Chapter 205: An Even Exchange?
Chapter 205: An Even Exchange?
The scene was quiet as both Jason and Avollo stared at each other while standing on the battle platform; the audience of digitizers observed in silence, not wanting to miss any detail as even Nero showed a stern look in his eyes.
"Here they go..." Nero muttered, causing Elly to show a stern look, the reflections on their pupils showing the scene clearly as both figures had quickly acted.
"You're the first to resist my Sword Force. Good, you don't seem weak, so I won't hold any punches; let's start with this..." Avollo said as he took a step forward, his figure turning blurry due to his speed as he vanished from Jason's line of sight.
Everyone looked at this with surprise, the weaker primarily shock as they had lost trace of Avollo, but as for Nero, Ashton, and a few others, they only looked on deeply with pensive expressions.
"Oh, you're quite fast, but such speed is pointless in front of these eyes," Jason said as his hawk-like eyes seemed to turn sharper, his pupils shifting around before zoning in on his right.
"Cutting Leaf Sword..." Avollo's voice sounded as a brilliant green-ray bolted towards Jason's.
Looking more closely, one would notice that Avollo had charged at Jason from a low angle, his figure seemed as if he was flying like a rocket as his body spun like a gig before he moved his arm, unsheathing his bamboo sword, which he sliced outward.
Shing! The sword's edge shimmered in a cold light as it cut toward Jason's unguarded torso; it's a greenish ray condensing an illusion of a severed leaf behind Avollo's body.
"Beautiful execution, his skill is well earned..." Kailua Meng, from the officials of the Martial Heritage Group, commented.
"Hmm, not only his technique and speed, but the Combat Power behind this strike is also at the threshold, almost at 500," Dale said.
Pale and Xu Waren didn't say anything as they observed in silence, but Reil couldn't help but think to himself, 'This boy might even be more talented than his parents; his first attack is already at the ranks of a Level 10 Greater Digital Monster. Still, this kid from the Marfields isn't likely to take this lying down.'
As if he heard Reil's thoughts, Jason, who faced Avollo's incoming onslaught, smirked as his feet kicked the ground, pushing himself backward as if retreating.
'What's he up to?' Avollo thought with a frown but didn't halt his attack, his sword's edge moving with an ultra-thin blade light that continued to sweep towards him in a horizontal slash.
After falling back towards the edge of the stage, Jason seemed as if he was in imminent peril as the sword light cut ruthlessly towards him, but soon, he placed his arms in front of him, making a strange claw-like posture with his fingers.
"Call of the Hawk..." Jason said as his palms shone in a metallic and sharp light, a gush of magic power forming around it as an illusory claw of a hawk appeared which swiftly swept towards Avollo's sword.
Avollo looked at the incoming strike in surprise; he could feel the strength behind it wasn't even less than his own, but as he knew now wasn't the time for pondering, he ruthlessly cut his sword into it.
In an instant, there was a loud bang, a shockwave of their magic power colliding followed towards the edge of the stage, causing those weaker digitizer talents to shrink back in fright.
"This isn't good," Nero said as even he had a sense of danger from the force as he prepared to retreat with Elly.
Soon though, he found that his worry was for naught as the masked man appeared and waved his hand, causing a formless barrier to prevent the shockwave from reaching the audience.
"That guy, he's certainly not the ordinary talent," Nero muttered as Elly, who stood by his side, nodded and spoke, "Indeed, I didn't know Jason had such strength; his strength right now is stronger than what I last remembered."
"Remembered? Did you see him fight before?" Nero asked curiously.
Elly nodded as she replied, "Hmm, yes, I think it was a few months ago, we did a mock event with a few families, that Velmon and Jason had shown up, only, back then, Jason's strengths wasn't as exaggerated. In fact, not only Jason, that Velmon was a bit strange, I couldn't tell how strong he was back then."
'Well, you heard her, what do you think?' Nero remained silent as he cast his thoughts inwardly, hoping to get answered by his older self.
Adult Nero, who floated aimlessly before Nero's Door of Memories, showed a deep contemplative look as he answered, "I'm also lost; these details are beyond my reach. After all, back then, I wouldn't know about anything with regards to their meetings, let alone that Velmon's and Jason's starting abilities."
'I see, then I guess it's something I'll have to face myself and overcome,' Nero inward said as his eyes once more turned to the battle platform.
Adult Nero nodded in agreement; his eyes also looked at the platform before turning to Velmon, who sat in silence with a strange smile on his lips as if he enjoyed a great play.
'Just how much will change from here onwards? I truly cannot let my guard down, even after death.'
While both Nero's had their thoughts, the lights from the explosive energies had soon vanished, once more revealing both Avollo's and Jason's forms.
They now stood at both distant edges of the battle platform, one with his arms held before him, his fingers curved likes claws as his magic power swirled around his body. The other, with a lowered stance as his thin-edged sword, rested at his side, his eyes shining with a baleful glint.
"We're even..." Avollo said, looking at the former residence of magic powers.
"Not quite," Jason said as to Avollo's surprise; he saw that a corner of his shirt had claw markings.
'Heh, just my luck, I wanted to play, and I ended up with someone like this; it looks like I'll need to expose a few cards before I challenge that Child of Blaze.'
Avollo thought to himself before the look in his eyes became a bit sharper, his Sword Force once more returning as the pressure increased in his surroundings.
Jason licked his lips at this as he waved his finger and taunted, "Huhu... come, let's see what you got! Number two"
The scene here looked as if it were about to grow even more dangerous as both prepared to fight with their all, holding nothing back.