Chapter 63: Ava vs Teacher Jace - 9 Minutes of a Goddess
[Name: Ava Musk
Class: Blessed
Age: 19
Affinities: Lightning A Rank
Blessings:
Storm Monarch: Turns body into living storm. All Stats Gains +10 Increase during this form. Create thunder clones-afterimages made of lightning that explode on contact.
HP: 4000/4000
MP: 5000/5000
STR: 2000
AGI: 1600
STA: 1500
INT: 1500
DEF: 1500]
"She’s even stronger than her brother, or any Year 2 girl I’ve met yet. I wonder why he’s the golden child of the Musk family instead of her." Lynx thought. "I’ll just ask her later".
...
Ding!
The red 10:00 started counting down.
Ava stood across from Jace, lightning already sparking at her fingertips, her hair lifting, her eyes sharp, the entire arena went dead silent, even the livestream chat froze for half a second.
"Begin," Jace said.
Ava didn’t wait, she shot forward, her speed was nothing like Kyle’s, this was clean, trained, every step leaving a scorch mark, her first punch came with a twist, lightning spiraling around her arm like a drill, aimed for Jace’s ribs.
Jace raised an arm, blocked it, the impact cracked the air, sparks flying everywhere, the barrier rippled.
"Good," Jace murmured.
The Lightning Affinity students leaned forward, expressions shifting every seconds.
"Did you see that, she actually made him block," one Year 2 whispered.
"She’s different," another replied, eyes wide.
Ava didn’t stop, 30 seconds in and she was already a blur, jab, kick, palm strike, each hit trailing white bolts, she weaved around Jace, using the stage, using angles, she wasn’t trying to overpower him, she was trying to outlast him, just like Lynx said.
Jace deflected, parried, stepped, his expression still calm but now he was actually moving, not just standing there.
1:00 mark, Ava feinted left, then spun right, her leg came down wreathed in lightning,
CRACK!
Jace caught it with one hand, the force pushed him back half a step, the first time he’d moved.
The crowd gasped.
"HALF A STEP," someone screamed.
"AVA DID THAT," the Year 1s lost it, chanting her name again.
Jace looked at his hand, then at Ava, a small smile. "You’ve been practicing."
Ava didn’t answer, she was already moving again.
2:00... 3:00... the fight became a dance, lightning vs lightning, bolts clashing mid-air, the stage getting torn up, neither of them taking real damage yet, both testing, both reading.
Ava’s chest was burning, her MP dropping, but her eyes never wavered.
4:00, Jace finally attacked, he moved, fast, palm strike to her shoulder, Ava blocked, but the force sent her sliding back, she dug her heels in, lightning bursting from her feet to stop.
"Not bad," Jace said, "but 6 minutes left."
Ava exhaled, sweat on her brow, then she smiled sharply, "Then let’s make them count."
She raised both hands, and the air changed.
KRAKOOOM!
Dark clouds formed above the arena, even though there was a roof, the blessing activated, her hair lifted fully, eyes going white, lightning crawling over her skin like veins.
"[Storm Monarch: Tempest Heart]," Ava whispered.
Lynx’s eyes narrowed, finally interested, "There it is." Eira eyes narrowed, "I have to admit she’s strong, but do you think she can do this, if her blessing doesn’t work. It’s over for her."
"Just watch and enjoy the battle my dear Eira. You might pick up a thing or two." Lynx smiled while he stroked Eira hair. Eyes still on the battle though.
Ava was gone, she reappeared behind Jace, fist wreathed in a tornado of lightning, she slammed it into his back.
BOOM!
Jace slid forward, 3 meters, his coat tore, the first mark on him, the crowd went insane.
"HE GOT HIT,"
"AVA DREW BLOOD,"
Jace turned, slow, there was a faint burn on his back, he touched it, then looked at Ava, and this time he was smiling, really smiling.
"Now this is interesting."
5:00... 6:00... Ava was everywhere, Thunder Clones popping up, 3 of her, then 5, each one attacking from different angles, each clone exploding when Jace hit it, the stage became a storm, lightning everywhere, people had to shield their eyes.
Jace moved through it, calm, but now he was using lightning too, using up to 30% of his strength, bolts clashing with bolts, the sound was deafening.
Ava’s clones kept him busy, while the real her charged, both hands up, she gathered everything, the clouds above roared.
"[Sovereign Judgement]," she yelled.
A pillar of lightning, thicker than Kyle’s, dropped straight down, it hit Jace dead center, the entire arena shook, dust and light filling everything.
Silence, 1 second.
Then the dust cleared, Jace was on one knee, there was a burn across his chest, he was bleeding, just a little but it still counts, from the corner of his mouth.
The Lightning Affinity students lost their minds.
"HE’S BLEEDING,"
"OUR TEACHER IS BLEEDING,"
Eira covered her mouth, "She did it," Lynx nodded once, slow, "I told you, she’s the only one that stood a slight chance against him. Although he didn’t use his full strength. She still forced him to use up to 30%" Lynx analyzed.
Jace stood up, he wiped the blood, he looked at Ava, and for the first time there was respect in his eyes, real respect.
"You’re my best student for a reason," he said, voice rough. "I didn’t even use a bit of my strength when I knocked down Kyle."
Ava was breathing hard, Tempest Heart flickering, her MP almost gone, but she stood straight, "I’m not done yet."
7:00... 8:00... she pushed again, even with low MP, she used the last of her blessing, speed, clones, hit and run, she landed two more glancing blows, nothing major, but she didn’t stop, she refused to stop.
8:30, Tempest Heart faded, Ava dropped to one knee, panting, lightning fizzling out, her arms shaking.
Jace walked to her, he walked slowly, no lightning now, just him. "I’ll end this now. You passed," he said quietly.
Ava looked up, defiant, "Then come."
Jace did, one strike, clean, precise, controlled, palm to her chest, not to send her flying like Kyle, but to end it, the impact knocked the air out of her, she slid back and fell on her back.
9:00, the timer Dinged.
Ava lay there, chest rising and falling, uniform burned, hair messy, but her eyes were open, she was conscious, she had lasted 9 minutes.
The arena was silent, then it erupted.
"9 MINUTES,"
"GODDESS AVA,"
"LIGHTNING CLASS GOAT,"
The medics didn’t even rush, she was hurt but standing was possible, she pushed herself up with shaking arms, Jace offered her a hand.
Ava looked at it, then took it, he pulled her up.
"You did good," Jace said, low enough only she heard, "better than I expected."
Ava smiled, tired but proud, "I gave my all, teacher."
Jace nodded, then turned to the hologram, "Contestant 3. Step forward."
Ava walked off the stage, every step shaking, the Year 1s were still chanting, the Lightning Affinity students were looking at her like she was a legend.
Lynx looked at her and nodded. She came over to him, and hugged him tightly, her arm trembling, her body shook. "I did it. I actually did it. I passed."
Lynx stroked her hair, "of course dear, of course." A female healer came over and gave her some recovery pills. "Swallow this and you’ll recover your lost strenght slowly."
Eira watched as Ava trembled on Lynx arm, watched as Ava took the pills, her jaw tight, jealousy and respect fighting in her chest. Even she had to admit, Ava was strong.
From the spectator stands
Kira squeezed Emily’s hand, "She’s strong, hate to admit it but I think she’s stronger than me... for now."
Emily nodded, "Yeah... she is."
"I have to get even stronger" Kira muttered to herself. As her gaze drifted to the girl on Lynx arm, and the other one at his side. Her eyes burning with jealousy and determination.
And above them all, the timer reset to 10:00.
Round 3 was about to start.