"FINAL MATCH OF THE ROUND OF 16! AND WHAT A WAY TO END IT, FOLKS!"
"IN THE LEFT CORNER — A RISING STORM, FRESH OFF A TERRIFYING SPARK AWAKENING DURING THE PRELIMINARY GAUNTLET — GIVE IT UP FOR IKAZUCHI KOHAN OF THE SPARK SYNDICATE KYOTO DIVISION!"
"AND IN THE RIGHT — THE CALM TERROR OF DRAIN AND DECAY — MASTER OF ENERGY SIPHONING AND A CROWD FAVORITE FROM THE OSAKA DIVISION — NOZOMU KUROSE!"
Ikazuchi stood at the far end of the arena, hood drawn, fingers twitching. He took a long breath. Lightning crackled faintly across his shoulders — not in jagged lines, but swirling like whirlpools, coiling in on themselves. Almost… sentient.
He exhaled slowly. This was only his second real battle with his Spark awakened. His heart thundered, matching the static in his blood.
He didn't look nervous.
He didn't look scared.
But he was.
Not of Nozomu.
Of himself.
Ever since his Spark had awakened Ikazuchi had felt a second heartbeat in his chest. One that wasn't his.
Every surge of power came with a whisper. A nudge. A flash of instinct he couldn't fully trace back to himself.
He didn't know if he was using his Spark… or if it was using him.
Nozomu grinned from the other end — older, lean, and wickedly composed. His hands were wrapped in black siphon cloth, flowing with dull blue lines of energy. His eyes gleamed violet — a Spark user through and through.
"Poor kid," Nozomu said with a cocky smirk. "Fresh blood never learns until they're dry."
"BEGIN!"
Ikazuchi surged forward instantly, body wreathed in arcs of brilliant yellow lightning. His hands sparked — a jagged bolt formed between his palms.
"Start fast. Don't give him time to—"
But Nozomu was already gone.
Ikazuchi's bolt hit air.
The afterimage shimmered and scattered like broken glass.
"He's using light distortion," Ikazuchi muttered. "That's not just speed. He's manipulating reflection vectors—"
ZAP. A searing pain clipped his shoulder.
Nozomu reappeared behind him with a flicker of violet, fingers glowing with prismatic light.
Ikazuchi ducked the next strike and spun, launching a wide thunder arc that scorched the arena floor in a crescent. Sparks danced violently, but Nozomu slipped through a crack in the light, vanishing again.
The fight became a blur.
Lightning crashed. Illusions danced.
The crowd couldn't keep up — flashes of yellow clashing with streaks of spectral color.
Ikazuchi paused mid-dash, breathing heavier. His eyes darted around.
"Where… where is he? He's faster than I thought… no, not faster. Just smarter with his Spark."
His teeth clenched.
"I can't win like this."
Then he smiled.
"Unless..."
He dropped his stance completely — and started...
Clapping his hands?!!?
Ikazuchi started furiosly rubbing his hands, clapping them at intervals as lightning built up around his arms
"Wh-What are you Doing?" Nozomu's voice echoed from every angle, distorted like a refracted echo.
"You've got prism powers," Ikazuchi muttered. "So I have to get a litlle creative."
He gave his hands one big clap
FLASH!
An electromagnetic burst spread across the arena — too weak to hurt, but strong enough to scramble light distortions.
For a split second — Nozomu was visible.
Ikazuchi's eyes locked in.
"Found you."
CRACK-BOOM!
He surged forward, lightning wrapping his arms like braided snakes. His punch connected, and Nozomu staggered, dazed by the pulse.
But Nozomu retaliated instantly — twisting, his leg ignited with a sharp, rainbow-hued pulse. He kicked Ikazuchi square in the ribs.
WHAM.
Ikazuchi hit the ground, coughing, electricity sputtering from his limbs.
"Alright," he groaned, "Looks like I need power to end this."
He slowly got to his feet.
Lightning started dancing across his entire body now, crawling over his skin in glowing branches. His yellow eyes lit up.
He charged — no tricks, no gadgets.
Just raw instinct and thunder.
Nozomu raised his arms and unleashed a prismatic barrier — a defense made of layered light. It bent energy, curved space—
And Ikazuchi punched straight through it.
The moment he touched it, he overloaded the structure — lightning surged into the barrier's refractive core and exploded it from within.
BOOM!
Glasslike fragments flew. Nozomu's eyes widened.
Ikazuchi didn't stop.
He leapt, fist overhead, electricity howling down his arm like a thunder god's hammer.
KA-CRACK!!!
The impact hit like a small detonation. Sparks rained from the sky, the arena floor cracked, and Nozomu was sent sliding across the tiles, unconscious before he landed.
Announcer (stammering):
"W-WINNER — IKAZUCHI KOHAN!!"
Ikazuchi stood, panting, smoke curling from his fists. His jacket was half-scorched, and his hair frizzed out like a fried wire. He gave a half-smile to the crowd — half confidence, half disbelief.
"Holy crap," he muttered, "I just Raijin Smashed that guy."
In the stands, Yuna and Jin burst out laughing.
"That's my boy!"
"He shoulda named his punch though-..."
The last match was over.
The Round of 16 had ended.
And now… the quarterfinals were coming.