Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

Chapter 404 91.12 - Duels [2]

The crowd was abuzz with murmurs of confusion and disbelief. The abrupt end to the duel had left many spectators wondering what had transpired in that final, decisive moment. Ethan Hartley, the rising star, was on his knees, while Kellan Stormrider stood tall and proud, his greatsword piercing the ground.

"Yield," Kellan's voice echoed through the amphitheater, firm and commanding.

The crowd erupted into applause, but there was an undercurrent of confusion. Many had not fully understood what had happened in those final moments.

Kaya Hartley, seated in the VIP section with her daughter Jane, observed the scene with a critical eye. She had seen what many had missed.

"Mother, what happened? How did Brother Ethan lose so suddenly?" Jane asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.

Kaya leaned closer to her daughter, her voice calm and measured. "When Ethan utilized his Thunder-infused spear to strike Kellan, Kellan met the attack head-on with his greatsword. But he didn't just block the strike; he created a special type of shockwave field."

Jane's eyes widened in realization. "A shockwave field?"

Kaya nodded. "Yes. Most shockwaves are designed to push away or disrupt. However, Kellan reversed the propagation of the shockwave. Instead of pushing Ethan's spear away, it pulled it in. The force of the shockwave acted like a vacuum, drawing the spear toward the greatsword."

Jane's brow furrowed as she tried to visualize the mechanics. "So, when Kellan stabbed the ground with his greatsword..."

"The ground absorbed the shock from the attack," Kaya continued. "Especially for lightning, it acted as a grounding effect, nullifying all the energy at once. Kellan used the ground to dissipate the energy of Ethan's attack, rendering it harmless."

"And Brother Ethan?" Jane asked, her eyes focused on her mother.

"Ethan had directed his energy to ground himself, but when the energy was nullified so abruptly, he was momentarily left unbalanced," Kaya explained. "That's why he ended up kneeling. It was a brilliant and unconventional use of shockwaves and the environment."

Jane's expression shifted from confusion to admiration. "That's incredible. Kellan must have trained extensively to perfect that technique."

Kaya nodded, her eyes still on the arena. "Indeed. Kellan's mastery of shockwaves and his strategic use of the environment were impressive. As you can see, many talented individuals are at this academy."

They were talking as if the fight was over. And, in fact, it was supposed to be. Since it was evident that Ethan wouldn't be able to recover from this position, the energy he had spent and his posture were evidence that he had lost.

"So, you won't yield."

Kellan spoke suddenly. After all, no response was coming from Ethan, which meant the fight was yet to be over.

The crowd gasped at the spirit Ethan was showcasing, but in fact, the reason why Ethan wasn't talking was not because he refused to acknowledge that he lost. It was because his voice wasn't being transmitted to the outside. Kellan was interfering with the transmission of Ethan's voice, using his shockwaves to interrupt the sound waves at a perfect counter-propagation.

Kellan shook his head as if he didn't want what he was about to do. Inside, he was torn between his honor and the blackmail that forced his hand. He had to beat and humiliate Ethan to fulfill his end of a sinister deal.

'Sorry for doing this. But I have no other choice.' With a grim expression, Kellan coated his fists with shockwaves, enhancing their power.

SWOOSH! THUD! He stepped forward and, with a swift motion, punched Ethan in the face. The force of the blow, amplified by the shockwaves, sent Ethan sprawling across the ground.

The crowd erupted in shocked exclamations, many unable to comprehend the sudden and brutal escalation. Ethan lay on the ground, struggling to rise, but Kellan was relentless. He approached Ethan, his fists still crackling with energy.

"Yield!" Kellan demanded, but again, Ethan's voice couldn't be heard. He had already tried to yield, but Kellan's interference had silenced him.

Kellan's expression hardened further. He raised his fist and brought it down on Ethan again, the shockwaves creating a nauseating thud as they connected with Ethan's body. The brutal assault continued, each punch more forceful than the last.

"Yield!" Kellan repeated, his voice growing more desperate. He didn't want to continue, but the pressure on him was immense. He was being forced to go beyond his limits, his integrity being tested to the brink.

Ethan's body shook with each blow, but his spirit remained unbroken. He tried to muster his energy, but Kellan's relentless assault was taking its toll. The crowd's cheers had turned to horrified murmurs, the spectacle no longer one of admiration but of horror.

Jane's eyes filled with tears as she watched her cousin endure the brutal beating. "Mother, why is this happening? Why won't he stop?"

Kaya's expression was grim. She knew something was terribly wrong. "This…..There is more to this than it meets the eye."

She focused on Ethan, and then she saw his lips moving.

'He is speaking?' Then everything fell into its place.

'This kid! He is intentionally not letting him speak.'

Since shockwaves could also be used to nullify the sounds.

'You dare! To my nephew!'

Instantly, a weird pressure started being emitted from her. People all around her started having trouble breathing, let alone seeing anything.

It was as if death had descended on them. And that was normal.

Since they were facing the aura of Kaya Hartley, Three-digits-hunter, firsthand.

But then, suddenly, her eyes captured something.

'This….Hahaha….that is right. This is Ethan.'

The fact that something inside Ethan was changing.

'Haha….'

In an instant, she retracted her aura, letting other people breathe since there was no need for her to do anything else.

On the arena, as the beating continued, Ethan's resolve began to waver. He was reaching his limit, his vision blurring from the pain and fatigue. He knew he had to do something, anything, to end this.

'Why is this happening?'

Ethan thought, his mind a storm of confusion and pain. 'I was just having an honorable duel, fighting while putting everything on the line. Why is this happening to me?'

His thoughts swirled in a chaotic dance of pain and disbelief.

'Why am I being subjected to this? I just wanted to show my cool side to others, to shine like a hero. I wanted to be an inspiration to others. And now, why is this guy suddenly beating me?'

Each blow from Kellan felt like a hammer on his spirit.

'Why am I forced to feel this pain? What made this guy think he had the right to do this? Who gave this guy the right? Who does he think he is?'

And then, amidst the chaos and confusion, a new feeling began to emerge within Ethan. It started as a small spark, a flicker of something primal and fierce.

It was a feeling of indignation, of righteous anger.

'No…' Ethan's thoughts began to coalesce around this new feeling. 'No one has the right to do this to me. No one can take away my honor, my dignity. I won't let them.'

'It was the same at that time with Jane. The same with Emily. If not for that masked guy suddenly coming to help us, I would not be there. If not for the fact that those seniors decided to let me go, I would not be there. For all this time, I benefited from being Hartley. For all this time, I was known for being a Hartley, not for being Ethan.'

The spark grew into a flame, and the flame into an inferno.

'For just how long are you going to let yourself be stepped upon, Ethan? What do you think would he think if he were to see you?'

He asked himself.

'Pathetic.'

Then, as if to answer, a cold voice echoed in his head. A cold voice that didn't belong to the figure that he had always seen in his dreams but to the young boy with cold purple eyes.

Yet the effect was clear.

'That is right.' 'For my justice, I will stand up.'

Though battered and bruised, Ethan's body began to radiate a new kind of energy. It was not just the power of his lightning psions but something deeper, something born of his unyielding spirit.

'I am Ethan Hartley!' he thought fiercely. 'I am a hero, and I won't let this end here. I won't be defeated like this!'

With a sudden burst of strength, Ethan pushed himself off the ground, his eyes blazing with a newfound resolve.

–CRACKLE! His body crackled with lightning, but this time, it was different. It was as if the very essence of the storm had merged with his spirit.

–Trait, [??????' Might] is active. –The world responds to your will. –Thunder bows down in front of your presence. A bunch of voices echoed inside his head, but Ethan wasn't in the condition to listen to them. Kellan, who had been preparing for another punch, paused in shock. "What the…?"

Ethan's voice, now clear and powerful, rang out. "I don't know who made you do this. But for whatever reason you have, I will not let myself be stepped upon once again."

The crowd gasped as Ethan's aura flared, a tempest of lightning and fury. He stood tall, his spear glowing with an intensity that matched his resolve.

Kellan hesitated, a flicker of doubt crossing his face. But he couldn't back down now. He had to see this through.

"You should have yielded," Kellan muttered, his fists still crackling with shockwaves.

Ethan's eyes narrowed. "I will never yield to someone who fights without honor."

Ethan raised his spear high, his eyes now turning a vertical, glowing yellow. Thunder flashed within them as he stepped forward with purpose and power.

He mumbled, his voice resonating with the energy of the storm.

"By the will of my call, father of all, Hear my cry through the storm's enthrall. With the power of thunder in hand, I summon the heavens to strike this land."

RUMBLE! The moment he finished his words, the sky rumbled ominously. Dark clouds swirled above, and a silhouette of a giant figure began to form within them. The crowd watched in awe and fear, their eyes glued to the spectacle unfolding before them.

Ethan named the strike with a powerful voice that echoed across the arena, "Sunderer of Aesir."

–SWOOSH! With an explosive burst of energy, Ethan leaped into the sky, seeming to defy gravity.

–RUMBLE! His spear was held firmly in one hand, and he ascended with the grace and ferocity of a storm. As he reached the peak of his leap, the silhouette of the giant in the sky mirrored his movements.

Descending rapidly, Ethan aimed his spear directly at Kellan. The giant's spear in the sky followed suit, creating a breathtaking visual of an immense power converging upon a single point.

"Come!"

Kellan, bracing himself, raised his greatsword to meet the strike.

CRACKLE! BOOM!

The two spears—Ethan's and the giant's—met with Kellan's greatsword in a cataclysmic explosion of light and sound.

The impact created a shockwave that rippled through the arena, sending debris flying and forcing the spectators to shield their eyes from the blinding brilliance.

The ground beneath them shattered, creating a massive crater at the point of impact. The sheer force of the collision sent tremors through the entire structure of the amphitheater, shaking it to its core.

When the dust settled, the crowd was silent, holding their breath to see the outcome. In the center of the crater stood Ethan, his spear still crackling with residual lightning.

However, before him stood someone that no one had ever expected.

It was a bulky man with a slightly wrinkled face.

"Headmaster?"

------------A/N--------------

Here is a mass release for you. Hope you liked the chapters. I had quite fun writing different characters' fights as it felt like I hadn't focused on them too much. Especially Julia and Lucas.

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