Instead of the satisfying crunch of axe on bone, Alzin's blade cut through nothing but air. Before he could react to the weird change, a fist connected with his face, forcing him to stagger back. Kyle circled around him, put him in a neck lock from behind, then slammed him down face first.
"How did he…" Sinthiar, unlike her brother, could read the fight. When she yanked Kyle off balance, her brother went for his head.
But instead of falling as everyone expected, Kyle recovered in an instant, dodged the killing blow, and launched a counter. Everything happened in a single, seamless beat. It was as if he had a speed boost for a second.
Sinthiar froze as Kyle turned toward her. With an explosive burst he launched. A meter away from his target, Kyle caught a black silhouette from the corner of his eye, but before he could react, Kioko smashed into him with his blond shoulder. The impact was enough to send Kyle flying a few meters away.
Kyle rubbed the point of impact as he got back up, his left arm trembling slightly. A second slower, and he'd have lost more than just his pride."
"How can such a big body move so fast? Your brute strength is impressive as well." Kyle didn't expect Kioko to be that fast. He had dismissed him because of his size, completely ignoring the strange aura the man carried. 'a prime example of "never judge a book by its cover."'
"Our big brother's physique rivals even the Morans. In our family, if you meet certain conditions, you undergo a special treatment. If it's successful you gain inhuman raw power." Alzin staggered to his feet, his face a bloody mess. He spoke through gritted teeth, but he didn't rush out like before.
"Because of his physique, big brother could barely hold his own against advanced Shi'en users even before he awakened his Shi'en," Sinthiar continued. "When he awakened it, even parried strikes still caused damage. Due to his raw power and his strange Shi'en, it does not matter whether you are a basic or advanced Shi'en user, you will take damage even if you block his attacks."
"With that much raw strength and speed anyone would take damage. But am afraid that is not enough to beat me."
"You may be strong, but with the three of us attacking you, you don't stand a chance," Alzin said, steadying his axe "His ability is speed based. Put more pressure on him and create an opening for big brother… I'll return your humiliation tenfold," he added, pointing at Kyle. Kyle slamming him face first to the ground had left a bad taste.
As he tightened his grip the edge of his axe seemed to glow.
"I figured something was off the minute I saw you," Kyle said, staring at Kioko. But the guy stared back with no reaction whatsoever. "I guess the drawback is you can no longer speak."
"Quiet your mouth, fool," Alzin spat. He swung his axe and a wind blade cut through the air toward Kyle. As he dodged, a whip lashed out. The trio's coordinated assault forced Kyle to retreat repeatedly.
He dodged the whip, and another wind blade followed. Predicting Alzin's dwindling stamina, Kyle shifted tactics. His arms shimmered silver, coated in Shi'en, and he shattered each wind blade with ease.
Before he could close the distance between himself and Alzin, Sinthiar's whip changed form, now resembling a chain wrapped around his waist, pinning him. Alzin seized the opening, dashed forward his axe shimmered arming for Kyle's head.
Boom.
An explosion of Shi'en met the strike, but to everyone's surprise, the axe stopped a few centimeters from its target.
Kyle's right hand bled, yet he gripped the axe firmly.
"You don't learn, do you?" Kyle said with a wide smile on his face, ready to counter.
Thud.
But this time Alzin predicted the possibility of an unforeseen counter and prepared a surprise of his own.
With a boost of combustion gas, his mechanical arm landed an uppercut into Kyle's gut. The impact nearly lifted him off his feet. Pain contorted Kyle's features. However the siblings were not done.
Sinthiar yanked the chain, spinning Kyle three sixty. At max speed Kioko slammed into him. Kyle spat blood as he was sent sprawling.
The Kimtos didn't relent they swarmed him. Unwilling to give him time to recover.
Kyle clenched his teeth not just from the pain, but because his plan was falling apart, all thanks to these three.
His original goal had been simple stall for time while fighting them. When only the top participants remained, that's when he would act. At that point, even if he was forced to use his abilities, it would be worth it.
But if he had to go all out this early, his chances of ranking in the top three let alone being the last man standing would vanish.
It had barely been twenty minutes, yet he was already being forced to get serious. And that meant he was about to attract the kind of attention he'd hoped to avoid.
From Kyle's perception, time slowed down significantly as he got back on his feet.
But to the Kimto siblings, it looked as if he had just teleported to his feet.
Sensing something amiss, they stopped their advance.
Kyle's eyes glimmered with a silver light, then his Shi'en pulsed outward, forming a ten meter wide radius of influence.
Caught in it, their faces slackened as though the weight of the world had settled on their shoulders, their thoughts fled, muscles refused orders.
Then Kyle disappeared and appeared in front of Alzin , a swift punch to the gut and Alzin went limp.
He reappeared at Sinthiar's side and delivered a similar blow, she collapsed without a sound.
Then Kioko.
"Tombstone"
Kyle said, his fist glowed with a sinister hue and slammed into Kioko's head, to Kyle's surprise, the guy did not pass out as he had anticipated. It only forced the big man to his knees, bleeding from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. But he stubbornly clung to his consciousness.
The technique Kyle used on him is known as "Tombstone." It causes internal damage to the target.
Of course Kyle held back since he didn't wish to kill the man. But damage to the brain is not something you can shrug off casually.
Yet this guy remained conscious despite such a blow.
"Hey, Headmaster find anything down there, or is your head suddenly heavy?" Kyle sneered, looming over Kioko, who now retched and gripped his skull.
Kioko's breathing was ragged, but his first glance was toward his siblings, who lay motionless. His voice cracked as he called to them.
The Kimtos were not a great or powerful family. The only thing that set them apart was the rare Moran physique. Something so coveted that it had drawn envy and threats from other families.
Kioko and his siblings shared the same dream to grow strong enough to protect their own. For them, the path forward was clear. All they had to do was enter Atlas Academy, become ascenders, and rise at least to the celestial ranks. Only then could they secure their family's future and ensuring that no one would ever dare to oppress them again.
As he looked at his siblings lying still on the ground, it felt as if their dreams, the ones they had built together, were shattering before him. The realization brought tears to the big man's eyes.
Even Kyle felt a pang in his heart upon seeing the big guy cry.
"You can actually talk!" Kyle asked, surprised. "Hey man, you should get medical help fast, or…"
"You... I'm going to kill you, bastard." Kioko's vow was raw.
Kyle scratched the back of his head, feigning carelessness. Kioko was having none of it. A burst of Shi'en erupted from him, advanced, not the basic sort. Again surprising Kyle.
"I was trying to say your brain suffered some damage earlier. But if you're willing to die, be my guest. I want to survive this tournament as much as you do."
Kioko pounced with a flurry of brutal punches. Kyle kept his distance, dodging each strike. Minutes passed until Kioko's movements grew ragged.
The brain damage had taken its toll. A knee to the chin sent him under, and Kyle heaved him out of the arena.