Hizashi No Kage

  Chapter - 16

  From one side, **Akash** climbed the stairs, and from the other side, **Zavier** did the same. They came up and stood face to face.

  Throughout this entire tournament, **Max Sir** was acting as the referee. He stood between the two of them.

  Before starting the match, Max taunted Akash somewhat mockingly:

  “Everyone knows you’re the one who’s going to lose. If you accept defeat right now and walk out, you’ll save yourself a lot of pointless pain. What do you say?”

  **Zavier** laughed. **Akash** stayed silent. Sir signaled the start of the match.

  The very next moment, a powerful light punch landed on Zavier. He hadn’t even prepared when Akash had already landed the first blow so quickly.

  Akash had come with exactly this plan — to attack before Zavier could even get into a proper fighting stance.

  But Zavier recovered instantly and stepped back. Akash’s surprise attack succeeded only with that single punch.

  Then Zavier began raining fireballs on him from a distance. Akash immediately activated his light shield. The fireballs became useless.

  Zavier then hurled an enormous fireball at Akash. Everyone thought the match was over the moment it began. But Akash’s light shield endured even that fireball — because he had created **10 layers** of shielding. Even Zavier couldn’t believe it.

  But then Zavier unleashed his true power. Flames began flickering and glowing around his hands and feet, and he started advancing toward Akash. Akash was fully prepared too. He moved forward as well, shield still active.

  He thought that Zavier still wouldn’t be able to break through his shield, and he could use that advantage to push Zavier out of the arena.

  But then Zavier displayed such blinding speed that he almost seemed to disappear.

  And suddenly, from behind, a flaming sword pierced straight through Akash’s shield. Akash instantly deactivated the shield and dodged to the side.

  Zavier had created a **Fire Mana Sword** with his own hands and struck with it. Combined with that incredible speed, the attack’s power had multiplied many times over.

  Zavier charged again. While Akash was still thinking about how to block the next strike, a blow landed on his right arm. His skin burned, leaving a scorched mark from Zavier’s attack.

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  Before Akash could react, the same thing happened to his left arm. He cried out in pain. He immediately retreated and tried to reactivate his light shield, but Zavier shattered it before it could fully form. Akash fell.

  Zavier started laughing.

  *“For him this is just a game… but for me it’s a matter of life and death! No! I will not lose to my Rival!!”* — Akash thought to himself.

  Zavier paused for a moment. He didn’t attack immediately. He was already convinced the match was his.

  In those few seconds (about 3 seconds), Akash regulated himself.

  First, he used medium heal to recover his injuries. Then he practiced mana breathing to bring his mana under control.

  Zavier allowed him to do all of this.

  Then he dashed forward again and taunted:

  “Let’s see how long you can keep healing yourself! I’ll keep burning you and you can keep healing! Hahaha!!”

  Once more Zavier attacked with the same terrifying speed using his Fire Mana Sword.

  But this time, before the strike could land, Akash had already activated a shield — **only at the exact spot** where the blow was about to hit!!

  Two things happened here:

  1. Akash had finally read Zavier’s speed.

  2. He had modified his shield technique.

  For many days he had been thinking — why not replace the large Light Shield Dome with a much stronger but smaller, focused shield? Today, in the middle of the fight, he actually pulled it off.

  At first Zavier couldn’t believe it. He attacked again. And again. But now, Akash, even while stumbling and barely standing, kept blocking the strikes.

  Neither the audience, nor the referee — no one could believe it, but Akash was making a comeback.

  A woodcutter’s son was standing toe-to-toe with a hero.

  In rage, Zavier swung another powerful blow with his Fire Mana Sword, but this time Akash dodged it completely. The strike missed, throwing Zavier slightly off balance.

  Seizing that exact moment, Akash delivered a brutal shoulder tackle. Zavier flew backward and fell. Akash stood in front of him, laughing.

  Zavier couldn’t tolerate this humiliation. He screamed and rose instantly. The swords vanished from his hands, replaced by deep red roaring flames.

  Roaring, Zavier charged forward. Akash activated his full-power Light Punch and charged as well.

  Now both of them abandoned technique, strategy — everything. They fought purely on raw strength.

  The burning resentment that had existed between them since day one now exploded in full.

  Some punches landed on Akash, some on Zavier.

  The crowd was going wild.

  But then everyone noticed — Zavier’s punches were getting stronger, while Akash’s were getting weaker.

  Slowly, Zavier began to dominate. Akash’s punches started missing, while Zavier’s fiery fists scorched Akash’s face.

  Finally, Zavier landed one devastating punch that floored Akash completely.

  This time, Akash couldn’t get up.

  Max went closer to check. Akash’s eyes were closed.

  Max announced:

  “Akash can no longer continue. The winner of the match —”

  But at that exact moment, Akash raised his arm!

  He hadn’t lost yet!!!

  Somehow, he stood up.

  Zavier couldn’t understand how to finish him anymore. In Akash’s mind, only one thought repeated:

  *“Not in front of Waifu… I will not lose in front of my Waifu!!”*

  And the very next instant, Akash unknowingly entered **mana overflow** again. His entire body began to glow intensely.

  The audience went berserk.

  Max Sir’s face turned pale with shock. For the first time, Zavier felt fear looking at Akash.

  Akash charged at full speed. Zavier braced himself again. Both screamed and rained punches on each other once more — but this time Akash clearly had the upper hand.

  Zavier couldn’t match his power anymore. Akash began beating him mercilessly.

  Zavier had no chance to recover — one punch, then another, and another…

  Zavier was badly bloodied.

  No one could believe it — the boy from the hero family was losing to a woodcutter’s son.

  Max Sir was the most worried. His face had gone dark. In truth, Maxwell was actually a relative of Zavier. He had deliberately pitted Akash against Zavier in the first match so that Akash would lose immediately — achieving two goals: Zavier’s reputation would solidify, and there would be solid grounds to expel Akash from the academy.

  But if Zavier lost now, everything would be ruined.

  Darkness began clouding Zavier’s vision, but Akash still wouldn’t stop hitting him.

  Then a memory flashed in Zavier’s mind — his elder (step) brother beating him mercilessly during “training,” screaming — *“You son of a whore!”*

  With that memory, Zavier screamed:

  “No!!! No, Akash! No! You can’t humiliate me either!”

  The next instant, Zavier’s body was enveloped in roaring flames. The temperature inside the arena shot up.

  Zavier too had entered **mana overflow**.

  Before Akash could even react, Zavier charged at full speed and delivered a devastating punch straight to his stomach. Akash flew through the air and crashed outside the arena.

  Zavier had won the match.