Rising Against Fate

"Break's over! Now for the next match, please welcome Hyousuke Hagane and Raiden Raitoningu!"

A loud cheer echoed throughout the arena as the two participants entered the stage. Both participants were considered most likely to win the tournament, so it was only natural that the crowd would go crazy.

For obvious reasons, Raiden looked pissed off today. His mood had been a little off for the past two weeks, and right when it was getting better, the last meeting in the waiting room reminded him of everything that had happened.

Getting over things isn't as simple as it sounds; this was true even for Raiden. He was trying to distract himself by focusing on the tournament, but when they met today, fuel was added to the fire that was about to go out.

However, if anyone needed to be concerned about someone, that would be his opponent, not him. The electrical sparks that were visible in the air around him were the proof of it.

Hyousuke —whom Raiden was staring at— was getting chills just by being on the same stage as him. His steel manipulation magic allowed him to conduct the lightning towards the ground, but that wasn't a foolproof method as one would assume.

There was a limit to how much his body could handle. And even though these abilities gave him the strength that could be called insane, his speed was just around average, which could be called sluggish in front of Raiden. So, in a way, Raiden was the worst opponent he could come across.

"Now, if the participants are ready, let's begin the countdown!"

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One!"

"Let the battle begin!"

Raiden didn't waste even a fraction of a second and charged straight at Hyousuke. He was so fast that even the eyes of the audience were having a hard time keeping up with his speed.

He used physical enhancement and jumped at Hyousuke with a fist covered in lightning. But this time, Hyousuke was prepared for the attack. Why wouldn't he be when he saw Raiden start all his matches with the same move.

He could change his skin into steel, which he did to conduct electricity towards the ground. He then used his strength to push Raiden backward.

Raiden slid back when he landed on the floor due to the force of the impact. He smiled as he stood straight. This was the sign that he was really getting into the match.

A loud cheer echoed when Raiden stood back up. This was the first time anyone saw Raiden fall, so the excitement of the crowd was at its peak.

However, despite the positive response he got from the crowd, Hyousuke knew what kind of position he was in. And that smile from Raiden added up to his anxiety. Not just that, he himself had taken quite a bit of damage while trying to conduct the electricity.

"Man, you aren't holding back, are you?"

It was apparent that Hyouske was trying to distract Raiden so that he could prepare for his next attack. However, Raiden didn't mind it; instead, he decided to respond.

"I never hold back, so I hope you came prepared."

"I have. However, I am not sure if my preparations are enough."

Hyousuke chose his words carefully. He wanted to avoid provoking him while still showing that he himself wasn't frail. So, this response, in his opinion, served both purposes well.

Raiden smiled again. "I see, I see"—he looked straight at Hyousuke—"Then let's find that out."

Raiden dashed forward without wasting even a second after that. He was several times faster than the last time since he was using his lightning magic and physical enhancement at the same time.

Hyousuke, at this point, was prepared for the attack, but that increment in speed came as somewhat of a surprise. He tried hitting Raiden when he was within his reach, but before he could do that, Raiden dodged it easily and went behind him.

And before he could turn around, he felt the next kick from Raiden on his shoulder, after which he was sent flying towards his left.

He crashed on the floor, leaving a huge scar there. He tried standing up, but right when he stood up, he felt a surge of pain within himself. He wasn't able to hold himself up, so he fell on his knees.

He started feeling numb as his consciousness started fading. He was having difficulty breathing, and his hearing and vision soon started getting dull. After a few seconds, he fell on the ground, unconscious.

"What just happened?"

"How can Hyousuke go down that easily?"

"Was that really fair? He didn't even announce the name of the spell."

Such gossips could be heard from the crowd. That was normal since it was rare to see an opponent being knocked out that easily at this stage.

"Stop! The medical team will now examine Hyousuke's condition. The match is on hold till then."

Raiden disabled the sparks around him. At this point, he was feeling a little relaxed. He then looked towards the luxury box and waited for the announcement.

As he was waiting for the announcement, the medical team quickly rushed to Hyousuke and examined his condition. It looked like he needed serious medical attention, so they brought the stretcher and took him in for the treatment.

As far as he knew, Raiden broke no rules. He aimed the attack at his shoulder instead of his neck, and all the spells he used were within the general class. However, due to Raiden's raw strength, their effect was intensified several-fold.

After a while, the announcement continued.

"The moves were within rules, and no permanent damage was done to the opponent. The winner of this match is Raiden Raitoningu."

Few in the audience were still surprised, while the rest were cheering for Raiden. The whole match ended in less than three minutes, so the shock was understandable.

He just ignored the crowd and walked out of the stage. There were minor bruises on him caused by the impact during the first clash. However, since he didn't suffer any significant injuries other than that, it was a crushing victory.