The Transmigrated Author

[Pinnacle Academy, Stadium 1 - Arena A: Main Stage]

Pain exploded as the lightning slammed into his bare palm.

It seared through his arm, threatening to overwhelm his senses.

Rel's vision blurred, every nerve aflame. Regardless, within the agony, he sensed a momentary lapse in the attack's flow.

A scream of defiance ripped from his throat as he countered.

The black energy pulsed, straining against the electrical fury.

A burning shockwave radiated outwards, two forces locked in brutal combat.

...

...

[Parry Successful!]

[Attack returning to the opponent!]

...

...

Finally, Rel Laurence deflected the lightning with a desperate surge of will.

SHAAAAAA!

The beam raced back towards Valencia, a streak of pure energy bearing the imprint of her own power.

"...!"

A flicker of shock crossed her face – why had it paused in mid-air for those crucial seconds? With no time to evade, she raised her sword, bracing for the impact.

BANG!

The impact sent tremors through her arms. The raw electricity surged and sparked, scorching her skin where it made contact.

tch...

Her teeth gritted in a silent battle as she desperately struggled to alter its course, to send the weaponized energy arcing away.

SHING!

A strained breath escaped her lips as she managed to deflect it upwards, a crackling bolt that exploded harmlessly into the air, a scattering of deadly fireworks in the daytime sky.

huuu...haah...

Even as Valencia panted, eyes locked on her opponent, she was surprised to see his current state.

Rel stood before her, drained.

He was swaying slightly, his body full of bruises and shallow cuts, sweat dripping down his face.

"Okay..." he whispered, the words ragged. "It's fine. I'll get through it."

DASH!

Valencia charged once more, her blade enveloped in her elemental attribute of lightning.

Hup!

She leapt into the air, poised to deliver a devastating strike.

But Rel reacted with surprising speed.

[Ability: Quick Shot [Grade: 9] - Has been activated!]

Though his vision was affected slightly thanks to the effects of [Clockwork of Time], he yanked his bow free and unleashed an arrow with [Quick Shot].

TAK!

The arrow hissed through the air, aimed at Valencia's exposed wrist.

...

It struck, not a clean hit, but a glancing blow that tore through the fabric and scraped across her skin.

The shock of unexpected pain forced her trajectory to shift slightly.

SLASH!!!

With a desperate lunge, Rel dodged her follow-up strike.

Her lightning-charged sword slashed downwards, and the energy surged forth, a crackling bolt aimed squarely at Rel.

It carved a shallow crack into the platform beneath, diverging outwards throughout the entire stone floor.

shhh....

His heart pounding, Rel watched the smoke curl from the devastated stone.

"What have I gotten myself into..." he sighed, taking a shaky breath, willing his body to settle.

haah... DASH!

A sigh escaped Rel's lips before he was in motion.

TAKK!, TAKK!, TAKK!

He charged towards Valencia, firing ten arrows in rapid succession with [Quick Shot].

Even as she effortlessly erased the volley with a single sweep of her lightning-charged sword, he knew well that her electrical defence was gone.

He saw it in his arrow that had scraped her during the attack...

Rel admitted her amplified zone was impressive, but ultimately, its offensive power depended on successfully landing strikes against the user – a trick he wouldn't fall for.

That first rain of arrows, the one she'd obliterated, had been nothing more than a calculated act.

TAK!

Pulling another arrow from his quiver, he fired it past Valencia.

In the chaos of the moment, it seemed like a wasted shot, but his right hand moved seemingly out of sync, subtly guiding the arrow's path.

When Valencia charged, unleashing another devastating lightning strike, Rel moved aside, his [Evasiveness] passive once again saving his skin.

Valencia was relentless, but she hadn't learned her lesson yet.

He was more than a simple archer.

KAK!!!

Valencia stumbled forward, the force of the arrow at her back propelled her directly into the hands of Rel.

"...!"

The arrow Rel had shot earlier was re-directed towards her.

A gasp of surprise tore from her lips as she faltered.

Before she could recover, Rel was ready.

He activated [Vulnerability Reader] with a grim determination.

Sparks of light shined around her abdomen, revealing a slight vulnerability within Valencia's body.

He clenched his fist, knowing he was about to inflict pain that mirrored his own.

"This hurts..." he muttered, and then he struck.

BANG!!

His fist slammed into her stomach with force.

[Critical Hit!]

Black lightning flowed out of his fists, a physical manifestation of his critical hit.

Valencia's sword clattered to the ground as she doubled over.

COUGH!, COUGH!

Her cough spattered blood on the platform.

Valencia's eyes, filled with a mixture of pain and frustration, were locked with his.

But through it all, her resolve remained unbroken.

"I need to finish this," she gritted out through clenched teeth.

She rushed forward, aura surrounding her hands.

Her fallen sword lay forgotten.

She knew it was time to fight weaponless.

***

[Pinnacle Academy, Stadium 1 - Arena A: Student Section Stands]

The student section erupted in a cacophony of cheers and gasps.

Camila and Lyra clung to each other, faces pale. "I can't watch!" Lyra whimpered.

Tears streamed down her face as she saw Valencia stumble backward, coughing up blood after a brutal blow from Rel.

Jan tried to sound reassuring.

"Relax, it's not a real fight. Nobody's going to die."

But his voice lacked conviction.

Rel's relentless assault was pushing Valencia further than anyone had before.

Had he stumbled onto a way to defeat the Sword Saint?

Turning to Bazz, Jan saw a flicker of unease cross the usually loud mouth's face.

"What's wrong?"

Bazz's gaze was fixed on the arena floor.

"That attack from Rel earlier..." His voice was hesitant. "Don't get mad, but did it look... familiar?"

Puzzled, Jan stared at him. "Familiar how? It's the first time I've seen an archer do that."

Bazz shook his head.

"No, not like that. There was something else... I can't put my finger on it."

"You always overthink things," Jan said with a nervous laugh.

"Maybe," Bazz muttered, but the doubt remainedin his eyes.

_____________________

Has he remembered the fight between him and Shadow Writer?!

_____________________

Authors Notes:

- Back to the early rain of arrows, Rel created earlier he originally never thought of being able to suspend the arrows in the air. He thought of it like putting a 'computer to sleep' the idea of it and the principle sounded absurd but he knew as long as his mind was focused on an 'action' precision control would always work as long as his mind was running.

- Standard abilities consume less mana due to their simple functions when used.

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