--- [Alex’s perspective]

So far, both fights have been exceptionally close; either fighter could have won…

Are us D-rank candidates really that strong, or did Leanne pick out relatively weak D-rankers for us to fight?

Had it been Luna or Vic in the ring, I doubt it would have gone the way it did…

Even now, I still don’t think I could beat either one of them.

“Enough stalling, let’s find out who’s fighting next!” – Leanne

Just like before, she spins the D-rankers’ wheel first.

“Oh… Him already, huh?” – Leanne

What’s up with her reaction…?

“For the third match, the person representing the D-rankers is none other than Jin Umbra himself!” – Leanne

She’s giving him a much more extensive introduction than everyone before…

Is he a big deal?

“As I said when I first explained the rules, some of the D-rankers here are as fresh as they get, while others have significantly more experience… Jin is on the higher end of that spectrum. He’s well known amongst other D-rankers, and might even be ready to take on the C-rank exam soon…” – Leanne

Is he their strongest fighter then?

I feel bad for whoever gets matched up against him…

Leanne spins our wheel…

“And the unlucky candidate who’ll have to face him is… Alexander Minima.” – Leanne

…

Okay…

That’s not exactly ideal, but if there’s anyone here who might stand a chance, it’s me.

One of the D-rankers stand up, I can only assume it’s Jin.

He activates his specialty, turning his entire body into dark smoke.

As he steps forward, I expect him to hop down into the arena, but instead he glides through the air, over to our side.

He stops right before me and reaches out his hand.

“You’re Alexander, I assume.” – Jin

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“Alex. Yes.” – Alex

I try to shake his hand, but it passes right through instead.

He lets out a little chuckle before deactivating his ability, then grabbing my hand for real.

“Just so you know, I wouldn’t blame you if you surrendered right away.” – Jin

“I won’t.” – Alex

“That’s nice to hear.” – Jin

Just as he finishes his sentence, he takes a step backwards, and glides down into the arena.

I jump right after him and get ready to fight.

“Right then! Let the third match begin!” – Leanne

I’ve already got a decent grasp of his specialty since he so carelessly flaunted it.

He turns himself into dark smoke which makes him intangible and lets him fly.

I could probably bypass it with my own specialty, but I’ll hold back on it for now and experiment a bit first.

I run up to him and clobber him on the chin.

As expected, my fist passes right through him.

I kick him in the stomach, and try to tackle him, but every single time, my attacks phase through his body.

“Heh, it won’t be that easy kiddo.” – Jin

He throws a punch of his own, and instead of it passing through me, it’s as solid as rock.

It hurts, but I power through it, and end up not taking any serious damage.

“Oh, you’re a sturdy one! Is that your specialty?” – Jin

“Who knows.” – Alex

So, when I attack him, my attacks phase through him, but not when he attacks me?

Does it really only go one way…?

No…

That’s not quite right.

I think it’s more likely that he’s materializing the moment his fist connects.

If he can touch me, I can touch him.

He follows up with another punch; at the same time, I kick him in the knee.

His attack connects, mine doesn’t.

So, he doesn’t have to materialize his entire body at once then; he can choose which parts turn back to normal and which don’t.

If that’s the case, then the only time he’s vulnerable is when he’s attacking, and only with whatever body part he’s using to attack.

If he punches me, I can only damage his fist.

If he kicks me, I can only damage his leg.

Additionally, he could most likely just turn himself back into smoke if he suspects he’s in danger of getting hurt.

Counterattacking won’t be easy, but it’s the only way to go forward…

At least for most people that is!

My specialty absorbs and disables others’; with it, I can fully bypass his defense.

It’s a perfect defense, and probably the reason why he’s considered to be so strong…

But as long as I attack with my palms, it’s completely worthless.

I’ve felt his power, and it’s nothing compared to mine.

The outcome was decided the moment I was chosen as his opponent.

I attack him a couple more times, and with each move, he grows more and more confident he’ll win.

I try to grab his arm, but it passes right through.

I try to poke him in the eyes, but my fingers pass right through.

I make myself look as desperate as possible, lulling him into a false sense of security.

Just as he’s completely sure it’s over, I try to grab both sides of his head.

“When are you going to learn… You can’t touch m-!!” – Jin

Right when my palms make contact, I activate the void, giving him no chance to react.

His head turns solid, and a look of panic and confusion drowns out the cocky demeanor he once had.

I quickly shove my knee into the air, as I slam his head right into it.

With no time to defend, he’s instantly knocked out.

His body materializes again, and he falls to the ground…

The crowd goes silent…

My side looks mostly confused.

Like they don’t believe it could end that quickly.

Leanne went on and on about how powerful he was, only for him to lose faster than anyone else.

The D-rankers however…

They look more shocked than anything.

They knew exactly how strong he really was, and how hard it is to get through his specialty, yet I did it with such ease.

The look in their eyes…

It’s like some of them see me as a monster, while others are annoyed that I had a specialty which perfectly counters him.

“And just like that, it’s already over… Congratulations, Alexander. You won…” – Leanne