Kaito’s taunt hung in the air as the two walked towards the stairs of the dueling platform.
The commotion around the stadium grew louder as spectators gathered, eager to witness the upcoming battle.
"Isn’t that Kaito, one of the leaders of the Outer Sect rank disciples?" a disciple murmured to his friend. "Who’s that servant rank disciple beside him?"
Another disciple squinted, trying to recognize Lassim. "I don’t know, but it looks like Jiro is involved again. Kaito’s probably been bullying him, and this unfortunate servant rank disciple got dragged into it."
The crowd buzzed with speculation, eyes flicking between Kaito and Lassim.
The pressure Lassim released was palpable, sending shivers through the audience.
Several disciples needed to circulate their own cultivation techniques, pushing back against the overwhelming internal pressure Lassim was forcing onto them inadvertently.
In the middle of the platform, a sect elder appeared, his robes fluttering in the wind created by the storm overhead.
He looked between Lassim and Kaito, his expression serious. "As required before any sect officiated duel in this arena, state the reason for this duel and any wagers," he commanded. "Know that they will be enforced by the sect."
Kaito grinned smugly. "This servant disciple challenged me. If I win, I get whatever artifact he’s using to create that pressure."
The elder turned to Lassim, his eyes narrowing with concern. "Are you certain about this? I can see that you’re only at the peak Spirit Transformation stage, while Kaito is a Spirit Transcendent stage, level 2. This could be quite dangerous for you. If you were pressured into this and wish to back down, know that I will personally allow you to leave without any issues from Kaito."
Lassim’s eyes burned with fury and determination. "Don’t worry about me. Instead, prepare a medic team for Kaito after he ’shows me the difference between stages.’"
The crowd erupted at Lassim’s bold statement, excitement and tension murmuring in the air.
Kaito’s grin faltered, replaced by a look of anger.
With a clap of thunder, he disappeared from his spot at the bottom of the steps and reappeared in the middle of the duel arena, his body crackling with electric energy.
Lassim took one last glance at Jiro and saw the bruises that covered his body. Jiro just shook his head as if to say this was all unnecessary, but that just made him angery.
Lassim walked slowly up the steps and across the arena to his position, each step punctuated by a lightning strike that shot down from the storm above and landed behind him.
The perpetual storm overhead mirrored his intensity, now swirling with dark clouds and flashing lightning.
As Lassim approached, he focused all his divine pressure toward Kaito, the weight of it pressing down on his opponent.
Once Lassim was across from him, the sect elder on the side called for the start of the match. "Begin!"
Kaito didn’t waste a moment. He charged forward, lightning crackling around his fists.
Lassim responded by summoning his [Grand Aegis] technique, his giant ice dragon materializing behind him. The dragon roared, its icy breath forming a protective barrier around Lassim as he readied his halberd.
Kaito’s spirit weapon, a pair of knuckles studded with glowing runes that ran down the lengths of his fingers, shimmered with electric energy.
Each punch he threw towards Lassim snapped with lightning, the energy arcing through the air towards him.
After the speedily erected ice barrier appeared, his fist collided with it powerfully, sending shards of ice flying.
The impact was immense, but Lassim’s defense held strong. it seemed the strengthening of the bond with Mari and practice holding mana particles tightly together provided an unexpected benefit improving his defense technique.
Lassim then split the icy shield barrier in front of him to counter with a swift [Thrust], his halberd glowing with a mix of water and lightning mana that shot rapidly towards his opponent. Kaito dodged to the side, his movements swift and fluid.
The barrier around the arena showed itself and shimmered briefly into existence before dissipating the remnant [Thrust] attack that shot past Kaito.
The two clashed repeatedly and remarkably evenly, shocking the audience. Their strikes resonated with the storm above.
Lassim’s halberd moved with a fluid grace, deflecting Kaito’s attacks and delivering powerful counter attacks that clashed tens of times a second. Each strike sent sparks flying, the air around them humming with energy.
Kaito’s relentless flurry of attacks were like a champion boxer, his fists and footwork allowing him to move and attack at unexpected angles with blinding speed.
Lassim parried the lightning bolts shot towards him and blocked the fists with the shaft of his halberd when Kaito created an opening, yet his [Grand Aegis] technique absorbed the brunt of the assault.
The ice dragon provided additional support and control, its icy breath freezing the ground and creating slippery obstacles for Kaito.
"You’re stronger than I expected," Kaito admitted, his voice tinged with frustration. "But you won’t beat me, lowly servant. You’ll join Jiro and be covered in bruises soon enough."
"You talk too much," Lassim retorted, his eyes blazing.
Kaito growled, channeling more lightning into his strikes. His attacks became more aggressive, each punch now sending shockwaves through the arena.
Lassim’s halberd danced through the air, deflecting the blows and delivering punishing [Slash]es in return.
The ground beneath them cracked and splintered under the force of their battle.
Lassim’s ice dragon roared again, its icy breath creating a barrier that blocked one of Kaito’s powerful double synchronized punches.
In response, Lassim swung his halberd in a wide arc, hiding within it his real intentions of sending a wave of lightning-infused tide of water that had spread across the arena to activate the [Storm’s Grasp] at Kaito.
Kaito dodged the halberd swing, but the wave of water rose up to catch his leg, causing him to stumble in place.
Lassim seized the opportunity, charging forward with a powerful [Slash]. Kaito barely managed to block with his forearm, the impact sending him skidding backward.
"You’re just delaying the inevitable," Kaito snarled, his eyes blazing with fury.
He channeled a massive amount of lightning mana into his fists, the energy crackling and sparking wildly. "[Lightning Storm Fist]!"
Kaito’s attack tore through the air, a spiraling column of raw lightning energy aimed directly at Lassim.
The sheer power of the technique was overwhelming, the ground shaking and splitting as it approached.
Lassim’s eyes narrowed. He knew this was his chance. He had to end this now with the only thing equally powerful enough to compete with the column charging towards him.
Taking a deep breath, he focused all his divine energy into his halberd.
He could feel the water and lightning mana merging, the particles aligning in perfect harmony. He had only one chance to get this right.
"[Hydroburst]!" Lassim roared, swinging his halberd with all his might.
The technique activated luckily, only to then meet the lightning head on and cause a massive surge of energy to explode from the blade.
The water mana superheated, mixing with the plasma to create a searing burst of steam and lightning. The force of the explosion was immense, sending a shockwave through the arena.
The entire arena’s barrier seemed to balloon outwards a little and strain under the pressure of the full power [Hydroburst] technique.
Kaito’s eyes widened in shock as the [Hydroburst] completely annihilated his attack and continued onwards to strike him.
He tried to block the incoming attack with his arms, but the sheer power of the technique overwhelmed him. The explosion tore through his defenses, blasting his left arm and right arms off at the shoulder and elbow joints before also blasting him backwards.
The sect elder called a halt to the fight, his voice echoing through the stunned silence of the arena. "Stop! The fight is over!"
The crowd was silent, staring in shock at the aftermath of the battle as the steam rose up into the air and revealed the deatruction.
The arena was in shards and pieces. Kaito lay on the ground, his limbs severed and his body convulsing in pain. Lassim stood over him, his halberd still glowing with residual energy.
Surprisingly, Lassim had managed to not get knocked back this time with his technique by activating [Tempest Steps] to offset the force.
He was inspired by Kaito’s use of his own footwork and movement technique that he kept activated while launching jabs, uppercuts and punches.
He suddenly realized he could also do that after watching him, and it worked splendidly. That allowed him to close in, ready to attack once more, until the elder called a stop to the fight.
A medic team rushed onto the platform, led by the same female sect healer who had treated Lassim after his battle with the lightning construct.
Her eyes widened in recognition as she saw him, but her attention quickly shifted to Kaito.
"Was this a death match or a friendly duel?" she glared angrily at the sect elder refereeing battle, her cute voice breaking slightly.
The elder just shrugged his shoulders and raised his hands palm up in a shrug.
New novel chapt𝒆rs are published on ƒгeewebnovёl.com.
The healer, annoyed, turned back towards Kaito. She began weaving her nature element, green mana flowing and gentle ivy branches extending from her hands as she worked to reattach Kaito’s severed limbs.
Her elemental companion, a faerie creature in a white-leaf mini dress, appeared in a burst of glittery dust beside her.
The faerie’s aura of green nature mana then enveloped Kaito, lifting him gently into the air. The healer and her companion worked in tandem, the faerie’s power stabilizing Kaito’s condition as they carried him through the air away for further treatment.
The crowd remained silent, their eyes fixed on Lassim.