Austin watched carefully as the matches continued. While there was nothing he could do to help Maya, he still felt obligated to analyze the styles of the competitors. She was a skilled combatant, but there were many different styles that could interact in different ways with her. Not to mention, resilience alone would not win her the matches. She had to completely prevent getting hit.
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Many of the competitors used an enhancement style of fighting. Austin could not blame them for doing that. It was the simplest approach and easy to understand. Austin figured that Maya could handle most of those. Her enhancement skill was incredibly effective, and she could easily outmatch the others with her speed and strength.
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A few competitors used a unique style, and those were the ones that Maya would have to look out for. Zoe was the first competitor that Austin marked as dangerous. She seemed to focus on using Essence construction and created a short spear and shield. While she did not always hit with a clean hit, she was able to block most attacks and eventually find an opening.
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The next troublemaker would be Zack. He used a pure Essence blast style. He shot blasts of Essence in quick succession. Even as his opponent dodged his attacks, he was able to eventually overwhelm and hit them.
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An older man named Clive was the final competitor who could pose a problem for Maya, and it could be a big one. He was fit for his age, and his short black hair and beard were peppered with gray. He combined the use of an Essence-constructed sword and effective enhancement. Everyone used enhancement to a degree, but Austin could tell that his skills were near Maya’s. Combined with the added range of his sword, he could be a force to be reckoned with.
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Maya’s next challenger was one of the ones who just used an enhancement style. Austin’s assumptions were correct. She was easily able to outspeed her opponent, and they did not even get a chance to get a point on her.
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In that round, the interesting fight was between Zack and Zoe. Their styles were pure opposites, and Austin was interested to see how they would interact. He felt that the match could go either way. While Zack overwhelmed opponents who dodged, Zoe could block the strikes and counter with her own attack.
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At least, Austin expected the match to go pretty evenly. He realized quickly that he might be proven wrong. As Zoe summoned her weapons, Zack already shot orange colored Essence at her chest. The orange orb shot through the air like a bullet. Before Zoe could raise her shield to stop it, the orb hit its mark.
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“One point, Zack. Zero points, Zoe. Please continue,” Natasha declared.
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As the match continued, Zoe immediately raised her shield. Her shield covered her body as a spear peeked out from the side. Zoe had turned herself into a wall of impenetrable defense as she moved towards Zack. Her steps were slow and calculated. She refused to make any mistakes by rushing in.
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Zack did not hesitate as Zoe moved forward. He extended his arms forward and started a ruthless barrage of orbs. Zack stood still as blasts continuously shot from his hands. Zoe’s movement forward started to slow as shots accumulated against her shield and sent orange sparks flying in all directions.
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Austin was impressed by Zoe’s defense. When Zack got an immediate attack, he started to think that Zoe did not have a chance. But she was proving Austin wrong. She may take things slowly, but she could definitely win if she kept pushing forward.
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Zoe grew close to Zack. She had successfully forced him to the side of the ring and could easily get a hit in. As she reeled her spear backward, Zack did something unexpected. Zack aimed his hand downward and shot a tremendous blast of Essence. The force of the blast sent Zack flying into the air.
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As Zack flew above Zoe, he waved towards her and smiled. Then he quickly shot a blast at Zoe’s back. Zoe could not turn around and react in time. The shot landed successfully before Zack even landed.
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“Two points, Zack. Zero points, Zoe,” Natasha announced. “Reset and continue.”
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“Man, I wanted to save this for a further round. But I think I have to use it to beat you,” Zack scratched the back of his head. “There went my secret trump card.”
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Zoe did not respond but kept a calm demeanor as she raised her shield. She quickly realized that she could not just corner Zack and needed to change her tactic. As she tried to think of a tactic, Zack was already on the move.
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Essence shot out from one of Zack’s legs and sent him flying to the side. As he slowed, he sent another burst of Essence to his leg to throw himself forward. Zack was thrown forward to the side of Zoe, where she tried a last-ditch effort to stab him with her spear. As Zoe’s spear approached Zack, Zack already shot Essence from his hands towards the ground. Zack’s flight in the air gave him the opportunity to shoot one more blast. The blast landed successfully on Zoe’s shoulder.
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As the final match point was announced, Zack crashed to the ground and onto his knees. He pushed himself up with a grimace and started to rub his arms and legs for relief. As he did, a broad smile came across his face. Despite his soreness, he could not help but smile.
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“Thanks for the match! It was a lot of fun!” Zack said cheerfully as Zoe walked off the field.
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“Yeah, I guess it was,” Zoe quietly responded with a nod.
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The next two matches were pretty uneventful. Austin was not shocked to see Clive win his match with ease. For someone of his age, he was definitely incredibly skilled. The other match was much closer but not very eventful. Two similar styles of Essence enhancers went back and forth until one of them won.
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“And now it is time for the semifinals! After a long day of events, we made it here! Our competitors have exhausted everything to get to this point, and they still have pushed themselves further,” Natasha paused for a moment as cheers erupted from the crowd. “Now, for the first match of the semifinals, we have Maya and Zack!”
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Cheers continued as Maya and Zack entered the ring. The pair both had a serious and flat expression. They knew that they were so close to winning, and their faces showed their intense focus on the prize. As they waited for Natasha to announce the match start, they stared at each other intensely. Their eyes burned into each other as they focused on their goal ahead.
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“Let the first march of the semifinals start!” Natasha announced while swinging her arm downward.
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Zack was the first to make a move as the match started. Unlike when he fought Zoe, he was instantly on the move. As he moved, he formed Essence into his hands and shot at Maya. He knew that he could not stand still and shoot as he did with Zoe; Maya was a much faster and more aggressive opponent.
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Zack circled the field as he shot blast after blast of Essence. The blasts came as a relentless barrage towards Maya. She was forced to react quickly. She immediately kicked off the ground into a run. Both of the competitors now moved around the edge of the arena. Blasts of Essence hit the ground behind Maya as she moved, sending dust and sparks into the air. If she slowed for even a moment, the blasts would catch up to her.
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Zack definitely had the advantage at long range, but Maya was way faster than him. Maya was quickly closing the gap between the two. As Zack realized this, he spun around and skidded to a halt. He now faced Maya directly and shot a blast forward.
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The glowing orb came at Maya fast, and she could not slow her momentum. Her brain went into overdrive as the blast neared her. She knew that she needed to do something and quickly, or she would get hit. In response to the oncoming attack, she threw herself into a head-first dive.
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As the blast went over Maya, she caught herself with her hands in a push-up position. She landed right next to Zack and knew that she needed to keep moving forward if she was going to get a hit. With a kick of her legs, she sent herself flying towards Zack. Before he could react, Maya’s fist already slammed into Zack’s face. The forward momentum of her attack sent him flying backward, where he barely caught himself at the edge of the ring.
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“One point, Maya. Zero points, Zack,” Natasha announced excitedly. “This match is really boiling up to be an exciting one. Continue when you are ready.”
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The two did not hesitate as Natasha started the match back up. Maya already moved to close the gap while Zack shot blasts at her. Both of their tactics had changed, though. Now Maya ran headfirst towards Zack while he stood still and shot Essence blasts ahead.
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Austin realized that Maya did not run as fast in the second round. Instead, she slowed down and traded speed for maneuverability. As orange orbs of light raced towards her, she moved around them with precision. Her body spun and twisted around the orbs. Each one passed by her harmlessly as she continued to move forward. Despite Zack’s speed of attacks, Maya’s reflexes could keep up with ease.
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Maya closed the gap, but instead of trying another blast, Zack stopped completely. His face seemed to wince in pain as he grabbed his arm tightly. Maya skidded to a stop and did not capitalize on the moment. Instead, her face filled with worry as she saw Zack falter.
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“That’s it for me. I used too much Essence,” Zack announced with a pained grimace. “There is no way I can keep fighting.”
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“Are you sure, Zack?” Natasha asked.
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“Yeah, I pushed myself way too hard. Sorry, I couldn’t give you a proper match, Maya,” Zack sighed.
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“Well, I guess Maya is the winner,” Natasha announced in response.
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Zack started to stumble to the ground after the announcement. Maya quickly threw her arm around Zack and caught him. She walked with him back to the crowd and carefully set him down on the ground.
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“I guess I did too much against Zoe,” Zack nervously laughed. “I thought I could make it, but my body really can’t handle anymore.”
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“I’m sorry, you couldn’t finish,” Maya frowned. “You did a really good job.”
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“Thanks, I just wish I could have finished the match,” Zack sighed deeply.
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“At least now one of us has a chance against Clive,” Maya tried to break the tension. “If we went much further, I don’t think I would have enough for him.”
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“Good point,” Zack forced a smile on his face. “You have to beat him for me then.”
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“You got it,” Maya smiled broadly. She then turned her gaze back to the arena to see what was left of Clive’s fight.
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Clive’s skills were scary to watch. He was not a scout and seemed to keep mostly to himself. Despite this, his combat prowess was next level. While everyone else fought with Essence like brawlers as they learned how to use it, Clive fought like a skilled martial artist.
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As Clive’s opponent swung punches at him, he skillfully stepped out of the way. He moved like a dancer, his steps controlled and precise. Maya began to notice that Clive created openings but did not immediately take them. It was as if he purposely drew out the fight longer.
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Clive continued the fight and danced around his opponent. He was in complete control of the flow of the battle even without attacking. His opponent looked visibly distressed as he threw a sloppy punch. As Clive dodged the punch, his opponent lost his balance and went tumbling into the ground.
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The moment Clive’s opponent stood up, he moved in quickly. Clive’s blade came towards his opponent's gut and cut forward quickly. Luckily, Clive hit with the flat of his blade; otherwise, it would have been fatal.
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“Three points, Clive. Congratulations, you are the winner,” Natasha announced, but she sounded slightly annoyed.
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“Thank you,” Clive bowed slightly towards Natasha. “Now, I would like to withdraw. I don’t think these old bones can handle another fight.”
