The training ground was silent except for the murmurs of the gathered staff. The tension in the air was intense as Kai and Liang faced each other, their eyes locked in an intense stare.
Kai tightened his grip on his twin daggers, his heart pounding in his chest. He knew this wouldn’t be an easy fight, but he wasn’t going to back down.
Liang, on the other hand, stood with confidence, his sword glinting in the sunlight. His ability, “Overwhelming,” had always given him an edge in combat, and he fully intended to use it to put his younger brother in his place.
“Ready when you are,” Kai called out, his voice steady despite the feeling of unease within him.
Liang’s smirk widened. “Very well, little brother. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
In an instant, Kai vanished from his spot, reappearing a few feet to the left. Liang’s eyes tracked his movement with ease, his ability already shifting his perception of time.
Kai lunged forward, aiming his daggers at Liang’s torso. Liang sidestepped smoothly, his sword parrying Kai’s attack skilfully. The clash of metal echoed through the training ground, sending sparks flying in all directions.
The force of their collision caused the earth beneath their feet to buckle slightly, sending ripples through the ground.
“Is this all you’ve got?” Liang taunted.
“I expected more from you, Kai.”
Kai gritted his teeth, teleporting behind Liang and slashing at his back. But Liang was already moving, his perception of time allowing him to react almost instantaneously.
He spun around, his sword deflecting Kai’s daggers once more, creating a gust of wind that rustled the onlookers’ clothing.
“You’re too slow,” Liang sneered, his eyes gleaming with a look of superiority.
Kai didn’t respond, focusing instead on his next move. He activated his space condensation ability, making the distance between them seem shorter. He closed the gap in a blink, his daggers flashing towards Liang’s throat. The speed of his movement created a gust of wind that whipped around them, causing the spectators to gasp.
“Aiming for my neck now are you?” Liang said with a playful, almost mocking tone.
He activated “Overwhelming,” slowing his perception of time to a crawl. In this slowed state, he saw every detail of Kai’s attack, every muscle movement.
He stepped aside, grabbing Kai’s wrist and twisting it, forcing him to drop one of his daggers. The ground beneath them cracked under the pressure, dust rising into the air.
Kai winced in pain but didn’t stop. He teleported again, reappearing a few feet away. He raised his hand, manipulating space to pull himself rapidly towards Liang. The sudden acceleration caught Liang off guard, but only for a moment. frёewebηovel.cѳm
Liang swung his sword in a wide arc, aiming for Kai’s abdomen. Kai ducked under the blade, his remaining dagger slicing towards Liang’s leg. Liang jumped back, avoiding the attack by a hair’s breadth. The force of his jump caused the earth to tremble slightly, and a sharp wind followed his movement.
“You think these tricks will work on me?” Liang laughed, his voice echoing in the training ground.
Kai didn’t respond. Instead, he activated space condensation again, this time making the distance between them seem even shorter. He teleported directly in front of Liang, his dagger aimed at his brother’s heart. The sudden movement created a vortex of air around them, leaves and dust swirling in the gusts.
Liang’s eyes widened, but his “Overwhelming” ability kicked in. Time slowed to a crawl once more. He twisted his body, his sword moving to intercept Kai’s attack. With a deft flick of his wrist, he disarmed Kai completely, sending the dagger flying across the training ground. Sparks flew as the metal collided, illuminating the tense scene.
In the same motion, Liang brought the hilt of his sword down on Kai’s shoulder, knocking him to the ground. Kai gasped in pain, his vision blurring for a moment. The impact created a small crater beneath him, the ground giving way under the force.
Liang stood over him, his expression a look of triumph and disdain. “You never stood a chance, little brother.”
“And for your information, I went easy on you.”
“So hurry back and go cling on to your broken toy.”
Kai struggled to get up, his body trembling with exhaustion and frustration. “I… I won’t let you talk about Yanzi like that,” he panted.
Liang’s smirk faded slightly, replaced by a cold, calculating look. “You still don’t understand, do you? Strength is what matters in this family. And you, Kai, don’t have enough.”
“That’s why you ran away from the guy that broke your toy, remember?”
He turned his back on Kai, dismissing him as no longer worth his time. “This duel is over.”
Kai clenched his fists, forcing himself to stand. “It’s not over until I say it is.” Liang paused, turning slightly to look at Kai over his shoulder. “You’re delusional, Kai. But if you want another beating, I’m more than happy to oblige.”
Before Kai could react, Liang closed the distance with a gust of wind, his movements a blur. He landed a series of rapid strikes, each one swift and devastating.
Kai tried to teleport away, but Liang was always one step ahead, his perception of time giving him the edge. The earth buckled and split under the force of their combat, dust and debris filling the air.
Everytime Kai would teleport away, Liang would instantly close the distance with his speed. Whipping up dirt with the gusts of wind created with their movements.
Finally, with a powerful kick to Kai’s chest, Liang sent him sprawling to the ground. Kai lay there, gasping for breath, unable to muster the strength to stand. The ground where he landed was shattered, small rocks and dirt scattered around him.
Liang stood over him, his expression cold, as he stared daggers at him. “Stay down, little brother. You lost.”
The gathered spectators watched in silence, the reality of Kai’s defeat sinking in. Lord Jian Li, observing from the elevated platform, shook his head slightly, a look of disappointment and resignation in his eyes.