Nile stood at one end of the ring with electricity crawling up and down her arm. The air around her was buzzing with static and the scent of ozone was all over the place.
Standing there, she looked like the female version of Thor from one of those old comic books Axel used to read.
Her eyes were fixated on Ares, who stood opposite her with his hands relaxed at his sides.
Nike was the first to attack, she raised one hand and a streak of lightning shot forward, Ares's reaction time wasn't fast enough.
Axel knew he wouldn't duck in time so he expected him to brace for impact and he did.
The lightning slammed into his gut. The crack sounded through the training space, and Ares dropped to one knee, clenching his teeth, smoke curled off from his shirt.
Nile tilted her head, unimpressed. "What happened to that loud mouth of yours?" she spoke with a cold tone.
Ares coughed once and then pushed himself up, smirking through the pain. "Still warming up."
Her eyes narrowed. "Then I'll help speed it up."
The lightning around her arms intensified a bit, crawling up her shoulders like living fire. She dashed forward, fast but not blindingly so. She was a first-year student, but a skilled one. Her strikes were precise and they were fueled by confidence and control.
Ares raised his forearms, blocking the first few blows, each one was followed by a sharp burst of static that made him wince. She landed a jab to his ribs and another shock followed.
He stepped back, barely deflecting a kick that was with energy.
It was clear Nile had the upper hand.
Axel, Rick and Kinsey watched from the sidelines.
"Come on, man… move!"
"Of course you're supporting him," Kinsey rolled her eyes.
Back at the ring, Nile wasn't slowing down for anything.
Each hit carried a flash of light, each swing left the faint smell of burnt air. Ares stumbled again, lightning scorching his shirt, leaving shallow burn marks on his skin.
Rick beside Axel muttered, "He's getting fried out there."
Axel frowned. "Yeah… but—"
Something wasn't adding up.
For someone like Ares who was quick and muscular and sharp-minded, he was too slow.
It wasn't exhaustion, he wasn't even trying to dodge properly. He wasn't even trying at all.
Every time Nile attacked, he barely shifted, letting the attacks graze him. His body of course jerked, but his stance stayed firm, almost like he was testing something.
Then Axel noticed it, the way Ares's eyes glinted between hits.
He wasn't being overwhelmed. He was actually waiting.
'He's letting her hit him on purpose… but why?'
Nile didn't notice it. She was in full control now, her confidence was growing with every strike that landed.
She slammed a charged fist into his chest again, sending sparks flying. Ares took the hit and didn't even flinch this time.
"What's wrong?" she sneered, raising her hand for another bolt. "Out of tricks already?"
Ares exhaled slowly, and then a faint grin appeared at his lips. "Not yet. Just one more. Give it a sec..."
Lightning surged across her arm again, gathering for another attack, but this time, the crackle of her power met resistance. The light flickered.
The electricity between them stuttered and bent, then it went straight inside him.
Everyone's eyes widened, including Nile.
'Wait… is he...absorbing it?!'
The floor between them trembled slightly under their feet.
Ares straightened his back, now his eyes were glowing faintly blue.
The energy Nile had been throwing at him, it wasn't just gone, it was being pulled into him, siphoned through each hit he had taken.
Ares had just revealed his ability, he was an Absorber.
And now, he looked ready to give it all back.
"My turn." He smirked.
Ares' grin deepened as the lightning that Nile had unleashed began bending toward him, flickering wildly in the air. The energy met itself around his arms like a root network.
"What the hell—?" Nile muttered, pulling back, but before she could react, Ares vanished, leaving traces of static where he stood. Just like that he vanished.
Then, a sharp crack sounded across the ring, followed by a flash of blue light. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared behind her, with electricity snapping at his heels.
"Miss me?"
Nile barely turned before his fist slammed into her guard. The shockwave sent her skidding several feet backward.
He didn't give her time to recover. In another flash, he was gone, then reappeared again, this time right in front of her, his movements were blurred by static of electricity.
Every hit landed with double the power she had thrown at him earlier. Her own lightning, now refined and weaponized, surged through his strikes.
He grabbed her wrist mid-swing, twisted it aside, and drove his knee upward into her stomach.
That one burst of energy that followed made the air vibrate.
Nile gasped, staggering back as sparks flickered weakly across her skin.
Axel's mouth fell open. "He's teleporting… with lightning? That's an actual thing?"
Unlike Axel who was reluctant about hitting girls, Ares didn't give a shit. It was probably because he thought Nile could take the hit. But regardless, he gave it to her
Ares turned his head slightly with a smug smirk on his lips, the blueish glow in his eyes was growing stronger.
Each time he blinked, residual sparks flickered across his eyelids, like his body was barely containing the power inside him.
Nile growled and threw a desperate bolt toward him, but he blurred again, appearing beside her, hand crackling as he tapped her shoulder lightly.
The touch sent a mild jolt through her body before she dropped to one knee with breath ragged. Imagine being subdued by your own ability.
Ares, who didn't want to push this fight further, gently carried her out of the ring, which was weird because had no problem hitting her earlier.
"The hell is he doing?" Axel asked.
He gently placed her down on the floor and the fight was over.
Jean stepped forward to announce the winner.
"Winner: Nile Reed."
"WHAT?!"
Everyone gasped at the same time.
"The rule stated that the last person inside the ring wins. Ares Godson and Nile Reed stepped off at the same time, so the rule changed. The last person to touch the ground outside the ring would be the winner. Nile Reed won."
That made sense, when Ares carried her out, his foot hit the ground outside the ring way before he placed her down, so that automatically meant, she won.
Ares groaned, "Yeah yeah, whatever. We all know who truly won."
"No way. He cheated! He used my own power against me!"
Jean shook her head. "No, he used his ability. The fight was fair."
"I want a rematch."
"Impossible, you can't have a rematch here. You want a rematch, make it official." Jean told her.
Nile's eyes burned with fury. "Fine. Then I challenge you, Ares, to an official fight."
Ares' smirk returned, cocky as ever. "Anytime, princess. Right now though... I need a shower…"
*****