Chapter 118: Draw |
Baruk brought both arms together.
The two short staffs connected with a metallic clang amid the silver radiance, transforming into a single imposing long staff.
Then he spun his body, swung the staff in a full arc, and thrust it forward toward the center of the towering tsunami before him!
The entire sequence seemed to transcend the concept of time itself, completed in a single instant.
Even Gann Cole, an Intent high-rank powerhouse, could only catch a few fragmented afterimages of the movements.
This was an all-or-nothing strike that condensed all of Baruk's strength, willpower, and even the essence of his life!
As a warrior raised upon the wastelands, he had never feared battle.
Even if he lost, he would only fall after exhausting every last ounce of strength—not because he had been defeated by his opponent's momentum.
The tsunami-like force created by Xia (Montoya) collided head-on with the wasteland power summoned by Baruk at the center of the arena!
There was no earth-shattering explosion as expected.
Instead, an ear-piercing grinding sound echoed through the arena, making everyone's scalp tingle and teeth ache, as though two immense forces were crushing against one another.
The metal gauntlet and the long staff never actually touched.
Yet the pressure generated between them seemed to compress space itself.
Between fist and staff remained a distance that felt eternally impossible to bridge.
Crack... Crack... Crack...
Centered on the two combatants, the arena floor—reinforced by multiple defensive formations—began collapsing and shattering ring after ring beneath an irresistible pressure.
An ever-expanding crater formed around them.
Xia (Montoya) was already shocked beyond words.
He had never expected this bear to possess such strength.
'Let's see how much longer you can hold out!'
The power of Tidal Resonance surged endlessly like ocean waves.
One wave stacked upon another.
One tide followed the next.
An unending succession of crushing pressure descended upon Baruk.
Faced with the overwhelming force, silver runic light flashed once more around Baruk.
Letting out a roar that shattered the surrounding dust clouds, he fiercely lifted his foot and stepped forward!
Just that single step shattered the seemingly insurmountable distance between staff and gauntlet!
“BOOOOOOM————!!!”
The two forces, compressed to their absolute limits, erupted simultaneously.
Both Xia (Montoya) and Baruk were blasted backward.
Dust from the shattered arena filled the air.
A blinding white light swallowed everything, instantly robbing every spectator of sight.
Immediately afterward, a faint spherical spatial ripple spread outward in all directions.
“Bang!”
The first defensive barrier shattered like fragile glass, breaking apart into countless starlike fragments that vanished into the dust.
“Bzzzz—!”
The second barrier trembled violently, flickering uncertainly as it barely managed to withstand the terrifying aftershock.
At the instant the white light flashed, every low-level professional present felt as though they saw their ancestors beckoning toward them.
For a moment, every heart in the arena skipped a beat.
Even those seated in the front-row VIP section were forced backward by the overwhelming pressure.
Several breaths later, the light and dust gradually dispersed.
Half of the arena had vanished.
Only an enormous hemispherical crater remained.
At opposite ends of the crater lay two motionless figures.
The brilliant silver totem covering Baruk's massive Bearman body had completely disappeared.
His body was covered in wounds deep enough to expose bone.
Most notably, a massive fist imprint had been carved into his chest.
Blood mixed with fragments of internal organs poured from his mouth as he coughed.
He repeatedly tried to rise, only to fail again and again.
On the other side, Xia (Montoya) looked no better.
His crocodile-man disguise was nearly impossible to maintain.
The supposedly indestructible scales covering his body had cracked apart one after another.
Most severe of all, the violent shockwaves had shattered his internal organs.
He lay motionless on the ground.
Aside from the slight rise and fall of his chest proving he was still alive, even his rows of gleaming teeth had lost several members, making him look particularly miserable.
The entire arena fell silent.
Everyone was stunned speechless by this mutually destructive outcome.
At this moment, Xia (Montoya) felt incredibly depressed.
His disguise body had suffered severe damage from the impact.
Unless he secretly cheated and rapidly repaired it, there was absolutely no way he could stand up again.
But if he did that, Isos would probably mock him even more.
And as the great Montoya, he could not afford the embarrassment of winning through cheating.
'Ahhhh! This is so depressing!'
'I didn't even get a single bite in, and I got forced into a draw! What a loss!'
'How is this bear's frontal combat strength so ridiculous?!'
***
While Montoya continued grumbling internally—
The referee, frozen in shock for several moments, suddenly remembered his duties and shouted with a trembling voice:
“Te-Ten-second countdown! If neither participant can stand, the match will be declared a draw! Ten... nine...”
Countless spectators held their breath.
“Eight... seven...”
Inside the Commercial Alliance VIP box, everyone pressed themselves against the crystal windows.
Their eyes were fixed on the bottom of the crater.
Their hearts were in their throats.
“Six... five...”
At the entrance tunnel, Foxman Elder Mick and the waiting medical personnel anxiously stood by.
“Four...”
At the bottom of the crater, Baruk released an unwilling growl.
Using every remaining ounce of strength, he managed to raise his head by a single inch—
Only for it to fall back down again.
“Three…”
Xia (Montoya) had already given up struggling.
Right now, all he could think about was how to avoid that bastard Isos.
“Two... one!”
“Time's up! This match—ends in a draw!”
The referee's announcement finally brought an end to the brutal battle.
There were no cheers for a victor.
Only endless silence.
Then came thunderous applause, offered as the highest respect to two warriors.
Medical personnel rushed into the arena and carefully lifted both severely wounded fighters onto stretchers.
As he was being carried away, Baruk's weak voice transmission reached Xia's ears.
“You... are very strong. I look forward to fighting you again in the finals.”
Xia (Montoya) shot a speechless glance at this battle-crazed maniac.
“Fine…”
He muttered a response before returning to his absent-minded state.
Then—
【Hehehe! Montoya! Are you trying to figure out how to avoid me right now?】
The voice he least wanted to hear suddenly echoed inside his mind.
“Damn it!”
He had completely forgotten.
That bastard could contact him at any time now!
Montoya instantly felt even more hopeless about life.
However, the expected mockery never came.
Instead, Kyle's voice sounded.
“Montoya, it's me.”
While still struggling through his intense battle with the Grand Elder, Kyle split off a tiny portion of his attention and quickly connected through Isos, having him bring Montoya into the link.
Montoya jolted violently.
Even his disguise body twitched involuntarily, frightening the medical staff into thinking the injured fighter had suddenly died. They hurriedly began checking his condition.
“Boss! What are your orders?”
【Mm! In a moment, I'm going to try using a newly developed ability to summon you. Make some preparations.】
“Understood, Boss. Just a moment!”
Xia (Montoya) quickly scanned his surroundings.
Excellent.
They're all weaklings!
The next moment, a thin crimson mist seeped out from within his disguised body.
It silently flowed away through cracks in the ground.
What remained behind was merely an empty shell maintaining faint signs of life.