Chapter nineteen: The Crystal Titan vs The Black Hole Wielder

The arena trembled as Thremos, the master of crystals, stepped forward. His entire body shimmered with a hard, diamond-like exterior, reflecting the sunlight in dazzling patterns. Across from him stood Gyro, his very presence unsettling, as if the air around him was being drawn into the void. His eyes glowed with an unnatural darkness—he was a walking singularity.

Gabriel raised his hand. "Begin!"

Thremos wasted no time. He slammed his foot onto the ground, causing massive crystal formations to erupt around him, creating a shimmering fortress. With a flick of his wrist, he sent a barrage of razor-sharp crystal shards flying toward Gyro.

But Gyro didn't move.

A swirling black mass expanded behind him, distorting the air. The moment the shards got close, they twisted unnaturally and vanished—swallowed by the miniature black hole he had summoned.

Thremos' eyes narrowed. "So that's how it is."

He changed tactics, forming a crystal lance and dashing forward with incredible speed. Gyro sidestepped, but Thremos anticipated it, twisting mid-air and slashing toward him.

At the last second, Gyro raised his palm. A gravitational wave pulsed outward.

BOOM!

Thremos was flung backward, his own momentum turned against him. He slammed into the crystal formations he had created, shattering them upon impact.

The crowd gasped.

Thremos groaned but forced himself up. "You're a walking disaster," he muttered.

Gyro simply tilted his head. "And you're too rigid. Crystals break under extreme force."

Thremos gritted his teeth. He had to adapt. He couldn't just attack head-on—he needed to find a way around Gyro's gravity field.

Then, an idea struck him.

Instead of attacking Gyro directly, he slammed his hands into the ground again. But this time, the crystals spread outward in delicate, almost web-like structures, covering the battlefield in a reflective surface.

Gyro frowned. "What are you—"

Suddenly, beams of light refracted through the crystal web, bending and twisting unpredictably. Before Gyro could react, Thremos warped across the field, using the reflections to disguise his movements.

SLASH!

A deep gash appeared on Gyro's side.

The crowd erupted.

Gyro staggered, looking at his wound. He hadn't even seen Thremos move.

Thremos grinned. "Gravity distorts space, but light is unpredictable. Let's see you warp reality when you can't even track me."

For the first time, Gyro frowned.

Thremos struck again—dashing, disappearing, and reappearing from different angles, his crystal lance slicing through the air. Gyro tried to counter with gravitational pulses, but Thremos was always one step ahead.

The black hole user growled in frustration. "Enough."

He stomped his foot, and a pulse of darkness erased a massive chunk of the battlefield. The crystal web shattered, the light tricks vanishing instantly.

Thremos froze. "No way—"

Gyro lifted his hand, and everything around Thremos began to pull toward him. The force of gravity intensified, dragging Thremos forward against his will.

"This is checkmate."

Thremos struggled, planting his feet, trying to form new crystals for support. But the gravitational force was too strong. His body lifted off the ground, drawn toward the singularity forming in Gyro's palm.

At the last moment, Gyro clenched his fist—

BOOM!

Thremos was sent crashing into the ground, unconscious.

The arena fell silent.

Gabriel raised his hand. "Gyro is the winner!"

The crowd roared.

Gyro exhaled slowly, looking down at Thremos. "You almost had me," he muttered before turning away.

The next match was set:

Ernis vs Greed.

The battle of storms and electricity was about to begin.