A Test of Limits

Fukui and I arrived at the match area. He gave me a cold look as if I've done something horrible to him in the past.

"G-Good luck," I said to Fukui, trying to move myself away from fear.

Fukui stared at me.

"What could the head possibly see in you," Fukui thought.

Fukui continued to stare at me and, later, pointed at me.

"I will prove that you have no place in this academy," he said.

I started to sweat, "This means he's not gonna hold back."

Daichi-sensei raised his hand, "Your Match will start…."

I got into a Left Lead Stance I've seen on the internet, while Fukui stood there, not fazed at all.

"Now!"

I hesitated to move.

"Why is he just standing there?" I questioned. "Does he want me to attack him?"

I didn't know whether to attack him or wait for him to attack me.

"What's wrong?" Fukui asked.

I was still unable to move, "Is it a trap? Does he want to test my strength?"

I looked down to the ground, clenching my fist, "S-Shit. I'm overthinking this too much."

I looked back up at Fukui, "I'll just attack him, and improvise from there."

I channeled my broken ki to my fists, and rushed over to Fukui. He continued to stay still.

"You may want to move, Fukui!" I yelled as I got ready to strike.

"Move?" Fukui said, as he raised his hand toward me.

"You move"

"Broken Arts: Command"

Fukui swiped his hand to the left and my entire body redirected itself to his hand movement.

"W-what?" I questioned as I plummeted to the ground.

"My body moved against its will," I said, confused, trying to lift myself off the ground.

"It is the work of my broken art, Command. I can control all objects and living beings to my liking," he responded as he walked towards me.

I felt hopeless. There was no way I could defeat him in my current state.

He stomped on my head, and kicked me back to the ground.

"I-I have to find a way to counter his technique—"

My left hand, then, moved on its own, and punched my face.

"Augh," I grunted.

I continued to punch myself, unable to stop. Bruises started forming, and blood started dripping from my face. I fell to the ground.

"Should I stop the match?" Daichi-sensei wondered, hesitating to raise his hand.

Fukui stared at me with pure shame.

"So there really isn't anything special about you," Fukui said, dissatisfied.

I stare up into the ceiling of the room, twitching.

"Daichi-sensei is gonna call the match if I just lay here," I said. "But there's nothing I can do to beat him."

"He said his broken art can control objects and even people."

"But there has to be some type of flaw to his technique."

I painfully got up from the ground just as Daichi-sensei was about to call the match.

"He can still get up?" Fukui thought.

"Do you not understand how my broken art works?" Fukui asked. "You're just leading yourself into greater demise."

Fukui moved his hands swiftly, and I started to uncontrollably punch myself in the face again. I kneeled on the ground, wiping the blood off my face.

After countless blows to the face and observing Fukuis movements, I finally figured out how to counter his broken art. 

Every time his hands made a gesture, I would also be affected, though that's not entirely the case.

It's his eyes.

His eyes have been completely locked on to mine since he used his broken art, so I'm guessing he needs to lock his eyes on his target's eyes to use it.

I get up from the ground once more.

"Just give up already," Fukui said, annoyed.

I wiped the blood off my face, sweating all over.

"I have to reach a speed that his eyes can't follow," I thought. "Though can I really pull that off? What if I fail to do it?"

"Tsk. I have to stop overthinking things and just do it," I told myself.

"Instead of channeling my broken ki to my fists, I'll channel it to my legs, so I can boost my speed!"

The ground started to crumble as I got ready to boost myself towards Fukui.

"Here goes nothing," I smiled nervously.

I dashed towards Fukui, faster than I've ever been.

However, Fukui lifts his hand and moves it towards the ground, plummeting me to it.

"Tsk. I'm still not fast enough. I need to channel more broken ki."

I tried again, but he still managed to see me and dropped me to the ground again.

"I need to channel even more"

I tried again, but he, yet again, managed to see me, and dropped me into the ground for the third time.

"More!"

I continue trying, channeling more and more of my broken ki.

"More!"

"More!"

"More!"

"Even More!"

"What's up with this guy?" Fukui questioned. "Why does he keep standing up every time I send him to the ground?"

"Over and over and over and over and over again," Fukui said, pissed.

Fukui lifted his hand up.

"JUST STAY ON THE DAMN GROUND!" Fukui yelled as he moved his hand towards the ground, intensely.

I plummeted into the ground harder than before.

"Arrghh," I grunted, coughing up blood.

"Did that finish him?" Fukui asked, unsure.

"I—"

"How is he—" Fukui said, looking down at me.

"I-I will not lose to you," I yelled as I got up from the ground once again.

It was getting harder, and more painful to channel my broken ki to my legs. Though I cleared my mind, and focused on my target, Fukui, blocking any distractions out.

I tried as hard as I could and managed to channel even more broken ki.

"T-this will surely counter your broken art" I said, barely conscious.

I boosted myself, leaving a completely destroyed floor behind.

"HOW THE HELL DO YOU KEEP ON STANDING!??" Fukui yelled as he lifted his hand towards me.

As he was about to control my body, I disappeared from his sight.

"Huh? Where did he go?" Fukui questioned, starting to sweat a bit.

"I'm right here," I said, appearing right in front of him.

I channeled my broken ki to my fists and punched him right in the face. He fell to the ground.

We weren't near the red line, so I covered his eyes with my hands to stop him from using his broken art.

"Huh.."

There was a moment of silence.

"How did he get there so quickly?" Fukui questioned.

"Wait. I'm just not thinking about it correctly."

"Every time I dropped him into the ground, he seemed to get faster, though I didn't notice since I was blinded by my cockiness."

"This all led up to my defeat huh," Fukui thought. "Kaitou, you're pretty strong, I'll give you that."

Fukui smiled as he laid on the ground.

"I forfeit," Fukui announced to Daichi-sensei.

Daichi-sensei raised up his hand.

"Well then, Kaitou is the winner of this match!" Daichi-sensei replied.

"I won?" I thought, losing consciousness. "I Can't—feel my legs—"

I fell to the ground, besides Fukui.

"He pushed himself past his limits. His legs seem to be broken. He won't be able to participate in the final round," Daichi-sensei told the school nurse.

"He did a good job finding a way to counter Fukui's broken art regarding his low experience. You may have also made a new friend," Daichi-sensei said, smiling.

Daichi-sensei looked at Akira, still laying on the ground.

"She needs to be trained more. Her broken art can be useful for future missions, but she doesn't know its full extent."

"Also take her," Daichi-sensei told the nurse, pointing at Akira.

Shoota looked at Fukui getting up and walking past him towards the door.

"Tsk," Shoota grunted after seeing the results of the match. "Couldn't even beat the small fry."