Savage Awakening 478. The Legendary Duel (II)

Zane was actually starting to appreciate this announcer. He’d thought the guy a little unprofessional at the start of the tournament. But he warmed to him over time—he could respect a man who always went for it.

“The Way of Rock!” roared the announcer. “It shows you can never judge a man by the size of his rock! It proves greatness can come from anywhere—so long as you put your mind to it and grind!”

Zane wasn't sure it showed either of those things. But he had to admit, it did sound good.

“Alright! Without further ado… fighters—are you ready?!”

Zane nodded. Salazar grinned and did the same.

“BEGIN!”

***

“This is the first match this entire tournament that’s caught my interest,” said Salazar. “Jack… what makes you different? At first, I wasn’t sure…”

He drew his sword.

“But then I realized.” He thrust it straight at Zane. “You’re hiding your power.”

Zane blinked.

“The Blood Demon was the closest you came to showing your true self.” Salazar cocked his head, an easy grin on his face. “But that’s not all you’ve got, is it?”

He couldn’t tell quite how much this Salazar had figured out.

“…No,” he hedged.

“I can tell by the way you move. It’s an easy confidence… but really, I can tell by the look in your eye. This… calmness. Like…” He cocked his head. “Like you're never really in trouble, even in the heart of the storm. Like you have the world in the palm of your hand. And you could crush it, like that…”

He snapped his fingers.

“You know how I know that?”

“You feel that way too?” guessed Zane.

“That’s right.”

He figured.

“I do hope you’re exactly as strong as I think you are.” Salazar grinned. “Then it might be a fair fight.”

Zane had seen his fair share of arrogant men. But Salazar just sounded confident.

Still—“I doubt you're like me."

It wasn’t pride. He’d just met quite a few folk who thought they were like him, too. Fought them, even.

In the end…

None were.

Still—he was eager to see this guy try to prove it.

There was a flash of surprise on Salazar's face. Then he laughed.

And blurred into motion.

Salazar ripped out a single wide slash. A perfect sliver of brilliance, of pure sword-light.

Destruction!

The first time he’d ever seen another Ascendant wielding that stuff. Woven so beautifully, so perfectly into the swordlight—

He was pretty sure that was just about the same amount of Destruction he could wield as an Ascendant…

Then the slash split.

Broke into two.

Split again. And again—and again—until his whole field of view was crossed with sword-slashes— 

…Shit.

He stomped out of the way, tried bracing as much as he could.

But it still felt like he was hit by a very sharp train.

It shredded right into his side—

And two floors of Zane’s soul pagoda shattered, just like that.

“What a blistering first strike!” shouted the announcer.

Zane’s heart was pounding. Not a fearful thing; more like he’d just gotten woken up.

That thing would’ve wiped out pretty much any Minor God not named Zane.

Even he felt the blow as it laced into his side…

The last time an Ascendant made him feel any blow—he couldn’t even remember it.

“Jack’s hurt!” cried the announcer. “…But he isn’t down! That’s the first time anyone’s stood up to the strike of Salazar!”

Salazar grinned. “Just like I thought.”

And slashed again.

This time Zane stomped away faster; the field of sword-light struck thin air—but Salazar blurred after, each step perfectly placed, slashing again, a vicious and brutal dance—

“Every move Salazar makes—it looks so simple! But it’s profound as all hells!” cried the announcer. “Jack’s on the ropes… at the same time, it feels like Jack always starts slow! Maybe he just needed to get hit to get his head in the game?!”

This guy really did know him.

***

Salazar inspected his shredded-up foe, grinning—clearly enjoying himself.

“Come now, Jack,” he said. “I know that isn’t all you’ve got!”

He blurred into the wind.

And his next strike came even fiercer somehow.

It felt like Zane had stepped into a sword factory, and all the shelves were falling on him—so many slashes it was just impossible to avoid…

He’d tried to get close a few times. Tried to sneak in a bonk. But this Salazar was way too good with the sword; all it’d earned him was more cuts.

Now his robes were so sliced through you could see the muscle working hard beneath.

He leaped back, grimacing—he had to change things up.

“So far it’s been a one-way fight!” said the announcer. “Can Jack pull something out—look! He’s reaching into that bag of his—”

The next time Salazar slashed, he pulled out one of his spare rocks and crushed it into a thousand little pebbles.

“Hidden Technique,” said Zane. “Rock flares.”

Then he threw his rock dust.

A cloud blew out in front of him—each little speck canceling out a sword slash. In the end, only one got through.

“Extraordinary!” cried the announcer. “Look at him, innovating on the fly!”

“More!” breathed Salazar.

His eyes gleamed—pupils shining the same color as that sword-light. The light of Destruction.

He attacked again—somehow, even faster.

Zane frowned as he was forced on the back foot again—this guy was really something. Just full of surprises. Where was his limit?

He was increasingly worried—with the similarities he was seeing, the destructive aggression, the Destruction, even—

…This Salazar really might just be like Zane when he was Ascendant…

Which was to say—there might be no limit.

He had to grin at that.

“When Salazar gets going it’s like he becomes one with the sword!” said the announcer. “Look at that—just perfect flow! Jack’s still hanging on though—just barely…!”

At that point, Zane knew he had to change the game. Throw off the man’s momentum.

So he stomped right into the tail end of the storm—ate a faceful of sword-light. But it was enough to get him close.

Then he threw his rock cloud straight for Salazar’s face.

Salazar’s eyes narrowed; he reacted like a cobra striking; and a new burst of sword-light broke every pebble in two.

At the same time, though, Zane threw his other rock.

And that slammed right into Salazar’s gut.

“Hrnng!”

Salazar’s eyes widened—he staggered.

But he didn’t go down.

“Good shot,” he rasped, and grinned.

Zane just kept being surprised by this guy.

“…Your soul’s pretty big.”

“Pretty big!?” cried the announcer. “Salazar’s got the biggest soul in recorded history!”

“Why, thank you,” said Salazar. His eyes glinted.

And a sword icon blurred over his form, a phantom.

And he flexed.

His soul exploded out of him.

“Look at the size of that thing!” cried the announcer. “It’s just dominating the entire arena—if ever there was an Emperor’s soul… that’s it!”

“You’re taking it well,” mused Salazar.

Zane shrugged. Grinned.

“I’ve seen bigger.”

He was in the finals anyway. At this point in the fight… he figured he could let the disguise slip—just a little.

Plus…

You couldn’t put this kind of challenge in front of him and expect him not to answer.

Salazar’s soul really was massive. Bigger than even Eze’s. He’d put it near the biggest he’d ever seen—alongside the Slayer, or maybe Haxorax.

Then Zane let just a hint of his soul show.

A Pagoda blazed crimson above him.

***

“Can it be?!” choked the announcer. “It really is—Jack’s aura—it’s suppressing even Salazar’s! Folks—we’re seeing the new biggest soul of all time, wrestling down the second place!”

High up in the stands, Jin gasped.
“…Master Zane?”

Salazar shook his head. His face was full of joy—almost childish joy.

“I hope you know you’ve lived up to my greatest hope,” he said. “Well then…”

He thrust his sword to the heavens. “—Let’s dance ’till the end!”

And this time Salazar was a hurricane of blade-light.

It was clear he was going all out. He fought with almost no regard for his own safety, and every slash that came at Zane would’ve carved even the strongest Minor Gods in two.

Zane dodged back, eyes narrowing—throwing out rock flares. But more and more swords were getting through…

At the same time, though, he was getting more used to fighting this storm of a man. And he was finding his openings more too.

His rock throws were putting up serious damage. He’d missed Salazar’s head just slightly a couple of times now—that was the money shot. But he had hit a shoulder, deadening it for a few seconds. And the gut again, doubling Salazar over—that stopped his swordplay entirely.

Salazar had cut him up pretty badly by now—but he’d hurt the man too. Bruises were showing on his arms, his chest…

He still tried stomping in and whacking him straight up a few times. But Salazar was just too wily and fast for that—he always seemed to see it coming.

“I know you don’t see any blood on him!” said the announcer. “But it’s widely known Jack’s achieved ‘one with the rock’—he doesn’t even bleed anymore! Rest assured—internally, he’s cut up bad! He’s in serious trouble!”

This was really quite convenient lore.

A blistering series of exchanges went like that. At the end, Zane and Salazar broke apart. Both breathing heavily.

Honestly—Zane was having quite a tough time with this man. The best kind of time. He could see why he had all those nicknames.

…He would’ve liked to fight him as an Ascendant.

It would’ve been interesting to see who’d win.

With how that Professor had spoken of him, Zane was pretty sure this was the next strongest man of all time. He was the strongest now. And for the next… however many eras, however many million years—no one could take that from him.

So far, he lived up to the billing.

The sword-light hadn’t drawn blood on Zane—but he had a Ten Million Year bone and a physique stuffed with Divine Primordial grade treasures.

If he was still an Ascendant—even in his very prime—he’d be carved up right now.

…Still standing, though.

He would give Salazar respect. But not that much respect.

Deep in his heart, he still figured Ascendant Zane had the guy. Maybe not by much—but he’d bet on himself.

At the same time, Salazar raised his head to the heavens, eyes closed. He wore one bloody grin.

“Look at that smile!” cried the announcer. “I’ve never seen Salazar like this—never!”

“It’s been a great fight,” said Salazar. He sighed. “It’s a pity it’s got to end…”

“Yeah.”

He looked Zane straight in the eyes.

“This is still not all I have to offer,” he said. “But… you’re saving an ultimate move too, I suspect.”

Zane nodded.

“I propose a gentleman’s agreement. We’ll decide the duel in a single moment. We’ll each have one attack—our ultimate attack. And whoever survives… wins.”

Zane grinned.

“Let’s do it.”