Melvin, the half-bent mountain, slowly righted himself back towards his proper bearing. During his rise, he continued to gaze at Hayate. Every centimetre he crossed, his chin would elevate further, his eyebrows would minimally increase in constriction, and his eyes would apathetically and disdainfully look down. 

There was a moment of silence. Only the carefully muffled breathing noises by Melvin could be heard. 

Melvin then removed his lingering gaze from Hayate and surveyed his condition in an elusive manner. He groaned when he noticed how devastated he was. Acute pain could be felt around his ribcage, and his arms were very weak. He had definitely broken a few bones. Surprisingly, the majority of his lower half was comparatively much better. There were only rips and tears in his clothing, some bloodstains, and a few cuts. No broken bones in all likelihood. Most of the concerning cuts were seen as gashes in the upper half, notably one of his cheeks.

Turning towards the surroundings, he uncannily scanned the arena. The anomalous actions from Melvin left the audience blink in confusion. Onlookers behind Hayate could tell that he was not looking at Hayate but rather towards them . . . ?

Melvin aloud began to mutter to himself in a derogatory cold voice. "No. . .Could it be . . . where this Serven is standing is in the trajectory of the prevailing wind?" He met Hayate's eyes. "Hayate, you truly are blessed by mother nature."

Hayate had managed to reach an equanimity from the past moments of silence, but it was gone out of the window in no time. 

"Now that I recall, I saw some odd hand movements? How diligent! I must say my eyes are opened. To train in front of 90,000 watchers on stage during the tournament, truly praiseworthy. As expected from the young prodigy of the Swamp. Unless those actions . . . were intended for something else?"

Melvin's poor, but vicious, acting performance made Hayate cough out blood. The audience, too, wanted to cough out blood. The mother of Jenny . . . was actually impressed. If Dalis had heard this clearly, he would be enraged at his amateur performance and cruel disrespect. However, he would have to give credit for his accomplishment: succeeding to provoke and madden his adversary to the point of inducing him to cough out blood. 

"Melvin you . . . !" Profane words he had heard from others rose to his mind. Hayate was so pissed that he may swear for the very first time in his life. 

"Hmph! If you wished to exchange blows then simply do so. This Serven had been graciously patient. It reminds me of that pesky insect who enjoys toying with his opponents! Cunning and too intimidated to face this Melvin fairly."

Dalis felt an ill omen struck him.

(As expected from trash. What's in the trash comes out the trash. Rubbish.) Somehow, Dalis had captured every word, tone, and implication of his spouted rubbish. It really was mysterious how he managed to do so. It was very difficult from his position.  

"Oh ho? What a surprise? I too, had been graciously patient waiting for your move. Understandably, you were unable to take in the whole picture into mind." Hayate shook his head up and down. Afterwards, he shifted his attention to the spectators and then to the judge. "Understand now imbecile?"

"AGHRR!" The judge, also, coughed out blood. 

Hayate and Melvin did not need to turn to know the judge's exasperated state. 

They immediately went serious. 

"Imbecile, are you earnestly attempting to face me in your pathetic state of affairs?"

The air went deathly still. 

Chilling winds from Hayate's control swirled around Melvin, coldly sweeping. The subject felt his wounds sting in sour pain; currents disdainfully tormented him at the subject of pleading mercy. 

"I am Melvin Serven . . ."

*rumble* *rumble* *rumble* 

Low quakes rumbled his innards, boiling and sending fire alarms ringing in his whole body.

"What are you . . . ?" Hayate frowned as he saw Melvin's wounds worsen. Blood intensely seeped, dripping small canals of red to the floor. He was not responsible for this.

"A Serven of the Great Serven Family . . ."

*crack* *crack* *crack* *CRACK*

Steady, low crackling noises surfaced. Bites of space appeared to be torn asunder.

( I'm losing control of the winds . . . ?) Hayate felt the winds gradually fall from his grasp. To be precise, he could not manipulate the air around Melvin. Every time he tried, the winds would violently shred apart. 

*sizzle* *CRACK* *sizzle* *CRACK*

White, sparkling bolts streamed and sizzled out, shocking the circumference in its wake. 

"Electricity? No that can not be it. It must be . . ." Hayate gasped with unease. 

"Lightning!! That kid from the Orphanage knows how to use lightning!!" a knight exclaimed. 

"How rare! To be able to use lightning at his age . . . but can he really control it?" a butcher cried. 

"Haaaaaa . . . Haaaaaa . . . Haaaaaa . . ." Melvin forced his turbulent muscles to relax and his lungs to deeply exhale.

(Hey hey hey hey hey! Wretch, are you trying to kill yourself? There's no way you can use lightning in your wretched state.) The judge's mood flipped a one-eighty. This was not a moment to be begrudging. 

Hayate wordlessly bolted towards Melvin. Gusts of winds aligned and aided his gallops. It was so fucking fast that hardly anybody had even seen what happened.

Melvin became startled. Hayate was an arm-span away from him. 

(HAYATEEEEE!!!!!!!)

"VANQUISH STYLE: AIR PALM STRIKE!"

 

***

 

Time froze, for what seemed an eternity.  

The crowd held their breath.

Two figures stood.

And then one figure dropped.

A piercing cry remained left unheard. 

Only, to be swallowed into the sinking of the dirt.

Utter disbelief and regret were all forcefully sent to the dark.

Hayate had . . .

Won.  

 

***

 

"You don't need to be so worried Stilla. I've been told that Melvin's condition is thankfully better than expected. He will just need to recuperate for a while," Sister Edna reassured Stilla. 

"Sister Edna . . . perhaps you should wait in the hospital? I will keep an eye on the children as well as the following matches."

"Thank you Dalis. But It's alright. It's my duty as a Sister to look after all of my children."

"Sister Edna, I understand that. However . . ." Dalis concernedly peered over to her. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly. 

"That naughty, stupid little brother . . ." Stilla muttered with pouting lips.

"Stilla?" Dalis uttered.

"I'm going to beat Melvin up and teach him a lesson."

"Sounds good. Go for it."

"Huh?! Isn't that Melvin?" Allen stood up and swung his body to the side. 

A tall, young blonde male figure wrapped in fresh white gauzes and bandages could be seen dallying on the stairs. He had his back turned, and he seemed to be heading in the direction of the exit. When he noticed all the perplexed stares and exchanged eyes with one in particular, he began to fluster, flounder, and limp away. 

"Hold on. Why does it look like he's trying to leave?" Sienna commented.  

"Heya Melvin!!" Allen shouted.

As if that was some kind of trigger, Melvin increased his scrambling movements.

Everyone was confused. What was happening? Why is he moving away from us?

(Fuck. To think that I, Melvin Serven, am forced to—)

Melvin's train of thought was interrupted as brisk, hurried footsteps encroached him from behind.

"Meeeeellllvvviiiiinnnn! ^O^"

When he turned around, he was caught in a solid warm embrace from a robust, slender, cute girl. 

"You're alright Melvin! You're alright Melvin!"

"Stilla, we are all delighted that he is well but ummm . . . I think you should let go of him now." 

Stilla leaned her head off from Melvin's chest and eyeballed the wincing Sister Edna in a puzzled manner. 

After turning back to Melvin . . .

she saw no Melvin. 

She saw a dead Melvin. 

"Oh no! Melvin did I hurt you?" Stilla hurriedly removed him from her embrace. 

"I—I—I am in good health Stilla. Do not worry big sister." Melvin felt like he was dead but staring at her adorable eyes, how can he tell the truth? He will gladly continue to bullshit.

"Pfft." 

Melvin's insect detectors were signalling, and he immediately locked onto the bug. He saw him aside, Sister Edna. Although most of his tilted head was concealed from view due to Sister Edna, he can see through it with ease as if he had x-ray. A clenched fist was without question hovering below his mandibles in mirth. Melvin swore he will pay him back ten times!

"Jeez, you had us really worried! I'm glad you're in good health!" 

"Of Cou—" Melvin was readily about to reply, but an involuntary shiver ran down his spine. He cast his mind back to the words he caught from Stilla. (Fuck! I must make haste! No, consider rationally . . . would Stilla pummel me in my awful state?) The matter that pained him the most was that there was no straight yes or no answer. 

"Melvin, Shouldn"t there be someone to accompany you?"

Melvin's seminal deliberation was cut short from an unexpected interjection. He saw Sang-jin Wi and Alexia approach him. Melvin's mood was appended with distaste.

"And why would I need someone to accompany myself?"

" . . . " 

Sang-jin Wi was not by oneself. Almost everyone had some kind of idea as to why he was alone, including the readers. 

"Crap! We are going to miss Jessica's match!" Allen broke the atmosphere and darted to Melvin. He wanted to lend a shoulder to Melvin.

(Allen. You are a good lad.) Dalis was in a great mood. Allen's actions evoked him to say a line that Halio may say. 

Melvin appreciatively accepted the kind gesture. 

"That ignoramus . . . how did he fare?"

"Ara?" A derisive look and a hint of mildly repressed anger crossed her face. Out of all the people here, he solicited her, of course, using the word “ignoramus”. 

"You wish to know . . . ?"