As wee took our positions, the crowd came to a still a chilling silence surrounded the guild. Both of us looked at each other fully focused in our battle stances where I held the sword down meanwhile he held his sword upright resolutely.
It was so quiet, the sound of us exhaling could be heard, the tension building up. At that moment, Kiba yelled out: "Let the fight Begin!"
Without hesitation, we moved.
We both surged forward, swords drawn, the air crackling with anticipation. The clash of our blades rang out, echoing across the arena, and the crowd erupted into cheers.
I could feel the weight of Shinra's strength behind each of his strikes, and I knew immediately that this wouldn't be a simple duel.
Shinra wasn't a master of technique; he was more of a powerhouse, relying on his raw physicality to overpower his opponents. His strikes came like waves, relentless and unyielding.
For a moment, I thought I might be swept away by the sheer force of his assault.
My body screamed in protest as I struggled to keep up with his barrage. Normally, my agility would be enough to evade, but Shinra's physical prowess was a different beast. He was faster than I anticipated, and the gap in our stats was glaringly apparent.
My training had only been a month in comparison to his years of experience, and it showed.
In a blur, Shinra disappeared from my sight, reappearing behind me in an instant. His sword was already slashing toward my neck in a vicious horizontal strike.
The attack came so quickly that I barely had time to react, but instinct kicked in. I parried just in time, though the sheer force of his blow sent shockwaves through my body, knocking me off balance.
Before I could recover, his blade was already aimed at my neck again.
But then, just as suddenly as he'd struck, Shinra faltered. A brief grimace crossed his face, and he clutched his wrist.
It was an opening—one I barely had time to seize.
I twisted away from his sword just as he cursed under his breath, confusion evident in his eyes. Whatever had caused the pain, it wasn't something I could exploit right now.
Shinra's relentless assault continued, This was Shinra in his element. A relentless predator, he didn't give his prey a moment of rest. Only that prey happened to me.
But slowly his patterns began to emerge.
With each swing, I could read him a little better, his movements becoming more and more decipherable. I stopped trying to block every strike. Instead, I weaved around him, parrying only when necessary, barely touching the blade.
Each time I did, I felt his force wane just a little.
The crowd's murmur began to shift as the battle continued.
"Looks like Shinra's in control," someone murmured, watching the rapid exchange of strikes.
Another voice agreed. "The new guy can't keep up. He's just defending."
But then, a voice sharp with observation cut in. "True, but he's still holding his ground. I think there's more to him than meets the eye."
"Doesn't matter," the first voice shot back. "Shinra's got this."
Kenjuro, standing slightly apart from the others, watched intently. His gaze sharpened as he assessed the fight. "It may look that way," he mused to himself, "but Shinra's landing no hits, and he's slowing down. That's not the sign of someone who's winning."
He was right. I'd adapted to Shinra's every move, deflecting his strikes with minimal effort. His movements were getting slower, his breathing heavier. If things continued like this, the upper hand would soon be mine.
As the duel pressed on, I could feel Shinra's frustration growing. I could almost sense his confusion—why none of his attacks seemed to connect and how he was beginning to tire. It wasn't that he was weaker than me or his stamina was starting to tire out.
The fact that none of his attacks were doing anything took a hit on him mentally.
"How am I not able to land a single blow on him, I was sure that I had the upper hand at the beginning, but how is it that he is standing there unfazed." That's probably what he was thinking right now.
"Enough of wasting time", I muttered. I had gotten his pattern, if this was the extent of his abilities I perhaps overestimated him.
I exhaled slowly, walked towards him swung my sword slowly downwards, and emanated a dense overwhelming pressure on Shinra.
I let a fraction of my fighting spirit loose, enough to form the illusion of overwhelming pressure. To Shinra, it would feel like facing a true dragon's fury. I am not currently at the level of ki materialization.
Ki materialization is when the ki surrounding your body actually materializes rather than an illusion and takes on the form of your fighting spirit. Your fighting spirit normally symbolizes one's spirit animal, mentality, or personality. Well, mine symbolized the form of a dragon.
"What the hell is this pressure? How can someone of my age, emit such deadly force?
It's like I'm fighting someone who has faced countless battles and bloodshed, a martial master." is what Shinra must have been thinking.
He's just a warrior who has taken a small step into the world of greatness. From Shinra's point of view, it must have looked like he was but a small helpless ant facing and confronting a dragon incarnate.
This time, I went on the offensive, landing a heavy blow that he barely managed to parry with his sword.
Although Shinra succeeded in eluding the attack, my strength shocked him, leaving his hands numb.
I could sense the momentum shifting as I resumed the offensive. The crowd leaned forward, breathless, as the duel shifted; they could hardly believe the tide was turning.
I could feel the people were shocked by the turn of events, but my relentless attacks continued, I surprised Shinra with my adaptability. Even though he tried to defend, I could see him gradually losing ground.
Spotting an opening, I aimed to finish him with a final attack. I copied the move, he had done at the start of the match. I disappeared in front of him and appeared behind him. I swung my sword towards his neck without hesitation since it was a sparring wooden sword.
But...
Damn it.
The transition from my former body to this new one had taken a toll. My reach was shorter, my frame smaller, and it disrupted my muscle memory. The sword passed just shy of Shinra's neck.
That was all it took.
He seized the moment, Brimming with energy, Shinra unleashed "The 12 Scales of the Dragon Blade: Red Fury."
This advanced sword technique allowed him to unleash a barrage of rapid strikes, each enhanced by the application of Ki to his blade, multiplying its strength a hundredfold.
With each barrage, it became harder to keep up with this body, Despite avoiding all the fatal blows, I was blown off by the impact. Blood spilled from my mouth as I coughed, pain flashing through my entire body. A heavy silence fell over the onlookers.
How many times was I gonna vomit blood?
It was absurd—fighting a kid at the core establishment stage and being pushed to the brink. I couldn't help but chuckle bitterly.
Shinra approached, his voice tinged with amusement. "Enjoying this battle, aren't you?"
I was caught off guard. He... enjoys this?
I blinked, momentarily stunned by his words. Shinra, a warrior, was thriving in the heat of battle. He wasn't intimidated or anxious—he was exhilarated. The fight had awakened something in him, a primal thrill.
I, on the other hand, had always fought for survival. Battles were blood-soaked, life-or-death struggles—nothing more, nothing less.
But here, at this moment, for the first time, I felt something new: enjoyment. Pure, raw excitement. The feeling of being free, being unburdened by the shackles of reality that bound me.
Slowly, I rose to my feet. My body was battered, my limbs aching, but I wasn't finished. Not yet.
Shinra's eyes narrowed, clearly impressed by my resilience. "You're still standing?"
I smirked through my bloodied lips. "If you think I'm going down from that, you've got another thing coming."
Kiba, our martial arts instructor, was equally taken aback by the resilience I displayed, as well as the feat Shinra just showcased.
Shinra's surprise gave way to determination as he realized he couldn't underestimate me. "Of course not. At this point, I'm not even surprised."
As the audience watched in disbelief, Kiba contemplated the outcome of the duel. Shinra and I faced each other once more, both prepared to go all out in our relentless pursuit of victory.
I stood there as Shinra took his fighting stance. Instead of my usual fighting stance where I held my sword downward, I held it upright resolutely. We both looked at each other smirking at each other, both of us knowing this was the final move that would show the outcome of the battle.
Both of us had overexerted ourselves and this move would be the last move of our duel. We both dashed towards each other for the last time.
"12 Scales of the Dragon Blade: " We both yelled simultaneously
I called out, "Fire Tempest."
Simultaneously, Shinra declared, "Ice Tempest."
Ki and mana can be split into six main elemental attributes: fire, ice, wind, earth, light, and dark. Each elemental attribute can be further divided into more attributes, each possessing different abilities.
Fire often represents passion, intensity, and energy. In martial arts, it symbolizes a fierce fighting style or inner strength, while in magic, it signifies destruction, transformation, or purification.
Ice typically symbolizes calmness, strength control, and precision. In martial arts, it represents a disciplined and defensive sometimes a harsh offensive fighting style. In magic, it can be associated with freezing or slowing down processes.
Wind represents freedom, agility, and adaptability, symbolizing a fluid and evasive fighting style in martial arts, while in magic, it denotes swiftness, communication, or change.
Earth is associated with stability, endurance, and grounding, representing a strong and resilient fighting style in martial arts and symbolizing protection, growth, or the manipulation of the physical world in magic.
Light usually symbolizes purity, truth, and enlightenment, representing a style focused on ethics and righteousness in martial arts, while in magic, it signifies healing, revelation, or dispelling darkness.
Darkness represents mystery, hidden potential, and chaos. In martial arts, it symbolizes an unpredictable or aggressive fighting style, while in magic, it can be associated with shadow manipulation, illusion, or tapping into forbidden power.
With a surge of energy, I channeled fiery Ki into my blade, igniting it in a fierce blaze that crackled with intensity.
Across from me, Shinra infused his sword with a deadly, chilling aura, ice crystallizing along the blade and exuding a bitter frost. The air between us grew thick with anticipation as our powers reached their peak.
As soon as we yelled those words, we unleashed our elemental tempests—mine a raging tornado of searing flames, his a spiraling vortex of biting ice.
The two tornados twisted and howled, spiraling toward each other like forces of nature bent on collision. The instant our swords met, fire and ice collided with a deafening roar, creating an immense whirlwind of clashing energies.
Fire and ice collided in a violent dance, their energies merging into a swirling tornado of fiery purple flames and green frigid ice crystals that looked like jade. The storm roared and pulsed, filling the arena with a blinding light before erupting in a shockwave that shook the ground.
In an instant, it burst into a blinding explosion that rocked the arena, engulfing everything around us in a thick shroud of dust and energy. The ground trembled beneath our feet as the whirlwind dissipated, leaving only the echo of our clash hanging in the heavy, smoke-filled air.
The astonished spectators were left in awe, unable to comprehend the spectacle. A collective gasp rippled through the crowd as they witnessed the incredible display of power unfolding before them.
In hushed tones, one person muttered, "What in the actual hell is happening?"
Another, disbelief etched on their face, asked, "Are those two seriously our age?"
An air of suspense filled the arena. No one could see who the victor was because of the dust kicked up by our clash.
Tension gripped the audience until, at last, another observer exclaimed, "Wait, the dust is clearing."
As the dust settled, shock and amazement washed over the crowd, leaving everyone, including Kenjuro and Kiba, in stunned silence.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
STATUS WINDOW
NAME: Shinra Reijin (LVL-14)
AGE: 17
RACE: Human
TITLE: "The Unyielding Disciple"
AFFILIATION: Arcane Guild [Disciple]
Ki: Core Establishment Stage [2/5]
Mana: N/A
____________________________________________________________________________________________
SKILLS:
Swords Mastery [S] (ACTIVE)
Mentality[G] (PASSIVE)
12 Scales of the Dragon Blade [C](75% mastered)
____________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________