The moment the referee signaled the start of the duel, Sara moved first. Her crossbow snapped up, firing a force-enforced bolt with deadly accuracy toward Carl's chest.
He sidestepped, but the bolt grazed his arm, drawing first blood. A collective gasp rippled through the crowd as Carl's smirk wavered for the first time.
" Damn..it isn't she supposed to be injured " Carl muttered, his mouth twitching.
Sara didn't give him a chance to recover. She leaped back, firing another bolt, this one aimed for his leg. Carl dodged, but the bolt embedded itself into the ground dangerously close to his foot.
"So you're not completely useless after all," Carl sneered, but his eyes narrowed with a hint of caution.
"Let's see how long you can keep this up."
Sara's response was a volley of rapid shots, forcing Carl to move defensively for the first time. He weaved and ducked, the bolts slicing through the air around him. One bolt caught the edge of his shoulder, tearing a hole in his uniform. His expression darkened.
"You're making this harder than it needs to be, just admit defeat," Carl growled, his voice dripping with irritation.
Sara ignored him, reloading her crossbow in one fluid motion. Despite her injuries, her movements were precise, her aim unerring.
Carl lunged forward, closing the gap between them in an instant. Sara sidestepped, firing point-blank at his chest. He twisted at the last moment, and the bolt grazed his ribs. His momentum carried him past her, and she took the opportunity to create some distance.
In one of the last seats, Damien, Scott, and Sony had just arrived and were spectating the match.
"She's holding her own," Damien muttered under his breath, watching from the stands. He could see the strain in her movements, the way she winced with each step, but her determination was unwavering.
Carl turned back to Sara, his smirk gone, replaced by a cold, focused expression. "You're more annoying than I thought," he said, cracking his knuckles. "But let's see how well you do up close."
Carl's aura surged, behind the illusory image of a bear formed behind him...this was the Force technique he practiced.
"The Earthbound Bear Force Technique"
With the appearance of the illusory bear, Carl's strength was doubled
Before Sara could react, Carl surged forward like a savage bear, his fists blurring as he launched a flurry of strikes. She ducked and dodged, using her crossbow to parry where she could.
A glancing blow caught her shoulder, spinning her off balance, but she recovered quickly, retreating with a calculated step.
Sara fired again, aiming for Carl's legs to slow him down. He jumped, the bolt narrowly missing him, and landed with a heavy kick aimed at her midsection. She twisted her body, avoiding the full force of the blow, but the impact still sent her stumbling back.
The crowd erupted in cheers and gasps, the tension in the air palpable.
"Come on, Sara!" someone shouted from the Emperor Class section.
Sara gritted her teeth, wiping blood from the corner of her mouth. She couldn't afford to lose here, not to someone like Carl. Ignoring the pain in her body, she switched tactics. Instead of firing directly at him, she aimed for the ground around him, forcing him to adjust his footing.
The sudden shift in strategy caught Carl off guard. He stumbled slightly as one of her bolts embedded itself near his foot. Sara seized the moment, rushing forward and swinging her crossbow like a club. The weapon slammed into Carl's side with a dull thud, and he let out a grunt of pain.
"You'll regret that!" Carl roared, his voice filled with rage. He lashed out with a powerful punch, and Sara barely managed to block it with her crossbow. The force of the blow sent her skidding backward, her knees buckling under the strain.
Carl pressed his advantage, his attacks coming faster and harder. Sara did her best to evade and counter, but her injuries were catching up to her. Her breathing grew ragged, and her movements lost some of their sharpness.
"You should've stayed down," Carl sneered, his confidence returning as he saw her falter.
"Not a chance," Sara spat, firing another bolt at his chest. This time, Carl caught the bolt mid-air, snapping it in half with a cruel grin.
The crowd gasped, and Carl took a step closer, his presence looming over Sara like a predator closing in on its prey.
Sara's grip on her crossbow tightened. She fired one last desperate shot, but Carl easily batted it aside. Before she could reload, he was upon her, delivering a heavy blow to her side that sent her crashing to the ground.
A deafening silence fell over the arena as Sara lay there, struggling to push herself up. Blood trickled down her chin, and her arms trembled as she tried to lift her body.
"Stay down, Sara," Carl said, his voice low and condescending. "You've lost. Don't make this worse for yourself."
"Go to hell," Sara hissed, her voice filled with defiance. She tried to stand, but her body wouldn't cooperate.
Carl raised his fist for the final blow, his smirk widening. But just as he brought it down, the referee stepped in, grabbing his arm and stopping him.
"That's enough," the referee said firmly. "The duel is over. Sara is unable to continue."
In the stands, a group of people were sitting, however unlike the first years, these people had deep and much more powerful auras, of course, the first years were not able to tell, but shockingly the weakest person in the group was a rank 3 Slayer.
" Hmm...that Carl is not bad " a brown-haired youth in the group muttered.
" He is from the Darius Clan...to be able to form the image of the bear behind him...I reckon he should have already learned the second stage of his force skill "
" He only won because the girl was injured, plus he is too cocky " a pink-haired woman in the group suddenly spoke.
" Eventually, he will lose all of that arrogance when he enters the battleground "
"Let us wait and see about that. I am more curious about Sara...if she joins my guild, she can become a great pillar in the future" the pink-haired lady said.
" About talents, my guild captain asked me to investigate some kid named Damien, he is not from any large clan or anything but he won the demon hunting expedition and even fought with a Soldier ranked beast "
Everyone in the group subconsciously swallowed, any of Damien's achievements were something they could not have achieved at his age. They all looked forward to meeting this genius.
In the stands the was a huge commotion going on, it was an argument between the Emperor's class and the General class students.
" Hmm, what about Sara is invincible..open your eyes, wasn't she still beaten"
" What nonsense he only won because Sara was injured in the Demon Hunting Expedition "
The members of the Emperor Class rebutted.
" Hmm..isn't it because your own strength is lacking otherwise why would you get injured in the Demon Hunting Expedition "
" Hmm..say the same thing when you meet dozens of slave-level beasts and a Soldier level beast.
The arguments got fierce and none of the sides were willing to back down.
On the stage, Carl showed a triumphant smile to Sara and turned to the audience.
"Is this the best the Emperor Class has to offer?" he called out, his voice dripping with mockery. "Pathetic."
But no one stepped forward to challenge him. Carl's smirk grew wider as he scanned the crowd.
Some of the Emperor Class people went up the stage to help Sara but she refused their help. Just then a pale white hand stretched out and grabbed her hand forcefully.
" I told you, I don't need your..." Sara began coldly but stopped midway when she saw who the hand belonged to.
"Why is he here ? " she thought, but she pulled her hands away and left the stage.
" Damien " the members of the Emperor class all muttered seeing the newcomer.
" I will handle it from here," he told the others who had come to help Sara up. Still dazed by his sudden appearance, they walked down the stage.
Carl stared at the newcomer cautiously.
" And who are you "
" Damien, Emperor Class, heard you wanted to know what the Emperor Class has to offer, I am the weakest in my class, so I will challenge you first "
Damien answered lightly. He was ready to challenge this Carl, it just so happened that his Force strength had improved and he needed to test it out.
" Damien...hmph..just a pretty face " Carl muttered to himself, jealous of Damien's good looks.
" So he is Damien...so handsome "The girls from other classes who had heard of him had stars stars in their eyes as they stared at the tall, handsome figure.
Carl was looking at Damien cautiously thinking of whether to accept Damien's challenge or not.
After all, this was a guy who had fought a Soldier-rank beast, then he relaxed a bit.." Right he fought with that beast so he should be the one who had the most injuries he should be merely pretending to scare me.
" So you want to challenge me? " Carl asked with a smile. Damien nodded with an indifferent expression.
" Alright I accept " he smirked..." let's see what happens after I wipe the arena with your face using the most powerful trump cards I have "
When Damien challenged Carl the stadium went silent but now
The silence turned into a roar of excitement as the crowd erupted in cheers and gasps. Carl's smirk faltered for a moment before returning, this time with a hint of eagerness.
"Finally," Carl said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's see what you've got, hero."
In the stands, the seniors were now curious as they saw the new entry,
" So that is Damien? " the seniors were now very attentive.
Author's note :
Hello guys, this is Shadey here, if you like the way the book is going, please let me know in the comment section...if you have any ideas about the book...share them with me in the comment section I will listen to your suggestions.
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