Chapter 60. The Leap.
Ba Sing Se. Capital of the Fire Nation.
"Contestant three hundred forty-five and one thousand five hundred seventy-nine!" the judge bellowed, his voice already hoarse. After all, he'd been officiating for hours.
It was my turn again. The qualifying matches had entered their tenth day, and clear favorites for the final had emerged. I had to admit, some opponents had surprised me with their techniques and strategies.
"Bow! Begin!" the judge waved his hand and stepped back respectfully.
Most had figured out my style by now, so I wasn't surprised when a fiery whip began coiling around my body. My arsenal of techniques made it impossible to let me take control.
Spinning on my hands, I unleashed flames from my feet—a move reminiscent of breakdancing but effective. I neutralized his attack, then advanced with quick steps, firing relentless fireballs from my hands like machine-gun bullets.
The mage deflected each shot with his hands, reducing damage with his mastery and absorbing the rest with his bracers.
"Another general's brat," I scoffed, knowing only the wealthy elite could afford such gear.
The alloy was invented by Kenji's daughter long ago, a breakthrough akin to winning a Nobel Prize. It absorbed fire exceptionally well, quickly adopted by the military. Standard Fire Nation mage armor was coated with it, but solid bracers were rare due to the costly metals involved.
"Rich boy," I muttered, annoyed by his smug grin. He was probably thinking, *Show me more, peasant.* Wait and see—I'll knock that confidence down a peg.
I stopped attacking, stood tall, and gestured provocatively: *Come on, I'm waiting.* It worked instantly—how dare I disrespect the Great Him!