Chapter 51: Mist and Lightning
The roar of the crowd had barely subsided when Lyra's figure emerged from the arena's mist, the ancestral ring gleaming on her bandaged hand. At the other end, Jian, one of the top twenty, spun his short spear between his fingers, the wind swirling around him and making his dark blue robe vibrate.
The gong sounded.
The air between them crackled: the battle was already written in the tension of their stares.
I. The Dance of Wind
Jian was the first to move, just a flash.
"Secret Technique: Hundred-Step Shadow!"
His figure doubled, tripled, becoming a flurry of short, precise attacks aimed at Lyra's vital points.
But abyssal mist burst from Lyra's feet, wrapping her in a haze that distorted light and sound.
"Fog of Oblivion!"
Jian's attacks struck only phantoms, each impact dissolving into cold vapor.
Lyra emerged behind Jian, launching a palm shrouded in dusky Qi.
"Seal of Broken Memory!"
Jian spun around, blocking the blow with his spear, but the mist's Qi clung to his weapon, hampering his movements.
II. Storm of Wills
Jian retreated, his eyes shining with the desire to surpass himself.
"Intermediate Art: Burst of the Rising Gale!"
He leapt high, channeling the wind into a cutting sphere that descended on Lyra like an invisible scythe.
Lyra sank into the mist, the Qi of her bloodline enveloping her.
"Dance of the Nameless Mist!"
Her body dissolved into fragments of haze, evading the attack. For a moment, she seemed to merge with the very air.
Jian, without missing a beat, spun his spear and launched a thrust of pure wind.
"Invisible Blade Strike!"
The mist dissipated, but Lyra emerged from it just behind Jian, palms charged with shadowy Qi.
A clash of energy threw them both backward.
Both panted, the crowd not daring to blink.
III. Ascension of Bloodlines
Lyra squeezed the ring.
The ancestral spirit whispered:
"Your mist can corrupt the wind, but can you purify your own fear?"
Lyra smiled, her gray aura turning silvery.
"Bloodline Awakening: Reborn Mist!"
The haze became a tempest, covering half the arena. Inside, Lyra was both wind and shadow, attacking from every angle, leaving illusory seals with every strike.
Jian closed his eyes, delving into his core.
"Advanced Art: Heart of the Unstoppable Hurricane!"
A blue whirlwind burst from his spear, clearing the mist around him and marking a circle of emptiness.
Both bloodlines clashed in a vortex of Qi, the ground trembling beneath their feet.
IV. The Climax
Lyra appeared amid the storm, her body diffuse, her eyes shining with pure resolve.
"Last Technique: Embrace of Eternal Mist!"
Seals of mist clung to Jian's body, slowing his movements, covering him in cold and confusion.
Jian, pushing his will to the limit, concentrated all the wind into one final thrust.
"Celestial Dawn Slash!"
The spear pierced the mist, striking Lyra's shoulder; a second from a fatal blow, the haze solidified and blocked the attack, though the force pushed her several meters back.
Both fighters fell to their knees, panting, Qi vibrating in the air and the arena covered in traces of wind and condensation.
V. The Decision
Absolute silence.
Then, the mist seals evaporated and Jian stood, his spear trembling. Lyra rose, the ancestral ring shining, a mark of wind tracing down her bloodied arm.
Samael raised his hand.
"Victory to Lyra, 'Reborn Mist'! But acknowledge the art and courage of Jian, who made the firmament tremble."
The crowd erupted in cheers and awe, and even the oldest present recognized that, on that battlefield, two legends had been born.