The crowd was buzzing with excitement as the fight between Carlisle and Juliana reached its boiling point. Their battle had been intense from the very start, but Carlisle's power had undeniably grown.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
A rapid exchange of blows echoed through the arena, each collision shaking the ring. Juliana gave a low grunt, visibly surprised by her opponent's strength.
"I didn't expect you to improve this much in just two weeks," she admitted, a hint of respect in her voice.
"Not bad, Carlisle... but you shouldn't have picked me as your opponent."
Her gaze hardened. "I came here to become a Floor Master, and I've grown stronger than you can imagine. You won't stand in my way."
Carlisle's puppet—a massive, hulking figure—lunged at Juliana again. While it couldn't overpower her, it absorbed her strikes, keeping her on the defensive.
From the commentator's booth, the host's voice crackled with excitement.
"Ladies and gentlemen! This is the kind of fight we live for—two warriors locked in a battle of endurance! Total domination might be impressive, but nothing beats a close match!"
Kaizen stood quietly at the edge of the audience, observing the fighters with cold calculation. His golden eyes narrowed as he analyzed Juliana's movements.
"Her physical strength is impressive," he muttered to himself. "But if brute force is all she's got... she won't be able to beat me."
However, a twinge of doubt crossed his mind.
"If she's hiding another ability, things might get complicated."
The crowd roared, swept up in the action.
"Carlisle, come on! I bet everything on you!"
"Juliana! Marry me!" someone shouted shamelessly.
The crowd erupted in laughter, though it was cut short when the unlucky fan realized Juliana had heard him. Her sharp gaze flicked toward the offender, causing him to shrink back into his seat.
Carlisle clenched his fists, a desperate light burning in his eyes.
"I gave up everything to win here... I have to win. For my wife. For my daughter. For everything I've lost."
He barked orders at his puppet, forcing it to reposition and block Juliana's advance. He couldn't afford to let her slip past—it would spell the end of the fight.
The spectators leaned forward, sensing a shift in the tide.
Juliana suddenly stopped in place. A dangerous aura radiated from her body, causing the temperature in the arena to drop by several degrees. Her presence grew heavier, suffocating.
With a sharp exhale, she activated her ability. A metallic sheen spread across her body, enveloping her in materialized armor. The steel plates clinked as they locked into place, forming an impenetrable suit.
"An Enhancer," Ron muttered under his breath, intrigued by her precision in creating armor through aura.
Juliana shot forward without warning, her speed unaffected by the heavy metal encasing her. In fact, her movements seemed even sharper now, her punches carrying a devastating weight.
CRASH!
Her armored fist collided with Carlisle's puppet, sending it flying across the ring. The impact left deep cracks in its frame, but it somehow remained intact.
"Damn it!" Carlisle cursed. His puppet staggered to its feet, lumbering toward him—but Juliana was already upon him.
Her armored fist connected with Carlisle's chest, sending him crashing to the ground. Blood spattered across the arena floor.
The referee raised his hand. "Point to Juliana!"
Carlisle's puppet launched itself at her again, only to be met with another devastating blow. This time, it didn't get back up. Blood seeped from the broken puppet, pooling beneath it.
Kaizen's brow furrowed as he watched the strange scene unfold.
"A puppet that bleeds...?" he murmured. "That's not normal. Not even aura beasts bleed unless they're based on a living creature."
He thought back to other Enhancer he had encountered—Zushi's teacher Wing, Nobunaga, and others. None of them used techniques like this.
"Is that thing... alive?" Ron wondered aloud. His mind raced. "If Carlisle's puppet is a living being hidden away in some kind of pocket dimension... why does he only have one? A person of his caliber should be able to summon more."
Another loud impact jarred him from his thoughts. Juliana's armored body slammed into Carlisle's puppet once more, sending it skidding out of the ring.
This time, the damage was unmistakable. The puppet lay in a heap, its broken frame oozing blood that stained the ground.
The crowd roared as Juliana stepped forward, seizing Carlisle by the collar. With one effortless motion, she hurled him out of the ring.
"The winner is... Juliana!" the announcer's voice boomed. "That makes ten straight wins! Juliana is now eligible to challenge a Floor Master!"
The audience erupted into cheers. Carlisle, bruised and defeated, lay forgotten at the side of the ring. No one spared him a second glance.
Except for Kaizen.
His gaze shifted from Carlisle's broken body to the shattered puppet lying on the opposite side of the arena.
Then, something strange happened.
The puppet twitched. Slowly, it raised its head.
Kaizen's heart skipped a beat, and his eyes narrowed in suspicion.
The puppet's face was horrifying—part human, part dog, with long, tangled black hair falling over its malformed features. Its bloodshot eyes locked onto Kaizen's, sending a chill down his spine.
"Kaa... Kaiizn..." the creature whispered, its voice a guttural rasp.
Kaizen's entire body tensed. This fight was far from over.
--------------
+100 chapters on patreon.com/FanficsHub