Chapter 130: Clash of Titans: The Apex Predator vs. The Phantom Blade

Chapter 130: Clash of Titans: The Apex Predator vs. The Phantom BladeThe arena was in an intense silence as Eratz and Raya stood facing each other in the center of the vast stadium.

The audience held their breath, their collective energy charged with anticipation, every single person waiting for the clash of two of the strongest fighters the league had witnessed.

Raya gave a slight smile, her expression serene. She bowed her head respectfully, her voice steady yet soft.

"I'm glad it's come to this," she said. "Nothing happens by accident, and I believe facing you here is no coincidence. I'm now sure that we share a bond beyond the concept of this life and today it has been acknowledged. I thank you, Eratz, for receiving me as a challenger." She raised her head. "I promise to give you a battle you'll never forget." Sёarᴄh the NôvelFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Eratz's lips curved into a smile, his eyes narrowing as he tilted his head.

"Honestly, I have no idea what you're talking about," he replied. "But I know one thing: this

is going to be a good fight. Let's give a show worthy of a great final."

Raya chuckled, nodding, a glint of excitement in her closed eyes.

"Have faith in me to make it unforgettable."

The two took a step back, settling into their stances. The air seemed to shift around them, growing thicker with every heartbeat.

The crowd could feel the tension rising, a heavy, almost tangible force building between the two fighters.

Even from the stands, it was as if the energy was making the air tremble, passing through the shield, brushing over everyone like the calm before a storm.

A murmur of awe rippled through the audience as the two fighters remained motionless, their auras slowly building.

And finally, in unison, Eratz and Raya unleashed their energy, their auras exploding outwards like waves crashing against each other.

The sheer force of it sent a shockwave through the arena, leaving spectators in ecstasy as the energy washed over the shield.

Eratz's aura stabilized around him, opposite him, a subtle shift overtook Raya's posture.

Her katana appeared, forming from a swirl of energy as she raised her head toward him, her eyes closed.

Eratz smiled, his gaze sharpening, and with a sudden flash of motion, he vanished.

In the next instant, he appeared above Raya, his fist descending swiftly toward her head in a devastating strike.

Raya's katana met him in a flash, parrying with such precision that her feet slid back from the force, leaving trails in the arena floor.

Without missing a beat, Eratz surged forward, launching another relentless assault.

The two collided in a series of rapid, high-impact clashes that sent sparks flying in all directions.

Each strike resonated like thunder, echoing through the arena as they moved in a mesmerizing rhythm.

Eratz's attacks were explosive, each blow powerful enough to shake the ground, while Raya's movements were sharp and fluid, blocking each attack with an elegance that matched his raw power.

The crowd gasped with every clash, their cheers growing louder with each parry and strike.

In the stands, Zara's eyes gleamed with hope, watching Eratz closely.

"He's gaining the upper hand," she murmured, a slight smile forming on her lips. "I knew he could do it."

Ryder nodded, eyes locked on the fighters.

"Yeah, he's relentless. Raya's keeping up, but it looks like she's struggling. This is what he said, she'll need to switch tactics, or she's done." He frowned.

Kaida shook her head slightly.

"No," she replied, "neither of them has even started yet."

Back in the arena, Eratz's talon descended once more, and Raya parried, the impact driving her several feet backward.

For the first time, Eratz halted his onslaught, watching her intently from a distance, his gaze unwavering.

Raya's smile was faint, but a glint shone on her face.

"There's hesitation in your movements," she observed.

Eratz didn't respond, his eyes remaining focused, waiting for something.

She nodded, acknowledging his silence.

"I don't know if it's pure assurance or just blind confidence," she continued, "but I'll honor your strength."

As her words settled in the air, her aura began to swirl around her, intensifying with a darker shade until it took on a deep, blood-red hue.

The energy coiled and shifted, amassing into a shape behind her, the towering figure of her six-armed samurai.

She opened her eyes, her irises glowed a vibrant, unsettling red, even and focused.

Eratz grinned, a spark flickering in his amber eyes.

He stepped forward, lowering his head as his own aura flared, black energy erupting around him and swirling like a tornado.

His aura consumed him, shrouding him from view, and the ground beneath his feet cracked under the impact of his power.

When he emerged, his body had transformed, black marks streaking across his skin, his muscles enhanced, and his eyes burning with a piercing amber glow.

The Terrakrus roared behind him, a deep, guttural sound that reverberated through the arena, fueling the audience's awe and fear alike.

The crowd was in another world, their breaths held in a mixture of excitement and anxiety, watching the two fighters now ready to unleash their fury.

And then, with simultaneous intensity, they launched at each other.

Eratz's fists crashed forward like battering rams, each punch igniting a dark aura that ripped through the air.

He moved like a thunderstorm, his strikes leaving trails of energy that vibrated through the

stadium.

But Raya was already in motion, slipping past him with elegance and deadly precision. "Kurenai Shigure!" she called, her voice cutting through the clamor.

Her blade flashed in a crimson arc, slicing across his chest and leaving a burning red line.

Eratz flinched, the sting barely registered as he whipped around, delivering a devastating spinning kick that cracked the ground beneath them.

Raya avoided it by a hair's breadth, her katana dancing around his blows as if reading every

move.

In the stands, Victoria's gaze was sharp, her brow creased with worry.

"Something's off with him," she murmured, barely audible over the crowd's roars.

Zara leaned forward, her eyes wide with concern.

"He should be overpowering her by now. Why isn't he fighting at full strength?"

Kaida's voice was filled with frustration.

"Why hasn't he used his field spell? This isn't like him."

Ryder's voice rang out above the others, filled with desperate encouragement.

"Come on, Eratz! Don't hold back now!"

In the arena, the Terrakrus stormed forward alongside Eratz, its claws gouging deep furrows

in the ground as it charged Raya's samurai spirit.

The two titanic creatures collided in a fierce clash of power, each strike sending shockwaves through the stadium.

The Terrakrus slammed its tail down with earth-shaking force, but Raya's samurai spirit countered, its six blades moving like a whirlwind, parrying and striking back in perfect

harmony.

With each clash, the Terrakrus was pushed back, its dark aura clashing but faltering against the samurai's relentless, precise assault.

Eratz's breath came in heavy bursts as he launched another series of attacks, the impact of

each punch echoing through the stadium.

But every time, Raya's katana met him with surgical precision.

"Fubuki no Yaiba!" she intoned, her katana slicing in a sweeping arc, leaving a red slash

across his side.

Eratz staggered, the red painting his torso as he pushed forward, his fists swinging wildly.

He was relentless, yet each strike felt slower, each movement more labored.

Gabriel leaned forward, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Why is he so slow? He's never been this sluggish before..."

Sia didn't reply, her arms crossed, watching with a cold gaze. She could sense something

wrong, but her expression remained impassive.

Eratz gritted his teeth, throwing himself into another assault, his body greeting new colors.

His strikes grew more ferocious, each punch and kick landing with phenomenal force to

shatter stone, yet Raya evaded them with an eerie ease, her movements like water flowing

around his rage.

"Kage no Mai," she whispered, her blade weaving through his defenses like a serpent, slicing across his arm and leaving another vivid, red slash.

Eratz barely felt the pain, his eyes fixed on her as he lunged, his fist swinging, but again, she

twisted around him, her blade finding its mark.

From the stands, Mercury watched with mounting unease, her mind racing.

She remembered his words, the way he had shrugged.

"It's a bad matchup, but not for me."

And yet, here he was, struggling, every blow he took making her chest tighten.

Cassie's face was pale, her hands clasped tightly, and beside her, Roger's jaw was clenched, his gaze heavy with worry. They, too, could feel something was terribly wrong. Down in the arena, Eratz was almost entirely covered in crimson lines, his body a masterpiece

of Raya's brutal precision.

Each slash was shallow but numerous, and with each one, he seemed to slow just a little more.

His breaths were ragged now, his stance faltering as he prepared for another assault, his fists clenched, his gaze melting behind the red.

The crowd's murmurs grew louder, frustration and confusion spreading like wildfire.

"Why isn't he fighting back harder?" someone shouted.

"Is he... is he trying to lose?"

A ripple of disbelief ran through the stands, but Eratz didn't seem to hear any of it.

He pushed forward again, his muscles straining with each movement, his strikes landing with diminishing force. Raya met him with calm, her katana flashing as she called her next attack. "Yami no Tsubame!" she intoned, her blade moving in a flicker of red, slicing across his back.

He stumbled, his fists still raised, and then, for the first time, he stopped.

He stood still, his chest heaving, his gaze locked on the ground.

His body was painted in a painful red, waiting to burst. Raya tilted her head, her expression a mix of curiosity and disappointment as she kept her

blade raised, ready for anything, but nothing came from him. The crowd grew restless, voices

rising in bewilderment.

"What is he doing?" someone called out. "Why is he just standing there?"

Victoria's brow furrowed further, a worried shadow darkening her eyes.

"This isn't like him. There's... something wrong."

Zara swallowed, her voice barely above a whisper. "Eratz... what are you doing?" Eratz's gaze never wavered, his stance firm despite the blood and exhaustion that covered

him.

The arena fell into a heavy silence, every eye locked on him, every heartbeat filled with the

tension of the moment.

"Eratz, is this truly all you have to offer?" Raya asked, her tone neither mocking nor cruel. She

tilted her head, studying his lack of reaction.

"I had hoped for more, You promised me a good fight. Why is your soul so passive?"

Eratz stood there, his breaths coming hard and fast, his body screaming with pain.

He clenched his fists, raising his gaze to meet hers.

In that moment, for everyone, time seemed to freeze.

Behind the red of his face, a smile emerged.

"You're right," he rasped, his voice low yet steady. "I did promise you a good fight... and I'm a

man of my word. This battle... won't be my place to improve... but yours."

He took a deep breath, faint smile played on his red lips as he lowered his head and murmured

words echoing in the whole arena. "Rockbound Fury."