Joe's Challange

Hearing Greg's calm voice, silence descended on the arena.

"Explain? Explain what?", asked the guy confusedly.

Chris stood up from William's body and asked Greg, "What do you mean, he should explain himself?"

"It's simple. Before William's attack, when I looked away, I saw him next to the platform, while his hand was shining lightly. Of course, I saw it for a moment, but I'm sure what I saw."

Chris hearing this, looked at the guy and asked sternly, "Adam. Is it true what just Greg said?"

Feeling that the situation was bad for him, Adam wanted to deny what Greg just said, however before he could say anything more, a voice sounded from behind him.

"He was and I have evidence to back it."

Everyone looked where the voice came from and they saw an elegant guy with black hair and smooth looking white skin walking down toward the platform slowly.

Greg looked at Joe and was a bit surprised. He knew him very well and Joe wasn't the type of guy who would join a ruckus just for fun. No, he only does things, if he feels that he has one hundred percent confidence that he will come out as a winner.

After Joe walked down, he stopped and with a smooth move, he threw a phone to Chris, "Here is the proof."

Chris caught the phone and looked at it. He saw as a video was opened on the front, so he clicked on the play button.

The video started when Greg started to stomp on the ground and nothing happened. However, when Greg looked up and asked a question, the camera zoomed into the background suddenly.

There, Adam was holding his hand on top of the platform, while a white light was swirling under his palm.

Seeing the video, Chris's face looked dark, and looked at Adam. But before he could say anything, Joe stepped forward and asked, "If I may, I would like to challenge Adam before the teacher gives him punishment."

Hearing this, everybody was surprised, even Greg and Chris too. But after thinking for a while, Chris nodded in the end.

"Sure. So will accept the challenge or surrender Adam?", asked Chris as he looked at Adam with a stern look.

Seeing that all the eyes were looking at him, Adam gulped down big saliva and nodded.

As Adam accepted the challenge, he and Joe walked up onto the platform, while Greg just stood at the side and looked confused.

"Why does Joe want to challenge Adam even after confirming that he was the one who cheated before?", thought Greg, while he looked at Joe's back.

Like always, Chris told the rules and raised his hand. When he said to fight, Adam's hands started to shine and a strange power appeared around him in a five meters proximity.

Joe just looked at Adam calmy and started to talk, "Your powers are from the limiting system. You can limit Guardian's power in a given area. With this power, it's not a surprise you could limit Greg's attack before."

Hearing this, Adam frowned and asked, "There's no point hiding it now, so yeah, I was the one who made Greg unable to use his attack, but so what? You just want to test me if it really was me?"

Joe looked the same as before and raised his hand, while talking, "No I didn't want to test you, because that wasn't why I challenged you."

"Then so why?", asked Adam as he felt something was wrong.

"It was because to show you just how weak you are with that power of yours."

In an instant, as he said this, a five meters wide black cloud appeared above Adam's head from out of nowhere.

Feeling the danger, he wanted to dodge, but it was already too late. In a blink of an eye, a bolt of huge lightning struck Adam's head, making him shudder in pain.

The attack was so powerful and quick, that Adam with his limiting ability, couldn't even reduce the lightning's power or speed even a bit.

"Aarrrggh!!"

A few seconds later, Adam fell to the ground like a rugged doll, while his skin was ash black and smoke was flying up from his body.

Even after the attack, small flashes of lightning popped up from his body from time to time, making his body twist in pain.

Joe without a word turned around and walked away.

People in the arena were shocked to the level of speechlessness.

Only one thing appeared in everyone's head.

"Do not provoke him."

Joe sat down next to Greg without a word. Greg after a bit of hesitation said, "Thank you for the help."

Joe just smiled and said with a laugh, "Friends always help each other in trouble. What you did for me before, this is the minimum I can do."

Hearing this, Greg just scratched his neck, while smiling.

The remaining of the fights after this went by without any further problems and finally, the first day of the PGF was finished.

'First Place: Greg Hyde, 6 points'

'Second Place: Dia Joseph, 3 points'

'Third Place: Emma Moore, 3 points'

After Joe's and Greg's fight, no one wanted to challenge them and because everyone fought once, both of them were in the top three.

As Greg and Joe came out of the arena, Joe started to talk.

"Hey, do you wanna go into the city?"

Greg, while he was stretching his body, looked up at Joe confusedly.

Joe just smiled and said, "In the city, they sell a device, which could be helpful for both of us. It's a great thing to help you with your ranking."

Hearing this, Greg stood up straight and after a small hesitation, he nodded and said, "Sure, let's see what that thing is. But if it's expensive, they can keep it. I don't have a lot of money."

Joe laughed and said, "About money, you don't need to worry. The basic part of this device is for free for everyone who has a Guardian."

Listening to this, Greg's eyes flashed with excitement, and started to walk toward the city.

"Let's go then! What are you waiting for there? Do you need an invitation or what?"

Hearing Greg's hurrying voice, Joe just smiled, shook his head, and started to walk toward him.

***

[In Dia Family's Mansion]

Joe's father was sitting on his sofa, while a man with a black coat covering his body was kneeling on the floor.

After a few seconds of silence, Joe's father started to talk.

"Interesting... A power that controls elements and all of this from a measly black Soul Stone. Maybe he is a hidden gem that no one found yet."

As he said this, he was hitting the desk with his fingers. A while later, he stood up and said calmly, "Go and find Scott. If you found him, tell him that he needs to come back as soon as possible. There's a new recruit, which is waiting for him."

"Yes, Master!"

With a bow, the kneeling man disappeared, leaving Joseph's father alone.

Seeing that he remained alone again, the man sat back down slowly and looked at a picture on the desk with proud eyes.

"It seems my family will rise yet again."