The mont grew more intense—like a storm brewing in silence. Their silhouettes flickered in and out of view as they moved, traded, struck, evaded. The clash of fists and feet echoed through the arena, a symphony of skill and will.
Jayden’s breathing deepened. Not out of fatigue—but exhilaration. "She’s good," he thought. Too good."
Cassandra twisted mid-air, landing on one palm and flipping back onto her feet with a feral grin. "I saw that hesitation," she called out.
Jayden smirked. "That wasn’t hesitation. That was rcy."
"rcy gets you killed," she replied—and lunged again.
Her strikes were different now—less predictable, layered with deceptive faints and brutal angles. Every movent was precise, trained, deadly. Jayden blocked a flurry of palm strikes, barely dodging a heel ant for his temple. He retaliated with a jab to her ribs—she twisted, but he followed with a roundhouse that clipped her shoulder and sent her skidding back.
Still, she laughed.. like the heat of battle was the very air she breathed.
Jayden smiled. "You’re loving this."
"I am," she said, eyes wild with thrill. "It’s been a while since I’ve had a real fight."
Then suddenly.. she vanished. Not literally, but her speed blurred into sothing near invisible.
Jayden’s senses flared.
Left.. no, behind.
He felt it.
He felt her presence like fire licking his skin. It was hot, burning.
Then... she raised her fist. One she had coated in flas.
He raised his arm just in ti, and her fla-wreathed fist slamd into his forearm. The burn sizzled on contact, and the force sent him crashing into the do wall, smoke rising from the crater he left.
Pain throbbed through his arm, but his regeneration kicked in, flesh sealing, skin knitting.
He stepped out of the smoke, brushing dust from his shoulders. "What happened to not using abilities?" he teased.
Cassandra walked forward slowly, smirking. "You said not to hold back. Besides... I don’t like to lose."
Then she moved... fast. Like a teor cloaked in fire.
Jayden exhaled, eyes sharpening. "This is bad."
He had no access to the system. No skills. No Luna. The only ability he’d brought in was one he couldn’t use in front of her. So all he had were raw physical stats and instinct.
Cassandra ca at him low, her fist a fiery blur aid at his midsection.
Jayden twisted, letting the blow graze him, and countered with a spinning kick aid at her chin.
She ducked barely.
Their bodies slid past each other. A spark crackled between them.
Jayden landed, crouched. Cassandra spun, fiery hair whipping around her.
Their eyes locked like warriors in sync. And then, they launched again.
The heat in the do surged. Cassandra’s aura burned brighter, her every movent trailing embers. She was done holding back, and Jayden could feel it in the air like pressure before lightning.
She sprinted toward him again, fists blazing, but Jayden ducked and weaved, letting instinct take the wheel. His body moved with inhuman grace.. leaping over low sweeps, twisting past punches, flipping off the broken terrain to keep distance.
Cassandra’s grin widened. "Don’t run, Jayden."
"I’m not running," he shouted mid-dodge. "I’m surviving."
She laughed.. then slamd her palm into the ground.
A burst of heat exploded outward and the floor cracked as a spear of fla erupted from beneath, launching straight at him.
Jayden vaulted sideways, the spear grazing his thigh. He winced but didn’t stop—landing in a roll, then springing off the wall with a rebound jump as another spear shot from the ground where he’d just stood.
"Damn," he muttered, breath tight.
But Cassandra wasn’t done.
She raised both hands above her head—and three searing orbs of fire spun to life, hovering like burning satellites. With a flick of her fingers, she launched them at him in sequence.
The first orb passed by his front... then detonated behind him, sending a shockwave that threw his balance. He tumbled forward but turned it into a dive, dodging the second just in ti.
The third orb ca for his face.
He backflipped midair, the fireball narrowly missing and exploding against the do wall, fire licking across the surface like a wave.
Still midair, Jayden grabbed a jagged piece of broken arena stone with his foot and kicked it at Cassandra. She deflected it effortlessly—but it gave him enough ti to land and dash behind a pillar.
From behind cover, Jayden panted. His legs were beginning to burn from the constant sprinting, flipping, leaping.
Cassandra’s voice echoed through the arena, sultry and smug. "What’s the matter, Orion? Getting outpaced by a girl?" she chuckled.
Jayden stepped out slowly, arms slightly raised. "Not at all."
"You look winded." she scoffed.
"I’m just calculating," he replied. Then he smirked. "And letting you wear yourself out."
Cassandra’s expression flickered for a second—half-amused, half-impressed.
"Fine," she said. "Then let’s turn up the heat."
Flas surged across her arms again, and this ti, they began to condense—taking shape into twin daggers of fire.
Jayden’s eyes narrowed. She was going into close range combat. His specialty.
He flexed his fingers. This ti, he wouldn’t just dodge.
He was done running.
Cassandra launched forward, her flaming daggers slicing through the air with lethal precision. She was faster now—more aggressive. Every move was a strike ant to end the fight. Her flas tore grooves into the arena floor, licking dangerously close to Jayden’s skin as he weaved between her strikes.
Jayden gritted his teeth. He was being pushed to the edge.
She struck high... he ducked.
She went for his ribs... he twisted.
Each blow ca closer. Each dodge shaved milliseconds off instinct.
But he endured. He was close to ending the fight.
Cassandra snarled, driving a dagger into the ground. A pulse of fire surged outward—a ring of fla, forcing Jayden to leap high. She followed him, kicking off the blast and eting him in midair, blades poised.
Jayden twisted mid-flight, their bodies brushing past in a fiery clash. Sparks flew as he blocked with his arms, flipping to land on his feet just as she did the sa, panting.
"You’re... not even attacking," she huffed.
"I was watching," he replied calmly. "You’ve got rhythm, flow... no wasted movent."
She blinked at him. "You were analyzing ?"
Jayden smiled. "No," he said. "I was downloading you." he chuckled. "And now... I’m ending this fight."
And then... he vanished.
Cassandra’s eyes widened.
A sudden blur zipped past her. Before she could react, Jayden was behind her.. silent, still, lightning-fast.
He’d been holding back the entire ti. His strength. His speed. Everything he used was not his full power.
Her body froze.
A whisper of wind kissed her neck as his fist hovered inches from her pressure point.
"Checkmate," he said softly.
Then he struck.
Her eyes widened, she tried to move—but it was too late.
He twisted at full speed, his body a blur, and drove a clean, focused strike straight into the base of her spine.
BOOM!
A thunderclap of impact echoed as the force blasted through her avatar’s core.
Cassandra’s breath caught, her fla daggers fizzled out—and then her avatar disintegrated into light.
[KO — ORION WINS]
The arena faded. And light enveloped Jayden, returning him back to his lobby. Then with a silent command, he exited the ga.
Jayden woke up with a soft gasp, and both pods slid open with a soft hiss.
He sat up first, his chest rising slowly with each breath. Cassandra stepped out of her pod seconds later, wiping sweat from her brow.
She looked at him, lips twitching. "That... hurt."
Jayden grinned. "You said not to hold back."
She shook her head, smiling. "You hit like a truck."
"You’re not too bad yourself," he added. "You nearly fried ."
She smirked. "You’ll have bruises."
Jayden chuckled, then t her gaze. "It’ll be worth it."
Cassandra smiled, staring into his eyes for a while. "Co on, let’s get out of here. I’ve seen what i needed to see."
Jayden smiled back. "Alright." he said, and they both began walking out of the pod den. But just as they were about to walk out the door, a system notification popped up in Jayden’s view.
[One opponent defeated]
[ 2 exp received]
Jayden’s eyes widened. "What the...?"
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