Chapter 73: Surprise !
The perfect moment.
Almost.
Almost.
NOW.
Mizuchi’s tail whipped.
CRACK!
Hit Pie dead center.
But—
Pie’s body tightened.
Compressed.
Hardened.
The impact exploded.
BOOM!
Shockwave rippled outward.
Water and lightning erupted.
Sparks everywhere.
The tail pushed.
Driving Pie down.
Toward the ground.
Faster.
Faster.
Ten meters.
Five.
Pie’s body vibrated.
Pressure building.
Then—
Vines shot out.
From his base.
Stabbed into the tail.
Hooked.
Twisted.
Spun his body.
Mid-air.
Rotating.
His bottom facing Mizuchi now.
Dash activated.
BOOM!
Pie launched.
Not away.
Toward.
Straight at the serpent’s head.
Like a cannonball.
Mizuchi’s eyes widened.
Too late.
WHAM!
Impact.
Massive.
The sound cracked through the arena.
Thunder.
Mizuchi’s head snapped back.
Body whipped.
Slammed down.
CRASH!
Hit the ground.
Hard.
Stone cracked.
Actually cracked.
Spider-web patterns.
Dust exploded up.
The entire arena shook.
Trembling.
Mizuchi’s body half-buried.
Head pressed into stone.
Dazed.
Lightning flickering.
Weak.
Pie bounced off.
Landed.
"Gulu!"
Perfect.
Silence.
Dead silence.
Every mouth open.
Staring.
Then—
"WHAT?!"
"DID THAT JUST—"
"THE SLIME COUNTERED!"
"MIZUCHI IS DOWN!"
"HOW?!"
One official stood.
Knocked over his drink.
Didn’t notice.
"That defense! It tanked the full hit!"
Another grabbed his colleague.
Shaking him.
"THE SPIN! DID YOU SEE THE SPIN?!"
"VINES MID-AIR!"
"IMPOSSIBLE COORDINATION!"
The woman’s hands covered her mouth.
Eyes huge.
"The timing..."
"Perfect."
"Frame-perfect."
"I have never seen such perfect timing..his connection to Alex is insanely high."
"But how? Connection is the hardest stuff to level up.. it’s more like spiritual bonds."
"How!"
Master Feng’s lollipop fell.
Again.
He didn’t pick it up.
Just stared.
"That boy..."
Rose’s jaw dropped.
Then she smiled.
Wide.
Feral.
YES!
In the arena—
Caelum stood frozen.
Eyes locked on Mizuchi.
Then on Pie.
Then back.
His face changed.
Excitement.
Pure excitement.
"YES!"
He laughed.
Loud.
"I KNEW IT!"
Pointed at Alex.
"YOU WERE HIDING YOUR STRENGTH!"
"THE SACRED GUARDIAN REVEALS ITSELF!"
His eyes burned.
Fanatic.
"THIS IS WHAT I WANTED!"
"A REAL BATTLE!"
"SHOW ME MORE!"
Mizuchi pulled itself out.
Shaking.
Head ringing.
But alive.
Ready.
Caelum’s grin widened.
"SIXTY PERCENT!"
The serpent roared.
Power surging.
Light burst from Mizuchi’s body.
Wounds closed.
The dent in its head vanished.
Scales repaired.
Brighter than before.
Energy doubled.
Water swirled thicker.
Lightning crackled louder.
The pressure intensified.
Alex’s eyes narrowed.
Eighth-grade genius.
Not just talk.
Gotta get serious.
The arena floor shifted.
Cracks sealed.
Stone pieces rose.
Floating.
Reconnecting.
Smoothing out.
Back to perfect condition.
Rose blinked.
Turned to the woman beside her.
"Why don’t they make the arena more durable?"
The woman smiled.
"It’s intentional."
"Designed this way."
"Better impact feedback."
"Makes fighters feel their power."
"More satisfying."
Rose’s eye twitched.
"That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard."
Mizuchi shot forward.
Pie launched to meet it.
Head-on.
WHAM!
Collision.
Thunder cracked.
Both bounced back.
Again.
WHAM!
Neither gave ground.
WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!
Rapid exchanges.
Head to head.
Pie wasn’t dodging anymore.
Pure force.
Attributes showing.
Defense holding.
Power matching.
The crowd erupted.
"IT’S MATCHING MIZUCHI!"
"HEAD-ON!"
"AN E-RANK SLIME!"
"IMPOSSIBLE!"
One official stood.
"Those stats!"
"HOW?!"
Another shook his head.
"This doesn’t make sense!"
"SS-rank power output!"
"But it’s a Slime!"
Caelum’s grin stretched.
Wider.
Eyes blazing.
"YES! MORE!"
But inside—
His mind calculated.
Sixty percent power.
Still can’t break the defense.
What IS that thing?
He raised his hand.
"MIZUCHI! WATER DOMAIN!"
The serpent opened its mouth.
Water poured out.
Massive.
Endless.
Flooding the arena.
Rising fast.
Ankle deep.
Knee deep.
Waist deep.
The entire platform submerged.
Pie floated.
Bobbing.
Body buoyant.
"Gulu?"
Tried to Dash.
Slower.
Water resistance.
Movement compromised.
Mizuchi dove.
Disappeared under.
Then—
WHAM!
Hit from below.
Pie shot up.
Splashed down.
WHAM!
From the side.
Spinning.
WHAM!
From behind.
Can’t track it.
Too fast in water.
Natural element.
Mizuchi circled.
Serpentine.
Graceful.
Deadly.
Hit after hit.
Pie bounced.
Tumbled.
"Gulu... gulu..."
Eyes squinting.
Can’t stabilize.
The crowd watched.
"There it is."
"Mizuchi’s element."
"The Slime can’t compete."
One official nodded.
"Stats are impressive, sure."
"But mobility?"
"Too slow."
"Too basic."
Another agreed.
"SS-rank beasts have techniques. Abilities. Elemental mastery."
"The Slime is just... a Slime."
"Raw numbers aren’t enough."
The woman spoke.
"He’s going to lose."
"Just a matter of time."
But then someone else.
"Still though. Alex’s performance?"
"This is Holy Dragon University level."
"First-year, at least."
The gray-haired man agreed.
"His acceptance there is guaranteed now."
"Any school would take him."
Master Feng chewed another lollipop.
"The boy’s already proven himself."
"Win or lose, he’s a monster."
Rose gripped the rail.
Come on Alex.
Do something.
I know you have more!
That gigantification!
Scare them!
In the arena—
Caelum watched.
Smile still there.
But eyes narrowed.
Sixty percent.
Direct hits.
Continuous.
And that Slime’s defense?
Not even cracked.
His jaw tightened.
This thing...
What is it made of?
Caelum’s eyes flashed.
Change tactics.
Can’t break it.
Then suffocate it.
"MIZUCHI! HOLD IT DOWN!"
The serpent coiled.
Wrapped around Pie.
Dragged him under.
Deep.
To the bottom.
Pie struggled.
Body compressing.
Expanding.
Trying to break free.
But Mizuchi’s grip tight.
Constricting.
Water pressed from all sides.
Pie tried to rise.
Pushed up.
Almost surfaced.
Mizuchi yanked.
Pulled him back down.
Again.
Pie pushed.
Mizuchi pulled.
Each time closer to freedom.
Each time dragged back.
Then—
ZZT ZZT ZZT!
Lightning.
Through the water.
Conducted.
Amplified.
Pie’s body seized.
Rigid.
"Gulu...!"
Couldn’t move.
Sank.
Five seconds.
Ten.
Movement returned.
Pushed up again.
Lightning.
Seized again.
The pattern repeated.
Struggle.
Rise.
Shock.
Sink.
Caelum laughed.
"There!"
"Perfect strategy!"
"Can’t escape!"
"Can’t breathe!"
His grin widened.
Victory.
Right there.
The crowd murmured.
"It’s over."
"The Slime’s trapped."
One official chuckled.
"Rose, thank you again!"
"This charity is amazing!"
Another joined.
"My wife’s birthday is coming up!"
"Perfect timing!"
Laughter.
Agreement.
Rose didn’t respond.
Just watched.
Lips curved slightly.
The woman beside her frowned.
"Rose? Aren’t you worried?"
Rose shook her head.
"You’re all forgetting something."
Looked at them.
"The Slime has another skill."
"One he hasn’t used yet."
Everyone paused.
"What?"
"Another skill?"
"Oh shoot I almost forgot!"
"The gigantification!"
"OMG, he still has something hidden??"
Rose smriked.
"Watch."