Journey of the Scholar

Yura's footsteps echoed in the dim chamber as she neared the 4-turn Miraculous Orb, her eyes fixed on its radiant glow.

The orb was everything they had fought for—the key to limitless power, the chance to rewrite their destinies. But just as she reached out, ready to claim it, two shadows appeared from the side, blocking her path.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" a deep voice echoed through the chamber, laced with menace.

Yura froze, her hand still in midair.

She spun around and her heart sank at the sight. Standing before her were the notorious Twin Ogre Blade—two hulking figures, notorious for their ruthlessness and cunning. She thought they had been eliminated during the Bell Trial.

"You…!" Yura's voice trembled in shock. "Weren't you two eliminated back in the Bell Trial? How are you here?"

The taller of the two, Garok, grinned widely, flashing a row of sharp teeth. His twin, Rarok, let out a low chuckle, his eyes glinting with malicious intent.

"Eliminated? Oh, no, little girl," Garok sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. "While everyone was busy scrambling in the chaos of the trial, we merely... stepped aside. Let you all deal with the mess."

"Waited for the perfect moment," Rarok added, his voice quieter but equally menacing. "And now here we are, for the grand prize."

Yura's hands clenched into fists, anger bubbling up inside her. "You cowards! You hid like rats while the rest of us fought our way through, and now you think you can claim the orb?"

Garok smirked, crossing his arms. "Ignorant as always, Yura. Haven't you learned by now? In this world, it's not the strongest or the most righteous who survive. It's those who know when to strike. You've been running around playing hero while we've been planning."

Rarok nodded, his eyes narrowing. "Survival of the fittest, Yura. We let you fight for us, thinning the competition. Now it's our turn."

Yura's lips curled in disgust. "You think you're fit for anything? Hiding in the shadows, waiting for someone else to do the hard work. You're not fittest—you're the lowest."

Garok's smile faded, replaced with cold anger. "Call it what you want, but in the end, the winner writes the story. The weak die forgotten, and the strong take what they deserve."

Yura's fingers brushed the hilt of her sword, her eyes narrowing. "I'd like to see you try."

"Gladly," Garok hissed, unsheathing his massive blade, which gleamed under the dim light. "I've been waiting to carve up that pretty little face of yours for a long time."

Rarok mirrored his brother, drawing his own sword, slightly smaller but no less deadly. "She's as ignorant as ever, Garok. Let's show her how the real world works."

Yura drew her own sword in a swift motion, the blade shimmering as she infused it with her qi. She had no time for their games or their philosophy. She was a fighter, and she would take them down, no matter the odds.

"Don't think for a second that your pathetic tricks will work on me!" Yura spat, her anger fueling her every word. "You may have slipped by the others, but you won't get past me."

Garok laughed, his voice booming through the chamber. "We'll see about that. Let's make this quick, Rarok."

Without warning, the twins charged at Yura, their massive swords swinging in unison. Yura barely had time to react, dodging to the side as Garok's blade slammed into the ground where she had stood, sending shards of rock flying.

Rarok followed up with a swift horizontal slash, but Yura parried it with her sword, the clang of metal against metal echoing in the chamber.

"Not bad," Garok grunted, twisting his blade for another strike. "But you're outnumbered, Yura. You can't win."

Yura gritted her teeth, her eyes blazing with determination. "I don't need numbers. I have something you two cowards lack—conviction!"

She pushed forward, her blade dancing with precise, powerful strikes. "Blazing Crescent!" Her sword arced through the air, a trail of golden light following the motion, aimed directly at Garok's chest. But Garok was quick, his massive blade rising to block the attack.

"You think conviction can beat strength?" Garok sneered as he deflected the blow, his muscles rippling as he shoved her back. "You're even dumber than I thought."

But Yura didn't back down. She twisted her body, using the momentum to swing her blade toward Rarok. "Strength is nothing without purpose!"

Rarok growled as he parried the strike, but Yura was relentless. Her movements were fast, fluid, and filled with a fury that the twin ogres hadn't anticipated.

"You're all bark and no bite!" Yura taunted, her sword clashing with theirs in a flurry of sparks. "You hide in the shadows because you know you can't win in the open!"

"Shut up!" Garok roared, swinging his sword in a wide arc. Yura leaped back, narrowly avoiding the deadly blade. Garok's face twisted in rage. "You don't know anything about survival!"

Yura smirked, her confidence growing with every strike she parried. "I know that only cowards rely on trickery. You're not survivors—you're parasites."

Garok's face flushed with fury, but before he could respond, Rarok lunged at Yura from the side, his sword slicing through the air with deadly precision.

Yura barely had time to block the strike, her arms shaking from the impact.

"She talks too much," Rarok hissed, his eyes gleaming with malice. "Time to shut her up."

"Gladly," Garok growled, swinging his sword down with all his strength.

Yura grunted as she pushed back against Rarok's attack, but Garok's incoming strike forced her to jump back, her feet skidding across the ground.

She was outnumbered, and the twin ogres weren't giving her any room to breathe. But she wasn't about to give up.

"You think you're the fittest?" Yura spat, breathing heavily. "The fittest are those who fight with honor, not those who cower in the dark!"

"Honor's a fool's game," Garok sneered. "All that matters is who's left standing."

Yura tightened her grip on her sword, her eyes blazing with fury. "Then I'll make sure it's me."

She charged at the twins, her sword gleaming with energy as she unleashed a flurry of attacks. "Blazing Phoenix Strike!" Her blade cut through the air like a streak of light, aimed directly at Rarok's chest. But the ogre twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the lethal blow.

"Too slow!" Rarok taunted, swinging his sword in retaliation. Yura ducked under the attack, her body moving with the grace of a dancer, her sword flashing as she struck back.

The chamber echoed with the sound of clashing metal as the three warriors fought, their blades flashing in the dim light.

Yura's heart pounded in her chest, but she didn't falter. She knew she was at a disadvantage, but she refused to let them win.

"You've always been too soft, Yura," Garok sneered as he swung his sword toward her. "Too focused on your stupid ideals."

"And you've always been too blind to see the truth," Yura shot back, deflecting his strike with a powerful parry. "The real strength comes from fighting for something greater than yourself!"

Garok snarled, his eyes burning with rage. "Enough of this!"

He swung his sword in a wide arc, but Yura was ready. She leaped into the air, her sword blazing with energy as she brought it down on him with all her strength.

"Blazing Sun Slash!"

The impact sent Garok stumbling back, his sword slipping from his grip. Yura landed gracefully, her eyes locked on the ogres, her breath steady.

"You're wrong about survival," Yura said, her voice calm but filled with resolve.

"It's not about stepping on others to get ahead. It's about standing your ground and fighting for what's right."

Garok's face twisted with fury, but before he could retort, Rarok stepped forward, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous light. "Let's finish this, brother."

With a menacing laugh, the twins charged at Yura once more, their blades gleaming in the dim light.

The battle was far from over.

_______

Outside the secret realm, the Raven Master sat perched atop a weathered boulder, chewing absentmindedly on a blade of grass. His long, flowing robe fluttered lazily in the breeze, and his eyes, half-closed, scanned the horizon with a look of sheer boredom.

He had an otherworldly presence about him, as was expected from a heavenly being like himself, but at the moment, the expression on his face was more akin to that of a man waiting for his laundry to dry.

"Ahh," he sighed dramatically, throwing his hands in the air. "The trials inside must be nearing their grand conclusion, the clash for the Four-Turn Miraculous Orb! I wonder who's winning... but if I wanted, I could simply pierce the veil of the secret realm and know in an instant."

He shifted his gaze toward the entrance of the realm, where faint flashes of light and rumblings could be seen from the ongoing battles. He smirked. "But where's the fun in that?"

The Raven Master lazily reclined against the rock, plucking another blade of grass. "What would be the point of watching them if I already knew the outcome? No suspense, no surprises, no... entertainment!"

He twirled the blade of grass between his fingers and laughed lightly to himself. "It's like reading the end of a novel first—such a silly thing to do."

Suddenly, his ears perked up. In the distance, a commotion was growing louder.

The Raven Master squinted, spotting a small crowd of villagers gathered near the edge of the plains, cheering and hollering in excitement. Curious, he stood up and dusted off his robes.

"What's all this then?" he muttered, sauntering over with an exaggerated stretch. His back cracked loudly, and he winced. "Ah, this mortal body's a bit stiff. I really should get a massage after this."

As he drew closer, he could see what the excitement was about.

A group of villagers was gathered around two burly men, both stripped to the waist and glaring at each other with fiery intensity.

They were preparing for a fistfight, apparently over a bet involving a cow—or maybe a chicken, the Raven Master wasn't entirely sure.

"Ahh, good ol' mortal squabbles," he said with an amused chuckle. "Always about the silliest things."

One of the burly men—let's call him Big Hogg—was boasting loudly about his unbeatable strength. The other, equally imposing—let's call him Little Hogg—was flexing his muscles and claiming he could knock a tree over with a single punch.

"Ten copper coins on Big Hogg!" someone in the crowd yelled.

"I'll put fifteen on Little Hogg!" another shouted.

The Raven Master watched the scene unfold, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm... I could step in, but that wouldn't be fair."

"My heavenly strength would turn this into a one-sided affair. Not to mention, I haven't thrown a proper punch in a thousand years. I'd probably miss."

His eyes sparkled with sudden mischief as he donned an exaggerated old man persona, complete with hunched posture and a raspy voice. "Well, well, well," he muttered to himself, hobbling closer to the crowd. "What do we have here? Two fine young lads duking it out for pride and pocket change?"

The villagers barely noticed him as he shuffled up to the edge of the ring. The Raven Master made a show of squinting at Big Hogg and Little Hogg, rubbing his eyes as if he were an ancient mortal with poor vision.

"Ohoho, I reckon that Big Hogg's got some fine shoulders on him!" he cackled to himself, loudly enough to catch a few curious glances. "But Little Hogg's got the speed, I can tell from here!"

One of the villagers turned to him, bemused. "Eh, who are you, old man?"

The Raven Master grinned, revealing a few "missing" teeth (he had temporarily concealed them with an illusion, of course).

"Just a humble wanderer, looking to see a good ol' brawl! Care to place a wager with this poor, defenseless senior?"

The villager raised an eyebrow. "How much you got?"

The Raven Master fumbled around in his oversized sleeves and produced a single copper coin, holding it up triumphantly. "One copper! I'll bet on Little Hogg!"

The crowd snickered, and the villager chuckled. "One copper? Sure, why not, old man. But don't cry when you lose."

"Oh, worry not about me," the Raven Master said, smiling innocently. "It's just for the thrill, after all."

The two combatants stepped forward, fists raised, ready to begin. The crowd hushed in anticipation, their excitement palpable.

"Go Big Hogg!" someone yelled.

"Little Hogg's gonna flatten him!"

The Raven Master leaned in closer, watching with amused interest as the two men charged at each other.

Big Hogg swung his fist with the force of a battering ram, but Little Hogg ducked just in time, delivering a swift jab to Big Hogg's ribs.

The crowd erupted in cheers, and the Raven Master clapped politely.

"Ah, the delicate art of pugilism," he muttered under his breath. "So… slow."

The two men exchanged blows, grunting and sweating as they fought. Little Hogg landed a few more hits, his speed clearly outmatching Big Hogg's brute strength.

But just as it seemed Little Hogg had the upper hand, Big Hogg caught him with a devastating punch to the gut, sending him staggering backward.

"Ohoho!" the Raven Master exclaimed, thoroughly entertained now. "Now this is getting interesting!"

But just as Big Hogg was about to deliver the finishing blow, Little Hogg twisted his body at the last second, narrowly avoiding the punch and tripping Big Hogg with a clever foot sweep. Big Hogg crashed to the ground, groaning in pain.

The crowd erupted in laughter and cheers, and the Raven Master cackled along with them. "What a twist! I love it! It's like watching a play, but with more bruises!"

The fight ended with Little Hogg standing victorious, and the villagers who had bet on him collected their winnings.

The Raven Master flipped his single copper coin to the villager he had bet with, smiling graciously. "A well-earned victory, young man."

The villager handed him a shiny silver coin in return, shaking his head in disbelief. "Guess the old man knows his stuff."

The Raven Master pocketed the silver coin with a wink. "Oh, just a lucky guess, my boy. Just a lucky guess."

As the crowd dispersed, the Raven Master turned his gaze back toward the secret realm, a mischievous grin playing on his lips. "Ah, it's good to let the mortals entertain me now and then. But now, let's see how my disciple is faring. I bet things are really heating up in there…"

But, of course, he resisted the urge to look. After all, what fun was knowing everything before it happened?