Lila calmed down, taking deep breaths as she processed her emotions. She thought to herself, "If Sakura confesses her feelings to Kai, then I'll just have to tell him how I also feel and see who he chooses."
With newfound determination, Lila led the way, "Okay, follow me, Sakura."
As they walked out of the healing room and out of the guild, the guild members couldn't help but stare. "Wasn't Lila injured?" one of them whispered. "How come she seems okay?"
Another guild member chimed in, "Forget about Lila, I still can't believe Sakura was in our guild!"
As they stepped outside, Lila asked Sakura, "So, Sakura, sorry to ask, but why are you looking for this Zayn person?"
Sakura's expression turned nostalgic, and she smiled wistfully. "I haven't told anyone about this so don't tell anyone, but... the Three Heroes – me, Kaito, and Akira – were actually part of a team called the Nobles, and our leader was Zayn."
Lila's eyes widened in shock, and Sakura nodded, "Yes, I know it's shocking."
As they continued walking, Sakura explained, "An incident happened five years ago that made us lose contact with Zayn. Akira and Kaito thought Zayn had died, so they didn't bother looking for him, but I believe he's somewhere out there."
Lila smiled slightly, "Sounds like you have feelings for this Zayn person."
Sakura's face turned a deep shade of pink as she blushed, and she quickly denied it, her voice rising, "Don't be ridiculous! I have no romantic feelings for him whatsoever. He's just someone I respect and admire as a leader."
Lila raised an eyebrow whispering to herself "Save it, Sakura. You're not fooling anyone." Lila chuckled now speaking up, "Okay, sure. Whatever you say, Sakura."
Just then, members of the guild ran past them, carrying Kieran, who looked badly beaten. Lila's eyes sparkled with amusement, "My team was fighting against that guy. I guess Shinji won since he seems beat up."
She turned to Sakura and said, "Okay, Sakura, I think Kai's match is about to begin. Let's run to the arena."
As they ran, Sakura asked Lila, "I have a question for you, Lila. Is there any guy you like?"
Lila's face turned bright pink as she thought, "Should I tell her that I have feelings for Kai, the guy she thinks is Zayn?"
She responded, trying to sound nonchalant, "Nope, not at all."
Sakura raised an eyebrow, "Really? You're not even a little bit interested in anyone?"
Lila shook her head vigorously, "No way. I'm completely uninterested."
Sakura chuckled, "Okay, Lila. Whatever you say."
As they approached the arena, the sounds of cheering and shouting grew louder. Lila grinned, "Looks like we're just in time. Let's go find out what's going on."
Sakura nodded, and they both rushed into the arena, eager to see what was happening.
As they arrived at the arena, they found it in ruins. The once-majestic structure now lay in shattered fragments, the rubble scattered everywhere. The walls had cracked, the seats were broken, and the fighting stage was destroyed. Sakura's eyes widened in shock as she took in the destruction. She turned to Lila and asked, "What happened here? I just passed this arena when I was coming to the guild, and it was fine."
The remaining people who were about to leave the arena suddenly stopped in their tracks, their eyes fixed on Sakura. A murmur of shock and awe rippled through the crowd.
One of them whispered, "Is that... Sakura?"
Another person's eyes widened in amazement. "One of the Three Heroes?"
The crowd began to stir, people pushing and shoving to get a closer look at Sakura. Lila rolled her eyes good-naturedly and smiled.
As the crowd surrounded Sakura, one of them asked, "Sakura, what brings you here?"
Sakura smiled politely, but her eyes were still fixed on the destroyed arena. "I'm just looking for someone. But first, can someone tell me what happened here?"
One of the people shouted out loud, "It was the match between Shinji and Kieran! You should have seen it! Their X blast or whatever they called it destroyed the arena!"
Lila's eyes widened in shock as she stared at the destruction. She thought to herself, "Shinji... how did he become this strong? I knew he was talented, but this is insane!" She felt a mix of emotions: shock, amazement, and a hint of concern.
Lila asked aloud, "So, where is Kai and Shinji?"
One of the other people around Sakura responded, "Since the arena had been destroyed, Kai will be facing Kaito outside of the city, in the guild training area. We can all watch them from the screen over there."
Sakura's expression turned panicked as she asked, "Did you say Kai went outside to face Kaito? As in, which Kaito?"
The person responded, "As in Kaito, your teammate, one of the Three Heroes, Sakura." Sakura's expression turned worried, her brow furrowed in concern.
Lila asked, "Why is Kai fighting one of the legendary heroes?"
The person responded, "Because it turns out that Kieran's leader was actually Kaito himself. And that's not all - it seems like Kaito and Kai know each other from somewhere, and Kaito called Kai by some weird name."
Sakura's eyes widened, and she quickly shouted, "Was it Zayn Kaito Thompson?"
The person responded, "Yes, that's the name."
Sakura smiled, a look of triumph on her face. "So, I was right. Kai really is Zayn."
Lila's eyes narrowed, her face pale with worry. Her lips were pressed together, and her fists were clenched at her sides. She looked like she was bracing herself for something, her entire body tense with anticipation. Her mind was racing with thoughts of Kai, and what this revelation meant for him, and for her.
Sakura's expression quickly turned worried as she said, "So if Kai is really Zayn and he's facing off against Kaito, then we have to stop that fight now."
Lila nodded her head, seeming to agree with Sakura, as she said, "Yes, there's no way Kai can survive a fight against a legendary hero like Kaito."
Sakura's response was unexpected, and her words sent a chill down Lila's spine. "No, that's not the case. Yes, someone is not coming out of that match alive, but that someone won't be Zayn... it would be Kaito."
The crowd around them gasped in shock, their eyes wide with disbelief. Lila's jaw dropped, and she felt like she'd been punched in the gut. She couldn't believe what Sakura was saying.
Sakura's expression was grim, and her voice was laced with concern. "Yes, Zayn is very powerful, but what worries me the most is that Kaito and Zayn never got along, even one bit. They seriously hated each other."
She paused, collecting her thoughts as she thought to herself. "And to make matters worse, what if Zayn thinks that we killed him? He definitely won't spare Kaito, since he's always been the person to exact revenge."
Sakura's eyes scanned the area frantically, and she shouted, "Where is the guild training area? I have to find a way to stop this fight!"
Lila pointed ahead of them, "Sorry, Sakura, but I think you're too late. It seems like the fight is about to begin."
Sakura's gaze followed Lila's pointing hand, and her eyes landed on a massive screen projected by the guild members. The screen towered over the crowd, displaying a live feed of the guild training area.
On the screen, Zayn (now Kai) stood facing Kaito, his eyes blazing with intensity. The guild master stood between them, asking, "Are you ready?"
Both fighters nodded, their faces set in determined expressions. The guild master quickly retreated, creating some distance between himself and the two fighters. As he ran, he shouted, "Then fight!"