I Was Born With A Bloodline That Ended The World-Chapter 100: Hidden Strengths

It was a pretty close fight if you looked at it from the outside.

Anya’s ice and fire were impressive, and she had kept up with him better than most would have expected.

The crowd seemed to think it was a clash of equals, two rising stars testing each other.

But Rhian didn’t see it that way. In his mind, he had been above her the entire time, both literally in the moment and in terms of skill and power.

He hadn’t used his dual blades, which lay dormant in the small sheath strapped to his lower back.

He hadn’t drawn on the claws he could grow from his fingertips, or the wings that would have let him dodge faster or block the worst of her attacks.

He hadn’t even touched the illusions that could create perfect copies of himself.

Some of that was intentional. He liked keeping his cards close to his chest, holding back the best of what he could do for when he really needed it.

Element of surprise was worth more than raw power in a fight like this, and he knew it.

But some of it was unintentional, too. The dual blades and the claws? He’d actually forgotten he had them.

It wasn’t because he didn’t think they were useful, just that the fight had been so close and so fast that he hadn’t needed them.

When he finally stopped to catch his breath, he felt the weight of those unused weapons in the back of his mind.

It was a good reminder, there was always another level he could reach for, always something more he could push himself to become.

And while Anya had put up a good fight, she hadn’t forced him to reach that level.

He knew there were others who could. Justin, for sure, and maybe a few of the second-years or third-years who he’d never had a chance to see up close.

But for now, he was content to keep his edges hidden.

He took a slow breath and turned his head, catching the glint of Nia’s eyes in the crowd. She looked like she’d been holding her breath the whole time, her fingers tapping against her leg.

He gave her a small nod. She’d understand what he meant by that. She always did.

For now, he’d keep the rest of his power to himself. Let everyone else think he was still holding back because he didn’t have more. Let them think the edge of what he’d shown today was all he had.

It wouldn’t be true for long.

The silence of the arena was heavy as Rhian remained over Anya, his hand still pinning her wrist down.

Then the crowd erupted, cheers, gasps, and murmurs of disbelief. They had seen Rhian’s dominance in the final seconds, but they had also seen Anya’s tenacity.

Anya’s face was flushed, sweat mixing with the frost that clung to her skin. Her mismatched eyes glowed with a simmering fury, not at him, but at herself. She wasn’t used to being forced down like this.

Rhian’s breath was steady, his focus unwavering, but even he could feel the shift. She was too proud, too driven to stay down.

Suddenly, her body arched beneath him. A blast of cold erupted from her skin, forcing him back. He leapt away, landing in a crouch as she rolled to her feet, her expression sharpened to a cold calm. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Anya didn’t hesitate. She slammed her palms together, and ice cracked across the ground like glass, forming a shimmering path under her feet.

She skated forward on it, closing the distance in a blink. Her movements were fast, fluid, and precise, like she had always known exactly how to move, how to flow around every attack.

Her fist swung at Rhian’s head, not raw strength but pure speed. He ducked, feeling the cold graze his ear as her knuckles passed by.

He retaliated with a sharp knee to her side, but she twisted with the impact, absorbing the blow and stepping in closer, her shoulder ramming into his chest to knock him back.

Rhian caught himself, sliding a foot back and planting it firm. He couldn’t deny it anymore, she was stronger than she had let on, her precision and control honed over countless hours of training.

Anya didn’t pause. Her hands flashed out, conjuring twin blades of ice that gleamed under the arena lights. She slashed at him, the edges whistling through the air.

He brought up his arms, blocking the first swing with his forearm. Ice shattered against his skin, but she didn’t stop.

The second blade swept low, aiming for his legs. He jumped back, feeling the bite of cold cut across his shin.

She pressed in, relentless. The twin blades blurred as she spun, a dancer in the snowstorm she created. Her strikes were clean, disciplined, each one an inch from real danger.

Rhian let the corner of his mouth curl up. This was what he had wanted.

He let his focus tighten, the air around him shifting. His dual blades snapped into existence, the metal glinting as he drew them in a smooth, controlled motion.

The crowd gasped, seeing him finally reveal one of his hidden weapons.

Anya’s eyes widened, just for a moment. But she didn’t falter. She stepped in with a burst of speed, her blades clashing with his. Ice rang against steel, the sound sharp and bright in the air.

They moved together, a blur of motion as they traded blows. Her blades met his, fast and precise.

She didn’t just swing wildly, she read every angle, every shift of his weight, adjusting with a cold calculation.

Rhian met her strike for strike, his dual blades flashing like silver arcs. The metal cut through the frost, each clash sending sparks of ice and light across the floor.

She tried to push him back, her blades weaving patterns in the air, but he matched her, his feet grounded and his instincts alive.

They circled each other, blades moving so fast that they blurred to the eyes of the crowd.

She feinted with a high cut, only to twist her body and bring the second blade low at his ribs.

Rhian caught it with the edge of his right blade, turning it aside before stepping in and slamming the flat of his left blade into her shoulder.

She grunted, but instead of falling back, she dropped to a knee and swept his legs with a sudden burst of ice underfoot.

He stumbled, catching himself with one blade against the ground as she surged forward, both blades coming in a scissor cut.

Rhian twisted, feeling the cold scrape across his cheek as he turned, one blade knocking hers up and the other driving forward. The tip of his blade met her collarbone, stopping just before it bit in.

They froze like that, panting, the clash of ice and steel hanging in the air.