The two opponents stood on opposite sides of the ring as the referee stepped between them. The arena fell into a tense hush, thousands of eyes fixed on the fighters beneath the blazing stadium lights. Dust clung to the stone floor, still scarred from the previous match, and the air itself felt heavy with anticipation.
"Ready on both sides?" the referee asked, his voice echoing across the ring.
"Yes," Jayden replied calmly.
"Born ready," Levi said with a grin as he cracked his knuckles, the sound sharp and deliberate.
The referee raised his hand, paused for a heartbeat, then dropped it.
"Okay then… fight!"
With unbelievable speed for someone of his massive size, Levi closed the distance in an instant, the stone beneath his feet cracking as he lunged forward. His fist shot straight toward Jayden's face like a cannonball.
Please… please let this not be too much mana, Jayden thought as he stepped into the attack, throwing his own punch while deliberately suppressing his mana output.
Their fists collided.
A violent shockwave erupted outward, rattling the barrier around the ring and sending a tremor through the stadium floor. The crowd gasped as dust and debris burst into the air.
This is good. We're at equal footing… for now, Jayden noted as he followed up, unleashing a flurry of rapid punches.
Levi responded immediately, meeting each blow with one of his own. Every clash produced thunderous booms that echoed across the arena, the sound of raw strength colliding again and again.
Both fighters suddenly charged mana into their fists and released simultaneous palm strikes. The recoil blasted them apart, sending them skidding backward across the ring.
"This is new," Jayden muttered, resting a hand on his chin. "I don't think my clone would've beaten this guy. He's strong… what do I do now?"
"He's really strong so fighting him physically at full strenght will probably arouse suspicion, after all I have revealed a lot of unnatural things and more importantly I'm a mage so I'll have to beat him strategically…"
Levi didn't give him time to completely assemble his thoughts.
A chunk of the ring, broken free like a boulder with inhumane strenght was hurled straight at Jayden.
Jayden reacted instantly and calmly with a sigh. Swinging his arm like a blade, he released a compressed wind strike that shredded the rock midair, scattering fragments harmlessly across the ring, with none touching him.
"Don't tell me you've gotten cold feet now, weakling!" Levi laughed loudly, noticing Jayden standstill.
But his thoughts told a different story.
He's strong. No doubt about it. Not many can match me physically. I can't underestimate him.
Jayden shook his head and slapped his cheeks with both hands.
"What was I doing? Thinking too much, that's not how I fight." Jayden thought as he raised his two hands and pressed it against his cheeks, trying to bring himself back.
"Phew, I almost lost it there, that chamber of time really did a number on me."
Raising his right hand, he shouted so the entire stadium could hear him.
"Fantasy! That's the name of the person winning this match. Burn it into your skulls, people. Now let's do this!"
Lightning crackled violently around Jayden, golden light enveloping his body as his mana surged. In the next instant, he vanished.
Levi barely managed to block the blow aimed at his ribs. Jayden didn't relent—he backflipped into the air and fired multiple compressed fire bullets downward.
Levi swung his massive sword in a wide arc, the sheer force of the swing extinguishing the flames before they could touch him.
As Jayden landed, Levi countered, swinging his sword straight at Jayden's head.
Jayden caught the blade with his bare hand.
CLANG! It was as if two metals had hit each other.
The sound rang through the stadium.
Jayden pressed his free palm against Levi's chest and summoned a violent vortex of wind. Levi was blasted backward, smashing into the barrier with a grunt.
Seeing Jayden charge toward him, Levi lunged forward—but halfway there, the ground beneath him liquefied into thick mud, stopping him dead in his tracks.
Jayden reached him, grabbed Levi by the shirt, lifted him effortlessly, spun, and hurled him across the ring.
Levi stopped himself by driving both swords into the ground, skidding to a halt as sparks flew through the granite.
"You don't know anything about us Dubems," Levi growled, spitting blood. "We get stronger the more attacks we take."
"Huh…"
That was the last thing Jayden noticed before Levi's body pulsed red and he was suddenly slammed into the ground.
The arena floor bounced like rubber.
Jayden quickly touched the ground, turning it fully elastic, sending both fighters flying into the air.
Midair, Levi grabbed Jayden's arm and hurled him downward with crushing force.
Just before impact, Jayden teleported behind him. Locking his hands together, he slammed Levi into the ground with devastating force.
Jayden landed lightly, wind cushioning his descent. Levi lay motionless in a crater of shattered stone.
"That should do it," Jayden said with a relaxed smile, one hand in his pocket.
Then Levi moved.
Staggering, he forced himself upright using his sword for support, blood pouring from his wounds. He smiled as he spat out blood from his mouth.
"Five minutes," Levi said. "That's all you've got. Don't make me waste it, Fantasy."
"Funny how you can stay cocky while losing so badly," Jayden replied. "Come on. Keep trying."
"Nah," Levi said calmly. "I'm just being considerate."
He grinned.
"Overdrive: Titan Slayer."
Bones snapped and restructured violently. Levi's body doubled in size, widening and lengthening grotesquely. Two extra arms tore free as his skin pulsed crimson. He stood hunched, towering over Jayden like a monster.
"Don't chicken out now."
If Jayden thought Levi was fast before, this was something else entirely.
"Eww, that's disgusting, doesn't that…"
Levi vanished and reappeared, sword aimed at Jayden's head. Jayden dodged and countered, punching Levi away in a burst of golden light.
"You want to compare speed and strength with me?" Jayden laughed. "Be my guest."
The two became blurs, clashing again and again. To untrained eyes, all the audience could see were streaks of light and hear violent impacts shaking the stadium.
Jayden struck Levi again, but Levi endured the pain and counterattacked, finally catching him. All four arms moved to crush Jayden.
Jayden inhaled deeply.
Then exhaled.
A wind explosion tore them apart.
Levi rushed desperately, conscious of his time limit, swinging his swords. Jayden parried both blades with the flat of his hand, white mana trailing his movements.
King Clenor turned sharply to Luke.
"You have a lot to explain after this match. That technique was meant to remain hidden," the king said coolly. "You're lucky your son's power amuses me."
"Yes, Your Highness," Luke replied, eyes never leaving the fight.
Levi attacked again, but Jayden caught both swords with his bare hands.
I can't move them… Levi realized in panic.
"It's not fair if you're the only one using weapons," Jayden smiled.
He kicked Levi with immense force, sending him crashing into the barrier once more—and crushed the swords in his grip.
"Now for the finisher. Xelvicar, come to me."
The sword flew from the scanning area, where he had left it, smashing through the barrier without resistance and landing perfectly in Jayden's hand.
"Wind Barrage Slash!"
Countless wind blades tore into Levi until he collapsed.
Jayden approached, only to see Levi still trying to rise.
"Are you sure you don't want to call it quits?" Jayden asked, as he looked up and down at Levi's wounded body.
"Shut up, don't you tell me what to do," Levi spat. "You monster."
"I admire your resolve," Jayden said calmly. "That makes you the perfect test subject for this."
He grabbed Levi's chin and locked eyes with him.
"Command Skill: Kneel before me."
The command skill, a new skill Jayden had learnt was a skill that controlled the mana of other people. Mana was the life force inside every person and every living thing.
It was a fundamental constant in all existence and being able to control it to a great detail allowed a person to do many things which were normally impossible.
Having great skill for mana control allowed a person to control the mana in a persons mind and force commands on the brain.
The two major conditions for this ability were, one; The caster had to have more mana than the target and two; the skill has a greater chance of working if the person is hurt, tired or both and the command is simple as complex skills tend to have higher chance of failing and fortunately for Jayden all the conditions were fulfilled.
Levi collapsed to his knees, unable to resist and gain control of his own body.
"This match is over," Jayden said, turning away as Levi's transformation started to wear off.
The referee rushed in and raised Jayden's hand.
"Jayden Reginald is the winner!"
The crowd erupted, shouting his name wildly.
"What in the world did I just see? There you have it folks, Jayden Reginald wins." the speaker shouted wildly.
The crowd erupted, shouting his name wildly.
Jayden bowed, then raised his hand in refusal as the skill deactivated.
The crowd understood and started to cheer his alias.
"Fantasy! Fantasy! Fantasy!"
Jayden smiled.
"Now… for the final act."
A golden cyclone engulfed him, obscuring him from everyone's vision and suddenly dissipated with Jayden no loner in sight.
"You can't deny I nailed that exit," Jayden muttered, ordering a cookie outside the stadium.
"Now to watch Nadia win her match against… whoever she's fighting."
Unfortunately, the next battle wouldn't be a simple match and it would be one that sets the wheel of disaster in motion.