Chapter 104

this is a fictional story by realTensai

The arena erupted in cheers as holographic spectators awaited the spectacle of a fight. Yet Alvis couldn’t even move as he cursed himself for his incapability. He wanted it to stop, yet it was already too late.

Dane and Gilsymbato faced off.

Dane opened up his inventory and took out blood-stained gloves.

“These are the Iron Fists of Fury, the legendary item we received as a reward for completing a quest yesterday,” Sekki said as he saw the question marks on everyone’s faces. “They increase every punch in a combo streak.”

He opened up his system and showed the effects.

Iron Fists of Fury (Legendary Gloves):

Abilities:

* Combo Streak: Each successful hit increases damage by 5% (stacking up to 50%) until an attack misses or the combo ends.

“This item played a crucial role in defeating Hercules.”

Alvis read the contents, and indeed, it seemed powerful, especially if used by someone like Dane. Still, his inwards wouldn’t stop twisting.

This won’t be enough to beat Gilsymbato.

“What are you waiting for, giant boy?” Gilsymbato taunted as he just stood there with a smile on his face. He pointed his fist to his cheek, motioning Dane to do something. “Here, I will even give you a free hit.”

However, instead of falling for Gilsymbato’s obvious provocations, Dane closed his eyes and took a deep breath in and out. Suddenly every hair on Alvis’ body stood up as he felt the mana density around Dane increasing.

He is channeling his mana and letting it flow through his body to strengthen it!

Dane was using the same technique Alvis used in melee combat, yet judging by the pressure emitting from him, his efficiency was probably on the same level as Gilsymbato’s.

He really got way stronger.

Even Alvis wasn’t sure if he could take on the current Dane.

Dane opened his eyes again, and with an intensity belonging to a predator, he stared at Gilsymbato. And in the next second, he stood right before him, his fist about to smash his face. Alvis couldn’t even blink, as it seemed as if Dane had teleported himself right in front of Gilsymbato, yet Gilsymbato’s smile wouldn’t vanish as he prepared for the punch.

However, the punch never came.

Dane stopped his fist, grabbed it with his other hand, and used the full momentum of his spin to hit Gilsymbato with an unexpected elbow against his chin. Gilsymbato staggered back, his eyes wide as he coughed blood, but Dane wasn’t done yet. He raised his leg and spun around his axis, kicking up the wind like a tornado, and with a power that would split the skull of a dragon, he kicked Gilsymbato against his temple.

The impact sent Gilsymbato flying through the arena until he crashed into the wall. However, with debris and dust covering his body, he immediately stood up again, his smile only increasing in craziness.

“Good! Very good!” Gilsymbato shouted as blood ran down his face.

Dane is able to deal serious damage!

Yet the euphoria soon faded away as Alvis remembered that Gilsymbato wasn’t even near his mana limit yet and that he would only increase in strength as the fight went on.

Gilsymbato wiped away the blood on his face and lowered his stance. Then, with one flap of his mighty black wings, he raised at Dane, who awaited him in a traditional giant fu fighting stance.

The SS-ranked calamity arrived with a super man punch, but Dane adjusted his body slightly to the right and grabbed Gilsymbato’s arm, used his forward momentum against him, and overhead slammed him to the ground.

However, Gilsymbato never reached the ground as he used his wings to create a gust of wind so strong it acted as an opposing force, and instead of crashing into the ground, he hovered right above it, lying in the air parallel to the ground. Gilsymbato flapped his wings once more and kicked Dane against his chin from beneath him, making him fly into the air. He followed up with another flap of his wings and pursued Dane in the air. With a speed Alvis’ eyes could barely keep up with, Gilsymbato assaulted him with a barrage of strikes and kicks. Yet, Dane just parried everything, keeping up with this insane speed.

They are in a league of their own.

Dane stopped parrying for a second and kicked Gilsymbato away from him, making him land on the ground again. As soon as he landed, a surge of blood came out Dane’s mouth, the kick that had sent him in the air showing its effects. However, he just wiped his mouth and focused back on his enemy.

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Gilsymbato, now also on the ground, wiped the blood off his face and grinned.

“Ready to kick it up a gear?”

An icy shiver ran down Alvis’ spine as he noticed the mana density around Gilsymbato increasing as he absorbed more mana from the atmosphere. Yet instead of despairing, Dane’s wide eyes sharpened even more and one could see a bit of slobber escaping his mouth as his concentration was at an all-time high.

The tension in the atmosphere rose and Alvis could hardly breathe as the both of them just stared at each other. Then they slowly started walking towards each other. With every step they took, their speed increased and before anyone knew it, they sprinted at each other at full speed, ready to slice each other’s throats.

Their fists connected in a loud boom, and a merciless repartee started. Dane hit Gilsymbato in his lever and immediately followed up with a right hook. With every successful hit, his strength increased, yet the same could be said about Gilsymbato, who retaliated every punch. Blood sprayed in the air as the both of them fought like wild mana beasts.

Gilsymbato dodged a punch against his solar plexus, leaving Dane open for a split second. He used this chance and smashed his fist into Dane’s face. Dane’s head was knocked back as if a cannon had hit him, but he slung it back into its rightful place, blood spilling out of his mouth. His instincts took over, and he spat his blood right into Gilsymbato’s eyes. Gilsymbato tried to wipe it away to regain his vision, but this left him wide open.

Dane gritted his teeth, stopped his mana flow, and directed all his mana into his fist. And then, with a power Alvis had never seen before, he punched Gilsymbato in his stomach. Purple flashes of mana erupted, with the impact blending everyone’s view. Yet they still saw how Gilsymbato flew through the arena and once again crashed against its walls. He tried standing up again, but immediately fell back on his knees, coughing blood as his eyes trembled.

“What was that?” everyone wondered as they had never seen such a devastating punch before.

“Dane stopped his mana flow, the power that enabled him to keep up with Gilsymbato, and channeled all of it into his fist,” Hibea said, her special eyes glowing. “The moment his punch connected, he released his mana and the slight delay of its transmission created a punch exponentially stronger. This paired with the ability of his gloves created an attack that seriously damaged Gilsymbato.”

Alvis couldn’t trust his ears, yet he had seen it with his own eyes.

Maybe with these punches, he really might have a chance.

“He won’t be able to use this punch often, though,” Hibea said. “They cost a lot of mana and harbor a great risk. If Gilsymbato were to attack whilst all his mana was gathered in one place, the rest of his body would be unguarded, and even a normal attack might kill him. If I would’ve had to bet, I would say he can only use this attack two more times, before he runs out of mana.”

Gilsymbato raised up again, the smile on his face regaining strength as he absorbed even more mana.

“Magnificent! This is what I call a fight.”

This is the maximum amount of mana he can absorb before entering his true form.

Alvis knew that because he was the one who pushed him beyond this threshold. However, that only meant that Dane would have to defeat him now and not prolong this fight any longer.

Gilsymbato dashed at Dane, but his speed had increased so much even Dane couldn’t react. He kicked him against his stomach and Dane flew through the arena. However, Gilsymbato followed and balled his mana-infused fist and hit Dane with a right hook accompanied by a left hook.

Dane’s head tumbled as the light in his eyes seemed to vanish, yet Gilsymbato just gave him an uppercut, sending him flying into the air. However, he didn’t stop there and also flew into the air. He intertwined his fingers, balled them into a rock-like fist, and smashed it against Dane’s scalp, making him crash down into the ground.

The impact created a crater beneath Dane as he fell in and out of consciousness. But he stood up again, his entire body covered in blood as he searched for his opponent. Gilsymbato came flying from behind him with a punch, but Dane turned around and caught the attack with his palm. He used his other hand and went for Gilsymbato’s neck and as soon as he had it, slammed him into the ground.

Wanting to take advantage of this chance, Dane immediately followed up with another punch, yet Gilsymbato dodged it by flying back, resulting in Dane punching the ground and creating another crater.

However, Gilsymbato saw an opening and used his superior speed to kick Dane using his knee and hitting his nose. Dane’s head shot back, almost disconnecting from his neck, but Dane just gritted his teeth and grabbed stones from the crater he just created and sent them flying at Gilsymbato.

Gilsymbato parried those stones with the penetrating power of a beam shot using his wings as a shield, but this was exactly what Dane wanted.

“Woaaaaaahhhhhh!”

Dane shouted as he stopped his mana flow once again. He gathered all his mana in his arm and slammed Gilsymbato amidst his cover into the ground. Purple flashes sparked through the air and Gilsymbato coughed blood, his eyes widening in horror as he tried his best to hold on to consciousness.

And this was when Dane went for the kill.

Within an instant, he directed all his remaining mana into his fists and smashed it at Gilsymbato, who still lay on the ground, paralyzed. A loud boom thundered in everyone’s ears and the mightiest purple flashes of the day erupted.

Did he make it?

Everyone held their breath as they awaited the outcome of this fateful duel.

The air itself seemed to freeze. The battle-stained ground trembled. A deep hum, like an unseen frequency, vibrated through Alvis’ bones. Then the smoke lifted, revealing how Gilsymbato parried Dane’s fist.

Veins of glowing purple light ran across Gilsymbato’s skin, pulsating like a second heartbeat. His flesh bulged unnaturally, his bones twisting, reforming, breaking, and resetting in real-time. His red eyes burned away, replaced by endless, glowing purple voids.

Please, no….

Gilsymbato had entered his true form.

“Never would I have thought that there would be another person in this school capable of drawing out my full strength,” Gilsymbato said, standing up, all his injuries from before healing. “You are a true warrior, Dane.”

Dane couldn’t trust his eyes upon seeing Gilsymbato’s transformation. Yet with no mana left in him, he could only accept his fate. Gilsymbato raised his fist and Dane just closed his eyes.

Alvis’ breath hitched. His feet refused to move. His lungs burned as he tried to scream, but his voice had already abandoned him.

No. Not again. Not like this.

His legs twitched, trying to sprint forward, ignoring the pain, ignoring all of his injuries, but the barrier held him back, forcing him to watch. He clawed at the invisible force, his nails scraping against nothing, like a helpless animal trapped in a cage.

“DAAAAAANNNEEEEE!”

Dane locked eyes with Alvis, his eyes widening for a second. Blood spilled from his lips, his chest rising and falling in short, sharp bursts, as he moved his mouth, trying to say something.

But his words never reached Alvis.

Gilsymbato’s fist tore through Dane’s chest.

The impact sounded like wet cloth being torn apart. A violent shudder rippled through Dane’s body as the fist emerged from his back, coated in thick, dripping red. For a moment, Dane remained standing, blinking in confusion as if his body hadn’t yet realized it was dead. Then his legs gave out. He collapsed to his knees, his own blood pooling beneath him. His breath hitched. His lips parted. And then the life vanished from his eyes.

“Sleep, oh mighty giant,” Gilsymbato said as he turned his back to his fallen opponent.

Dane was dead.