Part 2 — Clash of the Hundred (continued)
The ground shuddered under the chaos. Waves of dust rolled across the battlefield, mixing with spirals of fire and shards of ice. The air itself trembled from the raw clash of elements.
Anay stood at the center of it all, eyes half-closed, sensing every ripple of energy around him. Each motion, each strike, each flare of aura painted an image in his mind.
So many rhythms… so much life in this storm.
A thunderous explosion to his left snapped his eyes open—two contestants had collided mid-air, their blasts forming a crater of smoke and light. The shockwave pressed against his face; he simply leaned into it, grinning.
From the hovering drones above, Hrithik Rao's voice boomed:
"One hundred remain! Continue the fight!"
The announcement sent another surge of energy through the crowd. Cheers roared from the stands. Kael leaned forward, excitement flashing in his eyes. "He's not even trying yet."
Liora crossed her arms, a faint smile touching her lips. "He's enjoying the chaos."
Below, the storm intensified.
A student conjured crystal spears that whistled through the air. Another unleashed sonic bursts that shattered nearby rocks. But in that whirlpool of power, Anay moved like the wind itself—sliding past attacks, stepping through gaps so narrow they barely existed.
A fireball the size of a cart shot past its target and veered toward the audience stands. Gasps erupted. Anay reacted instantly—spinning once and thrusting his hand upward.
A roaring column of wind spiraled from his palm, catching the fireball mid-flight and tossing it harmlessly into the sky, where it burst like fireworks.
The crowd cheered in relief. Hrithik Rao's brows lifted slightly.
"Who's that boy…?" he murmured into his mic.
Anay lowered his hand and exhaled softly, the breeze brushing his face. "That was close."
A blur of red cut through the haze. A tall boy, older and confident, landed a few meters away—his aura blazing like molten metal. "You look too calm, kid," he said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's see if you can handle the heat."
"Guess I'll find out," Anay replied, voice calm, a teasing smile forming.
The boy—Rudran—stomped forward. Flames exploded from his arms, twisting into whips that lashed at Anay. The ground scorched, heat rippling like a mirage.
Anay spun aside, a whirl of wind following his motion. Steam hissed as his palm sliced upward, releasing a thin arc of water that met the fire mid-air, bursting into mist.
Rudran growled and fired another wave—Anay countered by launching a thunder spark through the steam. It crackled, electrifying the vapor before freezing it with a sudden burst of ice. The steam solidified around Rudran's arms like glass, sealing his movement.
Rudran blinked in shock. "What—?"
Anay stepped back, lowering his hand. "You were great, though."
The ice shimmered for a moment before Rudran dropped to his knees, aura flickering out. The drones scanned him; his status light turned red—eliminated.
Kael whistled from the audience. "Show-off."
Liora shook her head, half-smiling. "That's Anay for you."
Across the arena, a thunderous crack split the air. Everyone froze for half a heartbeat before realizing what it was.
Aanya.
Golden lightning cascaded around her like a storm made flesh. Her long yellow hair lifted from the static, eyes glowing bright blue. The ground under her feet split apart as arcs of thunder leapt outward, striking multiple opponents in succession.
Within seconds, half a dozen fighters were down, unconscious but unharmed. Sparks rained around her like shimmering fireflies.
Anay's gaze softened. Her thunder field… it's beautiful.
She moved with focus—each motion sharp, deliberate. Even from afar, he could feel the hum of her aura resonating with his own lightning affinity.
For a brief moment, their eyes met across the chaos. No words—just the silent spark of recognition.
Then the storm resumed.
More contestants fell. Dust hung like fog; light shimmered in every color. Drones announced:
"Twenty remain! Continue the fight!"
Anay's breathing remained steady. He ducked under a stone spike, countered with a water burst that sent the attacker skidding backward. Another came from above; he raised his hand and snapped, summoning a thin thunder arc that stunned them mid-air. They landed gently, energy exhausted.
The ground quaked again. Hrithik's voice thundered over the speakers:
"Phase One complete! Only ten remain!"
Cheers erupted from the audience.
The battlefield trembled, dust spiraling into the sunlit sky, a chaotic mix of fire, ice, wind, and electricity. Anay's eyes scanned constantly, every movement, every flare of aura, registering in an instinctive rhythm. The storm of combat had reached its peak—students attacking, dodging, and colliding in a frenzy of energy.
He had just dispatched Rudran, the flames around the older boy dissipating into harmless smoke as the elimination drones registered his defeat. Rudran's chest heaved, eyes wide with disbelief, as he fell to his knees. Anay adjusted his stance, letting his wind swirl subtly around him, a faint shimmer of water and ice tracing his movements, ready for the next attack.
Chaos continued to ripple across the arena. A stray ice shard from a distant clash spun toward him; he leaned lightly to the side, letting it graze past harmlessly. A burst of wind sent it flying toward another participant who hadn't noticed it. The randomness of the battlefield fascinated him.
Then a voice cut sharply through the roar:
"Enough!"
The word cracked like thunder, freezing every participant mid-motion. Electricity exploded outward in golden arcs as a shockwave radiated from one point. Anay's eyes snapped toward the source.
Aanya.
Her long yellow hair lifted like a living storm, her blue eyes glowing with power and irritation. She had leaned forward, glaring at the weaker combatants struggling to keep up. Sparks of lightning cascaded around her, crackling through the air in pure energy. The ground under her feet split and lifted in jagged fragments, hovering briefly as arcs of thunder leapt outward.
The shockwave struck with the force of a storm's heart. Fireballs fizzled before reaching targets, ice shards shattered mid-air, and wind currents collapsed. Screams and gasps echoed as weaker participants stumbled, knocked off balance or sent sprawling. Within moments, only the strongest three remained standing: Anay, Aanya, and one tall boy with a flickering red aura barely recovering from earlier attacks.
Anay's grin widened. So that's her style… straight to the point. She doesn't mess around. He shifted slightly, feeling the faint tingling of residual thunder against his own elemental connection. His wind rippled, protective and subtle, his ice and water elements shimmering faintly around his form—ready, but unprovoked.
The arena seemed to pause. Dust hung lazily in the air, sparks from fading lightning casting sharp shadows on the remaining combatants. The thunderstorm around Aanya slowly subsided, though faint arcs still danced along the edges of her hair.
She blinked, realization dawning. Her voice, charged with static, echoed:
"I… didn't mean to push so hard… but these weaklings were just slowing things down."
Anay tilted his head, a teasing smirk tugging at his lips. "Fair enough. Looks like it's just us now."
Her gaze met his, a silent acknowledgment. Blue eyes glinting, golden arcs of lightning flickering in her hair, she nodded faintly, exhaling a rush of static-charged air.