Point-of-View: Ariella Velle

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I'm really starting to run out of steam here, my stamina has been seriously drained, it feels like I'm running on fumes at this point.

But I'm not done yet, this isn't over, because my opponent is still standing.

And as exhausted as I am, he's very clearly in way worse shape than I am, the pain from his severed arm in particular has definitely taken a toll on him.

I let out a slow exhale to compose myself, steeling myself and focusing before I zipped up into the air and swooped down towards him, before veering across to my left as he launched himself up towards me with a telekinetic burst, his eyes widening in surprise as he shot past me.

I spun around and took aim, firing out a drilling blast of Negative Energy towards him, ripping the side of his left thigh to shreds as my attack grazed him, blood streaming down his leg before he unleashed a rapidly spiraling telekinetic spear towards me.

I quickly crossed my arms in front of myself defensively as his attack closed in on me, wincing sharply as his attack collided against my gauntlets and sent me hurtling back through the air.

I gritted my teeth and unleashed a sharp burst of crimson flames from my gauntlets to cancel out the force of his attack, before swiftly and sharply spreading out my wings to try and cancel out the momentum, my back lightly thudding against the barrier before I rolled across to the left as several more telekinetic spears came shooting towards me.

As the spears peppered the barrier with intense impacts, I pushed off the barrier and shot towards him at full speed, weaving through the air as he unleashed another wave of telekinetic spears towards me, a few grazing my arms and drawing out trickles of blood, before I veered upwards as he swung his left arm across and fired out a telekinetic slash.

As I evaded the slash, I zipped down towards him, before firing out pressurized jets of Negative Energy to propel myself as he triggered a powerful shockwave, flames swirling around my right fist as I closed in on him and drew it back.

As I began to drive my fist towards the middle of his chest, he crossed his arms in front of himself, an intense shimmer around his forearms, before his eyes widened as I suddenly twisted my body across and spun around with a rapid, angled flap of my wings, whipping my tail across and slamming it against the left side of his head, dazing him as a fiery explosion burst out upon impact.

Damn it, the telekinetic energy he's shrouded himself with weakens my strikes, I'd estimate that only about thirty percent of the force I generate actually connects, his telekinetic shroud absorbs the rest.

I gritted my teeth and drove my left arm forward with a roar of exertion as I wrapped my tail around his neck, my fist colliding against his solar plexus and elicited a sharp gasp from him as another fiery explosion erupted, before I drew back my fists and unfurled a vicious barrage of strikes against his torso.

I felt his ribs crack and break as I bombarded him with a relentless flurry of explosive punches even as his telekinetic defense absorbed most of the force, my grasp around his neck with my tail keeping him from getting launched away or trying to escape, before I zipped up and balled my fists together, swinging them down and slamming them onto the top of his head, abruptly unwinding my tail from around his neck.

He went hurtling down towards the bottom of the arena as an immense burst of flames erupted around my right arm and swirled intensely before taking shape, a sharp, drilling lance of flames.

I zipped down towards him as his back hit the floor with a sharp thud, having managed to somewhat break his fall with a weak telekinetic burst behind him, a disoriented look on his face before he stiffened as I closed in on him, driving my right arm down towards his head.

"[Super Accel Flame Lance]!"

"No choice...[Telekinetic Zone]!" He exclaimed as my attack closed in on the middle of his face.

An instinctive chill ran down my spine as a strange sensation surrounded me, my blood running cold as I felt a force grasp my heart inside my chest, before starting to compress-...

The next thing I knew, I was outside of the barrier, my Flame Lance slamming onto the ground with a devastating impact, chunks of dirt flying out all around me as the immense heat of my Skill charred blackened streaks across the ground, a thick cloud of dust rising up as I carved out a deep indent through the dirt.

As my attack petered out, I collapsed onto my knees with a weary gasp as I deactivated Blaze Ignition: Flare and Descent, sweating profusely as I reverted to my normal state.

D-Damn it, I was so close...I almost had it, but I lost, I-...hm?

I lifted my head and turned my gaze across to the right as an agonized wheeze rang out, my eyes widening in surprise.

Jaden was on his hands and knees-...sorry, hand and knees...-coughing out blood as he trembled in agony, his eyes bloodshot as streaks of blood streamed down his face from his eyes, a few spots across the skin on his face ruptured and torn open.

Blood was pouring out of his nostrils and ears as well, it reminds me of the damage that Mana Pulse inflicts.

Wait...he got teleported out too?

Then...was this a draw?

That last Spell he used, what he called Telekinetic Zone...that wasn't in the list of Spells I saw when I used Appraisal on him.

Appraisal only shows Spells and Active Skills that have been mastered up to a certain level, so that Spell must be a work-in-prog-...w-woah.

I...I feel dizzy.

A thud echoed out as Jaden lost consciousness and collapsed onto the ground, the corners of my line of sight darkening as my vision blurred.

My head began to spin as the fatigue I'd built up took its toll, before I...began to...fall over and...collapse as...everything...went...dark...

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