NOVEL NEXT Chapter 60: Lumina arrangement (II)
The atmosphere within the room fermented like an overripe brew, thick with tension. Nyxander and Seraphina stood at opposite ends of the stage, their gazes locked in a silent battle before the fight had even begun. Seraphina's sharp eyes gleamed with the fiery determination of prey fighting against its predator, while Nyxander's stance was loose, his posture exuding an almost lazy confidence, as though this spar required no more effort than swatting a fly.
"I will expose your bad intentions toward Big Sis," Seraphina shouted, her voice laced with the fiery determination of a child who believed in righteous justice.
Nyxander smirked, his lips curving into a playful arc as his tone dripped with teasing sarcasm. "Are you sure you're not just trying to take her place beside me, under the pretense of exposing me?"
"Who would want to be beside a pervert like you?" Seraphina snapped back, her face flushed with rage. She turned sharply toward Lumina, who stood at the far-left edge of the stage, her gaze darting nervously between the two combatants as beads of sweat trailed down her cheek.
"Big Sis, don't worry!" Seraphina declared, thrusting her right thumb into the air in a show of defiance. "I'll free you from this pervert's evil clutches!"
Nyxander followed Seraphina's gaze to Lumina, his smirk broadening into a wide, mischievous grin. "Don't worry, baby," he said, his tone dripping with mock romance as he gave Lumina both thumbs up. "I'll never let anyone replace you in my heart. Trust me."
Lumina froze for a moment, her cheeks flushing a soft crimson at Nyxander's words. Her composure faltered, but the fleeting expression went unnoticed by Seraphina, whose indignation only intensified.
"Big Sis, you can't fall for his lies!" Seraphina shouted, her voice tinged with a faint cry of desperation, snapping Lumina out of her daze. "It's obvious he's using some kind of bewitching power on you!"
Nyxander chuckled, shrugging his shoulders with an air of exaggerated indifference. "Or maybe someone's just jealous of her love for me," he said in a low, teasing tone, his hands gesturing lazily to the side.
"I'll make sure to." Seraphina began, her voice climbing with rage, but Lumina's sharp, authoritative voice cut through the rising chaos.
"Ahem." Lumina cleared her throat, the sound ringing like a bell in the tension-filled room. "Will you two keep quiet, or do I need to kick you both out?"
The room fell silent instantly, the charged air thickening as the tension between Nyxander and Seraphina reignited, this time without words.
"Now, get ready for the call," Lumina announced, raising her right hand high, her voice steady and commanding.
Nyxander adjusted his stance, raising his fists across his face, his movements deliberate yet relaxed. Seraphina, meanwhile, clenched her fists within her gleaming golden gauntlets, her stance taut with the energy of barely restrained fury. The faint glow of her gauntlets seemed to hum, amplifying the aura of combat readiness surrounding her.
Lumina's eyes darted between them, and she inhaled deeply before shouting, "Fight!" Her voice reverberated through the room, each syllable ringing like the strike of a war drum.
The instant the word left Lumina's lips, Seraphina charged forward with blinding speed, her steps so swift that the eye struggled to keep up with her movement. She was a streak of gold and fury, closing the distance between them like a thunderbolt.
Nyxander, unfazed, crouched low and drove his right fist into the stage's solid ground with a force that cracked the surface as if it were brittle glass. The stage trembled under the impact, debris launching upward in jagged shards.
With a smooth, calculated motion, he pulled his fist free, the act creating a gust of wind that sent the fragmented debris spiraling into the air. As the shards hovered momentarily at chest height, Nyxander swung his left fist with a measured force, propelling a shockwave that turned the debris into high-speed projectiles, whistling through the air toward Seraphina.
Seeing the barrage hurtling toward her, Seraphina skidded to a halt. Her instincts flared as she crossed her arms over her chest, her voice ringing out in defiance: "Mountain God's Crushing Fist: Stone Wall Guard!"
Golden energy materialized around her body, encasing her like the immovable face of a mountain. The debris collided against her defense with resounding crashes, but the energy absorbed the impact, forcing it downward into the ground.
"I'll crush you!" Seraphina roared, swinging her crossed arms outward with a force that shattered the momentum of the debris, sending the shards scattering harmlessly to the sides.
Before she could make her next move, Nyxander vanished from her sight. In an instant, he reappeared at her right flank, moving with a speed so unnatural it seemed as if he had teleported.
Lumina, watching from the sideline, gasped. Her eyes struggled to follow Nyxander's movement, her expression betraying her disbelief.
Seraphina, too, froze momentarily, stunned by his sudden appearance. But her barbarian instincts, though underdeveloped, flared to life, guiding her reaction.
Nyxander's right fist arced toward her right shoulder, the blow precise and powerful. Seraphina, driven by sheer instinct, raised her gauntleted fist to block, intercepting the strike just in time.
The impact sent her skidding sideways, her feet dragging along the stage as she somersaulted to her left. She rolled across the ground before springing back onto her feet, her breathing labored but her resolve unshaken.
""Don't act like you've won. I just let my guard down for a moment," Seraphina snapped, her voice carrying a sharp edge as she gasped for air, her chest rising and falling heavily.
"That, I don't care about. Just come at me with full power," Nyxander retorted, his tone laced with mocking indifference, his smirk deepening as if her frustration amused him.
Seraphina growled under her breath, her teeth clenched as tightly as her fists. Fury and determination flared in her eyes like twin torches. "Mountain God's Crushing Fist: Peak Breaker Strike!" she roared, her voice reverberating with raw energy.
Channeling her power into her right fist, she launched herself forward, her movements fluid yet brimming with force. As she closed the gap, she leapt into the air, her silhouette momentarily outlined against the faint light. Her fist descended like the wrath of a crumbling mountain, a devastating strike fueled by unrelenting resolve.
But as the punch neared its target, Nyxander's eyes sharpened, and his stance shifted. "Stormbreak Void Fist: Void Bolt," he murmured, his voice steady, almost calm.
In a calculated motion, his left fist, crackling faintly with weak, erratic lightning, intercepted her strike. The impact didn't meet with resistance but instead altered her trajectory, redirecting her downward punch upward. The shift was so precise, it seemed effortless, yet it carried the weight of mastery.
Before Seraphina could recover, Nyxander's right fist shot forward with unnerving accuracy, aimed directly at her abdomen. But just as it was about to make contact, he paused, his knuckles brushing her stomach with a deliberate gentleness. The force was just enough to unbalance her, sending her sprawling onto her backside with an ungraceful thud.
Seraphina scrambled to her feet immediately, her frustration boiling over as she prepared to launch another attack. However, from the sidelines, Lumina's clapping broke the charged tension.
"I think the match needs to come to an end," Lumina announced, her voice calm but firm as she approached the two combatants.
"But, Sis! I'm still okay! I can keep going!" Seraphina protested, her voice tinged with desperation, her fists trembling with unspent energy.
Lumina turned to her, her gaze stern and unyielding, her frown deepening. "Don't act like you didn't notice," she said, her tone sharp. "You fighting freak."
Seraphina, seeing the warning in Lumina's expression, hesitated, her lips quivering. But instead of conceding, she burst into tears, wailing theatrically as she rolled on the floor in dramatic defiance.
Ignoring the background spectacle of Seraphina's exaggerated crying, Lumina shifted her attention to Nyxander, her tone softening as she spoke. "It seems you had a reason behind your actions," she said, a faint smile curling her lips.
Nyxander returned her gaze with a confident grin. "I told you to trust me. So, do you now?" he asked, his tone playful as he pointed his right thumb at his chest.
"Alright," Lumina replied, her voice steady but contemplative as she extended an open hand toward him. "Looking at what I just witnessed, I have a favor to ask of you."
Nyxander's eyes widened, his curiosity piqued. "What could that be?" he inquired, his brow arching slightly.
"From the fight just now, it's clear how much she lacks in combat experience compared to you." Lumina explained, her gaze thoughtful yet unwavering. "It seems the roles have reversed. The trainee has become the trainer. Can you continue sparring with her? Of course, if you insist on the traditional dynamic, I won't stop you."
For a moment, silence hung between them, broken only by Seraphina's muffled sniffles in the background. Nyxander studied her expression, then smiled, the tension in his stance easing. "Sure, if that's what you desire," he replied, his voice light but sincere.
Lumina's gaze narrowed slightly, a hint of exasperation creeping into her tone. "Idiot. That's not my desire, it's just a suggestion."