Chapter 165 165: Dead Zone
Keith spared his opponent no glance, and the instant his foot touched the arena floor, the entire arena exploded with light.
BOOM.
Blue lightning erupted from every direction, licking out from the trails, the railings, and even the floor.
Gasps echoed amongst the crowd, and the ones seated closer to the arena rushed backwards as if bitten by a Scorpion.
Flares of lightning scattered outside the arena and a Coordinator blew it west, using a gust of wind that travelled to the exit.
Lightning chains burst from the ground of the arena like deformed plants and with no hesitation, they surrounded the only two figures in the arena.
Reginald's heart skipped. "No… not again…" His eyes widened as he stepped backwards.
Keith remained on the ground. With a flick of his hands, the lightning sprouts uprooted themselves and latched onto the two nearest bodies.
Then the chains tightened around them.
CRACK. CRACK. CRACK.
Electricity surged through both of them.
Reginald screamed, his body falling to the ground and vibrating. He knew another wave of electrocution would lower his survival prospects and it terrified him.
Keith's body arched backwards. He had been enduring immense pain already so his body could no longer send any pain receptors to his brain.
The chains wrapped around their arms, legs, and tighter around their waists to keep them in place.
The entire arena became a prison of lightning that would entrap whoever got inside, hence keeping the coordinators who rushed towards them confused.
The Match Coordinator panicked. "No!" His voice cracked. "No! Cancel! Cancel!"
The chains continued tightening. Both boys convulsed, aggressively and the lightning no longer flowed through a point of contact but through everything within the arena.
Reginald felt his skin and muscles contracting. His bones felt live electricity rushing through him. The burn and scorch felt all too familiar, heightening his fear.
His clothes were ripped through and from the corner of his teary eyes, he spotted it.
A scar forming across his skin. His breathing hitched as he kept his shaky eyes on the scar.
Something changed in his subconscious.
The pain stopped feeling like pain and a memory flashed in his mind. His surrounding vanished. The arena was gone but the lightning remained.
He was seated under an overhead light, bound by chains. Metallic cold chains that clanged whenever he shook.
And amidst the clanging of chains were the voices — voices that laughed and mocked while watching him struggle. They enjoyed the sounds of a pre-teen cries.
Then a man's voice rang out. A voice he hated that he remembered. "Enjoy it, son. You can't leave anyway."
Reginald's body froze in place, before shaking violently. The surrounding faded in and out and his stomach turned so hard he nearly vomited.
"No… no…" The screams around him became distant. His eyes slowly rolled upwards and his pain receptors stopped sending signals to his brain.
Everything became distant, and he was alone. Again. With everything being after his life.
The invisible wind needles vanished instantly. Keith no longer felt the stabbing and the intense pressure over his stomach grew weakened.
He dismissed his skill and collapsed fully onto the floor, counting to the seconds his opponent will do the same.
But Reginald stayed on his knees, motionless. His eyes were completely white and so were his knuckles.
The Match Coordinator stared, arms folded.
Murmurings spread through the crowd.
"Did the Lightning guy finally win?"
"I think that one passed out."
"He's not the dead, right?"
"He better give up now."
"Yeah, he fought well already."
The Coordinator slowly raised another orange flag. His voice sounded exhausted as he looked at the boy lying on the floor.
"Olpha Region. Any other Fatal Move and you'll be disqualified pronto." His shoulders dropped. "This is your final warning."
The crowd released a collective breath. The murmurings became louder with a more final tones. The match was finally over.
The Coordinators in the crowd immediately began rushing toward Keith. Killian calmly rose from his seat, and had only taken three steps down the stairs.
When Reginald moved.
These who caught it froze, before the others wondered why. All eyes shifted to him.
Reginald's lips parted and a whisper escaped them. Only the ones in front could hear what he said.
"Is that guy seriously initiating a skill like that?" A boy said out loud to his friend in the back. "What the hell even is 'Dead Zone'?"
Silence.
The Match Coordinator snapped his fingers hurriedly. Two people in the crowd dispersed, heading for the exit. Nobody else understood why.
Evelyn jumped out of her seat. "What? Can he…?" Her eyes widened instantly. "Killian!" Her voice echoed throughout the seating area. "Get back!"
Killian calmly watched the ones running to the door. They were from the Amega Region and Ryu was with them.
He looked toward Evelyn frantically waving for him to come back. 'Is the skill a Fatal Move that only Wind Users know about?'
His eyes shifted toward the arena and he made eye contact with Keith was staring at him. A tear rolled down his brother's face and Killian's chest tightened.
"Wait." He told Eveyln and hurried downstairs, struggling through half the crowd that were rushing to the door.
Killian jumped over the railing, and reached out for Keith. Some in the crowd shouted but ignored them. He ran straight toward Keith.
Then suddenly, his lungs seized and he felt the Void stir in his subconscious. "This is a Dead Zone, Killian. Most literally."
Killian understood what he meant in real time as his breathing hitched, and no air circulated around him. He gasped yet nothing came.
He grabbed his younger brother that had already passed out and lifted him off the ground.
The Match Coordinator had already collapsed to one knee. Several Wardens were coughing while leading the crowd out of the building.
The crowd's confusion transformed into panic. The air was gathering all around Reginald, trapping all oxygen within the nearest half meter of him.
Within him became the safest zone away from the Dead Zone he initiated.
Yet he remained on his knees, his eyes white and his scarred body trembling even if the lightning chains were gone.