The final round was held on the third day. Group A final round was scheduled to be last. Quint used that opportunity to prepare himself. He had not a chance to see his opponent's performance. However, his master did.
According to his master, his opponent in this final round was tough one. Despite they had the same level of physical and spiritual strength, his opponent was also the best prodigy from a famous family. This family was known to have secret deadly attack technique.
The attack was called secretive and deadly not without a reason. It was because no spectator had ever successfully acknowledged how the movement was. On the other hand, one who received the attack was had no chance to speak out about it since.. they were all dead because of it.
"But it was said that the attack also gave major backslash to the owner. Thus, they won't use it except in desperate moment," his master said, trying to comfort Quint a little. Quint just nodded to hear last information his master gave to him.
The final round for grade A was finally arrived. Quint as calm as usual stepped on the stage, followed by his opponent not long after. Unlike his previous opponents, the boy who currently in front of him had similar demeanor to him, calm and solemn. He had no underestimating smile on his face, nor aggressive behavior. He just stood there calmly staring at Quint, measuring Quint's ability.
Once the referee started the fight, both of the boys didn't immediately attacked. They were just jumping side way in a circle. The audiences started whispering to one another, guessing that it would be like the fifth round.
However, all of a sudden his opponent launched an attack. The attack was so fast that couldn't be seen by common people. Fortunately, Quint's spiritual power was high enough to see the attack clearly. He deliberately blocked the attack, instead of just dodged it, to measure the strength. It was quite a strong attack. Even after Quint blocked it with a perfect defensive move, he was still forced to step few feet backward due to the attack's strength.
"Your turn," the boy said with a genuine smile.
Quint stepped forward toward the boy and launched his attack even before the boy closed his mouth. However his several fists were easily be blocked by the boy who then launched a counter attack onto his chest.
Quint blocked the hit with his palm, wrapped onto the fist. He was trying to crush the boy's fist just like what he did to the previous girl. However, the rumor was right. The boy had the same strength as him. Thus it was not easy to crush his bone.
Knowing it was a fail, Quint quickly attacked the boy with his right elbow. The boy blocked it with his other hand. He then kicked Quint's waist. In order to blocked it, Quint had to release his hold to the boy's fist. Quint grabbed his leg. He attempted to hit it with his other hand. However, the boy kicked his hand with his other leg before it could touch his skin. He then rolled his feet over his head backwardly, attempted to hit Quint's jaw. Quint quickly released his hold to his opponent's leg in order to avoid the attack and step a back.
All of that happened in less than three seconds. The audiences were captivated. They didn't saw anything, but the scoreboard on both parties quickly decreased their points.
"Not bad," the boy said. Without wasting any second, he launched his next attacks. This time they were series of fists, palm strokes, and kicks. All were launched much faster than the previous attack.
Quint solemnly blocked all the attacks. While doing it, his furrows got deepened. It was not because he was overwhelmed by the attacks. Al though the attacks were powerful and extremely fast, they were all advanced level attack movements. He himself had been familiar and mastered all these movements. Thus he could block them with not much of a problem.
However, what made him frowned was because within those attacks, he had not seen a single opening. His opponent did the attacks not just accurately, but also perfectly covered his body from any opening. Even his profound power couldn't find an opening. Thus, he deliberately blocked and pushed his opponent using his spiritual power. to stop the attacks.
Quint then caught up his distance with his opponent who still stepping back from his push. He slid his leg to trip the boy. But the boy jumped to avoid it. Quint quickly jumped to catch the boy. In the air, he launched a fist on to the boys stomach. The boy moved his hand to block it. Quint swiftly sneaked in through the block and stroke his palm to the boy's chest. However, the boy manage to catch it with his fist.
BOOM !!
A thrilling sound like an explosion was heard as Quint's palm stroke and the boy's fist was collide. A second later both boys fell from the air, steadily stood on the ground.
The boy wiped the corner of his mouth. His smiled was vanished. His face was annoyed. No one witnessed it, but at the collision, despite that his fist had blocked it, Quint had actually managed to push his other palm stroke to hit his chest.
He was unconsciously underestimated Quint. Previously he deliberately didn't use all his power despite being advised by his coach about Quint's equivalent strength with him. Unlike him who had several world-class coaches, Quint was merely coached by his father's personal bodyguard. So even to have the same power, he was assuming that Quint wouldn't have the same ability toward him. Who would have guess that Quint managed to hit him.
The boy took a deep breath to circulate his energy. He opened his eyes when he could feel he reached his peak power. In a blink of an eye, he was already behind Quint and stoke his back with both of his hands.
Quint managed to dodge the sudden attack, but he hadn't had a chance to circulate his spiritual energy to block the spiritual attack. Thus, though he managed to dodge the stroke, the boy's spiritual energy had successfully attacked him.
Quint was staggered few steps forward. His mouth spurred flesh blood. But he quickly turned his body and prepared himself for the next attacks launched by his opponent. As he expected, another series of attacks were coming ahead.
This time attacks were not merely basic movements. There were movements that unexpected and even unthinkable to be executed. Thus, Quint barely able to blocked them. Some even successfully landed on Quint's body.
Quint could only passively blocked the attacks. He was forced to swallow his blood that choked inside his throat several times. His skin was soon black and blue by bruises.
However, he endured himself to keep stood up high. He knew once he was down, it was more of his opponent advantage. He also knew, this wouldn't last long, because...
Quint glanced at the scoreboard on his opponent's side. The point was changed so fast, as fast as his attacks toward him. 30. 22. 16. Quint smiled inwardly. He managed to anger his opponent, until he forgot about the rule.
Suddenly a loud shout was heard from below the stage. The shout was making his opponent stopped. One who shouted was his coach. His coach shifted his gaze from the boy to the scoreboard, signaling the boy to see toward his direction. The boy saw the scoreboard. 2.
He immediately withdrew himself few steps back from Quint. He saw Quint in grim. Despite being black and blue, Quint still stood there. After 98 attacks, this Eastern boy was not defeated by him. And now.. now he only had 2 more attacks. If he couldn't defeat the boy in front of him with two attacks, he would lose.
"Coach," he called the man below the stage. The communicate through their sights. After sometimes, the coach reluctantly nodded.
The boy then looked at Quint who stood staggeredly few feet from him. There was a hint of grimness on his face but a split second later it vanished.
Quint laid his gaze on the boy. He knew in this condition the boy would use his ultimate attack. He was ensured by the conversation the boy had with his coach before. Quint just didn't know what kind of attack he was about to receive. Thus, all he could do was to alert all muscles in his body and accumulating his spiritual energy.
The boy closed his eyes. He managed his perspiration and maybe circulating or accumulating his spiritual energy. A second later, he opened his eyes. He then ran toward Quint while shouting.
Quint obviously was so ready toward the attack. He had prepared his defensive movement. But all of the sudden, the boy vanished from his sight. Quint blinked his eyes few times in confusion. He was sure that the boy's run was not too fast. It wasn't possible for him to suddenly increased his speed without being noticed by Quint.
However, in the middle of his confusion, Quint suddenly felt a brisk of movement through his skin. He intuitively moved his arm to block the invisible movement, whatever it was. He could feel his arm blocked a fist.
Quint smirked. So, this is the boy's ultimate attack, being invisible. It was surely a troublesome by others. Fortunately, Quint had been trained to increase his skin's sensitivity. Thus now, even though his eyes couldn't see, his skin could see his opponent movement.
Quint was about to counter attack when suddenly he felt that the fist he was blocking was slowly seeping through his skin. It was not like it dodged his block, but literally seeped through his skin. Quint was dumbfounded. He could feel a chill flow running inside his body, from his blocking arm right into his chest.
Before Quint could thought of anything to against it, he felt his heart was squeezed hard. He winced in pain. Quint groped his chest just to find out there was nothing on it. However the clenched on his heart was getting tighter and tighter.
Quint bulged his eyes and cried in pain. He then reflexively nailed his claws on his own chest as he felt his heart was being pulled. Something was trying to pluck his heart away and he tried his best to fight for it, al though he didn't know how.
Suddenly, int the brink of his unconsciousness, Quint could see a vague target mark, floating in the air in front of him. In this state, he didn't know whether it was really his profound nor just his hallucination. Why would his profound marking on an empty air ?
However, since Quint had been trusted his initiate power for years, he just followed its guide. He launched his fist toward the target mark. His fist didn't hit a muscle nor bone. But it hit something soft and slick. To his surprise, that something was beating against his fist.
Was it the boy's heart ?
Quint didn't think too much as unbearable pain was still torturing him. He squeezed that something. A scream was heard in front of him at the same time as his scream. the pull on his heart was getting stronger. Quint howled in pain. He clawed his left hand on his chest, hoping it can prevent his heart from being plucked away.
On the last string of his consciousness, as he could feel his heart was gong to be plucked in a pull away, Quint gather all the strength left in him to rip away whatever it was on his hand
"No !! Stop it !!""
"Quint !!"
Those shouts, among with audiences' screams and gasps were heard when Quint could feel his managed to rip the thing. In his blurry gaze, he could see the boy slowly turned into visible again. Quint looked down to his hand. It was filled with blood and the thing in his hand was still beating twice before totally stopped.
Having no energy left, Quint dropped his body on the ground. He could feel a hand caught his head before it hit the ground. Last thing he saw was his master's face.
----------
The awarding ceremony for grade A was mournful. The second rank, or the first runner up was die while Quint, the winner was in critical state after his heart was somehow almost detached. It was so devastating, even more for both parties.
However, Quint's opponent's party didn't raise a complain nor objection. This state was initiated by their side. The boy was indeed using the ghost attack. It was their ultimate attack. It made a person not only be invisible, but also could through things, like ghost. Unfortunately, being a ghost meant they no longer had physical strength and their body was as weak as baby. That was why Quint could pierced through the boy's skin easily and even pulled his heart in one go.
@@@@@ Author's Note @@@@@
Was it to bloody ? Should I put the + sign (18+ warning) in this chapter ? Please comment below