The stadium was
wild
, the crowd roaring as the announcer’s voice boomed over the chaos.
"LOOK AT THIS! AMARI IS STRUGGLING TO KEEP UP WITH ELIAS VEX’S IMPOSSIBLE PRECISION!"
The cheers
rolled in
, the energy feeding into Elias’s relentless assault.
Amari was on the back foot, forced to
react
instead of
control
the fight.
Every time he tried to strike—
Elias erased the inefficiencies
.
Every time he tried to dodge—
Elias removed the hesitation
.
Every time he tried to counter—
Elias was already ahead
.
Amari gritted his teeth, frustration creeping in.
He had to
change something
.
He adjusted his stance, shifting his weight, tightening his grip on his
Kusarigama
.
If unpredictability wasn’t working, then he had to
match Elias’s precision
.
He moved
faster
, his attacks
sharper
, his movements
refined
—cutting out unnecessary motion, focusing only on efficiency.
The announcer caught on immediately.
"AMARI IS CHANGING HIS APPROACH! HE’S MATCHING ELIAS’S PRECISION! CAN HE TURN THIS AROUND?"
The crowd
leaned in
, anticipation thick in the air.
Amari lunged, his
Kusarigama
snapping forward in a clean, direct strike—
no wasted movement, no excess force
.
But Elias?
Elias was
already ahead
.
Elias smirked, eyes sharp, calculating.
He had
already seen
Amari’s adjustment.
Already
anticipated it
.
And now?
He was about to
punish it
.
Instead of simply erasing inefficiencies, Elias did something
smarter
.
He
removed Amari’s ability to adapt
.
Amari swung—
Elias erased the possibility of a successful strike
.
Amari dodged—
Elias erased the space he needed to escape
.
Amari tried to counter—
Elias erased the timing required to land the hit
.
And then—he
forced Amari into a trap
.
Elias
stepped forward
, closing the gap between them, his movements impossibly smooth.
Amari reacted—but it was
too late
.
Elias had already
erased the possibility of escape
.
His
fist slammed into Amari’s stomach
, the impact sharp, brutal, knocking the air from his lungs.
Amari
stumbled
, his footing slipping, his balance thrown off.
The announcer
went wild
.
"ELIAS VEX JUST SHUT DOWN AMARI’S ATTEMPT TO ADAPT! HE’S NOT JUST REMOVING INEFFICIENCIES—HE’S CONTROLLING THE FIGHT ITSELF!"
The crowd
erupted
, chanting Elias’s name, the energy in the stadium reaching a fever pitch.
Amari gritted his teeth, breath uneven, body aching.
He was
losing ground
.
And Elias?
Elias was just
getting started
.
The battle had reached its peak.
The crowd was
wild
, voices clashing in waves of excitement—some chanting Elias’s name, others
starting to cheer for Amari
despite their earlier jeers.
The announcer’s voice
boomed
over the chaos.
"THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE! AMARI IS STILL STANDING, STILL FIGHTING, BUT ELIAS VEX HAS CONTROLLED THIS MATCH FROM THE START!"
Elias
felt it
—the inevitability of his victory.
Amari had struggled, had adapted, had fought with everything he had, but Elias had been ahead
every step of the way
.
Until now.
Amari exhaled, rolling his shoulders, shaking off the tension.
Then—he
smiled
.
Elias narrowed his eyes.
Something was
different
.
Before Elias could even speak, before he could process what was happening—
Amari
stepped forward
.
Fast.
Too fast.
Faster than anyone in the venue could interpret.
Even Conrad—watching from the VIP section—
couldn’t see him
.
The crowd
gasped
, voices colliding in confusion, excitement, disbelief.
The announcer
stumbled
over his words, trying to keep up.
"WHAT—WHAT JUST HAPPENED?! AMARI IS MOVING—NO ONE CAN EVEN TRACK HIM!"
Smoke
erupted
, thick and sudden, swallowing the battlefield in a dense, suffocating cloud.
The stadium
fell silent
, the crowd questioning, murmuring, trying to understand what had just unfolded.
No one could see.
No one knew what had happened.
Then—slowly, the smoke
began to clear
.
And when it did—
The crowd
froze
.
Amari stood over
Elias’s unconscious body
.
The battlefield was
silent
.
The announcer—normally loud, energetic, always ready to hype up the fight—was
speechless
.
The crowd didn’t know how to react.
Some
stared in shock
.
Some
cheered
, voices rising in admiration.
Others
booed
, refusing to accept what had just happened.
But in the VIP section—
Conrad screamed.
A sharp, unrestrained shout of excitement, his voice
cutting through the stunned silence
, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.
Hans turned to him, eyes wide.
The nobles glanced over, surprised.
Conrad
didn’t care
.
He was
grinning
, his excitement undeniable.
The announcer finally found his voice, his words
carrying over the stadium
.
"AMARI WINS!"
The crowd
erupted
, cheers and boos colliding in a chaotic wave of sound.
Amari exhaled, rolling his shoulders, his expression unreadable.
He didn’t react to the cheers.
Didn’t react to the boos.
He just
stood there
, looking down at Elias, his victory
absolute
.
Amari stood over Elias’s unconscious body, posture
relaxed
, breathing steady—
completely unfazed
by the chaos that had unfolded.
Then—he
smiled
.
Not a grin of relief.
Not a smirk of arrogance.
A
villainous smile
, sharp and knowing, as if he had
expected this outcome all along
.
He tilted his head slightly, looking down at Elias, his voice
calm but edged with amusement
.
"You’re good,"
Amari murmured, his tone almost
mocking
in its casualness.
"If you were more polished, I would’ve had a harder time winning."
The medics
rushed onto the battlefield
, carefully lifting Elias, checking his vitals, ensuring he was stable.
Amari didn’t spare them a glance.
He simply
turned
, walking away, leaving the arena
without hesitation
.
The announcer finally found his voice, excitement
returning
as he gestured toward the massive screens.
"AND THERE YOU HAVE IT! AMARI ADVANCES TO THE NEXT ROUND!"
The screen
flashed
, displaying Amari’s name, marking his progression in the tournament.
The crowd
erupted
, some chanting his name, others still refusing to accept his victory.
But Amari?
He
didn’t care
.
He was already
heading back to his waiting room
, his mind shifting toward the next battle, the next opponent.
Then—he
crossed paths with Apollo
.
Apollo was heading toward the arena, his expression
sharp, focused
, his body tense with anticipation.
He glanced at Amari, his gaze lingering for a moment before he spoke.
"You’re strong,"
Apollo admitted, his tone carrying both
respect and challenge
.
Amari
smirked
, meeting his gaze.
Apollo held the stare, refusing to let Amari have the last word.
Then—without another word—Apollo
turned
, heading toward his fight.
He
couldn’t let Amari get one over him
.
Not now.
Not ever.