The arena still shook with the after-effects of the impact; the air was still singing with the shock of that first strike. The whiplash winds of the shockwave were like spirits, screaming, whipping dust and broken parts in a vortex of turbulent air. Both fighters sprang back, the resounding impacts of their feet crashing on the ground with drumming booms of fate.
They sprang forward in a blur of motion, with blows exchanged in a rapidity that was incomprehensible. Onyxelle hurled a right fist toward Everok's face, as sharp as a predator's fangs. But Everok, swift and calculating, evaded with the precision of a seasoned hunter. He retaliated, a crushing strike against her chest, but before it could find its mark, Onyxelle vaulted backward with feline agility, her lithe form skidding to a stop as her feet kissed the ground.
Barely regaining her balance, Onyxelle wasted no time. She surged forward, her form a blur of relentless energy. With a mighty leap, she propelled herself into the air, her leg cutting through the air like a scythe. Her right kick, aimed at Everok's head, descended with terrifying force. Everok braced himself, raising his left arm in a desperate defense, but the impact was monstrous. The force of the blow sent him sideways, his massive frame rolling to the ground as if swept away by an unforgiving tide.
The crowd erupted in a cacophony of frenzied cheers, their voices rising to a symphony of adoration for Onyxelle's prowess. Her name rumbled in the air, their chants a victorious war cry that fueled her spirit.
But Everok was far from defeated. With one swift, almost defiant motion, he sprang to his feet, dust cascading from his battered frame like the remnants of a shattered mountain. His eyes blazed with an unnerving resolve, his eyes interlocking with Onyxelle's in a ferocity that spoke of unending fight. The two warriors had begun to circle one another; their strong frames were vessels full of wills. Each moved with the patience of apex predators, waiting on the other to let in the next blow.
Everok charged first, his massive form cutting through the air with the precision of a predator zeroing in on its prey. Seeing him close the gap, Onyxelle surged forward to meet him. The distance between them seemed to shrink in an instant. "Lexis of Void Step: Traverse," Everok growled, bending the very fabric of reality. The laws of space twisted under his command, the void folding the distance between them in an instant.
Caught off guard, Onyxelle had no time to react as Everok's fist landed squarely on her face with the force of a thunderclap. Her body had been thrown backward, flipping through the air before she slid across the ground, the soil scraping against her back like jagged teeth. Everok turned to his supporters, his triumphant roar piercing the arena. "Whooo!" he shouted, his voice sharp and electrifying, reverberating across the crowd as he swung his arms in celebration, bouncing on his feet with unbridled energy. His fans erupted in a wave of cheers, their voices a tidal surge that bolstered his adrenaline.
But Onyxelle had not finished: she brought her legs high into the air and reversed the total weight of her body onto her feet as effortlessly as a snake might. As she did, a slight vibration rocked through the stadium, the merest moment's pause between cacophony and new explosion. Her end was suddenly filled with vigorous cheering; renewed chants of encouragement to take Everok's pride once again.
"Lexis of Void Edge: Void Blade," Onyxelle exclaimed, her fists slamming into the air with the force of a tempest. The void on either side of her cracked like a shattered mirror, the air itself rippling with unseen power. From the fractures, she reached out and grasped two massive void fragments, their surfaces shimmering with an otherworldly energy. As she pulled them free, the cracks in the void sealed themselves instantly, like reality simply would not be broken for long.
Her right hand swung in an arc, the blade in her hand slicing through the space around her and then leaving behind a tear that too sealed instantly. Ominous brilliance danced along the edge as she leveled the weapon at Everok, her stare searing with determinism.
Meanwhile, Nyxander, who had been watching the spectacle with bated breath, clutched the edges of his chair tightly. The vibrations from the arena's seismic clashes rattled his small titan frame, threatening to toss him from his seat. He held on with all his might, his awe-struck eyes glued to the battlefield as the echoes of the two fighters' collision shook the very foundations of the arena.
Onyxelle surged forward, her movements like a tempest unleashed. She stretched her arms wide, the blades in her hands cutting through the fabric of space as though wielding the scythe of an executioner. Each tear sealed instantly behind her strikes, the void unwilling to remain wounded for long. Her twin blades whistled through the air, carving simultaneous arcs toward Everok.
"Lexis of Void Step: Evasion." The words boomed out, a sonorous order folding the void around Everok like a protective cocoon. In but a moment, he was gone, and the space he had occupied imploded in upon itself. He reappeared mid-air behind Onyxelle, a blur of motion and precision. His fist, charged with raw power, barreled toward her back.
Onyxelle reacted with breathtaking quickness, her torso twisting to one side with the lithe, fluid motion of a dancer, her right sword arcing back in deadly countercut. The Void-edge ripped through the air towards Everok; for the third time, though, the void folded its head to his whim. "Lexis of Void Step: Evasion." Everok vanished once more as space folded around him like a veil, re-spatting him several steps away.
They faced each other across the battlefield, their postures tense and electric, like two storms poised to collide. An unspoken challenge crackled in the air.
"Lexis of the Void Edge: Void Shurricane." Onyxelle's voice rang out, sharp and commanding. She bent the void with a masterly sweep of her arms; with each motion, she carved several solid, arc-shaped blades of void from the very fabric of existence. Blades shimmered with malevolent beauty, arcing toward Everok in rapid succession, a barrage of destruction unleashed.
Everok dashed from place to place, each leap a desperate escape, his movements a frenzy of flips and twists. The void blades sliced into the air where he had stood minutes before, causing the entire space to tremble. He'd hardly regained his feet when Onyxelle charged again, her motions a flurry of raw power and deliberate intent.
"Lexis of the Void Edge: Solid Step." Her voice cut through the chaos, and she bent the laws of space to her will, solidifying the void before her into a tangible path. She leaped forward, each step on the hardened void propelling her higher, her form a spinning tempest of fury. The air screamed around her as she closed the gap, her blade slicing through Everok's Eternalsilk with a whisper of deadly precision.
Unprepared, Everok folded the void around him in a panicked instant, teleporting away to the opposite side of the arena; he spun to a halt, his chest heaving, gaze locking onto Onyxelle.
"Hey, where's that earlier braveness of yours?" she mocked, the smirk on her face a blade sharper than the void edge in her hand. Everok rose slowly from the ground, staring at her in surprise and unspoken apprehension.
Both warriors eased back into their postures, circling each other like twin moons in a deadly orbit. "Don't get intoxicated after a successful attack. "The match hasn't finished yet," Everok hissed, his voice a smouldering ember of rage. Their gazes locked, two apex predators at the top of the food chain evaluating each other and planning their next move.
The air between them buzzed with almost tangible tension, as if it were drawing the arena into a vacuum of anticipation. The audience, entranced, leaned forward, as if connected by invisible ropes, holding their collective breath tight. Some people mumbled urgent prayers under their breath, clutching their betting papers as if they were lifelines, while others quietly looked at the unfolding conflict. Victory and failure loomed on the horizon, waiting to claim their rightful place.