Chapter 119: For the Glory
Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn
The great thing about the Fist of the Racing tiger was not only its immense power but also the terrifying roars that could interfere the opponent's train of thoughts, rendering them incapable of making a reasonable decision.
However, that roar might have worked against an ordinary fighter, but it didn't work on Cisco. Cisco had readied himself as he set his right arm in a defensive position and aimed his kunai at the other hand of Einherjar Wannabe.
The glint of the metal flashed in Cisco's hand, and he had attacked first with a clear intention. He was definitely unaffected by the roar.
Wang Tong slowed down and focused on the threat at hand. He realized that he had to deal with the deadly weapons first since being stricken by the kunai at point blank would definitely spell his defeat.
Wang Tong pulled the old trick out as he reached out his fingers and clamped the kunai tightly in between two fingers. This was the second time that Wang Tong had used the same technique. It was a humiliation to Cisco that was no less than being slapped directly in the face.
Cisco had the most nimble fingers at Capth if not the entire Confederation, yet, his Kunai was caught twice by his opponent with his bare hand.
A glint of the sharp edge flashed in front of the audience, and for a moment, that was all they could see as both Cisco and Wang Tong's hands turned into a blurry image.
People also heard the soft whirls resulting from the rapid movements of the arms yet not one could make out what their hands were up to.
Wang Tong's attack didn't stop as he pushed the Fist of the Racing Tiger slowly but surely toward Cisco. Cisco conceded that if the Kunai failed to strike him down, he might have to take the deadly punch with its full intent.
The Fist of the Racing Tiger pressed on, while the intensity of the fight had reached its peak. Both combatants sol reading soared, and Cisco's sol reading had reached 180, a terrifying number for an Academy student. It was such a high amount of soul power output that had fueled the lightning movements of his arms.
Wang Tong suddenly rounded his eyes as the audiences heard a deafening blare. The sudden force blew Cisco into the air.
No one at Capth could believe their eyes, and to their dismay, they found Cisco's kunai held firmly in Wang Tong's grip.
Einherjar Wannabe had done the impossible since taking the Kunai away from Cisco should have been even harder than defeating him.
Cisco stared at his empty hand blankly, the injury he had sustained from the Fist of the Racing Tiger didn't cut half as deep as the psychological trauma he had just suffered.
His most proud attack had been countered.
Cisco's mind raced, and he forgot that he was still in combat. He did not understand how he had failed.
"Kunai?" Cisco muttered to himself.
The echoed of his voice in the silent hall made it sound more depressing than ever.
No one could answer his question as to how he had lost his weapon since they both moved so fast that no one could follow their movement. Before this, everyone at Capth knew that it was impossible to take the kunai away from Cisco's hand, even if one might be powerful enough to defeat Cisco.
To Cisco, every movement of the kunai seemed to be bonded with his own heartbeat, and he would do anything to prevent anyone from breaking this bond.
That being said, this bond was also very difficult to forge but extremely powerful once established. It would make the wielder almost invincible on the battlefield. Almost.
Wang Tong's hand was bleeding, and he had taken Cisco's kunai away at the cost of six deep cuts. He wasn't too happy about his performance, not only because he had to sustain the injury, but also because the situation required him to use more than 16 GN nodes. His opponents had moved too fast, and there was no other way.
The kunai wasn't fully in his grasp until he had used the full version of the Tactics of the Blade.
As a matter of fact, he conceded that he was the loser of the fight.
Wang Tong quietly set the kunai on the ground and signed off the PA system.
Cisco gazed at the kunai on the ground motionlessly. It was so close, yet it felt so far away. His confidence and the glory of Capth had crumbled in front him, under the weight of the little sharp blade.
Even the ones that wanted to cheer for Einherjar Wannabe became silent, and they also moaned the brutal defeat of a genius.
Wang Tong sat still and pondered what he would do if he had lost the Tactics of the Blade? And what would happen if he had to fight someone who yielded the same tactics as he did?
A dead silence loomed inside of the meeting hall at Capth. The students had never feared a defeat since defeat was only a part of being a METAL fighter, but they could not bear the weight of the humiliation.
Some people wondered, "Did Einherjar Wannabe possessed god-like power?"
Everyone watching the match had felt a sense of imminent pressure. If they had been pleasantly surprised by Wang Tong's power, by then the surprise had turned into a feeling of threat. Wang Tong had proven to them his god-like power-copying ability that allowed him to crush his opponents with their own signature moves.
Only a god would be able to achieve the impossible, yet Wang Tong had done it.
Students at Capth knew better not to disturb Cisco after such a tragic defeat. Cisco wouldn't fall asleep on that night, as he struggled to come to terms with his defeat.
Miao Xiu and Luv Ma both watched the match, and they also felt the presence of Einherjar Wannabe's power weighing heavily on their mind. Miao Xiu had noticed that although Cisco's regular attack and the defense still had room for improvement, his usage of the kunai should have helped him significantly to compensate any minor imperfections of his techniques. He could not imagine a powerful fighter like Cisco meeting with such a tragic end.
"Do you think you could do the same?" Luv Ma asked nervously.
Miao Xiu shook his head and remained silent.
"Does he really intend to win every fight by copying his opponent's power?" Luv Ma asked, there was an uncertainty in his voice. The two had followed every fight of Einherjar Wannabe and considered themselves familiar with the mysterious fighters methods, but after this battle, Luv Ma started to doubt if he had really understood Einherjar Wannabe's power.
The clock struck 12 times heavily and ponderously as if every stroke had landed on the heavy hearts of the audiences.
Astonished by Einherjar Wannabe's power copying ability, they no longer saw Einherjar Wannabe as a regular fighter, but rather an Einherjar.