Extra's Ascent-Chapter 106: VeilBourne Episode 3: The End Of It (ii)

Aldrich calmed his breathing, relaxing the tension in his brows. He couldn’t afford to show desperation least of all to his opponent.

Tension was already creeping into his limbs, but he masked it well. There could be no sign of hesitation.

’If I push my Second Clover Eye to its limit and synchronize it perfectly with my body alongside everything I’ve trained for this past week, I can win!’

His determination poured out. It was time to unveil one of the techniques he’d mastered during his sessions with John Foster.

One of the most vital lessons he’d learned was this: never restrict the bow to long-range use alone.

John had taught Aldrich not just how to wield the bow, but how to rethink it entirely. It wasn’t about the distance. It was about flow, form, and intent. A true marksman didn’t limit himself to tradition, their weapon moved according to their rhythm.

Though Aldrich’s innate abilities lent themselves to close-quarters combat, his reliance on long-range archery had always created a dissonance.

To resolve that conflict, there was only one answer.

He needed to break expectations. Flip the script.

He had to become the kind of archer who charged into danger not away from it.

Aldrich burst forward, his movement distorting the air, leaving shimmering mirages in his wake. He was a blur, swift and resolute.

Yet to Kyle’s eyes, the movement was just barely traceable.

Within a heartbeat, Aldrich closed the distance, just five inches away and pulled his bowstring taut.

But there was no arrow.

Instead, condensed mana coalesced at the nock, swirling violently as it formed an arrowhead of pure energy. The mana twisted and surged into shape, threatening to burst from its confinement.

He called it: Doompiercer. A manifestation of destruction given form.

The arrow launched with devastating force and so close a range that Kyle’s instincts lagged for a split second. He hadn’t expected an archer to fire at point-blank range. That momentary lapse was all Aldrich needed.

But Kyle wasn’t helpless. The five floating orbs around him surged into motion, one darting to intercept Aldrich’s attack.

"I’m not falling for that a second time!" Aldrich shouted.

He had no intention of getting caught up again. With the arrow released, Aldrich halted his movement and activated a spatial exchange technique, creating space between them once more.

’That orb... it has a range limit!’

Even as he attacked, his mind analyzed. Understanding the orb’s mechanics, its reach, its timing. All of that was crucial to gaining the upper hand.

For now, he shifted his focus. Information was power, and every second bought him more clarity. All the while, he kept a wary eye on his dwindling mana reserves.

The clash between them had reached its fever pitch. Aldrich, though deprived of his instant movement skill, made up for it through sheer agility, narrowly avoiding Kyle’s calculated strikes.

Kyle, on the other hand, hadn’t moved a step since unleashing the five-orb technique. Yet he kept Aldrich entirely on the defensive. It was a show of power, a demonstration of dominance.

Still, both were reaching their limits. The mana in their veins was thinning, and exhaustion was written in the air they breathed.

They had pushed each other so far that even the spectators couldn’t guess who held the advantage anymore.

’What’s your next move, Aldrich Aldaman?’ Callum Damarium thought, eyes gleaming with anticipation. He, like everyone else, was eager to witness the final strike that would decide the victor.

This was no longer about proving worth. Aldrich had already surpassed every expectation. He was no longer the boy who could be pushed around, he now stood as an equal to Kyle.

But this wasn’t about pride anymore.

It was about victory. About staying enrolled at Eldora. And for that...

He had to win. No compromise.

Kyle was down to only two floating orbs now. His mana pool had taken a serious hit, and sustaining all five was no longer possible. Two was his limit.

But those two were still deadly. Quantity didn’t lessen their utility. They retained the same anti-spatial function that denied Aldrich the ability to blink behind Kyle.

That left only one option: brute force. No tricks. No warping.

Pure, unfiltered skill.

The moment came.

Aldrich stood to the left, Kyle to the right.

Kyle’s orbs flared, while Aldrich charged a new arrow of compressed mana. His gaze sharpened. His grip steadied.

One strike from each would decide everything.

Kyle’s orbs launched. Aldrich fired.

Kyle’s strength lay in disruption, his orbs could prevent spatial techniques and explode on contact. But that wasn’t their deadliest feature. The real danger was in their ability to disable movement, to leave their target open.

Aldrich’s arrow, however, was a beast of a different breed.

Compressed mana is contained, shaped, and weaponized. Once released, it became a storm of energy desperate for release. The resulting explosion wasn’t just powerful, it was cataclysmic.

The clash was instantaneous.

Arrow met oOrb The collision unleashed a deafening explosion that lit up the arena, vaporizing the orbs and tearing through the air in a wave of destruction.

Though the arrow had detonated, the explosion’s momentum continued forward, a furious surge barreling toward Kyle.

"I... win," Aldrich muttered, weakly but surely.

Kyle’s technique had been obliterated. His defense, gone. His mana, spent. There was no way he could guard against the blast.

It was over.

Checkmate.

"…"

"…"

"You forgot... Spatial Art is my specialty."

The words struck like thunder.

Aldrich’s eyes widened in disbelief as Kyle appeared behind him, descending from above.

"Crap—!"

He had thought Kyle had nothing left. He had miscalculated. Forgotten that Kyle’s roots lay in spatial manipulation.

And now, with one last orb at the ready, Kyle had closed the gap, placing himself so near that Aldrich couldn’t utilize spatial arts to escape.

This was it.

This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.

The final blow.

"For me? It’s not the end!" Aldrich roared.

He refused. Refused to lose now, not after coming so far. He wouldn’t let go of his place at Eldora, not without fighting to the very last breath.

He could still move. That meant he hadn’t given everything. Not yet.

He began crafting another mana arrow, desperate to launch one final shot.

But then, it happened.

His Second Clover Eye flickered and vanished.

Mana? Gone.

His greatest weapon, the eye that granted near-clairvoyant tracking and combat perception, had shut down. He no longer had the power to keep it active.

Now, all he had left were his instincts, his will, and a last-ditch effort.

And even that... had to be enough.

He shaped the arrow, his body trembling from the strain. But he didn’t stop.

"BRING IT, KYLE DANDADA!"

The Doompiercer was ready once more, just as Kyle descended from above, Breakerorb in tow. It was the final standoff, two warriors, too close, too drained, too stubborn to fall.

"He’s insane..."

The crowd watched in breathless awe. The fighters were barely feet apart. If their attacks collided here, both would suffer. Neither had the mana to shield themselves.

Yet neither backed down.

Aldrich stood firm.

Kyle plunged forward.

To hell with survival, this was about victory!

"I see now…" Callum mused, a knowing smirk gracing his lips. "I get why Dwayne chose to settle it like this…"

Aldrich, grounded, bow drawn and arrow aimed to the sky. Kyle, diving from above, breaker-orb leading his charge.

It was as if two apex predators had locked eyes, neither willing to yield, both baring their fangs.

A clash not of weapons alone, but of wills.

Truly...

A sight to behold. One that would come to be told in epic tales and more importantly come to decide the fate of the two warriors.

Who gets their chance to stay and which gets their chance to be ousted?!

Now folks, let the crowd know!