The time Axel spent contemplating on whether he should go in for another strike had already given Kinsey just about enough time to regain her composure. She stood up slowly and muttered something under her breath and the air around her suddenly grew colder.
Then she sprinted forward.
Axel readied himself, lowering his stance, but something felt wrong. His muscles refused to move. He felt this chilling numbness crawling up his legs.
He looked down, and he nearly lost his mind. His feet were completely encased in ice.
"What the hell—?!" he gasped, trying to move, but the frost held him firm.
Kinsey's eyes glowed faintly blue as she thrust her palm forward. A razor-edged shard of ice formed in the air between them. Before Axel could react, she drove her fist straight into his chest.
CRACK!
The impact sent a jolt through his ribs, and the ice binding his legs shattered instantly, throwing him backward. He coughed, clutching his chest and pain surged through his ribs, but it wasn't unbearable. Luckily, she wasn't that strong. But that hit sure damned took a bit if his hp
[User has been hit]
[-2 HP]
[HP: 8/10]
'Holy hell. She can control ice?!'
Cryokinesis. It was the only explanation.
Kinsey wasn't holding back anymore. Axel really pissed her off. The ground beneath her shimmered with frost, and a mist of icy particles swirled around her as she glared at him.
"You shouldn't have hit me that hard," she hissed, her voice edged with frostbite.
Before Axel could think of a retort, the air between them shimmered again, this time, jagged spikes of translucent blue formed in front of him.
Three of them.
Those three sharp icicles just hovered in the air, their tips aimed right for him.
"Come on—" he barely got the words out before they launched.
Although they were small, Axel knew it would be a bad hit. Best to maneuver.
He rolled aside, the first two narrowly missed his shoulder. The third one, however, clipped his arm, slicing through his shirt and skin causing warm blood to trickle down to his elbow.
[-1 HP]
[HP: 7/10]
The pain grounded him for a bit but he wasn't going to lose. Not when a level up was on the line.
'Can't let her keep control… she's distracted while using her powers. That's my opening.'
Kinsey tried to create another set of ice spikes, but the frost flickered weakly, her control was faltering. Even the ice she had formed earlier cracked and fell apart as her focus slipped.
Her breathing had turned uneven and sweat beaded her temple.
She wasn't used to using her ability for this long.
He sprinted low, charging straight towards her. Kinsey's eyes widened but it was too late. Aside from the fact that she didn't see him in time, her energy was almost depleted. Her power display had taken a lot from her.
Axel tackled her mid cast, using his shoulder to slam into her midsection. The both of them crashed to the ground, but Axel didn't give her time to recover, not that she could but he didn't know that.
He grabbed her wrist when she tried to summon more ice, and twisted it sharply, sending her spinning off balance.
"Sorry." He whispered.
Using the last bit of momentum, he hooked his arm around her waist, lifted, and threw her over the ring.
Kinsey landed outside and the frost on the ground around her melted instantly as the system's notification chimed in his head:
[An opponent has been eliminated by you!]
[Mission Complete!]
[Reward: 30 EXP]
Axel fell to one knee, breathing hard with sweat and blood mixing on his skin. His vision flickered briefly as he had just lost 5 HP to Kinsey's attack.
He exhaled hard, chest rising and falling. "Holy crap… I actually did it."
A smile appeared on his face. He had successfully completed his mission.
He didn't get enough time to enjoy his victory when a flash of light exploded beside him.
"Behind you!" Ares shouted.
He turned just in time to see Nile, standing with one hand raised.
Lightning. Literal lightning was arcing wildly between her fingers. Her silver hair was glowing under the electrical shimmer.
She had just revealed her own ability: Electrokinesis.
Before Axel could react, she threw the lightning forward in a blinding arc. Axel covered his eyes but he forgot about the rest of his body.
*ZAAAAAP!*
The current hit him square in the chest, and his entire body convulsed.
[-5 HP]
[HP: 2/10]
Every muscle in Axel's body screamed, it was like every nerve in his body had caught fire. He barely registered the moment his feet left the ground and his body flew backward, out of the ring, before crashing to the floor.
The system interface glitched faintly as he laid there. He still had the smile on his face because he was still seeing the new notification.
Kinsey who was a few meters from him could see him still smiling even after getting knocked out. 'He's insane' she thought.
Inside the ring, only two fighters remained.
Ares and Nile.
The air between them crackled. Ares's fists were clenched. Nile's electricity crackled wildly, causing burns on the sand.
For some reason, Ares had a smile on his face. Like he was happy to see her use her powers.
Jean's lips curved in satisfaction.
"Now," she said softly, "let's see who really deserves the top spot."
***