Chapter 157: The Chosen One Vs The Guardian [2]

Ka’z’s ear twitched when he heard the rushing water growing louder in the distance, but he paid it little attention.

It was only natural that Kurg would make use of his Water Element, especially when they were fighting so close to such a bountiful water source. If anything, Ka’z expected him to take advantage of the environment.

His gaze remained locked onto Kurg as he slowly lowered his body and assumed a battle stance, the two blood axes hanging loosely in his hands as his muscles remained tense beneath his crimson scales.

"Kurg... I’m going to go all out now. Brace yourself!" Ka’z warned calmly.

Kurg’s entire body stiffened at those words. The confidence that had remained on his face throughout the battle faded slightly as he studied Ka’z more carefully, while the spectators surrounding the clearing instinctively stopped talking.

Even the kobolds who had been loudly cheering moments earlier held their breaths. They could feel the change in Ka’z’s presence, and Kurg seemed to understand better than anyone that his opponent wasn’t making an empty threat.

"Come!" Kurg declared confidently.

A mocking laugh escaped Ka’z’s lips.

"You don’t know what you’re asking for..." Ka’z hissed, his eyes suddenly burning with a violent crimson glow.

Swoosh!

Ka’z launched one of his blood axes toward Kurg with tremendous force. Kurg immediately stomped his foot against the ground, causing a thick wall of earth to rise in front of him. The blood axe struck toward the center of the wall, but instead of impacting it, the weapon suddenly stopped.

It remained suspended several inches away from the earth. The blade continued spinning violently in place, however, creating a high pitched whirling sound that made several spectators tense.

At the same time, Ka’z stepped onto the top of the earth wall and used it as a platform, launching himself high into the air.

Kurg’s eyes followed him upward.

Ka’z reached a position directly above him, giving him a clear view of the battlefield below. Without hesitation, he released the second blood axe from his hand and sent it hurtling downward.

Kurg immediately reacted.

He grabbed the surrounding earth with his magic and pulled upward, causing the wall around him to bend. The structure curved inward from every direction, transforming into a thick earthen dome that enclosed his body.

BANG!

Ka’z’s descending axe slammed into the dome and the entire structure shook violently.

Cracks spread across its surface before the dome finally shattered beneath the impact, sending chunks of earth flying outward and exposing Kurg once again.

"Die!" Ka’z hissed.

The blood axe that had been hovering beside the remains of the first earth wall suddenly moved.

It shot upward, passed over the newly formed dome and immediately changed direction, plunging downward through the opening created by the shattered barrier.

Kurg had already anticipated the possibility.

He had deliberately left a small opening in the dome as an emergency escape route. The instant the blood axe descended toward him, he jumped through the opening. The earth immediately sealed itself behind him, causing the axe to slam into the closed surface instead.

Kurg landed heavily, rolled across the ground and sprang back onto his feet.

His eyes widened seeing Ka’z was already moving. He had anticipated the escape route just as Kurg had anticipated his attack.

Swish!

Ka’z crossed the remaining distance in an instant. His body twisted violently as his leg swung downward like an axe.

Kurg raised his arm to block.

BANG!

His face twisted in pain.

The impact was so powerful that his arm snapped beneath the force of the kick, the limb folding unnaturally as his entire body was thrown backward. Kurg flew several meters before crashing into the ground, rolling violently and bouncing several times before finally coming to a stop.

The spectators gasped.

Ka’z immediately moved to pursue him but he stopped. His eyes shifted toward the nearby forest and his expression turned ugly.

A tremendous mass of water suddenly surged through the trees. Ka’z’s instincts screamed at him.

Swoosh!

The massive wave swept toward his previous position, forcing him to abandon his pursuit. He jumped sideways as the water tore through the clearing, ripping up soil and vegetation before surging past him.

But the attack wasn’t finished.

The enormous mass of water suddenly changed direction. It curled around Kurg, who had already pushed himself onto one knee, creating a protective barrier around his body.

Kurg raised his remaining hand.

"Water Magic: Water Drill!"

The massive body of water immediately began rotating.

Its outer edge twisted faster and faster until the entire structure resembled an enormous spinning drill. Water screamed through the air as the attack launched toward Ka’z.

Thud!

Ka’z simply stepped aside. The water drill tore past him and smashed into the ground where he had been standing moments earlier.

A stream of blood immediately surged toward Ka’z’s hand from the boar’s corpse and condensed into another battle axe.

The water drill changed direction and chased him.

Ka’z’s eyes narrowed. Instead of retreating, he accelerated forward. Within seconds, he had closed the distance between himself and Kurg. He raised his blood axe above his head and swung downward with all his strength.

Kurg’s eyes widened. The water surrounding Kurg rose instantly. It formed a thick shield between the two warriors.

BANG!

Ka’z’s blood axe slammed into the water and the blade dug halfway through the barrier, but something immediately felt wrong.

The solid blood began losing its shape. The water swallowed the axe, breaking apart the hardened blood and mixing it into the larger mass.

"What?!" Ka’z hissed.

His eyes narrowed in disbelief.

He had expected his Blood Weapon to tear through the water, but instead, the massive amount of water had disrupted the cohesion of his blood construct. His weapon was no longer an axe. It had become little more than crimson liquid suspended within Kurg’s spell.

Ka’z didn’t have time to figure out why. The Water Drill was already approaching from behind.

He immediately dove to the side.

The drill passed dangerously close to his body, forcing him into a rapid series of evasive movements. He flipped backward, landed on his hands and pushed himself away before another wave of water swept across the clearing.

The crowd erupted into cheers as Ka’z continued retreating while the Water Drill chased him relentlessly.

Ka’z performed several backflips while the enormous rotating mass of water remained directly behind him, tearing through trees and gouging deep trenches into the earth whenever it missed him.

Kurg gritted his teeth as he maintained control of the spell.

Ka’z suddenly jumped into the air and the Water Drill followed. He crossed both arms over his chest as his scales rapidly hardened.

Dragon Scales!

BAM!

The Water Drill struck him.

Sparks exploded across Ka’z’s chest as the immense force drove him upward. His body was pushed higher and higher into the air, his teeth clenching as he endured the tremendous pressure.

’How am I supposed to defeat him if his Water Element counters my Blood?!’ Rage surged through Ka’z.

The answer came almost as quickly as the question.

"In that case, I’ll force my way through!" Ka’z bellowed furiously.

Cracks began spreading across his eyelids and his crimson eyes burned brighter, the light beneath them becoming so intense that several spectators instinctively shielded their faces.

Ka’z’s expression twisted as he unleashed the power he had only recently obtained.

"ORIGIN SCRIPT: BLOOD SEA!"

BANG!

A tremendous shockwave exploded outward from Ka’z and the Water Drill was annihilated.

The massive structure collapsed instantly, scattering water across the clearing as Ka’z broke free from its pressure.

But something far more terrifying was happening. The blood inside the dead boar suddenly erupted from its corpse and every remaining drop surged outward.

More blood poured through the gaps between Ka’z’s scales, escaping his body in enormous quantities. The crimson substance began circling him, first as streams, then as enormous spirals that grew wider and wider.

The blood surrounded him like planets orbiting a sun while Ka’z remained at the center.

"ROOOOOAAAAAAAAARRRRRR!"

The sound was completely inhuman and every spectator froze.

The small figure suspended within the enormous crimson mass no longer looked like the Ka’z they knew. He looked like the center of a living storm, surrounded by an ocean of blood that churned violently around him.

Buzz!

Kurg’s expression finally changed as fear appeared in his eyes.

For the first time since the fight began, he understood that he had pushed Ka’z into something he might not be able to control.

He immediately stomped his foot against the ground and the earth surged upward.

Two dome formed around him and Kurg raised his remaining hand, and the water surrounding him rose over the two layers of earth, creating a third barrier.

"Shit! Help him!" Lan’ka screamed.

Tong’a, Lan’ka and O’nil exchanged terrified looks before immediately jumping from their branches. They landed around Kurg and slammed their hands against the earth.

Three additional layers of earth rose around him. Everyone watching understood the severity of the situation.

The spectators who had been cheering moments ago were now silent as Ka’z descended from above.

His eyes burned with murderous intensity as the enormous Blood Sea followed him downward.

Lan’ka stared upward.

"Ka’z!!!"

There was no response. Ka’z wasn’t listening.

The power of his Blood Magic had dragged him into a violent state where instinct and rage had drowned out everything else.

BOOOOOOM!

The Blood Sea crashed into the layered barriers.All the defenses resisted for only a moment before being crushed beneath the overwhelming force of the Blood Sea.

Earth, water and blood scattered across the clearing. The trees shook violently from the impact and everyone screamed and covered their faces as debris and liquid blasted outward.

For several seconds, nobody could see anything. Then the chaos slowly settled.

The spectators cautiously lowered their arms and their eyes widened. Ka’z stood in the middle of the ruined clearing.

His body looked strangely frail compared to the monstrous strength he had displayed moments earlier. His crimson scales had lost much of their color, becoming dull and almost lifeless. His chest rose and fell heavily as he stood over Kurg.

Kurg lay unconscious beneath him, his body covered in a mixture of blood and water.

Ka’z’s crimson eyes continued burning, but the terrifying intensity within them was gradually fading. His body tipped backward and hit the ground

Thud!

His consciousness disappeared almost immediately.

The last thing he heard before everything turned completely dark was the sound of panicked voices erupting from every direction as everyone rushed toward them.