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784 - A Second Round
🕑 Added 2024-11-13 10:01:11 +0000 UTCAron maintained his position, following the Shadari fighter who appeared unaware of Aron’s persistent shadowing. With his ability, Aron easily tracked the fighter through the terrain, knowing that his opponent couldn’t see through solid objects as he could.
After a lengthy journey spanning several tens of kilometers, the Shadari fighter finally halted but remained hidden beneath the surface. It seemed he needed a few moments to regain his composure and rethink his approach to the fight.
Minutes slipped by in silence. Five full minutes passed, with the Shadari showing no signs of movement or preparation, merely resting in place.
“What happens if he just stays underground?” Aron asked Nova.
{After a certain period, at the AI’s discretion, intervention becomes mandatory. She may force the hidden fighter to reengage or even declare the fight over,} Nova replied, blending the known rules with some hypothetical aspects, as such an extended period of hiding wasn’t explicitly covered.
“Well, let's assume he won’t risk it. He's not foolish enough to rely on hiding alone,” Aron said, a sly grin forming as he immediately began strategizing, preparing himself for the moment the Shadari fighter resurfaced.
……………….
The Shadari fighter’s mind was racing as he pieced together his memories of Aron’s actions. The realization that Aron had been playing along—feigning ignorance, dodging phantom bullets with such conviction—just to draw him in made him feel as if he’d been on a leash the whole time. His every tactic, his stealth, his carefully crafted illusions—all were rendered futile against someone who can see him through all of those.
"Acting… the whole time…" he muttered, his hand clenching into a fist as anger and shame surged within him. How easily Aron had dismantled his carefully crafted illusions, his stealth, his every tactic. The horrifying realization that Aron could see him all along turned his prized Veil of Darkness into a flimsy cover. The Shadari knew he needed a new strategy—and fast—if he had any hope of reclaiming the advantage in this fight.
He closed his eyes, focusing intensely as he pieced together a new strategy. He needed a fresh approach—one that would account for Aron’s uncanny ability to see him, rendering his stealth nearly useless. Carefully, he mapped out a sequence of actions, contingency plans branching off each potential misstep. His thoughts were precise, calculating every variable he could control, and preparing for the ones he couldn’t.
After ten minutes of revising his plan and creating backup after backup, he finally opened his eyes and murmured, “That should be enough.”
He emerged slowly, his head rising above the ground with a cautious gaze sweeping the area. He’d traveled tens of kilometers to ensure he’d lost Aron, but uncertainty lingered—if Aron could somehow see underground, he might still be close.
As his entire body came into view, he scanned the landscape, relieved to find it seemingly empty. "Looks like he can’t see underground," he muttered, a hint of confidence returning to his voice. Now, ready for a second round, he just needed to locate Aron before executing his revised plan.
He ascended quickly, scanning the landscape from high above to locate Aron. There—about twenty kilometers away—stood Aron, seemingly focused and scanning his surroundings as if searching for him.
"Good, let's sta—" he began, but before he could finish, an intense sense of danger flooded his mind. Every instinct screamed at him to act, and he immediately triggered his phasing ability just as an enormous explosion erupted in the spot he'd been floating.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
…………
"I hope I didn't miss him this time," Aron muttered, watching the enormous explosion unfold within the few-kilometer radius shield that surrounded his line of sight.
He had meticulously planned for this moment, setting up a massive shield and placing explosive runes at strategic points. As soon as the Shadari fighter released his phasing ability, the nearest rune was set to activate, ensuring an immediate explosion.
Despite knowing that the outcome of his strategy would depend on how quickly the Shadari fighter could react to the explosive runes, he allowed the remaining runes to finish their detonation without stopping them. Having learned from previous experiences, he had carefully regulated the mana, ensuring there was enough to trigger the explosions but not so much that it would require him to release it outside the shield like the previous fight.
Thirty seconds after the explosions had subsided, things began to calm. Aron deactivated the massive shield and allowed himself a satisfied smile as he surveyed the aftermath. With swift movements, he flew toward the target location, reaching it in just a few seconds.
Hovering above the wreckage, he addressed the figure barely recognizable as a living being. "Are you willing to surrender?" he asked, his voice steady, directed at the man who now resembled little more than cooked charcoal.
The Shadari fighter's robe, which typically concealed their form, was nowhere to be seen now. For the first time, the onlookers were able to see what a Shadari's true body looked like. However, the sight was gruesome. The damage sustained from the explosion left his skin barely recognizable, making it difficult to distinguish between the Shadari's actual flesh and the horrific aftermath of the blast. The twisted, charred appearance left many hoping that what they were seeing was merely the result of the explosion, as the alternative—the true state of the Shadari body—was nearly unrecognizable.
The fighter teetered on the edge of death, his life hanging by a thread. His survival could only be attributed to his ability to phase, which he activated milliseconds after the explosion detonated, sparing him from the full force of the blast but leaving his body in a ruined state.
Aron, not receiving a response, raised his sword, preparing to deliver the final blow. But just as he was about to bring it down upon the Shadari fighter's neck, the AI's voice suddenly interrupted his movements: {Match over. Winner: Terran Empire, Aron Michael.}
The announcement caught Aron by surprise. He was certain the Shadari fighter was still alive, leaving him with only one explanation: the fighter had voluntarily surrendered through the AI. The implanted device within his body, meant for situations like this, must have been activated to end the fight.
Nova acted swiftly as soon as the fight ended. She immediately deployed another container, preparing for the next step. With the shield retracting, the Shadari fighter was now in her grasp—a prized capture from one of the top civilizations. However, he was on the brink of death, and there was no time to waste.
Her first priority was to place him in a statis pod. The pod would temporarily preserve his condition while she waited for Aron to finish and come to administer the cure. This method was the fastest way available to them, as trying to cure him through conventional means would require an in-depth understanding of his physiology—a process that would take far too long.
Nova worked with precision, taking only a few minutes to gather everything she needed before giving the command for the container to depart.
