For a moment, the arena fell silent. Everyone waited to see who would strike first. Zachy and Xavier simply circled one another.
Zachy began to doubt his decision to call Xavier onto the stage. Xavier was visibly shaking and for a brief moment, Zachy felt a bit of guilt. Still, he pushed it aside and dashed forward, throwing a punch aimed straight at Xavier's face.
Just before it connected, Xavier dodged.
The crowd was stunned. From their angle, it had looked as though Zachy had landed the hit but Xavier had clearly avoided it.
Zachy tried again. Xavier dodged once more.
Zachy launched a series of rapid attacks, each strike faster than the last but every single one was evaded with ease. Zachy smirked at first, then quickly let it fade.
Stork watched the exchange, a hint of sadness crossed his face. One of the instructors noticed and asked why he looked troubled.
"You see," Stork said, "Zachy has lived a overshadowing life. He was born with extraordinary fortune, which made him one of the strongest in the clan from a very young age. By the time he was nine, he could defeat an average clan member with ease. As he grew stronger, sparring became so boring that no one could match him."
"When he challenged elite clan members, he always lost. He stood alone at the top, too strong for his peers, yet no match for the elites. When Sean grew stronger, Zachy thought he had finally found a rival, but that wasn't the case. Sean lost without Zachy even when using his abilities. I think, for a moment, Zachy feared the same with Xavier… though he chose to ignore it."
Every blow Zachy threw was dodged effortlessly. Xavier's reflexes were simply faster.
~ As a descendant of the Thunder Clan, Xavier's body processed electrical impulses far faster than the average human/clan member, granting him superior reaction speed. ~
Zachy stepped back and smiled. "You really are fast," he said. "Let's kick things up a notch."
He began charging his power. Xavier rushed forward to stop him and when he was close enough, he landed a clean strike to Zachy's stomach. It disrupted the charge but not completely.
Zachy still managed to activate one of his skills: TheUnbreakable Coat.
This technique allowed him to coat his body in condensed, purified life energy drawn from his surroundings. Zachy struck Xavier with it in the stomach.
The crowd burst into chatter.
"Woah, that had to hurt!"
"That's it."
"As expected."
To them, the match was already over.
Xavier dropped to his knees. His body trembled, his will faltering. The voices around him only made it worse. He was on the verge of giving up...
"YOU CAN DO IT, XAVIER!!!"
Vanessa's voice cut through the noise.
Among the entire crowd, she was the only one who still believed in him.
Xavier pushed himself up.
Zachy struck him again, sending him flying across the stage. He crashed to the ground.
"DON'T GIVE UP!" Vanessa shouted.
Xavier rose once more. Again and again, he pressed forward, refusing to fall. He was chasing an impossible goal but he wouldn't stop.
"It's time to end this," Zachy said calmly. "Don't you agree, Xavier?"
Zachy gathered an immense amount of power into his right arm and charged. The impact launched Xavier high into the air before he slammed back down.
Everyone thought it was over.
Then Xavier moved.
Slowly, he stood.
Zachy's expression shifted unease all over his face. The crowd began to sense it too. ~It was Xavier's will and determination that kept him going, this sheer force made Zachy uneasy as when one is put in an impossible situation they are supposed to cry in defeat but he did not falter ~
"YOU CAN DO IT!" the crowd started chanting. The chanting began to split as some continually cheered on Zachy and the others cheered for Xavier.
Above them all, the sky began to darken. The clouds churned violently as thunder rolled across what was a beautiful sunset.
And then suddenly, a massive bolt of lightning struck Xavier.
Gasps echoed through the arena, with everyone in shock.
Then, from within the lightning, Xavier emerged his body crackling with electricity, eyes glowing a sharp blue, his presence entirely transformed.
The murmurs returned, but this time they were filled with absurd realisation.
"It makes sense now," Stork said quietly. "The reflexes, the instincts… he's a descendant of the Thunder Clan."
All eyes locked onto Xavier, standing amid the lightning.
"It's about time you showed me your true power," Zachy said, smiling. "No more holding back."
Zachy then readied his stance and boosted his power higher than he had ever done before.
This was where everything would be decided.