Chapter 14: Unforeseen Showdown

"Did Elysia put you up to this?" Enryu asked, looking at Jake with a cool gaze. The fearless tone of his voice spoke of a past riddled with battles that far surpassed their current situation.

As Jake and Enryu faced off, an authoritative figure intervened. He was Dandelion, a teacher at Elite Future Academy, known for his keen eye for spotting trouble.

"Aren't you a senior, Jake? Why are you picking a fight with them?" Dandelion questioned sternly, stepping between the two students.

His gaze fell on David's shirt, his eyebrows raising in recognition. "He's in the zero class. You have no business picking a fight with him," he admonished Jake.

Enryu, unperturbed, responded confidently. Being a regressor, he wasn't intimidated by the situation.

"There's no need to interfere, sir. I'll take full responsibility if anything happens to me. Do you want me to sign a waiver?" His bold stance diffused the tension, at least for the moment.

Without skipping a beat, Dandelion flicked his wrist, and a holographic interface appeared in front of him. "Very well, Enryu. Sign here," he said, pointing to a spot on the transparent digital sheet.

Enryu stepped forward and quickly signed off on the waiver using the holographic stylus. Dandelion gave him a long, hard look before nodding and walking away. The holographic interface disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, leaving no trace of the agreement just made.

Jake responded with a grin, puffing his chest out in an attempt to appear intimidating.

Watching the confrontation, David understood the threat Jake posed. He pulled up Enryu's status menu, scrutinizing both of their abilities.

Status Window

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Name: Enryu

Hero Name: Enryu

Title: Future Ruler, Regressor, Top of the World, Dimensional Terror

Level: 10

Strength: Super Human (26)

Endurance: Super Human (26)

Agility: Super Human (22)

Intellect: Peak Human (19)

Super Power:

Cryokinesis (lv.3): User can create, shape, and manipulate ice at will.

Adaptation (Unique): User can adapt to any physical, mental, or environmental challenge encountered, incrementally enhancing resilience and abilities.

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Simultaneously, a notification popped up on his screen.

[A condition has been met!]

[Author authority has leveled up.]

[You now have the ability to mantle one unique superpower and a common one.]

This piece of news brought a faint smile to David's face.

The notification that popped up brought a hint of a smile to David's lips. He didn't make a move just yet, calmly letting Enryu sign the waiver first.

Seeing that Enryu had finished, David stepped forward and said, "Mind if I sign one too?"

This elicited a look of surprise from Enryu, but a glint in his eyes showed that he was intrigued by this development. With a flick of his wrist, he brought up his own waiver adding David to it.

David quickly signed it and handed the holographic stylus back to Enryu. The spectators watching the situation unfold were abuzz with whispers and speculation. Enryu, however, merely took a step back, allowing David the space he seemed to need.

"You've got a crush on Elysia, don't you, Jake?" David asked, the smile still playing on his lips.

"Fighting us here... it doesn't make sense unless you're smitten with her. What has she promised you in return?"

Jake's confident demeanor wavered, the question clearly hitting a nerve.

"I'm not here for Elysia. I'm here to put you in your place."

David laughed softly. "You know I'm part of an influential family, right? I wouldn't want my family's wrath to befall you."

"Hiding behind your family's name, are you? You're just a coward." Jake sneered at David's comment.

David looked directly into Jake's eyes, his calm demeanor unbroken.

"I'm not hiding, Jake, I'm simply reminding you of the ripple effect of our actions. It's wise to consider the broader impact before we act."

[Inspired by Enryu: Adaption (Unique) Mantled]

As he spoke, he subtly activated his Author's Authority, calling forth Enryu's Adaptation superpower to mantle. It was a subtle change, barely noticeable to the onlookers, but to David, it felt like an internal revolution.

Every cell in his body seemed to shiver in response, energizing him with newfound strength and acuity. His senses became sharper, his thoughts clearer, as his body started adapting to this new superpower. A small smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth. He was ready to face whatever Jake had in store.

With a swift motion, David activated the Jupiter Lightning superpower he had mantled from Lux. In an instant, the air around him crackled with electricity, a dazzling display of power that left the bystanders awestruck. Yet, Jake stood his ground, a determined glint in his eyes.

Enryu watched the spectacle unfold, his expression unreadable. When David had told him that he hadn't awakened his powers yet, Enryu had no reason to doubt him. But now, he was witnessing an entirely different side to his classmate. His mind was racing with questions and speculations.

'Could he be using drugs to enhance his abilities?' Enryu mused, his intrigue piqued. However, he swiftly dismissed the idea, focusing back on the unfolding events. This was, after all, the first time in his regression that he'd been genuinely taken by surprise.

"So, the Jupiter heir from the Zero class is using drugs to temporarily awaken his abilities now, huh?" Jake sneered, his gaze focused on the electric sparks dancing around David. His tone was dismissive, clearly not believing in David's abilities.

"You think that lightning of yours can penetrate my skin?" Jake said, with confidence.

David met his sneer with a smirk, "Jake, if your brain was as thick as your skin, you'd probably be in the top class. But here we are."

Jake scoffed, "Keep talking, Zero class. Those drugs of yours will only lead you to one place: death. You're just ruining your own body using them." His voice was filled with scorn, the notion of David achieving such power drug-free seemed implausible to him.

David's words rang out, eliciting a wave of shock that rippled through the crowd. The disbelief was palpable, hanging heavy in the air as they exchanged wide-eyed glances.

"He's crazy! Threatening Jake like that..." one student murmured, aghast.

"Does he have a death wish?" another chimed in, shaking his head in bewilderment.

Jake's face contorted into a dangerous scowl, his eyes narrowing at David's audacity.

The tension in the arena was as tangible as a solid object, a living thing that made the hair stand up on the back of everyone's neck. David and Jake faced off, two diametrically opposed figures locked in a silent standoff. Jake, with his muscular build and ferocious boxing stance, was a picture of raw power.

His fists were coiled and ready to strike, a destructive right cross poised to launch from under his chin.

David, however, was a stark contrast to Jake's intimidating size and strength. Agile and lithe, he embodied the grace of a dancer. His body side-on, hands held high, legs slightly apart, his Muay Thai stance was defensive but held a sense of threat. The electricity around him twisted and arced, casting a mesmerizing blue aura that seemed to dance with his movements.

The battle commenced with Jake launching himself at David like a freight train. His right cross aimed to obliterate David with pure brute strength, but David was already out of the way, his form sliding sideways with an agility boosted by his Adaptation ability.

His counter came in the form of a roundhouse kick, an arc of force aimed at Jake's head. Jake ducked, his boxing-trained reflexes serving him well. He retaliated with an uppercut aimed at David's exposed midsection. David tried to twist away, but he wasn't fast enough.

The punch connected, and the audience winced as David skidded back, thrown off balance.

But David was far from finished. The Adaptation superpower kicked in, steadying him. His balance returned quicker than humanly possible, his body adapting to the shocking blow he'd just taken.

The battle escalated as Jake pressed his advantage, fists hammering into David like battering rams. Each punch was brutal, carrying enough power to take down your average superhuman, but David was anything but normal. His body moved with an uncanny speed, each strike making him faster, more resilient. He was a living testament to the Adaptation superpower, a being evolving in real-time.

Still, Jake's superior strength and size dominated the early stage of the battle. Punch after punch landed on David, throwing him back again and again. But every hit he took seemed to make him stronger, faster, more durable.

Slowly, the tide began to turn. David ducked under a particularly vicious swing from Jake, his body bending in an incredible display of agility. He retaliated with a punch that slammed into Jake's midsection, the force sending the larger man stumbling back. For the first time in the fight, Jake seemed off balance.

As the fight progressed, David found himself enveloped in the exhilaration of the fight. 'This is why Enryu was a monster in his previous life,' he thought as his superpower pushed him past his limits. His punches landed with increased force, his dodges became faster, his body tougher.

From the sidelines, Enryu watched the spectacle with an intense gaze. His eyes were fixed on David, observing every minute detail of his performance.

His instincts told him something extraordinary was happening. 'He's adapting... just like me,' Enryu realized. A faint smile played on his lips as he continued to watch the spectacle unfold.

His previous life's experiences were far too familiar with the rapid evolution David was showcasing. But that was supposed to be his superpower, his secret. He looked back at David, his gaze filled with a newfound curiosity.