Re-Awakened :I Ascend as an SSS-Ranked Dragon Summoner-Chapter 285: Awaken 2

The fake Lila's (Mira's) eyes widened, not with fear but with rage. "I am your end," she hissed, before spatial distortions erupted from her body in all directions.

The explosion of warped space caught Noah directly in the chest, throwing him across the arena. He crashed into the opposite barrier, the air driven from his lungs by the impact.

[Health Points: 710/1000]

Before he could recover, Kaiden was on him, fighting through the pain of his broken arm. His good hand, vibrating with such intensity that it blurred to the naked eye, caught Noah in the ribs. The impact was catastrophic—Noah felt bones crack as vibrations traveled through his torso, rattling organs and sending waves of agony through his body.

[Health Points: 630/1000]

Blood sprayed from Noah's mouth as he staggered backward. Kaiden pressed the advantage, driving his shoulder into Noah's chest and pinning him against the barrier. With his functioning arm, he delivered a series of short, devastating blows to Noah's kidney, each impact enhanced by precisely targeted vibrations that maximized internal damage.

[Health Points: 600/1000]

"Not so tough now, are you?" Kaiden snarled, blood and spittle spraying from his lips.

Noah's response was ice-cold. "Just getting warmed up."

With a surge of strength that left Kaiden momentarily stunned, Noah broke the larger fighter's hold. His hands moved in a blur, targeting nerve clusters in Kaiden's shoulders and neck with devastating precision. Kaiden's remaining functional arm went limp, the vibration field flickering and dying as neural pathways were temporarily severed.

Noah followed with a knee to Kaiden's gut that doubled him over, then a vicious spinning heel kick to the back of the head that drove him first first into the arena floor. The impact made Kaiden's head bounce off the floor with blood pooling beneath his face as he lay stunned.

The false Lila didn't give Noah time to finish Kaiden. She attacked from behind, spatial distortions wrapping around Noah's throat and chest like invisible chains. He felt his ribcage being compressed, bones creaking under the pressure as breathing became nearly impossible.

[Health Points: 590/1000]

With a savage roar, Noah flexed every muscle in his body, channeling raw physical power rather than chi. The spatial bindings strained against his strength, and for a moment, it seemed like a stalemate. Then, with a final surge of effort, Noah broke free, the spatial distortions shattering like glass around him.

He whirled to face the false Lila, blood streaming from his mouth, eyes burning with controlled fury. "My turn," he said simply.

What followed was a display of combat prowess that left the audience speechless. Noah moved with impossible speed, closing the distance to the false Lila before she could establish new spatial defenses. His attacks came from unpredictable angles, each strike precisely targeted for maximum damage.

A palm strike to her solar plexus drove the air from her lungs. A sweeping kick took her legs out from under her. As she fell, Noah caught her by the throat, holding her suspended for one terrible moment before driving her head-first into the arena floor with such force that the floor cratered beneath the impact.

Blood sprayed across the arena as the false Lila's scalp split open. She lay motionless for a moment, then slowly, painfully began to rise once more, spatial distortions flickering weakly around her trembling form.

"Stay down," Noah advised coldly.

Her response was a savage laugh that contained no humor. "Never," she spat, blood dripping from her lips as she climbed to her feet.

Behind Noah, Kaiden had also regained enough strength, his face was covered up with blood and hatred. He staggered upright, his broken arm hanging uselessly at his side, his other arm slowly regaining function as the nerve blocks wore off.

"You can't beat both of us," he growled, vibration energy beginning to build once more around his functioning hand.

Noah assessed the situation with clinical detachment. Both opponents were severely injured but still dangerous. The false Lila's spatial control was weakening, but Kaiden's vibration powers seemed to be intensifying, as if fueled by his pain and rage.

'Time to end this,' Noah thought, settling into a stance that would allow him to react to attacks from either direction.

Kaiden and the false Lila exchanged a look, some unspoken communication passing between them. Then, with perfect synchronization, they attacked from opposite sides.

Kaiden charged from the front, his vibration field extending outward in waves that distorted the very air. The false Lila attacked from behind, creating spatial pockets that bent light and gravity, making Noah's movements increasingly unpredictable even to himself.

Noah met their combined assault with cold precision, blocking Kaiden's vibration-enhanced punch while simultaneously twisting to avoid the worst of the spatial distortions. But fighting two powerful opponents simultaneously began to take its toll. For every attack he countered, another slipped through his defenses.

[Health Points: 595/1000]

A spatial distortion caught Noah's ankle, twisting it painfully as he attempted to dodge Kaiden's follow-up strike. The momentary imbalance was all Kaiden needed. His fist, vibrating at maximum intensity, connected with Noah's shoulder with such force that the joint dislocated instantly.

[Health Points: 570/1000]

Pain lanced through Noah's body as his arm hung uselessly at his side. The false Lila capitalized on his injury, creating a spatial vortex that lifted Noah off his feet and slammed him into the arena floor with bone-breaking force.

[Health Points: 550/1000]

Blood sprayed from Noah's mouth as he crashed into the concrete. Before he could recover, Kaiden was on him, driving a knee into his ribs with such force that several cracked audibly.

[Health Points: 490/1000]

In the stands, Kelvin had gone pale, his earlier enthusiasm replaced by genuine concern. "Come on, Noah," he whispered. "You're not done yet."

Miss Brooks leaned forward slightly, her impassive facade cracking just enough to reveal a hint of worry. Beside her, Mr. Rourke muttered, "This is getting excessive, even for a final match."

Noah struggled to rise, only to be caught in another of the false Lila's spatial traps. This one bent gravity around him, multiplying the effective weight of his body tenfold. He was pinned to the ground, concrete cracking beneath him as his bones threatened to shatter under the increased pressure.

[Health Points: 430/1000]

Kaiden approached slowly, savoring the moment. "Not so tough after all," he sneered, vibration energy building around his fist for what he clearly intended to be a finishing blow.

Through swollen eyes, Noah looked up at his tormentors. Blood matted his hair, ran in rivulets down his face, pooled beneath his broken body. By all appearances, he was defeated—outmatched by the combined assault of two powerful opponents.

'They think I'm finished,' Noah thought, his mind still razor-sharp despite his battered body. "It's time everyone learned.'

"Kaiden," Noah rasped, spitting blood onto the cracked ring floor. He spoke, barely a whisper with all the noise "Why do you hate me so much? I don't even know you,"

Kaiden paused, vibration energy still rippling around his fist. His eyes narrowed with contempt. "You know why," he growled. "I am Purge, and you stand in the way of Purge. You've made yourself an obstacle,"

Noah turned his gaze to the false Lila, who continued holding him under the crushing gravitational pressure. "And you," he said, his voice surprisingly steady despite the immense force bearing down on him. "You're only wearing a face that isn't yours now. But I know that as crazy as the real Lila is... she could never be less than you."

Rage contorted the impostor's features. "Shut up!" she hissed, increasing the gravitational pressure even further.

Together, they descended upon Noah in a final assault—Kaiden's vibration-enhanced fists hammering into his torso while the false Lila's spatial distortions twisted and crushed from every angle. Blow after blow rained down, each impact sending fresh waves of agony through Noah's body.

[Health Points: 350/1000]

And then, as blood pooled around him and his vision began to narrow to a pinpoint, Noah whispered two words:

"Nyx..." Noah smiled, "Awaken,"

Right in the middle of the ring, a dark purple portal materialized with red mists pouring out of it and obscuring everything.

Diana Frost watching from where she sat in the crowd along with Jayden Smoak stood up from her seat. Her face looked like she had seen a ghost.