The Challenger Arena buzzed with anticipation.
Students leaned forward across the stands.
Because this fight looked different.
At one side of the arena stood Raizen Tenrai.
Balanced stance.
Light on his feet.
Across from him stood Shin Torakawa.
Lower stance.
Broader frame.
Hands wrapped in cloth.
No kunai.
No weapons.
Just a grappler's posture.
Shin grinned.
"Ready?"
Raizen shrugged.
"Sure."
The instructor raised his hand.
"Begin!"
Immediate Contact
Shin moved instantly.
Not fast like lightning users.
But heavy.
Each step drove him forward with force.
Raizen struck first.
A quick kick toward Shin's ribs.
Shin caught it.
The crowd gasped.
No hesitation—
He twisted his hips.
A throw.
Raizen reacted immediately.
Instead of resisting—
He moved with it.
His body rotated midair.
The shift loosened Shin's grip just enough.
Raizen landed lightly several steps away.
The arena erupted.
"He got out!"
Daigo Mizuta slammed the railing.
"Okay that was clean!"
Akari Mizuta nodded quietly.
"Good reaction."
Pressure Fighting
Shin cracked his neck.
"You're slippery."
Raizen smirked.
"You're grabby."
Shin laughed.
"Yeah."
Then he moved again.
Faster.
His arm shot forward—
Not a punch.
A grab.
Raizen slipped sideways.
But Shin's second hand followed immediately.
Another grab.
Relentless.
Raizen ducked under it.
Countered with a sharp elbow to Shin's shoulder.
Shin absorbed it.
And kept moving.
The difference in strength became clear.
When Shin advanced—
He controlled the space.
Raizen stepped back.
Maintaining distance.
The Grappler's Trap
Shin lowered his center of gravity.
Eyes locked on Raizen's footing.
Then he lunged.
This time—
He got him.
Arms locked around Raizen's waist.
The crowd gasped.
"He got him!"
Shin lifted.
Raizen's feet left the ground.
Bad position.
Raizen reacted instantly.
His leg hooked behind Shin's knee.
Hips twisted sharply.
The shift broke Shin's balance—
Just enough.
Instead of a clean throw—
They crashed sideways.
Both hitting the arena floor.
Students shouted.
"That was close!"
They rolled apart.
Back to their feet.
Respect Growing
Shin brushed dust from his shoulder.
His grin widened.
"Nice."
Raizen shrugged.
"Didn't want to get slammed."
Shin laughed.
"Good instinct."
Then his expression sharpened.
"Let's try again."
Adaptation
This time Raizen moved first.
Quick steps.
Changing angles.
Never staying in front of Shin for long.
Shin reached for him twice.
Both times—
Nothing.
Raizen slipped away.
A palm strike snapped into Shin's chest.
Not heavy.
But enough.
Shin shifted back half a step.
The instructor raised his hand.
"Point."
Students murmured.
"That's one for Tenrai."
Shin rolled his shoulders again.
Still smiling.
"Alright."
"Now I'm warmed up."
He dropped lower.
Even more stable.
Then—
He burst forward.
Faster than before.
And this time—
He didn't reach.
He closed.