Looking at the screens floating before his face, Genji finally knew why he had suddenly felt pain all over his body. It was reforming itself to change according to his new skill, <Martial Body>. Genji's body was more muscular and lean, capable of using any martial art technique as long as he knew it.
He could now pull off any martial art move without worrying about damaging his body. His body was a lot more limber and he could bend however he wanted.
Genji's Martial Artist skill had reached level 40 whilst fighting the two firebenders, but whether it be because he was fighting or not, Genji didn't receive the Martial Body skill until much later.
Pulling up his status window, Genji wished to see just how much he has changed since he had left the Fire Nation.
[Name: Genji
Level: 2 (7 / 15)
Power: 15
Vitality: 13
Energy: 10
Spirit: 22
Stat Points: 8 (+4 per Level)
Experience Storage: 756
Class Skills-
<Adept Poleman> (Lvl. 39)
<Expert Martial Artist> (Lvl. 40)
<Adept Firebender> (Lvl. 38)
<Adept Cook > (Lvl. 35)
<Adept Waterbender> (Lvl. 39)
<Adept Crafter> (Lvl. 35)
<Adept Illusionist> (Lvl. 34)
<Adept Artist> (Lvl. 30)
<Adept Strategist> (Lvl. 35)
<Adept Tactician> (Lvl. 35)
<Adept Physician> (Lvl. 37)
<Adept Formation Expertise> (Lvl. 32)
*NEW* <Adept Instructor> (Lvl. 28 > 30)
Passive Skills-
<Resting> (Lvl. 40)
<Acting> (Lvl. 38)
<Casanova> (Lvl. 40)
<Fire Resistance> (Lvl. 26)
*NEW* <Cold Resistance> (Lvl. 25)
<Steel Body> (Lvl. 27)
<Heightened Senses -> Awakened Senses> (Lvl. 40)
<Precision> (Lvl. 30)
*NEW* <Beasts Style> (Lvl. 28)
*NEW* <Martial Body> (MAX)
<(MIND) Reading> (Lvl. 40)
<(MIND) Navigation> (Lvl. 39)
<(MIND) Calm Mind> (Lvl. 38)
<(MIND) Danger Sense> (Lvl. 32)
<(MIND) Appraisal> (Lvl. 40)
<(MIND) Hyper Sense -> Spirit Sense> (Lvl. 40)
<(MIND) Indomitable Will> (Lvl. 37)
<(MIND) Meditation> (Lvl. 22)
*NEW* <(MIND) Wild Instinct -> Sharpened Instinct> (Lvl. 1 > 28)
*NEW* <(MIND) Mystic State> (Lvl. 1 > 19)
*NEW* <(MIND) Mental State> (Lvl 1 > 19)
Active Skills-
<Acupuncture> (Lvl. 35)
*NEW* <Attraction and Repulsion> (Lvl. 1 > 15)
<Eternal Fist> (Max) - 0.081 -]
"Shit, I grew a lot..." muttered Genji as he narrowed his eyes and stood up from the floor before cleaning it with a quick movement of his waterbending.
Swush!
Stretching a little, Genji walked out of his house and went on straight over to the center of the city.
The abrupt festival had already ended the prior night and Genji was ready to demonstrate to Arnook how he will take over his city right before his eyes. He walked over to the arena and resumed the fighting matches.
"We have gathered here once again to determine the path we shall take for our future! Whether it be man or woman, child or adult, all will be equal within this stage," announced Arnook as he stood in the arena.
Everyone looked at him and listened to his words. The women were feeling inspired and even the men were feeling like their future depended on this fight, making them more willing to fight against the women.
Arnook was looking at the various faces of the people of the city. Gazing at all the familiar faces until he suddenly arrived at an unfamiliar one, Genji.
Narrowing his eyes with a smile on his face, Arnook said, "With that in mind, the previous fight will be nulled and we will start over from the beginning to make sure everyone is ready."
'This bastard...' thought Genji as he narrowed his eyes.
Murmurs...
Every single person began to whisper amongst themselves after the words of the chief and they couldn't believe what he was saying. Some men and women 'boo'ed whilst another portion 'woo'ed.
Hara, who had won the previous fight, was about to stand up and say something when she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned her head and saw that Genji shook his head with a smile.
"Crush them with all you have in the fight. I believe in you. Make the chief and everyone else know that they can't stop the women from becoming waterbenders and fighters," said Genji, inspiring the girls that will participate in the matches.
Nearby people heard Genji and began to spread his words, inspiring them as well. They soon got quiet and a satisfied smile spread across their faces.
"That guy has a good head on his shoulders."
"Such wisdom… it's a shame he isn't an elder."
"An elder? Right now he seems very fit to be the Chief."
"Shh! Don't let people hear you or they will take our heads."
"NOW! Let us begin the competition to decide the Northern Water Tribes' future!"
WHOOO!
YEAHH!!
WAAAH!
The screams of various people filled the air and made Genji's awakened senses hurt him. Wincing, Genji saw Arnook like a bit distracted after his 'great' speech as he headed off to his temporary throne made to watch the competition.
'What's up with him?'
Genji spread out his spirit sense and focused his awakened hearing on Arnook as best as he could.
"*mumble*... where... *mumble*... hurry up..."
'What is he saying, I can't hear him too well amongst the yells and screaming...'
Soon, Yue arrived and appeared next to Arnook who calmed down a little upon seeing Yue, but Genji could still notice he was looking rather impatient. Seeing Arnook so impatient, Genji began to wonder what Arnook had done to be like that.
'Did he rig the match?' Genji looked over at the opponents of the five girls and saw that it was the same guys as before. With his spirit sense, Genji could tell that they weren't carrying any hidden weapons or have any changes in their energies' size or quality. 'Just what was it?'
With Arnook's impatient appearance, Genji began to use his spirit sense over the entire tournament area to keep an eye out for any irregularities whilst also trying to keep an eye on the tournament.
It wasn't long before the matches began and Hara was the first one up again. Her opponent this time wasn't Moka, but rather a waterbender who looks older than Moka, around 20 years old.
Kota was the best waterbender on the side of the men. With the belief that he could take down Hara, with the idea of them believing that she is the best waterbender on the side of the women.
"Don't let your guard down," said Moka, warning Kota.
Kota smirked and said, "I'm not so easy to take down like you."
"I'm telling you! She can-!"
"Ugh! When will you stop making excuses already! Just watch how I take her down quickly..." said Kota as he waved Moka away with a dismissive glance.
"But-!"
Glaring at Moka until he shut up, Kota walked up on the arena with a confident smirk on his face.
'She steals control of your ice... why won't they believe me!' thought Moka as he looked over at the group of women with a worried look on his face.
...
Standing tall and proud in front of Hara, Kota smiled and said, "Just give up already, Hara. Your strength isn't going to work against me."
"Shut up! You just don't understand anything because you're too stupid!" yelled Hara, enraged.
Hearing those words, Kota began to get irritated. His expression became more intense and serious.
"You want to try and pick a fight with me? Fine by me! I'll show you my true power!"
"...?"
Hara smirked when she turned around.
'The first thing I have to do is make the opponent lose his cool,' thought Hara as she looked at Genji and gave him a thumbs up. 'Once the opponent loses his cool, predicting his moves becomes easier.'
As soon as Hara turned around, Kota rushed towards her and threw several chunks of ice at her back. Hara, however, turned back to face him in an instant and Kota watched as the chunks of ice he launched had evaded her.
'No matter, I will just attack her directly then!'
Kota smirked and ran at Hara and slowly bent ice beneath his feet into a sliding path that he used to approach Hara. However, just as he was about to reach Hara, the ice had suddenly shifted beneath his feet, surprising him.
Bang!
After that, Hara used Kota's momentum against him and kicked Kota in the gut.
"Gah!?"
Kota groaned in pain and just when he was about to counterattack Hara with his waterbending and a kick, Hara had already reacted to his movements in an instant.
Bam!
Hara waterbended the water beneath Kota's feet and shifted his body and with a water whip she thought of in the moment, Hara wrapped it around Kota's hands and held him in place before she suddenly sent him flying with the water whip.
Fwoosh!
"AHhh!"
Kota yelled in shock as he was sent flying into the sky and out of the arena.
Bang!
Silence ensued for a second when suddenly everyone began cheering for Hara's win.
"Haha! That was amazing!"
"Yes!"
"This is what we've been waiting for!"
"Thank you all!" said Hara with a smile.
With a win under the belt of the women's side, Arnook gritted his teeth and quietly ordered for the second match to begin.
Soon, a young woman walked on stage and a Moka walked on stage.
"My name is Ekada," said the young woman as she got into her battle stance.
Moka kept quiet and just offhandedly glanced at Kota who was still unconscious and being healed. Gritting his teeth, Moka clenched his hands, worried about what's to come.
Genji watched the fights with interest.
Compared to when he performs his own moves, Genji feels like he was learning from his students as he watched them move and waterbend. It was odd, but intriguing. Similar to when he reads with his reading skill, Genji felt like he was seeing the flaws in certain moves and felt like every move was being corrected within his mind.
"Alright, I'm ready now."
Ekada immediately charged at Moka.
Both Ekada and Moka began to waterbend and attacked each other with water and ice shards.
Shing!
A sharp ice spike passed by Ekada's face.
Her face showed no fear as she had full confidence in her skills as she controlled everything that neared her expertly. She was very accustomed to this skill compared to Hara.
Moving her hands a bit, Ekada sent a wave of water to Moka and just before it hit him, she turned it partially into ice.
Bang!
The thick sheet of ice hit Moka harshly, making him fall unconscious in the arena.
Ekada smiled happily and turned to look at the crowd. "I did it! I won!"
Cheers erupted from the audience.
Arnook looked at the two girls and groaned in anger as he looked around. Waiting for something... anything.
The next match would be between Nava and Leen.
Nava stood on stage with her eyes closed. She was concentrating so hard that it made her sweat. This wasn't because of anything external, though. Her mind was racing as she tried to find a way to defeat the enemy that was standing right before her.
Just when she believed that she found a way to defeat her opponent Leen, she heard the voice of the Chief, Arnook.
"The competition shall end here for today! In order... in order..."
Arnook looked around, hoping to find something that would give him the perfect excuse to end the competition for the day. But he couldn't find any such thing. Everyone was too excited for the upcoming battles.
"...In order to let the young Moka and Kota recover!"
Without saying anything else, he left, leaving the city confused and frustrated at how he's acting.
Boo!
A large portion of the people began to talk amongst themselves, unsatisfied at what Arnook was doing. Pushing back the competition further to keep the women from winning.
'Just what is going through his head?' Genji asked himself as he looked at Arnook retreat with Yue following closely with a look of irritation.
She walked behind her father, dissatisfied at what he's doing.