[Second chapter for today ,thanks again to everyone who contributed to us reaching our goal.Now our goal is 75 Powerstones for a double release]
The arena was alive with electric energy as Denji stepped forward. His opponent, a tall girl with fierce eyes and yellow hair tied tightly back, regarded him calmly. Her uniform bore the insignia of Kaminari—Stem City—and her aura shimmered with raw lightning power.
The crowd hushed. This was no ordinary battle.
Rei's reputation preceded her. Known for her brutal precision and tactical mind, she was one of the academy's top first-year fighters. Her lightning crackled subtly around her fingertips as she took her stance.
"You ready, Denji?" she asked with a faint smile.
Denji nodded, voice steady. "Let's see if you can keep up."
Without warning, Rei surged forward, releasing a flurry of razor-sharp lightning darts aimed at Denji's head and chest. Denji vanished in a blur, shadows wrapping him as he moved—his stealth Jinki technique activated.
The darts shattered the ground where he'd stood moments before.
Denji emerged behind her, sword humming faintly with electric energy. He slashed in a low arc, forcing Rei to block with a quick, spinning lightning shield.
"You're fast," Rei acknowledged, eyes sharp. "But speed isn't everything."
Denji grinned. "Neither is raw power."
The two circled, trading bursts of lightning, parries, and evasive maneuvers. Rei's style was aggressive and direct—lightning strikes with heavy force. Denji's was silent and precise, using shadows to appear and vanish unpredictably.
"I've studied your style," Rei said, voice calm but firm. "Your silent strikes are lethal, but predictable."
Denji chuckled. "Then I'll have to change the pattern."
Denji feinted a strike to her left, then disappeared again—only to launch a lightning dagger aimed at her right shoulder. Rei barely twisted away, sparks flying as the blade grazed her armor.
She countered with a massive lightning orb, forcing Denji to leap back, narrowly avoiding the blast.
"Not bad," Denji said, eyes gleaming.
Rei smirked. "You're learning."
The fight wasn't just physical—it was a battle of wits.
"Why do you fight like that?" Rei asked during a brief pause.
"Because silence is my advantage," Denji replied. "Lightning is unpredictable when you don't hear it coming."
"True," Rei nodded. "But I'm listening."
Rei pressed the attack, summoning twin lightning blades that glowed fiercely. She slashed rapidly, forcing Denji to defend with his own blade and shadowy moves.
But Denji's eyes were sharp; he noted a subtle twitch in her left shoulder—a tell of her next move.
Using that knowledge, he disappeared into shadows, reappeared above her, and struck with a lightning-charged downward slash.
Rei barely blocked it, but the force staggered her.
Denji smiled, calling upon his ultimate: **Silent Thunder Fang**—a combination of stealth, speed, and a concentrated lightning strike shaped like a fang.
He vanished again, reappearing behind her, and struck at a pressure point on her back.
Rei gasped, stumbling forward.
Denji landed smoothly, lowering his blade.
Rei steadied herself, breathing heavily but smiling.
Denji nodded. "You are amazing. That was the toughest fight I've ever had."
The crowd's murmur grew to a hush as Denji and Rei squared off again, each catching their breath but ready to continue.
Denji's gaze swept over Rei's poised form, his mind running rapid calculations. She was strong — not just in power, but in control and strategy. Every movement was measured, each attack precise. She was the kind of fighter who could analyze a pattern mid-battle and adapt instantly.
*This isn't going to be easy,* Denji thought, tightening his grip on his sword, its electric hum syncing with the rhythm of his heartbeat.
Rei struck first, launching a volley of jagged lightning shards, each one sharp enough to pierce armor. Denji responded by melting into the shadows, his form flickering like a mirage. The shards tore into the ground, leaving scorched marks.
Denji reappeared to her left, a silent whisper of movement, and slashed upward. Rei parried, sparks exploding from the meeting blades, but Denji had anticipated her reaction — he spun and thrust his elbow into her side.
She grunted but didn't falter. "Nice move," she said, eyes narrowing, "but it'll take more than that to break me."
Denji circled her, watching for weaknesses, analyzing her breathing and stance.
He called out with a smirk, "You're good at reading my style, but can you handle unpredictability?"
Rei smiled back, "I thrive on the unexpected."
With a cry, she summoned twin lightning whips crackling with raw power, whipping them forward in an arc that seemed to split the very air.
Denji ducked low, dodging the lashes, and surged forward, his own sword charged with condensed energy. But instead of attacking directly, he threw a set of lightning daggers — silent, swift, and aimed for her joints.
Rei's eyes flashed. She caught the daggers mid-air with one whip and crushed them with a snap of her wrists.
Stepping in close, she grappled Denji's arm, electric sparks flying as their energies collided. "Close combat suits me," she whispered fiercely.
Denji grinned despite the tension. "Me too."
They struggled, locked in a deadly dance of strength and skill, each trying to overpower the other.
Breaking free, Denji stepped back into the shadows. His breathing slowed, heart steadying.
*Time to change the tempo.*
He moved like a ghost — silent, fluid, blending into the surrounding energy.
Rei's eyes darted around, searching for him.
Suddenly, Denji reappeared behind her, striking at a pressure point near her neck with a lightning-imbued dagger. She twisted just in time, deflecting with the back of her hand, but the blow landed with a crackling jolt.
"You're improving," Rei admitted, wiping a streak of blood from her lip. "Your stealth is… impressive."
Denji smiled. "And you're relentless. I like that."
The arena seemed to shrink around them, the crowd fading away as their focus narrowed.
Rei lunged with a surge of energy, her lightning whips lashing like deadly serpents.
Denji parried, his sword glowing brighter with accumulated charge.
Suddenly, he leapt high, vanishing into the sky, then descended with a crashing strike — his **Thunder Fang** technique.
Rei barely raised her arms in time, absorbing the blow with a concentrated lightning barrier.
The force knocked both fighters back, scorched earth marking the impact.
Both panting, Denji and Rei locked eyes across the battlefield.
"You're good," Denji said, lowering his blade slightly. "But I'm not done yet."
Rei nodded, a gleam of respect shining in her gaze.
They charged simultaneously, lightning blazing, sword against whip.
Denji's movements became a blur, each strike calculated, precise. He baited Rei into overextending, then countered with a shadow-vanishing feint followed by a focused strike to her side.
Rei stumbled, then gracefully dropped her weapons, raising her hands in surrender.
Denji stepped back, lowering his sword.
"That was incredible," he said, breath heavy but heart pounding with exhilaration.
Rei smiled, extending her hand. "You've earned my respect. The way you blend stealth and power… it's rare."
Denji shook her hand firmly. "I'll keep getting better. We'll meet again."
As Rei walked off, the crowd erupted into cheers.
Denji's friends rushed to him, eyes wide with admiration.
Hinari grinned. "I knew you had it in you."
Shinji gave a quiet nod, inspired.
Denki clapped Denji on the back. "Silent thunder, huh? You rocked it."
Denji smiled, feeling the weight of the battle settle into pride and determination.