Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix-Chapter 1125: Rising tension

Before long, Sealyn made her move, and then one of her afterimages charged. Rain raised his arms to block the punch, but soon he was hit in the stomach with a kick… Rain gasped for air as the pain confused his mind, but soon, he looked around and waited for the next attack.

"I can't sense her intentions… this isn't a fight to death, after all," Rain thought. "I am too used to sensing the bloodlust of my opponents."

Things would have been easier if Rain could use magic, he would be able to sense the vibrations on the ground instead and prevent those surprises, but he couldn't. Before long, another afterimage charged and attacked him with a sidekick. Rain didn't do anything aside from bracing himself for the attack… he readied himself, but he still wobbled to the side when he got hit in the face.

Rain soon opened his eyes and looked around, and he could see some holes in their formation… it looked like the afterimages could only exist for so long, Or maybe during the attacks, they would be forced to disappear for one reason or the other.

Before Rain could think a bit more, two after images charged at him, and he just raised his arms and braced himself… Rain felt his body screaming in pain as he got hit on both sides of his torso, and his ribs cracked even more. Pain radiated through Rain's entire body like a surge of electricity, sending shivers of agony through his core.

The crack of his ribs echoed in his ears, a clear reminder of the force that had struck him. Each breath became a challenge as the sharp, stabbing pain intensified with every moment. Every movement, no matter how small, sent waves of discomfort through his torso.

Rain's focus narrowed on the sharp pain emanating from his damaged ribs. The sensation was sharp and relentless as if each breath was a reminder of the structural integrity that had been compromised. The normal rhythm of his breathing became irregular, his chest feeling tight and constricted.

Despite the agony, Rain fought to maintain his composure. Gritting his teeth, he clenched his fists in an attempt to distract himself from the pain. Once charged with anticipation, the arena's atmosphere now seemed to echo with the echoes of Rain's physical effort.

Before long, Rain raised his head… if Sealyn could essentially attack with clones and more than one at once, he couldn't do much aside from bracing himself for the pain. If he defended his head and upper body, Sealyn could target his stomach and legs. If he tried to defend everything, he would suffer even more damage since his defenses would be weaker…

"Hahaha, you are quite something, Sealyn," Rain thought while grinning. "I have nothing left to teach you."

If the relics were around, they would say that Rain didn't teach much Sealyn, but he didn't have to worry about that. Regardless, Sealyn didn't follow up her attacks since she could tell that the kicks caused a lot of damage… she waited for Rain to yield, but he just raised his head with his grin. He wasn't done yet.

"He is as tough as nails…" Sealyn thought. "He isn't the legendary Raging Phoenix for a good reason… he won most battles in this tournament when he was also at a disadvantage."

Sealyn hesitated a bit on causing too much damage to her father… while she didn't show it that much, he respected him, and she didn't want to see him suffer that much. If he was that strong-willed, she could only hope that Esmeralda and Branden would stop the match before it got too late.

Soon, Sealyn sent to other afterimages to attack him… this time, Rain just took a deep breath and lowered his arms to the side as he tensed all of his muscles. In the next moment, Rain's head was pushed to the side, and his stomach trembled.

The impacts spread through the arena like the striking blows of powerful steel poles colliding. Each hit emitted a resounding thud that echoed in the ears of the spectators, causing an involuntary hiss from the crowd and making them flinch as well. The sound alone conveyed a sense of immense force, as if Rain were enduring the crushing weight of heavy attacks.

The audience winced at the imagined intensity of the impacts, feeling an almost visceral connection to the apparent pain Rain must be experiencing. It was as though the echoes carried the weight of each strike, creating an atmosphere of shared discomfort and empathy among the onlookers.

Yet, despite the clear evidence of the powerful onslaught, Rain remained an unwavering figure in the center of the ring. His stoic stance and refusal to yield sent a different message than the sounds of the impacts suggested. The marks on his body bore witness to the assault. Still, Rain's resilience and determination kept him firmly rooted in place.

"..." Rain took a deep breath as he fixed his stance.

Rain was wide open, but at the same time, his defenses were as thick as they had never been… using everything he had when it came to physical and mental strength to endure the attacks, he showed his true resilience.

"Woah… he is truly something," Jori said. "Both of them are. I don't think that I could fight on the same level against my kids… I also hope that they wouldn't beat me that badly as well."

"They aren't beating each other. They are fighting, idiot," Reca said while biting her nails. "There is no malice in it. Still, this shouldn't be pleasant for both of them. However, as fighters right now, they had to put aside their feelings as father and daughter. If they can do that, they will become even stronger."

Those two knew Rain and Sealyn for a while, so they could only imagine how those who were even closer to them would be feeling right now.