Ragnarok: Alpha and Omega-Chapter 23 - 22: The Quarter Final Begins

The next day marked the continuation of our competition. So far, the opponents hadn't been particularly strong, and Jason and I had been winning round after round with ease. Each match felt more like a warm-up than a real fight.

Opponents fell one after another, their techniques barely worth mentioning. Before we knew it, a week had passed, and we had reached the quarterfinals (top 6 stage).

By now, the crowd no longer cheered for our opponents. They simply watched in stunned silence as we effortlessly claimed victory. The matches had been one-sided, but we knew that was about to change.

The quarterfinals (top 6 stage) were a different story. The remaining fighters were the true contenders—the ones worth paying attention to.

The six remaining teams consisted of:

Jason and me.

David and his teammate, Ren.

The ice wielder and the wolf beastkin.

The strange fighter and the axe user.

The necrotic touch user and the shadow manipulator.

The luck control user and the nightmare projection wielder.

This was where things would get interesting. Even the spectators weren't sure who to bet on anymore. The real battles were about to begin.

Quarterfinal Matchups Set

Jason and I were paired against David and Ren.

The ice wielder and the wolf beastkin faced the strange fighter and the axe user.

The necrotic touch and shadow manipulation users went up against the luck control and nightmare projection wielders.

From this point on, every fight would be a true test of skill. The easy rounds were over. Now, only the strong remained.

---

Our battle was against Nightspire, with David and his teammate Ren.

Ren's ability was invisibility—he could vanish at will, but there was a time limit to it. That meant we had to be careful. The moment the match started, the protective barrier around the arena activated. It was time to go all out.

Gripping my dagger, I dashed forward. Thanks to my training with the Red Phoenix Guild, I had grown stronger and faster. David hurled fireballs at me, but I could read his movements from his stance alone, allowing me to dodge them easily.

As I closed the distance, he lightly tapped his foot against the ground. In an instant, a stone pillar erupted beneath me, launching me into the air.

But I was prepared. I stabbed my dagger into the pillar, halting my ascent. From there, I used it as a foothold and launched myself toward him.

That was when he revealed another trick—plant magic.

Vines shot up from the ground, wrapping around my leg and suspending me in midair.

"Tch..." I gritted my teeth, struggling to break free.

Jason reacted instantly. A precise shot from him tore through the vines, freeing me. But now I was falling.

Thinking fast, I twisted my body and once again drove my dagger into the pillar, using it to slow my descent.

This battle was just getting started.

As I steadied myself on the stone pillar, David wasted no time. With a sharp motion, he thrust his hand forward, and the ground beneath me cracked apart. Chunks of rock flew upward, forcing me to jump to another foothold before I lost my balance.

Foll𝑜w current novℯls on ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm.

Jason fired another precise shot at David's feet, aiming to break his stance, but Ren flickered out of sight—his invisibility activating.

"He's gone!" Jason called out, immediately shifting his aim. He fired in different directions, trying to predict Ren's movement, but there was no sign of him.

I barely had time to react as David hurled a fireball at me. I kicked off the pillar, landing smoothly before closing the distance. My dagger slashed toward him, but he responded instantly, raising a wall of stone between us. My blade scraped against the rough surface, leaving a deep gouge but not breaking through.

Then I felt it—a shift in the air behind me.

Ren.

Without hesitation, I ducked. A dagger flashed just above my shoulder, slicing through the air where my throat had been.

I spun around and lashed out with my free hand. My knuckles met resistance—Ren's jaw. He flickered into view for a brief second, stumbling back before vanishing again.

"Annoying bastard," I muttered.

Jason reacted fast, firing a spread shot across the area. The bullets forced Ren to stay on the move, preventing him from setting up another sneak attack.

David, however, took advantage of the chaos. He slammed his hands together, and a sudden gust of wind howled through the battlefield. A moment later, Jason cursed as a vine shot up from the ground, coiling around his ankle and yanking him backward.

"Shit—!"

He fired a close-range shot, breaking free just before the vines could fully wrap around him. He rolled back to his feet, quickly adjusting his aim.

David wasn't done. The moment Jason broke free, David swept his arm forward, summoning a torrent of water that crashed toward me like a raging wave.

I had no choice but to leap aside. The water struck the ground where I'd been standing, leaving behind a deep groove.

Ren, still invisible, was somewhere nearby, waiting for another chance to strike.

David stood firm, his stance unwavering. He wasn't just throwing elements around—he was controlling the battlefield, forcing us to react on his terms.

Jason and I exchanged a quick glance.

Time to flip the script.

I charged forward, zigzagging to throw off David's aim while Jason fired at his feet to limit his movement. David tried to counter with another fireball, but this time, I was already too close.

My dagger slashed.

He barely dodged, stepping back, but that was exactly what I wanted.

Jason had already anticipated his movement.

A bullet whizzed through the air.

David's eyes widened as Jason's shot grazed his shoulder, forcing him off balance.

Now was my chance.

I lunged, aiming straight for his chest—

But just as my dagger was about to make contact, my wrist jerked unnaturally.

A chilling sensation crawled up my arm.

Ren.

Even though I couldn't see him, I felt his presence. He had grabbed me mid-strike, his grip like ice against my skin.

Ren's grip on my wrist was unnervingly strong, his invisibility making it impossible to track his exact movements. I gritted my teeth, twisting my body as I aimed a sharp elbow in his direction. It connected—barely—but it was enough to loosen his hold. I jumped back, scanning the area, but he had already disappeared again.

David, on the other hand, wasn't backing down. With a swift motion, he stomped the ground, sending a jagged wave of stone spikes toward Jason. Jason dodged the first few, but one caught him on the side, slicing through his shirt and sending a painful shock through the protective barrier. He staggered slightly, but his focus remained unshaken.

"Jason, cover me!" I shouted, knowing Ren would strike again soon.

"On it!" Jason growled, his eyes sharpening with determination.

David lunged forward, hurling a fireball at me while a gust of wind twisted behind it, increasing its speed. I barely managed to sidestep it when Ren struck again—his dagger flashing toward my ribs.

I twisted my body at the last second, but the blade still skimmed my side. A sharp, searing pain flared through the barrier, making me wince.

Jason, noticing my struggle, narrowed his eyes. He exhaled sharply before shifting his stance.

Then, it happened.

Weapon Mastery Mode—Activated.

A crimson glow flickered in his hands as his pistol dissolved into thin air, replaced by a sleek, futuristic-looking shotgun.

Boom!

The blast echoed through the battlefield. The impact from the shell sent David skidding backward, his barrier absorbing the hit, but the sheer force knocked the wind out of him.

Ren flickered into view for a moment, startled by the gunfire. That was all I needed.

I lunged at him, grabbing his wrist before he could vanish again. With a sharp yank, I slammed him into the ground, pressing my dagger against his throat.

"You're not going anywhere," I muttered, keeping him pinned.

Jason, now in full weapon mastery mode, switched weapons again—this time summoning a pair of dual revolvers. He spun them effortlessly, his eyes locking onto David.

David gritted his teeth, refusing to back down. He stomped the ground again, summoning another barrage of earth spikes, but Jason was faster.

Bang! Bang!

Each shot shattered the incoming projectiles before they could even reach him.

Jason closed the distance, swapping his revolvers for a combat knife in an instant. He dashed forward, slashing at David with relentless precision.

David tried to counter with a blast of wind, but Jason sidestepped it smoothly, cutting through his defenses like they were nothing.

A solid punch to the gut sent David stumbling. Before he could recover, Jason spun, delivering a brutal kick to his ribs. The protective barrier flared up, reflecting the pain straight into David's nerves.

David groaned, clutching his side. But his eyes were still burning with determination.

He refused to fall.

He glanced at Ren—his teammate, his friend. Ren was still pinned beneath me, struggling to break free.

That's when David made his decision.

With a desperate growl, he forced himself up, summoning all his strength. But Jason wasn't about to let him get a second wind.

Jason cracked his neck before shifting weapons again—this time summoning a massive warhammer.

David's eyes widened.

Jason didn't hesitate.

The hammer crashed into David's stomach, sending him flying across the battlefield. His protective shield flickered violently, the pain reverberating through his body. He coughed, his body trembling from the shock.

Before he could even process the impact, Jason was already in front of him again, his warhammer dissolving as he summoned a longsword.

A swift, brutal strike to the ribs.

A devastating kick to the leg.

A final, crushing blow to the back.

David gasped as his body finally gave in. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed.

Unconscious.

The battle was over.

Ren, still trapped beneath me, stopped struggling. His face twisted in frustration, but he knew it was over.

The crowd erupted into deafening cheers, the energy in the air electrifying.

Jason flicked his wrist, dismissing his weapon before looking down at David's unconscious form.

"That was for making me use my full weapon mastery," he muttered, shaking his head.

I finally released Ren, stepping back as he hurried to David's side. He clenched his fists but didn't say anything. He knew there was nothing he could do.

Jason and I turned toward the announcer.

"Duo God advances to the semifinals!"

We had won.