Chapter 165 165: Dust to dust

Words : 1486 Updated : Sep 19th, 2025

Noah Eclipse vs. Kazuki Arata Class 1C Representative vs. 1B's Noah Eclipse. The announcement flashed across the digital board, drawing attention from several key figures in the hall. Miss Brooks, his homeroom teacher, leaned forward slightly, clearly invested. Lila's eyes gleamed with excitement, her fingers clasped together as she whispered something to Cora, who simply smirked in amusement. Adrian, arms crossed, looked at the matchup with not much interest. Sophie, Oba, and Bailey all turned their attention to the ring, watching as Noah stepped forward. And on the opposite end, Kazuki Arata approached. He stood at roughly 5'10", lean but muscular, his body looked built for speed and precision rather than sheer brute force. His sharp black hair was slightly messy, but his movements were calculated, each step measured. A distinct arm wrap covered his right forearm, its fabric tight around the muscles beneath, hinting at either past injuries or a preferred weapon of choice. His dark eyes locked onto Noah's with an expression that wasn't hostile—just focused. No arrogance. No intimidation. Just the silent confidence of someone who had fought many battles before this one. The match began. Everything looked normal until Kazuki lifted one finger. The dust in the air visibly thickened. At first, it was subtle. A faint shimmer in the light, like golden motes catching the sun. But within seconds, the arena dimmed. The air became heavy, suffocating. The crowd outside the barrier leaned forward, murmuring in confusion. Noah frowned, trying to understand what was happening. He wasn't making the mistake of just dashing in ahead when he didn't know what his opponent could do. This was the fight for the right to represent their school at the interschool competition—1C representatives versus 1B representatives. Kazuki versus Noah. Too much was at stake for reckless moves. He inhaled sharply—and stopped. His throat stung. The realization clicked. Kazuki smirked. He was waiting. He didn't need to throw a punch. He didn't need to attack. He just needed Noah to move. And Noah did. A simple step forward— BOOM! The dust ignited, a sudden blastwave detonating at his feet. The explosion hurled him back, his uniform scorched at the edges. He skidded across the arena floor, rolling onto one knee. The crowd gasped. Kazuki didn't move. He just watched. "You breathe, you burn," his voice was calm. "You step, you burn." Noah clenched his jaw. This wasn't just about dodging explosions. This entire fight was a minefield. He couldn't move normally. He couldn't breathe normally. And Kazuki knew it. A flick of Kazuki's fingers— Another detonation. Noah barely managed to shift his weight, his chi bursting in his legs as he redirected himself mid-motion. But Kazuki wasn't done. The dust shifted again, gathering into shimmering threads, dancing like fireflies. 'That's not random... he's controlling where the dust lingers.' Noah realized it too late. The dust formed a spear. And then— It hardened. A razor-thin lance of solidified glass dust shot toward him, faster than an arrow. Noah didn't dodge. Instead— He transferred his chi into the air itself. A shockwave rippled outward. Not just any shockwave—Noah forced his chi into the surrounding particles, destabilizing them before impact. The glass spear fractured mid-air, harmless shards raining down. The crowd erupted. Kazuki's expression darkened. Noah exhaled, testing his theory. 'Chi transfers between mediums... so if I push my energy into the dust before he ignites it—' A flicker of chi pulsed from his foot. BOOM. A detonation triggered—but weaker. More controlled. Noah grinned. 'Got you.' Kazuki wasn't smiling anymore. His fingers twitched. The air thickened again. He was preparing something bigger. Noah calculated quickly. Kazuki's ability seemed obvious now—dust manipulation. But there were nuances that Noah needed to understand. 'He's not just controlling regular dust,' Noah thought, his eyes narrowing as he observed the glittering particles in the air. 'It's too reactive. Too malleable. Some kind of silicon compound, maybe? That would explain the glass-like spear.' Noah drew a shallow breath, careful not to inhale too much of the contaminated air. The stinging sensation had intensified. Whatever Kazuki was manipulating, it was caustic. 'He's saturated the entire arena. Smart. But there must be limitations.' Noah channeled a thin stream of chi to his lungs, creating a protective barrier that would filter the air and allow him to breathe without triggering the explosions. It was a drain on his reserves, but necessary. Kazuki raised both hands this time. The dust particles swirled faster, coalescing into multiple streams that orbited around him like a defensive shield. 'He needs to make gestures to control it,' Noah observed. 'The more complex the manipulation, the more precise the movement required.' Kazuki thrust his palm forward. Three dust spears formed simultaneously, launching toward Noah from different angles. Noah had seconds to decide. Dodge? Counter? Block? 'Conserve chi. Don't waste it.' He chose to evade, diving between two of the spears and letting the third graze his shoulder. Pain flashed through him, but it was superficial—the glass-like projectile hadn't fully formed before impact. 'He has a timing issue,' Noah noted, rolling to his feet. 'He needs time to complete the transformation from dust to solid. That's a weakness.' Kazuki wasn't waiting. He twisted his wrist, and the dust particles in Noah's vicinity suddenly compressed, creating a dense cloud that obscured his vision. 'He's trying to blind me.' Noah heard the telltale crackle of particles igniting. Another explosion was coming. Instead of retreating, Noah charged forward, directly into the cloud. He wrapped a thin layer of chi around his body—not enough to completely protect him, but enough to reduce the impact. The explosion ripped through the arena. Noah's protection held, but barely. The concussive force still sent him tumbling through the air, his ears ringing from the blast. He landed hard, his chest heaving. Kazuki looked surprised. "Interesting," he muttered, studying Noah with newfound respect. "Most people run from explosions." Noah steadied his breathing, conserving his energy. Every chi technique drained him—he wasn't a master yet. He needed to be strategic. 'I need to disrupt his concentration. Break his control over the dust.' Kazuki began a complex series of hand movements. The remaining dust in the arena started to coalesce, forming what looked like hundreds of tiny needles suspended in midair. 'That would shred me to pieces,' Noah thought grimly. He needed to act before Kazuki completed the technique. Noah sank into a crouch, channeling chi into his legs. He'd get one chance at this. The dust needles began to harden, taking on a crystalline sheen. Noah exploded forward. Not directly at Kazuki—that was what he'd expect. Instead, Noah darted to the side, using his movement to create a vacuum that disrupted the dust formation on his left. Kazuki tracked him, redirecting the needles that were still forming. Noah abruptly reversed direction, his chi-enhanced movement creating another disruptive airflow. 'His dust follows fluid dynamics,' Noah realized. 'It's affected by air currents.' Kazuki grimaced, his fingers twitching more frantically as he tried to maintain control over the increasingly chaotic dust patterns. Noah capitalized on the momentary disruption, channeling a pulse of chi into the ground beneath him. The impact sent a shockwave across the arena floor, kicking up a cloud of ordinary dust that mixed with Kazuki's specialized particles. 'Dilute his weapon.' Kazuki's eyes widened in panic. "No!" he shouted, making a desperate sweeping gesture to separate his dust from the contamination. But it was too late. The composition had been compromised. Noah pressed his advantage, dashing forward in a zigzag pattern that made it difficult for Kazuki to predict his movement. With each step, Noah released a tiny pulse of chi into the ground, continuing to stir up more interference. Kazuki abandoned the needle formation, instead gathering what pure dust he had left into a defensive shield around himself. Noah recognized it for what it was—a last resort. 'He's running out of options.' Kazuki wasn't finished, though. With a sudden twist of his hands, he compressed his shield inward, then released it in an explosive burst that sent a shockwave of dust particles in all directions. Noah had anticipated this. He dropped to one knee, slamming both palms against the ground. Chi surged from his hands, creating a counter-shockwave that met Kazuki's dust explosion midway. The two forces collided with a thunderous boom that shook the arena. For a moment, everything was still. Then the dust began to settle, revealing Kazuki standing with his arms raised, fingers splayed in a desperate defensive posture. His breathing was labored, sweat streaming down his face. Noah rose to his feet, his own reserves dangerously low. One more exchange—that was all he could manage. 'Make it count.'

Chapter 165 165: Dust to dust

Comments (0)