Now that I've gotten his attention, I might as well get rid of the remaining three before he comes at me alongside them.
Going on the offensive, then? Viraa replied.
"Just a little," I said as I walked toward the remaining three who were edging toward me. I sent out a powerful pulse of telekinetic energy that forced each klevonian apart from the transformed one to their knees. One of the phoenix initiates ended up being pressed flat on the ground.
"This isn't gravity...what is this? Spatial energy can't do this," the berserker initiate stated as he struggled against the force. He was drenched in sweat from his fights and looked like he'd pass out any second.
The crowd quieted as the commentator leaned in.
"Ohhh, we got another strong-willed one, folks....This one's clearly expended all his energy yet fights the urge to pass out! Are we about to see another klevonian's end as he tries to push past his limits!?"
We witnessed blood begin to drip from the klevonian's nose as he continued pushing.
"Hey, um..." I started, uncomfortable with just standing there watching this.
Knock him unconscious before he kills himself, Viraa said seriously.
"Sorry, guys," I said as I released a burst of energy that ejected them back with enough force that they crashed into the outer wall of the arena. Each of them was incapacitated on impact.
"And she does it again!" The crowd roared in response to me and the commentator. "Just two left! A good'ol one v one!"
The transformed klevonian laughed.
"Impatient and brutal, yet kind enough to stop one from killing themselves..." he uncrossed his arms and unfurled his fiery wings, flexing his incredible power and heat.
When he launched himself at me suddenly, his strike had enough of his power behind it to break through my Stasis Field despite me reinforcing it. Knowing I had to take this guy more seriously, I transformed into my evolved form and caught his strike.
Oh! I was right! We are about equal in strength, I thought, proud of my accurate judgment.
I heard the crowd mumble about my transformation.
"So, it's true that her transformation has low power and doesn't resemble a creature..." the commentator stated. "She really is an enigma!"
I tried to focus on the fight. I used Lift on the klevonian, but his stronger energy broke my hold on him. Then, when I struck at him with a flurry of punches and kicks, he dodged them. Meanwhile, I struggled to do the same. Yet again, I found myself in a predicament where I could see my opponent's attacks beforehand, but lacked the physical ability to outmaneuver them.
Thankfully, the klevonian's speed was relative to mine, unlike Rabae's overwhelmingly superior speed. As I remained in the zone, I gradually noticed I was adapting more and more, until I was able to match his attacks. It didn't feel like I'd gotten faster, though. It was more like my reflexes had gotten sharper.
As our fists collided, and our bodies moved to evade one another, I felt exhilarated yet tranquil as I felt the experience of the battle trapped itself inside my muscles. It was small, but it was the first time I'd grown since evolving. I found it fascinating. It reminded me of what Avarice mentioned before and how Viraa told me that klevonians are born with the drive to get stronger to obtain their evolution. Although I hope I wasn't becoming a battle junkie like Arne.
"Time kick things up, no?" The klevonian leaped back and generated a zone that expanded outward from him, covering the entire fighting arena.
When he came at me again, he seemed to move faster. I tried to put my guard up quickly, but was still hit with the full force of his talons. Blood dripped from one of my arms as I stared in confusion. I tried to strike hard and fast, but no matter what I did, none of my attacks landed like they had before.
"What's going on?" I muttered in frustration.
It is his Inverse Perception, from the looks of it, Viraa explained. It gives him a negative kinetic perception, making fast-moving objects seem slow and slow things seem fast to him naturally. The user can also apply this perception to a limited zone to confuse any opponent who enters it.
"Confused?" the klevonian called out smugly as he watched me look around at the zone we stood in.
"I understand now," I said softly. The slower I move, the faster my strikes are to him.
To test it out, I tried to walk toward him casually, only to suddenly find myself standing before him, catching him by surprise.
I grinned, having grasped what I needed to do now. From our perspective, our following exchange was a fast-paced flurry of blows like before. He blew fumes of flames as he tried to end things, but I began to use Temporal Sight for an advantage to cut off his physical attacks after outmaneuvering his elemental ones. Then, for an extra oomph behind my blows, I started to use Destruction Fist, causing the guy to be thrown off by the force of each punch that landed successfully.
I controlled the flow of the fight now. By focusing my kinetic energy on my legs, I created a new technique I called Demolition Sweep. In a sweeping motion, I swung my leg slowly and hard across the air before him. He used spirit enhancement and raised his arms to guard, but the telekinetic force behind my kick still sent him flying into the arena wall.
Since the walls were sturdy enough to remain undamaged, the guy was pressed against the wall as the wild winds from the impact blew outward until the pressure from my kick faded.
When he finally fell to the ground outside the arena, his arms were heavily bruised despite his protection.
"W-We have a winner!" the commentator announced loudly as the crowd whistled and cheered me on.
I ran over to the edge of the arena to check on the klevonian and caught him just as he sank into the floor.
"I'm so sorry, I got carried away! I didn't mean to hurt you," I called down.
He laughed and winced as he sank slowly.
"You kidding? That was great. Don't worry about it. Besides, I'm hoping they'll give me a droplet since it's forbidden in my district."
After he was completely under, the commentator lowered next to me and raised one of my arms (which hurt tremendously).
"Well, folks, let's congratulate today's impromptu winner of the initiation battle! She calls herself Alissia, the inheritor of the previous Ryfi Theos' Temporal Sight. Given the spatial power she displayed earlier, this may make her in possession of not one, but two divine cintracies!"
I smiled a bit at the crowd before walking off the arena, where I met up with Avarice and Za'Fia, who stood next to a timid klevonian rushing toward me with a vial. When he handed it to me, I saw it was a droplet. I broke the tip of it before sipping it down. As my body was filled with a chilling sensation, I saw my wounds start to close slowly.
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