Axel didn't waste a second before going in for the first attack.
Normally, he would try to bait his opponent into revealing their ability first, then he might watch their movements, guess their strengths and ultimately find a potential weakness.
That was exactly how he handled the graphite skin student. That was how he avoided getting defeated.
But right now? He did the exact opposite. Right now he was desperate.
And desperation didn't care about strategy.
[Infernal Slash: 90%]
The system flashed the moment Axel swung his arm, releasing the streak of red energy.
Dane's eyes widened as he saw this strange red energy, hurling toward him.
"Huh—?"
He barely managed to twist his body out of the way. The Infernal Slash ripped past him and smashed into the wall behind him. The concrete hissed and a long, dark scorch line carved itself across the surface.
Axel had missed.
For someone who wanted to win badly, he shouldn't have missed this first strike.
Dane stared at it. Then he stared at Axel.
"What the hell was—"
Axel didn't let him finish. He lunged forward with his fist drawn back. His knuckles still burned from the earlier escape, but he decided to punch anyway. Dane shifted to the side again, smooth and quick, letting Axel's fist slice through empty air.
That was enough to snap Dane out of his confusion.
His expression tightened. His shoulders rolled back. The casual bully attitude disappeared, replaced by something colder.
"So that's how it's gonna be…" Dane said with a low voice.
He clenched his fists.
"The hard way it is."
***
Dane moved first.
Before that, he took a stance. He inhaled deeply and Axel could hear something bubbling up in his mouth.
'Time to see his ability.'
Axel barely saw his cheeks bulge before a stream of dark, hissing liquid shot out of Dane's mouth and went straight toward him. Axel threw himself to the side. Most of it missed but not all.
A few drops hit his arm.
SHHHHHHHH—
Axel screamed and slapped his hand over the spot. His skin smoked. It felt like someone pressed a hot knife into his flesh.
That was... vaporising.
Dane wasn't joking.
"Ohhh," Dane said with a grin, "so you DO feel pain. Good. Makes this more fun."
Axel forced himself upright, clutching his burning arm. He needed to end this fast.
"Didn't you hear me earlier at the library? I vaporise things." Dane said, smirking.
Axel stared at the smoking patch on his skin. This wasn't vaporising in the way he had originally thought.
This was acid, maybe even worse than acid.
This was venom. A Spectra level venom.
That was Dane's ability. He spits Venom.
Dane rolled his shoulders, relaxed and confident.
"Oh, you picked the wrong person today, weirdo."
"Did I, though?"
Axel raised his arm again and sent another slash of red Infernal Energy tearing forward.
[Infernal Core: 80%]
Dane reacted to that by shooting another venom and this time, a full blast of liquid straight toward Axel.
One one side was Axel's Infernal Slash and on the other was Dane's venomous spit.
Both attacks met in the middle and collided.
For a second, they pushed against each other… until Axel saw something horrifying.
His Infernal Slash started to melt.
The red energy thinned… weakened… it solidified mid air and then cracked like glass.
How that even happened was a mystery.
Dane's venom burned straight through it and kept going straight for Axel.
"No… no no—"
Axel dove, rolling across the ground as the venom splattered where he had been standing a second ago. The pavement sizzled and dissolved into a smoking crater.
Dane laughed.
"Wow, THAT was your big attack? That weak little red line? Jesus! Who the HELL is giving you weak Luminas the audacity in this school?"
Axel didn't answer. His heart was pounding so hard he felt it in his teeth.
Dane walked toward him slowly, like a predator enjoying every step.
"You know what's funny?" Dane said. "You picked ME. Out of everyone you could've chosen to defy, you chose the guy who melts anything he spits on."
"That's on you, man." Dane said, shrugging.
Axel gritted his teeth and rushed forward, swinging a punch. Dane sidestepped again, effortlessly and bored. He elbowed Axel in the back of the neck, sending him stumbling.
Axel caught himself and kicked back. Dane blocked it with his knee and spat again. Axel dodged again but barely, the venom shaving a lock of hair as it zipped past.
"You're fast," Dane said, "but not fast enough."
Axel tried to close the distance. If he could get close enough, Dane wouldn't be able to spit without hitting himself. He feinted left and came in from the right, slamming a fist toward Dane's ribs.
Dane caught his wrist.
Axel's eyes widened.
"You're screwed."
He spat point blank.
Axel jerked his head aside, the venom missing his face by inches and splattering onto his shoulder. Pain exploded across his skin as the fabric burned away and flesh sizzled underneath.
"Aaaagh—!"
Dane shoved him back and Axel hit the wall hard.
"You wanted to fight me, right?" Dane said, cracking his neck. "Then fight. Come on. Show me that red thing again. I'll melt it too."
Axel's breathing turned sharp.
His shoulder was on fire.
His arm was still smoking.
Every instinct told him he had picked the worst target possible.
Dane took a slow step toward him… then another.
He raised two fingers like he was aiming.
His mouth opened and a thin line of venom gathered at the edge of his lip.
"You're dead," Dane said.
And Axel knew, for the first time since getting his system, he would actually lose.