The crowd roared as the referee introduced the fighters for the first match of Day 2, Stage 1 of the Rank Rumble. "Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for the underdog of the BFA, Moss! And his opponent, the beast C-rank fighter, Lexi Ganahi!"
Lexi sneered at Moss, her eyes scanning the bandages covering his injuries. "What happened, Moss? Did you train too hard with your buddy Zack, or did he teach you a lesson for that foul play?"
Moss glared at Lexi, his expression unyielding. He reached for KIN, his trusty katana, and assumed a fighting stance.
The referee sounded the whistle, and the two fighters vanished from sight, reappearing in the center of the ring with their fists clashing. Moss jumped back, dodging Lexi's powerful punch.
"You think a katana will make a difference?" Lexi taunted, her eyes flashing with amusement.
Moss smiled wryly as he stabbed KIN into the ground. "I won't need it for now." Moss then inhales deeply and exhales then says, "Let me show you my new fighting style!" Moss's Arua flares outward but then compresses into his body. Moss then shouts, "NOW THIS IS IT. My new style ARUKYO!!"
The two fighters exchanged blows, their punches colliding in a flurry of motion. Lexi's eyes narrowed as she realized Moss was more formidable than she had anticipated as Moss begins to overpower her.
"Looks like I've underestimated you, Moss," Lexi admitted, her voice dripping with annoyance. "I'll have to take this seriously."
Lexi focused her aura, molding it into sharp tentacles that protruded from her lower spine and used her own Arukyo technique. With her newfound advantage, she easily overpowered Moss, stabbing his injured chest with one of her tentacles.
Lexi then smirks and says smuggly, "You really thought your the only one who knows the Arukyo style!" then she laughs mockingly.
Moss coughed up blood as he jumped back, breaking free from Lexi's grasp.
Lexi wrapped her tentacles around Moss's body, tossing him across the ring. Moss grabbed KIN, using it to anchor himself to the ground.
Undeterred, Lexi concentrated her aura, forming a massive, monstrous claw. "Beast Claw!" she roared, charging at Moss with speeds so fast not even the audience eyes nor the speed carmeras could keep up.
Moss pulled KIN from the ground, ready to counter Lexi's attack. The sound of their clash echoed throughout the stadium, causing the crowd to gasp in awe.
Blood spilled onto the floor as Moss's wounds reopened, and his bandages fell away. Lexi turned back to Moss, but he seized the opportunity to grab her hand and pull her in. With a swift motion, he cut her throat.
Lexi grabbed her neck, using her aura to regenerate her throat. However, Moss's onslaught was far from over.
"ECHO!" Moss shouted, smashing his shield into the ground. A massive pulse repelled Lexi, sending her stumbling back.
Moss jumped into the air, shifting KIN into its bow form. He activated its passive ability, his eyes glowing blue as he spotted Lexi's openings and weak spots.
Moss sneered, his voice dripping with confidence. "Looks like the great beast has finally been hunted by a greater hunter."
With a fierce cry, Moss focused his aura, charging up a powerful arrow. He unleashed it onto Lexi's chest, causing a massive explosion that shook the entire stadium and cracked the ring's floors.
Lexi stood up, barely harmed, having hardened her aura to protect herself from the blast. Moss's body trembles in exusghtion and pain as he thinks, "Damn this is it I'm done for."
As the smoke cleared, Lexi emerged, her Arua blazing like a wildfire. The air around her seemed to ripple with intensity, as if the very fabric of reality was being warped by her presence.
Lexi's eyes gleamed with a fierce, almost feral light, as she gazed at Moss with a mixture of disdain and admiration. "For an underdog, you at least tried your best," she said, her voice dripping with condescension. "But you're no match for me."
As she spoke, her eyes flared bright red, like hot coals burning with an inner fire. Her Beast Claw began to charge, the air around it crackling with energy. Then, with a swift and deadly motion, she struck Moss with a blow that sent him flying out of the ring, unconscious and broken.
The crowd erupted into cheers, their voices thundering through the arena as they hailed Lexi as the victor. The referee raised her hand in triumph, declaring her the winner of the match.
As Moss lay defeated, his dreams of victory slipping further away, the weight of his loss hung heavy in the air. He had three more chances to redeem himself, but the road ahead seemed daunting, paved with the broken bodies of those who had dared to challenge the mighty Lexi.
The question hung like a specter, haunting Moss's battered and bruised form: What would happen next? Would he be able to pick himself up, dust himself off, and launch a comeback for the ages? Or would he succumb to the crushing pressure of defeat, his spirit broken and his will shattered? Only time would tell.
End of chapter 15