Chapter 356: 356

Vale jumped out of the shadows and pulled back his spear.

"Is he shifting his fighting style again?"

Kael saw faint lightning crackling around the Vale spear.

’’Lightening huh...No wonder he is ranked 20.’

Kael wasted no more words. He activated his steps and pushed his agility to the limit, his body vanishing and reappearing in a blur. Each step he took made the ground shudder, cracks spreading out in every direction. It looked as though some massive beast was stomping across the arena, tearing the earth open beneath his feet.

Vale was still faster. His movements cut across Kael’s flash steps and he closed the distance in the blink of an eye.

Using the last of his momentum, he stopped right in front of Kael and thrust his spear forward. It looked like a simple stab, without flair or unnecessary movement. But Kael knew better. That single stab carried enough power to kill outright.

Kael raised his sword at the exact moment Vale’s feet locked in place. Like Vale, he gathered the force of his momentum and poured it into his strike. The muscles in his arms tightened, veins bulging as he swung his blade down with a fierce war cry that echoed through the colosseum.

The spear split the air, parting it in two with the force of its thrust. At the same time Kael’s sword started to turn the atmosphere cold, the surrounding temperature dropped sharply as sparks of ice cracked across its edge.

Then they met.

The instant their weapons clashed, time itself seemed to stop. The entire arena fell silent. Even the spectators held their breath. For one moment, all that existed was the point where the spear and sword collided.

The ground beneath them trembled. Tiny cracks spread out, then widened into jagged fissures. Dust and stones erupted upward, as if the earth was trying to escape the pressure. A huge ring of compressed air spread out from the fighters, the rumbling sound of it rolling through the colosseum like thunder.

BOOM!

The explosion shattered the silence. A violent shockwave tore through the arena, flattening everything in its path. The sphere of force expanded outward, smashing stone into rubble and sending chunks of the arena floor into the air.

Ice from Kael’s sword burst outward, while lightning from Vale’s spear crackled through the air.

Both elements tangled and twisted, fighting for dominance.

Vale gritted his teeth. His hands went numb as if struck by a hammer. The lightning around his spear sputtered and burst out wildly, bolts scattering into the air. He could not believe the raw force behind Kael’s strike.

Kael’s sword held firm. The weight of his blow pushed Vale back, forcing his legs deep into the ground. The stone shattered beneath Vale’s feet, forming a pit as his body resisted being thrown away. He roared, his body shaking as he poured more strength into his spear, barely holding Kael off.

Kael did not yield either. He bit down hard, his teeth grinding, and pressed forward with everything he had. The air between them screamed, sparks and Ice bursting where their weapons locked. For a moment, neither side gained ground.

Then the pressure broke.

A thunderous blast exploded between them. Both fighters were flung back several meters, their bodies tumbling before they managed to land on their feet. The ground between them collapsed into a crater, magma bubbling where the force had burned the stone. Heat radiated from it, waves of hot air rolling across the arena.

Kael felt his ribs ache and pain spread inside his chest. He knew several internal injuries had formed, but the adrenaline rushing through his veins drowned the pain. His lips curled upward in a smile, his eyes shining with excitement.

Vale steadied himself. His chest rose and fell heavily, his spear buzzing with leftover sparks. He glanced at Kael with narrowed eyes. He had not expected such resistance.

They charged again.

Their weapons clashed in a flurry of strikes, sparks flying in every direction. Kael pressed his attack, swinging with precise but forceful cuts. Vale answered with thrusts and sweeps, his spear moving faster than the eye could follow.

Then Vale shifted. He suddenly twisted his body and lifted his leg at a strange angle. Kael noticed the odd movement and quickly let go of the sword with one hand to block. But Vale changed the attack mid-motion. His kick slammed into Kael’s ribs.

Crack.

Pain shot through Kael’s side as he felt his ribs crush under the blow. Blood filled his mouth, but he did not retreat. Instead, he used the force of the attack. Spinning with the momentum, Kael lifted his left foot and kicked Vale’s head with a sharp snap.

BANG! BANG!

Two crashes echoed across the arena. Kael was sent flying, his body tumbling through the air before slamming into the ground and sliding across the stone.

He coughed blood, his face pale. Vale’s body tilted sideways, his head smacking against the floor with a loud crack. Blood ran down from his forehead.

Kael groaned, pain stabbing through his chest, but his lips curled into a smile. He looked like a man who had found joy in the madness of battle.

Kael licked his lips and spoke,"This really brings the old memories...Ahh..Thsoe days.."

Vale wiped the blood from his head and gave a small, grim smile of his own. "Maniac," he muttered.

Kael dragged his sleeve across his mouth, smearing the blood away, and tightened his grip on his sword. He stepped forward on the shattered ground, his boots crunching against broken stone.

Blue lightning began to crackle around Vale, running across his spear until it glowed with destructive force. Sparks jumped off the weapon, making the air hiss.

Kael raised his black sword and examined it for a moment. Not a single dent or chip marked its surface.

The sword seemed to be screaming.Kael smiled and patted it.

’Have patience...It’s not the time.’

Lowering into his stance, Kael spread his legs slightly apart and bent his knees. He gripped his sword with both hands, the tip pointing at Vale. His body leaned forward, his gaze locked on his opponent.

Vale did the same, lowering his spear and aiming it at Kael. Lightning sparked across the ground around him, flickering like the warning growl of a storm.