Chapter 110: Battle Trance
Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn
Wang Tong's Inch Step had caught Apache off guard. He forced himself to shift sideway disregarding the large amount of strain that the shift of position had placed on his body; it was a better option than being caught in that web of Inch Step. Apache's mastery of speed was more advanced than Cao Yi's since Apache had learned to go beyond relying on his feet to execute incredible, if not outright impossible, maneuvers.
Although Wang Tong's Inch Step had impressed everyone, it could never be used to its full extent against a fast opponent like Apache since the latter would be able to step aside, out of harm's way, quickly.
However, while Apache and everyone else had thought that Apache was safe, Wang Tong appeared, as if out of nowhere, right in front of him. The two fighters stood facing each other, so close that Apache could almost feel Wang Tong's breath.
Apache was startled and hurried to maneuver to one side. Wang Tong kept up with his pace and followed him closely.
Having noticed that Wang Tong was closing in, Apache tapped deeper into his soul energy and poured out his GN force to help him accelerate. Apache moved further away at lightning speed and lengthened the gap. Apache felt that Wang Tong started to gain the control of the battle from his hand, and he was aware that to win, he had to shift the balance. He then decided to regain the control by being even more aggressive.
Apache executed a splendid 90-degree turn and closed in onto Wang Tong. The curved blade whizzed through the air toward Wang Tong. When the sharp edge was only a hair-thin away from Wang Tong's face, Wang Tong suddenly moved to one side.
Apache lost his balance and fell to the ground.
Martyrus's hand trembled slightly at the sight of Wang Tong's move.
"That was... the Phantom Move!"
It was said that only the Kaedeians were able to execute the Phantom Move physically. The Phantom Move was a more advanced technique than the shifty Butterfly Dash. It served the purpose of both aggression and defense, and the goal of the technique was to throw the opponent off balance.
Having failed twice, Apache tasted bile in his mouth, but he had no time to lament over it because Wang Tong's fist was already right in front of him.
Wang Tong's attack seemed to be a straightforward punch, but everyone could sense the incredible power that was packed within.
Still engaged, Apache didn't have much time to plan his move, he simply yanked up his curved blade to block the attack.
"Fool!" Martyrus muttered to himself, seeing what was coming.
It was a feint, Wang Tong's real attack came underneath: a roundhouse kick.
Wang Tong's fist slide through the opening in between Apache's body and the blade, and then he clutched the blade tightly under his arm. Meanwhile, Wang Tong hinged his weight on the leg that had been planted firmly on the ground and spun his hip to drive the other leg flying toward Apache's head like a cannonball.
Apache dropped his blade to cover his head. With the remaining strength, Apache backed his head just a few tenth of an inch away from the attack.
The kick sent Apache flying but the last second move of his head had saved him from defeat. Wang Tong's kick grazed Apache and landed heavily on the ground as the floor crumbled into pieces.
Wang Tong didn't give his opponent any chance to gather himself. He leaped high up into the air and bore down on Apache with a knee bash. Apache knew that it was a moment of life and death, so he forced the movements of energy inside of his body to facilitate his escape; however, this time, Apache had pushed his body too far, and a stream of blood gushed out of his mouth.
Apache met the knee bash with full intent. He was pressed hard against the ground, and the force pushed him a few feet away.
Silence suddenly fell inside of the crowded arena. No one had expected this.
Despite Apache's advantage in speed and experience, his opponent had caught one small window to strike and was able to end the fight just like that.
Martyrus finally realized that Wang Tong was the real secret weapon, but the revelation came much too late.
Samantha had hidden her secret well, and no one had suspected Wang Tong ever since the beginning of the tournament. Even after Wang Tong's victory over the best, everyone still considered Wang Tong much weaker than Apache in a real fight.
However, in reality, Wang Tong was the strongest of all Ayrlarng's contestants.
"Kiddo, not bad, but you should have made sure that I am done for good." Apache was back on his feet and was staring at Wang Tong with a pair of bloodshot eyes.
Apache had gone beyond anger; he had gone utterly mad — a side effect of years of merciless battles. The fall of his comrade had many times sent him into a battle trance like this. Apache no longer saw this as a tournament, to him this was as real as a battle, and he wouldn't stop until his enemy laid dead.
Although the traditional knowledge was that the rate of utilizing GN force averaged out to be the same among fighters, and therefore, the soul energy was the determining factor in a soldier's strength, it was far from the truth in case of an entranced fighter. Fighters in battle trance could temporarily ignore their injury and exponentially increase the efficiency of their GN force output.
No one had thought that Apache would enter a battle trance in a school tournament, not even Apache himself.
The first time he entered a trance was during a fight against pirates; it was triggered by the death of his captain who was trying to save Apache's life. No pirate had survived the bloodshed that followed on that day.
"Lightning Strike!"
Apache picked up the curved blade on the ground and immediately swirls of GN forced launched at Wang Tong. Although Apache's senses were limited during a battle trance, he also became unaffected by the illusions of Wang Tong's footsteps.
Students from Bernabeu saw a glimpse of hope rising in front of them. Although the battle trance was an unorthodox method, it was not entirely unheard of. If Apache could control his trance well, he might be able to tip the scale of the battle in favor of him.
Fighters in a trance had only one thing on their mind: annihilating their opponent. The lack of consciousness had removed restrictions on their soul energy; therefore, fighters in a trance could reach the limit of their soul reading.
One of the attacks hit Wang Tong, and the force sent him stumbling back a few feet. Before Wang Tong could gather himself, he saw another wave of belligerent barrage coming at him.
Apache had become unstoppable. Neither Martyrus nor Samantha knew what to think of this new development. It was exceedingly rare to see a fighter become entranced in a PA fight.
Wang Tong had already sustained a few hits, Apache's movements were so fast that his body had become a blur. The normal biological function of Apache's body had already taken the backstage while his body was filled to the brim with GN force that drove him deeper into his madness.
Wang Tong was hit by an uppercut, and his body flew up into the air. Like he did before, Apache caught his opponent's ankle and slammed the body hard onto the ground.
Apache followed right away with the blade that was then infused with sizzling GN force. This strike would break any defense of Wang Tong and would cut deep into Wang Tong's chest.
Hu Yangxuan's jaw dropped at the sight of the entranced Apache. He wondered what Wang Tong had done to have triggered Apache into a battle trance.
"Was it because of Wang Tong's aggressiveness?" Hu Yangxuan pondered. Truth be told, the answer to that question even eluded Apache himself.
Seeing the incoming killing-strike, Wang Tong pounded a fist at the blade.
The fist and the steel clashed once again.
A shockwave erupted from the center of the impact, laced with the sound of shattering metal.
Wang Ben saw a familiar light flashing across the arena, but he was still unable to discern what was inside of the light.
Apache's body finally dropped onto the floor one last time with a dull thud. The sound of Apache's body hitting the floor had awakened the mind of everyone in the audience.