The arena buzzed with energy, but Mizu wasn't listening.
His name had just appeared on the tournament board again—etched into glowing stone like a divine challenge. But this time, it wasn't paired with a known fighter, or someone from the qualifying rounds.
It was paired with one word.
The Silent One.
Sayos peered over Mizu's shoulder.
"Uhh… that's not a nickname, right? Who signs up with a horror-movie title?"
Rika stepped closer, her eyes narrowing.
"No image. No data. Not even a region. That's not just unusual—that's intentional."
Lucy let out a low growl and stood up from the shadow behind them, her ears alert.
Something felt off.
Later that evening, the match was announced.
Mizu stepped onto the battlefield under darkening skies. The sun had dipped just below the stone walls of Copaeyris, casting long shadows across the arena floor. The air felt cooler than it should have.
His opponent was already waiting.
A tall figure, wrapped in black and gray cloth. His face was covered by a smooth mask—no eyes, no mouth, just a pale, flat surface with a single crack running from top to bottom.
He didn't move.
He didn't speak.
Even his presence was muted, as if the air around him refused to carry his weight.
The announcer hesitated, clearly unsettled.
"Match… number seven! Mizu versus… the Silent One."
No cheers.
No noise.
Only the sound of the gate behind Mizu closing.
Mizu took his stance, hands open, his breathing steady.
He didn't call out. Didn't ask who the figure was.
Because deep down… part of him already knew.
The tension coiled tighter with each passing second.
Still, no motion.
Then—without sound or signal—the Silent One moved.
He was fast. Too fast.
A black blur sliced through the air. Mizu barely dodged in time, water bursting from his palm to cushion the strike. The attacker didn't stop. He vanished and reappeared again, this time to Mizu's left—sweeping low with a spin kick that knocked Mizu off balance.
Mizu flipped backward and landed hard, but he caught himself.
He exhaled.
He's not fighting to win... he's testing me.
From the stands, Rika leaned forward.
"He's using the same movement style as Mizu… but darker. Rougher."
Sayos's eyes widened.
"Wait. How's that possible? Is he copying him?!"
Lucy said nothing.
But her fur bristled.
She could feel it.
Something about the masked fighter's aura matched Mizu's—not perfectly, but like a shadow echo. Not identical. Not foreign.
Related.
Back in the ring, Mizu retaliated.
He slammed his palms together, releasing a horizontal wave of water that swept across the field. The Silent One didn't dodge. Instead, he split through the wave like mist—phasing in and out like a memory, too faint to hold.
He came in again.
Their fists clashed.
It was like punching a mirror.
The blow sent both of them sliding backward. For the first time, the Silent One paused.
His hand touched his mask.
A single movement.
And the mask… cracked.
Just slightly.
Enough for Mizu to see what lay underneath.
A glimpse of skin.
A strand of dark hair.
And eyes.
Eyes that looked almost… like his.
Familiar.
Not from the crowd.
Not from the tournament.
From somewhere much deeper.
"Who are you?" Mizu asked, his voice sharp.
No answer.
The Silent One tilted his head slightly—as if acknowledging something.
Then he vanished.
No retreat.
No exit spell.
No warning.
Just gone.
The crowd erupted in confusion.
Rika stood immediately.
"That wasn't teleportation. That was... withdrawal."
Sayos looked completely thrown.
"What kind of ninja crap was that?! He didn't even finish the fight!"
Mizu stood alone in the arena, chest rising and falling.
But he wasn't out of breath.
He was trying to process.
What had he just seen?
Or more importantly—who?
>> The Silent One walked away without a word—but his presence won't stay hidden.
Comment your theory: Who is he? Why does he fight like Mizu?
And don't miss Chapter 10 – the truth behind the eyes.