Ozania Odyssey

Chapter 7: The First Fight Continues! Navar Vs. Juyon Part 2!

"Okay, you may proceed," 499 leaves the arena and heads back to his observation booth.

"That attack, he did just now. Like the other one, it had that "force" behind it. Maybe if I concentrate hard enough, I can do what he's doing."

Navar sprints toward Juyon, his breath ragged and his heart pounding in his chest, closing his eyes and focusing intensely on finding the power Juyon is using. Navar clenches every muscle in his body as he focuses, adding to the intensity of the concentrative state. As he does so, a clear ethereal aura encases his body.

Juyon feels slightly uneasy as Navar's clear aura envelops his body. "Is he...?!" Juyon thinks to himself.

Unfortunately, Navar's fatigue is too much, so he collapses with a weary groan. "Just now, he was very close to performing JōKai Amplification. For him to learn that technique so fast without knowledge is unheard of," says Juyon.

Juyon scoops Navar up from the floor and gazes into his eyes. "Why do you continue to fight in a battle you know you can't win? Just give up, and you don't have to get hurt any worse."

Navar lets out a light chuckle, and then he smiles at Juyon with blood streaming from his lips. "I don't know why, but I don't run away from a fight even if I'm gettin' my ass kicked."

"Such Ignorance," Juyon drops Navar onto the floor and looks up to 499. "If I continue fighting him, I'll cause life-threatening damage to him. If you can, may you please end the match?"

499 walks into the arena and steps towards Juyon. "You don't need to worry any longer. I'm ending this match right now," 499 attempts to raise Juyon's hand to end the match.

"Wait, I can still fight!"

499 stops abruptly and glances over to see Navar, his breath ragged as he tries to stand. "No, you have undergone too much damage from this battle. Any more will be critical or life-threatening."

"Isn't that what I signed up for? I didn't come all the way here to have my match not end on the terms I want them to. When two warriors fight, one against one, no one butts in. That's an unwritten rule, right?! There's no hand-holding or anything to stop the fight when it's the real deal! I don't want my hand to be held. I don't want to be babied or pitied. So get out of my way and let me continue the match!"

499 mulls Navar's demands momentarily, then strides out of the arena. "Very well, but be warned, any more damage you sustain will not be by fault of Ozania. It will be your own."

During the pause in the battle, Navar remembers the sensation of the clear aura in his hands. "During that time, I was about to attack him. I felt something coursing through my body. A "flow" is how I would describe it. Maybe if I can gather that feeling again and keep a hold of it, I can do it."

Navar shuts his eyes and sprints forward, his feet pounding against the ground as he races to Juyon. "Feel the flow... Feel the flow," Once again, his body is cloaked with the same clear aura as before. However, this time, it's more maintained.

"He's doing it again, only this time it's a lot more controlled than last time," Juyon thinks to himself. Juyon enters a defensive stance, his fists crackling with energy as he raises them.

Navar sprints towards Juyon, his clear aura slipping away and his jaw muscles tensing as he bares his teeth. "Dammit, not again!" Navar missteps, resulting in a loss of balance.

Juyon drops his guard and retaliates, his fists raised in an offensive stance. He flies at Navar and throws a hard right hook that connects with his ribs, the impact reverberating through the air. "Bellowing Bison!" Juyon's attack causes Navar to skid across the hard surface of the arena floor. Navar lies on the floor, his vision blurring as he drifts closer to unconsciousness. "That should do it," Juyon looks up at 499. "I think he's finished now."

Navar recovers, gasping for breath, as his knees quiver beneath him in an attempt to stand.

Juyon feels a chill run down his spine as he watches Navar's unwavering determination. "He recovered even after taking all those attacks. How?"

"He still has fight left in him. It's not time to call the match," 499 thinks to himself.

Once again, Navar's body is encircled in the clear glimmering aura. This time, it is more sustained. "I think... I've got it now,"

"I have to end this match now. Since he's too stubborn to admit defeat, knocking him out is my only option," Juyon thinks to himself. Juyon runs toward Navar, the wind rustling his armor and his fists clenched in readiness as Hard Terrain JōKai materializes on them.

Navar's breathing slows, and his focus sharpens to a more intense level. "Feel the flow... Feel it... Feel it...". As he delves deeper into his concentration, he feels the immense power of the clear aura, increasing everything: strength, perception, endurance. "This is it.. it has to be it..."

Juyon closes the gap between them, and his fists move so quickly it seems like a hundred are attacking all at once. "Mandruk Barrage!"

Navar watches intently as Juyon's fists move slower and slower, analyzing every detail of his attack pattern to find an opening. "I see; his fists are getting slower. I think I can find an opening now," Then, Juyon's fists slow down enough to create an opportunity for Navar to react. "There it is!"

Navar steadies his blade, his aura creating a gentle hum as it strengthens his grip. Navar reads Juyon's attack and retaliates with an agile swing to the right, the wind whistling around his weapon as it cuts through the air. "Okayasu Blade: Okayasu Parry!" Navar's great sword sends a shudder through Juyon's hands, the force of his "Mandruk Barrage" attack being used against him, sending him reeling backward.

Everyone watching the battle becomes transfixed by the dazzling display. "How did he do that?!" Miri thinks to herself.

Navar roots his right foot into the ground and sends his left foot forward; then, he connects with a kick to Juyon's jaw, the strength of the blow causing Juyon to teeter back.

Juyon feels his lip throbbing after the attack, and he wipes away the blood from his mouth, his eyes widening in astonishment. Despite all the damage he has endured during the battle, Navar mustered up the strength to draw blood from Juyon's tough skin. "How in the world did he hit me like that?"

Navar chuckles as he observes Juyon, who has a look of perplexity on his face. "I can do what you're doin' now! And I'm goin' to win this fight, Juyon!"