[Phantom Shift has been activated]
From everyone's perspective, Mako just shifted slightly to the right. However, the weird thing was that Bill didn't change his direction, continuing to attack Mako in the same place he was before.
From Bill's perspective, Mako never moved, but as soon as his club made contact with Mako, his figure dissolved into the air as the club basically hit nothing but air.
The crowd was confused, but no one as much as Bill. He turned to the side to see Mako standing there with no changes in his facial expression and taking the same exact fighting stance.
"Missed me!" Mako taunted Bill again.
He stared at Mako with a pure look of confusion. He didn't understand why he had missed the hit when he saw the club connect.
'This trash just got lucky!' Bill thought in his head as he dashed forward once again, trying to bash Mako with his giant earth club.
The result, however, was the same as before, with Mako dodging the attack. Bill tried a couple more times but to no avail; every time, the club seemed to connect, but it would always go through Mako's figure, and Mako would appear a bit to the right or left of Bill's attack.
Bill tried to adapt to Mako's weird fighting style by aiming a little left or right of Mako's figure, hoping he would hit him that way, but Mako was also adapting.
By using his agility and perception, Mako was able to predict where the club would land and use Phantom Shift appropriately so the club would always miss him.
Aggravated by the situation, Bill yelled loudly and started unleashing continuous attacks, hoping that Mako wouldn't be able to dodge them all.
There was a downside to attacking continuously, as even though the hit rate would go up, the accuracy of the attacks would go down. Mako used this to his advantage yet again, as he sometimes only had to use his agility to dodge a hit while preserving his energy by not continuously spamming Phantom Shift.
Swinging a huge club made of rock a couple of times was no big deal for Bill, but long uses, such as his current predicament, made him lose a lot of energy.
*******************
The world government strictly regulated the level of ability that the general public who didn't have an ability permit and were under the age of 20 could possess, limiting it to level 3 and no more.
Even though a level 3 ability is not that strong, it is plenty to be considered the strongest in an entire high school.
Bill and only a couple of students with good family backgrounds or rich parents had acquired level 3 abilities, as most of the students in Emerald High had level 1 or 2 abilities.
It was still a low ability level, so it had limited skills and a limited energy pool.
Bill's best and signature skill was the giant rock club, so Mako made a plan to just dodge every attack till Bill was exhausted and had used all of his energy before attacking and finishing the fight.
**************
"Humph! I thought that the strongest kid in school should at least be able to hit me once!" Mako taunted Bill some more while hopping on his feet like a bunny.
Consumed by pride and rage, Bill didn't even notice that Mako wanted him to do this. He kept attacking with his club, and Mako kept dodging it.
Minutes passed, and the once roaring crowd had now fallen into stunned silence. Disbelief and confusion rippled through them as they watched Mako, still standing and completely unharmed.
They couldn't understand why Bill was unable to hit Mako even though all he was doing from their perspective was simply moving a bit to the right or left to dodge each of Bill's swings. This was supposed to be a one-sided massacre and everyone had bet on it. Yet here he was, dodging every single attack as if he had been a seasoned fighter all along.
Bill, now visibly frustrated, adjusted his grip on the club. His eyes narrowed as he wound it back toward his left hip, preparing for a wide horizontal swing. It wasn't the most efficient attack as clubs weren't designed for slashing, but it covered a larger area, making it nearly impossible for Mako to shift away unscathed.
Mako instantly recognized the danger. There was no way to dodge this one. His only option was to strike back.
'Add 2 Attribute Points to Strength,' he commanded internally.
[2 Attribute Points have been added to Strength]
[Strength: 10]
As Bill's swing came roaring toward him, Mako pushed off the ground with all his might, twisting his body midair into a spinning motion.
The rotation allowed him to change his direction in midair, and as he completed the spin, he was now completely horizontal with his right leg extended outwards and aimed directly for Bill's head.
Bill had no time to react. His hands were locked in the swing, leaving him completely exposed.
*WHACK!*
The impact echoed across the gym as Mako's foot struck the side of Bill's head with force. The sheer momentum sent Bill staggering backward, his feet scraping against the mat before he lost balance and crashed onto his back.
For a split second, there was nothing but stunned silence.
Then, the crowd erupted.
"WHAT! IN! THE!...."
"I NEED TO GET MY EYES CHECKED!"
"DID THAT GUY JUST LAND A HIT ON BILL'S FACE!"
Bill's head was still spinning because of the heavy hit it took without any protection. It took him a couple of seconds to regain his senses after the concussion, and that was when he realized what had just happened.
"How did you do that!" Bill shouted at Mako, who went back to take the same stance as before.
"What? All tuckered out from just one kick?" Mako continued to taunt.
Bill felt rage like never before, but this time, this wasn't the only emotion he felt. Another emotion started to well up inside him.
Uncertainty and Fear!
'How is he so fast and strong now? And how does he keep disappearing the moment my attack connects?' Bill asked himself in utter confusion.
As he picked himself back up, he looked around at the audience, who had faces of horror after they had witnessed Bill get knocked down by a nobody like Mako. It was then that an intense thought started to bubble in Bill's head.
'I don't know what he has up his sleep but I have to end him now! I can't lose this match or else... *he* will for sure kill me!'
Standing up, he dusted himself off while giving a confident grin to Mako.
"So cocky just because you landed a lucky shot? I will put you in your place, you insect!" Bill shouted as he quickly placed his palm on the ground.
The ground started to rumble as Mako had a sudden feeling to move. Mako didn't understand why but didn't question his instincts and just moved.
The moment he leaped aside, a jagged earth spike erupted from the floor, shooting seven feet into the air, right where he had been standing.
The crowd gasped in shock at the brutality of the attack that Bill had just launched, but no one was as terrified as Mako, who very nearly avoided death.
"ARE YOU INSANE!" Mako yelled at Bill, but he didn't reply. Rather, he placed his palms on the ground again.
'He really is going to kill me...' Mako said to himself as he couldn't believe that Bill actually was going to go through with his promise.
Now, knowing Bill's intention, Mako had to quickly devise a plan to finish this fight before he actually got killed.
Mako started sprinting toward Bill with speed while earth spikes kept protruding from the ground at different angles to hit Mako.
Since Mako had to run forward as well, he couldn't efficiently dodge all the incoming spikes, which caused a lot of shallow cuts to appear on Mako's body as he barely dodged the incoming spikes.
Narrowly avoiding death, Mako finally came within striking distance of Bill, who quickly covered his arm with rocks to make a small shield to deflect the punch that Mako aimed at his face, but the punch never landed as a moment later, Bill felt a sharp pain in his guts instead.
[Phantom Punch has been activated]
Saliva forcefully came out of Bill's mouth as he was knocked a few feet back.
The crowd now watched in a daze as Mako faced off against Bill in a fistfight. He was running low on energy after using Phantom Shift so many times and had to make decisions quickly because he couldn't keep dodging Bill forever.
On the other hand, Bill was skilled in fistfights, but after using his ability extensively and taking two significant hits, his fatigue caused him to become sloppy, allowing Mako to fight on somewhat equal terms with Bill.
After a couple of minutes, both fighters stood just a few feet apart, breathing heavily.
Their bodies were battered, drenched in sweat, and covered in bruises. The gym was dead silent except for the occasional muttering from the crowd, their earlier cheers replaced by tense anticipation. No one had expected the fight to go this long.
Bill wiped the blood trickling from his nose while his eyes blazed with frustration. His muscles ached from the punches Mako had landed on his body because even though he wasn't as strong as he was, Mako's speed allowed him to dish out far more attacks than him, and those attacks were starting to add up in damage.
Bill's movements were sluggish, but his pride refused to let him fall.
"You…!" Bill spat, his voice hoarse with rage and exhaustion. He wiped blood from his mouth with the back of his hand, his glare burning with disbelief. "How the hell are you still standing?! You're nothing! NOTHING!"
Mako rolled his shoulders, flexing his sore fingers. "Lucky?" he echoed, his lips curling slightly. "You've been swinging at me all night, and I'm still standing. How much longer are you gonna pretend you're in control?"
Bill gritted his teeth. Without another word, he swiped his hand, and two earth spikes erupted from either side to impale Mako.
Mako barely had a second to react, and he quickly jumped forward to dodge the spike, but that brought him face to face with Bill, whose fist shot right toward his face. Mako ducked on pure instinct, feeling the rush of air as the punch missed by mere inches, but before he could counter, Bill twisted, bringing his knee up...
*THWACK!*
Mako barely crossed his arms in time to block the blow, but the impact still sent him stumbling back. The force rattled through his body and made his forearms ache.
[-10 HP]
Bill didn't give him time to recover. He pressed forward, throwing a wild haymaker...
Mako swayed to the side, dodging by a mere inch, and quickly retaliated with a sharp jab to Bill's ribs.
*SMACK!*
Bill grunted, but he roared and swung again instead of stepping back.
Mako ducked under the attack and drove his fist into Bill's gut again, sending him staggering backward.
Bill coughed violently as tried to find his footing. His legs trembled, his body screaming at him to stop, but he wasn't done. No way was he going to lose against Mako!
With a furious growl, Bill clenched his fists and summoned the last of his strength.
A chunk of earth from the floor shot into his hand, forming into a small knife. Mako's eyes narrowed as he knew what was coming.
Bill didn't hesitate. He raised the knife high and swung with everything he had left.
Mako reacted and moved to dodge the attack...
But he was not fast enough.
*SCHLIK!*
[-15 HP]
Pain exploded across Mako's face as the knife struck his cheek, creating a big cut. His head snapped to the side, blood and spit flying from his mouth. The force sent him stumbling, and for a split second, the gym spun around him.
The crowd erupted into cheers, some laughing, some shouting in excitement.
Bill exhaled sharply, swaying slightly on his feet. "How's that… taste, huh?" he panted with a cruel grin forming. "Still think you..."
Before he could finish, Mako's head snapped back toward him. Blood dripped from his cheek, but his eyes said it all... he had had enough.
Without a word, Mako shot forward.
Bill's grin faltered.
He barely had time to raise his hand in defense before Mako feinted a right punch. Bill flinched, swinging his arm to intercept...
Mako suddenly pivoted, twisting his entire body into a spinning kick aimed straight at Bill's ribs.
Bill could do nothing as he braced for impact, still holding out his knife in his right hand, hoping to stab Mako with it after he endured this attack; however, the moment Mako's foot should have connected, his figure flickered.
Bill's eyes widened.
[Phantom Kick has been activated.]
The expected impact never came. Instead, he felt a rush of air... and then...
*CRACK!*
A brutal force slammed into the side of his head from the opposite direction.
His vision blurred. His body twisted in midair before he crashed onto the ground with a sickening thud.
Silence...
Bill lay motionless on the ground with his eyes closed and blood slowly dripping from his mouth.
The gym remained eerily quiet for several moments, the weight of what had just happened settling over everyone.
Then, someone in the crowd let out a sharp, disbelieving cheer.
And another.
And another.
Until the entire gym erupted in chaos.
The crowd, online viewers, the instructor, and Mako himself couldn't understand what had happened. Bill was knocked out cold and was lying on the floor.
"Ummm... Mako... Grey won?" The Instructor announced.
The crowd erupted not in celebration but in frustration and disbelief. Shouts of anger and groans of disappointment filled the gym as they realized they had lost a lot in bets.
Drinks, wrappers, and whatever trash they could find were hurled toward the ring in protest, but Mako barely registered any of it. His focus was locked onto Bill's unconscious body.
Or rather, not on Bill, but instead on the system display that appeared in front of his eyes with several notifications.
[Quest Completed]
[Rewards: Instant level-up]
[User has leveled up!]
[Rewards: Random attribute increase, +3 Attribute points]
[Perception has been elevated to 7]
[Current Level: Level 5]
[Bonus Quest Completed]
[Reward: One new random skill]
[Choosing Random Skill]
[New Skill Learned: (D-Tier) Analyze!] ⓘ
[Inventory Tab Has Been Unlocked!] ⓘ
**************************
Author's Note: Hey guys! Universal Power System is one of my favorite projects, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it. This is my very first work, so expect some amateur writing and a few slips. However, I always try to learn and correct myself so I can create a more coherent narrative. I hope you guys enjoy it. Don't forget to check out my other works!
Come say hi to me on Discord: https://discord.gg/TvjkrdnbE2