The crowd murmured with excitement as the arena lights dimmed slightly. The Dean’s calm yet commanding voice echoed through the hall.

  Dean Frederick: "Alright students, the second round has officially concluded. Now, we proceed to the third. Next up—Jonathan Motarell versus Elric Bonewell!"

  Jonathan stretched his shoulders with a grin, running a hand through his messy blonde hair. His bright red hoodie contrasted sharply with his scuffed combat shoes — a casual look for someone about to step into a warzone.

  Jonathan: "Heh, guess that’s me. Wish me luck, guys."

  Hiruzen: (concerned) "Don’t push it too hard, Jon. You just got out of surgery last week."

  Emma: "Yeah, please! That Elric guy… I heard he’s a freak. Like, an actual freak."

  Jonathan cracked a playful smile as he started walking toward the stage.

  Jonathan: "Relax, I’ll be fine. He’s got bones—big deal. I’ve got momentum on my side."

  Hiruzen sighed, muttering under his breath.

  Hiruzen: "Yeah, and that momentum’s gonna land you back in the infirmary again."

  The two fighters entered the arena. Elric stood tall and eerily composed, his pale skin almost translucent under the arena lights. His white shirt was buttoned perfectly, a stark contrast to his opponent’s messy energy. The white fedora tipped slightly forward, casting a shadow over eyes that gleamed a faint, predatory gray.

  RefBot: "You know the rules. No killing, no external weapons. Victory by knockout, incapacitation, or surrender. Round three… BEGIN!"

  Jonathan exploded forward the instant the word left the RefBot’s mouth, his feet cracking the stone with each step. Every movement loaded with stored kinetic energy. His first punch curved unnaturally in mid-air — bending physics as it redirected toward Elric’s head.

  But with a grotesque cracking sound, Elric’s forearm splintered open. Bone erupted and twisted, forming a white, jagged shield. The punch landed with a concussive blast, scattering dust — yet the bone held.

  Jonathan: "What the—?!"

  Elric smirked, his voice low and unnervingly calm.

  Elric: "Beautiful, isn’t it? Every bone in my body answers my call. I can shape, grow, and command them at will. Even... beyond human limits."

  He slammed his palm into the floor.

  Elric: "Osteogenesis Field!"

  From the ground, hundreds of white spikes erupted in a spiraling storm of bone. They chased Jonathan like serpents, each one twisting and adapting to his movement.

  Jonathan’s body blurred, each sidestep releasing bursts of kinetic recoil that cracked the arena floor beneath him.

  Jonathan: (grinning) "Pretty cool trick. But bones break, pal."

  He ducked under a spiraling spike and launched off it like a springboard, twisting midair. His elbow connected with Elric’s face in a brutal arc, sending the white-clad student skidding across the battlefield.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  Elric landed, wiping blood from his lip — and smiling.

  Elric: "Good hit. But let’s peel things back a bit further, shall we?"

  He extended his hand, and with a horrifying sound, his spine slithered up his arm, piercing through skin, coiling around him like a whip.

  Jonathan: "Okay… nevermind. You are a freak."

  Elric: (grinning) "You haven’t even seen my ribs yet."

  Elric’s ribcage split open like a grotesque flower, reshaping into a jagged bone shield. Jonathan charged again, his right fist glowing orange as energy surged into it.

  Jonathan: "Kinetic Strike!"

  The impact shattered the bone shield into fragments that scattered like snow — but Elric’s hand shot forward and touched Jonathan’s chest. A second later, Jonathan’s body spasmed, blood spurting from his mouth as something tore inside him.

  Jonathan: "What… did you just—?"

  Elric: (smirking) "I can’t just manipulate my bones… I can manipulate yours too. All I need is contact."

  He snapped his fingers, and Jonathan screamed — spikes pushing outward beneath his skin, straining his body from the inside.

  Emma: (from the stands) "Jonathan! Get out of there!"

  Jonathan dropped to a knee, breathing raggedly. His face twisted in pain, but his eyes — they burned with defiance.

  Jonathan: "You... hit hard, huh? But so do I."

  Elric frowned.

  Elric: "You can barely move. Surrender before I snap your femurs for good."

  Jonathan: (smirking weakly) "Nah... I think I’ll stand. Have you ever heard of charging something past its limit?"

  He rose to his feet. Elric’s whip cracked, tearing flesh with every lash — but Jonathan didn’t move. He just took it. Blow after blow.

  Elric hesitated.

  Elric: (thinking) Why isn’t he dodging? He should be collapsing... unless—

  His eyes widened.

  Elric: "No… he’s storing it!"

  Jonathan looked up, blood running down his face but smiling through it.

  Jonathan: "Bingo. I told you bones break, pal. And you’ve been charging me up this whole time."

  His body began to glow. Orange energy erupted like a storm, electricity crackling across his frame.

  Jonathan: "Charge State… RELEASE!"

  The next moment was a blur of motion and thunder.

  Jonathan vanished — a boom of displaced air following in his wake — and reappeared in front of Elric. His first punch hit with the force of a cannon. Elric’s head snapped back, his body sliding across the arena floor before Jonathan was on him again.

  Fist after fist.

  Strike after strike.

  Each blow detonated with kinetic discharge, shaking the entire arena. The air itself became distorted from the energy output.

  Elric tried to summon bone armor, but each layer was obliterated the instant it formed.

  Jonathan: "You talk a big game about bones—" punch

  Jonathan: "—but maybe you should’ve worked on your—" uppercut

  Jonathan: "—backbone!"

  The final hit sent Elric flying. Jonathan blurred upward, clasping his hands together, then slammed them down on Elric’s chest, driving him toward the ground. At the last instant, Jonathan twisted his leg and kicked Elric mid-descent, slamming him into the wall with enough force to crater it.

  The crowd gasped as dust filled the arena.

  When it cleared, Elric lay unconscious, bones cracked and scattered.

  RefBot: "Elric Bonewell is unable to continue! The victor — Jonathan Motarell!"

  Jonathan stumbled forward, the glow fading from his body. His breathing was ragged, his hoodie torn to shreds, and blood painted his face — but his grin hadn’t faded.

  Jonathan: (exhausted, muttering) "Told ya... bones break."

  He collapsed just before leaving the stage — but Hiruzen was already there, catching him.

  Hiruzen: (sighing) "We told you to take it easy."

  Jonathan: (smirking weakly) "Sorry... that guy was... tougher than he looked."

  Emma: (running over, teary-eyed) "You idiot, you scared us half to death!"

  Jonathan just chuckled faintly, looking up at the bright lights above.

  Jonathan: "Heh... worth it."

  End Chapter