CHAPTER 128: CLOSE MATCH

Chapter 128

"Activate Version 2.0," Clara commanded.

Instantly, her blue tech suit began to shift—warping, contorting, and then reforming. The transformation was unlike anything anyone had ever witnessed. The arena fell deathly silent, all eyes locked on the breathtaking spectacle as her armor morphed with divine elegance.

What unfolded before them wasn’t just an upgrade—it was a rebirth.

Lord Tech, standing at the observation deck, allowed a rare smile to form on his lips.

She’s grown so much, he thought with pride.

If anyone had told him his sister—once a Zero, an outcast—would one day reach such terrifying technological heights, he would have scoffed. But now, the truth glowed in radiant white and gold before him.

Even Kalen, ever-emotionless, couldn’t deny the shift in the air. Her gaze remained impassive, but deep within her—she felt it.

A threat.

A dangerous one.

I can’t let her complete that transformation.

Resolving herself, Kalen opened her mouth wide, a sharp intake of breath preceding the release of another devastating sonic wave aimed straight at Clara.

"Hey! Someone stop her!" a furious voice rang out from the crowd. One spectator rose to their feet, visibly upset. To him, it looked like Kalen was trying to ruin something sacred—an evolving work of art.

But no one moved.

This wasn’t theater.

This was war.

Kalen unleashed her sonic wave, a dense column of destructive sound. It struck Clara mid-transformation—only to be absorbed and nullified by the glowing white energy sphere encasing her.

She had managed to hit her target—but she was too late.

The tech interface lit up with a chilling chime.

[Version 2.0 Activated.]

Clara now floated high above the battlefield, her new armor a pristine white, etched with intricate golden lines that shimmered with power. The beauty of the design was undeniable—but so too was the menace it radiated. Even the low, almost imperceptible hum from the suit seemed to vibrate with raw destructive potential.

"Blame yourself for whatever happens next," Clara echoed, repeating the same cold warning she had given before the transformation began.

Kalen scoffed.

So she had upgraded. So what?

No amount of flash would change the outcome—Kalen still believed she could win.

Clara raised her palm, and without hesitation, unleashed a golden energy beam. It fired at terrifying speed—too fast for most eyes to follow.

But Clara’s expectations were shattered when Kalen didn’t block it. She dodged—flawlessly. Her body moved with terrifying precision, weaving past the beam as though it were moving in slow motion.

Clara blinked, stunned. Her golden beams were some of the fastest projectiles in her arsenal. Yet Kalen had not only dodged the first—but evaded the next two that followed in quick succession.

Unscathed.

The moment Kalen slipped into Clara’s blind spot, she didn’t hesitate. Her jaw dropped open wide—and with a thunderous roar, she unleashed another one of her devastating sonic waves.

Just as it was about to strike Clara from behind, a radiant white barrier shimmered into existence with a sharp BAAAAAANG! The sound echoed across the arena as the attack collided. The shield flickered under the pressure—but it held. It didn’t even crack.

Clara turned slowly, calm and calculating. Without a word, she raised both palms and launched a relentless barrage of golden beams.

Kalen’s brow tightened, her mind racing.

How many of these can I possibly dodge?

She twisted, ducked, and leapt—dodging the first beam, then the second, narrowly avoiding the fourth. But as she twisted midair to evade another, a searing pain flared along her side.

She’d been hit.

And before she could recover—

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

—multiple beams collided into her at once, each more devastating than the last.

A short, strangled scream tore from her lips before vanishing into the blinding golden dome created by the constant impact of the beams.

The entire arena went still.

Each beam alone was destructive. The fact that she had taken a full barrage? No one believed she could still be standing. Many doubted her body would even remain intact.

White smoke billowed high into the air, thick and concealing. The crowd collectively leaned forward in their seats, holding their breath.

Then—

GASPS.

Shock rippled through the audience.

Kalen stood in the center of a spiraling crater, bruised and battered—but alive. Against all expectations, not only had she survived—she looked like she could still fight. Blood dripped from her side, but her stance was firm.

No one was more stunned than Clara.

She had genuinely believed she’d gone too far, that Kalen had been incinerated. But there she was—her body protected by something unexpected.

A sonic barrier.

She used her own sonic wave to shield herself... and based on the frequency control, it acted as both a shield and a weapon, Clara realized, her expression tightening.

Kalen’s head hung low, her breathing steady.

Then—her head snapped up.

Her mouth opened.

Clara’s heart dropped.

Oh no—

Another sonic wave erupted—this one massive. Far more powerful than any Kalen had used so far. It roared like a beast let loose, tearing through the air toward Clara.

Her white barrier flared once more, but the moment the wave hit—

CRACK—BOOOOOOM!

It rippled violently under the force, and Clara lost her footing. The shockwave sent her hurtling downward at breakneck speed. She barely managed to stabilize her descent, landing hard but without collapse.

But before she could breathe—

Kalen was already there.

Too fast.

She threw a punch straight for Clara’s chest. The barrier activated—too late. Weakened from the prior attack and unable to fully materialize in time, it shattered like glass.

CRUNCH!

A condensed sonic punch connected directly to Clara’s suit, hitting her square in the chest.

"Compact injury detected. Suit efficiency reduced by 5%."

The system’s voice echoed in Clara’s ears as pain flared across her torso.

Her face darkened.

Gritting her teeth, she gathered energy into her tech-enhanced fist and retaliated with a brutal hook to Kalen’s jaw. The force sent Kalen flying—but mid-air, she twisted and landed with precision, avoiding a fatal blow.

Clara watched her, panting slightly.

Beams aren’t effective against her... but fists are.

A new strategy formed in her mind. The suit wasn’t just for energy blasts. She could reroute the power to amplify her physical strength—turning herself into a close-combat juggernaut.

Her eyes narrowed.

If she wants a brawl... she’ll get one.

Something shifted in the air.

It wasn’t just Clara who had changed her approach—Kalen, too, seemed to have come to the same conclusion.

She charged forward.

Clara mirrored the motion.

They collided in the center of the stage with a thunderous CRACK, fists slamming into each other at blinding speed. The shockwave from the clash rippled outward, rattling the arena.

Clara gritted her teeth. She’d trained hard for moments like this, especially during the intense combat sessions under Han and Aiden’s guidance. But no amount of sparring could prepare her for the kind of brute instinct and lethal precision Kalen brought into every move.

She fights like someone who’s faced death a thousand times and won.

And it was true. Kalen’s mastery came not from training drills but from bloodshed. As a Smasher, she had survived life-or-death battles more times than anyone could count, and it showed in every calculated strike, every dodge, every crushing blow.

Even now, her mind burned with the image of Argon falling—defeated by Ronan.

If it weren’t for Ronan’s switch ability, she thought, he’d be the one dead right now.

The memory of Argon’s defeat fueled her rage, and she launched a flurry of vicious punches. Clara met her blow for blow, beams erupting between their strikes whenever she could get the timing right. She was holding her own—but barely.

Clara silently thanked the Tech System’s predictive interface. Without it reading Kalen’s patterns, she’d have been overwhelmed long ago. Even then, it wasn’t always accurate. Kalen’s movements were growing more erratic, more primal, harder to read.

The battle raged on.

Five minutes turned to ten.

Then twenty.

Then thirty.

An hour passed—and still, neither warrior yielded.

The crowd was spellbound. Out of all the matches that had taken place, none came close to this. Not in duration. Not in ferocity. Not in heart.

Clara’s suit was dented and cracked in multiple places. Sparks flickered from her arms, warning signs lighting up across her interface.

"Suit efficiency at 56%." the system announced coldly.

Kalen wasn’t faring any better. Her face was streaked with sweat and blood, her movements slower, labored. Dried blood crusted on her lips, and yet—she stood. They both stood.

Panting, the two separated, each retreating to opposite ends of the stage, gasping for breath.

Then—Kalen’s body trembled. Her hand clutched at her throat.

Clara’s eyes widened.

No... she’s going to use it.

This wasn’t just another sonic wave.

This was the one—the devastating, all-consuming blast Kalen only used as a last resort. Clara’s heart slammed against her ribs.

She couldn’t dodge it. Blocking would be suicide. There was only one option left.

"Charge beam sequence—FULL POWER," she ordered.

Her hands extended, both palms open wide as a golden light surged between them. Energy condensed, vibrating the air around her as her tech core pushed to its limit.

Across the field, Kalen finished gathering strength. Her body shook violently as she forced her vocal cords to their breaking point.

Then—she roared.

A colossal wave of compressed sound erupted from her mouth, ripping through the air with terrifying pressure.

Clara’s eyes snapped open. "OMEGA BEAM!" she shouted.

The massive golden beam burst from her palms, racing forward—and collided with the sonic wave mid-air.

The arena shook violently.

The crowd fell silent, unable to breathe as light and sound warred in the center of the battlefield. The energies pushed, clashed, screamed, neither backing down.

It was no longer just a battle of strength. It was a test of willpower. Of everything they had left.

One would fall.

And the winner would be decided—now.

To be continued...

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