CONNECT: Rise Of The Undead King

Today was the long-awaited semi-final of the martial arts weekly duel, and the air in the training hall was thick with anticipation. The martial arts students had gathered early, filling every corner of the spacious training room. Excitement and tension mingled in the atmosphere as the five remaining competitors stood tall in the ring, each radiating an aura of focus and potential.

Mr. Richard, the martial arts teacher and organizer of the duels, stood at the edge of the ring with his arms folded. His sharp eyes scanned the competitors with pride—and a tinge of anxiety. He couldn't lie to himself; the competition this time was far more intense than any of the previous tournaments. Every single one of the remaining students had evolved dramatically since the start, and even he, with all his years of experience, could feel the heat of their ambition.

His gaze fell on Marcus, the martial arts top student in the whole of year 1. Ever since Mr. Richard had known him, Marcus had been unmatched—a prodigy whose skill, precision, and discipline made him the benchmark everyone else chased. But this time, something was different. Marcus had been training harder than ever before. He was always diligent, but now there was a fire in his eyes that went beyond ordinary motivation. He had pushed himself past exhaustion, spending long hours perfecting techniques that even Mr. Richard hadn't taught yet.

A small smile crossed Mr. Richard's face.

'It seems he's finally found a rival.'

His eyes shifted toward Anna, the quiet and mysterious girl who had taken everyone by surprise in the earlier rounds. Unlike the others, she hadn't been seen training as much. While the others spent hours in the training, Anna seemed content with short, casual sessions, almost as if she wasn't taking the duel seriously at all. And yet, when she stepped into the ring, her calm composure and flawless movements spoke volumes.

"That girl… she's mysterious,"

Mr. Richard muttered under his breath, his gaze lingering on her as she stood silently among the competitors.

Anna looked as cool as ever, her hands loosely at her sides, her breathing steady. There was a strange stillness about her—a quiet confidence that made her opponents uneasy.

Mr. Richard took a deep breath and clapped his hands once.

"Alright! Shall we proceed to the first phase of the semi-final?"

The chatter in the training room died instantly. Every student turned their attention to him, the air thickening with anticipation. Marcus and Anna were sent out of the ring—they had already earned automatic qualification into the semi-final based on their accumulated points in the tournament.

That left three contenders standing inside the ring: Uche, Elion, and Damon.

Damon, the tall boy with the sharp, chiseled features, immediately drew Uche's attention. His long black hair swept backward, with a few strands falling over his left eye, giving him a dark, mysterious look. His demeanor was calm yet intimidating, and the faint smirk that played on his lips made it impossible to read his thoughts.

Mr. Richard paced slowly around the ring, his tone turning serious.

"We only need four people in the semi-final,"

He began.

"But right now, we have five. So, what do we do?"

He paused, looking each of them in the eye.

"Eliminate one person, of course."

A murmur of excitement rippled through the onlookers.

Mr. Richard raised a hand to quiet them. "But I can't just eliminate anyone like that. It wouldn't be fair. So, there will be a fair match to determine who stays and who leaves."

He gestured toward Marcus and Anna standing outside the ring.

"These two have already qualified. They've earned more points than the rest of you combined. That leaves the three of you to fight for the remaining two spots."

He smiled faintly, though his eyes remained cold and serious.

"Here are the rules,"

He said.

"You can only be eliminated through knockout or by giving up. The match will last ten minutes. Once one person is eliminated, the remaining two will qualify for the semi-final. However."

He raised a finger,

"If one of you manages to eliminate both opponents within that time, then that person will advance straight to the final."

The students murmured in shock. Even Marcus's brows lifted slightly at that.

Mr. Richard continued.

"And lastly… if no one is eliminated within the ten minutes, all three of you will be disqualified, and Marcus and Anna will advance directly to the final. Understood?"

The training room went silent.

Uche swallowed hard.

'Damn, this man is crazy,'

He thought. His pulse quickened as he glanced at his opponents. He could already feel Elion's gaze locked on him—hungry, focused, and filled with hostility.

Elion's expression was tense, his mind racing.

'One person has to be eliminated within ten minutes… or we're all out. But if I'm fast enough, I could take out two and head straight to the final.'

His eyes darted toward Uche again. He knew Uche was strong, but he didn't really think of him as a problem here, the person he's wary of here is Damon, he knew the boy's strength.

Meanwhile, Damon stood quietly, his arms crossed, his expression unreadable. The faint glint in his eyes showed that he had already analyzed both of them. His calmness was unsettling.

The biggest challenge wasn't just the opponents—it was the mode of elimination. Since a knockout or surrender were the only valid ways to lose, they couldn't rely on ring-outs like before. The match wasn't just about strength anymore—it was about strategy, control, and survival.

And the ring itself was different from what they were used to. This one was elevated, encircled by glowing red symbols etched into the floor, forming a barrier. The glow pulsed faintly like a heartbeat, warning them that stepping out of the boundary wouldn't be possible this time.

Mr. Richard raised his hand and gave a sharp nod.

"Your time starts now."

A heavy silence filled the room as the timer began to tick.

The three fighters spread out, each taking a corner of the ring. Their gazes locked, the tension so thick it could be felt by everyone watching. None of them wanted to make the first move.

Elion's eyes were fixed on Uche. Damon's were, too. And Uche, caught between their stares, could already tell what was coming.

'Can these idiots be any more predictable?'

He thought, suppressing a smirk. He could practically feel their intentions. They were both planning to take him out first.

'Of course they'd go for me,'

He mused inwardly.

'The easiest way to increase your chances eliminate the middle threat first.'

His body tensed, ready for anything.

Elion broke the silence first.

"Hey, Uche,"

He said, his voice calm but sharp.

"You know… we could team up to take down Damon first."

He tilted his head toward the tall boy, his lips curling slightly.

Damon only chuckled in response, the sound low and menacing.

"Uche, you know he's just trying to use you,"

He said coolly.

"Once I'm down, he'll turn on you next. You already know how much he hates you. How about we take him out together?"

Uche looked from one to the other. His lips twitched into a faint, dangerous smile. The whole thing felt almost amusing now—the way both of them were trying to manipulate the situation in their favor.

"Now this is getting interesting,"

He muttered under his breath.

He tilted his head slightly, his tone calm and mocking as he said,

"How about this, why don't you two team up against me?"

A collective gasp ran through the crowd. Even Mr. Richard's brows rose slightly in surprise.

Uche's dark smile widened.

"Yeah,"

He said quietly, rolling his shoulders as he dropped into a fighting stance.

"That way, I can knock both of you out at once and get to the final faster."

For a moment, neither Damon nor Elion moved. Then, as if on cue, they both lunged forward at the same time.

Uche reacted instantly, ducking beneath Elion's first strike and sidestepping Damon's kick with a sharp pivot. The sound of air whistled past his ear as Damon's leg sliced through the space where his head had been a second ago.

He smirked, spinning low and kicking Elion's leg from underneath him. Elion stumbled but quickly regained his balance, his eyes narrowing.

The clash continued in a blur of movement fists, feet, and reflexes blending into a deadly dance. The audience could barely keep up.

Mr. Richard's sharp eyes followed every motion, his expression unreadable. He could tell that Uche wasn't just fighting back he was analyzing. Every dodge, every strike, every counter was calculated. He was studying both of them, waiting for an opening big enough to exploit.

Elion struck again, aiming a high kick at Uche's temple, but Uche blocked it with his forearm and retaliated with a fast jab to the ribs. Damon seized the opportunity to grab Uche from behind, but Uche twisted, using Damon's momentum to flip him over his shoulder.

The crowd erupted in shouts.

Uche took a step back, breathing heavily but smirking.

"Come on,"

He taunted.

"That all you got?"

Elion wiped the corner of his mouth where blood had started to drip, his expression darkening. Damon pushed himself to his feet, his mysterious calm replaced with a faint look of irritation.

For a split second, the two opponents exchanged glances. Then, without words, they attacked together again.

The match was only three minutes in. Seven minutes left, and already, the energy in the room was electric.

Mr. Richard watched, expressionless but secretly impressed.

Now this… this is what I call a real semi-final.