Chapter 186: Smoking Victory

Under the arrows of the sunbathing the arena, a glisten of light broke Ned's search for his sword. The old iron-sword was in the middle-edge of the arena.

Swift laid resting behind Ned, with one knee on the ground, the other over the lap. She looked up and said, "Ned?"

"Stay still," he said over his shoulder. "This won't take long."

Swift nodded. Ned wasn't sure if she was smiling but the nod seemed to be enthusiastic.

ICE, his voice sounded inside his thoughts. Give me a boost every ten seconds. I don't want Overclock to deplete today.

[Copy, Ned.]

Ned's Overclock was due once used by the day. So he planned to use it a fraction when needed. Every ten seconds, ICE will give Ned a quick Overclock boost, which would double his speed and strength. Enough for him to follow-up with the speed of the Werecat. Too much if he goes all-out.

But he needed the sword to compensate for his lack of range against the farmer boy's Terra Magic spear and to increase his threat against Jerra.

The surrounding hunter's made a gawking reaction as Ned threw Jerra. They didn't even realize how he did it. Except for one. Ned's view shifted to his right, to the box, to where Twali was. The servant's eyes twinkled with light, and as if a grinning smile was revealed for a moment. Ned shifted his gaze back to his opponents wondering if what gave Twali the reason because of his unusual smile.

Farmer-boy flinched. Although surprised, he kept himself collected.

As a hunter, the bare minimum needed to survive the wild was at least to have quick thinking depending on the situation. So farmer-boy did, he dashed forward not to Ned, but the iron-sword at the edge. He knew, with a speed like that of the Werecat, coupled with thunder magic, that giving Ned a weapon was too much of an edge. So he ran, the conjured spear held both his hands.

He was three meters away and decided to throw the spear at the almost falling sword. All he needed was a quick push, and the moment the sword fell, Ned was left with a choice to fight them barehanded.

The air whistled as the spear hit nothing but the stone floor. It struck the ground making a tiny hole after vanishing as it lost the link to its user. The spear turned to sand and dispersed in the air. Farmer-boy didn't even notice how the sword, that was a reach away from him, gone in front of his eyes.

Ned wanted to keep the Overclock as hidden as possible. Now, he will have a hard time making a story as to what had happened in the arena? How did he up his speed without using magic? Surely, none would believe that it was all his raw strength.

It was a reason for the later, now was to fight them and win the battle to gain Lord Sven's support. Then go on with his quest, to find that damn Roy.

Ned stopped behind farmer-boy. He raised his hand aiming at the stunned hunter. With a quick grunt, Ned released a Fireball, at point-blank, behind farmer-boy. The scene shone red and orange, smoke littered where the recruit stood. A figure then exited the smoke, not moving but being thrown out the arena. Farmer-boy rolled, and slid, and swept the grassy ground, and ended close to Hunter's foot. Losing the battle by leaving the arena. He stopped unconsciously.

"Ruthless," one of the hunters snickered looking at Ned. He then smiled.

A hazy figure caught Ned's vision, he lifted his hand with the sword to block Jerra's punch. Ned smiled, successfully blocking Jerra's claw with the iron-sword.

The sword sparked as Jerra kept pushing Ned with his claws. She sneered and blurred. Leaving the ground with a cloud of faint smoke and a faint lightning web.

Looks like she knew, she's vicious and fast-learner as well. She knew Ned couldn't keep up with her in terms of speed if he's not using his Overclock. But Ned was sure he can follow Jerra's movements with his eyes alone, added with the Predictive Combat Emulator. He could at least tell where Jerra would attack next.

The arena whistled, then howled as Jerra traveled with lightning speed to a different location. Trying to mask her next attack.

Ned raised the short-sword perpendicular to his right. There, he caught Jerra's next attack. But before Jerra was overwhelmed by surprise, she broke the air once again and lost in the sight of the untrained eyes.

Leaving the crowd with both cheers and amazement.

"Take the kid down, Jerracat!" A hunter yield, bald head, and thick eyebrows. A facade passed to be Jerra's fan's club leader. The hunter howled, gaining a nasty smirk from the hunter surrounding him.

"Take the kid out and I will fight you Jerra! Wherever you like!"

"My coin's on you Jerra! Don't you dare disappoint me!" To Ned's surprise, behind him was the voice coming from Bud. Hunters around Bud threw a surprising look. Wasn't sure if his body was perfect enough for his high-pitched voice.

Like the cheer was needed, Jerra suddenly burst into action. Throwing herself to Ned, enveloped with thousands of voltage of electricity.

Ned paused, reading Jerra's movements. His eyes were fast, his first block was fast. Releasing sparks from the sword. His second block did half the first block, slower, but still blocked the Werecat's attack. Came to her third attack, she boxed Ned relentlessly as if using her name was the greatest sin of all Earflgard.

Ned tried to keep up. His hand almost blurred, trying to block three punch in a second. Block from the right, sparks flew. Block from the left sword chipped. Block from another left, Ned's cheek spat with blood. Block, block, wound, block, wound, block, block, kick. Then Ned was thrown to his right, almost falling on his feet, but he remained standing and smiling, and heating of excitement. The fight turned the heater inside of him, he flared with a smile, ten seconds was up, his turn.

Ned blurred, leaving the audiences in silence once again.

One of the hunters said in a crying tone, "The kid's a Wereman?!"

None answered as they were busy following to where Ned would land his next attack.

He appeared behind Jerra who was utterly confused. Once Ned pumped with adrenaline, and processed by the system to become Overclock, not even Jerra could follow him. Ned threw a knee, capping the Werecat's gut-side. She flinched along with a hiss as she was thrown mid-air not knowing where to land. But, before she could hit the ground, Ned appeared above her, hovering with the speed. He punched Jerra's gut bouncing two times before Ned kicked her, throwing her like a cue ball against the edge of the pool ball, she bounced and was thrown awkwardly. Ned appeared to her left, just in time for a quick Boost to end, with the sword pointed at the down Jerra, and with a smile showing excitement, and with pride to defeat an enemy he could say on par with him without the Boost from Overclock.

"My bad for using your name," Ned said triumphantly. Sweat running his forehead like rain running down a pipe. "But, surrender, Hunter Jerra."

For a moment, Ned's dusky eye reflected against the bright sun which turned into glassy blue.

"I," she said, both arms resting against the ground like a butterfly. Yellow fur with brown lines ran all over her body. The lonely tooth seems to get longer the first time Ned saw. "Am too late for that." She grinned and added. "Not until one of us is unconscious, or out the arena."

Sparks all over her body made Ned's hair stood behind his neck, to his arms, and hair.

A crack of lightning formed under her body, she then exploded of yellow lightning.

Ned jumped backward, leaving the electrifying Jerra on the field, alone, and terrified, and uncontrollable.

The ground cracked and Jerra appeared behind Ned, throwing him a kick.

Ned stumbled forward as the kick connected at his waist. Before Ned fell, Jerra appeared in front of Ned, giving herself time to aim to Ned's pretty face.

Ned twisted his body, just in time for the punch to land on his face. He rolled and stopped with hands both lifted across his chest in defense position. "Three more seconds," he muttered.

[This will be your last Boost, Ned.]

[Anymore than this. Your raid will start without an Overclock.]

Ned nodded, he focused and sneered. Fireballs and even Egnious wasn't a match to Jerra's speed. It would be a waste of time and mana trying to hit a blurring enemy.

Instead. "Two," he said. Ned waited for his Overclock to be ready once again.

He felt a hot sensation on his wrist.

Jerra grabbing Ned's wrists, forcing him to let go of the sword. So he did, then he was kicked in the gut, thrown once again along with rubbles and dust. Successfully gaining what she wanted. Ned's sword was thrown off the arena. Now, it's a battle of punch and claws.

"Ned!" Swift said. She forced herself to stand, so she did. But was thrown out of the arena as Jerra threw a quick straight at her. Hitting her mask, and falling to the grassy ground.

"She can't control it," Ned said, wiping the blood from his mouth. Ned scrubbed his leather clothing, making sure that his blood was properly dry. He doesn't want to accidentally transform Jerra into her final form without any consequences. She was too strong as how she is currently.

Space whistled in the arena, Jerra circled Ned with a speed so fast, Ned needed to rely on his display.

The red display came into view as Ned watched the breaking Jerra.

"You should stop it," he said. Looking upward to where the last whistle was from.

"I can't," she said, above Ned. It was as if she was flying, but no. She was just too fast. "Until I defeat you."

"You leave me no choice then," Ned raised his hand conjuring Fireball but steadily waiting for the time. "One," he muttered and blurred as well.

The arena was left empty, no Ned and Jerra, just a quick whistle here and there. Until a deafening boom echoed throughout the arena.

A figure suddenly exited the blast, leaving a trailing smoke and rubbles. Jerra's movements were cut-off in the middle and were caught with Ned's Fireball. Successfully throwing her out of the arena. She skidded and stopped unconsciously under her supposed-to-be-fans-club-leader's foot.

And Ned won.