Boom, boom, boom…Jon shot balls of fire while Melissa fired lightning bolts.Explosions after explosions occurred while both of them agilely maneuvered about. Drops of perspiration appeared all over Melissa's face but she was unwilling to give up."Time is almost up!" Jon chirped. "You have put up a good fight."Melissa smirked, "Do not go easy on me now!"Boom, boom, boom…As balls of fire exploded, Melissa generated a force field to protect herself."I do not think I did," Jon replied. He then quickly launched another energy attack, "Meteor Rain!"Melissa maintained her force field as she floated in the air. While doing so, she drew energy from the crystal clear creek nearby.Boom!Her force field exploded, destroying the fireballs surrounding it. "Hurricane Harrow!"Melissa made use of her environment's advantage to help her with the attack. Multiple water droplets rose from the creek and swirled in the air. Ding, ding, ding…The timer rang the fifth time just as a small twis
At Grandmaster Ye's mansion…"Jon is determined to participate in his town's tournament…" Grandmaster Ye frowned and stroked his green beard. "The risks for that are high…""Shall I persuade him not to sign up for it?" General Hui proposed.After a moment of silence, Grandmaster Ye replied, "Help him in whatever way you can. You have the Ye family's entire armament at your disposal.""Yes, Grandmaster Ye," General Hui bowed then took his leave.Grandmaster Ye squinted his eyes, "This will be a good test to determine if he really is fit to inherit the Ye family's wealth…"He then walked to his study room to compile the details of his business. ---"Are you really taking part in the tournament?" Melissa asked with wide eyes and a shaky voice.Jon nodded, "I must do it for the sake of my parents."Melissa was hesitant, "What about yourself? What about your…""I will take care of myself," Jon interrupted. He then took hold of her hand, "I hope you will support me in my decision."Melissa
Clang, clang, clang…In the woods, Jon trained while wearing his armor so that he could adapt to it. Although the additional weight slowed him down, he still could move quickly.Huff, huff, huff…"I need to make sure that I maintain my energy levels." He wiped off the perspiration on his forehead using the back of his hand. To ensure he could last till the end of the tournament, he trained his up stamina by running long distances. The day before the tournament, Jon rested well and ate nutritious food that would provide him with energy. Since he had trained hard the past three months, he wanted to be in his best shape for the tournament. Thud, thud, thud…As he meditated on the boulder next to an empty field, he heard Master Hui's footsteps.Jon opened his eyes."Tomorrow is the tournament," his mentor began. "You have trained hard and well. I wish you all the best."Jon stood up then bowed, "Thank you, Master Hui."His mentor took out a metal box with green stars engraved on it.
Bam, bam, bam…Clang, clang, clang…The sound of the participants fighting against each other echoed in the air. Jon's opponent swung a nunchuck on each of his hand over and under his shoulders while Jon unsheathed his sword. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh …Shing, shing, shing… Jon blocked the nunchucks swung toward him. His opponent abruptly swung his leg to the side.Bam!While Jon stumbled sideways, his opponent charged toward him. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…Jon recovered just in time to block the attacks. Ah!Jon swung his sword at his opponent's leg and left a gash. His opponent immediately cried out in pain. Jon repeatedly spun and kicked his leg toward his opponent's face. Bam, bam, bam…His opponent fell backward on the ground but struggled to stand up. One… two…By the third count, his opponent was on his feet. Jon charged toward his competitor while holding his sword to his side. Shing!Jon seized the opportunity to slash his opponent's waist. Whoosh!His opponent shielded
"Volcanic Ash!"Red hot dust particles suddenly appeared in front of Raphael's opponent. Cough, cough, cough…He grabbed the opportunity to retrieve his saber and stab his competitor in the chest. Slash!His competitor fell face down on the ground. One… two… three…Ding, ding, ding!Raphael emerged victorious for the round. He quickly made his way backstage to rest. Upon seeing Raphael walking toward him, Jon went back to his allocated waiting room. "It is best for me to keep a distance from Raphael," he thought to himself. Jon's injuries from the first round were almost completely healed. "I will put some bandages just in case."He took sips of water and eat a banana to boost his energy. In the waiting room, he could hear the tournament's emcee entertaining the spectators. "Who will be the winner of the 100 000 cash grand prize?"---"Fighting that chubby guy was such a pain," Raphael cursed as he changed his battle dress. Fortunately, he had brought an extra set. He then qu
"Star Burst!"Green balls of fire surrounded Jon's opponent and burst like fireworks.She loudly laughed in a cynical way, "Your energy attacks will not work on me!"Jon was shocked, "How is that possible?"He continued fending off her close combat attacks using his energy sword. "Maybe my plant-based techniques will work," he decided to try another technique. "Plant Bomb!"Many green leaves appeared directly below the man-hating fighter and tightly wrapped themselves around her. "What is this?" she was unable to move even an inch. Jon made use of the opportunity to stab his personalized sword at his opponent. However, the sword could not injure her. "It is no use," she smirked. "I am resistant to metal." She calmly launched an attack to free herself, "Metal Spikes."The metallic spikes on her clothes enlarged and pierced the leaves surrounding her. The leaves immediately broke into pieces. "Enough playing around," she frowned. "Metal Squash."A gigantic piece of metal appeare
One… Two… Jon's opponent stood up. He was shocked, "How did she survive that attack?""I will not be defeated by a man!" she yelled as she launched another terrifying attack. "Bot Attack!"Several metal robots the size of dolls appeared and ran toward Jon. Their hands were substituted with metal blades. "Stellar Forest!"Wooden stakes rapidly shot up from the ground. However, several of the bots dodged them. Jon had to fight them off using energy attacks. "Nuts and Bolts!"The metal robots gathered together and transformed into a giant robot. Shing, shing, shing…Jon repeatedly jumped and flipped his body to dodge the robot's attacks.Ding, ding, ding…Just as the giant robot was about to strike Jon, the bell indicating the end of the match rang. "All participants, please stand in a row in front of the podium," the emcee spoke loudly into the microphone. "Participants who continue launching attacks will be disqualified."Jon's opponent swore, "I was so close to defeating him."S
While Melissa was pondering about her next steps, an elderly cleaner with a backstage pass walked by. "Why did I not pay attention during my imitation classes?" Melissa grumbled to herself. She then sighed, "I wish I put in the effort to learn shapeshifting…"Next, she slumped her shoulders and crossed her arms, "If only knocking out a person and wearing their clothes for disguise is as easy as what the movies make it out to be." After some thought, she became even more jaded, "Or if secretly stalking someone into a room was so simple…"Just then, she came up with a better idea. "I could simply call Jon and ask him to let me in!" she slapped her forehead. Rrr…Jon answered the phone before the first ring ended."Mel, are you outside of the backstage?" He had been anxiously waiting for Melissa."Yes, I do not have a backstage pass so I cannot enter it." Jon nodded with understanding."I cannot fetch you since I need to guard my room…" he started. "I can request the security guard
Boom, boom, boom…Each of the energy beams targeted vital areas of the troupe leader's body. He counteracted them with sound beams but could not shake them off. Boom!The green energy beams collided and created a massive explosion. Since smoke filled the air, Jon could not see where his opponent went. Bang!Jon crashed onto the ground.The earbud in his ear dropped out. "That pitiful attack of yours is nothing to me," the troupe leader said while looking down at Jon and walking toward him. One… Two…Jon stirred and rolled to his side. The troupe leader placed a foot on Jon to ensure he could not get up."This is the end of the match," the troupe leader spoke harshly. "Admit it!" "Why did Master Hui pass me the earbuds?" Jon wondered to himself when he saw the earbud on the floor. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, "Could it be that the earbuds are not for me?"Boom!Recharged by a sliver of hope, Jon shot ninja stars at the troupe leader. Thud!The leader flew a distance in the air t
Clang!Jon generated a shield to protect himself from being hurt by the mace.Thud!The troupe leader appeared in front of him. Boom, boom, boom…Disco balls crashed into Jon's green shield and it vibrated. Jon struggled to upkeep his shield. "Astro Fury!" Green balls of fire crashed into the disco balls. Boom, boom, boom…One of them hit the troupe leader from behind. Thud!He fell flat on his face. Shing!Jon quickly unsheathed his sword. Just as his sword was about to hit the troupe leader, his opponent reached out his hand and grabbed Jon's ankle. Thud! Jon fell on his back. He quickly aimed a kick at the troupe leader's head.However, his opponent rolled away and stood up, dodging the blow. Clang!The troupe leader's mace collided with Jon's sword. Still on the ground, Jon aimed another a kick at his opponent's abdomen.Pfft!The troupe leader spat blood while he landed on his bottom. Jon rushed to get on his feet. Shing!His sword was directly next to the troupe le
Boom, boom, boom…Jon retaliated by sending balls of energy toward the troupe leader. He easily dodged them. Just before his opponent swung his mace, Jon launched another attack. "Seed explosion!"Boom!A supersonic sound wave collided with the seeds. "Deafening Silence!"Suddenly, Jon could not hear any sound."What is happening?" he felt afraid. "Have I turned deaf?"Jon saw the troupe leader holding his mace to his side and running toward him. "Sound or no sound the fight has to go on," Jon told himself. He opened his mouth to utter the name of his next attack but he could not hear anything. "Have I become mute too?" his heart palpitated. Moments after, he saw wooden stakes shoot up from the ground. The troupe leader's mouth moved. "What is he doing now?" Jon was disoriented. The next moment, Jon was thrust backward.He hit the ring's barrier and fell to the ground. When he saw the jury's mouth move, he scrambled to regain his footing. "I cannot rely on my hearing now,
Bam!Jon punched his opponent's metal abdomen while his dagger cut her wrist. Thud!She stumbled backward and dropped her hammer. Jon swooped down to retrieve her weapon then slammed it in the middle of her body. Zap, zap, zap…Static noise filled the air.The cyborg's metal torso broke into half then dropped flat on the ground. One… two… She struggled to fix her body parts back together.Three!Ding, ding, ding…Jon made it to the final round!"No!" the cyborg's eyes brimmed with tears. Jon could not help but feel sorry for her.He tried to help her piece herself back together. "Leave me alone," she bitterly spat as Jon moved her lower body toward her upper body. "I do not need your pity.""I do not pity you," Jon replied. "I admire your skill and fighting spirit."He extended his hand and beamed, "It was a good fight."The cyborg was still suspicious, "Stop pretending to be kind. You must be gloating since you won.""I am happy that I won," Jon admitted. "But I hope that you…"
51: Mind and Might A green ball of energy was flung to the opposite end of the arena.Thud!Jon landed on the ground with his energy shield still around him. He slowly stood up.Thud, thud, thud…The cyborg's figure appeared in front of Jon. She lifted her arms without saying a word.A blue ball of energy appeared in her hand while a long metal chain replaced her robotic arm. Crack!She flung the metal chain at Jon's shield. The shield flickered as he stumbled to the side."Give up now!" the cyborg calmly said. "There is no use in continuing the fight."She shot a large blue energy orb at Jon. "Leave while you can," her eyes turned blue. She shot two concentrated beams of energy at Jon's shield. He refused to admit defeat. Boom, boom, boom…He flew in the air and launched an attack, "Orion Vine!"Crack, crack, crack…The cyborg brandished her metal chain at the vines surrounding her to keep them at bay. "I need to grab this chance," Jon ensured he aimed accurately at his oppo
Jon flew in the air to dodge the thick blue beam. His opponent continued aiming the beam at him. A few moments later, she switched tactics. Boom, boom, boom! Blue balls of energy flew directly toward Jon. He nimbly dodged them and deflected some with a shield. Boom! One of them hit his arm. "I need to counterattack!" he thought as he shot balls of energy. Boom, boom, boom… The cyborg rolled forward then stood up. Boom, boom, boom… She continued shooting blue balls of energy. This time, she used both arms. Jon flew forward to close the distance between himself and his opponent. Shing! He unsheathed his sword and slashed its blade across the cyborg's torso. Not a single scratch could be seen. The next moment, the end of her robotic arm turned into a flat pointed blade.Shing!She raised her arm then plunged it down. Clang!Jon blocked both his opponent's blade with his sword. Shing, shing, shing…The cyborg slashed her robotic arm at Jon. Next, she spun and kicked with
The emcee continued, "This participant has poisoned the common water cooler backstage!"Audience members were shocked, "Despicable!""Will the tournament continue?""Is the news really correct? How did they find out?"Everyone who had participated in the tournament was disturbed by what they had heard. "Was I poisoned?" "Does this mean I have a chance for a rematch?"A commotion rose as more questions popped up in everybody's minds. Finally, the emcee spoke, "We will settle all the issues related to this matter and give everyone a satisfactory answer."He needed to quickly calm the audience down and please them since the troupe's reputation and earnings were at stake right now."Please enjoy the rest of the round while my team and I handle the case!" the gestured toward the arena.A few of the audience members quietened while others sat back down on their seats. Jon's parents looked at each other."How could that child do such a thing?" Jon's mother was saddened. She did not want t
"Roar!"The stone figure lifted its arm and slammed it on the ground. Bam!Raphael rolled over and narrowly avoided the blow. Boom, boom, boom…He stood up then shot balls of red energy at the giant he had created. Thud!The giant's arm broke off. Raphael attempted to reassert control over his creation. "I am the one that made you," Raphael was enraged. "Listen to me and I will restore your arm!" However, the figure continued to attack Raphael. "Roar!"It stomped its feet on the ground, as though Raphael was a mere ant. Raphael cursed as he launched another attack, "Lava Mess!"A wave of lava rose from the ground and surged toward the human-like figure. "Roar!"However, the giant was immune to the lava attack since it was made of stone and was not a sentient being.Thud!The stone figure jumped and slammed its body on the ground. Raphael had been right under it."Is he dead?" Jon held his breath. He was a kind-hearted person and did not wish to see Raphael dead, even though
"Magma burst!"A beam of molten rock burst up from below Jon's feet. Thankfully, his armor protected him and he quickly generated an energy shield while flying upward."Astronomic Twist!"Tall beams of energy shot up around Raphael and aimed for his vital areas. "Tomb Tower!"Raphael learned from his mistake and ensured he shielded himself adequately. "Dandelion Burst!" Seeds floated toward Jon's opponent then landed on the floor. They soon turned into plants that towered over the dome-like shield of rock.Raphael held the plants surrounding him. Two red spots slowly spread from his hands to all other parts of the plants. Crackle, crackle, crackle…The red spots turned into fire, burning the plants.After a few moments, the plants turned charcoal black and lay flat on the ground. "I see Raphael's abilities have improved," he thought to himself. However, he was not surprised, "I need to be careful."Boom, boom, boom…Raphael shot red balls of fire while punching the air with alte