Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

Rain braced himself and protected his head with his arms. His arms, the lower part of his torso, and legs began to bleed as the attacks landed, but he endured until he could reach Seara… which he never did. Seara took several steps backward, and her attacks made Rain lose speed. Their distance didn't change at all…

The smell of blood was starting to take over the area… and the ring was being painted crimson as well. The good side of all that was the fact that since she had to keep her distance to attack as much as possible, the piercing power of Seara's attacks was limited. Still, it was more than enough at that… because Rain was bound to pass out due to the blood loss.

When Seara finished another barrage of attacks, she stepped away a bit more to catch her breath and analyze the damage that she had caused… things were going according to the plan, perhaps a bit too much. Still, when she looked at Rain in the eye, she could tell that he wasn't about to give up.

"He is having a hard time trying to come at me all out… but he also finally realized that it won't be that easy," Seara thought. "He will have to do his best, and winning without forcing him to do so has no meaning."

When her arms had rested enough, Seara readied herself to attack again, and then she felt danger when Rain raised his closed fist. She immediately began to attack, but soon she stopped when Rain swung down his fist and then punched the ground.

The moment Rain's clenched fist met the floor, a seismic tremor rippled through the entire arena. The very foundation quivered as if protesting the immense power unleashed in that single punch. Spectators in the surrounding stands felt the vibrations beneath their feet, adding an extra layer of suspense to the already intense duel.

They felt that the place was about to fall apart… such was Rain's power.

Seara, caught in the aftershock, trembled on the brink of losing her balance. The ground beneath her shifted unpredictably, causing her posture to break for a crucial moment. A brief lapse in her otherwise impeccable defense revealed a vulnerability that Rain wasted no time exploiting.

Seizing the opportunity, Rain charged forward with unparalleled speed. His charge was swift and purposeful, fueled by the realization that this was the opening he needed. The arena continued to echo the aftermath of Rain's powerful punch. Still, it soon ended when Rain collided against Seara with a body slam.

Despite the surprise, Seara blocked most of the damage by hitting Rain with her arms like they were still spears. The impact pushed her away, but at least her fingers also hit and pierced Rain's skin.

Seara quickly raised her right arm to swing it down, but soon Rain hit her wrist with a punch. At that moment, Seara opened her eyes widely when she lost control of her hand for a moment.

One critical structure in the wrist is the carpal tunnel, which is a narrow passageway formed by the small carpal bones and a ligament on the palm side of the wrist. The median nerve, which controls sensation and movement in the thumb and first three fingers, passes through the carpal tunnel. If the carpal tunnel is compressed or injured, it can result in a condition known as carpal tunnel syndrome.

Carpal tunnel syndrome can cause pain, numbness, and tingling in the affected hand, making it difficult for a person to use their hand properly. The symptoms may also extend up to the arm.

Rain knew that, for that reason, he used only enough force to stop her movements for a few moments. When Seara saw Rain preparing his follow-up attack, she opened her other hand and hit Rain's chest with it… the impact spread across Rain's torso and made him lose the air in his lungs. That pushed Rain backward, but it didn't stop him…

Rain opened his arms and hands, pushed them backward for a bit, and gained momentum. Before long, a barrage of continuous palm strikes hit the air and then reached Seara.

In the next moment, Seara felt her body being hit by countless wind spheres. The attacks pushed her away, but she was quick to react… she could use her own technique to fight that back. However, her arms were hit before she could put them in the stance that she needed to attack…

As Rain unleashed his follow-up assault, an unexpected spectacle was unfolded. To the onlookers, Rain's arms seemed to defy the laws of perception. For some, his limbs appeared to have vanished completely as he executed his lightning-fast strikes, leaving only a ghostly trail behind. Others could barely discern blurs of motion, a clear sign of the sheer speed and precision of his attacks.

The bewildering display continued, captivating the audience with the mysterious dance of Rain's unseen movements. However, as the barrage advanced, some spectators found themselves unintentionally caught in the crossfire. Despite the ferocity of the wind spheres, those unfortunate enough to be hit experienced an unexpected phenomenon—they suffered no physical harm.

Instead, the impact left them momentarily disoriented, unable to keep their eyes open.

The wind spheres, initially swift and compact, expanded in size as they traversed the arena. The result was a mesmerizing yet chaotic display of swirling air currents. Amidst the confusion, Seara fought to maintain her ground, resisting the force of Rain's relentless assault. Still, when she decided to use Impulse, she had already reached the border of the ring.

Then she launched his final attack… a spinning palm strike that fired a powerful blast.

The final attack was much bigger and more powerful than the others. Seara has pushed away beyond the ring and almost reached the walls of the arena, and she didn't have the chance to fight back… it almost looked like Rain controlled her body with Telekinesis.

"... Rain is the winner!" Esmeralda declared when Seara landed on the ground.