, radiated an insatiable energy.

With a big smile, he stepped forward and said enthusiastically:

"Hey, I'm Jin Arata, *Fiery Fist*!"

Lucian, still sporting his slight smirk, thought to himself:

"Of course I know him... Every training zone has its champions, and in stadium 5, where I train, he's the one who stands out. Jin Arata..."

Lucian, confused, asked:

"*Fiery Fist?*"

At that moment, a young girl with black hair tied in a neat ponytail was standing slightly in the background. Her round glasses gleamed in the light, and her expression was that of someone who had just found herself at the center of an awkward situation. She seemed used to handling her friend's excesses, with a calm, analytical aura. Her eyes, behind her glasses, were filled with a kind of moderate annoyance, as if she had seen all of this a thousand times before.

She rolled her eyes and replied, in a calm but firm voice:

"Don't listen to this idiot, he gave himself that title."

Jin laughed loudly, his bright laughter echoing in the air, a bit noisy but contagious. He turned to the girl with glasses, still smiling with overflowing energy, and said, with enthusiasm in his eyes:

"Come on, Karen, stop being so serious! *Fiery Fist* is a title I deserve, right?"

Karen rolled her eyes, a look of despair forming on her face, then, with a resigned sigh, she answered:

"Yeah... Yeah, sure..."

After that, Jin turned back to Lucian, his eyes sparkling with insatiable energy. He briefly analyzed him before smiling even wider, as if he had just had a revelation.

"Your name is Lucian, right?"

Lucian replied in a calm, measured tone, still with his slight soft smile:

"Yes, Lucian Aether."

Jin raised his eyebrows, as if the name vaguely rang a bell, but he didn't press further. He focused back on Lucian, a gleam of challenge in his eyes.

"I saw you fight Albert, and honestly, you're impressive. I'd love to train against you!"

Lucian took a moment to think. He knew that to progress quickly, he needed to face high-level opponents. Jin was clearly one of them, and he wasn't the only talented one in the academy. Other students in different stadiums also possessed enormous potential. However, Lucian knew that this kind of challenge was essential to push his limits.

"Why not... A fight with you could be interesting."

Jin burst out laughing, clearly delighted with the answer.

The students of the stadium were watching the scene attentively, murmuring among themselves. A buzz quickly rose. Some seemed amused, others curious about how the match between Lucian and Jin would unfold. However, the professor, with an authoritative gesture, clapped his hands, ending the training.

"That's all for today, back to the dorms!"

Jin, a bit taken aback, said in a surprised tone:

"What? Already done? I didn't even see the time pass!"

He then turned his gaze toward Lucian, a big smile on his face, and in a light tone, said:

"We'll do this again tomorrow, Cyan!"

Lucian, a bit caught off guard, thought to himself:

*Cyan? Is he talking about me?*

But without wasting a second, Jin turned to Karen, raising his hand as a farewell to Lucian, who responded with a slight confused nod. As they walked away, Lucian distinctly heard Karen, clearly frustrated, say in a voice full of annoyance:

"Take off your damn bandages, you're not even hurt, idiot..."

Jin, already a few meters away, with a dazzling smile, casually called back:

"It's stylish, Ren, gives me a warrior look, doesn't it?"

Karen rolled her eyes, not even bothering to respond. Lucian watched them walk off, already wondering what their fight would look like.

The next day.

Lucian felt the eyes on him, whispers spreading through the air. He vaguely heard:

"Is he the White Devil?"

Another one murmured, sounding concerned:

"Yeah, don't you see the fake smile, always that little mischievous smirk? There's a rumor going around about him."

The other, more curious, shrugged.

"What did he do?"

The first one answered in a low voice, almost whispering, as if not wanting Lucian to hear.

"Apparently, even after Albert gave up, he broke both his arms before offering him his hand and asking him to get up, with that terrifying smile… Albert's traumatized."

The other, visibly shocked, raised an eyebrow.

"What, is he even human?!"

Lucian closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead, a sigh of exasperation escaping his lips. He hoped inwardly that these rumors weren't growing too much. In his mind, he thought:

What has that idiot said now?

Afternoon came, and with it, the day of the fight against Jin. As he approached Stadium 5, Lucian found himself facing a large crowd of students blocking the entrance. When they saw him, they parted, allowing him to pass. Lucian felt the eyes on him—some curious, others clearly scared. In situations like this, he knew only one thing to do: wear a slight, graceful smile.

As he made his way through the crowd, he overheard several murmurs.

"Is he the one going to fight the heir of the Arata clan? Where does he come from?"

Lucian knew the Arata clan wasn't the wealthiest, but they owned the largest martial arts dojo in the country, giving them considerable prestige.

Luce was impressed by the number of people present, surely due to Albert's rumors. Lucian, though he had never lost a single training fight, wasn't used to this much attention. He had always finished his fights delicately, without fanfare, preferring not to draw attention. Still, this crowd wouldn't change his fighting style; he knew how to stay calm—an important lesson his father had taught him from a young age.

When he reached the center of the stadium, Lucian saw a man with bronze hair walking toward him. He moved almost robotically, giving him a somewhat ridiculous appearance. Jin leaned toward Lucian's ear and, visibly embarrassed, said:

"Cyan, since when are you so famous?"

Lucian, not paying attention to the nickname Jin had given him, replied with amusement:

"They're all here to see the Fiery Fist in action."

Jin almost stumbled, surprised, and retorted:

"What, for me?! Why?"

Lucian, with a playful look, headed toward a corner to grab a sword. Turning around, he said:

"Shall we begin?"

Jin, meanwhile, took out two light iron gauntlets and placed them on his fists. They extended to his forearms. Lucian knew Jin was a close-combat fighter, a rare type, and this was his first time facing one of his level. The advantage seemed to be on Jin's side.

Jin, striking his fists together, said with a smile:

"By the way, you called me Fiery Fist, but today, I'm Fire Dragon."

Lucian replied calmly:

"Very well, Fire Dragon, I'm ready."

Immediately, the noise from the students died down, and a deathly silence settled. Lucian's first thought was the impressive transformation of Jin. Though he had seemed almost incapable of walking earlier due to the crowd, Jin now appeared transformed. He no longer resembled the same man. Jin now had the expression of a predator, an aura of menace surrounding his body. There was no longer a smile on his face, only the focus of a fighter ready to give it all.

For nearly 30 seconds, no attack was made, and the students, puzzled, wondered if they were purposely standing still.

However, a few attentive observers noticed subtle changes in their behaviors.

At every moment, the two opponents adjusted their attack stances, trying to gain the upper hand. Lucian knew a diving attack would be extremely difficult to block for a close-combat fighter, which is why he tried to position himself strategically against Jin.

But Jin knew this too. Even more so, Jin subtly moved to Lucian's right, trying to position himself to avoid the wide, powerful blows Lucian might deliver, given that he was right-handed.

A few seconds later, Jin launched himself forward. His speed was incredible; if Lucian had blinked, he would have lost sight of him. Jin's center of gravity was extremely low, which allowed him to throw punches with astonishing speed. However, none of them hit Lucian, who managed to maintain perfect distance, dodging with surgical precision.

The exchanges kept coming, a real downpour of blows aimed at Lucian, and the students around the arena wondered how neither of the two had been hit yet. Karen, who wasn't far off, answered at the same time as someone else:

"They're testing each other."

The students turned around at the voice from the back, and their eyes widened. A tall man with beige hair stood there, radiating an aura and stunning beauty. When they recognized him, they all bowed respectfully, whispering:

"Lord Elyas!"

Only Karen, absorbed in her friend's fight, paid little attention. Elyas placed himself next to her, and in a calm, slightly mocking tone, she answered:

"What brings Elyas Valmont, heir to one of the five greatest families of Edonia, here?"

Elyas let out a soft laugh before responding with an amused smile:

"I can miss a few trainings too."

Elyas was one of the champions Lucian had heard about. He was recognized as the strongest fighter in Stadium 11, not to mention he was the heir to one of the wealthiest families in the country.

Elyas, with a smirk, turned slightly to Karen and asked:

"So, who do you think will win?"

Karen, without hesitation, answered seriously, almost confidently:

"Jin, who else?"

Elyas raised an eyebrow and, in a light but slightly mocking tone, replied:

"True, I can't imagine the son of that monster losing to some unknown."

Lucian's blade grazed Jin's nose, who flipped backward with impressive agility, using his hands to right himself in a fluid motion. Barely upright, he immediately followed with a kick from an almost invisible angle. Lucian, by a hair, stopped just before the impact, feeling the wind from the kick sweep across his face.

Suddenly, Jin launched himself at lightning speed. This time, he was going all in.

Lucian was ready. He had already analyzed the core of Ardent Fist's style. But at this exact moment, Jin entered Lucian's attack range. With his unshakable calm and sharp observation, Lucian immediately spotted a subtle flaw in Jin's guard: his right flank was too exposed.

*An opening!*

But he wasn't naive. A martial artist of Jin's caliber would never make such a mistake. This respect for his opponent, however, would cost him dearly.

A smile briefly crossed Jin's lips. Without correcting his apparent flaw, he closed the distance in a single move. He knew. He knew that Cyan would notice the flaw and hesitate to strike out of caution and respect. That was exactly what he was waiting for.

In an instant, Jin broke the distance. At point-blank range, his advantage was overwhelming.

Lucian, stunned by his opponent's ingenuity, thought:

*He may seem like an idiot, but in reality… He's a combat genius.*

In a final reflex, Lucian swept the air with a quick, lightning-fast strike, aiming to push Jin back. But Jin deflected the attack with the back of his iron-armored forearm, violently knocking Lucian's sword aside.

His guard was wide open.

The only choice left was to prepare to dodge. Lucian locked eyes with Jin, analyzing every move.

*Where will he strike? he thought.*

*The liver? The solar plexus? The chin?*

Suddenly, Jin slightly pivoted, transferring his weight to his hip.

Lucian realized too late.

*I'm done for.*

A powerful kick sliced through the air, striking his supporting leg with unrelenting force. A sharp wave of pain shot through his body.

Reacting instinctively, he jumped back to regain distance, expecting Jin to take advantage of the opening to continue his assault. But no. Jin remained perfectly still, observing Lucian with a sharp eye. He had only delivered one blow… and left it at that.

Farther away, Karen sighed before declaring to Elyas:

"It's over."

Elyas, intrigued, raised an eyebrow.

"Why do you say that?"

She replied, her tone sure of herself:

"This blow is a nightmare for anyone. But coming from Jin, it's like losing the use of your leg."

Lucian landed heavily, breathless. A sharp pain radiated from his thigh, every throb reminding him of the brutal impact. He tried to place his foot down, but his balance immediately faltered.

He gritted his teeth and stood up, doing his best to hide his pain.

His gaze landed on Jin.

He wasn't smiling anymore.

At that moment, he looked like a hunter watching a wounded prey, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Jin's eyes said it all. It was the gaze of someone ready to kill.

*What has he gone through to have such a look in his eyes?*

Lucian then understood that, for Jin, this battle was not a mere training. It was a matter of life or death.

His eyes spoke:

*The most ruthless will survive.*

Lucian exhaled slowly, expelling the air from his lungs as if rejecting everything that could cloud his mind. If he wanted a chance against Jin, he needed to achieve a state of absolute focus.

*The pain in his leg? Irrelevant. It was merely a signal, information to be ignored.*

*Jin's gaze, cold and determined? A mere detail, insignificant.*

*The murmurs of the students around him? Background noise.*

*The prestige of the Arata clan? A weight that shouldn't reach him.*

*The thought of victory or defeat? A lie, for only the present moment mattered.*

Lucian briefly closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, everything except Jin and his next move had vanished.

*Focus.*

Jin watched Lucian exhale slowly, erasing any trace of hesitation from his face. He immediately understood what his opponent was doing: he was emptying himself of everything but the fight. Jin clenched his fists lightly. He knew this state. He had learned it too, but for different reasons.

It was never just a duel for him. He never fought for fun, never to impress anyone. Fighting was survival. And to survive, you had to crush the one in front of you before they had a chance to retaliate.

Jin charged forward like a wild beast. Lucian's movements still appeared the same: graceful, precise… but Jin immediately sensed the difference. He was slower.

A rain of blows fell. Sparks flew at every contact between the blade and Jin's gauntlets, briefly illuminating their silhouettes under the spectators' gazes. Lucian's once impenetrable defense was beginning to crack. Some blows got through. His face already bore the marks of the fight.

Jin blocked a series of swift attacks, then, with a fluid motion, dove under Lucian's guard and landed a direct blow to his ribs.

A clean, brutal impact.

But Lucian reacted at the last moment, pivoting his body with the movement to absorb part of the shock. Jin gritted his teeth.

Even weakened, Cyan still found a way to minimize the damage.

But that wouldn't last.

*He'll eventually collapse.*

But he didn't collapse.

After several more minutes, Cyan was still standing. His body bore far more injuries than Jin's, but he had managed to land a few blows as well.

The Fiery Fist lunged again. With a swift move, he passed under Lucian's blade, ready to strike. But it was a trap.

A violent knee strike hit him squarely, sending him back. He staggered a few steps, his vision slightly blurred, before spitting out the blood that had pooled in his mouth.

In a disturbed tone, he muttered:

"Goddamn, are you made of steel?"

Cyan didn't answer, completely absorbed in the fight.

Fatigue was now setting in, each movement felt heavier, each breath shorter. The intense fight had lasted almost five minutes.

Jin thought:

*I'll finish it now.*

Cyan charged, unwavering, determined. The exchange was brief once again, Jin dodged with agility and managed to break the distance between them. Instinctively, he sensed Cyan's footing becoming more and more unstable. He feinted a punch before slipping in a low kick, aiming to knock Cyan down.

However, in that very brief moment, Cyan saw it coming, or rather, predicted it. With a graceful leap, like a cat, he avoided Jin's vicious kick. And like a perfectly synchronized dancer, he spun around, his foot striking with devastating force. The spinning kick crashed directly into Jin's temple.

Elyas, with an almost mocking air, raised an eyebrow and said:

"You were saying?"

The girl with glasses, confused, asked aloud:

"How is he doing that? He should've collapsed a while ago."

Elyas replied, a smirk forming:

"Who is this guy?"

She responded, a little puzzled:

"Lucian Aether. We don't know much about him."

Elyas, slightly surprised, raised an eyebrow:

"Aether? Like Hector Aether? The Colossus of Steel?"

He paused for a moment, then let out a small laugh.

"I get it now."

Karen repeated to herself, her eyes fixed on Lucian:

*The Colossus of Steel…*

Jin got back up. The hit was harsh, but he was incredibly resilient. Before him stood Lucian, his gaze vacant, his sword held nonchalantly. The ceiling light behind him cast a giant shadow that covered Jin. A shiver ran down his spine.

*Get up.*

Cyan charged again, without hesitation, toward Jin. The exchange that followed was one of the fiercest they had ever experienced. Both fighters took blows, and it was spectacular. When Jin dodged, he managed to land a punch to Lucian's stomach, causing him to cough up blood. Lucian responded with a sword strike that Jin deflected with his forearm, but Lucian immediately followed up with an elbow strike, hitting Jin square in the jaw. Yet, at that moment, Jin did not retreat. He instantly countered, attempting to sweep Lucian off his feet again.

Despite the fatigue, Lucian reacted with lightning speed. He leaped into the air, and in his momentum, delivered a massive vertical sword strike. The blow cut through the air with such force that it would have been fatal if Jin hadn't been able to dodge. But this time, it was Jin preparing a trap.

Yes, only an experienced fighter like Jin could recognize the ruse. He had faced countless swordsmen, and the simplest way to beat them was to disarm them. The speed of the blade descending on him was immense, and Jin eagerly awaited that moment. With precise movement, he delivered a titanic strike, hitting Lucian's blade exactly where he had anticipated.

Time seemed to freeze. All the students held their breath. Jin's fist met the blade, producing a screeching noise. And in a devastating instant, the sword shattered.

*I've won*, Jin thought inwardly, a smile spreading across his face.

However, as the sword shattered, several metal shards detached and flew around Lucian, still suspended in the air. One of these shards grazed Lucian's face, leaving a deep cut.

But what happened next was even more impressive. Lucian, in a reflex that could be called survival instinct, grabbed a piece of steel flying near him at an incredible speed, mid-air. Jin, who thought it was all over, widened his eyes.

Before him, Lucian held a piece of iron firmly in front of his throat, and in a breathless but determined voice, he said:

"I've won."