Chapter 160: Lightning Shapes
"Start."
Reginald's eyes swept over Keith's frame. He nodded slowly after making sure there weren't any bandages or open wounds on his opponent that would make him feel guilty.
He breathed in and out, circulating oxygen around his body to boost his movements.
From the corner of his eyes, he noticed Killian seated with Evelyn and he straightened his back.
He also noticed Killian's eyes were on his brother and Evelyn also looking in Keith's direction.
He tore his eyes from them, and his gaze shifted to a glare as he looked back at Keith. "So will you have the first move?"
Keith raised a brow. "Really?"
The corner of Reginald's lips twitched upwards. There was something about Keith's tone that made him feel underestimated.
He forced a smile, and dragged his clenching fist behind him. "Yes. I am the one offering, after all."
Keith nodded, as if that made perfect sense. He looked briefly at the direction he noticed Reginald check, then he looked forward again.
"First move." He mouthed, staring down at his hands coming in front of him. Blue streaks of lightning crackled around his limbs in a steady flow.
His eyes expanded as he brought his palm together. "Brace yourself," he said more to himself than to his opponent.
Reginald raised a brow, seeing him whisper. "Brace? Huh—"
CLAP!!
Lines of blue rushed towards Reginald faster than he could process the sound of thunder echoing in his eardrums.
"What the…." He stepped back once, but stepped into a blue streak that climbed up his frame, zapping through his body invasively.
Those watching close to the arena rushed backwards as the blue streaks engulfed Reginald.
"Argh!" Everywhere stung at the same speed and pain. He closed his eyes and all he saw was blue light and distant stars.
The effect stopped after a second, treacherously so. Reginald opened his eyes to see Keith standing in the same position.
Reginald straightened his stance and wiped the corner of his mouth stained with drool. A smirk grew from where he wiped.
"So that's how your lightning feels…" he spoke through ragged breathing. He rolled his arms, and winced. They were stiff again even if he had just spread oxygen through his body.
He scoffed. "It caught me off guard even if you warned me. But it is nothing too crazy actually." His eyes went down and he noticed the trail marks of lightning on the ground.
He stepped on it, and retrieved his leg immediately. "It still burns, huh," he sighed at the inconvenience. His movements would be impeded soon enough.
"Now, my move."
Keith nodded quite respectfully.
Reginald smirked, holding a finger upwards. Wind gathered above his fingers, forming quickly to the size of a baseball.
He watched Keith look down at his hands, and lowering them beside him.
Reginald clicked his tongue at him as it seemed his opponent wondered if he should counter or not.
"Don't be simple-minded. It is my first move, but it can take you down. Counter, dodge, or fail."
He couldn't believe he had to spell it out to him. It was as if he never actually knew how to fight but just had a great output of his element.
Reginald glanced at Killian again, but more in disappointment. The ball of wind started a spin around his fingers.
"<Wind Trap>"
The ball of wind turned translucent blue, and elevated above Reginald's head. He gestured, and it charged forward with its spin shifting to a rotation.
Lightning sprung from Keith's arms rushing forward without a command to the ball of wind.
With a flick of Reginald's finger, the ball of wind opened like a dome, swallowing the lightning strike.
"What! How!" Someone in the crowd left their seat.
The Lightning danced around the wind space, and just before it died, it grew a tail. Reginald's expression shifted just before the tail stabbed into his ball.
PSSSSSHHHH!
The wind of ball burst, scattering air around the arena.
Reginald waved around his face as his eyes searched for the wind ball. It was expectedly gone but the lightning still cracked in the air.
His hands dropped beside him as he watched the lightning crackle before vanishing. That dropped a painful revelation that he didn't know how to accept.
Killian hummed for the first time since the match started. He narrowed his eyes at his brother who didn't look surprised by what he just did.
"So his lightning can change its shape even after he sends it out. Or did I see wrong?" Killian looked at Evelyn.
She held a popcorn mid-air in hand. She slowly nodded. "Yeah. He is a natural with the Lightning. But I don't think he has much skills so manipulating the lightning will be his best bet."
Killian frowned slightly. 'He doesn't have many skills? Isn't that too soon to conclude? Or did he tell her that when they met?'
He looked back at Reginald who had recovered from the shock and vortexes of wind, shaped like a hula-hoop, had started a dance around his body.
The vortexes expanded outside Reginald's body, reaching out to his opponent. His eyes never left Keith as he closed the distance.
"<Pressure Crush>" He whispered under his breath. "He is inexperienced compared to Killian. His output is his only strong suit> I just have to stop him from doing anything."
The wind vortexes stopped growing, and rose above his head. Reginald clenched his fists and they shrunk inwards, vibrating with velocity that he easily held in place. He dragged it from his head to his chest.
"Brace yourself. Don't say I didn't warn you too."
Keith nodded once.
The vortex rushed to him, and he sent his lightning forward. Nothing happened as the vortex simply faded after being scattered by the blue streaks.
Keith's eyes darted about, searching for the next place it would reappear. His brother's text flashed in his mind. Invisible attacks. "Oh, shi—"
Pressure rushed down to his body, stabbing through his elbows and under his knees.
An invisible hammer pounded at his back, bending him to the ground. Wind danced around Reginald's body again, even as his fists remained clenched.
Reginald's eyes stared down at his opponent as they lowered to the ground, pressed by the force of the wind he crushed his joints with.
"If you can't move, you can't do anything."
But he waited to be proven wrong.