EPISODE 20 —REMAIN MY RIVAL

# THE FALLEN LIGHT — SEASON I

## CHAPTER 20 — REMAIN MY RIVAL

BAM!

Percy's fist... Landed square on Arthur's face. Arthur was lifted off his feet. One meter. Two. Three. Four.

BOOOOM!

His back slammed into the arena wall. The stone cracked. Arthur fell to the ground. The arena... Was silent.

Completely.

Percy remained where he stood. His fist was still clenched. Arthur wasn't moving.

Wycliffe raised his hand.

"Match—"

"The match isn't over yet."

Wycliffe paused. The entire arena looked at Percy.

Charlotte's eyes widened.

William:

"...What is he doing?"

Richard Green stood up. Eleanor's expression turned serious. Holar was watching Percy. As for Galahad... He smiled.

Then he turned his head. He looked at Clara. Charlotte looked too. William.

Holar. Eleanor.

After a moment... Clara noticed.

"Why are you all looking at me?"

No one answered.

Clara:

"What?"

Galahad laughed. He reached out. He ruffled Clara's hair.

"HEY!"

Galahad:

"It was obvious he did all of that for you."

Clara's face... Instantly turned bright red.

"WHAT?!"

Charlotte burst out laughing. William turned his head away. But his shoulders were trembling. Eleanor was laughing openly.

Even Holar was smirking.

Clara:

"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!"

Charlotte:

"Of course."

"IT'S NOT!"

William:

"Nobody said anything."

"YOU'RE LAUGHING!"

"That's not saying anything."

Clara looked around. Everyone... Was looking at her. And... Laughing. Clara's face turned even redder.

Then... It slipped out of her mouth.

"I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!"

Silence.

Clara's eyes widened. Charlotte's mouth fell open. William slowly turned to Clara.

Galahad's eyebrows raised. Eleanor... Froze. The corner of Holar's mouth turned up.

Clara covered her mouth with both hands.

"I..."

Down in the arena, Percy... Just as he was about to speak, he stopped. He slowly looked toward the stands. He saw Clara.

For a second.

Then... He smiled.

"You finally confessed."

Clara:

"WHAT?!"

Percy:

"You can't do without me."

The arena burst into laughter.

Clara sprang up.

"NO!"

Percy's smile widened.

Clara:

"I DIDN'T SAY THAT!"

Silence.

William:

"...You did."

Clara:

"I DID NOT!"

She suddenly pointed at Charlotte.

"SHE MADE ME SAY IT!"

Charlotte's eyes went wide.

"WHAT DID I DO?!"

Clara:

"YOU!"

Charlotte:

"I WAS JUST SITTING HERE!"

Clara looked at Percy. Then at Charlotte. Back to Percy. Back to Charlotte.

"IT'S HER FAULT!"

Eleanor burst out laughing.

Holar:

"Eleanor."

Eleanor, with tears in her eyes:

"Finally..."

She tried to catch her breath.

"...finally they're going back to how they used to be."

Clara:

"MOM!"

Percy was laughing too.

Then... He opened his mouth.

"I missed you too—"

Silence.

CLARA FROZE.

Charlotte's laughter cut off instantly. William's eyebrow raised. Galahad's head... Slowly turned toward Percy.

Eleanor's eyes widened.

Holar:

"...Hmm."

Even Richard Green in the opposite stands... Looked at Percy. Clara's face was no longer just red. ON TOP OF THE RED...

WAS AN UNKNOWN SHADE.

"You missed me WHAT?!"

Percy didn't answer. Because... Arthur had moved. The amusement on Percy's face disappeared.

He turned back around.

Clara:

"PERCY!"

Percy began walking.

Clara:

"YOU DIDN'T FINISH YOUR SENTENCE!"

Galahad couldn't hold back his laughter anymore.

Charlotte:

"GET BACK HERE, GRANT!"

William:

"I think he did that on purpose."

Clara turned to him.

"WHAT?!"

William:

"Nothing."

Arthur, against the wall... Had raised his head. He was conscious. Percy stopped in front of him.

Wycliffe stepped forward. Richard did as well. Eleanor's face turned serious again.

But... Percy didn't attack Arthur. He knelt down. And... He placed his hand on Arthur's head.

The arena fell silent.

Galahad's laughter stopped.

Richard:

"Percy?"

Holar stood up. Percy didn't answer.

Wycliffe raised his hand.

"Let no one interfere."

Richard looked at him. Wycliffe kept his eyes fixed on Percy.

"Percy has never been someone like that."

Holar slowly sat back down. Eleanor waited as well. Percy closed his eyes.

A deep breath.

"Absolute..."

The entire arena froze. Clara's eyes widened.

Galahad stood up.

Charlotte:

"Cancel?"

William:

"What is he going to cancel?"

Holar leaned forward.

Eleanor whispered.

"Why would he use **[Absolute Cancel]** now?"

Beneath Percy's palm... A light formed.

But... This wasn't Cancel.

Percy:

"...Heal."

WHOOM.

A silent light... Spread across Arthur's body. Everyone fell silent. The blood on Arthur's lip... Vanished.

His swollen eye... Slowly returned to normal. The wound on his nose sealed shut. The cuts on his arms... Disappeared one by one.

The bruises on his ribs... Were wiped away. Arthur's breathing stabilized. Wycliffe's mouth parted slightly.

Richard... Was staring at his son.

Eleanor stood up.

"Absolute..."

Holar completed the sentence.

"...Heal."

Galahad said nothing. For the first time... Something Percy did... Had caught even him off guard. Arthur's eyes opened.

Percy pulled his hand back. Arthur... Slowly stood up. He looked at his own hands. He touched his face.

All the damage Percy had inflicted... Over the course of several minutes... Was gone.

Arthur looked at Percy.

Percy:

"The match is over, Arthur."

Wycliffe finally came to his senses.

He raised his hand.

"The match has concluded."

The arena was silent.

"The winner..."

"...Percy Gra—"

"With respect, Referee."

Wycliffe paused.

Percy looked at him.

"I would like to say a few things."

Wycliffe watched Percy for a few seconds. Then... He nodded.

Percy turned to Arthur.

"Arthur."

Arthur didn't answer.

"You are not someone like this."

Richard looked at his son.

Percy:

"Get a hold of yourself."

Arthur's eyes dropped to the ground.

"Don't let your ugly emotions..."

"...change who you are."

Percy took a step closer.

"You are my enemy."

Arthur raised his head.

"You are my rival."

The corner of Percy's mouth lifted slightly.

"Stay that way."

The arena was dead quiet.

Percy pointed toward the stands.

"Look."

Arthur looked.

Thousands of people. Students. Teachers.

"So we can fight here..."

"So these stands can fill up..."

"So we can argue over who is stronger..."

Percy's voice turned grave.

"Out there, people are giving their lives."

The smile vanished from Holar's face. Eleanor looked at Percy.

Clara's eyes welled with tears.

Percy:

"One day..."

"...let us compete over who has killed more monsters."

Arthur's eyes fixed on Percy.

"Not over how much pain we can inflict on each other."

Percy extended his hand.

"Be my rival."

Arthur looked at his hand.

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"Not a parasite."

A long silence. Then... Richard Green chuckled.

Softly. With pride.

"Just like his grandf—"

HE STOPPED.

Holar's head... Slowly turned toward Richard. Eleanor's did too. Both of their gazes... Locked onto Richard.

Richard's expression shifted.

He took a deep breath.

"...A great..."

Another breath.

"...kid."

Holar narrowed his eyes.

Eleanor:

"Uh-huh."

Richard wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Galahad:

"What was he almost going to say?"

Charlotte:

"I have no idea."

William:

"I do."

Charlotte:

"Shut up."

Arthur was still staring at Percy's hand. Then... He reached out. He shook it.

Percy did as well.

Arthur:

"I'm sorry."

Just that. He released his hand. He turned around. And... Walked out of the arena.

Richard watched his son leave. He didn't leave right away. First, he looked at Percy.

He gave a slight nod. Then he walked out after his son. For a second... The arena remained silent.

Then...

IT EXPLODED.

Applause. Shouts. Stomping feet.

"PERCY!"

Charlotte sprang up.

"DON'T DO THE BOOOOW YEAH!"

Galahad:

"WE'RE TOO LATE!"

Percy's chest puffed out. Galahad JUMPED down from the stands.

"BOOOOOOOOO—"

Galahad clamped his hand over Percy's mouth.

"MMMMMMMMMMMM!"

The arena burst into laughter. Percy tried to pull Galahad's hand away.

"MMMW YEEEEEAAAAH!"

Galahad:

"HOW DO YOU KEEP DOING THIS?!"

Holar covered his face. Eleanor couldn't sit down from laughing so hard.

Wycliffe:

"I'm going to quit refereeing."

William:

"I think that's a valid career decision."

Charlotte ran down. She hugged Percy.

"IDIOT!"

Percy:

"Why?!"

"BECAUSE!"

"That's not a reason!"

"IT'S MY REASON!"

William arrived too. He clapped Percy on the shoulder.

"That was good."

Percy:

"Just good?"

William:

"It was very good."

Percy's face lit up.

"BOO—"

William clamped his hand over Percy's mouth.

Percy's eyes widened in betrayal.

Galahad:

"He's learning."

Then... Eleanor arrived. She stood before Percy.

She was no longer laughing.

"Percy."

Percy:

"Aunt Eleanor?"

Eleanor looked at him. For a long moment.

"I was going to step in."

Percy went silent.

"When I saw Clara on the ground..."

"When I looked at Arthur..."

Eleanor's hands clenched slightly.

"I truly was going to."

Clara looked at her mother.

Eleanor:

"But then..."

"...I saw you standing there."

She looked into Percy's eyes.

"You were amazing."

Percy said nothing.

Eleanor smiled.

"And about what you said..."

"...you were more right than any of us."

Holar joined them. All the students... Slowly quieted down. Because... Holar Jun was going to speak.

Holar looked at Percy first. Then at Clara. At Charlotte. At William. At Galahad.

Then... At the entire arena.

"You..."

"...are the future of this world."

Silence.

Eleanor stepped beside Holar.

"We..."

"...didn't save this world..."

Holar continued.

"...so you could hurt each other."

Richard was standing at the entrance. He was listening too.

Holar:

"Become stronger than us."

Eleanor:

"Wiser than us."

Holar:

"Don't make the mistakes we made."

Eleanor:

"And one day..."

"...protect more than we ever protected."

The two of them...

Almost in unison:

"Making the world a better place is your duty."

Silence.

Then... The applause began. One student. Then another. A teacher.

Then... The entire arena. Percy looked around him. He was a first-year student.

This... Was just a first-year duel. But... No one present that day... Would remember it as an ordinary school duel. Because far more than the winner's power... What he did after winning would be spoken of.

The boy who healed his rival. The boy who extended his hand. And... The boy who started a remarkably beautiful speech...

with "I'm here to fuck your mother up." Wycliffe would never forget that for the rest of his life. The arena slowly cleared out.

Holar left. Eleanor left shortly after. Richard followed his son. Wycliffe went to prepare his report. William went to eat. As Charlotte was leaving, she looked at Clara. She said nothing.

She simply... Smirked.

Clara:

"Don't you dare."

Charlotte smirked even harder. Galahad ruffled Clara's hair again as he passed by.

Clara:

"STOP IT!"

Galahad:

"I missed you so much."

Clara's face turned bright red.

"GET OUT OF HERE!"

Galahad walked away laughing. And... Finally... The arena was nearly empty. Percy was packing up his things.

Clara was still there.

One step.

Two.

Percy noticed her.

"Clara?"

Clara stopped.

Percy:

"What is it?"

Clara clasped her hands behind her back. For a few seconds... She couldn't speak.

Finally:

"Have you forgiven me?"

Percy paused.

Clara immediately continued.

"You don't have to forgive me."

"I know."

"I just..."

Percy walked toward her. Clara went silent. Percy stood before her.

Clara looked up.

Percy... Smiled.

"I can't stay mad at you."

Clara's eyes widened. Percy leaned down. Right above Clara's eye... He kissed her.

Clara...

FROZE.

Her brain... Completely... Stopped. Percy pulled back.

Clara's mouth parted.

"Per—"

Percy's eyes closed.

Clara:

"...cy?"

Percy pitched forward.

Clara:

"PERCY?!"

CATCH!

Clara caught him at the last moment. Percy's full weight fell upon her.

"Percy?!"

No response. The romantic shock on Clara's face... Gave way to panic.

"PERCY!"

Galahad's head popped in from the doorway.

"What happened?!"

Clara was holding Percy.

"I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!"

Galahad ran over. He checked Percy's pulse. One second.

Two.

Then... He let out a deep breath.

"He fainted."

Clara:

"WHY?!"

Galahad looked at Percy. He had risen three whole levels to Core 5. He had fought a life-or-death duel with Arthur. He had used **[Absolute Cancel]**. He had used **[Absolute Heal]** for the first time. He had pushed his probability technique far beyond his limits.

Galahad looked at Clara.

"Because this idiot..."

"...used everything he had today."

Clara looked at Percy. Then... She touched the spot above her eye. Where Percy had just kissed her.

Her face... Slowly... Turned red again. Galahad saw it.

He smirked.

Clara instantly:

"DON'T YOU DARE."

Galahad:

"I didn't say a thing."

"YOUR FACE IS SAYING IT."

Galahad lifted Percy onto his back.

"Come on."

Clara:

"Where to?"

"We're taking this idiot home."

Clara immediately stepped alongside them. Galahad began walking. Clara held onto Percy's dangling hand.

Galahad saw. This time... He truly said nothing. Clara walked a few steps. Then...

Very softly:

"I missed you too."

Percy was unconscious. He didn't hear. Galahad heard.

But... Thinking that being an older brother meant knowing when to keep quiet... He simply smiled.

END OF EPISODE