Re-Awakened :I Ascend as an SSS-Ranked Dragon Summoner-Chapter 220: S ranked Vs …

Whatever happened yesterday, remained in the past. Today, the matches continued.

The arena buzzed with anticipation as the next match was announced. Lucas Grey versus Zahir Orlov—the number one of the twelfth against Zahir Orlov A matchup worthy of being the final event, though it was only a round two bout.

Minister Reigns leaned forward in his seat among the other dignitaries, a slight smile playing at the corners of his usually stern mouth. Beside him, the Headmaster of Academy 12, Commander Owen sat with composure, though the glint in his eyes betrayed his excitement. Their pride and joy, Lucas Grey, was about to show everyone why Academy 12 consistently produced some of the best soldiers.

"Grey seems relaxed," Reigns commented. "Too relaxed, perhaps."

Commander Owen chuckled. "That's just his way, minister. He never wastes energy on pre-fight anxiety."

In the stands, Kelvin practically vibrated with energy, clutching a massive foam finger emblazoned with Academy 12's emblem. "Lucas is gonna wreck this guy!"

Sophie rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her smile. "You say that about every match. And where did you even get that from?!"

"Yeah, but this time it's Lucas," Kelvin insisted. "Different level entirely."

Cora, sitting beside them, nodded in agreement. "Zahir's no pushover, though. He took down Mirai from Academy 10 in less than two minutes yesterday."

"Mirai isn't Lucas," Sophie pointed out, earning nods from both.

On the opposite side of the arena, Noah stood with arms crossed, watching the preparations. Beside him, Marco, Lila, and Adrian formed a line of first-years, all with similar postures—intent, analyzing, learning.

"Day two, and we're down to four representatives," Marco muttered. "Akira got eliminated yesterday."

"Not our turn yet," Lila said quietly, her eyes fixed on the arena. She seemed fine today. Didn't look like someone who had passed out yesterday. And more to it, she acted normal around Noah. By normal, totally smitten but keeping it together.

Adrian nodded toward the randomizer board above the entrance. "They're still cycling through other academy first-years. Gives us time to study."

Noah remained silent, focused on the arena where their academy's pride was about to demonstrate exactly why he was considered the number one student not just in academy twelve but arguably in the Eastern Sector.

Lucas Grey strode into the arena with casual confidence, his movements fluid and unhurried. Arcs of blue lightning flickered across his body as if eager to be unleashed. The crowd erupted, chanting his name in waves that seemed to shake the very foundations of the arena.

"LU-CAS! LU-CAS! LU-CAS!"

The energy barriers hummed to life around the ring, transparent walls designed to contain the extraordinary powers about to be unleashed. Last year, in this very arena, Lucas had awakened his soul form—a transformation that elevated him from merely exceptional to legendary among the student body. Everyone present wondered if they might witness it again today.

Across from him, Zahir Orlov entered with equal composure, though his method was altogether different. While Lucas walked, Zahir seemed to drift, his feet hovering slightly above the arena floor. Swirling shadow energy coiled around him like living smoke, occasionally forming shapes that dissolved before they could fully materialize.

The announcer's voice boomed through the speakers: "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, REPRESENTING EASTERN ACADEMY 12, LUCAS Grey!"

The crowd roared.

"AND HIS OPPONENT, REPRESENTING EASTERN ACADEMY 5, ZAHIR ORLOV!"

A respectable cheer rose, though noticeably less enthusiastic than for Lucas.

As the announcer continued with the standard rules explanation, Lucas locked eyes with his opponent. He could feel the dark energy emanating from Zahir—cold, heavy, ancient somehow. Not the kind of power that was gained through simple training. Zahir to be representing the fifth meant he had to be amongst the top twenty five.

The countdown began.

"3... 2... 1... BEGIN!"

BOOM!

The sound barrier shattered. A blue streak blitzed across the arena—then passed straight through Zahir's body like it was made of smoke.

Lucas skidded to a halt thirty feet beyond his target, dust clouds billowing from his sudden stop. He turned, eyebrow raised. "Huh."

Zahir's form solidified again, his expression unchanged. "Not fast enough." His voice echoed strangely, as if coming from multiple places simultaneously.

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'Phase shifting,' Lucas thought. 'Interesting.'

The floor beneath Lucas suddenly rippled like disturbed water. He leapt backward just as black, spectral chains erupted from the ground—writhing, whipping, lunging for his limbs.

"Predictable," Lucas muttered, twisting his body mid-air. The chains followed, adjusting their trajectory with unnatural precision.

One grazed his forearm.

Instantly, cold spread through his veins like liquid nitrogen. The chain hadn't just touched him—it was leeching something from him, draining more than physical energy.

Lucas's eyes narrowed. Blue-white lightning surged across his skin, traveling down to the point of contact. The chain snapped and disintegrated with a sound like shattering glass.

He landed in a crouch twenty feet away, frost still clinging to his sleeve. "You're annoying."

Zahir raised his palm toward Lucas. The air between them distorted, space itself seeming to fold inward. Instantly, everywhere stilled. This was Zahir's doing.

Shadow collapse, It was a localized gravity implosion that pulled everything into a single point, slowing down opponents and distorting their movements.

The gravity around Lucas warped—invisible force pulling him forward while simultaneously pressing down with crushing pressure. The arena floor beneath his feet groaned, hairline fractures spreading outward in a spiderweb pattern.

In the stands, Kelvin clutched Sophie's arm. "What the hell is that? Lucas can't even move!"

Lucas gritted his teeth. The pressure increased, his boots sliding forward inch by inch across the cracking floor. The air around him began to shimmer with heat as electricity arced more violently across his body.

'Gravity manipulation,' he thought. 'Needs more juice to counter.'

And immediately he did something about that.

KRAKOOM!

A thunderclap nearly deafened the front rows as Lucas vanished in a flash of blue-white light. The gravity well collapsed in on itself, pulling in chunks of the arena floor.

"Where did he—" Zahir started, looking up too late.

Lucas materialized directly above him, descending with a lightning-wrapped leg. Volt Hammer.

Zahir's body began to phase out—

But Lucas had been watching, counting, calculating. His kick changed trajectory mid-drop, striking not where Zahir was, but where he would rematerialize a split-second later.

CRACK!

The impact resonated through the arena. Zahir's body slammed into the ground with enough force to crater the reinforced flooring. Dust and concrete fragments exploded outward.

Lucas landed lightly at the crater's edge, shoulders relaxed. "Got you."

A ripple passed through the spectators—a collective intake of breath. Nobody had seen Zahir take a clean hit in his previous match.

The dust cleared. Zahir pushed himself up, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His eyes had changed—now they swirled with inky blackness that seemed to absorb light.

"Interesting," he said, voice deeper, resonating. "Most never touch me."

The temperature in the arena plummeted ten degrees in an instant. Frost crystallized across the crater's edges. Zahir's shadow stretched, expanded, multiplied—not just beneath him but all around, covering the arena floor in shifting patterns of darkness.

This technique he called, Abyss Chains: Legion.

Not dozens, but hundreds of chains erupted everywhere, forming a three-dimensional maze of writhing black metal. They moved with terrifying intelligence, anticipating Lucas's potential escape routes, closing them off one by one.

In the VIP section, Commander Owen leaned forward. "Now we'll see if he's been paying attention in tactical classes."

Lucas became a blur again, a streak of blue lightning zigzagging between the chains. One snapped shut where his head had been a millisecond earlier. Another grazed his shoulder, immediately frost-burning through his gear.

The shadows had a cold property that when exposed instantly froze whatever they touched. This was the terrifying power of a third gen that knew what they were doing. And Zahir certainly was that person.

The chains were learning, adapting to Lucas's speed and movement patterns. And by no means was that a small feat considering Lucas could break the sound barrier at will in a short bust of acceleration.

A chain coiled around his ankle, the cold bite of it sending pain shooting up his leg.

"Enough of this," Lucas growled.

ZAP!

Lightning exploded from his body in all directions. The chain around his ankle shattered—but the momentary pause had been enough. Three more chains lunged toward him from different angles.

Lucas slammed his palms together. Thunder Pulse

The sound was like a mountain splitting. Concussive waves of electrical energy pulsed outward in expanding rings, disintegrating nearby chains and sending the rest reeling backward.

CRACK!

The energy barrier walls flickered violently, hairline fractures appearing in their structure.

Zahir frowned, hands moving in complex patterns. The shadows around him condensed, swirling into a vortex of absolute darkness. Abyss Stream.

He thrust both palms forward. A torrent of shadow energy—thirty feet wide and dense enough to warp light around its edges—roared across the arena floor, leaving a molten trench in its wake.

Lucas sidestepped, but the stream curved, tracking him like a predator. He changed direction twice more, but the shadow adjusted each time, gaining ground.

'Fine,' Lucas thought. 'Let's try something else.'

He planted his feet, hands outstretched. Lightning arced between his fingers, intensifying until the air itself began to ionize.

Volt Barrier

Immediately, a wall of crackling electricity, ten feet high and twenty feet wide, materialized before him. The shadow stream slammed into it with the force of a freight train.

Light and darkness collided.

KRAKOOOOOOM!