Erik and Dion circled each other again. Dion looked at Erik warily but with a slight tint of rage in his eyes. Their eyes met and locked in a fierce stare-down. Dion was breathing heavily, sweat dripping down his face, but Erik was fine.
However, it was clear that Dion's rank and reputation were well-earned. He was a skilled fighter whose movements were smooth and fluid as he darted in and out of Erik's range. The awakener, for his part, had devilish strength and speed compared to his peers, which made up for his relative lack of experience.
Even from that point of view, Erik was much stronger than before. His coordination was better, and his moves were more refined. He was finally a fine warrior.
Dion sent a flurry of blows against Erik, their fists and feet striking each other with brutal force, but the awakener only blocked his moves, as he didn't really care about what the man attempted to do. Dion was quick and agile, despite his size severely increasing due to his brain crystal power, and his blows came from all directions. Meanwhile, Erik relied on his raw speed to avoid Dion's moves.
Despite his speed and agility, Dion was having a hard time keeping up with Erik's speed. He could feel the impact of Erik's steps resonating through the ground. He was scared of what he could do with all that strength. If he decided to hit him, they would for sure break his bones and shatter his defenses, and Erik wasn't even trying, further enraging Dion.
But Erik's opponent was no pushover. He fought back with equal ferocity, his own fists threatening to strike Erik's face twice. The two men were locked in a vicious dance, their bodies moving with precision as Dion attacked and Erik avoided, treating everything as a bother.
"STOP MAKING FUN OF ME!" Dion said, his rage further increasing. Erik smirked, "I'm not making fun of you; I'm just showing you how weak you are." Dion's anger boiled over.
Erik was aware that he was behaving like a prick, but the feeling of being much stronger than his opponent was incredible and made him feel good. In addition, not even five minutes passed, so he didn't lose that much time, which significantly boosted his ego.
As the fight went on, Dion could feel his energy flagging. His muscles burned with exhaustion, his breath coming in ragged gasps. But he refused to give up, determined to see this fight through to the end despite the difference in strength. He had a reputation to preserve; he couldn't make this fight go on like this, with Erik toying with him.
However, as time passed, Dion grew increasingly desperate. Erik seemed to be unconcerned about him as if he were an ant he only had to crush. Dion knew he had to devise a new strategy that would catch Erik off guard and turn the tables in his favor. He had to resort to his higher experience and higher martial skills to do that.
The two men circled each other once more, with Dion trying to find the right opportunity to strike. Then, with a fierce cry, he launched himself at Erik again, his clawed fist traveling out with deadly force.
Dion swung his massive fists at Erik, who stepped to the side and avoided the move. The awakener didn't even fight back, but even he was starting to lose interest in the fight and felt sorry for his opponent.
Finally, Erik stepped forward to throw a punch, and Dion saw his opportunity. By pushing his body and concentrating all his strength in one leg, with lightning speed, he sidestepped Erik's attack and moved in close, his clawed fist cocked and ready to strike.
Erik was caught off guard and almost stumbled backward but narrowly avoided the full force of Dion's punch.
The man seized his chance again as Erik was having trouble regaining his balance. He thought that if a single attack landed, he would win against Erik. So he rained down a series of rapid punches. After having recuperated from the surprise, Erik blocked the blows and put himself back in his stance; however, a few attacks almost got past his defenses as Dion misled him with nasty tactics.
He had had enough this time. Despite Dion almost having landed some hits on him, thanks to his experience and skills, it was clear to the awakener that the young man couldn't give him the challenge he needed to grow and that, despite his opponent's attempts, he was bound to lose.
"All right, I'm sick of this..."
When Erik's opponent heard the words, his heart sank. Despite his years of experience, Dion found himself struggling to keep up with Erik's natural talent and raw strength. The awakener seemed to anticipate his every move, dodging and swerving with ease. The only thing that prevented him from losing was Erik's lack of interest in the fight and the fact that he avoided attacking him. Was he messing with him? Making fun of him?
Dion gritted his teeth and dug deep, drawing on all of his training and experience to stay in the fight. However, Erik decided to end the fight once and for all. He darted in with lightning-fast speed and delivered a powerful punch to Dion's side. The blow landed with a sickening thud, and Dion stumbled backward, his face contorted in pain and several ribs crushed.
Erik didn't let up. He pressed his advantage, unleashing a flurry of kicks and punches that landed with crushing force. Dion tried to fight back, but he was too weakened and slow. As Erik continued his assault, Dion's vision began to blur, and he felt himself losing consciousness.
Finally, with a last blow, Erik secured his victory, as Dion finally tapped the ground in surrender. The room was silent, and the healer watched in shock. He had already seen the awakener's prowess but couldn't understand how much stronger he was compared to his peers. That also spoke volumes about how strong Nathaniel was.
Dion lay there, gasping for breath and clutching his side in agony. Erik stood over him, his chest heaving with exertion. Dion realized that his opponent was not just a skilled fighter but a ruthless one who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.
For a moment, the two men locked eyes. There was no animosity on Erik's side, but Dion was seething with anger as he felt disrespected. Besides, he had just lost despite giving all he could, making him extremely sad.
Martin, the healer, rushed into the room, and it was clear who the winner was. Again, Erik showed how incredible he was and how much he grew stronger during his stay at the Red Palace. All of this, not even in months.
Martin walked up to Erik with a broad grin on his face and said, "Congratulations, young man! You won the fight!"
Erik beamed with pride as Martin continued, "And not only that, you've just jumped up to rank 270 in the inner rankings! That's quite an achievement for someone who's only been training here for a couple of months!"
Erik felt a rush of excitement at the thought of what he might be able to accomplish with more training and experience, what he could achieve if he didn't have to fear the Crystal Cross Gang or lay low because of the government.
Erik took a moment to reflect on the fight. He knew that Dion had put up a good fight and respected him for that.
But in the end, it was his own skill and determination that had won the day. And as he walked out of the room, his head held high and his heart full of pride for what he had accomplished, For what he gained due to his effort and that bit of luck he got when he obtained the biological supercomputer. Erik knew that he had found his calling. He was a fighter, and he was determined to be the best.
Erik watched Dion leave the room without saying a word, his defeat weighing heavily on him. The young man could not help but feel a tinge of pity for his opponent, having experienced defeat himself in the past.
But he quickly shook the feeling off and left the room himself, heading towards the first floor of the Blue Palace. As he walked down the hallway, he couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. He had won another fight and did it with style.
As he reached the first floor, he spotted a vending machine and decided to grab a bottle of water. He fished a few coins out of his pocket and inserted them into the machine, waiting for the bottle to drop. As he twisted the cap off the bottle, he heard someone call out his name. He turned around to see Martin, the healer, approaching him, and he followed the young man to the ground floor with a broad smile on his face.
"Congratulations, Erik!" Martin exclaimed. "That was an amazing fight! You truly are a natural fighter." Erik smiled at the compliment, feeling a sense of pride welling up inside him. He had worked hard to get to where he was and was grateful for the recognition.
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