Chapter 205
After the introductions of both contestants, Leon and Gaba took their positions.
The audience erupted in cheers, and the excitement continued to rise.
The two exchanged glances.
Gaba opened his mouth, sharing a moment with Leon, the fellow martial artist.
“I want to apologize for what happened in the morning match. One of our students acted dishonorably.”
He referred to the round of 32 that Leon had competed in.
Although it wasn’t technically a foul since the rules didn’t specify, for Gaba, who had a sense of honor, it was an uncomfortable subject.
Leon nodded slightly in reply.
“Ah! No worries.”
“I appreciate that you feel that way. But just know, if you get hurt, I won’t take it easy on you.”
“Hahaha! Of course not!”
The two positioned themselves.
Gaba glanced at Leon’s left leg, which had likely suffered an injury.
Leon stood firm as if nothing was wrong, but Gaba, who had watched the match, knew the pain was still pressing on him.
‘What a shame. I wanted to face him in peak condition as a fellow martial artist.’
Even though he might seem like a guy who gets carried away by girls and is head over heels for Alicia now, Gaba had initially come to Rikeion to inspect and train his martial arts skills.
He couldn’t help but feel his blood boiling at the thought of going up against Leon, who was known as the best among the first-year students of Academia.
“I am Gaba.”
He stated his name.
Although he already knew it from the bracket and rumors, he chose not to forget the traditions from his noble past.
“Ocell Banteolo Leon. Gaba, I look forward to a good match!”
Leon also did not refuse the formality of the martial arts.
Both revealed their names.
As time approached, they steadied their spirits and regulated their breathing.
A brief silence hung in the air, as if sparks would fly.
BEEP—!
The match had begun.
WHOOM—!
As soon as the high-pitched sound echoed, the two charged at each other.
To start off, perhaps to gauge each other, they clashed their armored wrists.
The vibrations reverberated with the impact.
From this moment on, this place became a stage and battlefield exclusively for the two of them.
With that single clash, Leon learned quite a bit about Gaba, and Gaba felt the same.
WHOOM, WHOOM—!
Fierce close combat ensued.
Gaba unleashed a flurry of attacks like a whirlwind.
Leon didn’t miss a beat, countering fiercely.
As their exchanges continued, devoid of any gaps, roars like thunder erupted around them.
It was hard to believe this was a fight between unarmed humans.
An intense battle unfolded with no concessions made.
KABOOM—!
Leon blocked Gaba’s agile kick.
Leon defended against the nimble kick with his wrist, accurately blocking a strike aimed at his head, while countering with an intent to hit the face.
Gaba, having read the move, sprang back like a coiled spring to create distance.
Gripping the ground firmly, Gaba quickly regained his stance, staring at his opponent as if ready to charge once more without losing his composure.
‘Extremely solid.’
Despite being wrapped in a robust Protector, Gaba felt a numbing sensation in his right foot from the blow he had delivered.
You can tell once you engage.
Leon’s Protector isn’t just thick.
It operates very efficiently, delivering maximum power.
‘While moving, it minimizes ‘mass’ and only maximizes it at the exact moment of impact.’
That’s the basics of a Martial Artist, but Gaba was clearly facing a technique of the Protector that varied by capability.
Using his internal mana to adjust mass and wield it as a weapon.
‘That instantaneous mass control sense is outstanding. It’s almost animalistic.’
Reducing mass increases speed, while increasing it boosts power.
Throughout the battle, Gaba naturally adjusted his mass like it was just breathing, but the longer the engagement went, the more numbness he felt creeping in.
Clearly, in this aspect, Leon seemed to have the upper hand.
The more honest the exchange, the greater the risk.
Having concluded his assessment, Gaba altered his stance.
Spreading his arms wide, he shifted his center of gravity backward, abandoning his basic guard.
What he chose instead was speed.
Unmatched swiftness.
Crack!
As the surface of his back foot sank under pressure, it was as if a compressed object shot out.
Gaba dashed forward like a bullet.
Boom—!
The ground shook anew as the two faced off again.
The spectators watching failed to catch Gaba’s movements.
To the ordinary people, it appeared as though Gaba had suddenly teleported in front of Leon.
They could only see him unleashing a barrage of attacks.
At times, it even felt like he vanished entirely from their vision.
He was fast.
Too fast.
It was almost as if the exchanges earlier were just a warm-up.
To ordinary students, Gaba’s movements looked like a full-blown tempest.
‘Leon, sir…!’
Watching the match, Bell felt beads of sweat forming on his palms without realizing it.
Gaba’s speed was increasing.
There were more moves happening that Bell’s eyes couldn’t capture.
Leon’s Protector struggled desperately to keep pace with the exchanges, but it seemed to be reaching its limits.
The exchanges began to shift towards Leon’s defense.
Leon continued to maintain maximum mass for the Protector surrounding his entire body without a moment to minimize it.
He kept his gaze fixed on Gaba’s movements, responding without blinking.
Clang, bang—!
Gaba and Leon.
With each clash of their attacks, an echoing thunderous sound rattled the eardrums and heightened the skin’s awareness.
How many exchanges could possibly happen in just one second?
No one could take their eyes off this scene, which was like a form of art, nor could anyone speak.
Even Bell couldn’t voice his anxious thoughts and only sent tense glances.
‘Please… Please get tired!’
Bell hoped for Gaba’s stamina to wane as he launched his relentless assault.
The foolish Leon might not remember, but while waiting in the waiting room, Bell had provided Gaba with information, saying,
—After trading blows with Leon in the early exchanges, Gaba will try to subdue him quickly. The longer the match lasts, the more unfavorably it’ll tilt toward Gaba.
“It’s going to be tough. The longer the match goes on, the more unfavorable it will be for Gaba.
In the round of 32, Leon fell for a foolish trick and released his Protector, but the truth is, his Protector is exceptionally sturdy.
At least among the students, no one can match its density.
Leon’s Protector boasts a high level of completion.
Of course, Gaba has also achieved significant feats, but Bell believed that Leon’s skills with the Protector are on another level.
Ultimately, if Gaba wants to win against Leon in combat, he needs to destroy Leon’s Protector.
To do that, he can’t give Leon any time to refine it.
He has to strike fiercely, repeatedly, targeting the spots where the density of the Protector weakens.
That’s Gaba’s path to victory.
—So, this time, you absolutely must not neglect your defense! Leon’s Protector is simply more solid; it doesn’t mean Gaba isn’t strong.
Leon, who possesses a strong sense of justice and cares for others.
That simpleton, always doing his best.
Bell might wish for Leon’s victory even more than Leon himself.
He wanted Leon’s true worth to be recognized and rewarded by others.
—If Gaba continues his fierce assault, focus as much as possible on defense. In turn, aim to tire Gaba out first.
The reason Bell is caring so much for Leon is simple.
Only he has moved Bell.
The ideal image of a hero in Bell’s mind.
And the person closest to that image was Leon.
—Remember this! If you can’t land a valid hit, Gaba will start targeting your injuries! This is a natural step to win, no matter how unfair it seems.
In that moment of desperation.
Gaba’s stamina is wearing out, and his movements become predictable during that brief interval when he must counterattack.
And.
That moment will come soon.
Whoooosh—!
As if accepting Bell’s earnest wishes, Leon’s Protector increased its density even more.
His piercing punch pressured the opponent like a cannon.
The kick he swung was devastating, akin to a meteor.
Yet, Gaba didn’t falter against those terrifying fists and kicks.
Covering vital spots like his torso and head with the Protector, he simultaneously protected areas like his wrists, elbows, and legs.
“Grrgh…!”
Each time he took a hit from Leon, it felt as if his body would shatter under the pressure, yet he never slowed his relentless assault.
Instead, he accelerated to his limits.
His body felt hotter than a fireball as blood and mana coursed through him at high speed.
‘Still not enough. More, faster…!’
Adrenaline burst forth, turning his pain into pleasure.
Gaba and Leon. The two appeared to be in a trance, focused solely on one another.
In this vast arena, Rikeion, in fact, throughout the territory.
It was as if no one else existed other than the two of them.
They fought, pushing themselves to the maximum.
‘I will win.’
I will definitely defeat this person in front of me!
With blazing determination.
He extended his fist.
Whoooosh—!
A whirlwind swept through the arena.
The fierce wind, sharp as thousands of needles, tried to prick their skin as they both endured it.
They kept their eyes wide open, not blinking even once.
What they had in their eyes was only the opponent.
This ‘man’ they had to defeat.
As their wills clashed intensely,
‘……!’
Leon’s injured left leg momentarily wobbled.
A very brief hesitation.
A gap that others might not even notice.
However, Gaba, who was completely focused on Leon, clearly witnessed that phenomenon.
Gaba, who was solely focused on Leon, definitely witnessed that phenomenon.
He plunged in like a starving beast.
“Remember this! If Gaba doesn’t land effective hits, he will surely notice Leon’s injuries. This is just a natural step to win, beyond any unseemly tactics.”
In that moment, Bell’s advice flashed through Leon’s mind.
Leon, who had repeatedly caused trouble by ignoring his counsel during the Class Battle and any other time.
He grasped the situation in the extreme split time, like lightning striking a tree.
This moment was undeniably a crisis.
Gaba’s fist was heading for him, eager to bite at the fleeting moment when Leon was slightly distracted by his injury.
There was no way to block that attack in the current posture.
The moment he got hit, the Protector would definitely shatter, and he would collapse unconscious.
So then.
If he couldn’t block the opponent’s fist like this…
If he couldn’t retreat…!
Grooq—.
Leon poured all his strength into his injured back leg.
The leg screamed in agony but he ignored it completely.
Instead, he tightened his muscles, making his tendons pop out.
He pushed back against the Protector wrapping around his feet and gathered the maximum power into his right fist.
A single strike.
He focused all his spirit into that one punch.
Just as Gaba’s fist surged right in front of him.
Tuwhack—!
He instead burrowed in.
Literally explosive speed.
As Leon converted all the maximum strength he could muster into speed, an incredible moment of acceleration burst forth.
With Gaba throwing his punch, Leon reciprocated by diving deep in, extending his own strike.
Leon’s full-force kick targeted Gaba’s heart as it struck fiercely.
The swirling blue Mana exploded.
* * *
……
Silence.
The remnants of the exploded Mana seemed to swallow sound itself, leaving everyone in the arena with mouths covered or agape, staring blankly at the scene.
What they felt was a shiver.
And under everyone’s scrutiny, the two men still stood steadfast amidst the storm that had swept over the arena.
“…What a pity.”
One of them muttered softly.
His whisper wouldn’t be heard by anyone.
Yet, it felt necessary to speak, so he moved his lips.
“If I had just been a little faster… No, if I hadn’t met that guy, the outcome would surely have been different.”
“…….”
The man facing him remained silent.
Though he stood on his feet, there was no motion whatsoever.
The speaking man acknowledged the resolve of the man who still stood.
He had no choice but to acknowledge it.
“It was a good match.”
At his words, the standing man began to sway.
It was surprising that he had not already fallen.
In the end, the swaying man collapsed to the ground, leaving only one victor in the arena.
With the sun at his back, he smiled contentedly and said, “Ocel Vanteolo Leon. You are the strongest martial artist I’ve ever fought against.”
That guy… if it had been me before knowing the Arha’s counter magic, I surely wouldn’t have been able to hold back.
With that final thought, Gaba tore his arms wide and howled.
His powerful roar resonated throughout the arena, announcing his victory to everyone.
—W-winner! The winner of this match is Gaba of Rikeion! He has boldly defeated Leon in a fierce battle and advances to the top eight!
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