Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

Seadrei was the only one who wasn't surprised when he saw that… he didn't even squint his eyes. He just fixed his stance and waited for Rain to attack him… when he got within his range, Seadrei punched him with all his might. Rain touched his fist with both of his hands and propelled himself upward.

He avoided the attack, but he began to spin violently… and the motion ended with an axe kick on Seadrei's head.

Seadrei groaned in pain… even he would suffer a bit of pain with an axe kick on his head. In any case, don't follow up on the attack with another. He just used the impact of the attack to jump over Seadrei and then land behind him.

When Seadrei turned around, he saw Rain charging toward him again, and he couldn't hide his surprise. Seadrei blocked a barrage of punches with his forearms before he could fix his posture, which only confused him more confused… Rain could have used the Counterflow technique once more and depleted a lot of his stamina, but he didn't.

"What is he plotting?" Seadrei thought after finally squinting his eyes.

The surprises didn't end there… instead of moving away when Seadrei fixed his stance, Rain just lowered his and then increased his speed. The intensity of Rain's assault increased with each passing moment. The barrage of punches unleashed by Rain became a blur, and the arena echoed with thunderous impacts as Seadrei desperately attempted to block all of them.

The sheer speed and precision of Rain's strikes left the spectators in awe, and Seadrei found himself struggling to keep up.

Seadrei, considering a counterattack, widened his eyes in surprise as Rain's speed increased even more. Before he could come up with a response, Seadrei found himself overwhelmed by the sheer velocity of Rain's punches. Despite his best efforts to defend, several blows broke through his guard, landing with brutal accuracy and power on his solar plexus.

The pain that Seadrei experienced was visceral. Each strike felt like a sledgehammer pounding into his midsection, the force reverberating through his body. With each hit, Seadrei was pushed backward, his breath stolen by the relentless assault on his core. The audience gasped as they witnessed the sea emperor, renowned for his resilience, almost succumbing to the onslaught.

Seadrei's eyes narrowed in discomfort, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he grappled with the searing pain. Rain's calculated and rapid attacks had not only breached his defenses but also left Seadrei questioning his ability to predict and counter the attacks.

"... I understand," Seadrei thought as he was pushed away. "This technique of his to increase his speed… it is nothing insane. He just attacks the same spots over and over again. His body memorizes their movements and works automatically. Still, for him to force his brain to do that…"

Seadrei couldn't explain that… training to be able to react without thinking and in the best way possible while relying on their instincts was something all warriors tried to do for decades, but even so, living beings have limits. Rain broke those limits and was breaking further somehow…

Still, Seadrei could tell that such a technique had limits… or maybe the limitations were thanks to Rain's current strength. Instead of following with another barrage of attacks, Rain just returned to original posture and watched Seadrei.

"This is my chance," Seadrei thought.

Seadrei's muscles began to bulge as he prepared to attack Rain with all his might… his strength was so massive that he began to damage the floor of the arena, even though he hadn't used Impulse yet. When he charged, a powerful blast of wind was sent flying in the opposite direction, making the spectators cover their faces with their arms and then miss what happened in the next moment.

Few people saw what had happened thanks to the blast… the impact between the attacks had been so massive that the arena trembled. When everyone looked at them again, they saw Rain with his right arm smashed and completely purpled and saw Seadrei falling on the ground with the right side of his face getting swollen.

A few moments earlier… As Seadrei gathered his strength for a decisive attack, Rain, in a moment of strategic brilliance, mirrored the sea emperor's move. When Seadrei launched his powerful right-arm assault, Rain responded in kind, channeling the techniques of the Ruthless path to amplify the critical power of his punch.

The collision between the two titanic forces generated an immense impact, causing the arena to tremble.

Despite Rain's skillful defense, the price was evident. His right arm showed the effects of the clash, appearing smashed and discolored. In stark contrast, Seadrei, with his robust frame, seemed relatively unscathed on his arm.

However, Rain's sacrifice had a purpose. In a swift follow-up, he unleashed a left straight that caught Seadrei off guard. The unexpected strike landed with precision, delivering a powerful blow to the sea emperor's face. Seadrei, momentarily stunned and unable to react in time, found himself knocked to the ground.

The spectators, who had been shielded from the details of the intense exchange by the earlier blast of wind, now watched in amazement as Rain's strategic maneuver and sacrifice paid off. Despite the visible toll on his right arm, Rain's calculated tactics allowed him to seize the advantage and turn the tide in his favor.

The arena was busy with murmurs… no one could tell what was going to happen next.

Still, after a couple of seconds, Seadrei opened his eyes and then got up. He truly fell unconscious since he looked around in confusion until he saw Rain with his limp right arm in front of him.

Seadrei raised his guard, but then his body wobbled forward… his brain shook quite a bit with the precious attack. While seeing the state of those two, Esmeralda and Branden looked at each other, wondering if they should let them continue the match… it might end up in a disaster if they do it.