Chapter 131: Clash of Titans: The Apex Predator vs. The Phantom Blade(2)

Chapter 131: Clash of Titans: The Apex Predator vs. The Phantom Blade(2)"Rockbound Fury."

In an instant, the air around Eratz crackled and erupted. His aura surged like a tidal wave, slashing through the air with a visible, jagged edge.

The red marks on his skin began to glow and slowly vanished, fueling a savage energy that radiated outward in a blinding flash.

The entire stadium fell silent, stunned.

The energy surrounding Eratz wasn't like any aura they'd seen before, it wasn't a beautiful manifestation of power, it was raw, ferocious explosion.

Raya's eyes narrowed, her serene expression faltering for the first time. She raised her katana in front of her face, her stance bracing as if she were defending against a storm.

For a fleeting moment, her lips parted in realization.

"What's that?... I don't feel a soul in this... this isn't aura," she whispered, her voice filled with disbelief. "It's... pure, physical strength."

It was as if his body itself was materializing the sheer force of his strength into visible waves of energy, the air around him warping and cracking under the pressure.

Eratz looked down at the palm of his hand, flexing his fingers experimentally. The jagged red lines across his skin flared, then faded, leaving behind a faint, pulsing glow. He smirked, a dangerous glint in his amber eyes.

"Yep," he muttered, almost to himself. "That's a huge amount of power."

He turned his gaze back to Raya, his smile widening into a predatory grin.

"Sorry for worrying you," he said, his tone casual. "I just needed a little insurance. Now... you'll need more than parrying."

He combined the Thunder Lycaon and the Aetheri and his aura detonated, swallowing the ground beneath him and sending a shockwave of destructive energy in every direction.

The arena fell into a stunned silence, the air thick with disbelief. No one moved, no one spoke. Every pair of eyes was fixed on the swirling cloud of debris that had enveloped the entire battlefield, rising like a dark storm.

Dust and shattered stone filled the air, the ground beneath cracked and splintered as if the earth had recoiled from the sheer force of the explosion.

The cloud expanded, swallowing the light, casting a shadow over the arena. The stands trembled, and a wave of pressure swept through the shield, blinding the crowd.

Tiny fragments of rock rained down like a hailstorm, the sound of the impact still echoing in the air, and within the haze, a faint silhouette began to move.

Raya closed her eyes, her katana raised defensively. She instinctively deflected pieces of debris with swift, precise cuts, her movements sharp and focused.

But her grip tightened on her blade, her heart pounding. She knew he was there, but she couldn't pinpoint him. The energy was everywhere, like the rumble of a distant thunderstorm that had surrounded her entirely.

A flash.

Without warning, Eratz burst out of the debris cloud. He was on her before she could even notice it, his fist descending with the force of a landslide.

Raya's eyes widened, barely managing to raise her katana in time.

The impact was explosive.

Eratz's punch collided with her blade, and the shockwave sent a ripple of force through her entire body.

Her feet skidded back, digging deep grooves into the ground, cracking beneath her feet. The sheer power behind his strike felt like a battering ram slamming into her arms, the recoil shooting up her wrists, as if it could disarm her.

Before she could recover, Eratz vanished again, moving faster than her sense could follow. He reappeared at her side, his knee driving upward like a sledgehammer.

Raya twisted her body, blocking with the flat of her blade, but the impact lifted her off the ground, the shock reverberating through her bones.

She gasped, feeling the wind knocked out of her as she was sent flying back, barely managing to land on her feet, her knees buckling under the strain.

The haze of dust hadn't even settled before Eratz was on her again, relentless, a whirlwind of raw power and speed. He attacked from every angle, fists, elbows, kicks, each blow faster and more devastating than the last.

Raya's katana moved in a blur, deflecting each strike, but every block sent shockwaves through her body, the force rebounding like a ricochet. Her muscles screamed, her joints straining to absorb the relentless assault.

The ground cracked beneath her with every hit, the sheer weight of his attacks pushing her back. It felt like trying to hold back an avalanche with a single sword.

Eratz stopped his assault, stepping back to observe Raya, noticing the subtle tremble in her hands, the aftershock of his relentless barrage.

The entire arena was stunned by the raw, overwhelming display of power. Then, as if someone had flipped a switch, the silence broke, and the crowd erupted into a deafening roar.

The spectators leaped to their feet, cheering wildly. The energy in the stadium was electric, the sound reverberating like a wave crashing against the shore.

"The Apex Predator! I knew he could do it!"

"He's incredible! Did you see that power?"

The members of Crescent Moon exchanged relieved looks, still trying to process what they had just witnessed.

Victoria wiped a bead of sweat from her brow, her lips curving into a smile.

"He really is something else," she murmured, a mixture of pride and disbelief in her voice.

Catarina leaned back, letting out a deep breath she was holding.

"Nyan... I thought Raya would be our pet peeve... but I don't understand," she admitted, her eyes wide with amazement. "What the hell just happened?"

Kaida's gaze was intense, locked on Eratz.

"He's on a different level," she whispered. "But how? This is different than usually... Well, like, it happen a lot these days, but why the weak show earlier if he could pull that?"

Eratz seemed satisfied with the result of his bet. He rolled his shoulders, feeling the immense, amplified power still coursing through him.

He add the same control of his body as before, the same feeling as usually, but what Rockbound fury changed was his crushing physical strength. He glanced back at Raya, his

smile widening.

"I was right," he said, his tone casual but laced with a self-assured confidence. "It really is a bad matchup for you."

Raya's expression was calm, but there was a flicker of something in her closed eyes, a mix of realization and respect. She raised her katana slightly, catching her breath, her chest rising and falling rhythmically. The faintest of smiles tugged at her lips.

"Following your movements... that was no small task," she admitted. Her voice was soft, and for a moment, the way she tilted her head made it clear she was managing to follow him in this mass of energy. "I don't know what you did but I understand why you seemed to restrain

your power."

Eratz's grin widened, a playful glint in his white eyes.

"You're right. You've dodged everything," he replied, inclining his head in an honest bow.

"I'm impressed by your reflex, you're faster than me even in this form."

Raya forced a smile, pressing the tip of her katana into the ground for balance.

"It's not just any speed either and if I hadn't done it I would be a thing of the past by now,"

she said lightly. "One hit from you in this state would be the end of me."

Raya's smile faltered, and she took a slow, deep breath.

"So, were you just acting earlier, is this power the reason you let me attack you?" she asked,

her voice calm.

Eratz smirked, cracking his knuckles.

"I'll tell you... if you can handle a single hit."

She let out a soft, amused laugh, her lips curving up as she tilted her head slightly, her blind

eyes closed yet expressive.

"It looks like I'll have to pass on that offer then."

Straightening her posture, she lifted her katana again, her stance firm despite the strain she was feeling. Eratz's smile grew more pronounced, a spark in his eyes as he took a slow, deliberate step forward, the movement smooth and predatory.

"Oh, but you should accept," he said, his tone almost teasing. He looked at her with that same

dangerous smile, like a predator toying with its prey. "Better get something, if you get

touched anyway. You'll need to understand how my technique works."

Raya didn't respond immediately, but her grip tightened on her katana. The tension between them was palpable, like a string pulled taut, ready to snap at any moment.

Eratz began a slow, measured walk, cracking his neck as he spoke, his voice carrying through

the arena.

"The thing about enormous power," he said, flexing his fingers, "is that it's useless if your opponent is fast enough to dodge every hit."

He paused, observing her, his smirk drawing on his face.

"But... what happens when that power is packed into a body that's naturally very fast?"

Raya's brows furrowed slightly, a little bit of uncertainty crossing her face.

"What do you mean?" she asked, her voice low. S~eaʀᴄh the ηovёlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Eratz's grin widened, stepping closer.

"You're fast, Raya, I'll give you that. But... do you know what else is naturally fast?"

He raised his hand in front of his face, cracking a finger with a sharp snap, and a spark of yellow lightning danced across his knuckles.