Chapter Twenty Two

Braun had jumped ready to crush Raiden but by slight instinct, Raiden stepped back narrowly dodging his imminent death, he could hear Arthur and Gloin shouting for the cancellation of the match but no one listened they were too busy cheering for Braun to end his life. Braun moved forward and slammed his shoulder into Raiden throwing Raiden back a couple feet away from him.

Raiden rolled on the ground three times before finally stopping with his back on the ground, Braun was in the air again ready to crush Raiden's chest but again Raiden managed to dodge, he half rolled as Braun landed an inch close to him, Braun then threw a kick at Raiden that got him right in his ribs a loud crack was heard as Raiden's body was lifted off in the air, he was coughing up blood as he flew for the third time today, his body landed on the mana shield with a force so hard that the mana shield flickered a little.

"Raiden am so sorry MOVE!" Gloin said as Raiden landed in front of him. Braun was standing over Raiden, Braun grabbed Raiden by the back of his neck and pulled him to his feet. Raiden was in so much pain from his broken ribs that breathing became difficult.

"hey you I'll give you 300 gold coins if you let him go," Arthur said as he watched Raiden's face wince in pain, his teeth completely covered in blood.

"Sorry kids I wish I could but I promise to make it quick," Braun said as he let go of the back of Raiden's neck, Braun placed his hands on both sides of Raiden's head and he started squeezing.

"ARRGH!" Raiden yelled, he frantically tried to push Braun off but as his hands were now on Braun's face a desperate idea emerged in his mind, Raiden summoned fire in his hand, smoke, and the sound of burning flesh was heard the pain made Braun release his hold on Raiden taking a step back. Raiden dropped to his knees, the blood vessels in his head had exploded and his cranium was slightly crushed in.

The only thought on his mind was, I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'M GOING TO DIE. At that moment a slight insanity invaded Raiden's mind, his ribs were healed, and his head was slowly healing. Raiden now rushed at Braun, Braun threw a jab but Raiden slipped and the jab went past his shoulder in that position Raiden threw a right cross right into Braun's rib, and he then stepped back with a jumping back-kick that landed on Braun's face.

Braun dashed forward attempting to spear Raiden into the ground, but Raiden grabbed Braun's shoulder and vaulted himself up with his hands dodging Braun, as he landed Raiden threw a spinning hook kick, Braun turned around as Raiden threw that hook kick which made the kick land right in his temple. The power behind that kick was so strong that Raiden's foot throbbed and Braun's head drew blood. It was a small cut but enough to shock the audience.

Braun grazed the cut on his head, Raiden wasn't going to give Braun a chance, he quickly dashed at him ready to throw a haymaker at Braun but Braun caught him by the neck stopping Raiden's attack.

"not bad kid you managed to get a few hits in, not bad but like I said I'll make it quick," Braun said as he twisted his hand trying to break Raiden's neck. Raiden summoned lightning to his palms and he grabbed Braun's wrist with both his hands. Basic Biology dictates that as an electric current passes through an individual's body this would lead to an involuntary muscle contraction.

This was what happened to Braun he became incapacitated for some seconds which gave Raiden enough time to free his neck from Braun's grip. Raiden couldn't fire off his elements like the dark elf the reason was that he recently unlocked his element, unlike conjurers who can fire off their elements the moment they unlock it augmentors needed to advance one more core stage before they could do the same.

Raiden moved a step back, now getting into a proper fighting stance he wasn't sure if he was going to survive but there was no way in hell was he going to make it easy. He summoned lightning on the right arm and leg and fire on the left arm and leg. The current in Braun's body dissipated rendering him back to his normal state. Braun assumed a fighting stance he was getting annoyed that he hadn't finished the fight.

Raiden was now calm, his eyes were slowly analyzing Braun during his brief encounter with him he realized that in terms of power, Braun had him beat but when it came to speed Raiden was a little better than him. Raiden decided to go on the offensive he rushed at Braun and threw a right cross at Braun's ribs, the lightning he had previously summoned found its way into Braun's body making his body freeze up, and then Raiden threw a left uppercut which got Braun on his chin, the flames on Raiden's hand burned Braun's chin.

Raiden then did a sidestep as he threw a calf kick at Braun, with the leg that was covered with lightning Braun got on his knee making his face get low. Raiden followed this by throwing a right cross followed by a left cross and a straight jab at Braun's face. Braun's body was incapacitated by the lightning and the fire kept leaving sooty marks where Raiden's hits had landed.

Raiden continued with this strategy, hitting Braun with lightning to stop Braun while following through with flames for added damage. It seemed that Braun was losing until Braun caught an incoming fist from Raiden. Instantly Braun's whole body erupted in a flame.

"Fun's over kid my turn," Braun said. He squeezed Raiden's fist effectively crushing his knuckles which made Raiden scream in pain, a sizzling sound and smoke came from Raiden's hands. Braun then threw Raiden to the floor then proceeded to literary wipe the floor with Raiden's body and then he threw him up while Raiden was in midair Braun threw a push kick at Raiden that propelled Raiden to the farthest end away from Braun.

Braun dashed to where Raiden was, he grabbed a fistful of Raiden's hair pulling Raiden's head back and exposing his neck. Braun pulled back his arm ready to land a fiery fist at Raiden's neck. Raiden's fist had healed since he had willed a massive amount of his mana to his fists after Braun had broken them, Raiden grabbed Braun's wrist. Braun was puzzled at how Raiden was still able to fight.

In the beginning, he was sure that he had broken a lot of his ribs and damaged his cranium and now he was sure he had crushed his hands but the same hands were now holding on to him. Braun was bracing himself for the shock to come but Raiden pulled at Braun's wrist as he raised his feet. He pushed both his feet into Braun's face. The force was so loud that Braun's nose and mouth bled out.

"yeah, Raiden! Fuck him up!" Gloin shouted from the sides.

"Raiden use that technique you've been practicing! You just need to outlast the timer!" Arthur shouted. The audience was now surprised Braun underestimated the boy he was fighting but the boy was making Braun bleed.

Raiden then locked his feet on Braun's arm, Braun hadn't released Raiden's hair. Raiden released one hand from Braun's wrist and placed it at Braun's elbow. He then summoned all the strength in his body and pushed Braun's elbow in as his feet pulled back till snap! Braun's arm broke Braun swung Raiden off him and Raiden rotated his body in the air and he then landed on his feet.

"ARRRRGHHHHH!" Braun yelled as he grabbed his arm, Braun dropped to his knees but as his brain was slowly getting used to the pain an intense amount of anger washed over Braun. At the beginning of the fight killing Raiden wasn't personal but now it was. Suddenly the air got hot, the ground under Braun's feet was turning into molten lava and Braun's eyes were now bloodshot red.

It was evident what was happening to Braun, Braun had entered a berserk state. This was a state in which intense anger affects one's core giving them a massive boost of power and speed. Braun fired a canon of flames from his unbroken arm, even though Raiden dodged, his shirt didn't and it was now burning. Raiden quickly tore his shirt off and threw it away.

Raiden should have despaired but he didn't, because the technique Arthur was talking about was finally done and now Raiden's body was covered in electric sparks. Arthur and Gloin were now sure that Raiden was going to survive.