Chapter 146 — Illusions of Fraud
Valor was stunned to see a slash appear across his torso.
He immediately leapt back, chaining several rapid steps to put distance between himself and Drake.
Nova, acting as referee, exclaimed:
— I'm shocked that you, of all people, got caught so easily.
Valor glared at him as if Nova had just insulted his entire bloodline.
— Me? The great Valor? Getting caught "easily"? Stop joking. But I'd really like to know how this mosquito managed to touch me.
In the stands, the crowd was already exploding.
— Woooooo! That's what we want to see! — shouted a spectator.
— Valor got hit! Did I dream that? — shouted another.
Drake, calm as ever, replied:
— Actually, when I bombarded you with blows… I left an opening on purpose. I knew you'd try to strike me. And the moment you extended your arm… bam. I got you.
Valor's jaw dropped in shock.
— A tactic like that… that's disgraceful! How could I fall for something so pathetic??
— Don't worry, Drake answered, you haven't seen anything yet.
Valor raised an eyebrow.
— Oh yeah? Don't think you'll catch me again. You're way too mistaken about your luck, old man.
Drake charged forward.
Valor pointed his fingers like a kid playing with laser pistols.
— Pew. Pew. Pew.
Tiny air compressions fired like invisible bullets, slamming into Drake. The impacts struck his body, but Drake kept advancing as if someone were tossing peanuts at him.
And suddenly — *clack*.
Invisible chains wrapped around Drake, and silhouettes — copies of his comrades — appeared and pierced his body.
Drake's eyes widened.
— Impossible… I was charging straight at Valor… how—
But in reality…
Valor was calmly levitating in the air, seated as if on an invisible chair, legs crossed. Drake trembled as though his entire life was flashing before his eyes in 8K HDR.
Nova frowned.
— Valor… what did you just do to him?
From the stands, Lya sighed:
— I think he's trapped him in an illusion…
Ryn swallowed hard.
— How's he gonna get out of this…?
Elyon, brimming with confidence:
— Mom, see? I told you! Even with insane strength, he can't do anything against a versatile mage like Valor!
Meanwhile, inside the illusion…
The fellow hunters looked at Drake with a mix of disappointment and contempt.
Naël stepped forward:
— Against Antares, you were useless. An SSS should've done a hundred times better.
Lya spoke next:
— We counted on you, but you let us down.
Nova crossed his arms.
— Two ranks above us? Really?
Valor appeared behind them, smiling demonically (but stylishly).
— I always knew you were a fraud.
Ryn, eyes lowered, murmured timidly:
— I'm… a little disappointed…
Drake felt his heart sink.
A crushing weight pressed against his chest.
He knew.
He felt.
It was false. It couldn't be true… and yet… everything felt so real.
— How… how is this possible…? This isn't them… This isn't… real…
Back to reality.
Nova tightened his grip on his sword.
— Valor. Tell me right now what you're making him see. Or else…
Valor raised his hands, casual.
— Hey, relax, relax. I'm just showing him how useless he thinks he is to us. Nothing malicious, really.
Nova stared at him.
— Valor… you realize that makes you… a bad person?
Valor shrugged.
— Everyone fights with their own skills. And besides, I feel no hatred toward him. It's just… strategic.
From the stands, Valen exhaled.
— This isn't good for Drake…
Zarion nodded.
— Yeah, he's in deep trouble now.
Chapter 147 – Awakening of the Titan
In the arena, everyone held their breath.
Drake was still trembling on the ground, lost inside Valor's illusion.
Lya frowned:
— This is… strange. I mean, it's Valor. Usually he exaggerates everything… but this time, he went all in.
Valen sighed:
— He went TOO far. Even I feel embarrassed for Drake. He looks like a student who just found out he scored zero everywhere.
Zarion crossed his arms:
— If this keeps up, he'll really start believing we all hate him.
From her VIP stand, Liora shook her head:
— Valor pushed too far this time. The illusion is striking at his ego… and Drake's ego is a volcano. If it wakes up wrong… things will get ugly.
Elyon, still confident, declared:
— Mom, it's fine. Valor's in control. And even if Drake wakes up… what can he do against a multi-type mage? Nothing.
He crossed his arms.
— I told you. Team Valor forever.
Valen:
— You'll switch teams very soon, you'll see…
---
Inside the illusion
Illusory Lya:
— Honestly, Drake… you're strong physically, but that's not enough. We need someone balanced.
Illusory Nova:
— You'll never improve. You're stagnant.
Illusory Valor, with an unbearable sneer:
— Yeah, big guy. What's the point of you, seriously?
Drake clenched his teeth.
His heart pounded, as if it would burst.
Drake (thought):
This isn't them… this isn't real… they would never say that… never…
The illusions kept speaking, circling around him, their voices blending together, crushing his mind.
But suddenly—
A crack.
Not in the illusion.
In the air around him.
Then a second crack.
Then ten.
As if his aura was trying to shatter the walls of the illusion with bare hands.
In the arena, Nova narrowed his eyes:
— Wait… do you feel that?
Valor, floating in the air, smiled smugly:
— Yeah yeah, he's trying to struggle. Cute.
But behind his smile, his sweat betrayed something else.
Lya whispered to Ryn:
— He's lying. He's freaking out.
Ryn:
— Yesss… it's way too obvious…
---
Back inside the illusion
A golden light began to seep from Drake's body.
Illusory Lya stepped back.
Illusory Nova dissolved like mist.
Even Illusory Valor disintegrated.
Drake lifted a face twisted with rage:
— YOU… ARE… NOT… THEM!
BOOOOOM.
A tremor shook the entire arena.
The walls of the illusion shattered like glass.
---
Back to reality
Valor, still in the air, was struck by a shockwave so brutal it ripped him from his invisible seat, sending him flying across the arena.
— GWAH!!
He rolled several meters before stopping, breathless.
Nova's eyes widened:
— Wait… he broke the illusion?
— With PURE POWER?!
Zarion whistled:
— What kind of monster is this…
Liora finally smiled:
— Ah, there it is. That's my SSS waking up.
Elyon… turned pale.
— Wait wait wait… Mom—
— I take back what I said. I'm switching teams. Team Drake, sorry Valor.
Valen:
— Told you so.
---
Drake appeared in the center of the arena, his aura warping the air.
His severed arm was already nearly reattached by sheer physical resilience, as if his body refused the idea of being diminished.
He fixed Valor with a calm gaze, but a calm… unsettling.
— Valor…
His voice rumbled like thunder.
— Your illusion was strong. But… you made a mistake.
Valor stood up, wiped his blood, and tried to stay classy:
— Oh yeah? What mistake? Underestimating an old pile of muscles?
Drake:
— No.
He walked toward him.
Each step made the arena vibrate.
— You tried to use the voices of my comrades… to break me mentally.
He raised his eyes.
— But my comrades… I TRUST THEM.
He pointed at Valor.
— What I heard… didn't sound like them. At all.
Valor swallowed hard.
Drake cracked his neck, his aura rising higher.
— Now, it's my turn.
From the crowd:
— OH MY GOOOOOD!!
— DRAKE IS GIGA-CHARGING!!
— VALOR LEFT HIS BRAIN AFK!!
Lya put her hand to her forehead:
— I feel this is going to end badly for someone…
Ryn:
— And that someone… starts with V and ends with A-L-O-R…
Valor forced a smile:
— Hah… now it's getting interesting… you're awake, huh?
He struck a stylish pose.
— But you know, I'm still your—
Drake vanished.
Valor:
— Huh?
A fist appeared on his face.
BOOOOM.
Valor crashed through three walls of the arena before landing in the sand, coughing.
Drake walked forward slowly:
— Let's continue the fight.
Chapter 148 – Round Two
Valor, coughing up a bit of dust, pointed at Drake:
— You really pulled it off, old man… It's illogical for a body to refuse being reduced! Just because it refuses, your arm grows back? What kind of nonsense is that… I'm supposed to be the versatile one, not you!
Nova, in full "bored referee" mode:
— Illogical? You've been regenerating like you're plugged into a charger this whole time. And now you're complaining?
Valor spun toward him, shocked:
— Shut up! Regeneration alone won't defeat me! It takes way more to stop the great Valor!
Nova sighed:
— Well, for starters, maybe stop rushing into close combat when you're trash at it. That'd help.
Valor:
— I told you to shut it! Watch and learn instead of playing teacher.
He stretched out his hand.
Drake was lifted into the air as if gravity had been locally disabled.
Then Valor slowly lowered his hand.
BOOM.
Drake crashed to the ground… or at least, he was supposed to.
Because he stood back up without a single scratch.
Valor's eyes widened.
— No way… how can his body tank EVERYTHING? Is he some kind of secret boss mob?
Nova, unimpressed:
— See, that's why people say "don't become a mage out of pride." And seriously, where do you even pull all these techniques from? You spam everything, all the time! And somehow you never run out of mana.
Valor scratched the back of his head.
— Heh heh… Depends. Remember against Antares, when I tried the Void Orb… That time I was REALLY at zero mana. I almost fell asleep standing up, LOL.
Nova shrugged.
— Figures. You copy techniques without having the instruction manual.
Meanwhile, Drake had literally broken through the telekinesis and was charging straight at them.
Valor turned at the last second:
— Hey! I was talking!
Drake struck him, sending him flying like a leaf in the wind.
Valor screamed mid‑flight:
— Mister Referee! What's this? We were TALKING!
Nova raised his hands:
— Bro, you should've stayed focused. This is a fight, not a talk show.
Valor crashed, rolled, then stood up, dusting off his outfit:
— No, but seriously, you'll pay for that later.
Drake charged again.
Valor dodged.
Drake stomped the ground: an energy wave erupted, FWOOM, launching Valor into the air.
Valor:
— What's with this obsession of making me fly all the time??
Drake leapt to catch him. Valor opened a portal between them…
BUT Drake literally grabbed the portal with his hand, like it was a plastic bag, and tossed it aside.
Valor:
— WHAT?? Who grabs a portal?? That's not supposed to be possible!!
Without answering, Drake delivered a brutal blow that sent Valor crashing through several structures.
Shards everywhere, smoke, dust.
The crowd roared with excitement.
From the stands:
Elyon — I still say Valor's too versatile, he's gonna win.
Lya — Can't you see Drake's been thrashing him in close combat for an hour?
Naël — And the worst part… Valor keeps deliberately fighting in a domain where he sucks. I don't get it.
Valen — No, that's pure Valor. He just wants to win while staying stylish. If he can win without sweating a drop, that's perfect for him.
A massive explosion echoed.
Valor emerged from the rubble… smiling.
— I'm not beaten yet, old man! I'm still fired up! And I haven't even used my secret—
He stopped abruptly.
— No, you wouldn't survive that. Liora would kill me if I used it.
Drake cracked his knuckles:
— Then come. I'm waiting.
Valor took a deep breath.
His aura flared, elements swirling around him — wind, fire, ice, lightning… and even a touch of distortion.
— Alright then… ROUND TWO.
Chapter 149 – Valor's Forbidden Explosion
Valor, his aura bursting out like a volcano too happy to erupt, said:
— I don't know who told you I'm not strong in close combat, but they were lying. It's just that Drake has the advantage in close combat because of his strength and resistance!
Nova, arms crossed, shot back immediately:
— That was me. And honestly, I don't see why you're so stubborn. Drake is insanely strong, insanely resistant, and YOU still want to fight him in close combat… and you think that's normal. I'd understand if you at least coated your fists with mana… but mister here just loves to show off.
Valor's eyes widened:
— WHAT? Me, showing off?
Alright, it's time for the Great Valor to smash this pile of muscles!
He then sat down in a meditation pose, looking super calm while everything around him vibrated as if the ground itself was afraid.
A dense energy began to condense in his hands.
Nova frowned:
— What are you trying to do now? We've gotten too used to you pulling techniques out of nowhere. It's weird, you never seem to run out of mana. It's insane.
Valor pretended to be offended:
— Me? Pulling techniques out of nowhere? You exaggerate…
Nova snapped his fingers:
— Ah! Now that I think about it… against Antares, you DID run out of mana. That's the only time I've ever seen it!
Valor winced:
— Don't remind me… I tried to reproduce Zarion's Void Orb. I didn't think it would devour all my mana.
The feeling I had… it was like someone missing blood.
Nova exhaled:
— That's what you get for copying without a manual. Alright, tell me what you're scheming now.
Valor smiled:
— Simple: I'm trying to condense my mana into a sphere as hot as the sun.
Nova jumped to his feet:
— Wait, WHAT?! Are you insane?! And what do you plan to DO with that?!
Valor smiled even wider:
— Make it explode.
Nova stepped back:
— WHAT?! You want to take us all down with you?!
Drake, focused:
— Don't let him finish. If he masters that technique… nothing good will come of it.
Valor looked at Nova:
— Aren't you supposed to be neutral? Why are you siding with Drake?
Anyway… better head to the stands, Nova. It's safer.
Nova raised his hands:
— Fine, fine, I'm going!
The temperature truly began to rise. The air vibrated like boiling water.
Drake clenched his teeth.
— Like Nova said… it's too risky. I'll end this before he pulls it off.
He charged.
But chains burst from the ground, snapping like serpents. Drake dodged, slashed several, but more appeared, even thicker.
— He's doing two things at once… this guy's inhuman!
Huge magic circles opened before him, firing gigantic blasts of energy. Drake dodged as best he could, each explosion carving craters into the ground behind him.
He countered by slashing the air with multiple cuts, but Valor's aura formed a repulsion field that pushed everything back at once.
Valor, eyes glowing:
— I'll let you taste an explosion of heat you've NEVER seen before.
Drake grimaced:
— Ah… this is going to be tough. How do I stop him?
I could try grabbing space itself to pull him toward me…
But he realized in horror that space itself refused to approach Valor's aura, twisting like burning fabric.
From the stands, Lya, fascinated:
— This is so stylish. I want to copy it with my third eye.
Her eye began to open…
But Ryn placed a hand on it:
— No! Out of respect for our comrades, you don't do that.
Lya already pouted:
— Why are you stopping me? Fine…
She closed her third eye, sulking.
Meanwhile, the energy continued to condense in Valor's hands.
Even the spectators, protected by hundreds of layered dimensional barriers, began to feel the heat rising, as if the entire arena was being microwaved.
A murmur spread through the crowd:
— This is too much…
— Is Valor going to cook us alive?
— What kind of technique is he preparing?!
Nova, from the stands, shouted:
— VALOR! Not the overcooked version, please!!
And Valor calmly replied, as if everything was normal:
— Too late! It's already cooking!
Zarion:
— People don't even realize the feat. He's literally creating a SUN.
Valen:
— And at the same time he's maintaining a repulsion field stronger than a sun's gravity?!
Nova:
— And he's fighting Drake in parallel! This is just… illegal.
Ryn:
— I think he's doing it to protect the audience.
Lya, arms crossed:
— Or maybe he doesn't even realize it.
Nova sighed deeply:
— Valor is arrogant, that's true… but he'll be careful not to hurt people.