Sonic's afterimages and his real body were hidden within a fearsome cyclone generated by his high-speed movement. Shuriken shot toward the Golden Flash at its center from every direction.
Visible golden sword energy erupted, deflecting every projectile.
But Sonic wasn't using ordinary shuriken.
They were Exploding Shuriken, each concealing a nasty surprise.
Exploding Shuriken detonated when they struck a target or collided with an object. So although the Golden Flash struck the projectiles flying at him from all sides with extraordinary precision, each shuriken exploded the instant it met Instant Kill.
The energy from one exploding shuriken might not have threatened the Golden Flash. But dozens detonating almost simultaneously were another matter.
The heat of the explosions created a powerful, chaotic current that swept outward. Fragments and smoke obscured the area, leaving Sonic unable to tell what condition the Golden Flash was in at the center of the blasts.
Neither the viewers watching their screens nor the guests in the Studio could make out the details of the match from the live feed.
The battle was hidden by the blue-gray cyclone. All anyone could see were sudden flashes of fire at its center, no doubt caused by the two fighters' fierce clash.
After the flames died out, a golden light burst forth. It shot into the sky, then vanished above the arena.
As the crowd cried out, the camera found the Golden Flash again.
He had escaped the fearsome cyclone, but he looked somewhat worse for wear.
Several soot-black streaks marked his fair, handsome face. The explosions did not seem to have injured him, but they had certainly left him looking disheveled.
The Golden Flash had broken out of the encirclement. Sonic's ten afterimages finally stopped their high-speed movement and landed, surrounding him once more.
"Not bad," the Golden Flash