CHAPTER 115: JAYDEN VS BLAZER

Chapter 114

The Tournament of Power had officially begun, and the atmosphere in the arena was electric. The crowd buzzed with excitement, their blood practically boiling in anticipation. Cheers and chants echoed as holographic betting odds lit up the giant screens suspended above the coliseum.

While most matchups seemed evenly matched, one detail stood out — Blazer had the lowest odds. To the betting world, this meant one thing: he was the favorite to win.

Han, ever composed, had no interest in placing bets. But his companions? Not so much. Aiden and Rin immediately got involved.

"I’ll put my money on Jay," Rin said, tossing a few tokens onto the interface.

Aiden scoffed. "You’re wasting your money. Silver Wing is considered the weakest of the A6, and even he’s no joke. If that’s the case, just imagine how powerful Blazer really is."

Rin shrugged. "Maybe. But I’d still rather see that friendly black-haired guy win than that hothead with a fire complex."

Surprisingly, even Laura placed a bet — on Jay.

The group turned to her in collective disbelief. Most eyes lingered for a moment, but Han’s gaze was different. Deep. Probing. Yet, to her relief, he said nothing, simply turning his attention back to the arena where the match was moments away from starting.

---

In the VIP section, tension simmered just as hotly.

The Beast leaned over toward the Number Three Hero, a toothy grin spreading across his face.

"Why don’t we make a little wager?" he said, voice low and amused. "Your brother’s going to lose. That long-haired kid? He’s dangerous."

The Undying Flame gave no visible reaction. His expression was calm, unreadable.

"My brother can be reckless, yes," he finally replied. "But he’s mastered his ability to a near-elite level. He won’t go down easily."

"Good," the Beast chuckled. "Makes this more fun."

---

Back on the stage, the two fighters stood motionless — Jay and Blazer — locked in silence, measuring each other. Seconds ticked by.

Then, in a flash, Blazer moved.

With a burst of fire at his heels, he blurred across the stage, fist engulfed in roaring flames. He aimed straight for Jay’s head — clearly intending to end the fight in a single strike.

But Jay wasn’t some pushover.

He leaned back, narrowly avoiding the fiery fist by mere inches. Pivoting on his heel, he countered with a sudden, powerful punch to Blazer’s midsection. The blow connected cleanly, sending the A6 member skidding several meters backward before he managed to land on his feet.

A collective gasp erupted from the crowd.

One of the A6 — supposedly unbeatable — had been countered in their opening move. Not only that, he had taken the first hit.

In the VIP section, the Beast wore a smug grin, almost radiating satisfaction.

---

The announcer’s voice cracked through the arena speakers.

"Wait, what?! The Flame Master got pushed back?! After initiating the attack?! Are we seeing this correctly?! Don’t tell me... the great Blazer got caught off guard!"

The crowd broke into murmurs and rising cheers. A ripple of disbelief swept through the spectators, some of them exchanging glances in awe, others doubling down on new bets.

Blazer glared at Jay, his fury rising as he watched the black-haired youth assume a deceptively simple fighting stance. Jay’s feet were planted firmly, grounding him like an immovable tree. His hands formed an eagle fist in front of him, calm yet focused — his eyes sharp, unreadable, almost serene.

That calm gaze ignited something inside Blazer.

"He’s looking down on me..."

The thought alone sent fire coursing through his veins.

With a growl, Blazer summoned two blazing fireballs in his palms. He didn’t hesitate. In the next instant, he launched them like twin cannons straight at Jay.

Jay’s eyes flicked to the incoming projectiles. He could feel the heat and danger radiating from them — destructive, for sure — but they lacked precision. They couldn’t track.

Perfect.

Jay kicked off the ground, flipping backward multiple times mid-air, building momentum. Then, in a blur, he twisted into a spinning aerial kick, his leg glowing faintly with infused Qi as it sliced through the air toward Blazer.

From attack to evasion to counterattack — the entire sequence had taken less than three seconds.

Blazer’s eyes widened. Again, he was caught off guard.

But this time, he braced himself.

With a roar, he raised both flaming arms and took the kick head-on.

BAM!

The impact echoed through the arena. Blazer’s knees buckled slightly, the force of the blow staggering him. But he held firm, gritting his teeth, and redirected the energy, shoving Jay’s leg away. He retaliated with a flaming roundhouse kick of his own.

Jay crossed his arms, absorbing the blow. The sheer force pushed him back several steps — but Blazer wasn’t finished.

With fire roaring at his fists, he lunged forward, attacking in a rapid flurry of fiery strikes.

Jay responded in kind.

Their fists collided again and again — a whirlwind of motion and power. Their speed was so intense, ordinary eyes couldn’t follow. Blurs of fire and shadows danced across the stage, the sound of impact like rolling thunder.

The crowd was mesmerized.

A powerful barrier separated them from the battlefield, but even so, the aftershocks rippled through the air. Without that protection, dozens would have been severely injured just from the pressure alone.

In the audience, Jon stared, mouth slightly agape.

He couldn’t believe what he was witnessing.

"These aren’t just flashy moves... his technique... it’s real," he muttered.

To the untrained eye, it looked like two elite Awakeners clashing.

But Jay hadn’t used a single awakened skill.

He was fighting purely with martial arts.

And yet, he was matching — no, beginning to overwhelm — one of the A6.

"He’s... incredible," Jon thought.

Elsewhere in the crowd, Laura watched with a racing heart. She didn’t fully understand it, but something inside her said:

"Jay’s going to win this."

Of course, dealing with her brother later would be another story entirely.

Farther away, Argon leaned back in his seat with a bored expression.

"Tch. If that’s all he’s got, I’m disappointed," he muttered.

If it were him on that stage, he was sure Blazer would already be crushed.

---

At first, the difference was subtle.

But as the fight dragged on, more and more people began to notice — Jay was controlling the battle.

His attacks landed more often. His defense was cleaner, more efficient. He was avoiding or deflecting most of Blazer’s strikes while steadily wearing his opponent down.

Blazer began to realize it too — and panic crept in.

Frustrated and desperate, he summoned a deep red fireball, condensed and unstable, pulsing violently in his hand. With a snarl, he thrust it forward like a lance.

But Jay was ready.

"Finally."

He had been waiting for that exact move.

With a swift twist of his body, he sidestepped the thrust, grabbed the attacking arm, and used Blazer’s own momentum against him — slamming the fireball into Blazer’s chest before it could detonate.

Blazer choked, eyes wide in shock.

Jay didn’t waste a second.

He spun into an overhead kick, crashing it down with a thunderous impact.

CRACK!

Blazer flew backward like a missile, skidding across the stage in a trail of smoke and flames.

The arena fell into absolute silence. Thousands held their breath, eyes locked on the stage, hearts pounding in sync.

Then—movement.

Blazer stirred, his body trembling as he tried to rise.

He failed.

His thick red coat was scorched, a large hole burnt clean through the chest region. He groaned, then collapsed back onto the floor, unmoving.

Jayden’s eyes sharpened. Without hesitation, he sprinted forward, leapt into the air, and twisted into his signature spinning kick, aiming to end it once and for all.

But just as he closed the distance—

He froze.

Blazer was standing. His eyes glinted with manic glee, and a crooked smile stretched across his face.

"It’s over," he said coldly.

His next words thundered through the silence.

"Fire Dragon Breath."

From Blazer’s mouth erupted a blinding inferno — a colossal torrent of flames shaped like a roaring dragon, its fiery maw engulfing Jayden mid-air.

FWOOOOOOOSH!

The crowd gasped in shock, a wave of disbelief sweeping across the stands.

Laura screamed, unable to hold it in.

Han’s brow furrowed, his eyes narrowing for a brief moment—

Then relaxed again, his expression unreadable.

But the flicker of concern didn’t go unnoticed.

Anyone watching closely could tell—

He recognized something.

And from the way he glanced at Laura... it was clear.

She knew Jayden.

Jay’s body slammed into the ground, unmoving, smoke rising from his figure.

The crowd sat in stunned silence. Not a whisper passed their lips.

Seconds ticked by.

He didn’t move.

Dead silence.

Then—

"Look!"

A single shout broke the stillness.

All eyes turned.

Jayden’s eyes snapped open.

He rose to his feet slowly, cracks of energy flickering off his body. His face returned to its usual, carefree smile as he casually rolled his neck and stretched his arms from side to side like he’d just woken from a nap.

Blazer’s expression twisted into fury. Flames surged around him violently, wrapping his body in a blazing aura. He looked like a fire god consumed by wrath.

But Jay only smirked.

Then, he shifted.

His stance changed — this one unlike any before.

He lowered his body, knees firm and bent. His arms hung loosely, claws slightly curled at his sides. His back hunched just slightly, angled for speed. His muscles tensed like a wild beast ready to pounce.

It was primal. Swift. Dangerous.

From the stands, Jon’s face darkened.

"There’s no way he can win now... Blazer is going all out," he muttered to Rin, whose brow was tightly knit.

But before Rin could respond, Han cut in — voice calm, gaze never leaving the stage.

"No. Blazer will lose."

The words hung heavy.

Jon blinked. "What...?"

Han didn’t elaborate. He didn’t need to.

Because he recognized the stance Jayden had taken.

A slow smile crept across Han’s face as he looked down at the stage.

"It seems things are about to get... interesting."

Back in the arena, Jay’s eyes narrowed, and his voice rang clear, confident.

"Fourth Jungle Art: Cheetah Stride."

To be continued...

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