Volume One: Intrigue and Deception in the Imperial Capital - Stage Two
However, I was wrong.
"The second phase player groupings are now announced!"
"The first match: Joseph Joestar, heir to the Joestar Group, versus Li Family's Young Master Li Tianyi."
"The second match is between Cairne Bloodhoof, Chieftain of Thunder Bluff, and Thrall, Chieftain of the Frostwolf Clan."
"The eighth match: Si Nan Ying, the second young lady of the Si Nan Family, versus Chen Sheng, the young master of the Chen family."
"In the ninth match, Si Nan Family Guest Official Liu Ye, will face off against Xiuchun Fang, the eldest daughter of the Xiuchun Workshop."
"Match 15: Miss Haoyue Tartaglia of the Tartaglia Family versus Qihe Sect An Ang."
"Match Sixteen: Si Nan Family's Rui Xin vs. Nicole Cleon!"
"..."
After the match list was announced, the entire arena fell silent for a moment, then the silence was instantly ignited.
"Is it really such a coincidence? Nicole Cleon crushed Si Nan Ming in the final match of the preliminary round, and now she's facing Rui Xin in the final match again!?"
"It's true what they say, 'enemies always meet'..."
"Moreover, Chen Sheng and Xiuchun Fang are both favorites to win the championship; the top seeds have all been matched up."
It seems that predictions aren't absolute. My opponent isn't Nicole, but another seemingly formidable opponent, while Si Nan Ying's opponent is another strong favorite to win... It's only a 32-to-16 competition, so why does it feel like a grand finale?
Speaking of which, I haven't watched Haoyue's match yet. Theoretically, her ability can advance 26 times, so I have to see it for myself this time.
As for Rui Xin... although she passed the preliminary round smoothly, can she defeat Nicole? I don't know how strong Nicole is, but I have a general idea of Rui Xin's strength. Her special ability is definitely not the type that focuses on fighting. If it really comes down to a life-or-death situation, she is likely to be at a disadvantage.
But instead of worrying about others, I have my own competitions to worry about, so let's focus on winning first.
Two days later, at the stadium--
"What!? Why am I forbidden from speaking in the ring? My lines and moves are so cool!"
In the players' lounge, Si Nan Ying stared at me and Si Nan Yuan, her face full of confusion and reluctance. Si Nan Yuan nudged me, signaling for me to explain.
"Well, how should I put it, Little Ying... it's true that I taught you those things, but they were things I came up with on the way back, and there were many things I didn't consider, so they're not really suitable for you."
"But I think that's great!"
"Don't be so easily satisfied! Actually, I've come up with some new lines for you lately."
"New lines? Tell me quickly~" Si Nan Ying's expression immediately brightened, and she looked at me expectantly.
Ahem, I cleared my throat, put on a super~~~ deep expression, tried my best to ignore Si Nan Yuan's thorny gaze, and said:
"Human growth is about overcoming one's immature past."
"..." Si Nan Yuan looked at me like I was an idiot.
"..." Rui Xin also looked at me with the same look she was giving me.
"... So handsome!" Huh?
"So cool! So cool! How did you come up with that?" Si Nan Ying's eyes sparkled as she waved her arms, clearly very interested in the line.
"As for how I came up with it... well, it's because I'm talented!" I replied shamelessly, since I couldn't very well admit that it was actually a classic line from Diablo.
"Are there any others? The last one is even more amazing!" She couldn't wait any longer.
"Well, unless you promise me you won't say any lines or make any gestures during this match..."
"I promise, I promise!"
"Okay, it's settled then..."
"It's a deal!"
Okay, the delaying tactic worked for now. I'll think of some other ways to fool her next time.
"Are you two ready?"
"Ready!" Si Nan Ying said with great enthusiasm.
"Ready." The refined-looking young man, Chen Sheng, the young master of the Chen family, said. His expression was calm and composed, showing no sign of joy or sorrow, which contrasted sharply with the excited Si Nan Ying.
"Then--3--2--1--Start!"
"Take this!"
Si Nan Ying took the initiative, shooting out a deep blue bubble. Judging from its color and size, its power was no less than that of the bubble that scared Chen Lu into forfeiting in the last match!
"So that's how it is. You're using the same trick you used on Xiaolu on me?" Even a slight graze from those bubbles would cause serious injury, yet Chen Sheng showed no sign of panic.
"I advise you to quickly discard that naive idea!"
The bubbles were almost in front of him when Chen Sheng suddenly waved his right hand towards the sky. Everything happened in the blink of an eye; by the time the audience reacted—
A massive explosion occurred above the arena, and a fierce shockwave descended from the sky, ruffling Chen Sheng's clothes, but this was not enough to harm him.
The audience was stunned, and so was Si Nan Ying —the explosion was definitely caused by the bubble, but it had only just passed the center of the ring, so how could the explosion have happened in mid-air?
But with my exceptional dynamic vision, I saw it very clearly: the instant Chen Sheng waved his hand, he threw something that looked like a small stone into the air! The stone arrived at the exact location of the explosion's epicenter just moments before it occurred, as if the stone had replaced the bubble and exploded!
What kind of superpower is this? I've never seen anything like it before...
"Next, it's my turn."
As he spoke, Chen Sheng charged forward swiftly, heading straight for her!
"Huh? Charging straight at you? Aren't you afraid of dying?!" Si Nan Ying was greatly puzzled. She hurriedly stretched out her hands, preparing to release bubbles again, but Chen Sheng, who had been charging straight at her, suddenly changed his footwork and moved to the side at an astonishing speed, circling around to approach Si Nan Ying!
Chen Sheng's elusive running style made it difficult for Si Nan Ying to lock onto him. Every time she tried to release a bubble, Chen Sheng's direction of movement would suddenly change, making him as elusive as an eel. After repeating this three or four times, Chen Sheng had already rushed to extremely close range!
Si Nan Ying's eyes flashed—an opportunity!
"Implosion Style!"
Four life-sized transparent bubbles appeared around Si Nan Ying —the very skill she used to defeat the bald Si Nan Ying long ago! Back then, she could barely create one, but now she could create four at once, showing that her special training had been quite effective. The four bubbles surrounded her like four bodyguards; if Chen Sheng got any closer, he would inevitably collide with them head-on!
However--
Chen Sheng's moving figure suddenly disappeared, and the next instant he appeared at the other end of the ring, in the very spot where he had been standing at the beginning of the match!
"You, how did you do that!?" Si Nan Ying was greatly shaken. What kind of superpower did this guy have?
"Wouldn't it be more fun to just say it outright? The greatest joy of superpower battles is using your own abilities to counter others'." Chen Sheng smiled calmly, as if everything was under his control. "But I still want to warn you—the preparations are complete, and I won't hold back from now on. Be careful not to kill yourself."
"Never underestimate someone!"