72 The Semi-final - Part 3

"Glass walk!"

Left with no choice, Razak activated the spell and created several glass steps in the air behind him. He used those steps to jump above Daichi while sending his shadow devil under him.

There were hundreds of ways he could kill Daichi in that instant, but defeating him without any lasting injuries was a different matter entirely.

One wrong move here could lead to life-threatening consequences. Razak wanted to avoid any such outcomes as much as possible; keeping his hands clean in front of the audience was necessary for his goal.

He tried pushing him using the shadow devil, but Daichi lifted his left foot and ponderously slammed it on the stage. He had added so much weight behind it that it ended up shaking the whole stage.

Razak realized that trying to push him out using magic was pointless. Despite the fatigue from the last match, he still possessed monstrous strength.

However, since Razak was above, he possessed a significant advantage against his opponent. On top of that, most of Daichi's attacks wouldn't reach where he was.

"Dark slash!"

Razak fired a dark slash just a few inches behind Daichi in the hopes that he would react and take a step forward.

However, since Daichi was almost at the edge and had nowhere to go, his body didn't react reflexively. Or it could just be that his body had suffered so much fatigue that he couldn't respond in time.

Whatever the case, the battle wasn't going as intended. This battle wasn't a head to head clash like the one Daichi was expecting. Nor was it going per Razak's analysis.

Till now, it was just an awkward fight between two participants with so vastly different skills that the clash between them produced no significant result whatsoever.

Once Razak distanced himself a little bit, Daichi turned around, crushing the shadow devil that was pushing him from behind.

Usually, shadow devils weren't tangible. One's hand would just pass through if they tried touching it. But whenever a caster manifests the devil for a specific physical task, it could be touched or even attacked.

"What is this! Come fight like a man!"

Daichi looked a little irritated since the start of the match; it was no wonder that he would be annoyed at this point.

Razak was in the position where he could clearly see and repel any incoming projectiles. However, that didn't stop Daichi from smashing the concrete cement block of the stage and throwing the pieces at him.

This could be seen as an act of desperation, but it was not. The blocks were supposed to be a distraction so that he could move Razak towards the position where he could reach him with a jump.

Using physical enhancement and his Full muscle enhancement technique, it was possible to jump over ten meters high in the air. However, his reach within the air would be limited.

But by continuously attacking Razak while not allowing him to counterattack, he would be able to make him move as he wanted.

The toll this would take on his body was massive, and if there was something else he could come up with, this wasn't a wise move. Yet, there were no wise and foolish moves for Daichi in this case. That was the only way he could think of countering the spell Razak was using.

Once Razak came within reach, Daichi jumped high in the air. He could feel a muscle strain in his right leg during the jump.

It was apparent that he wouldn't even be able to stand properly if this attack fails. However, he wasn't patient enough to wait for his opponent to come at him.

Unlike how he was expecting, Razak countered him head-on. But since Razak was in a higher position, his attack wasn't as effective as it should have been. On top of that, Razak used Shadow Shield to block his punch.

Daichi tried Grabbing him before the fall, but Razak already knew what he was trying to do, so he created a shadow devil in front of him and took a step backward.

Daichi fell on the ground as the shadow devil disappeared into the air without leaving a trace.

He landed on his feet, but the impact triggered the earlier muscle strain. Unable to stand, he dropped down on his knees.

"ARGGH!"

He was feeling a continuous, agonizing pain, but giving up wasn't an option. He had been waiting for the opportunity for a while now.

He pushed the ground and stood up without even wasting a moment. But during that fraction of a second, Razak had already closed in.

Fortunately, he was charging from the front, making it easier for him to dodge and block.

But while he was blocking the frontal attacks, Daichi realized that his shadow devil was already behind. But he could do nothing as the devil attacked him right where his muscle strain was hurting.

He fell on his knees again, giving Razak an opportunity to strike him with a series of physical attacks.

Razak and his Shadow devil unleashed a chain of attacks enhanced with magical spells without allowing Daichi to get back on his feet.

What's surprising was how Daichi was still resisting all those attacks in his state.

"I have had enough!"

Daichi grabbed the devil and destroyed it. Even though he was in no shape to stand, he resisted and tried to get on his feet.

Seeing him stand, Razak jumped back. His aim was to slowly tire Daichi to the point where he could no longer withstand it, and there were still a few minutes left in the match.

Even though not as much as the Tsuchi clan, the Kyoujin clan could also use the earth manipulation abilities. Although, compared to the rest, Daichi rarely used these abilities of his.

The reason for that was his superior physical capabilities could prevent most of the material and magical attacks out there. He simply never thought he would require his weaker abilities at this stage.

Daichi manipulated the concrete on the stage to create a large Warhammer.

The pain was immense, but he had a smile on his face as he endured it and stood. This smile was the sign that the battle was finally getting interesting.

Daichi pushed the ground with his left foot and charged straight at Razak.

Razak could use his shield or cocoon to block the incoming attack, but he didn't feel like it.

Looking at Daichi come at him like that encouraged Razak to face him head-on without holding back.

Razak used physical enhancement and rushed straight for Daichi. He was using the Arashi clan's wind manipulation abilities to boost his speed significantly. However, since the spell was invisible, and the area of effect had been fixed, it was almost impossible to notice.

He created a shadow shield and faced the Warhammer from the front, but right after the clash, he used his momentum to deflect the attack by moving to his side.

He then created a glass step and used it to turn around and kick Daichi on the area below his neck.

Daichi's own momentum worked against him, and the attack from Razak threw him off the stage.

"Ladies and gents! There you have it! The winner of this match is Razak Grace!"

With that announcement, a loud cheer echoed throughout the arena. The audience that was displeased about the first match being canceled was now entirely focused on the stage without even realizing it.