SSS Void Ascension: I Devour All Elements

"If you can't move, you can't do anything."

But Reginald had expected to be proven wrong.

After all, he could see that Killian had no reaction.

Even Evelyn kept eating her popcorn with an amused smile that he couldn't place if it was because she enjoyed the match, or because she knew what came next.

"Argh!" Keith groaned as his elbow strained from the pressure concentrating on his hand.

Reginald jolted and unclenched his fists immediately. He cursed under his breath. "I got distracted."

His eyes shifted to Evelyn once before he looked back at Keith. She still wore that amused smile.

Reginald smirked. "She must enjoy watching others suffer." And he wanted to give her a show.

Another vortex of wind grew around his frame, expanding readily to crush the remaining part of his opponent's confidence.

Whispers had begun rising within the crowd. "Let's finish this," Reginald whispered to himself, forming a small ball of wind in his palms.

His vortex shrunk with a clench of his fists, while his other hand held the wind ball in place. "This will hurt—"

"<Driade>" Lightning crackled in the atmosphere, summoned by a word.

Keith's upper body glowed as Lightning rushed out of him and gathered on his head like an antenna.

Everyone watching was temporarily stunned by its movement, including Reginald.

The lightning gathered into a shapeless form and slowly morphed as Keith pushed himself off the ground.

"No, you don't." Reginald flung the ball of wind at him, to keep him down. The attack dispersed when it entered Keith's charged surroundings.

Reginald stepped back, he could see the lightning getting shape and it wasn't any shape. Keith raised his hand and grabbed into the tail of the lightning.

There were gasps and oohs from the crowd at that action, and even Evelyn placed her popcorn on the seat before locking in on the match.

The lightning streaks vibrated less enthusiastically at Keith's touch and their ends grew sharper, forming a two-edged javelin. With one end smaller than the other.

Down the arena, the coordinator rushed backwards and searched a box frantically, while occasionally glancing back in a frenzy to see if it already happened.

Keith's eyes were closed. He no longer felt the crushing pressure on his joints but the pain persisted. His grip on the Lightning spear tightened.

He lunged forward, planting his legs on the ground.

Reginald's vortex grew into a large high wall, but that didn't convince him. After all, he could tell his wind could be easily dispersed by the lightning.

His only option was running to hide like a rat.

And he did.

SWISH!

The javelin went forward, crashing first into Reginald's wind shield and piercing through it.

Reginald's position had changed the moment the weapon left Keith's arm.

He knew very much that even if his opponent couldn't see him, the attack would hit because it would find him. That fact had been accepted and accounted for.

Reginald side-stepped, dodging through the spreading arms of the lightning javelin as the weapon swerved around the arena tracking him.

The coordinator rushed back to the arena, raising an orange flag. "Fatal attacks are not allowed!"

Keith raised a brow, while his eyes were still closed. He brought his hands together, a familiar pose that made Reginald sweat when he saw it amidst his dodging.

"Noted." Keith simply told the match Coordinator.

CLAP.

It happened once and almost quietly. The effect didn't happen in that second but in the next.

THUNDER!

A flash of light accompanied by a deafening sound terrorized the arena. Reginald stumbled to the ground, holding his face with both hands.

The lightning javelin sliced through his right leg as he fell. The wound wasn't deep but would definitely impede his movement.

He growled in pain and fell to the ground, holding his sizzling legs even as his eyes lost their vision.

Keith's eyes remained closed and so was his opponent. As well as the ones watching in the front seat.

The coordinator raised a yellow flag, waving it frantically. "No attacks to the spectators!" He paused to think if it were really attack. "Just be mindful!"

Keith's eyes fluttered open, despite the light still glowing from his hands, revealing dark blue eyes like a current of lightning.

He nodded slowly, keeping his eyes on Reginald fallen to the ground beside the lightning javelin that still crackled. The match coordinator was waving his orange flag again with more gusto.

"His attack was fatal just now. I only repaid the favor." He held his limp right elbow with his left hand. "We can continue as normal. My grudge is done."

Reginald steadied himself, before rolling off the ground. He held onto the railings of the arena but tiny shocks still reverberated through his body.

The arena was heavily charged with lightning and Reginald could almost taste it.

He limped forward, keeping himself away from the active javelin and the path it had taken when it scraped the ground.

His movements were actively reducing. He wiped off the sweat on his forehead, keeping his gaze on Keith.

"I shouldn't have underestimated him." He told himself, even if he had prepared for the attack readily.

There were many things to what a Warden who shaped Lightning could do. Creating his own Lightning Head hadn't been one of them until today.

"How many orange flag warnings do I need to have until I am disqualified?"

Reginald's question made the Match Coordinator freeze. The man glanced back at the boxes that had many more orange flags.

His eyes returned to the injured boy who had asked, and then to his opponent who frowned deeply at his question. He finally stared down at the flag in hand.

"F-Four times." The match coordinator replied.

Reginald's lips curled upwards and he nodded. "I can work with that."

His eyes darted as he counted the trail of lightning on the ground. He had gotten used to inhaling the charge in the air and tasting the 'spice' on his tongue.

A charged environment was becoming a second home, especially to him that had adapted through many unconducive environments in his lifetime.

"This is nothing," he told himself.

"I experienced far worse to get here. I'll just use those warnings well."