The Wrong Hero Has Been Summoned
Chapter 22: Becca 2

Chapter 22: Becca 2

Becca’s eyes widened, a shock running through her body at his sudden proximity. His mana felt different now—more focused, more potent, like a predator that had fully revealed its fangs.

"What?" she managed to say, instinctively taking a defensive stance. The crowd’s noise seemed to fade away as tension filled the air between them.

He stepped back, his unsettling smile never leaving his face. "I want a good fight. Don’t hold back."

The announcer, who had barely registered his movement, cleared his throat. "F-fighters ready! Begin!"

Becca didn’t wait. She immediately unleashed a wave of red fire mana, the flames roaring toward him in a wide arc. The heat was intense enough to make the front row spectators lean back in their seats.

He stood his ground, mana forming a barrier around him. When the flames hit, they parted around him like water around a stone. Some of the fire splashed back toward Becca, who dispersed it with a casual wave of her hand.

"Fire, huh? Pretty standard," he commented, his tone almost disappointed. "I expected something more... unique."

Her eyes narrowed. "Don’t worry. I’m just warming up."

She charged forward, her entire body engulfed in flames. As she ran, the fire concentrated around her fists, forming gauntlets of pure flame. Her speed was impressive, closing the distance in seconds.

He met her charge head-on. When she threw a flaming punch, he sidestepped and countered with a palm strike to her ribs. She twisted away, the hit only grazing her, and spun into a flame-enhanced kick.

He blocked with his forearm, wincing slightly at the heat. "Better."

From the stands, Luna watched with concern. "He’s testing her."

"More like toying with her," Selene replied, her eyes never leaving the fight. "Look at his face."

Indeed, he was smiling, enjoying the exchange of blows. He blocked or dodged most of her attacks with minimal effort, occasionally landing light strikes of his own. It wasn’t that he couldn’t hit harder—he was deliberately holding back.

She realized this too, and her expression darkened with anger. She always wanted to fight him ever since that day she saw him defeated Kross, but this, this was not what she expected. "Stop playing around!" she shouted, jumping back to create distance.

She thrust both hands forward, her fingers splayed. From each fingertip, a thin stream of concentrated fire shot out, forming ten separate fire whips that she controlled independently. The crowd gasped at the display of precision and control.

"Now that’s more like it," he said, his smile widening.

The fire whips lashed out, attacking from multiple angles at once. He dodged and weaved between them, his movements fluid and economical. When one whip came too close, he grabbed it with his mana-coated hand and yanked hard.

Becca, connected to her fire whips, was pulled forward unexpectedly. She stumbled, losing control of several whips in the process. He took advantage, closing in with frightening speed.

"Lesson one," he said as he delivered a solid punch to her stomach. "Never create a physical connection to your opponent."

The blow sent her skidding backward, her fire whips dissipating. She doubled over, gasping for breath, but managed to stay on her feet.

"You..." she wheezed, glaring at him. "Who taught you to fight like this?"

"Experience," he replied simply. "Ready for more?"

She straightened up, wiping a trickle of blood from her lip. The playfulness was gone from her face, replaced by cold determination. "You haven’t seen anything yet."

She raised her arms, and the temperature in the entire arena rose noticeably. The air shimmered with heat as she gathered her power. Then, with a shout, she slammed her hands together.

A massive wall of blue-tinged fire erupted in front of her, twice as tall as a man and spanning the width of the platform. The flames were so hot that the stone floor beneath began to glow red.

"Blue fire, seems you are done playing around." He said, still standing his ground.

The fire surged forward, but instead of attacking him directly, it began to swirl around her. The flames compressed tightly against her skin, forming a brilliant azure armor that contoured perfectly to her body. The fire solidified into plates of molten protection across her shoulders, chest, and limbs while still maintaining its fierce glow.

"Now we’re talking," he said, eyes narrowing with interest.

She raised her right hand, and the fire gathered there, extending and sharpening until she held a sword of pure blue flame. The heat it radiated was so intense that it created visible distortions in the air around it.

"This is my true power," she said, her voice resonating with confidence. "Fire Embodiment. I don’t just control fire—I become one with it."

He nodded appreciatively. "Much better. Show me what you can do with it."

She charged, her movements significantly faster now. The fire armor didn’t slow her down; if anything, it enhanced her speed. When her flaming sword swung down, he dodged to the side, feeling the intense heat singe the air beside his face.

The sword struck the ground where he had been standing, melting the stone into a bubbling pool of lava. The crowd gasped at the display of raw power.

"You missed," he taunted.

She smirked. "Did I?"

The lava pool suddenly erupted upward in a geyser of molten rock, nearly catching him by surprise. He backflipped away just in time, mana flaring around him as a shield.

"Clever," he acknowledged. "Using the environment."

She didn’t waste time on words. She swung her fire sword in wide arcs, each slash releasing crescent-shaped waves of blue flame that hurtled toward him from different angles. He was forced to move constantly, dodging and weaving between the attacks.

From the stands, Vess leaned forward. "She’s actually pushing him back."

"He’s still holding back," Luna said, though there was a hint of concern in her voice. "But those flames could seriously hurt him if they connect directly."

Back in the arena, he found himself temporarily cornered as fire crescents approached from multiple directions. His mana surged, forming a dome around him. When the flames hit, the barrier held, but cracks appeared in its surface.

"You can’t hide forever," she called out, striding confidently toward him, her armor blazing brighter with each step. "That yellow mana of yours is strong, but even it has limits against true elemental mastery."

Inside his barrier, he closed his eyes briefly, concentrating. When he opened them again, they gleamed with purpose.

"You’re right," he replied as the barrier dissipated. "Enough defense."

He moved so quickly that he seemed to blur. She swung her sword instinctively, but he was already behind her. Before she could turn, he struck her back with an open palm, channeling his mana directly into her armor.

The armor fluctuated where he hit, the blue flames briefly turning yellow before returning to their natural color. She staggered forward, feeling something off about her control over the flames.

"What did you—"

"Disruption," he explained calmly. "Every energy has a frequency. Find it, and you can interfere with it."

"Where did he learn that?" Luna asked, looking at Vess.

"Looks like he is using that book well." She said with a smile.

She whirled around, slashing furiously with her sword. He weaved between her attacks, occasionally touching her armor at different points—shoulder, arm, leg—each time infusing a little of his mana into her flames.

With each touch, her armor became more unstable, sections briefly flickering or changing color before she forced them back under control. Her movements became less fluid as she struggled to maintain her technique.

"Stop... doing... that!" she growled, frustration evident in her voice.

"Make me," he challenged, his eyes alight with excitement at finally facing a worthy opponent.