Chapter 22: Chapter 22 – The Spark Before the Storm
The final match of the Grand Ranking Trials had reached its most critical point.
Show vs Raelyn.
Fire vs Light.
Heart vs Precision.
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🔥🔥 Show Takes the Lead
The crowd roared as the final duel began.
Show charged forward, his flames igniting in a spiraling burst. Unlike his earlier battles, his movements were sharp, calculated—tactical.
> Raelyn (thinking):
"He's not charging blindly. He's reading me…"
⏪ Flashback – The Night Before
In a secluded training field lit by moonlight, Drake stood with his hands in his pockets as Show panted, surrounded by scorch marks.
> Drake:
"Raelyn isn't strong because of raw power. He's unreadable. Fights with logic."
> Show:
"Then I'll burn past his logic."
> Drake (grinning):
"Use your unpredictability. Turn his calculations into hesitation."
They clashed again and again through the night.
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⚔️ The Shift
Back in the present, Show applied it all. He feinted left, then erupted upward, landing a solid blow on Raelyn's light shield, cracking it.
But Raelyn's eyes flashed with focus.
> Raelyn:
"Speed of light."
Suddenly, he vanished.
In a flash of golden brilliance, Raelyn appeared behind Show and struck with a blinding Light Barrage, sending Show skidding across the battlefield. Another strike. Then another. Raelyn moved like a storm—elegant, unstoppable, radiant.
> Show (falling to one knee):
"Tch… damn…"
Smoke rose from his wounds. His breath was shallow. His flames dim.
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😨 The Audience Reacts
The crowd grew quiet.
Karen stood frozen, fists clenched. Hibiki looked down, silently praying. Lyra held her breath.
> Lina (stepping forward, almost whispering):
"Raelyn… he's always been like this. We were in the same junior academy. He's never lost a single match. He was the shining prodigy… unbeatable."
Murmurs passed through the students.
> Lina (softly):
"No one… can beat him."
But then—a familiar voice broke the silence.
> Drake (grinning, arms crossed):
"Don't count Show out just yet. It doesn't take long to turn the tables…"
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🔥🔥🔥 The Fire Awakens
Suddenly, the entire stage glowed orange.
Everyone turned.
Show was standing.
His flames—no longer just red, but surging with golden light, mixed with raw mana.
> Karen (eyes wide):
"His fire… it's evolving."
> Lina (in awe):
"That mana… it's reacting again!"
Show's breath was heavy, but his spirit blazed brighter than ever. He looked up at Raelyn, eyes burning.
> Show:
"Thanks for waking me up… Raelyn."
A pillar of flame erupted beneath his feet as he surged forward.
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> TO BE CONTINUED