Chapter 76: Kyle Vs Zack (1)
Chapter 76: Kyle Vs Zack (1)
The usual magical barrier shimmered to life around them and sealed them in.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, today we have a fierce lineup! Representing Rune Making, we have Kyle of Lightning Affinity!
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And facing off against him is Zack from Beast Taming, accompanied by his companion, Terra!"
"Let the match... begin!"
They didn't begin fighting immediately, silence hung in the air as they stared at each other.
For a moment, everyone thought they weren't going to fight, until Zack spoke up, stretching his hand forward.
"May the best man win."
Kyle's hands met his and they both nodded, before giving each other some distance. Everyone could sense it—the fight had begun!
Zack made the first move, stamping his feet on the ground while beckoning his companion to do the same.
"Mud Wall!"
Thick walls of earth erupted around the arena, one by one.
It didn't take Kyle long to figure out what his plan was. Zack was trying to box him in—the moment this happened, the match was as good as over.
This was one of his signature moves and he used it so early in the fight, to catch Kyle unaware.
'Fat chance.'
Kyle never planned to let that happen.
"Lightning Dash!"
With a burst of speed, he shot forward, his body moving faster than Zack could track.
It wasn't easy for him, as Terra kept sprouting more mud walls. That was another advantage of Zack's box move.
It could make one have second thoughts on whether to use a movement boost spell, as a collision at that speed with a mud wall could see a match being over.
Kyle had to be careful not to collide with any wall, timing his speed to adjust if anyone popped into his view—he could do this thanks to his experience with this spell.
"Not bad, Kyle... I see you're not only good with your katana."
Zack said with his usual grin, seeing how easily Kyle was dodging the walls, he couldn't keep them up forever so he had to do something quick.
"Quake!"
The ground beneath Kyle trembled violently, throwing off his balance.
He stumbled, barely managing to catch and avoid a wall as the ground around him rumbled.
Zack's control over the earth was frighteningly precise, luckily he had managed to avoid all the walls successfully and they were all fading away already.
Kyle gritted his teeth. He had to attack now, he couldn't let Zack get the upper hand.
Lightning crackled at his fingertips as he prepared his next move.
"Lightning Bolt!"
A sharp arc of electricity shot through the air, aimed directly at Zack.
But before it could reach him, Terra lumbered into the path, its shell absorbing the hit with ease.
Zack's pet was as much a shield as it was a weapon.
'Damn, these beast tamers... They're a massive cheat!'
He had gotten rid of all his thoughts on all electives being equally strong. The beast tamers were far too strong at this level.
He hadn't realized this sooner because none of the beast tamers he had fought so far could amount to Zack's level.
He realized that Zack's claim of dominating all his matches was true.
Kyle felt like he was fighting 1 versus 2, the latter featuring a stronger opponent.
That was illegal!
"Nice try!" Zack called, directing Terra forward.
The massive creature charged, its heavy footsteps shaking the ground with each step.
Kyle could feel the raw power in Terra's movements, and he knew he couldn't take it head-on.
Not fast enough, Kyle muttered under his breath, dashing sideways just as Terra brought down its tail where Kyle had been standing moments before, leaving dust in its wake.
Zack followed up with another Mud Wall, trapping Kyle from the back.
Kyle skidded to a stop, his back against the wall.
"Nowhere to run!"
Zack shouted, and Terra raised its forelimbs for a crushing blow.
But Kyle wasn't trapped... Not even close.
With a grin of his own, he thrust his hand to the wall behind him, using the runes he'd prepared earlier.
They glowed faintly, and in an instant, the wall shattered into pieces, freeing him from Zack's earth prison.
He shot forward, faster this time, his body coursing with electric energy.
"Lightning Dash!"
Zack cursed, unable to react in time as Kyle closed the gap. He aimed a punch at Zack's side, landing a solid hit that sent his friend stumbling.
But Zack wasn't finished.
"Terra! Quake!"
The ground shook violently again, and this time, Kyle wasn't ready for it.
He was thrown off balance, and just before he could recover, Terra was already on him, swinging its massive arm.
Kyle barely managed to roll out of the way, the creature's fist smashing into the ground where he had been.
Kyle's heart raced. This battle was turning out to be even more intense than he had imagined.
He'd have to try harder if he ever wanted to come out on top.
Zack wiped the sweat from his brow, grinning through the exhaustion.
"Come on Kyle, is this all you got?"
"Hell, no!" Kyle replied, his body crackling with renewed energy as he prepared for the next round.
Kyle narrowed his eyes, feeling the sparks dance along his skin.
He needed to outmaneuver both Zack and Terra if he had any chance of victory.
Zack's control over the battlefield was impressive, but Kyle had one advantage—he was unpredictable.
"Alright, Zack," Kyle muttered to himself. "Time to switch it up."
He summoned his lightning again, this time with more focus. "Lightning Bolt!"
The arc of electricity shot out, but this time it wasn't aimed at Zack.
Instead, it struck the ground just in front of Terra, creating a blinding flash that disoriented the massive beast.
Terra roared in frustration, losing its sense of direction for a moment.
Kyle seized the opportunity, dashing forward with [Lightning Dash].
The speed of his movement left a trail of crackling energy as he zipped, and before Terra or Zack could recover, Kyle was behind them.
His body was brimming with energy, and his mana kept surging.
'Time to end this!' Kyle thought, charging up a [Lightning Bolt] the moment he neared them.
Suddenly, the whole crowd became silent as they struggled to grasp how quickly the tide has changed.
All that could be heard in the Arena was Zack's voice that echoed within it..
"Not bad!" Zack grinned, turning around to face the frozen Kyle.
"But you'll have to do better than this to defeat me."