The academy was electric with excitement. **Round 2 of the tournament** had arrived, and the weak were already weeded out.
Only the strongest remained.
Ape-X **stood in the waiting area, hood up, ignoring the whispers around him.**
"Did you see his last match?"
"Yeah, but that was just luck. Let's see if he can do it again."
X didn't care. He wasn't here for attention. He was here because **he wanted to fight.**
---
### **Match 1: Ape-X vs. Riku, The Thunderstorm**
The announcer's voice **boomed through the stadium.**
"First match—**Ape-X vs. Riku the Thunderstorm!**"
**Riku was a fan favorite.** A lightning user who had **never lost a match.** His body **crackled with electricity** as he stepped into the ring, a confident smirk on his face.
"Heh. You got lucky in round one," Riku taunted. "But now you're fighting me."
X just stretched his arms. "Let's get this over with."
The referee raised his hand. **"Begin!"**
---
### **The Fight**
**BOOM!**
Riku **vanished in a flash of light.**
In an instant, he was behind X—**a bolt of lightning aimed straight for his spine.**
The crowd gasped. **It was over.**
But then—**something impossible happened.**
Riku's lightning **stopped.**
Frozen mid-air.
The electricity itself was **locked.**
Riku's eyes widened in horror.
"W-what the hell?!"
Ape-X turned **slowly.**
Then, he moved.
**BAM!**
A single punch to the gut. **Riku crumpled instantly.**
The match was over.
The crowd **fell silent.**
Then—**chaos erupted.**
"He stopped lightning?!"
"What the hell kind of power is that?!"
Even the **Kaizerians watching from the shadows** took notice.
Kaizer of Mind smirked. **"This is getting interesting."**
And deep inside, **Ape-X felt it too.**
Something inside him was awakening.
Something **far beyond what anyone could imagine.**
**To be continued…**