My Sister The Prodigy

In a society where less than 0.01% of individuals possess extraordinary abilities, known as the "gifted ones," a brother and sister make the daring choice to try to join the most elite group of superheroes—the Sky Champions.

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Sigard stole a glance at his father, sitting amongst the crowded stands of the cramped stadium. His commanding presence demanded respect, and his piercing eyes bore into Sigard with a look he feared the most - one of expectation. As Sigard stood on the brink of facing a daunting challenge, he couldn't bear the thought of disappointing his father. The weight of that potential disappointment hung heavily on his shoulders as he prepared to enter the battleground. He could feel his heart racing and his palms sweating, but he knew he had to push through and prove himself worthy in his father's eyes. With a deep breath, Sigard steeled himself for what lay ahead.

A booming voice, amplified through dozens of speakers scattered throughout the stadium, cut through the roaring crowd. It was a familiar voice, one that Sigard had heard countless times before. But this time, it held a weight and finality that sent a shiver down his spine. "For our next fight," the announcer declared, their words echoing off the high walls of the arena, "we have Sigard Burnstone from the rugged hills of Down Hills facing off against Siegfried 'The Crusher' Zoland from the prestigious Upper Layer!" The cheers and jeers of the audience reached a deafening level as Sigard stepped up, adrenaline coursing through his veins.

He squinted as a bright light shone on his face from a grand spotlight, adding to the rush of excitement and nerves coursing through him.

He knew that this was the ultimate challenge he had been preparing for his entire life - to prove himself as a true fighter in the eyes of those who watched.

The Sky Champions, the most prestigious superhero clan in the country, had a free slot among their ranks now that Dropshot had decided to go on retirement. Mr ShineSmile, Captain of the Sky Champions, organized a tournament and allowed every youngster with the gift to participate in a challenge that could forever change their lives.

A hand landed on Sigard's shoulder as he approached the battleground. "You've got this, man. Good luck," his best friend, Arnold, said with a reassuring smile. "I'll see you in the finals."

A snigger broke out behind them, and Sigard recognized it as his sister's signature laugh. She always did that when she found something amusing.

Despite his reluctance, Sigard couldn't resist stealing a glance over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of her. Kitara had always possessed an air of coolness, even as a child, as if nothing in the world could faze her. Typically, Kitara intimidated others with her straightforward way of speaking and intense gaze, as if she could see into the depths of one's soul.

Sigard couldn't deny that he sometimes felt uneasy around his younger sister, even though she was almost three years his junior and significantly shorter than him. It didn't help that Kitara seemed to effortlessly excel at everything she tried despite her lazy and disorganized nature.

She breezed through school with ease, effortlessly acing everything without even trying.

However, the one thing she struggled with was making social connections and making friends.

Kitara was a bit of a loner, preferring to traverse through life on her own. In high school, she attempted to be more sociable, but her direct way of speaking made it difficult for her to fit in. She had a tendency to speak bluntly without beating around the bush, often making people feel uncomfortable or offending them. As a result, most people avoided her and some were even afraid of her.

She was an exceptional fighter, even among the gifted ones who already surpassed the skilled non-gifted fighters as soon as their powers emerged. While Sigard had to put in months of intense training to perfect specific techniques and abilities, Kitara could do it in a matter of weeks.

Sigard was superior to his little sister in combat skills, but she was quickly catching up - a bit too quickly for his comfort. At just 16 years old, she had already been able to fly for two years, while most gifted individuals only achieved that once they were at least 18. Additionally, Kitara's control over her energy projection was impressive; she could precisely aim and hit small targets from a great distance with concentrated beams of energy from her fingertip. She could also unleash this power on a larger scale, targeting multiple enemies at once.

The force of her energy projection was also something to be reckoned with. Even at the young age of 10, Kitara could slightly damage their father when he was at his full power, while Sigard didn't achieve that level until he was thirteen years old.

Sigard couldn't bring himself to admit it, but his younger sister was quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with. She showed incredible potential.

As Sigard prepared for the upcoming battle, he pushed thoughts of his sister's strength out of his mind - he needed all of his focus.

He had hoped to face elite fighters from the Upper Layer only in the quarter-finals or later, but not in the preliminary rounds. But whether he liked it or not, Sigard had to deal with it.

Amidst the crowd's deafening roar, Sigard made his way to the battleground. He acknowledged the referee with a nod before fixing his gaze on his opponent, who was entering the grand and pristine platform that served as their fighting ring. The stadium was packed, with thousands of spectators eagerly cheering for their preferred fighter. His own section of supporters seemed to roar the loudest in anticipation of victory.

Siegfried's focus was solely on his opponent as he strode towards Sigard, ready for the stare-down before the fight.

In their intense focus on each other, the referee's voice explaining the rules sounded distant and muffled as if coming from another room. Both fighters locked eyes and refused to show any fear. In the midst of the raucous crowd, Sigard could hear his little sister's high-pitched voice cheering him on, "Make him a cripple, Sigard!"

"Touch fists if you want." The referee said after finishing his explanation.

"I'm gonna hurt you, Sigard," Siegfried smirked and tossed his long, blond hair over his shoulder as he strode back to his corner.

            "And they are off, ladies and gentlemen!" The amplified voice of the announcer bellowed through the many powerful speakers spread out around the stadium.

Kitara took a long, satisfying sip from her drink, her grey eyes flicking back and forth between the two combatants in the arena. Her brother, Sigard, moved with a fluid grace as he traded blows and kicks with his opponent, the impact of their movements causing the very foundation of the stadium to tremble.

"Sigard is the first to take to the skies, ladies and gentlemen, soaring like an eagle as he boldly challenges his opponent to do the same," the announcer declared.

Kitara snorted. "Idiot." In her opinion, Sigard's weakness was in aerial fights. He may have had a solid defense on the ground, where attacks could only come from expected directions, but in the air, everything became unpredictable.

She knew that Siegfried was known for excelling in aerial combat. Perhaps Sigard wanted to humiliate him by defeating him in his greatest strength. Kitara couldn't help but admire the bit of arrogance in her brother for wanting to prove his superiority.

After all, it took courage to challenge someone in their area of expertise. But simultaneously, she couldn't help but shake her head at his impulsiveness and lack of consideration for potential consequences.

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Sigard let out a groan, his face contorted in agony as he struggled to sit up. His upper leg throbbed with pain after receiving a brutal blow from one of Siegfried's powerful kicks. But he won, though, and that's all that mattered.

"I told you to cripple him." Kitara stood in the locker room doorway, her lean frame propped against the wooden frame. Her arms were crossed tightly across her chest, and her trademark cocky smirk adorned her beautiful face. She exuded confidence and dominance, her piercing gaze fixed on Sigard and daring him to challenge her words.

"Weren't you supposed to fight, like, right at this very moment?" Sigard said as it took him great effort to sit up straight due to the pain.

"The fight's done," Kitara said as she sauntered her way up to him, her face looking in disgust at a bucket of water mingled with blood.

"And?"

Kitara simply shrugged and said. "I won."

Sigard's brow furrowed in confusion. "But you were just announced, like, thirty seconds ago."

A playful smirk danced across Kitara's lips as she replied,

"Yep. And the fight only lasted about ten seconds."

Kitara purposefully waited to see her brother's puzzled expression before explaining further. "I broke his leg—he won't be fighting anytime soon."

Sigard scoffed, disbelief evident in his tone. "You were up against Siegfried's brother, their clan's top fighter."

Kitara simply nodded confidently and took her place beside her brother. "I know."

Sigard couldn't help but smile at his sister's fearlessness. "You're scary sometimes, you know that?"

"Only sometimes?" Kitara smiled and bumped him with her shoulder. She gave him a slap on his painful leg, making him groan.

"Come," she said, standing up and offering him a hand. "Let's make father proud."