The pattern repeated several more tis.
Ren tried to approach, using increasingly elaborate tactics to get close to the lion or Klein. But on each occasion, just when he seed about to connect a decisive blow, Klein withdrew his beast and re-invoked it to return Ren almost to his starting point.
Ren had taken advantage of each opportunity to get closer to Klein, but the invocation was very fast and ca right after his attacks... Because of this, he had only advanced a few ters toward Klein.
From the stands, Min couldn't contain his frustration. "That's cheating!" he exclaid, though no one except Taro and Liu seed to pay him any attention.
"Technically it's within the rules," replied Liu, although he also frowned at the tactic. "But it definitely feels very unfair if soone does that repeatedly against you."
"If Ren keeps attacking the lion, he'll run out of energy before reaching Klein," observed Min, biting his lip with concern.
"But he can't turn his back to the lion either," added Taro, anxious.
And indeed, with each new attempt, Ren's armor appeared more damaged. Cracks spread across the translucent surface, and small fragnts occasionally broke away with each powerful impact resisted.
Klein was elated to be finally winning with a 'genius strat' against the 'damned rotten boy' in front of everyone. His honor would be recovered in front of his brother.
Perceiving this growing advantage, he concentrated on his working strategy, maximizing mana efficiency. His lion attacked with greater aggression from a distance, but remained less active when close, forcing Ren to weaken his defenses further.
Each ti Ren managed to get closer, the annoying cycle repeated.
The distance between Ren and Klein had been reduced considerably thanks to persistent advances, but it still seed insurmountable given the strategy being used.
It was then that Ren made a decision. His light veins pulsed intensely as he opened his mana-charged eyes wider, concentrating to the maximum.
When he sighed and clenched his fists, there was a cold clarity in his gaze that made even Klein feel a pang of unease.
Ren initiated what seed to be another approach attempt. The lion responded with all it had, trying to keep the status quo forcefully and reflecting its tar's unease… It launched a powerful phantom attack while maintaining its position.
This ti, however, Ren didn't adjust his trajectory from the beginning and launched himself forward. His chest armor finally broke after taking the hit, but he ended up getting close enough to seriously threaten the beast without compromising too much of his energy.
As expected, when Ren finally was about to connect a blow, Klein withdrew his lion again, fusing it with his body.
It was the mont Ren had been waiting for.
Instead of stopping or showing frustration, Ren smiled. His light claws shone with greater intensity and, with a powerful and fluid movent that no one had expected, he projected them forward.
The light "phantom claws" traversed the space separating the combatants.
Klein, completely unprepared for this distance attack, barely had ti to register what was happening before the claws caused small cuts on his nose and chin. They weren't serious wounds, but the shock was considerable.
The projected attack had traveled much further than anyone would have believed possible from a first-year student. Unlike Klein's phantom claws, which barely reached three ters, these covered approximately fifteen ters before barely connecting with their target and dispersing.
A collective gasp ran through the stands as spectators processed what they had just witnessed. Ren's light claws, until now considered exclusively short-range weapons, had been launched at a distance five tis greater than Klein's phantom claws.
"I didn't calculate well the distance I could launch them," murmured Ren, loudly enough for Klein to hear.
The smile on his face suggested that, while the comnt was sincere, the result had been more than satisfactory. Ren couldn't hear well through his earplugs, but he didn't need to hear to understand the curses of his opponent or that face.
Klein brought a hand to that sa face… his face… touching the small cuts incredulously. The blood on his fingers confird this wasn't an illusion; he had been hit directly despite his careful distancing strategy.
"Incredible!" exclaid a 6th-year student. "Patinder has shown a variation of the phantom claw technique much better than the original with a beast that wasn't known to have it! This completely changes the combat distance dynamic again!"
From her surveillance position, Lin couldn't help a smile of pride. There was a theory that many mana techniques weren't entirely dependent on the developnt or type of beasts. But using them before certain ranks seed to be too difficult for children of low rank.
Few had managed to copy techniques of other beasts with theirs at higher ranks. But copying them at the sa or lower rank, with a beast not specialized in the ability like the lion and with a much greater performance...
A true genius.
"How...?" began Klein, genuinely disconcerted. "That shouldn't be possible... Abilities are..."
Ren didn't respond... He hadn't heard. Instead, he adopted a new offensive posture, his light claws shining again while his light veins and mana saturated eyes pulsed once more with a rhythm suggesting deep concentration.
The ssage was clear: the battle for supremacy of the longest attack distance had a new leader.
And as Klein frantically reconsidered his strategy, a certainty settled among all present: the boy with luminescent mushrooms, again, had more surprises stored than anyone could have imagined.
Taking advantage of the mont of shock, Ren took a firm step forward and launched another attack with his projected claws.
Klein, completely paralyzed by surprise, had no ti to react. The light claws traversed the space between them in an instant, cutting Klein's chest while he remained fused with his lion.
The impact was more severe than Ren had intended, thinking Klein would invoke the lion in front of him on ti. The fabric of Klein's uniform tore, and crimson lines began to spread rapidly from the cuts. The Goldcrest fell to his knees, his face contorted in an expression of genuine pain.
Lin, observing the gravity of the situation, imdiately advanced to stop the combat. Her hand was already raised to make the signal that would call the healers.
But then, sothing unexpected happened.
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