Arcane Academy: The Divine Extraction Legacy Chapter 1231: Bet
Previously on Arcane Academy: The Divine Extraction Legacy...
The audience's sharp intake of breath echoed briefly while Sora pulled himself upright,
Rice's Spirit Strike connected solidly, but it couldn't break past the Draconic Aura radiating from his frame.
Naturally, Sora stayed on guard, uncertain about enduring multiple Spirit Strikes from Rice...
Nevertheless, a spark of thrill ignited in him over this fresh test.
"Not bad," he commented.
Rice's face remained unchanged.
Though his form looked nearly delicate beneath the arena's glow, his aura wasn't weak at all... It soon gathered tightly around him, sharp as a knife's edge.
He'd anticipated the strike getting soaked up, but he hadn't squandered it. Each action served as a probe, revealing more of Sora's capabilities.
"Taunting me won't work, Sora." Rice stated, though the opponent paid no heed whatsoever.
Sora simply charged ahead once more...
Thud!
His footfalls pounded heavily, driven by the sheer power in his build.
While the dragon blood coursing through him offered no scales or wings, it had toughened his muscles, fortified his bones, and loaded his blows with a force far beyond his age!
Bam!
His punch lashed out, seeking to shatter Rice's defense. The very air boomed from the rush!
Yet Rice pivoted smoothly, shifting into one of the advanced Combat Forms Denise had passed to him.
He tilted his frame, channeling the power away via Iron Guard Form!
Abruptly, his aura glided over Sora's like a river over rock!
Boom!
The collision split the ground, yet Rice had already evaded, using his lighter power to divert Sora's might elsewhere.
The spectators were stunned!
"Incredible... He redirected that assault perfectly!"
"That's a true Martial Artist in action!"
"Outstanding move!"
"No surprise he's the prized disciple..."
"But how often can he pull that off?"
Truly, Sora showed no concern as he intensified his assault.
This round, he leaned into his key strength—his robust physique!
He kept advancing without pause, relentlessly hounding Rice.
Blow after blow rained down, punches slamming relentlessly, each one laced with traces of Draconic Aura! Whether they whiffed, got parried, or got turned away, it made no difference to him!
"Haha! This is fun!" Sora chuckled while Rice countered flawlessly or slipped away... His actions stayed sharp, his Combat Aura extending to sense Sora's every shift...
Before long, he began employing moves that flipped Sora's own power back at him.
"Too direct," Rice whispered to himself, gradually adapting to Sora's power and pace.
He transitioned into Flowing Counter, among the Combat Spells Denise had handed him. His aura bent like a flowing brook, snaring Sora's attack and shoving it off course!
In that fluid shift, he thrust ahead with a palm blow, his aura sharpening to a pinpoint jab targeted at Sora's torso!
Such precise mastery, as focusing Aura that sharply lay beyond ordinary students' reach!
It highlighted how Rice's—or maybe his regimen's—honing elevated his prowess!
Thud!
Sora reeled from the hit...
Evidently, the strike had clipped him!
Fortunately, he wasn't an average student. His draconic aura soaked up the pain, leaving just a minor graze, nothing serious.
He let out a quick breath and locked his gaze on Rice's hand...
"You're good," he conceded.
Rice cracked a smile at last and shot back. "And you're reckless."
With that, the clash grew fiercer.
Sora dropped into a lower pose, his aura flaring more intensely.
Under Chad's tough regimen, he'd forged his body without mercy, and now that effort took center stage.
His actions grew weightier, swifter, his build propelling him with massive drive. He resolved to overpower Rice through sheer force and velocity!
Now, he unleashed Dragon’s Drive, a Combat Spell from Chad's lessons. No shift in form, just a method harnessing his reinforced body to funnel aura into one devastating burst!
Rice's eyes flared wide at the incoming strike.
He deployed his skill anew, aura twisting into Redirecting Spiral, a Combat Technique built to seize dominant power and whirl it harmlessly by.
Boom!
The clash rattled the arena, fracturing the stone beneath their feet. Still, Rice had steered the blow clear of himself!
The onlookers burst into cheers, some roaring for Sora's brute strength, others for Rice's impeccable skill.
What a spectacular showdown it was!
Even so, their reserves were finite. Being so young, they lacked the Arcane Energy for a prolonged brawl.
Yet neither yielded an inch.
Sora's breathing grew labored as he geared up for a decisive strike...
Meanwhile, Rice caught on to the shift and adjusted his footing.
***
Meanwhile, far overhead in the elite balcony reserved for Immortals and top instructors, Chad rested against the rail.
Arms folded, he observed the fight with a grin...
Next to him, Denise perched with poised grace, her gaze locked on the pair below.
"They're going stronger than I'd figured," Chad noted.
"Sora’s physique is enduring nicely. He's impulsive, but that's dragon blood for you. It drives you to smash barriers instead of skirting them."
Denise let out a soft laugh at the imagery... "What? You feel like charging through walls? That's something... Anyway, Rice is the reverse, I suppose. He's mastered bypassing obstacles, diverting power rather than slamming into it directly. That's why Vale assigned his training to me... and set up this duel."
Chad shot her a sidelong look, grasping Vale's intent too.
"Well, Vale relies on you above all. At times I question if it's mere camaraderie."
Denise didn't waver, merely shaking her head. "Vale and I handle duties together. That's it."
Chad let out a chuckle, tinged with skepticism. "Duties, eh? No need to worry, I won't dig deeper. But I know Vale inside out—I spot when he holds someone dearer than obligation."
Denise brushed off the tease, refocusing on the bout. "Watch them. Feels like Rice is set to wrap this up..."
Chad burst into laughter upon hearing that...
"You mean Sora's going to close it out? Care to wager?"