Adwin smirked and dipped his paintbrush into his ink. With a quick flick, he swirled the brush in the air, creating a dense, dark smokescreen that enveloped the battlefield.
Sam narrowed his eyes, the sudden loss of visibility not rattling him in the slightest. “Extinction Type Four,” he thought, allowing his flux energy to swirl around him like a living shield. The golden aura crackled and pulsed, sharp and focused, forming a protective sphere within the smog.
In the dense haze, the ground trembled. Ink spikes erupted violently from beneath Sam’s feet, sharp and deadly. But Sam’s reflexes were faster. He danced between the attacks with precision, each move calculated. His fluid dodging made the spikes seem almost sluggish in comparison.
The smokescreen began to dissipate, revealing Adwin standing silently amidst the chaos, his paintbrush glowing ominously. Without warning, he appeared behind Sam, his ink-coated brush poised to strike at Sam’s blind spot.
But Sam snesed it.
With a sudden backflip, Sam evaded the attack, narrowly escaping the ink brush’s strike. As he flipped through the air, Adwin’s eyes widened in shock.
“He dodged it... but how?” Adwin thought, his mind racing.
Sam landed mid-air, his body coiled like a spring, and launched himself at Adwin’s neck. His strike was quick, a blur of energy aimed to take him down in one swift move.
Adwin barely reacted in time, swiping his brush to create an ink barrier. The barrier shimmered to life just as Sam’s fist collided with it. A resounding crack echoed through the forest, the barrier holding firm against Sam’s raw strength.
Sam landed gracefully on the ground and stepped back, his sharp gaze locking with Adwin’s. The two opponents stood still, tension crackling like lightning between them.
Adwin’s grip on his brush tightened as he prepared to make his next move. He darted forward, his brush painting sigils in the air, but just as he advanced—
Thud!
Adwin collapsed flat on his face, his body hitting the ground hard.
The entire battlefield fell silent.
Gasps erupted from the audience watching in the stands. Even the guardians—renowned warriors and tacticians—exchanged confused glances.
“What... just happened?” Celeste asked, her brows furrowed in disbelief.
“I don’t know,” Sasha replied, equally puzzled.
The tension in the room deepened as a man stepped forward into the viewing area. He was tall and imposing, clad in intricate armor adorned with clocks. One clock ticked forward on his right arm, another ticked backward on his left, and a massive clock on his back stood eerily still. The man’s aura exuded authority and wisdom.
“It was the time interval,” he said, his voice calm but commanding.
Celeste turned to him, recognition flashing in her eyes. “Zaman… the Division Leader of Time. If anyone knows what just happened, it’s you.”
Argon, another guardian, crossed his arms. “Explain. What happened when Adwin suddenly dropped like that?”
Zaman nodded, his gaze fixed on the battlefield below. “Adwin fell because of a phenomenon related to our body's sensory and cognitive processing."
He began to explain, his tone measured. "When someone enters Sam’s flux range, he takes advantage of a small but crucial time window. You see, our body and mind process danger differently. When the body senses a threat, it reacts almost instantly, but the mind takes 0.5 seconds to process and respond. In that brief delay, Sam used his flux-enhanced reflexes to exploit Adwin’s vulnerability and deliver a perfectly timed strike.”
Everyone in the stands was stunned into silence, processing Zaman’s explanation.
Celeste’s jaw tightened as she pieced it together. “So, Adwin fell because he was hit before his mind could even register the attack?”
“Exactly,” Zaman said, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Sam’s flux engergy isn’t just about raw power—it’s about precision and strategy. The instant Adwin entered his range, Sam struck with pinpoint accuracy. To everyone else, it looked like nothing happened. But to Adwin... the strike was already delivered before he could even react.”
Back on the battlefield, Sam adjusted his stance, his breathing steady. He glanced at Adwin, who was slowly pushing himself up from the ground, dazed and disoriented.
Adwin looked at Sam, his expression a mix of frustration and awe. “Now i get it the move you pulled in the smoke screen”
Sam didn’t answer. He simply tightened his gloves, his stoic demeanor unshaken.
Lexine’s voice came through the comms, breaking the silence. “Didint know you could do that,”
Adwin’s mind raced as he analyzed the situation. “That move he did in the smokescreen… the way the ground lit up. He’s not just dodging blindly. He’s matching my flux energy. By sensing the specific flux signatures of his opponent, he’s able to pinpoint my location and even adapt his strength to match mine.”
Adwin’s grip tightened on his paintbrush. “He learned my technique… the one I thought only I could master. And worse—he broke my flux energy connection by surpassing it. I can no longer sense him. Which means… I’m completely blind against him.”
Sam, on the other hand, stood motionless, his body eerily calm. His eyes were half-lidded, his breathing steady, and his muscles entirely relaxed.
Sasha, watching from the guardian stands, crossed her arms. “He’s going to do it… That’s brutal,” she muttered, a mix of admiration and concern in her voice.
Adwin, now fully on guard, summoned his ink once more. With a quick flourish of his brush, he created monstrous figures from the dark liquid. The beasts charged toward Sam with ferocious speed.
But Sam was faster.
He weaved through the attacks like a ghost, his movements fluid and effortless. The monsters lashed out with claws and fangs, but they struck nothing but air. Sam closed the distance between himself and Adwin in seconds, his steps almost silent.
When Sam reached Adwin, he didn’t deliver a punch or a kick. Instead, he simply slapped Adwin’s back.
The sound echoed through the battlefield—a sharp, almost mocking crack.
Adwin’s body stiffened, his face contorting in agony. A guttural scream tore from his throat, reverberating through the stadium. The audience gasped in shock, their voices hushed in disbelief.
“What… What did he just do?” one student whispered.
In the guardian stands, Celeste narrowed her eyes, piecing it together. “I see what he did… He turned his body into a whip. By relaxing his muscles completely, he generated a strike with the same mechanics as a snapping whip. The force behind it… It’s brutal. That kind of impact can bypass typical defenses and overwhelm even seasoned fighters. It’s strong enough to affect anyone—even Theons.”
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Adwin fell to his knees, trembling from the pain. His hand instinctively pressed the paintbrush into the ground. “I… I won’t lose,” he muttered through gritted teeth.
Dark spikes erupted diagonally from the ground, catching Sam off-guard. One spike pierced his stomach, and another tore through his arm.
Sam coughed violently, blood dripping from his lips as he staggered. The ink-coated spikes weren’t just physical—they were draining his flux energy. His glowing aura flickered and dimmed.
“That move… almost got me,” Adwin said, his voice shaky but defiant.
Seizing the opportunity, Adwin swept his paintbrush in wide arcs, creating explosions across the battlefield. The shockwaves tore through the terrain, battering Sam’s already weakened body.
The crowd was silent, the tension in the stadium palpable.
Adwin approached Sam, who was on his knees, struggling to stand. With a sneer, Adwin kicked Sam hard in the chest, sending him sprawling onto the ground.
Sam lay there, motionless, as Adwin turned and began walking away, his paintbrush trailing ink behind him.
The crowd remained silent, the weight of the moment hanging heavy in the air. Was this the end of Sam’s fight?
But deep within the chaos, Sam’s fingers twitched. His eyes, still half-closed, burned with quiet determination. The fight was far from over.
The tension in the stadium was suddenly broken when a figure appeared, standing high above on the edge of the arena. The sunlight glinted off her armor, and her very presence seemed to radiate power and authority.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Sasha’s eyes widened in recognition. “It’s her…” she whispered.
Every student and guardian leader froze, their eyes fixed on the figure. There was no mistaking who it was—Raiden, the Theon of Stars and Light.
“Raiden!” one student murmured in awe. “She’s here!”
Raiden’s piercing gaze swept over the battlefield, locking onto Sam. Her voice, sharp and commanding, echoed through the entire arena. “Are you done, Sam? Is this all you’ve got? After everything you’ve been through? After everything I taught you?”
Sam’s eyes flickered as he heard her voice. He slowly pushed himself up from the ground, blood dripping from his lips. His expression hardened.
Raiden’s words cut deeper than any wound.
Without hesitation, Sam reached for the bracelets on his wrists and tore them off.
The reaction was immediate.
The flux energy in Sam’s body surged like a tidal wave, crashing through the arena. The air crackled with power, and the ground trembled beneath him. Everyone in the stadium—students, guardians, even the seasoned leaders—felt it.
“What… is this?” Sasha muttered, her voice trembling.
“It’s his limiter,” Celeste said, her eyes narrowing. “He was holding back this entire time… But now…”
Adwin turned around, his confidence wavering as he saw Sam’s wounds closing, his body regenerating right before his eyes. The bloodied, beaten boy from moments ago was now standing tall, a force to be reckoned with.
“Stay down!” Adwin yelled, swinging his paintbrush in desperation. Ink monsters erupted from the ground, snarling and charging at Sam.
But Sam was faster.
He weaved through the monsters like a streak of light, his movements too quick for the eye to follow. Each step brought him closer to Adwin.
Before Adwin could react, Sam’s fist connected with his face. The impact sent Adwin hurtling across the battlefield, crashing into a wall with a sickening thud. Blood splattered as Adwin coughed violently, his body crumpling from the force of the blow.
But Sam didn’t stop.
In a blur of motion, he closed the distance again, grabbing Adwin by the collar of his shirt. With an effortless motion, Sam slammed him into the wall, the force cracking the stone behind him. Adwin’s body went limp for a moment, but Sam wasn’t finished.
With a flick of his wrist, Sam hurled Adwin into the air like a ragdoll.
“Extinction Type… Type One,” Sam thought, his flux energy spiraling around him like a hurricane.
Launching himself into the air, Sam delivered a series of devastating kicks to Adwin, each strike creating shockwaves that reverberated through the arena. The sheer force of each blow left the audience breathless.
Adwin’s body jerked with each impact, the power behind the strikes more brutal than the last.
Finally, Sam delivered one final kick, sending Adwin plummeting to the ground like a meteor. The arena shook as Adwin’s body slammed into the earth, leaving a crater beneath him.
The crowd was silent, the sheer destruction leaving everyone in awe.
Raiden stood atop the stadium, her expression unreadable as she watched Sam, her student, standing amidst the devastation.
“Good,” Raiden muttered under her breath. “Now you’re showing me what you’re capable of.”
Adwin collapsed to the ground, blood dripping from his mouth, his body trembling from exhaustion and pain. Despite his battered state, he slowly forced himself to his feet, his gaze rising toward the guardian leaders. He caught sight of Argon, who stared back at him with a look of disappointment. The sight only fueled Adwin’s anger.
He turned to Sam, his face contorted with rage. “After everything I’ve been through, I won’t lose! I was disowned by my family—abandoned by my own brother! I refuse to lose to a Voidskin like you!” he bellowed, his voice filled with raw emotion.
Adwin’s flux energy began to surge wildly, spiraling out of control. Ink spikes erupted chaotically from the ground, tearing through the battlefield. Sam narrowly dodged one with a quick side flip, landing in a crouch.
“Sam, get out of there right now! His flux energy is unstable—it’s going to explode!” Lexine yelled through the comms.
Sam pressed a button on his wrist, disconnecting the comms.
“That reckless bastard!” Lexine screamed in frustration, slamming her fists against the control panel in her proxy room.
“I’m ending this here and now!” Adwin roared.
With a single fluid motion of his paintbrush, Adwin summoned an enormous ink monster, towering over the stadium. The creature’s massive foot rose high into the air, poised to crush Sam where he stood.
Sam didn’t flinch. His eyes burned with determination as he concentrated his flux energy. “Extinction Type… Three,” Sam thought, the energy around him condensing into the shape of a colossal fist.
As the ink monster’s foot came crashing down, Sam leaped into the air, aiming his flux-powered punch at the monster’s core. Both Sam and Adwin let out primal screams, their voices echoing across the stadium as the two forces collided.
A deafening explosion erupted, shaking the entire arena. Smoke and debris filled the air as the ink monster disintegrated into nothingness. When the dust settled, both Sam and Adwin were sprawled on the ground, battered and bruised.
Slowly, both of them began to stir. Their movements were sluggish, but they managed to get to their feet. They locked eyes, and for a moment, there was silence.
Then, Adwin chuckled softly. Sam followed with a grin, and soon both of them were laughing. It wasn’t the laughter of victory or defeat—it was the laughter of mutual understanding, of respect forged through battle.
The entire stadium was silent, unsure of how to react.
Adwin and Sam, still laughing, walked side by side toward the holographic flag in the center of the battlefield. Without a word, they each reached out and grabbed it simultaneously.
The hologram above the stadium lit up, displaying the result for all to see: TIE.
The audience erupted into cheers, their voices filling the arena as the tension of the match melted away.
In the stands, Argon leaned back in his seat, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Sasha crossed her arms, watching the two with a thoughtful expression.
Back in the proxy room, Lexine stared at the screen, her frustration replaced with relief. “Idiots…” she muttered, shaking her head with a smile.
As Sam and Adwin stood together, the battlefield still smoldering around them, it was clear that while the match had ended in a tie, something far greater had been achieved—respect, camaraderie, and the acknowledgment of each other’s strength.
As Raiden stood silently on the edge of the stadium, observing the aftermath of the battle below, a blade suddenly pressed against her neck, sharp and cold.
“Why are you here?” a voice demanded from behind her.
Raiden turned her head slightly, unfazed by the threat. Her glowing, star-like eyes locked onto the figure behind the blade. “You must be Duncan, the Division Leader of Blades,” she said calmly.
Duncan’s grip on his sword tightened. “Did your sister put you up to this?” he asked, his voice laced with suspicion.
Before Raiden could respond, another figure stepped forward. Sasha appeared out of the shadows, her tone firm yet calm. “Duncan, don’t worry. She’s not a threat,” Sasha said, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Duncan hesitated for a moment before lowering his blade, his sharp eyes still fixed on Raiden. Without another word, he turned and walked away, jumping off the roof Raiden adjusted her posture and turned to face Sasha fully. “It’s great to see you again, Sasha,” she said, her voice carrying a rare softness.
Sasha nodded. “Likewise, Raiden... but why are you here?”
Raiden’s gaze drifted back to the battlefield for a moment before she answered. “I came to talk to Sam. I need to tell him something important,” she said.
Sasha’s expression shifted to one of concern. “But what Duncan said is true—about Irene, the Theon of Chaos. Do you have any idea where she is?”
Raiden’s expression darkened slightly. “Yes, she’s in the universe known as the Shattered Veil,” she said, her tone heavy.
Sasha’s eyes widened in shock. “The Shattered Veil… that place…”
Raiden nodded, her voice tinged with a somber edge. “The ruined universe destroyed during our time as Arcs. It still exists, barely holding itself together, a fragment of what it once was.”
Sasha absorbed the information, her brow furrowed. “I see… But what do you need to tell Sam about?”
Raiden’s gaze softened, an unusual vulnerability slipping through her stoic exterior. “I just wanted to let him know where I’ll be going. It’s been a long time since I last saw him,” she admitted quietly.
Sasha’s lips curled into a knowing smile. “Even with your cold and calculating mind, you still care for him... and for her,” she said gently.
Raiden’s expression hardened instantly, her voice sharp. “We don’t mention her.” She turned and began to walk away, her cape flowing behind her like a streak of starlight.
Sasha watched her leave, a quiet smile lingering on her face. “Some things never change…” she murmured to herself, before turning her attention back to the arena.