Silence gripped the stadium.
The referee raised his arm.
"BEGIN!"
Astra moved instantly.
Her body shot forward like a golden bullet—
no gravity tricks, no energy attacks—
just raw, overwhelming **speed and strength**.
She aimed a single clean punch at Raze's chest, fast enough to break concrete and send a normal student flying out of bounds.
**BOOOOOM—!!**
But instead of being launched—
Raze merely skidded back across the tile floor, boots carving deep lines as the Starbreaker suit absorbed the blow.
A dim blue glow rippled across the armor,
the Abyss Alloy dispersing the impact like water hitting stone.
Gasps erupted from the crowd.
"He took Astra's punch!?"
"No way!"
"That's insane—she was trying to end it in one hit!"
Astra floated back slightly, eyes wide with surprise.
"…Interesting," she said quietly. "How did you withstand that?"
Raze didn't answer.
He didn't have time to.
She rushed him again.
Her fists blurred—rapid jabs, hooks, elbow strikes, knees—
each one faster and more precise than the last.
A normal fighter wouldn't even *see* the attacks.
But Raze—
*blocked all of them.*
Forearm guard.
Shoulder deflection.
Sidestep.
Palm redirect.
Astra's expression sharpened.
"He's reading my movements?"
She pushed harder.
Her punches cracked the air.
Her kicks made sonic pops.
Her strikes blurred into one continuous stream—
And still, Raze parried and weaved, armor shimmering with every impact.
Astra leapt back, chest rising with controlled breath.
*No… he didn't suddenly surpass me.
I'm the one losing strength.*
She narrowed her eyes at the faint shimmer around his suit.
*Abyss Alloy Radiation — Stage One Activation*
Whenever she closed in, a subtle wave from Raze's suit's radiation *reduced her physical output*.
Not enough to cripple her—
but enough to weaken her speed, strength, and force.
"…You're using radiation to suppress me," Astra realized aloud. "Not bad."
Raze lifted his fists.
"And Starbreaker enhances me, too. Enough to fight you properly."
Astra's heart thumped once—hard.
For the first time in years,
*she felt challenged.*
◆ ◆ ◆
*The Audience Tries to Understand*
"Is Astra holding back?"
"No… something's wrong. She's slower."
"Raze is matching her—HOW!?"
"Is that Arcwell tech really that strong?"
Pro heroes leaned forward.
Titanheart's tone was low.
"Arcwell radiation containment… he's thinning her nexas output."
Principal Leonel nodded.
"He's forcing Astra into a fair fight. Remarkable."
The crowd buzzed with a mixture of shock and excitement.
◆ ◆ ◆
*Raze Begins to Counterattack*
Astra steadied herself.
"Fine. Let's test your limit."
Raze rushed forward.
His movements were clean and calculated—
not as fast as Astra, but with **precise timing** enhanced by Starbreaker's predictive assistance.
He threw a punch.
Astra tilted her head, dodging by a hair.
He spun with a follow-up kick—
Astra blocked, but skidded slightly—not from force, but from the radiation subtly disrupting her footing.
*He's combining his tech with perfect combat discipline…*
She countered with a straight punch—
Raze caught her wrist and pivoted, redirecting her momentum.
Astra's eyes lit with surprise and something else—
**excitement.**
She broke free with a burst of strength and retreated a few meters.
"You're not the same Raze I used to spar with," she said softly.
Raze's visor glowed.
"I'm here to win."
Astra's smile deepened—not mocking, not arrogant, but **genuinely happy**.
"Good."
A pressure-filled moment stretched between them.
Then Astra leaned forward—
To the audience, it looked like she vanished.
But Raze saw her coming.
His suit vibrated with alerts—
*IMPACT WARNING — HIGH VELOCITY TARGET*
*REACTION ROUTE SUGGESTED**
*EXECUTE?*
Raze tightened his fist.
"Execute."
He moved.
Astra appeared in front of him—
And their fists collided.
*BOOOOOOOOM—!!*
Dust erupted.
The arena shook.
Students screamed.
Heroes instinctively leaned forward.
Astra smiled through the impact.
"You've improved… a lot."
Raze gritted his teeth.
"I'm not done yet."
The golden prodigy and the boy with no Nexas stood firm—
Both refusing to back down.
And the match…
had only just begun.