The rise of the unorthodox

Chapter: A Shield of Light, A Bomb of Shadows

The crowd roared, their voices merging into a frenzied storm as the battle stretched toward its climax. Daniel and Mathew stood at the center of the arena, two opposing forces—light and shadow, calm and chaos.

Daniel's breathing was heavy, sweat beading along his brow, but his stance remained resolute. His energy whip crackled at his side, glowing blue like a flame refusing to die. Across from him, Mathew grinned wildly, his body wrapped in swirling shadows that pulsed and writhed with life.

Mathew tilted his head, his smile too wide, too sharp. "You're tough, Daniel. But I've still got tricks up my sleeve."

"Show them, then," Daniel said, voice steady, sword still glowing faintly in his hand.

Mathew's laughter cut through the air. He crouched low, his fingers curling together in a gun-like gesture. The shadows at his feet began to gather, spiraling upward toward his outstretched hand. His grin split wider as a dark orb formed at the tip of his "gun." It pulsed, unstable, like a dying star desperate to collapse.

"Boom."

The orb screamed through the air, a bullet of pure shadow ripping across the battlefield. Daniel's eyes widened—there was no time to dodge. The attack was too fast, too sudden. Instinct drove him forward, raising his glowing sword in defense.

The Shadow Bomb hit.

The explosion was deafening, black fire and dark mist erupting in all directions. Dust and rubble shot into the air, swallowing Daniel whole. The crowd gasped, their cheers twisting into shocked silence as the aftermath settled.

From the shadows, Mathew emerged, his voice bubbling with manic excitement. "Where's that focus now, Daniel? You're done!"

The smoke cleared, and the crowd erupted into cheers once more. Daniel was still standing—just barely—blood trickling from a fresh cut above his brow. His sword had dissipated into stray sparks of light, and his chest heaved with effort. He looked at Mathew, his calm still unshaken.

"I'm not finished yet."

Mathew's grin faltered, a flicker of frustration behind his eyes. "Oh? You're stubborn, I'll give you that."

Shadows began to spiral again, curling around Mathew's limbs like living vines. His hands trembled slightly, the spirit within him forcing its way deeper. His voice crackled, layered now with something darker. "Let's see how you deal with more of this!"

He raised his fingers for another Shadow Bomb.

But this time, Daniel didn't move to dodge. Instead, the faint flicker of blue energy in his hands began to swell, growing brighter and brighter until it pulsed like a star. His face remained calm, but his eyes blazed with determination.

Mathew frowned. "What the—?"

Daniel planted his feet, and the ground cracked beneath him. Energy poured from his body, forming into jagged shards of blue light around him. Then, with a commanding shout, Daniel raised his arm, and the energy exploded outward.

"Energy Guard!"

A dome of crystalline light erupted around him, a shield made of pulsing, translucent blue energy. It formed just as Mathew fired, the Shadow Bomb colliding with the shield in a wave of darkness and force. The impact was earth-shattering. The dome cracked, spider-webbing under the pressure, but it held.

Mathew's eyes went wide as the smoke cleared, revealing Daniel untouched inside the shield.

"You… blocked it?" Mathew whispered, his grin twisting with something darker—something enraged. "You think you can stop me again?"

The spirit's voice seeped into Mathew's tone, deeper and more menacing. Shadows coiled tighter around his body as he extended his hands, thread glinting like razor wire between his fingers. "Let's see how long that little light of yours lasts!"

Mathew lashed forward, his thread snapping like a whip, tearing toward Daniel in an arc of death. Daniel dropped the shield, his energy drained, but his reflexes remained sharp. He sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the slice, his energy whip reforming in his hand.

Mathew didn't give him room to breathe. The shadows lunged after him—claws, spikes, writhing limbs—and the thread danced like a blade, slicing through air and earth alike. Daniel fought back with desperate precision, his whip cracking and snapping, cutting through the chaos where he could.

But Mathew wasn't slowing down. He was speeding up.

The spirit's influence was in full force now. Mathew's movements were jerky, erratic, his face twisted into an unsettling grin. His laughter rang out over the battlefield, unhinged and hollow.

"Come on, Daniel! Let's play some more!"

He fired another Shadow Bomb—this one larger, darker, shrieking through the air like a banshee. Daniel raised his whip, his blue energy blazing as he lashed forward, striking the bomb mid-flight. The resulting explosion sent both of them staggering back.

Daniel landed on one knee, his energy flickering around him like a dying flame. Mathew stood at the other end of the battlefield, his body wrapped in dark mist, his eyes nearly black.

"I'll end this," Daniel muttered, gripping his whip tight. It glowed brighter as he sprinted forward, his energy crackling like a thunderstorm. Mathew roared, his shadows twisting into monstrous shapes, the thread forming hundreds of slicing wires around him.

Their final clash shook the arena. Daniel struck with everything he had—his whip lashing out, his energy flaring. Mathew countered with shadows and thread, overwhelming force meeting sheer determination. The light of Daniel's energy and the darkness of Mathew's power collided, sending shockwaves that rattled the walls.

Then, Mathew's shadows surged, engulfing Daniel completely.

The crowd fell silent as the dust settled.

When the smoke cleared, Daniel lay sprawled on the ground, bloodied and exhausted, his energy completely spent. Mathew stood victorious, his chest heaving, shadows still curling unnaturally around him. His expression flickered—wild triumph warring with confusion, as if part of him wasn't sure how he'd won.

Daniel pushed himself to one knee, his voice hoarse. "Mathew…"

Mathew froze, his grin twitching. Shadows rippled violently across his shoulders.

"That wasn't you," Daniel said, staring up at him. "That was something else."

Mathew's expression darkened, the spirit's laughter echoing faintly in his tone. "Does it matter?"

He turned sharply, walking off the battlefield, shadows trailing behind him like smoke.

Daniel stayed kneeling, his head bowed as the crowd erupted into wild cheers for Mathew's victory. But there was no joy in Daniel's expression—only quiet resolve.

Daniel whispered to himself, "I'll get stronger. And next time… I'll beat you up".