SHADOWThere is no light without shadow , just as there is no happiness without pain. ...Your identity is like your shadow : not always visible and yet always present. ...I like my shadow ; it reminds me that I exist. ...The eye is always caught by light, butshadows have more to say.BETRAYALHis knife cut forward, blade flashing in the sunlight, the guy screamed, his shirt cut open, with bared teeth he attacked again.He cut forward with his knife and saw its blade flashing in the bright sunlight. As he heard the guy screaming, he realized that he had cut through his shirt. Now he found himself staring into his face, which was showing his bare teeth. The guy attacked again.Vincent was afraid of the huge threat to his life.ORVincent was afraid the giant bumper would squash his head like a pea.One day, two gentlemen shaped like bull dozers in suits pay him a visit. They quickly surround him, and with their brass knuckles and baseball bats send him friendly reminders to pay . But
The battle of the colloseum rages on. With the enemies ranks cut by over half, the participants have received a glimmer of hope. "We're still outnumbered." Coby stated. "And tired too!" Scott adds as he slashes away the enemies. "Who gave you the permission to get tired!?" Rex snapped making the two to puff their chests. "No one sir!" They said in unison."Good. Now, let's kick some butts, Blaze on!" On another part of colloseum, Ace was staring down his father. "I will put an end to your madness, not just for my sake. But for Reed and Keith!" He declared. Stark laughed. "Who do you want to help? The brothers you abandoned? The one who would slit his throat at my word. Or the one who's locked up in the dungeon?" Ace gasped. "What did you do to Keith!?" "Lower voice, child." Stark said calmly yet the dominating vibes he was giving off made Ace flinch momentarily. "Do not forget that I birthed and raised you!" "Our mother birthed us. And she raised us. You turned us to killin
"I won't stop after the tournament... I'll crush every single thing related to Valhalla." Ace points at Tommaso."Even if it means going against the world. I will destroy Valhalla!"Tommaso grits his teeth. Why was he intimidated by Ace so much?He had just exhibited a form so powerful the walls of the arena cracked from the mere pressure of his transformation.So far, this was the most powerful transformation witnessed in the tournament. Yet, Ace simply played a card of his own."Tck, this can't be happening!" And as the ex-assassin pointed out, Tommaso's time was running out. But that wasn't what bothered him the most. His opponent had declared that he would defeat him before his time runs out."Black Torpedo!" Tommaso dodges a moving Ace. Ace was repeatedly charging at Tommaso while moving like a corkscrew. The attack he labels "Black torpedo" was fast and explosive upon contact.So far, all of the ex-assassin's fights ended in a one-hit knockout. One of these matches was won b
Clank!Boom! Crackle! Mjolnir, the weapon of the Norse god of thunder. Thunderbolt, the weapon of the Greek god of thunder. These two weapons from different mythologies clashed. "Thunder Mash!" Whenever the two weapons collided, a powerful shockwave occurred. Yellow and blue sparks flew as they canceled each others attacks. Vorus swung his hammer forward. Zod swayed to the right and arched his thunderbolt to cut the broad chest of his opponent.Vorus held his chest as blood spurts out.He licks his blood and smiles. Zod sees this and takes a stance to prepare for the next clash."It's clear I need something more if I want to win." Said the nature's hunter.A powerful aura bursts around him momentarily. As the aura vanishes, his skin turned red. "Over clock X2." He declared. "Ouu." Zod exclaimed. "That's the power I've heard whispers about? It's an honor to go against such power."Zod had the seismic insight and could instantly grasp the power surging through his opponent. "
Shuntal took off his robe revealing a large muscular body. It was admirable considering his age.He stares off against Barbaros who grins in excitement. With Reginald and Vorus standing behind him."Kiddos," Shuntal faced the duo and smiled. "Why don't you lend a hand to your leader. Ada and I will handle this one." He pointed at Barbaros with his thumb."Hahaha!" Barbaros laughs maniacally. "Finally! A fight worth fighting." "Old man," Reginald glares at Barbaros. "Don't die.""Give my regards to your captain. I won't be here without your efforts." "Thank him yourself," Reginald said nonchalantly. "Come on big guy."Vorus had been staring down at Barbaros the entire time. He clenched his fists. "I'm weak. Too weak. After coming so far, I couldn't match up to him." Reginald seemd to have figured out what was going on in his mind.He places his hand on his shoulder. "I'm not one to give motivation but... Shuntal lost to him once, remember. You did good lasting so long. If you're wo
"Relic Awakening!" Kira exclaims excitedly as she clashes with Rhea.Kira parried an attack and struck Rhea in the chin. She then grabs the stunned Rhea by the hand and slams her with an elbow.She takes advantage of the gained momentum and strikes her face with a hard right."Tck." Rhea spat blood. "Is that all?" Kira paused. "Something's off." She said softly. She looked at her knuckle, it was bleeding. "Is her body getting harder the more I hit her?""I'll tell you my relic's powers," Rhea spoke up to answer the question."The way your relic gives you a buff the more blood you draw, my relic gives me more power the more blood I lose. This is my blood rush!" Rhea explained. "I see..." Said Kira. "Hihihi." She snickered. "This means that we can keep on fighting!"Rhea gazes at Kira. At first, she had nothing but resentment toward her. But as their battle unveils steadily, she seems to have developed a form of respect for her opponent. The same goes for Kira as well."I'm having
"This cage of yours won't hold me for long!" He snars at her. She smirks. "I know it won't. But it'll hold just enough for me to show you the fruits of my labor!" She saw flashes of the training she did in secret when Vorus and Conroy were developing their new techniques while Ace, Kaz, and Reginald were in the East. She trained hard not taking a day of rest just so she could prove to her friends and mostly to herself that she's capable enough to stand on par with them.Tommaso began emitting a powerful aura burst to disrupt the cage. "It's only a matter of time." "I have just about enough time!" Maggie declares as she raises her hands. She began to make certain obscure movements. It almost seemed as if she was dancing. A wind current gathered around her. The air was so strong that the spectators had to shield their eyes. "She's able to control this much power?" Tommaso was stunned by the showcase from the historian. "You're a witch. A wind Witch!" He shouts. "You haven't se
"Kill Switch!"Boom! "Unbelievable!" The announcer shouted. The crowd witnessed another one-sided battle featuring the ex-assassin. They cheered calling out his name and his clan's name. "Ace!" "Aegis!" "Ace!" "Aegis!" "And with that, ladies and gentlemen, the leader of the Aegis clan advanced to the quarter-finals alongside Kira and Zod!"Ace looked over at his flattened opponent. "Tck, I wanted to fight Tommaso this round... Well, let's see how he'll far." He pockets his hands and leaps through the sky before landing beside Vorus and taking a sit. "Haha. As expected of the captain. You crushed your opponent without holding back." "Thanks, Vo.""Without wasting any more time, let the next match of the day begin... It's,m Rhea vs Metal!" "Metal?" Rhea's opponent was a man donning the armor of a knight. He fought wielding a lance weapon.Rhea made quick work of the knight and easily secured the win."Rhea joins Ace, Kira, and Zod in the quarter-finals. We have 4 more batt