Chris's alcove slowly opened with a light gust of air, releasing the last traces of the replenishment cycle. His mental and physical health had been completely restored.
The moment his feet touched the floor, Chris hopped out of the alcove with an almost excessive amount of enthusiasm and stormed out of the dorm room.
There was determination in his stride.
He had finally obtained the final piece to his puzzle.
Instructor Ria.
Every Instructor within the academy was provided with an Annex, each meticulously designed and constructed with the aid of the nanobots. These Annexes were not merely residences. They were extensions of the Instructors themselves, shaped around their authority, Aura, and status within the academy.
Instructor Ria, the patriarch of the Scorpio Academy, had the final piece Chris needed.
And Chris was heading straight for her Annex.
The Instructors' Annexes were situated at the top-left corner, opposite the Academies themselves. From a distance, they resembled properly drafted castles, each structure carrying its own distinct architectural identity while radiating the Aura of its respective Instructor.
The Synaptic Energy, the life Aura generated by the nanobots, constantly enshrouded the entire area. It flowed gently around the structures, maintaining the stability of every Annex while giving the region an atmosphere fundamentally different from the rest of the academy.
Chris reached the center of the Instructors' Annexes.
He paused.
There were several structures surrounding him, and for a moment, he searched through the vast arrangement before finally locating the one he was looking for.
Upper left from the center.
Chris slowly walked toward it.
The closer he got, the more certain he became.
He knew instantly.
This was Instructor Ria's Annex.
The baseline color of the Annex was a deep, commanding purple. The marque of the patriarch of the Scorpio Academy was prominently displayed across its structure.
The Annex resembled a magnificent castle, except a dungeon seemed to have been imprinted directly into its design.
It was beautiful.
Yet intimidating.
The atmosphere surrounding the structure felt vicious. Instructor Ria's energy radiated throughout the area, so unmistakable that Chris could almost feel her presence before even entering the building.
He calmly raised his hand.
Knock.
No response.
Chris waited before knocking again.
Knock.
Still nothing.
A third knock.
Knock.
Silence.
Chris stared at the door and raised his hand once more, preparing to knock for the fourth time.
Before his knuckles could make contact...
The door suddenly opened.
Chris froze.
His hands landed directly against Instructor Ria's stomach.
For a brief moment, neither of them moved.
Her dark skin seemed to radiate beneath the light surrounding the entrance, and Chris was momentarily caught off guard by the unexpected contact.
His eyes widened.
He immediately pulled his hands away in fright and stepped backward.
His heart hammered violently inside his chest, the raging pulse pumping through him making his reaction impossible to hide.
Instructor Ria stared at him.
Her expression remained difficult to read.
"Hey, Zodiacian. State your issue. I rarely see a Zodiacian take interest in this side of the academy."
Her voice carried a distinct pulsating tone.
Chris straightened himself.
There was no hesitation.
"I want you to mentor me."
He abruptly bowed his head, displaying the respect he held for her.
Instructor Ria's expression immediately hardened.
"Hell no."
Her Aura began swirling around her, slowly and quietly, but unmistakably.
Her irritation was building.
"I have no interest in taking a Zodiacian as my personal project. Go and find another Instructor. They will do something for you."
She reached for the door.
Chris immediately placed his hand against it.
The door stopped.
Instructor Ria looked at him.
Chris pushed it open slightly, forcing himself into a direct confrontation with her gaze.
"I know why I want you, Instructor Ria."
His voice remained firm.
"You are the only unique Instructor in this academy, and that means I will certainly learn a lot from you."
His grip tightened around the door.
"I don't want another Instructor."
His eyes remained locked onto hers.
"I want you."
Instructor Ria's irritation intensified.
The two were now engaged in a tug-of-war over the door.
She pulled.
Chris resisted.
She pulled harder.
Chris pushed back.
Instructor Ria's expression gradually changed.
She was getting pissed.
She increased her strength, expecting to overpower him.
But surprisingly...
It didn't work.
Chris was dominating the struggle.
Instructor Ria's eyes widened slightly.
Then her Aura spiked.
WHOOM!
A violent surge of purple Aura erupted around her.
Her eyes became bright purple.
She was angry.
Yet the Aura she expected to repel Chris...
Only seemed to draw him closer.
Chris continued holding the door with his left hand.
He moved closer.
And closer.
Until he stood directly before her.
Then, without breaking eye contact, he raised his other hand and placed it against Instructor Ria's face.
"I really admire you."
His voice softened.
"And I want you, and only you, to be my mentor."
He gently caressed her cheek.
The anger Instructor Ria had been building disappeared completely.
Her Aura gradually settled.
She released the door.
Then she raised her hand and placed it beneath Chris's chin.
Her sharp nails lightly traced across his cheek.
A faint expression of interest appeared across her face.
"I love your confidence."
Her voice had changed. There was no longer the same hostility.
"And I may be willing to take you."
Chris remained silent.
"But I need confidence and strength."
Her eyes sharpened.
"So you will go to the Scorpio Academy and show me your strength during the sparring session."
She stepped away from the doorway.
"If I see that you possess both strength and boldness, you will become my student."
She paused.
"If not..."
A faint smirk appeared.
"...you will remain my stepchild."
Chris's eyes sharpened with determination.
Instructor Ria turned around and began walking toward the Scorpio Academy.
Chris followed.
As they entered the academy's electromagnetic field, the wave immediately interacted with his Chrono Suit.
WHUMMM...
The electromagnetic wave swept across his body.
His Chrono Suit responded instantly.
Its coloration shifted.
The familiar tone of his suit transformed into a deep purple.
Chris looked down briefly before continuing forward.
He entered the designated space for the Zodiacians.
Instructor Ria proceeded toward the space reserved for the Instructors.
The distance between them slowly widened.
But Chris's objective had been established.
He was going to prove himself.
And if strength and boldness were the price of becoming Instructor Ria's student...
Then he intended to pay it.
"Every one of you Zodiacians present here, I am looking forward to seeing your strength. You are to demonstrate to me what you are capable of, and then we will proceed."
Instructor Ria said this as she clapped her hands. Immediately, the nanobots began swirling at a speed of Mach ten, rapidly transforming the Scorpio Academy into its training field.
"Shit, I have to show Instructor Ria that I am worthy, but who am I going to s..."
Chris's thoughts were interrupted when he bumped into the curly-haired Zodiacian once again.
The moment the curly-haired Zodiacian turned around and recognized him, his expression immediately twisted with irritation. The veins along his cheek became prominent as he suddenly blitzed toward Chris, launching an outrageous punch straight at his face.
Chris reacted instantly.
He had found his sparring partner.
He caught the incoming hand with his right palm and redirected the punch with his left, using the force behind the attack to repel the Zodiacian backward. Chris slid into his fighting stance, his eyes remaining fixed on his opponent.
"Crazy motherfucker! I'm going to pummel you. I'm Kaito, and anyone who annoys me twice will pay for it."
Kaito spoke through clenched anger before accelerating toward Chris.
His body moved with precision.
Chris prepared himself for the incoming punch, but just as he lowered his upper body to smoothly evade the attack, Kaito suddenly stopped midway through his acceleration.
The change in movement caught Chris off guard.
Kaito's left palm, partially clenched into a fist, slammed into the left side of Chris's body.
THOOM!
The impact sent a sharp jolt through Chris's chest.
The force of the strike lingered as Kaito immediately accelerated toward him again, preparing for a full-fledged, head-on assault.
Chris remained in position.
He planted his left leg forward and his right leg behind him, lowering his center of gravity as Kaito rushed toward him with another large-scale punch.
Kaito's fist collided with Chris's left hand.
In that split second, Chris redirected the force of the attack and pushed Kaito upward, using the tremendous momentum behind the punch against him.
Then Chris immediately returned the attack with his right hand.
BOOM!
His fist slammed directly into the center of Kaito's stomach, forcing him backward.
Kaito stumbled through the air before stabilizing himself.
"I really didn't expect you to be this good."
His voice carried a mixture of annoyance and amusement.
"We're just getting started."
Chris maintained his stance and raised his right hand, making a subtle come-forward gesture toward Kaito.
Kaito took a deep breath.
Then he ascended into the sky.
The Zodiacians throughout the Scorpio Academy were already duking it out across the newly transformed training field, but Instructor Ria's attention remained fixed on the fight between Kaito and Chris.
Kaito rose approximately three feet into the air.
Then, in an instant...
He blurred from Chris's line of sight.
Chris's eyes sharpened.
Kaito appeared directly behind him.
Chris's reflexes were sharp enough to detect the movement, but before he could counter...
Kaito vanished again.
WHAM!
A cuff slammed into Chris's chest.
The strike was powerful enough to lift Chris from the ground before Kaito violently redirected him downward and smashed him into the training field.
BOOOOM!
Chris landed flat against the ground.
For a brief moment, he remained there.
Then he immediately propelled himself back onto his feet.
A slight bruise had already formed along his chin.
Kaito appeared behind him again.
Chris maintained his stance.
The instant Kaito emerged, Chris dodged with precise timing.
Kaito's punch tore through the space above Chris as he lowered his body beneath the strike.
The missed attack left Kaito completely exposed.
Chris seized the opening.
BAM!
His strike landed with enough force to send Kaito flying backward through the air.
Kaito grabbed his stomach as he struggled to stabilize himself, clearly indicating that the strike had made a significant impact.
Before Kaito could fully recover...
Chris appeared directly in front of him.
BOOM!
Another massive strike landed in the exact same area.
Then it began.
Chris started vanishing.
Kaito remained restricted in the same position as Chris repeatedly appeared around him.
Kaito attempted to fend off the incoming attacks with his arms, but Chris easily maneuvered around his defense.
Another punch struck the same spot.
Then another.
And another.
With every strike Chris landed, the restriction on Kaito's movement became greater.
Each successive blow carried more force.
Each movement became faster.
Chris's attacks began accelerating with every exchange.
Kaito struggled to keep up, desperately attempting to defend himself as Chris continued appearing from different angles.
The pressure kept mounting.
The speed kept increasing.
Chris vanished once more.
And as he reappeared, he prepared to land another devastating strike...
BOOM!
A large shockwave erupted across the training field.
Chris had been driven three feet into the ground. The regolith beneath him had completely imploded from the force of the impact, but the nanobots immediately swarmed over the damaged area, repairing and restoring the field within seconds.
Chris held his chest, his expression tightening as he tried to understand what had just happened.
Meanwhile, Instructor Ria, seated above the training field, was visibly impressed by Kaito's reaction speed.
The technique Chris had used was an advanced form of STEP. It involved repeatedly striking a particular area while gradually pouring small amounts of Aura into the same point. Once enough Aura had been embedded into the opponent, the user could mobilize the accumulated Aura, restricting the opponent's movements.
It was an advanced-grade form of STEP.
But Kaito, despite having been restricted around his stomach, had anticipated the final punch.
He had been waiting for it.
Using the Aura within his body, he propelled his arm forward while slowly imbuing more Aura into it. Then, just as Chris appeared before him to land the final strike on the same restricted point, Kaito released every bit of Aura he had stored within his chest.
The resulting impact had sent Chris crashing into the field.
"Hey, it can't be over yet. We're just getting started. Really nice technique you got there, but I was the one to draw blood first."
Kaito said with a grin.
Chris slowly stood.
Small drops of blood trickled from his nose. He raised his right hand, pressed it against his left nostril, and forced out the remaining blood before wiping his nose clean.
"Got to admit, you got me there. But whenever you're in a battle, always keep your guard up."
Chris suddenly surged forward.
In the blink of an eye, he was already in front of Kaito, preparing to land a punch.
Chris's left hand drove forward, but Kaito's right arm caught it.
Chris's palm became trapped within Kaito's grip.
Kaito immediately took the opportunity to strike with his left hand, but Chris reacted quickly. He raised his left knee and pushed Kaito's incoming hand away.
Chris then bent his left arm and drove his right hand into the center of Kaito's right arm, forcing it upward with a plexus punch.
Immediately afterward, Chris created distance between them.
Both combatants surged toward one another.
They collided head-on.
At the beginning of the exchange, Kaito held the advantage.
He blocked every punch Chris threw and landed each of his own attacks with precision.
But the instant Chris blurred out of Kaito's line of sight...
BOOM!
Kaito found himself six feet deep within the regolith of the training field.
A tremendous impact accompanied his fall.
Yet Kaito immediately surged back upward, aiming to strike Chris.
Chris was prepared for every outcome.
As Kaito fleeted toward him, Chris executed a sharp and precise dodge.
Both fighters ascended into the air.
Their duel continued above the training field.
They hastened toward one another, each attack met by either a fierce blow or a perfectly timed dodge.
They exchanged strikes relentlessly, one attacking while the other blocked.
Until Kaito finally managed to smite Chris directly in the chest.
A burning sensation ravaged through Chris's chest.
But he had no time to falter.
Kaito's guard dropped for the slightest moment.
Chris seized it.
A barrage of punches immediately descended upon Kaito.
The strikes came so quickly that Kaito struggled to keep up.
His predator senses began heightening.
His instincts sharpened.
He managed to block the next series of incoming strikes and smirked at Chris as he began compressing his arm.
Chris showed no emotion.
Instead, he followed up with a sharp side kick.
BAM!
The kick caught Kaito off guard.
Chris immediately began an aerial assault.
His body blurred.
Then mirrored.
Suddenly, he appeared in ten places at once.
Instructor Ria, who had been seated upon a Cathedra erected above the Scorpio Academy's training field, watched with growing interest.
She recognized the technique.
FLEX.
It was a technique that required the user to drop small amounts of Aura into a particular pattern. The Aura served as a baseline, which could then be stretched and pulled.
The recoil produced by the stretching and pulling allowed the user to move at enormous speeds, creating the appearance of being present in multiple locations simultaneously.
Kaito desperately attempted to pinpoint Chris.
All ten mirror images spun around him in midair.
He tried punching and kicking whichever image appeared closest, but every attempt failed.
Whenever Kaito attempted to strike Chris, the force behind his attack was redirected.
Chris would use his immense speed to catch Kaito's incoming hand, twist the force through his own body, and redirect it before landing another strike.
Then he continued the head-on barrage.
Again and again.
He kept striking the same area.
This time, the restriction began forming around Kaito's left upper chest.
Chris had combined STEP and FLEX.
The combination was becoming increasingly oppressive.
Countless percussions continued landing against Kaito's body.
With every strike, the restriction placed upon him grew stronger.
His movements became increasingly limited.
Chris vanished once more.
Then reappeared.
His next strike was already loaded.
And in that split second...
BANG!
Chris found himself buried deep within the regolith of the field.
He had been driven approximately ten feet into the ground, steam rising from the spot where his body had crashed. The surrounding regolith gradually shifted as the nanobots immediately began repairing the damage.
Blood began dripping from both sides of Chris's mouth.
He grabbed his stomach and slowly looked upward toward Kaito.
What he saw sent a chill through him.
Kaito was surrounded by his Aura, a mixture of dark orange and brown. The Aura surrounding his body resembled the claws of a bear retracting from all sides, while the veins around his eyes had become prominent.
His eyes illuminated with the same color as his Aura.
The Aura emanating from his sides continuously swirled around his entire body, while every part of him seemed to radiate the complete force of his Aura.
Clap.
Clap.
Clap.
Kaito began clapping vigorously.
A smirk slowly appeared across his face as he stared down at Chris.
He laughed like a maniac while continuing to clap before suddenly stopping.
His eyes locked directly onto Chris.
"You are strong. Strong enough to make me use Aura."
Kaito raised his left eyebrow.
"Don't worry. Your end is nigh."
His sharp fangs became visible as his grin widened. The veins surrounding his eyes pulsed even more intensely as a vulgar smirk spread across his face.
Suddenly, a dark-orange and brownish ray of effulgence manifested behind him.
The rays spiked outward around Kaito's body before he directed them toward Chris.
They surged forward.
Their objective was simple.
Burn Chris.
Chris, still suffering from immense pain, immediately blitzed across the regolith to avoid the incoming rays.
Above the field, Instructor Ria watched with growing interest.
She was impressed.
Kaito's counter had been exceptionally well executed.
While Kaito had been restricted and repeatedly struck by Chris's blurred images, he had been compressing his Aura into other areas of his body, deliberately keeping it away from the point Chris had restricted.
He had not released that stored Aura.
Not until the exact moment Chris approached for his next strike.
It had been like stepping onto a land mine.
The instant Chris prepared to attack, Kaito released the compressed Aura.
BOOOOM!
The Aura erupted outward, violently repelling Chris and sending him crashing toward the ground.
Kaito's instincts had been sharp enough to recognize the pattern.
Every time Chris landed a punch, Kaito understood that he needed to release the stored Aura to repel him before the attack could properly connect.
And as the Aura expelled Chris...
Kaito simultaneously delivered a full-fledged punch directly into his stomach.
Chris was now speeding across the field's regolith.
Kaito remained suspended in midair.
Chris, having been driven back to the ground by Kaito's Aura, struggled to find an opening to ascend. His body was still bruised from the impact, forcing him to maneuver across the ground at high speed instead.
The effulgent rays continued pursuing him.
Kaito looked down from above and smirked.
Then he increased their speed.
"Shit, that hit has greatly reduced my efficiency. The speed of these rays won't allow me to get midair, and that gives Kaito an advantage with long-range attacks."
Chris continued moving, desperately searching for a way to evade the rays and return to the air.
The effulgent rays accelerated.
Faster.
And faster.
Then an idea suddenly struck Chris.
Although still bruised from Kaito's previous attack, Chris dodged the incoming rays and created distance between himself and the pursuing beams.
He stopped.
Chris maintained his stance.
A light, monochromatic grey Aura surrounded his palm.
He concentrated the energy of his Aura into his hand.
The rays came rushing toward him.
Kaito clenched his arm into a fist.
The gesture signaled the scattered rays to converge.
One by one, they fused together.
The separate rays became a single beam.
And that beam headed directly toward Chris.
Chris waited.
The Aura around his right palm became even denser.
As the beam approached, Chris clenched his Aura-concentrated palm into a fist.
Then he punched the beam head-on.
BOOOOOOM!
The beam and Chris's fist collided.
The resulting energy pressure erupted across the training field.
Even Instructor Ria was astonished by the force of the collision.
And within that split second...
THUD!
Kaito was struck.
His body was pushed backward.
Blood immediately appeared along the left side of his lip.
Chris stood panting in front of him, his left hand clutching his stomach as he fought through the pain.
He had landed the hit.
The regolith beneath them imploded from the force, and the nanobots immediately began repairing it.
Kaito stared at Chris in surprise.
Blood continued dripping from the left side of his lip, falling through the air before landing against the regolith below.
The bleeding refused to stop.
Kaito finally raised his right thumb and forcefully compressed the injury, stopping the flow of blood.
Above them, Instructor Ria smiled in amazement.
She was impressed by Chris's control over what, to her, were still comparatively basic skills.
Chris had clenched his palm into a fist and surrounded it with Aura concentrated enough to withstand the incoming rays head-on.
When the rays collided with his fist, the resulting energy pressure and wind waves created an opening.
Chris used it.
He activated STEP through his clenched fist.
As the rays collided against his Aura, the Aura that would normally have remained restricted was instead forced inward by the pressure of the beam.
The Aura compressed against itself.
Its density increased.
And the moment the rays began overpowering him...
Chris activated FLEX.
His constant movement across the field's regolith had not been meaningless.
Throughout the battle, he had been dropping small amounts of Aura across the ground, using those traces like stretched rubber that could propel him forward.
He had been preparing the battlefield without Kaito realizing it.
And now...
It had worked exactly as Chris had envisioned.
"How do you like that? I am not done, and this fight is not over."
The moment Chris finished speaking, he vanished.
Kaito was still recovering from the previous hit when—
THWACK!
An Aura-infested punch slammed into the center of his back.
A gush of blood spluttered from Kaito's mouth, yet his position in midair barely changed.
Chris had sent a sharp concentration of Aura through Kaito's back before striking it, almost like hitting a nail with a hammer. The force of the punch sent Kaito's body into a temporary state of shock, stunning him.
Chris seized the opening.
A barrage of punches followed.
Every strike was infused with Aura.
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
With every impact, Kaito became increasingly stunned.
By the final strike, drops of blood burst from his arm, mouth, and chest. Blood began dripping from his Chrono Suit as Chris continued his assault.
Chris ascended into position directly in front of Kaito, barely five inches away.
His Aura-infested fist compressed once again.
He prepared to deliver a massive strike.
As Chris's fist approached Kaito's chest, a large gust of wind accompanied the punch.
But just before the fist could collide with Kaito's chest...
Kaito reacted.
The bloodied Zodiacian raised his right hand and blocked Chris's incoming left punch.
THOOM!
Chris's fist collided directly with the center of Kaito's palm.
A tremendous sound wave erupted around them, spreading across roughly a two-meter radius.
Chris immediately followed with another Aura-infested punch, refusing to give Kaito even a moment to recover.
But Kaito's senses were still razor-sharp.
He elongated his palm through the force of his movement and struck Chris's wrist, redirecting the incoming fist away from him.
Chris was sent soaring away.
He immediately surged back toward Kaito.
Kaito had already settled into his fighting stance, prepared to defend himself.
But Chris stopped directly in front of him.
Only an inch separated them.
For a brief split second, their eyes locked.
Then Chris vanished again.
Kaito's instincts immediately warned him.
Nothing good ever came from Chris vanishing like that.
Every one of Kaito's senses heightened.
Chris appeared behind him.
An Aura-infested punch was already approaching.
Kaito instantly dodged, creating distance between them.
But the attack was inevitable.
Chris followed his movement.
He appeared beside Kaito and drove an Aura-infused uppercut directly into him.
BAM!
Kaito's nose immediately began bleeding heavily.
"What the fuck? You are like a mosquito that won't die."
Kaito's voice was scratched and strained as he wiped his bleeding nose. He placed his left hand against the right side of his nose and forcefully expelled the excess blood.
"I am not going to falter. I am going to win, and winning I shall."
Chris surged toward Kaito once again, his fist wrapped in Aura.
But as he closed the distance...
SPLASH!
A huge gush of blood erupted from Chris's mouth.
Kaito had straightened his left palm and driven it forward into Chris's abdomen, positioning his hand like a blade.
Chris grabbed Kaito's arm while it was still embedded against his abdomen.
He seized it with both hands, digging his nails into Kaito's arm.
Kaito laughed.
"Your petty nails cannot harm me. My skin is as thick as fiber."
He continued forcing his arm through Chris's grip.
Chris looked up at him.
A faint, almost smirking smile appeared across his face.
"Who said it was meant to overpower you?"
Chris's palms began glowing with his monochromatic grey Aura.
His eyes illuminated with the same Aura as he stared directly into Kaito's eyes.
Kaito's predator instincts suddenly reacted.
His expression changed.
Those instincts were telling him only one thing.
RETREAT.
Kaito immediately attempted to pull his arm back.
Too late.
Chris already had him.
The Aura surrounding Chris's fingers became denser.
Sharper.
His nails began taking the structure of pins.
Then they pierced through Kaito's arm.
TSK!
One after another, Chris's fingers drove through.
Small openings formed across Kaito's arm as Chris's Aura-sharpened fingers pierced through his skin.
An intense wave of pain surged through Kaito's body.
He struggled violently to free himself.
But it proved impossible.
Kaito stared at Chris in disbelief.
How could someone so small and slender compared to him restrain him so completely?
Chris drove his fingers deeper.
Kaito retaliated.
He attempted to smite Chris away with his right arm.
Chris dodged.
Again.
And again.
No matter how many punches Kaito sent toward him, Chris avoided every one while continuing to pierce his arm.
Then Chris finally pulled all ten of his fingers free from the holes they had created.
He immediately imbued both fists with Aura.
And unleashed another barrage of punches against Kaito.
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
SPUTTER!
Blood scattered through the air as the barrage continued.
…Kaito bled heavily from his nose and mouth, his left eye swollen from the barrage of punches, while bruises covered his face and blood stained parts of his Chrono Suit. His aura dimmed for a brief moment.
Then…
A massive surge of Aura erupted from him.
WHOOM!
The pressure surrounding Kaito immediately intensified. His Aura became sharper, and Chris could feel the gusts of air produced by its overwhelming density. It felt almost like a blade capable of piercing through anything that stood in its path.
The Aura formed a definite shape behind Kaito, resembling the petals of a hibiscus flower as they swirled outward from his back.
His eyes darkened.
The brownish hue gradually overtook the orange.
Kaito stood several feet away, staring directly at Chris as his Aura continued swirling around his body.
"The only thing more dangerous than a hungry tiger is an injured one."
Kaito smirked, running his tongue briefly across his lower lip. His teeth had sharpened, giving his smile a distinctly predatory appearance.
"Come, Chris. This is the climax of the fight. We give it our all now, and the fight ends NOW."
The moment the final word left his mouth…
Five circular, dark-orange motes manifested behind Kaito.
Each mote was perfectly spherical, surrounded by an immense density of Aura that caused the air around its edges to distort.
They began spinning rapidly around their individual axes.
One hovered above.
One below.
One to the left.
One to the right.
And one remained directly at the center.
The five motes gradually aligned.
Then…
They began revolving together.
The entire formation accelerated.
Kaito thrust his palm into the center of the spinning formation.
WHOOOOOM!
The revolving structure shifted instantly, appearing before him.
Kaito poured more of his Aura into it.
The mote expanded.
Its density increased.
Its rotation became faster.
Kaito maintained eye contact with Chris.
Then he smirked.
The revolving mote suddenly released a massive surge of dark-brown and orange Aura.
A gigantic beam erupted from its center.
Nearly eight meters wide.
It tore across the training field with terrifying speed.
Chris's movements were already dulled by the punishment he had endured throughout the battle.
He reacted instantly.
He twisted his body aside.
The first beam narrowly missed him.
But not completely.
Its edge struck his right arm.
FSSSSHHH!
Steam erupted from his palm.
Chris's expression tightened as pain surged through his arm.
Blood began dripping from the injured area.
He bit down on the right side of his lip, forcing himself to remain focused.
Kaito immediately prepared another blast.
The revolving mote accelerated.
Its rotation became almost impossible to follow.
Then another beam fired.
BOOOOOOM!
Chris's eyes widened.
His injured body was still recovering from the previous attack.
The beam came directly toward him.
He moved.
But this time…
He was almost too slow.
The beam tore past him and slammed into the Regolith behind him.
BOOOOOOM!
The impact shook the entire training field.
Dust and fragments of Regolith erupted into the air before the Nanobots immediately began reconstructing the damaged section.
Chris landed several meters away.
His left arm was steaming.
He looked down.
Blood trickled from the injured area.
His breathing became heavier.
Yet his eyes remained fixed on Kaito.
The fight was nowhere near over.
…Instructor Ria, watching from her Cathedra, gave a smile of amazement. She had never witnessed anyone use STEP and FLEX together so masterfully.
Chris elongated his palm, straightening it with both fingers joined together. He imbued a large amount of Aura into his palm, compressing it until the energy became densely concentrated. Using FLEX, he exuded Aura around his hand, forming a circular, lined orb-like chamber.
He continued forcing more Aura into it until STEP began restricting its release.
Then the beam came.
The massive blast slammed directly into the circular orb.
BOOOOOOM!!
The impact triggered STEP, causing the stored Aura to erupt outward, while FLEX reinforced the circular chamber around Chris's palm. The two techniques worked together perfectly, strengthening the barrier at the exact moment the beam attempted to overwhelm it.
With the combined force of STEP and FLEX, Chris redirected the beam away from himself.
Kaito's eyes widened.
He had not expected his Mote's beam to be deflected.
For the briefest moment, his shock caused his guard to drop.
Chris disappeared.
In the next instant, he blitzed directly toward Kaito's front, narrowly avoiding the revolving Mote before landing a sharp kick against the left side of Kaito's body.
BOOM!
Kaito was driven backward.
He attempted to regain his balance.
But Chris was already there.
It started again.
Kaito's movements became restricted by STEP, while Chris unleashed a relentless barrage of Aura-imbued kicks.
One.
Two.
Three.
Each kick came faster than the last.
Kaito desperately searched for an opening, attempting to escape the restrictions placed upon his movements, but Chris refused to give him one.
With every successive strike, the pressure increased.
The speed doubled.
Then increased again.
Chris continued pressing the assault until he finally finished the barrage with a devastating, edge-sharp kick to Kaito's upper face.
BOOM!
Kaito was sent downward toward the Regolith.
But before he could crash into the field, he twisted his body and stabilized himself mid-fall.
His eyes immediately locked onto Chris.
Then he accelerated.
"Hey, Chris. This is it. This will be the pinnacle of the fight."
Kaito's voice remained firm despite his injuries as he surged forward.
Chris stared directly at him.
"I agree with you, Predator."
His Aura intensified.
"Your prey will be the one to end you."
Chris accelerated as well.
The two collided in midair.
BOOM!
Their fists met.
Then came another.
And another.
Cuffs of blows and barrages of punches erupted between them at incredible speed.
Kaito initially dominated the exchange.
His punches landed heavily, forcing Chris backward as the impact travelled through his already battered body.
Chris endured.
He compressed denser Aura into his injured arms, reinforcing them as he continued fighting.
Every time Kaito struck...
Chris answered.
Every punch Kaito landed...
Chris returned with an Aura-imbued jolt.
Neither of them was willing to yield.
Their battle resembled the clash between a bear and a gazelle, with the gazelle refusing to surrender despite being hunted by the claws of the predator.
The exchange became faster.
Stronger.
More relentless.
Neither fighter backed down.
Neither surrendered.
Their movements blurred across the air as punches collided, blocks were broken, and counterattacks followed almost instantaneously.
Kaito prepared to deliver his final strike.
His fist surged forward.
Chris reacted.
He elongated his palm and redirected Kaito's arm by tapping his knuckles across Kaito's wrist.
Then...
CRASH!!
The force sent Kaito plummeting into the Regolith.
BOOOOOOM!!
Kaito crashed eighteen feet into the training field.
Steam radiated from the impact site as the Nanobots immediately began repairing the damaged Regolith around him.
Kaito remained there, unable to continue.
Chris descended toward the field, his arms battered and his breathing heavy.
For several seconds, neither moved.
Then Chris extended his hand.
Kaito looked at it.
Chris offered him a smile.
Kaito accepted the gesture and grabbed Chris's arm.
Chris pulled him back to his feet.
Even Kaito could not deny it.
The winner of the bout was Chris.
Chris smiled with satisfaction.
"I enjoyed this, Kaito."
His voice was weak, and his swollen right eye made the toll of the battle obvious.
Kaito smiled back.
"This time, you won, prey."
He steadied himself.
"Beware. A predator will never let his prey win twice."
Chris raised his injured right hand.
Kaito raised his left.
Their fists met.
THUMP.
The gesture marked the end of their fight.
Neither had yielded.
Neither had backed down.
And Instructor Ria had seen everything.
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