Bearable pain

" First, Rain against Linthorn then Lilith against Florate, Lyra against Steve, Nex against Dodge, Shevan against..."

"Combating each other?" Lilith scoffed "What a wonderful way to congratulate is for making it to the final level".

"Why so irritated Lilith" Florate's voie sounded a lot deeper than it was four years ago. He was now even taller with broader chest and shoulders and he looked very handsome as well. He had his muscled arm hung over Rain's shoulder and it seemed to be weighing her down but she didn't complain. "Are you scared that I will beat you" he smirked at her.

"Oh please" she snorts. "Get over yourself Florate. How about you try the other way around".

"Oh my, am scared" he mocked. "Just you wait, when it's the both of us within that circle l will make sure your tall body falls to the floor in the most painful way" he clenched his fists, with his green orbs glaring directly at her purple eyes and giving it a message he was very sure she could understand ;' I will beat you'.

They will still battling with their eyes before Rain suddenly pulled herself away from Florate's hold and gave him a peck on his cheeks, "wish me luck" she smiled before leaving both of them to continue with whatever it was they were doing. She was to begin the combat, her against Linthorn and she really wished she would win even though she was certain that would be by serious luck. She was not actually ready for this now and the last test they faced, the test of strength really took a lot out of her and it was barely a week ago. She knew she had internal injuries and was sure they would hurt so much now that she was about to fight with a strong competitor like Linthorn.

He was very strong and had a high level of endurance, agility and fighting skills. She could only overpower him by her fast thinking and smart decisions during battle and she knew this with the few times she had watched him fight and she could tell that he would beat her, if it would be a fight of pure strength and fight skills but she could turn the tables round if it goes beyond that.

She tighten her gi and stretched herself a bit in the middle splits, side splits both left and right and the leg raises too. She swung her arms nervously as looked at Linthorn who stood a few steps away from her also warming up for the combat. She breathed through her mouth as she stretched with her arms and feet getting cold from nervousness.

"Do you think she is fine?" Lilith asked Florate with concern as they both watched Rain while she warmed up for the match. "I don't think so" He answered, shaking his head. "You know she had severe injuries during the last test, and I am not sure she is fully recovered you know it has only been a few days". He sounded worried.

"Do you think we should tell the grand sensei to exclude her from the combat, she might cause more harm to herself and Linthorn is very strong too. Removing her from the combat is the right thing to do now" She suggested.

"You know Rain Lilith. She would never appreciate us giving her any special treatment. Let me talk to her first and get her consent on this, I would not like us having a fight" he said sensibly and Lilith only nodded. "OK" he walked away from her to meet with Rain who was squeezing her arms together like she was getting rid of the sudden cold.

"Hey" he held her waist and kissed her hair. "Are you OK?" he asked her maintaining eye contact with her ocean blue eyes. She looked more beautiful now than four years ago. What could he expect, she was eighteen now and was more matured and beautiful, and he loved her more each day.

"I am fine Florate" she kissed his chest which was the height she could get to. He was now taller and his deep voice made her heart dance whenever she heard him speak. "Stop getting worried about me" she smiled sweetly at him.

"I don't know Rain" he cupped her face. "You suffered from internal injury during the last test and I am sure the wound is yet to heal. Don't you think you should let this combat pass and get well first. I don't want you getting yourself harmed, plus Linthorn sure won't go easy on you". "I said I am fine Florate. I can do this, just trust me". She reassured him.

"Promise me you will quit once the pain becomes unbearable"

"I promise" she nodded to his words and hugged him tightly before walking into the circle.

"First, Rain and Linthorn. Take your stance" the sensei's voice came again to begin the combat as Rain and Linthorn were already within the circle. They bowed to each other and took their fighting pose with their fists clenched and their faces straightened. " You have five minutes for this combat, the winner would be judged by the results of your stats, not the fight itself. Get ready... Fight!". At the last order, Rain was still calm but Linthorn already made a move to give her a kick on the face with a loud yell. She saw the attack coming and she didn't stand there and let it hit her, she took few steps backwards, but not leaving the circle because she would be disqualified if she did. Her steps backwards made him loose balance and gave her upper hand at that moment. She gave him a crescent kick making the other rangers and sensei give her an uproar but she could not care less about acknowledgements now, Linthorn was still standing before her and she had to change that fact.

With an angered face and being, he punched her face had, making her stagger backwards. He took the opportunity to give her several punches in her stomach, making her spill blood from her mouth and fall to the floor.

"Rain!" Lilith and Florate gasped. "Linthorn that's enough" they pleaded from where they stood but he couldn't care less of what they thought, the combat was still on and he didn't plan on loosing. He stood there triumphantly, waiting for her to rise and she did. Her face was already cover in injuries and her lips and gi were covered in blood but she still did not quit. She raised her face to meet Florate's pleading eyes and his lips moving. He was saying something and she knew well what it was by just reading his lips. "Quit Rain. You promised". Yes she did promise, but the pain was still bearable and she wasn't planning on quitting anytime soon. She raised her eyes and saw the time, it was only two minutes remaining, she was sure she could keep up and stay till the end.

She rose fully, only to receive another kick from Linthorn which made her fall on the floor again, this time with her buttocks and it made her groan in pain. "Rain please!" Florate yelled again but Rain didn't listen to him. She stood again to attack Linthorn this time with an axe kick but he caught her leg mid air and gave her a hard elbow on the face and two punches in her abdomen where she had the internal injury.

She cried out in pain as blood spilled from her mouth again. "Spare yourself the pain and quit Rain" Linthorn said to her like he cared. Actually, he did. He and Rain may not be good friends but he hated hurting her as he was doing now but winning the combat meant more to him. "Never!" she spat at him. "Suit yourself then" he give her another kick which he dodged by falling to the splits and giving him a hard blow on his abdomen like he did to her. He groaned in pain but wasn't maim yet. He pulled her up from her neck and punched her face so hard that she was sure she had a broken nose and she lost balance so she just fell to the floor like a tree lying lifeless.

"It is only twenty seconds left" Lilith gasped with relief. "She could not bare to see Rain get hit again and she only hoped Linthorn would give up already and let her be. They were all very sure that Rain was now too weak to attack Linthorn and by look of things, he won. So he just stand in wait while the time becomes late.

But surprisingly, he still made an attack move to where Rain lay lifeless. "Is he mad?!" Florate would have entered the circle and to beat Linthorn up if only it wouldn't get Rain disqualified. "What is he trying to do, it's just twelve seconds remaining!" he yelled in pain of how he was going to hurt Rain next.

"Ten seconds you mean" Lilith corrected. "Stop already Linthorn" but he wouldn't heed. He direcly before the seriously injured Rain. He looked at her for few seconds and made to give her another hard blow at when the time was already five seconds. But to everyone's surprise, Rain still had life in her. She grabbed his leg with her right arm first, then with her left before turning over and crossing her legs between his. With that strong hold, she was able to pull him down, taking him off balance as his head fell to the floor in a loud thud immediately the time hit zero.

"The match is over" the sensei announced, followed with an uproar. Linthorn looked unconscious while Rain tried to get up. She looked around her and spotted Lilith and Florate running towards her. She wanted to run to them as well but was too weak to, so she just smile at them after which she felt a bit dizzy and she collapsed.

"Rain!" Florate felt like he was loosing it. Did she just collapse before him?. He rushed and raised her head up. "Rain, Rain are you alright?"

"She is still breathing" Lilith announced joyfully. "Good. You stupid girl" he looked at Rain with so much concern. "I asked you to quit but you chose to out do yourself" he buried his face in her hair.

"The match shall be judged later after the two competitors have been attended to. Next Florate against Lilith"

"We are next" Lilith gasped.

"Well I am not ready to leave Rain's side now" He said bluntly not even looking at her. Just then, the clinic nurses came with their stretchers to carry Rain and Linthorn out of the circle. "You can follow me to the clinic to be with her if you so wish" the nurse offered and Florate took it with a joyful heart but his name and Lilith's were called again to begin their combat.

"I am so sorry nurse but it is my time to combat. I will come to check on her once my match is over". He pecked her forehead before letting the nurses take her then he went off to get prepared and ready for his match.

"I will go with you nurse" Nex walked into the discussion. "My time to combat is not yet close and I would like to be with Rain too". He smiled.

"Good then, follow me"...