Chapter 154: Chapter 154: Lark’s Fight [2]
"You’re fast," Marcus admitted. "But speed doesn’t break shields."
He planted his feet again, his shield braced.
"Let me show you what does."
He raised his mace and brought it down.
The impact wasn’t aimed at Lark.
It was aimed at the ground.
The mace struck the platform with the force of a falling meteor, and the entire arena shook.
A shockwave erupted from the point of impact, a ripple of distorted air that cracked the stone beneath it and sent debris flying in all directions.
The crowd screamed.
Lark’s eyes widened.
She leaped, her body twisting in midair as the shockwave passed beneath her, the force of it rattling her bones even through the distance.
Seismic Slam
The technique was brutal, simple, and devastating.
Marcus didn’t give her time to recover.
He charged, his shield leading, his mace raised for a follow-up strike.
Lark landed, her feet skidding against the cracked stone.
’He’s faster than he looks.’
She raised her sword to block.
The shield struck her, a wall of iron that sent her sliding backward, her boots scraping against the stone.
Marcus pressed his advantage, his mace swinging.
Lark ducked, the weapon passing over her head.
She rolled, came up in a crouch, and thrust her sword at the gap between his shield and his hip.
The blade sank into armor.
Marcus grunted, his hand snapping down to grab her blade.
Lark pulled back, her sword free, but the opening was gone.
They circled each other, breathing hard.
Damon’s golden eyes tracked every movement, every shift in weight, every flicker of intent.
He activated his Incubus Celestial Eyes.
The world shifted.
He saw the flow of Qi in Lark’s body, the pathways of energy that traced through her meridians like rivers of light.
He saw the technique she was suppressing, the Dragon Sundering Strike, coiled and ready, waiting for the perfect moment.
But he also saw something else.
A flicker of hesitation.
’She’s afraid to use it.’
Ariel noticed his focus.
"What is it?"
"She’s worried about exposing herself," Damon said. "If she uses her full power, her disguise might slip."
Ariel’s brow furrowed.
"Is that why she’s struggling?"
"She’s not struggling. She’s waiting."
Marcus charged again, his shield raised, his mace ready.
Lark met him head-on.
Her sword clashed against his shield, sparks flying.
She pushed, her feet sliding against the stone, her muscles straining.
Marcus grinned.
"You’re strong for a little sword. But not strong enough."
He shoved, sending her stumbling backward.
Then he raised his mace for another Seismic Slam.
Lark’s eyes hardened.
’Enough.’
She moved forward.
She closed the distance between them in a single, explosive step, her boots barely scraping the stone as she surged into his space.
Her sword flashed upward, catching the arena’s harsh light along its edge.
Marcus’s mace came down with all the terrible weight and momentum he could muster.
Lark’s blade met it.
She deflected the mace, redirecting its force into the ground beside her.
The stone cracked, but the shockwave never formed.
Marcus’s eyes widened.
"What—"
Lark didn’t give him time to recover, didn’t allow him even a single ragged breath to steady himself.
She drove her shoulder hard into the face of his shield, a sharp, deliberate impact that forced him to shift his weight onto his back foot to compensate.
His footing broke for just a fraction of a second — and that was all she needed.
Then she spun.
Her sword arced in a wide, sweeping crescent, the motion fluid and precise, the blade catching the arena’s harsh overhead light as it came around.
Light Qi.
It burst from her blade in a sudden, explosive release — a flash of brilliant, blinding radiance that flooded the entire arena floor in one searing instant, swallowing the stone and the crowd and the sky above in a tide of pure white light.
The kind of light that didn’t just blind the eyes but pressed against the skin, heat and luminescence rolled into a single overwhelming wave.
The crowd recoiled as one. Hands flew up. Sleeves were thrown over faces. Even the elders on the high platform turned their heads instinctively, squinting against the glare.
Marcus recoiled hard, his vision reduced to nothing but scorching white, his shield snapping up in front of his face by pure trained instinct rather than conscious thought.
A roar was building in his chest, disoriented and furious.
But Lark was already moving.
Her sword found the gap between his shield and his arm, sliding through the joint of his armor with surgical precision.
The blade bit deep.
Marcus roared, his mace swinging wildly.
Lark ducked under it, her sword withdrawing, then striking again.
This time, she aimed at his wrist.
The blade sliced through leather and flesh, severing the tendons that held his mace.
The weapon clattered to the ground.
Marcus stared at his empty hand, disbelief written across his face.
Lark’s sword pressed against his throat.
"It’s your lost."
Marcus’s jaw tightened.
For a long moment, he didn’t move.
Then he let out a breath.
"I surrender."
Elder Alder raised his hand.
"Winner. Lark."
The crowd erupted.
Lark sheathed her sword, her breathing steady, her expression calm.
She turned and walked off the platform without a backward glance.
But Damon saw it.
For a split second, when she used the Light Qi, her disguise had wavered.
Her features had shifted, the illusion flickering like a candle in the wind.
He had seen the face beneath.
Lumina Solaris.
The princess of the Eastern Continent.
He checked his Incubus Celestial Eyes recording.
[Dragon Sundering Strike: 45% completion.]
’Forty-five percent. Two more matches, maybe three, and I’ll have the full technique.’
Ariel leaned against him.
"She’s good."
"She is," Damon agreed.
"Think you can beat her?"
Damon smiled, a slow, confident curve of his lips.
"I’m not planning to lose to anyone."
Ariel’s hand found his, her fingers intertwining with his.
"Good."
Neko tugged at his sleeve.
"Master, when do you fight?"
Damon’s gaze drifted to the arena, where the next match was already being called.
"Soon enough."
The tournament was far from over.
And the real battles had only just begun.
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