Chapter 155 Brace for hell

Words : 690 Updated : Sep 19th, 2025

Noah pushed himself up, his breath unsteady as a dull pain lingered in his ribs. Riku hadn't moved. He stood there, hands relaxed, posture unshaken—as if he hadn't even been trying. Noah clenched his fists, trying to make sense of what was happening. His body ached in places it shouldn't. He had been blocking correctly. Dodging correctly. Attacking correctly. And yet, he was the one getting pummeled. He ran through the fight in his head. The first hit—he had blocked it. Then why had he felt another impact immediately after? Maybe Riku was just insanely fast? Faster than his eyes could track? No. That didn't add up. Every counter had landed with unnatural precision. Every block he made had failed. If Riku was just fast, Noah would have at least seen some hint of movement. But there was nothing. No flicker of extra motion, no blur, no afterimage. And worse—he was never actually seeing Riku adjust mid-fight. It was like the hits were already preordained. 'What the hell am I fighting?' The murmurs from the crowd were getting louder. Noah ignored them. Instead, he wiped the sweat from his brow, taking a long breath through his nose. 'Think. What's different from any other fight I've had?' He was faster than Riku. That much was clear. He was stronger too. So why did it feel like every attempt he made was already accounted for? His eyes narrowed. Was Riku predicting him? No, it couldn't be that. Predictions required reading an opponent's patterns, but Riku hadn't been reacting to his movements—his counters landed the same exact way every time. Like a repeat of the same sequence. Noah exhaled sharply, shaking the thought away. It didn't matter. What mattered was stopping it. He couldn't figure it out yet? Fine. He just had to fight around it. Be unpredictable. With that resolve, he took a step forward— And charged. Dodging didn't matter. Blocking didn't matter. He was going to get hit no matter what. So? Then he'd hit Riku harder. Noah clenched his fists, chi flooding his limbs. A familiar heat coursed through his body as his veins pulsed with energy, he could sense the power wrapping around his arms and legs. His system flickered in his vision. [Health Points: 285/320] He barely even looked at it. 'Is he testing himself? Or does he know something we don't?' Meanwhile, Sophie was barely breathing. Her nails dug into her palm, eyes locked onto every movement. Lila, on the other hand, stood completely still, watching with her usual blank expression. And Miss Brooks? She simply folded her arms. Waiting. Observing. Just like Noah. Except then— Riku suddenly stopped swinging. Noah froze, frowning. 'He gave up?' It made no sense. 'Maybe he's exhausted?' But no. Noah could see it. Riku's breathing wasn't labored. His muscles weren't trembling. 'Then why...?' And then Riku snapped his fingers. Noah's world shattered. A fist slammed into his stomach. Noah's eyes widened—but no one was in front of him. Another impact. His ribs. Then his shoulder. Then his jaw. He stumbled back, vision blurring. [Health Points: 240/320] A weightless moment of confusion crashed into him. What the hell was happening? Then—realization dawned. 'He stored every attack.' All those missed swings. They weren't wasted. They were banked. And now, Riku had just released them all at once. The force of dozens of invisible strikes hammered into him. [Health Points: 220/320] Noah coughed, staggering. 'How do I fight someone who can hit me with past attacks?!' Riku was smirking now, stepping forward, completely fresh, while Noah was already battered. 'This isn't just about dodging anymore. If he's storing hits, that means I'm running out of time. The longer this fight goes, the worse it gets.' Lucas exhaled sharply. 'That's it. He needs to do something, or he's screwed.' Noah gritted his teeth. 'Gotta find a way through,' But Riku wasn't done. Because he raised his fist— And Noah braced for hell.

Chapter 155 Brace for hell

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