Chapter 7: Lightning vs. Shadows — The First Duel
The third phase of the Chip Test had ended.
Only 70 participants remained. But now, they were no longer allies — they were opponents.
A massive floating screen in the sky lit up with a calm, mechanical announcement:
> "Phase Four: One-on-One Elimination Matches Begin."
Sohan looked up, his jaw tight. The tension in the air was thick — like a storm was brewing. Next to him, Nose, Lamia, and Isha stood silently. No one said it out loud, but they were all wondering the same thing:
> "Who will I have to fight?"
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Ding!
The screen blinked and displayed the first match:
> [Match 1]
Rakib ⚡️ vs Dimas 🦇
Rakib raised an eyebrow. "Dimas? Who the hell is that?"
A boy stepped forward from the crowd — slender, pale, with deep black circles under his eyes. No smile. His entire body looked as though it was wrapped in a thin layer of shadow, and strange bat-like wings made of darkness flapped gently behind him.
"I am a servant of shadow," he whispered. "Those who walk in the light… I swallow whole."
Rakib snorted. "Creepy. Let's see how long your shadow lasts under my light."
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The ring formed instantly — a floating circular battlefield. Anyone knocked out of it would be eliminated.
The bell rang.
Fight start!
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Rakib raised his hands, and twin streams of glowing blue lightning charged in his palms.
"You really think shadows can handle light?"
Dimas remained calm. "Light only reaches… where the shadows let it."
He melted into the ground like liquid smoke.
Rakib's eyes widened. "Tch. Slippery freak."
Suddenly, Dimas appeared behind him. His cold breath brushed Rakib's ear.
> "You burn too much."
Rakib spun and fired — but the laser shot only passed through thin air. Dimas had vanished again.
---
Rakib began to sweat. "He's… not invisible. But his body's like mist."
A shadowy hand shot out from the ground and struck his chest. Rakib went flying, landing hard at the edge of the ring.
The other participants watched in silence. This wasn't just a fight of strength — it was strategy, adaptation.
Rakib slowly got up.
His mind flashed back to when he was a child — when he accidentally injured someone with his uncontrolled lasers.
> "I lose control sometimes… but not anymore."
His eyes sparked. His lasers flared up. Three beams shot out at once, tearing through nearby trees.
"I didn't come here to be afraid."
---
Dimas dodged easily. "You still burn blindly."
But suddenly, he noticed something.
> "The shadow under me… it's faint?"
Rakib grinned.
"I increased the light."
More and more intense energy began to swirl in his hands. The ring began to glow, blindingly bright.
Dimas, now fully visible, tried to melt again — but couldn't.
---
"You're done."
Rakib took a stance, his hands glowing with uncontrollable power.
> "Light Cannon — Burst Mode!"
A massive concentrated laser shot erupted forward like a beam of the sun.
Dimas didn't have time to phase out.
He was blown clear off the ring.
---
> "Winner: Rakib!"
Cheers erupted from the spectators.
Rakib fell to one knee, panting.
"You made one mistake, Dimas," he said quietly.
> "Shadows can hide… but light always finds the truth."
---
From afar, Sohan, Isha, and Lamia watched in silence.
Sohan gave a small smile.
> "He's finally learning to control it."
Nose nodded. "Yeah… But what if your name's next?"
Sohan looked back up at the screen.
---
> [Match 2]
Lamia 🕸️ vs Tushar ❄️
Lamia blinked. "Tushar? Sounds... cold."
From across the field, a white-haired boy stepped forward. His silver eyes were calm — but cold. Icy mist trailed behind his footsteps.
"I came to stop your momentum," he said.
Lamia stepped into the ring. Her hair slowly began to unravel — floating around her like sharp strands of wire, ready to strike.
No emotion on her face. No words.
Only focus.
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[End of Chapter 7]
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Next Chapter – Chapter 8: Frost vs. Steel
> In the next battle, Lamia faces Tushar — a user of ice who speaks through silence.
It will be a clash of patience, precision, and pressure.
And hidden in their exchange… is a connection neither of them knew existed.
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