8 Elemental Powers and Sibling Rivalry - Chapter 2 [ Part 3 ]
Whoosh...
A gust of wind swept over them both. Zan was momentarily silent, unable to believe that his brother, who had always underestimated him, was challenging him to a fight.
"What did you say, Brother? Fight!?" Zan exclaimed, surprised by the invitation.
"Yes, Zan. We're going to fight right here. I want to see the strength you've gained during your training," Zum said.
Zan pondered for a moment, seemingly agreeing with his brother's challenge.
"Alright, I accept your challenge, Brother!" Zan exclaimed with determination, his face turning serious.
---
Zan and Zum were siblings who appeared to get along well. However, underneath their camaraderie, they often engaged in petty squabbles. Most of these arguments were caused by Zum's laziness, which annoyed Zan. One day, they got into an argument that led to a surprising turn of events.
Zan was so angry with his brother that, unintentionally, he unleashed his power and attacked Zum out of the blue. The lightning power he released was strong enough to char wood, but Zum managed to protect himself with his bare hands, coming out unscathed. Since that day, Zan regarded his brother as an incredibly strong Elga, far beyond his own abilities.
"Alright, Zan, I'll start the attack," Zum said, taking a few steps back. Zan looked a bit nervous facing his brother, realizing that Zum's power should not be underestimated.
"So, how is Brother going to start his attack?" Zan thought hard, watching his brother's movements closely.
"Are you ready, Zan?" Zum asked, raising his hand towards Zan.
This position was the ideal attack stance for lightning and fire attacks. Pointing the hand towards the opponent and releasing the element from the hand was a common way Elgas attacked. Some Elgas used this method as a feint, diverting the opponent's attention with a frontal attack and striking from behind, such as using the earth element emerging from the ground, unlike the common fire or lightning elements that usually came from the hands or other body parts.
"I'm ready, Brother!" Zan replied confidently, even though there was a hint of fear in his voice.
Whoosh...
The wind blew again, this time even stronger, lifting the hair covering Zum's face.
---
Szzztt...
A mesmerizing surge of lightning shot from Zum's hand as he was prepared to launch his attack.
Zan assumed a ready stance, intending to dodge his brother's attack.
"A lightning strike that strong could be incredibly dangerous if it hits me," Zan thought while looking at the growing flow of lightning. He looked a bit scared, but he quickly shook off the fear.
Raizt!
Zum unleashed the lightning attack, and it raced straight toward Zan with high speed. Zan leaped to the right to avoid the dangerous attack.
"Great reflexes, Zan. You managed to dodge my usual attack," Zum said while watching his brother fall after dodging his strike.
"What was that? That powerful attack is your usual one?" Zan exclaimed loudly, trying to stand up again.
"Don't be too shocked, Zan. An attack like that is just a small thing for me," Zum stated with a challenging tone.
"Alright, I'll attack again, Zan."
Szzzt...
Zum released his lightning attacks multiple times, but Zan managed to dodge them all. While some of the attacks were avoided with difficulty, it seemed like Zan relied more on luck to evade Zum's strikes.
"Reflexes like the ones earlier can't just be pure luck," Zum thought, slightly surprised by his brother's progress.
"Hah, hah!" Zan gasped, catching his breath after dodging his brother's successive attacks.
"It seems you've improved, Zan. Your physical abilities have increased a bit," Zum commented.
"Thanks to my daily rigorous training, Brother!" Zan responded enthusiastically, trying to catch his breath.
"Now, it's your turn to attack, Zan. I want to see your supposedly weak techniques," Zum challenged.
"Don't underestimate me! I'll show you that my techniques are fantastic, Brother."
Zan prepared to use his techniques.
Szzztt...
Rantaror Expert!
Three electric currents shot directly at Zum, seemingly encircling him from three different angles.
"So, your Rantaror splits now, Zan!" Zum muttered softly, smiling as he observed his brother's small improvement.
"But it's still not enough to touch me, Zan!" Zum suddenly shouted, then moved his palms upward.
Wall of Stone!
Earth gathered at Zum's feet and rapidly rose to form a solid wall. The sturdy earthen wall blocked Zan's attacks from reaching his brother.
Zan's attacks weren't strong enough to break through Zum's wall of earth.
"I didn't know you had earth elemental abilities, Brother," Zan said inquisitively.
"Hehehe! It's because I'm awesome, Zan," Zum replied, moving his palms downward, causing the earth wall to crumble according to his hand movements.
"He's incredibly lazy, but how did he become so strong?" Zan wondered.
"Don't just stand there, Zan. Attack me!" Zum exclaimed, catching Zan off guard.
"Oh, right! I won't give up, Brother!"
Rantaror!
This time, Zan released Rantaror to attack his brother, but Zum knew that this attack was rather weak.
Kaboom...
Zum blocked the lightning stream with his left hand, feeling a tingling sensation after receiving Zan's attack.
"What is this? Zan's attack was supposed to be very weak," Zum thought, surprised by the increased strength of Zan's Rantaror. His hand had gone numb after taking Zan's attack.
"Why are you using regular Rantaror, Zan? Didn't your recent technique prove stronger?" Zum asked.
"You might be right, Brother. But this Rantaror is different."
"Different? Is that why it's stronger than usual?" Zum pondered.
"I added more power to this Rantaror, creating a larger explosion."
Zum fell silent and gazed at Zan for a moment.
"Frankly, Zan, I'm a bit surprised. When I received your attack earlier, I felt the seriousness in you, and it made me want to try something," Zum said with a smile. His smile wasn't friendly but rather mischievous. After a few moments, he reverted to his usual expression.
"What's that, Brother?"
"How about we have a duel using our lightning powers, Zan? And this time, I'll get serious too," Zum continued with a serious look.
After years of training, Zan rarely had the chance to engage in serious battles. Most of his fights were just playful sparring with friends.
Zan lowered his head, staring at his hands, then said, "Alright, this time I'll get serious too, Brother!"
The atmosphere became tense, the wind had stopped blowing, the sun was rising higher in the sky, sweat flowed from Zan's forehead to the ground, and an anxious and fearful expression was clearly visible on his face.
Zum began to move, preparing to unleash his power. Meanwhile, Zan faced his brother with trepidation.
"This time, Il'l release all the power I've trained for," Zan thought to himself, giving himself a pep talk.
The lightning flow grew larger in Zum's hand, enveloping his arm in a blue light. Zum's lightning, which was initially yellow, now turned blue, as if it were about to unleash fury.
Meanwhile, Zan was also gathering lightning power in his hands.
"Just a bit more, this power isn't enough," Zan thought. He struggled to contain the immense power in his right hand.
"What are you thinking, Zan? Why are you releasing so much power that you can't control it like that?" Zum asked.
"I won't lose to you again, Brother!" Zan yelled. He found it increasingly difficult to contain the overwhelming power in his hand.
"Alright, I think it's time, Brother," Zan said, intending to unleash his power.
"Rannn, RANTARORRR!"
Zan's shout echoed, and a massive explosion followed.
-----8---
