Chapter 103: Chapter 102 : Debut Match (Part 3)

Fighter numbers dwindled at a rapid pace. They weren’t as idle as bowling pins, but they fell with the same helplessness, regardless.

‘Ah-’

With the attack being as sudden as it was, Adrian had no time to think, and even less time to act. In the end, he went for what was familiar, but this was a mistake.

Having accelerated to three times his usual speed, the momentum Ralf had built up wasn’t something that could be blocked. His spinning kick arrived, imparting a monstrous force. It blew through the raised guard and then the Psi armour in one uninterrupted motion.

Bam!

Blowing away his opponent, Ralf noted the red hue which marked Adrian as ‘out’ before resuming his bloodless rampage.

Flicker! Flicker! Flicker!…

Taking to the air, Ralf floored the gas pedal. Seeing him do so, the remaining fighters scrambled to stop him, but like before, Ralf’s manoeuvres proved too evasive. Using twists and spins, Psi ropes and contraptions, he skillfully accelerated to higher and higher speeds.

While weaving an ever more complex trajectory through space, his mind deliberated who to target next. Coming to a decision just a second later, he swooped down, and like Adrian earlier, a single strike was all it took to eliminate the fighter.

His momentum was slashed at by the attack’s delivery, but just a few seconds later, he would be back up to 3x speed, zooming around the ring, in search of his next target.

*Swish* *Swish* *Swish*….

‘Hm…’

A curtain of Psi bullets rushed at him from his front. Moving too quickly to veer off course or stop, he barreled through it using Turtle’s Sphere. He didn’t rush to exit the form and instead thrust his Psi forward to construct a giant slide. Using the same principle as Twisted Barrel, Turtle’s Slide was a slide meant for the Turtle’s Sphere’s rapid and curved travel.

Swoosh!

Ralf followed the frictionless road till he was out, losing almost no speed in the process.

Turtle's Slide! Turtle's Slide! Turtle's Slide!

Spamming the technique, Ralf drew a most unusual path through the air, frustrating his opponents to no end. Arriving at one-shot momentum again, he sought out his next target. Spotting the final member of the triangle still in play, Ralf’s decision was made.

With a loop at the ceiling, the sphere shot downward. Then, just before it hit the dirt, a slide materialised and following it, Ralf exited out now flying parallel to the ground.

His opponent’s back neared in an instant and then bam! ‘Payback for earlier, pal’ Ralf voiced internally as he sent his now crimson coloured opponent into the dirt.

*Shatter*

Breaking from his cocoon, Ralf skated across the uneven sands for a brief moment before Flickering away.

Speed up - attack - speed up - attack - …

Since the initial three eliminations, Ralf had been using this tactic to thin the herd.

It had been working swimmingly, the fighters had no answer to this tactic. And with their numbers continuing to drop at a rapid pace, any possible answer was pushed even further out of their reach.

Morale had plummeted, and with it, the fighters’ ability to fight effectively. The explosion had shaken them, and everything afterwards had served to further unbalance them.

The coordination and precision that Ralf faced at the start of the match were nowhere to be found at this moment. Once Ralf began attacking, these things had fallen to the wayside.

It turned into a mad scramble of sorts. People crashing into each other, friendly fire, disrupting each other’s techniques; all had been shown in the sandy ring in the last thirty seconds.

The daunting image Ralf had built after surviving the first minute had burdened the fighters’ minds with a weight too heavy for them to carry. So when he began attacking, they were instantly overwhelmed. Their actions lost their polish, becoming increasingly frantic and frazzled, which only worsened their chances of succeeding.

Swoosh!

The Fated String flashed blue and then delivered its colossal force. Ankle tugged at, Conan Drew, who had been brave enough to engage in aerial combat, was sent hurling downwards. Slammed into the wall, he became red in an instant.

‘Got that Icarus treatment,’ Ralf mused to himself, having just returned back to the ground. ‘Three left-’

He tilted his head rightward, letting the bullet race past him. Turning while dodging the next projectile, he faced Vanessa who was rushing in. Noting that the two other fighters were way off in the distance, he moved accordingly.

Instead of evading as he had, Ralf darted towards his opponent. Keeping his body low, his hands moved to his front where a Psi rope formed between. Then, just before the two could collide, he leapt into the air with a front flipping motion. As he took to the air, the Psi rope between his hands rapidly extended.

‘Ah-’

The unexpected motion threw Vanessa off. Slow to react, the rope caught on her neck. Carrying the lesser momentum of the two, her figure ended up being yanked back. Ralf timed the force exchange perfectly with his twisting motion. Then, kicking off the air, his figure zoomed towards her back, feet first.

Bam!

Landing the blow, Ralf rode Vanessa like a surface board, then drawing his pistol, he thrust it into a gap in her armour and fired. Eliminating her with two shots, he quickly vacated, leaving an afterimage to tank Garrett’s projectiles.

Ralf’s figure skated across the sands, zigzagging its way through gunfire to arrive at one of his fallen swords. Dropping low, he scooped it up in passing before immediately Flickering backwards.

*Boom*

The sand exploded before him as the red bandanna’s descending mallet strike landed.

‘Dammit, just stay still!’ Eren roared internally.

Having failed his attack, he dismissed his mallet, and charged forward, eager to throw punches. But upon bursting through the sand cloud, he met with a most terrifying sight.

Sixteen Psi coated bullets pointed his way. They formed a square formation in the air. Ralf had retrieved them from his waist bag and arranged them all in the blink of an eye.

Eren was stunned. His face went pale at the sight; without thought, all his Psi rushed to his front.

Bullet Festival: Square Dance!

The collective bang rang out.

‘Hm, impressive,’ Ralf thought as he noted the red bandanna’s ‘living’ status.

He quickly moved to correct this; darting in, he thrust his sword into Eren’s brittle armour and dyed his opponent the same colour as the bandanna he wore.

Eliminating his opponent, Ralf slowly pulled back and was greeted with a harsh glare.

His brows raised at the expression. ‘Hmm, what a look. That’s no good.’

With Garrett not attacking, he took a moment to deal with the problem before him. He slid his hand into his coat and retrieved an item, a wrapped lollipop, identical to the one between his lips. Then, with casual motions, he opened Eren’s hand up and stuffed the candy in.

Taking in the action, Eren’s face twisted in bafflement.

Ralf simply nodded.

‘That’ll fix you up right away, no need for thanks.’ Thinking this, he circled to the other side but not before giving Eren a shoulder pat.

Eren stood paralyzed. Surging with incredulity, he was unable to process the strange existence that was Ralf Fawkes. Staring at the candy in his palm, the indignation and anger that reigned supreme in him quickly dissipated.

‘This kid…haa.’

[Eren, please move out of the ring.]

Getting the reminder, Eren snapped out of it and promptly left the ring. Moving through the barrier, he joined the rest of the fighters and with them, observed the match’s conclusion.

*Step*

Sword in hand, Ralf took slow strides.

Garret’s face turned bitter at his approach.

‘At the start, I thought he was nothing but an arrogant youth who misjudged his abilities…ha, how wrong I was. Looking at how nonchalant he is, I’m sure there’s still many tricks up his sleeves. This kid’s a monster. His martial skills, Psi talent, Psi control and that absurd Overdraft technique that makes him no different from a Rank 4…there’s no way I can do anything against him.’

Ralf stopped his stride. Taking in his opponent, he couldn’t help but shake his head.

‘Shoulders low, unsteady gaze and an expression darkened by the shadow of defeat…what an unbecoming look for a fighter. We can’t end the show like this.’

He popped the lollipop out of his mouth. “A question,” he started, drawing Garrett’s attention. “Which headline would you rather see in tomorrow’s papers?” Pausing, his Psi rushed to the air. “Fawkes descendant trounces the competition or… Upsetting an upset, Garrett Thomson snuffs out the faux flame.” While saying this, he formed the words via Psi writing.

Letting it linger for a few seconds, Ralf dismissed it and then reiterated his question. “Garrett Thomson, which do you prefer?”

Garret’s expression flickered at the question. Then, seconds later, as though moulting, all traces of apprehension and self-doubt fell off his being.

‘That’s right, nothing is set in stone. He’s definitely stronger than me, but so what? I won’t roll over, not to him or anyone!’

Within his eyes, a flame was lit, one that refused to back down. Aura sharpening, a daring smile surfaced on his face.

“The latter,” he answered.

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Ralf smiled approvingly. “I see, then try your best to make it a reality.” Saying this, he resumed his steps.

Garret watched his approach, the look in his eyes very different from seconds prior. ‘He’ll be fighting with that sword…if that’s the case, then I should too.’

Having the thought, he had one of Ralf’s swords on the ground fly to his hand.

Seeing this, Ralf’s eyes lit up. A duel with swords never failed to excite him.

The two fell into their respective stances, one natural, the other more deliberate. Gazes meeting at the centre, the two communicated with their eyes alone. Then, three seconds later, without a word being uttered, they both took off.

Swoosh!

The blades moved with a mesmerising blue glow, drawing momentary lines and arcs through the air as the two displayed their swordsmanship. At the centre of the ring, the two danced, zigzagging at high speed, fending off and delivering attacks in erratic, but dazzling fashion.

Who would ultimately win?

In the minds of the audience, this was a bygone conclusion. Even so, they still found themselves surging with excitement as they watched the final bout.

Clang! Slash! Stab! Clang!…

‘Ah, I’ve never felt better.’

Unburdening himself of negative emotions, and simply focusing on giving it his all, Garrett’s combat prowess spiked to never before levels, delivering a performance that greatly mismatched his fighter ranking.

Still, shining brightly as he was, the difference between him and Ralf was nevertheless great.

However, looking at it on the surface, one wouldn’t think so. While upholding his pride as a fighter, Ralf played his role as an entertainer, holding back and making it seem much closer than it was.

Twenty seconds later…

‘Okay, this should do it,’ Ralf thought.

Playing pretend was only fun to watch up until a certain point, and so he decided to draw the curtain on this show.

Guiding Garrett’s sword down with his own, he shifted close then using his shoulder, he pushed. Unbalancing the old soldier, Ralf’s palm thrust forward and struck Garrett’s chest, further unbalancing him. Ralf’s grip tightened around his handle and a moment later, with the power of both physical brawn and Psi, his blade slashed out.

But….

Swoosh!

‘Whoa, I dodged that,’ Garrett thought in surprise, now twelve metres back.

In a reaction that surprised even himself, he managed to pull away just in time - or rather, at only the cost of a line being left across his armour.

“Oh, not bad.” Lollipop out, Ralf complimented as he took in the jubilant form of his opponent.

“Aha, thanks.”

Ralf smiled.

His eyes then shut and he gradually fell into a sword stance. It was a sideways orientation, right shoulder angled towards Garret. His body lowered and leaned forward with his sword drawn back, handle held by his right hand while his left hand hovered only an inch out.

Taking in his stance, Garrett’s eyes brightened. His fighting spirit had been ignited; his mind, body and Psi were revved up to meet whatever came.

Ralf’s eyelids opened and his gaze resettled on Garrett. “You escaped the last slash, I wonder if you can do so again?”

Garrett smirked. “Try me then.”

Ralf’s lips curled up in response. Then, popping his lollipop back in his mouth, he moved.

True Asura Flicker!

Ralf blasted forth leaving exploding sand in his wake. Closing the distance in the blink of an eye, he slashed out…but not in a way his opponent expected.

During his travels, Ralf’s hands switched roles. His right hand freed itself from the handle while his left grabbed on, but instead of the conventional manner, it grabbed in a reverse grip. Then, like this, he slashed out.

Garret wasn’t at all troubled, the blade came from the same direction after all. Holding firm, and leaning rightward, his sword blocked Ralf’s slash comfortably.

But…

‘Ah-’

Ralf’s right hand which had moved over his gourd at his waist suddenly clenched before slashing out.

Dragon Sword: Third Form.

Fwoooosh!

A fiery explosion of flames washed over Garrett’s form. The intense heat passed through his barrier with no obstacle, eager to blacken his skin, singe his eyes and ignite his collected oxygen. Thankfully for him, it didn’t come to this. Warned beforehand, the protective Psi prevented this reality.

The last of the flames flickered out of sight seconds later, leaving its intoxicating stench behind.

“Looks like that was a…no.” Lollipop out, Ralf smirked as he exited the combat stance.

“Ah? Oh, haha, looks like it.” Coming to, Garrett’s face broke into a smile. He was slightly disappointed at the result but at the same time, he was incredibly proud of himself at this moment. “Using fire, guess I should have expected it, ahaha. Congratulations Ralf, you pulled it off. You’re amazing, kid.”

“Thanks. You did pretty well yourself. Good job.” Saying this, he retrieved another lollipop from his coat and handed it over.

“For me?”

“Yeah. You deserved it.”

“Thanks.” A sweet smile bloomed on the soldier’s face as he stared at the candy in his meaty palm.

Ralf nodded before plopping his lollipop back in his mouth. Running his tongue over it, he turned and headed back to his gate.

The old soldier watched Ralf’s mismatched swaying coat with a look of admiration and reverence.

These emotions stirred something deep within him. Awoken from their long slumber, they, in turn, triggered another thing which then began vibrating. Starting gently, it slowly grew in intensity, getting faster and faster. Standing in the ring, Garrett remained ignorant of this happening. But soon enough, this would change. Though, this was something for much later.

“Wooooooo!”

“Holy shit, that was awesome!”

“Praise the sun! I’m rich hahaha!”

“He actually did it…I can’t believe it.”

After the prolonged breath-holding silence, the venue was shaken by a roar, matching a dragon’s. The crowd went ballistic as they processed the thrilling experience.

[Unbelievable, simply unbelievable. In the first eighteen vs one match, Ralf has prevailed spectacularly. He came to give an example, and he did just that. The Silver Path faction needs looking into…no doubt they’re something special with someone like Ralf in their midst. I’ll need a few minutes to process things, I’m sure many can relate.]

After leaping back into the ring, a red-faced Vostel resumed his duties.

[Okay folks, tonight’s showing has come to an end. As always, to the fighters, staff and audience, a thank you, with a special thanks to Ralf, who allowed us to witness something truly amazing.]

The audience wholeheartedly agreed with the sentiment and appreciative looks were sent Ralf’s way.

[Now, off you go. As usual, everyone move in an orderly manner when exiting and a reminder, that what happens in the Combat Arena stays in the Combat Arena.]

The crowd got to moving but immediately stopped in place as Vostel’s voice unexpectedly sounded again.

[Ah, wait, sorry. It seems Ralf has some final words to impart.]

At the announcement, tens of thousands of eyeballs fixed themselves on Ralf’s figure, who stood before the now opened gateway.

Letting a few seconds pass by for effect, Ralf glanced back and flashed a mischievous smile.

[My Challenger Series is coming real soon…look forward to it.]

Throwing this announcement into the world, he turned back and continued forward, his figure disappearing from the crowd’s view. A moment of silence followed before another roar shook the venue.

Hearing it from his tunnel, Ralf’s lips curled up.

‘Music to my ears.’

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