The Psyconic Legacy (might be changed later)

Chapter 6

I sighed, leaning back in my seat as the latest batch of fights wrapped up. The matches weren't bad, per se, but they lacked the kind of flair or finesse to really impress. A few solid moves here and there, but mostly a bunch of people fumbling through their powers.

Kevaughn's name was finally called.

"Alright, I'm up," Kevaughn said, stretching casually as he rose from his seat.

"Please make this entertaining," Sarah quipped, her tone dry.

"I'll try my best," Kevaughn replied, smirking as he made his way toward the platform.

"This should be fun," I said, a small grin tugging at my lips.

"Maybe," Daniel and Shaheem replied in unison, their faces betraying no excitement. Kevaughn stepped onto Platform One, locking eyes with Kevin Brigher, a broad-shouldered guy with short, spiked hair and a faint glow of light energy pulsing around him. They sized each other up before slipping into their stances—Kevaughn loose and relaxed, Kevin tight and defensive.

"Begin!" Mr. Xavier's sharp voice rang out.

Kevaughn moved first, blurring out of sight. In a blink, he reappeared at Kevin's left, his fist hurtling toward Kevin's temple. Kevin barely managed to raise his arm, the impact resonating like a small shockwave. Before Kevin could recover, Kevaughn grabbed his arm, shifted his stance, and delivered a palm strike to Kevin's ribs. The force of the strike was enhanced by a burst of destructive energy, sending Kevin hurtling across the platform.

Kevin gritted his teeth mid-flight and conjured two luminous chains from his palms. He fired them into the platform, yanking himself downward to regain control. Just as his feet grazed the ground, Kevaughn slid underneath him with startling speed, transitioning into a smooth handstand.

The upward kick came fast, slamming into Kevin's midsection and sending him skyward again.

"Damn, Kevin's got some grit, though," I noted, watching him conjure a light barrier mid-air and rebound off it with impressive agility.

"He's decent," Sarah said with a shrug.

"Can you at least try to be optimistic?" Daniel sighed.

"No."

"Of course you're not."

"Sarah, be nice," Shaheem chimed in.

Sarah huffed but didn't say anything else.

Meanwhile, Kevin launched himself toward Kevaughn, summoning spears of light in his hands. Kevaughn didn't flinch, his smirk only widening. With a snap of his fingers, lances of destructive energy materialized above him, glowing ominously. He fired them in rapid succession, each lance tearing through the air toward Kevin.

Kevin's eyes widened as he tried to counter, hurling his light spears to intercept the lances. The collisions caused a series of dazzling explosions that lit up the platform, scattering shockwaves in all directions.

Through the smoke and chaos, Kevaughn vanished again. Kevin barely had time to register the movement before Kevaughn reappeared behind him, delivering a brutal dropkick to his back. Kevin hit the platform hard, groaning as he struggled to get back up.

Kevaughn didn't give him a chance. He swept Kevin's legs out from under him with a low kick, then materialized a spear of destructive energy, its tip hovering inches from Kevin's throat.

"Forfeit," Kevaughn said, his tone calm but firm.

Kevin sighed in defeat. "I give up."

Kevaughn dispelled the spear and offered Kevin a hand, pulling him to his feet. "You're not half bad," Kevaughn said, a rare compliment.

Kevin grinned weakly, rubbing the back of his head. "Thanks… You're insane, though."Kevaughn returned to our group, grinning as he slapped high-fives with Daniel and Shaheem.

"Nice work," I said, genuinely impressed.

"Was there ever any doubt?" Kevaughn replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Not really, but it's always good to confirm."

"Not bad," Sarah added, begrudgingly. "Still think you show off too much, though."

"It's called style," Kevaughn shot back.

"Sure," Sarah said, rolling her eyes.

About thirty minutes later, my name was called.

"Oriane Rose and Omar Tyler to Platform Two," Mr. Xavier announced.

"Knock him dead," Sarah said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Will do," I replied, heading toward the platform.

Omar was already there, waiting. He was a dark-skinned teen with long, dreaded hair that reached his shoulders. His piercing blue eyes locked onto mine with an arrogance that made my skin crawl. He wore a sleeveless gray hoodie with black cargo pants and combat boots—his cocky smirk completing the image.

"Well, this should be easy," Omar said, his voice loud enough for the audience to hear.

"Careful, your mouth's writing checks your ass can't cash," I shot back.

He laughed, a sharp, mocking sound. "Guess we'll see if you're more than just talk."

"He really shouldn't have said that," Sarah muttered.

"I think Oriane might actually kill him," Kevaughn added, shaking his head.

"Someone prep a body bag," Shaheem said dryly.

Mr. Xavier raised his hand. "Begin!"

The second the match started, Omar rushed in, conjuring flames around his fists. I sidestepped his opening jab, twisting to land a sharp elbow strike to his ribs. He grunted but retaliated quickly, swinging his flaming fist toward my head. I ducked low, sweeping his legs out from under him and forcing him to roll away to avoid a follow-up kick.

"Is that all you've got?" I taunted, keeping my stance loose.

Omar growled, slamming his hands together to create a fiery shockwave. I flipped backward, using the momentum to close the gap between us. Before he could react, I delivered a spinning kick to his side, knocking him off balance.

"Try harder," I said, smirking.

"You're gonna regret that," he spat, his eyes glowing as the flames around him intensified.

"Bring it," I replied.

I vanished from sight, reappearing below Omar with a flash of speed. My upward kick connected squarely with his jaw, snapping his head back and launching him into the air like a rocket. Before he could recover, I vanished again, this time appearing directly above him. I brought my heel down in a devastating axe kick, striking the top of his head. The force sent him hurtling back to the platform, crashing into it with an echoing BOOM.

I landed softly a few feet away, my boots barely making a sound. Omar groaned as he pushed himself up, flames erupting from his body in a fiery pillar that engulfed the entire area around him.

"Not so confident now, huh?" Omar sneered, his voice laced with venom as the flames danced wildly around him.

I sighed, standing amidst the roaring inferno, unbothered. The flames licked at my clothes, but they couldn't touch me—my ability made sure of that.

"You done yet?" I asked, my voice calm as I raised a hand to inspect an imaginary speck of dust.

Omar's confident grin faltered as he realized the flames weren't having the intended effect.

"Alright, time to wrap this up," I said, my tone laced with boredom. The air around me shifted as the temperature plummeted. The flames crackled and hissed as frost began to creep across their surface, freezing them mid-dance.

"What the—?!" Omar stammered, his eyes widening in shock as the once-roaring inferno turned into a brittle sculpture of ice.

"You seem surprised," I said, taking a step forward, the ice around me shattering underfoot. "Did you really think my power was ice manipulation? That's unfortunate for you."

I vanished again, reappearing in front of him before he could react. My fist drove into his gut with unrelenting force, causing him to double over as he coughed up spit. His body spasmed from the impact, and I followed up with my other hand, gripping his face in a vice-like hold.

"Let's take this down a notch," I muttered, slamming his head into the platform with a resounding crack.

"Get off me!" Omar roared, his body surging with flames again. A fiery pillar erupted from him, wild and desperate.

The flames surrounded us, their heat palpable, but I remained still, unbothered. I flicked my fingers, and the air grew colder once more. The flames flickered and dimmed as the frost reclaimed its territory.

"You're persistent, I'll give you that," I said, narrowing my eyes.

With a flick of my wrist, a small orb of shimmering light formed in my left palm. Its glow was pure and sharp, radiating an intense, focused energy.

Omar gritted his teeth, lunging toward me, desperation etched across his face. But before he could get close, I aimed the orb at him and released it.

A searing beam of light shot forth, faster than he could react. The impact was immediate, exploding into a brilliant burst of energy that sent him flying backward. He skidded across the platform, smoke rising from his body as he lay unconscious.

I stood there for a moment, letting the dust settle. The platform was scorched and cracked, with patches of frost glinting in the aftermath of our clash.

"Well," I said, dusting off my hands, "that was anticlimactic."

Chapter 6: End