The squad stood on the sidelines, eyes fixed on the chaotic arena. The tension was thick, each member silently rooting for Velvet in their own way.
Ubel watching the battle, his expression calm as his sharp mind dissected the battle. "Given Velvet's injuries, I'd say there's a 50% chance of victory," he stated matter-of-factly.
Kouneli glanced at him nervously. "Only fifty? With those odds, this could go south fast…" His fingers tapped anxiously against his thigh.
Leo crossed his arms, his voice steady and confident. "Velvet's got this. They've pulled off crazier things before."
Ubel smirked slightly. "As long as they don't do anything reckless," he replied, the slightest hint of sarcasm in his tone.
In the arena, Xhen raised his staff, a wicked grin spreading across his face as frost began to spread rapidly. With a dramatic flourish, he unleashed a massive wave of ice, aiming to engulf Velvet entirely.
But Velvet, ever the daredevil, grinned back. "Too slow!" they taunted, their energy radiating as they dashed toward the walls of the arena. Moving with blinding speed, they ran along the walls, encircling Xhen hundreds of times in a matter of seconds.
Before Xhen could react, Velvet shot forward, delivering a powerful kick that sent him flying into the arena wall. The impact left a deep crack in the stone as Xhen crumpled to the ground, dazed and furious.
"How the hell did the ice not stop you?!" Xhen shouted, staggering to his feet.
Velvet smirked, tapping their foot impatiently. "The ice only works on direct contact. Guess you didn't think of that, huh?"
Xhen frowned, his mind racing. "Direct contact? What are you talking about? You hit me!"
Velvet shrugged. "You figure it out. Maybe then you'll actually learn something."
The gears in Xhen's mind began to turn as he replayed the moment in his head. Then it hit him. "Wait… you didn't hit me. You—"
To bypass Xhen's ice, Velvet had released a precise shot of lightning mere milliseconds before impact—so precise it struck in 1/10,000th of a second, fooling Xhen into believing he'd been directly hit.
Xhen smirked, his confidence swelling once more. "I've figured you out! That's your trick! Now you're no threat to me—"
Before he could finish his sentence, another bolt of lightning slammed into his chest, cutting him off mid-boast.
"You talk too much," Velvet said with a smirk, their voice laced with amusement.
Xhen's expression twisted into one of fury. "That's it!" he roared, slamming his staff into the ground. Ice began to form around him, twisting and contorting into clones—ten identical figures, each radiating cold menace.
The clones charged at Velvet from all directions, their movements synchronized. Velvet, however, stood their ground, exuding confidence.
"Big mistake," they muttered, vanishing in a blur just as the clones reached them.
The clones struck nothing but air. Velvet reappeared behind the real Xhen, ready to land another blow. But suddenly, the ice clones—now clustered together in the center of the arena—caught the sun's rays, reflecting a dazzling, blinding light.
Velvet froze, their gaze drawn helplessly to the spectacle. Their curiosity and attachment to bright lights betrayed them, leaving them completely distracted.
Ubel's eyes widened in realization. "Chrysids… Of course. I've heard rumors of their obsession with light," he muttered, his tone urgent. "The ice is reflecting the sunlight directly at Velvet, exploiting their weakness!"
Xhen saw his chance. With a wicked grin, he lunged at Velvet, grabbing them and hurling them toward the source of the light. The impact shattered the ice, and half of Velvet's abdomen was engulfed in frost.
Velvet gasped in pain, collapsing to one knee as the frost crept along their body.
Xhen laughed triumphantly. "So light is your weakness, huh? How fitting." He raised his staff once more, summoning massive towers of ice. The towers reflected the sunlight across the entire arena, creating a dazzling, inescapable labyrinth of light and ice.
"This is the end!" Xhen declared, his voice echoing through the arena. "You can't win. I've already won!"