'So he still has a lot of speed to spare even after going toe to toe with Ross,' Zen thought in silence as the sandstorm did a number on the fighters, mostly on Alex.
Ross had already begun turning into light particles, so Alex took most of the lightning damage. But what caught Zen's attention was that moment of speed Alex displayed to appear behind Ross.
Even he was unable to see him move. It made him wonder if he could truly fight Alex and come out on top.
He began to consider taking advantage of the passing remnants as a way to even the playing field.
'No… Thinking like that means I've already accepted defeat. There are ways to pin him down to get the win.'
Raising his right hand, he stared at it with a thoughtful expression coming up with ways to use his metal manipulation to achieve his desired outcome.
[The final match will begin in five minutes. Combatants, make your preparations.]
The system announced. The finals could have begun as soon as possible, but there was no reason to rush things.
Alex just came out of a fight, the least they could do was give him a breather even though his avatar could be refreshed to its optimal state.
It was more of a mental break than anything else.
"Finally, the finals are here. We've seen a lot of fights and most were truly satisfying to watch. A few, however, were underwhelming but it's progress."
Instructor Horvey commented in the instructors' lounge, his words attracting several nods of agreement.
"Indeed. Seeing Alex in the finals is a given. That fella Zen instead, is a surprise. Who would have thought he kept so much of his strength hidden?"
"That's a boy with an agenda. Though I can't make sense as to why." Another instructor added and looked over to Class A1's instructor.
Hearing that, instructor Horvey simply shrugged. He was under no obligation to tell them that. Besides, with the rumours of Zen's motives going around, he wondered why they still asked.
Seeing his stance on the matter, the other instructors dropped the issue and refocused on the screen. The recess was almost over.
"That was brutal, man. You could have gone easier on me." Ross complained with bitterness once they returned to the booth.
"What do you mean easier? How else was I supposed to eliminate you? Besides I was fried as a result."
Alex shrugged in reply before taking his seat to relax for the finals. Looking at his figure, Julia stood up and went to stand behind Alex and placed both hands on his shoulders before giving him a massage.
Instinctively, he dissolved his armour to make room for easier access.
"Mm… Thanks, Julia." Alex muttered in delight and closed his eyes to enjoy the treat.
"Anything for you," Julia replied with a radiant smile.
"Give me some face, people. I'm right here." Ross was getting fed up with the display of affection they always showed.
Of course, a massage barely qualified as one but his statement was still relevant. After all, they had shown more than this before.
"Jealousy doesn't look good on you, man. Just accept the facts." Alex flashed a victorious smile.
"Right…" Ross muttered with a head shake and took his seat as well. His words were wasted on those two.
A few minutes later, the call for the finalists resounded through the arena. This time, however, a change was included.
[In the final fight, passing remnants will be excluded. The entire match will take place right here on the stage. And the match will only end when one fighter yields or is eliminated.]
Everyone, including Alex and Zen, were surprised by the announcements.
"Someone definitely doesn't want any interferences in our match," Alex said with a curious face. Only a few people could have the authority to change things once they began.
"Does it matter?" Ross questioned. "You've been given the chance to talk your sweet time in this fight. Just enjoy the fight like you always do."
"Yeah, you're right." He agreed and got up to teleport.
"Don't hold back, Alex. Show that idiot what it means to steal from you." Julia added, reminding him of what Zen pulled during the labyrinth event.
On the stage stood the two finalists, each having a serious expression and eyes locked on each other.
The cheering of the spectating students rang loudly in the arena. This time, the combatants heard all the commotion the spectators made.
"Give him hell, Alex. It's payback time!"
"I've got your back Zen! Teach him you don't have to be overly strong to defeat your opponent!"
Each fighter had their supporters. But it was clear Alex had more fans than Zen.
Of course, neither cared about what was said and only focused on themselves. They were ready to battle and at the peak of their strength.
Zen held two daggers in hand, each gleaming with a sharp light coming from the sun above. The daggers were his go-to weapons when Zen got serious in a fight. It was something most people weren't aware of, even his classmates.
Alex had his trusty staff in his right hand held behind his back with his armour humming to life, ready to defend its owner.
Of course, the armour spoken of was only for their level and failed when an attack was too strong and piercing for the materials to hold off.
It was the same situation Ross faced when Alex pierced him with his hand blade.
"The fight you've always wanted is here. You happy?" Alex spoke with a serious face and gradually the arena grew silent.
Everyone was curious to hear their dialogue and get a deeper understanding of their conflict.
With a slow emerging grin, Zen replied, "Why not?
"Unlike you, everyone else had to fight to achieve the strength they have today. Because of you, we couldn't have the recognition we deserved.
"How do you think it feels to be compared to you every day, every hour and every minute; Alexander this, Alexander that! I say no more!
"You sit on your high horse and look down on the rest of us like some we're weaklings undeserving of anything!
"I'm here to put you in your place, Alex" His tone decreased in intensity close to the end.
Zen unleashed the pent-up emotions he held within, at least a part of it. And that was all he needed to convince the masses.
"He's kinda right, you know?"
Someone echoes from the stance. Ever since he survived the cosmic mana wave and awakened later, he had been the talk of everybody in the empire. Even those in other star systems, it was all everyone could talk about and compare his achievements with everyone else.
Zen's message was simple.
Alexander Gray wasn't anything special!
Alex was speechless after hearing his words. Looking around the spectator stance, he saw the look in their eyes and from what he could tell, most agreed with Zen's words.
'Now I feel like the bad guy. Who would have thought Zen's challenge ran deeper than a simple grudge for attention?'
All of a sudden, the things he wanted to do to Zen in order to teach him a lesson felt petty to him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before reopening them.
He had something to prove as well.