Chapter 1461 (1/2)

Randidly studied the phenomenon of the merging images for several seconds. It wasn’t something that he had ever seen before, not at this level. Then he shifted his focus toward the Nether coming together in vast quantities due to the achievement; part of the reason that Tykes could destabilize space with his image right now was the surging current of Nether beneath all of this. There was a great deal of weight to Earth seeing this method of utilizing images for the first time.

Randidly smiled rather innocently as he casually touched his woven Nether. Yes, it was definitely worth it to host this tournament.

Then the combatants moved and he refocused on the match below.

On that endless reflective surface, the combined form of Dinesh and Tykes moved with brutal speed. Each step flung them across a vast distance, but the touch of its feet against the surface only released the smallest of reflections. Tykes was a freight train of significance, trailing distorted space like a freight train puffing out smoke.

Paolo glanced at Kayle and then studied his wounded right hand. “Don’t cut the image until I’ve had my chance to smash it to pieces.”

“Don’t just go smashing things until I’ve had my chance to cut,” Kayle replied with just as much charged excitement. Then they both blurred into motion, following an unspoken communication. They split sideways as Tykes arrived and smashed his iron ball where they had just been standing. Then they were pouncing back on each side of them.

They’ve fought each other so much that their teamwork is uncanny, Randidly observed.

But both Kayle and Paolo’s faces quickly twisted into a grimace as they moved to attack. The waves of ambient image that their opponent’s combination unleashed slowed down their movements. The distorted space was thick and unpredictable. When their movements impeded, Tykes could simply spin around, smashing Paolo backward and then raising his iron ball to crush Kayle directly.

Kayle flexed his fingers. “Sever.”

Tykes twitched to the side and then ignored the blood spurting out of his bicep. The image around them didn’t even waver from the Skill. Then Tykes flung his iron ball backward at Paolo who had just regained his feet and threw a punch at Kayle. An electric shock seemed to run through Kayle’s body, his eyes beginning to glow. The sense of sharpness around him intensified to the point that his smile gleamed like a barred blade beneath the mon.

But before Tykes completed the motion of his punch, he abruptly became Dinesh. His hand opened and he unleashed a burst of orange smoke that completely covered Kayle. Then his body was Tykes once more and he simply slammed his hands against the ground. Unlike the soft ripples that he had produced when he walked across the ground, this slam generated a two-meter tall wave that knocked the coughing Kayle away.

Paolo slowed down in his advance at Tykes as the man turned slowly around to regard him. The spatial distortions were growing more frequent; Tykes’ body seemed to be constantly buzzing. Grimacing, Paolo flexed his right hand and slapped it with his left. The bones ground against each other painfully, but the strike knocked the knuckles back into place. “Heh, you two have grown strong. This is the Ghosthound, halo, huh…?”

“...But your basic Skills lack bite,” Kayle heaved himself to his feet after finally recovering enough to cut the wave that was suppressing him. There were strange orange spots on his face, but he still grinned over at Tykes and Dinesh. “Your image is broad, yes, but even the small things deserve love and attention.”

Dinesh and Tykes didn’t reply. Two bodies mirrored across the surface simply glanced at the two of them while slowly pulling the metal ball back into Tykes' hand. Then they began to gather their Willpower as they adjusted the image in the surrounding area. Randidly’s blinked and then began to laugh; they were using Tykes' sense of momentum to increase the difficulty of shattering Dinesh’s control over the surrounding space. No matter how long Paolo and Kayle stalled, if they couldn’t shake the effect now, they likely wouldn’t be able to do it at all.

“Fine then, let’s do this the hard way,” Paolo announced, but it was clear from his expression that he was greatly looking forward to the experience. Once more through an unspoken communication, Donnyton’s greatest rivals dashed for Tykes across the featureless reflective surface. Each step left large ripples that clashed chaotically against each other.

This time, they didn’t hold back on using their images at all. Although Tykes and Dinesh continued to maintain the strange, isolated world, that didn’t stop Kayle and Paolo from manifesting the power of their images in this place. Once more, Kayle’s body gradually disappeared as he began simply a manifestation of a life-thirsting blade. Paolo seemed to grow imperceptibly, becoming larger than life as he rushed toward the conflict.

Paolo smashed his fist downward and met the Tykes’ swing of the metal ball directly. Even with the increase in size, Tykes held a power advantage in this form and knocked the man backward.

But then Kayle was there, spinning like top garnished with butcher’s knives. The attacks inflicted small flesh wounds onto Tykes which were completely ignored. It was only when Kayle adjusted his stance and unleashed a thrust that Tykes became Dinesh, who then immediately became Tykes again as Paolo bounded forward with both hands above his head and smashing brutally downward.

Tykes eyes didn’t waver as he considered the two attacks heading toward him. He let the iron ball fall to the side and spread his hands wide. “Endure.”

The bone of his left arm shattered with an audible crunch as he simply stood there and allowed Paolo’s punch to brutalize his body. Kayle’s palm drilled into his side, probably eviscerating one of his kidneys.

Tykes trembled, then he was a completely fine Dinesh, who flicked his fingers. “Reflect.”

Kayle’s arm snapped and blood began to gush from Paolo’s side. A wounded Tykes snapped back into existence in Dinesh’s spot and raised his head to roar in pain. Then he reached with his good arm and picked up the iron ball.