Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix-Chapter 1100: Information is power
Rain disliked hearing advice that encouraged relying solely on weapons rather than using his own body. However, Sakaki's perspective made Rain acknowledge that using his body had its advantages but also came with a set of challenges.
Depending on physical abilities may limit Rain's defensive options. Weapons often provide a means of blocking or parrying incoming attacks, offering a more comprehensive defense. Relying solely on physical agility and skill might make it challenging to defend against certain types of attacks.
Engaging in close combat increases the risk of sustaining injuries. Unlike using weapons that allow for attacks from a safer distance, relying on physical abilities means Rain is in closer proximity to potential harm. This exposes him to a higher likelihood of sustaining injuries during confrontations. Even more so over time…
All in all, Rain didn't have to worry about a weapon breaking. Still, his body was also a weapon that could break. The technique that he had in mind was something beyond his current abilities… using magic would solve the problem, but it could be countered. Rain wanted his technique not to have such issues… something that would be beyond even the system since he couldn't make his own system yet.
In any case, in the next few days, much to Rain's surprise, he didn't have the chance to face anyone of his family and friends. Some of them fought each other, though. Liss lost to Roan, Asche lost to Terra, and Annie lost to Reca… those who rarely fought at close range didn't have many chances to begin with.
Still, it was surprising to see Reca winning against Annie since she was also used to fighting with a sword. Moreover, she didn't use any tricks or fancy techniques, and she just overpowered Annie… in a match that lasted half an hour and ended up with a bunch of broken bones.
Finally, on the tenth round of the tournament, Rain would have to face his father… in any other situation, Rain was supposed to hear things like Rain, I am your father, or come to the dark side. But that was the kind of thing Rain would say to his kids.
Only thirty-two participants were left, so the matches were starting to look even more impressive… that was the first time father and son were going to face each other, so the tension was high. At the same time, Rain expected to see Roan excited as well: Everyone wants to kick Rain's ass… that could be the name of a comedy series, but that was his life as well.
Still… Roan was completely calm, considering the situation. Once they realized their match was going to happen, Roan didn't say a single thing and just kept his mouth shut and his face completely free of emotions.
"I never thought that facing me would make Dad ponder so much," Rain said.
"He is just trying to show off by keeping his cool," Leiah said. "He feels conflicted feeling excited about facing you and also being your father at the same time. He wants to look cool in front of his kids, just like you."
"I don't want to look cool, I am," Rain said. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
"I know, I know," Leiah said. "That is the kind of thing he always says as well."
It seemed that Rain and his father had more things in common than he had expected, and that was a good thing. In any case, Roan wasn't receiving pieces of advice from anyone, so it would be hard to see what he was going to do.
"He is a swordsman to his core, so keeping things at a close range will be better for me," Rain thought. "Still, Dana was a mage before, and she caused me a fair deal of trouble… Dad should become even more hard to deal with."
Fortunately, the last three matches didn't push Rain that much, so he had recovered from the damage he had suffered… so he could use his incomplete technique again, but Roan should be waiting for that…
Rain's realization of his disadvantage became increasingly obvious as he approached the match against his father. While everyone in the tournament had access to information about Rain's fighting style, strengths, and weaknesses, Rain himself lacked detailed knowledge about his opponents. This information gap put him at a significant disadvantage.
In a competitive environment where participants were family and friends, it dawned on Rain that even his closest relatives might have developed hidden techniques or strategies to counter his usual fighting style. They knew him for decades, after all. His family members, including his father, could have been refining unique tactics in preparation for their matches against him.
The lack of information meant that Rain had to navigate the battles with an incomplete understanding of his opponents' capabilities.
This lack of knowledge created a challenging situation for Rain. His family members, who were familiar with his combat style, could potentially exploit his weaknesses and predict his moves. Moreover, a chance for a Dad to show his cool side to his son was a golden opportunity. It was also the chance to show who was the real alpha of the pack.
When the next day arrived, Rain woke up feeling pretty refreshed… after his usual morning routine. He headed to the arena, still unsure of what kind of strategy he should use against his father. Preparation was the key to success, but Rain truly had no idea what he should do…
"Welp, I guess I will cook something as I go," Rain thought. "This is also a pretty good way to learn and improve. From now on, the information that we will have about the enemies will be extremely limited, after all."
Rain vs Roan was the first match of the day, so soon they were called to face each other. Just like before, Roan still looked stone-faced… but soon, his expression changed when the start of the match was declared.
All of a sudden, Roan charged in… he used a version of Impulse that only required his physical strength but still made the entire ring tremble and then punched Rain's stomach, making him bend forward…
