Josh approached the field as the announcers introduced him and his opponent, a plastic elemental named Lance who got lucky in his last match. Cal was worried, but hoped that Josh's training with Kent would mean that he could handle it.
They stood apart and then the horn sounded, starting the match. Josh tried for a quick end by zapping the ground, but Lance insulated himself. After that, Josh tried to just fight him. He threw punched and tried to get a good hold on him, but Lance made his insulation into something like armor. Josh tried to get a bolt of electricity to Lance through the small holes that he had to breathe through, but his insulating armor shifted and the bolt would have had to go through a maze of small tubes and holes.
Josh fought more, but after a few minutes of struggling he was pushed out of the circle and the horn sounded the end of the match.
"Damn. Figures they match the electric elemental with a plastic elemental. You put up a good fight Josh." Cal and Kent said to Josh once he got back to his seat.
"Yeah. I didn't stand much of a chance." Josh said, clearly a little bummed out.
They all went to get food to cheer him up and then went back to their seats to get ready for Kent's match. Cal noticed that Sarah had a worried look on her face.
"What's wrong?" He asked her.
"I was thinking about what Kent said about the elementals that could hunt you down if your powers are exposed," She explained. "You have to win if you want to stop them, but you can't use your full powers. It's like you have to win in order to win,"
Cal nodded, sharing her worries.
"And it isn't like you can take the offensive or something, because they could be anyone. You can't just hide or run either, because then you would forfeit the tournament." She continued.
"No need to stress him out," Josh elbowed her teasingly. "Jeez, poor guy has enough on his plate."
Cal laughed. "I will be fine. I just need to make it look like I am only a water elemental and then win."
Kent was at the field now, his opponent approaching. Cal, Sarah, and Josh spoke at the same time. "Oh no."
His opponent was Curtis Torrens. He was probably the most powerful elemental that Cal knew besides himself. His affinity is for explosions, which is a powerful element as it is, but Curtis is also very clever. His control is so precise that he can make a set of tiny explosions that will break any of the bones in your body without damaging anything else. He can make the explosions anywhere, even with out line of sight, and can use the explosions to nullify others and make them into precise shapes, almost like a breaching charge.
The horn sounded and Cal noticed that his knuckles were white as he clutched the armrests. Kent was gone by the time he looked back up.
Cal had expected Kent to focus on doing things the way that he had done when he fought Cal. Cal expected him to try to get Curtis in some sort of hold, and then find that Curtis didn't need to see or move his arms to make the explosions. Instead, Kent had immediately moved quickly and unpredictably. You see him for the blink of an eye and then he is somewhere else. This means that Curtis can't get him, even though he can see him.
Curtis tried to outsmart Kent by creating a blanket of explosions all over the field, but Kent has flown above Curtis instead. The explosions didn't hit Kent and he was able to get behind Curtis and hit him with a powerful blast of air.
Curtis flew towards the edge of the field, but stopped himself with a series of explosions, almost like his hands were rockets. He turned to fight back, but when he looked toward the center of the field, Kent was nowhere to be seen. He looked left and right unable to find Kent. since Kent was really behind him standing just inside the circle.
As Curtis finally looked behind himself and towards the edge of the field, Kent spun around with him, staying behind him, and then gave Curtis another push. This time Curtis couldn't react fast enough and flew off the field.
The horns sounded and they announced that Kent had won. The crowd erupted into cheers. In just a few seconds he had taken down the most menacing champion of the tournament, completely unharmed. Sarah, Cal, and Josh shouted their congratulations and clapped loudly.
Before Kent could get to his seat, they all grabbed him into a hug and congratulated him on the incredible show.
"I can't believe you beat him! I didn't even know that Cal could beat him!" Sarah told him.
"That was incredible! You didn't even get hit!" Josh said.
"That was really something. I guess I better be worried about you." Cal said with a laugh and shook Kent's hand.
They all celebrated at the fountain, Josh running through the play-by-play again, incredulous at what had happened. A few other people joined them, some friends of Sarah or Josh, others friends of Kent, and a few who were just really impressed by the match.
Cal let go of the responsibilities and the stress about people who want him dead and the worries about hurting others, and just tried to enjoy himself. He relaxed and laughed along with everyone else, enjoying this moment of rest.
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