I AM EXTRA IN A SHONEN MANGA

"Ugh…" Ban groaned, dragging one arm beneath him, trying to rise. Blood dripped from his nose. His Echo armor was fractured. His pride—shattered.

Across the arena, Kaen stood tall.

His right fist smoked faintly. Embers danced around his knuckles, small flickers of flame curling like hungry serpents in the air. His chest heaved, each breath burning in his throat.

The silence was unbearable.

Then—

"You bastard!!" Ban snarled, voice cracked and full of rage.

Kaen didn't flinch. His eyes, bright with fire, narrowed as he took a step forward.

"Come. I'll show you what my resolve is!!" he shouted.

The entire arena trembled not from power, but from something more terrifying: conviction.

Ban wiped the blood from his chin, gritting his teeth.

"You're just a dropout fucker!" he spat, staggering to his feet. "Nothing but trash"

Kaen didn't respond at first.

He simply raised his hand and clenched it into a fist.

The flames reignited.

"Then try and put me down," he said coldly. "If you can."

The flames coiled tighter around Kaen's fists, wreathing them in orange-gold fury. Heat shimmered around him, distorting the air. His eyes burned with focused intensity—no rage, no fear. Just purpose.

Across the arena, Ban roared.

"JunJun! FORM TWO—BEAST SHELL!"

A glyph flared beneath him.

With a snarl, JunJun emerged again this time larger. Horns curled from its head, its back lined with jagged plates. Black fur bristled with Echo energy, electric blue veins pulsing along its limbs. It howled and in a blur, charged Kaen like a missile.

Kaen didn't back down.

He dashed forward, lowering his stance, fire bursting from the soles of his boots. Echo Step—a crude version of Echo propulsion, but fueled by pure internal flame.

They clashed.

JunJun lunged, fangs snapping at Kaen's side—but Kaen twisted mid-air, twisting with a pivot kick.

FLAME STRIKE!

The fire-wreathed kick collided with JunJun's side, knocking the beast to the left. It recovered quickly, claws tearing across the stone as it bounded in a circle, flanking Kaen.

Ban followed up appearing beside his beast like a shadow. "Combo Assault! JunJun—LOCK HIM DOWN!"

The Echo-beast roared, launching chains of echo-energy from its shoulders. The crackling restraints lashed toward Kaen.

Kaen crossed his arms then ignited them fully.

BOOM!

The flame exploded outward like a shockwave. The chains vaporized instantly, heat rising like a furnace blast.

Kaen charged straight through the smoke, fist cocked back.

Ban reacted just in time, bringing up a shield glyph with his left hand—"Echo Guard: Tier 1!"

CLANG!!

Kaen's flaming punch smashed into the barrier. Cracks webbed instantly across the shield.

Ban's eyes widened.

"HOW—?!"

Kaen pushed in harder. "Because I'm not fighting to win. I'm fighting to prove… that I matter."

The shield shattered.

Ban stumbled back but JunJun leapt between them, swiping its claw at Kaen's chest. Kaen ducked. Flames surged along his back as he rolled under the strike, then vaulted upward with a spinning uppercut.

BLAZING KNUCKLE!

JunJun howled in pain as the blow hit its jaw, its head snapping upward. The Echo-beast staggered, stunned.

Kaen landed, panting, sweat steaming off his brow.

Ban gritted his teeth, desperation in his eyes. "I won't lose to some no-name!"

He leapt onto JunJun's back, fusing momentarily with his Echo. His eyes glowed violet.

"BEAST MERGE MODE—JUNJUN: FORM THREE!"

The arena lights flickered.

Ban's body extended into a half-beast, armored form claws on his hands, his eyes feral. A horn sprouted from his forehead. JunJun's strength now flowed into him directly.

Kaen's eyes widened but only for a second.

Then, he smiled.

"Alright. Let's go wild, then."

Flames erupted from his entire body.

Ban's voice twisted with fury. His beast-fused form snarled, radiating echo energy.

"How can you have that power?!" he roared, veins glowing beneath his skin. "You're just a loser! You couldn't even control your own Affinity! A dropout! A joke!"

Kaen didn't flinch. His flame-wreathed figure stood firm, eyes shadowed by the glow of fire licking around his face.

Then—

"Talk too much."

He vanished.

A burst of flame exploded beneath his feet, launching him forward at a blistering speed. Echo Step—Overdrive.

Ban barely brought up his arms before Kaen crashed into him, a flurry of jabs and punches each strike laced with fire, each one hammering down like a falling comet.

WHAM. WHAM. WHAM.

Ban reeled, caught off guard by Kaen's aggression. JunJun's echo boost tried to stabilize him, but Kaen's foot ignited as he spun—

"FLAME WHEEL—SECOND DRIVE!"

He delivered a scything kick to Ban's side, launching him across the arena. Ban tumbled through debris, coughing violently, smoke trailing from his armor.

He growled, standing. "You think flames alone will save you?! JunJun—FURY MODE!"

JunJun's energy flared again, enveloping Ban in a monstrous aura. Echo-glyphs wrapped around his limbs, reinforcing them with unnatural strength.

Ban charged his claws crackling with Echo lightning.

Kaen narrowed his eyes.

And then—a memory flickered.

He was a child again.

The village was quiet, blanketed in early morning mist.

He peeked from behind a hill watching the training grounds in silence.

Their stood Sensei Shun.

Alone.

The master raised his hand slowly, and with a single breath a spiral of blue fire danced around him.

But it wasn't just flame. It was alive. Controlled. Harmonized.

Kaen remembered how the heat hadn't burned.

It had sung.

Shun's voice echoed faintly in his memory:

"Fire doesn't obey strength. It obeys resolve. Show it your truth."

Kaen's flames dimmed then surged again.

But this time, they weren't wild.

They were focused. Precise.

A spiral of fire wrapped around his arms not red-orange, but blue, edged in silver.

The crowd gasped.

"Wh-what kind of fire is that?!"

Even Master Isen leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "That flame… that's—!"

Ban snarled. "I don't care what trick you're pulling!"

He lunged forward, claws extended, ready to tear Kaen apart.

Kaen whispered—"Ember Spiral."

He didn't dodge. Instead, he stepped into the attack, twisting his body like flowing water.

Ban's claw missed by inches.

Kaen's fist struck upward, flames spiraling with the motion, wrapping Ban's arm, searing straight through his guard.

"GAHH—!!"

Kaen followed through.

BOOM.

One strike. Then two. Then a flurry of rapid, dance-like movements—each one setting off small shockwaves of fire, not explosive, but controlled, as if the fire moved where he wanted it to.

Ban screamed as the final blow hit—a rising spiral uppercut that lifted him off his feet, flames trailing like a comet's tail.

Ban crashed into the far wall, smoke trailing from his body, JunJun's form unraveling with a final wail before vanishing.

Silence.

Dust floated in the air like ash.

Kaen stood at the center, panting softly, steam rising from his arms.

Then he exhaled.

His flames vanished.

"Get up again," Kaen muttered, voice barely above a growl. "I'll put you back down."

Ban didn't move.

A stunned hush fell over the audience.

The judges looked at each other in disbelief.

Even the arena's defense runes flickered as if uncertain whether to reactivate.

In the noble balcony, storm-gray eyes narrowed with interest.

Ceyla Nox sat cross-legged on the marble bench, arms folded tightly over her chest. Her Black hair blew slightly from the heat still hanging in the air.

"Hoh…" she muttered, chin lifted. "He defeats a rabid dog… but a dog is still a dog."

She didn't applaud. Didn't even blink. But her eyes flickered not with scorn, but interest.

On the upper podium, the Eclipse Vanguards watched silently each a legend in their own right.

Raiden Kurogami tilted his head and smirked, lightning dancing lazily across his shoulders.

"Still think he can't control his affinity?" he said, voice low. He yawned afterward.

"Tch. He forced it," Zeke growled. "Still unstable. But... survivable."

Amane Hoshigaki leaned forward, a dangerous glint behind her half-lidded eyes.

"Ara, ara… he really defeated the dog," she said with a coy smile, her fingers curling like blooming petals. "Maybe he's more than just kindling."

Gorou Kanzaki closed his eyes, stone-glowing hands pressed together in prayer.

"Amitābha… Perhaps this is the Buddha's will," he murmured, voice like a peaceful river.

Yui Fushiguro said nothing. Her eyes dark and endless as the void remained fixed on Kaen. Her fingers tapped the armrest, calculating.

Kaito Yagami, silent and poised, gave only the smallest of nods.

(Tactical instinct. Adaptive pressure. Instinct over fear... He's learning.)

And above them all…

Master Isen, the Keiryuu himself, burst into laughter warm.

"That was cool!!!" he shouted, clapping once.

Even the grim expressions of some in the crowd broke into murmurs of awe and disbelief.

Kaen looked up—still panting, face bruised but victorious and met Isen's gaze.

The Keiryuu's smile widened… but his eyes sharpened.

The arena gates opened.

This battle was over.

But the war for Kaen's fate was just beginning.

Perched on the upper observation tier, away from the roaring crowds and blustering Vanguards, Khael Corzedar sat quietly with his arms folded, emerald eyes focused sharply on the aftermath of the battle below.

Khael Corzedar sat quietly with his arms folded, emerald eyes focused sharply on the aftermath of the battle below.

Kaen stood, bruised but unbroken. Flames still flickered faintly around him residual echoes of his defiance.

Ban was down. JunJun had dispersed. The silence after impact still hung thick in the air.

Khael exhaled slowly.

(Damn... It's better if you see it in reality than reading in a manga... This fight was so great.)

His fingers tightened slightly around the edge of the railing.

Even with his knowledge his memories of plot beats and power ceilings—nothing in the panels of the manga compared to the heat, the sound, the sheer presence that Kaen just unleashed.

(So this is where the divergence begins...)

Kael's half-dragon senses stirred, his blood humming with a low vibration. Not out of danger. But out of excitement. Of potential.

He leaned back, eyes narrowing.

(The fight is just the beginning of something)

He smiled faintly.

And returned to watching.

The crowd still buzzed from the aftermath of Kaen's fiery clash with Ban. Embers hung in the air like fireflies. But on the west side of the viewing platform, two figures leaned on the railing, watching Kaen catch his breath in the center of the scorched arena.

Shigeo Motome, nicknamed Static, adjusted his jacket lazily, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a stick of pocky in his mouth.

"Still think Ban was lucky?" he muttered, eyes half-lidded with that usual bored look.

Next to him, Saya Kurenai, the bright-eyed blonde with a long braid and a mouth that rarely stopped moving, huffed and crossed her arms. "Don't tease me, hmmp! I didn't think he'd actually defeat Ban, alright? I mean—Kaen is you know can't control his power… He is a loser you know."

Shigeo smirked. "Mm. loser always got something cooking."

Saya rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well… whatever he cooked today was hot enough to roast Ban's pride."

They both looked down as Kaen raised his smoldering fist one last time, then slowly lowered it.

Shigeo exhaled through his nose, half impressed, half annoyed.

"What a complicated world"

To be continue