The Crystals

"Marium, this is a win-win situation for me as long as you give it your all. If I win, then I can show more of my performance. If I lose, that means I have shown my all which was my goal all along. Plus, I don't mind seeing you go higher. So, come at me with everything, Marium," said Zohaifa.

"Okay," said Marium, and got up. She took a deep breath. As he exhaled, her body glowed again.

'Light Velocity!' she used.

At an instant, she traveled from one corner of the platform to other. She dashed swiftly throughout the whole platform, letting Zohaifa lose track of her.

"Dammit, I can't target her to use the 'Lightning Punch,' she's too fast," said Zohaifa to himself.

Marium started to jab Zohaifa from all sides. Zohaifa didn't even know what hit him. All he could see was yellow light, which was traces left by Marium, dancing all around him while he got battered at different parts of his body. But before he could figure out where the trace leads to, it kept getting bigger.

"Woah! Are you sure that's just a seven years old kid? Look at her go," exclaimed an audience.

"What else do you expect from Lazuli's daughter?" replied another.

'Lightning shield!' used Zohaifa. Now all of Marium's attack was raining on the shield.

"Phew! That was painful," said Zohaifa.

"Hmm… It's the 'Lightning Shield' again," remarked Red-1, "But last time, you had friends, you can't count on them in the tournament. Will you just sit around to see whose stamina is drained first?"

Zohaifa started charging inside the 'Lightning Shield.' The lightning on the surface of the shield started to conduct upon it wildly causing Marium to stop her barrage. An annoying yet dangerous buzzing sound covered the arena. The shield glowed white cause of the lightning on it. A little bit of lightning crept along the floor of the platform which was supposed to be non-conductive. It wasn't enough to cause any shock.

"Wait a minute, what is he up to?�� asked Lazuli to herself with a bit of nervousness, "No way!"

"Lightning Pillars!" shouted Zohaifa.

Lightning emerged from the ground of the whole platform towards the sky like a volcanic eruption. The disuniformity in the amount of lightning throughout the platform made it look like there were several pillars of lightning. The arena reverberated with an extreme buzzing sound.

After a while when the move was over, people stared at the platform, waiting eagerly to know the consequence. The smoke that covered the platform was starting to clear. But Marium was not in the disheveled platform but rather in Lazuli's arms outside the platform.

"You fool! Marium could have died if she was hit by that move," shouted Lazuli.

"I-I am sorry. I didn't know that the move would be this dangerous. I only practiced it in the image world," Zohaifa replied with astonishment.

The organizer declared, "Since help from outside is forbidden, both Lazuli and Marium has been disqualified."

A smile emerged on IV's face. "Guess I will be able to fight my rival after all."

Zohaifa and Marium were taken to the participants' building to get healing Crystals while Hagan fixed the platform as usual.

"Zohaifa, make sure you don't fall into that lump. Once you get trapped, even if you get out, you find yourself outside the platform. So, try not to get caught. But I will still tell you what to do if you are trapped," Lazuli advised Zohaifa in the paticipants' building.

"Be careful of Zohaifa's 'Lightning Punch.' Here is what you will do if he uses it. I will tell you what to do when he uses the 'Lightning Shield' too," Luna advised IV.

"It's time for the next participants to go. IV and Zohaifa, please come forward," said one of the workers.

Zohaifa stood up with courage. IV had the same look in his eyes when he fought Flirtic.

Both of them walked side by side towards the platform. But the battle inside has already started. They felt the pressure of their enemy walking beside them. They were taken to the two sides of the platform, ready to blast upon each other.

Only waiting for the bell. The sky turned dark.