I opened a shop on the Astral Train
Chapter 121

Chapter 121 - 121

The third match of the Top 16 to Top 8: Clara vs. Luka!

"Clara? Could it be the Clara that I know?" Yuri said to himself.

It wasn't until he saw her step onto the stage that he confirmed it—this was indeed the Clara he knew.

But how? How had Clara made it to the Top 16?

The murmurs from the surrounding audience soon filled in the blanks for him. Clara had entered the tournament, and in a strange twist of fate, just as Luka had exited the arena, Clara had stepped in for her match.

"Contestant Luka! Contestant Luka! Please proceed to the stage immediately!"

Snapping back to reality, Luka took a deep breath and climbed onto the stage at the announcer's call.

He was at a loss. What was he supposed to do? He couldn't bring himself to fight Clara.

"Clara, listen. Just charge at me, land a few hits, and then I'll pretend to trip and fall. The competitors after this round are really strong—I don't want you getting hurt."

Clara simply smiled.

"No need, Luka!"

As she spoke, a transformation device appeared in her hand.

"Family Number Two, come out!"

In an instant, a suit of armor materialized and enveloped Clara.

Her gaze landed on Luka's fists—his preferred weapons.

In response, Clara removed the sword from her hand, planted it into the ground, and assumed a combat stance.

From the stands, Yanqing narrowed his eyes. This scene felt oddly familiar.

Clara lunged forward with a powerful kick. Luka braced himself, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Her kick connected, sending a shockwave through his arms. The sheer force launched Luka backward, his body skidding dangerously close to the edge of the arena. He barely managed to halt his momentum before he tumbled out of bounds.

Cold sweat ran down his back.

That strength... I might actually lose this.

Luka gritted his teeth and charged at Clara.

Clara saw it coming.

"Family Number Two, activate automatic defense mode."

The light on Family Number Two's chest flickered red.

"Automatic defense mode activated."

Luka unleashed a flurry of punches, one after another, rapid and relentless. But every strike was absorbed by the armor's defenses, nullified as if they were nothing.

A hundred punches later, Luka had yet to break through.

Gritting his teeth, he poured every last ounce of strength into one final punch.

"Ohhh!"

A burst of flames erupted upon impact.

But when the smoke cleared, Clara stood unharmed, Family Number Two still intact.

Her voice was soft but firm.

"I'm sorry, Brother Luka."

Yuri grinned, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Clara is so strong!"

Meanwhile, Kevin was slouched in his seat, arms crossed, an irritated scowl on his face.

"Can we talk about the real problem here?" he grumbled.

Firefly blinked. "The match?"

"No!" Kevin groaned. "The fact that the food stalls here take forever! I waited twenty minutes for a bowl of noodles, and when I finally got them, they were cold. Cold!"

Yuri chuckled. "Sounds like a skill issue."

Firefly smirked. "You could always bring your own rations. Problem solved."

Kevin shot her an incredulous look. "You think I walk around with emergency snacks? Do I look like some kind of food hoarder?"

Firefly raised an eyebrow. "You literally bought five extra tickets for the last food raffle."

Yuri nodded. "Yeah, I still remember the absolute meltdown you had when you didn't win the limited-edition baozi."

Kevin grumbled something unintelligible under his breath.

Welt, who happened to be passing by, interjected.

"Isn't the next prize in the lottery shop a new set of armor?"

Kevin's eyes widened as realization struck.

"Oh yeah! The next draw is for that Emperor Armor! I'm definitely getting more tickets. No way I'm missing this one."

Firefly chuckled. "I'll grab a few too. If I win, I'll let you have it, Kevin."

Kevin's grin widened. "Nice! Now my odds just got better!"

Firefly leaned back, smirking. "And if I don't win? I'll trade you for a warm meal. You'd better pray the service is faster next time."

Kevin groaned, throwing his hands in the air. "Unbelievable! You people are ruthless!"

Yuri laughed. "And you wouldn't have us any other way."

The fourth match of the Top 16 to Top 8 is here!

Seele vs. Keqing!

The clash of Shadow and Lightning!

Keqing strode forward, her Amethyst Lightning Sword humming with energy.

She wore her usual composed expression, though her eyes held the sharpness of someone who had no intention of underestimating her opponent.

Her violet hair swayed with each step, and arcs of electro energy sparked at her fingertips. She planted her feet firmly, exuding unwavering confidence.

"If I lose this...Ningguang won't let me hear the end of it..." Keqing muttered to herself.

Seele stepped into the arena with a quiet but undeniable intensity. Her dark indigo hair and fluttering butterfly-themed outfit gave her an almost ethereal appearance. In one moment, she seemed delicate, her crimson eyes peering through her bangs, but the next, her stance shifted—her scythe materializing in her grasp. The weight of her alternate persona, Veliona, loomed behind her like a shadow.

"You're the Queen of Lightning right..?" Seele said confidently.

"As they say." Keqing answered back.

"Please show me the power of the one who so arrogantly is known as such." Seele entered her battle stance.

"You'll be shocked at the results." Keqing retorted back to her.

The referee raised his hand and brought it down with force.

"Begin!"

In an instant, Keqing moved. She became a violet blur, dashing forward with blinding speed. Seele barely had time to react before Keqing's blade lashed out in a crackling arc. But Seele was no ordinary opponent—she vanished into the darkness, reappearing just in time to parry with her scythe, the clash sending sparks flying.

Seele countered with a sweeping strike, her weapon slicing through the air like a specter's whisper. Keqing twisted, her agility surpassing human limits as she flipped over the attack and retaliated with a downward slash, her blade crackling with electro energy. Seele phased out once more, reappearing behind Keqing, launching a shadowy burst of energy toward her.

The lightning wielder reacted instantly. She activated Stellar Restoration, throwing a Stiletto imbued with Electro straight into the ground. With a flicker, she teleported to it just in time to evade Seele's attack. Now above Seele, she drove her sword downward, forcing Seele to block with her scythe. The impact sent a shockwave across the battlefield.

Seele's crimson eyes flashed. Her aura darkened as she tapped into Veliona's power. Black energy surged around her, and suddenly, her speed doubled. She appeared beside Keqing, her scythe swinging in a deadly crescent. Keqing barely managed to block, the force sending her sliding backward.

Keqing's lips curled into a smirk. "Not bad."

She retaliated, her sword movements becoming a blur as she unleashed a flurry of electrified slashes. Seele matched her, moving between light and shadow, her form flickering with every strike. The arena exploded with bursts of violet and black energy as the two clashed at speeds the crowd could barely follow.

Then, Seele made her move. She feinted to the right before vanishing entirely. Keqing's eyes darted around—

"Too late," Seele's voice echoed.

From above, Seele descended, her scythe crackling with dark energy. Keqing barely had time to summon another Stiletto and teleport away, but even then, Seele's attack carved a deep gash into the stone floor, leaving a fissure where Keqing had stood moments before.

Keqing skidded to a halt and immediately retaliated with a barrage of electrified slashes, each one striking like lightning bolts. Seele weaved through them, her afterimages flickering as she dodged at impossible speeds. She lunged in, her scythe carving the air in a rapid flurry, forcing Keqing to deflect each strike in a flurry of sparks. The sound of metal clashing against metal filled the stadium.

Seele's speed surged again, shifting entirely into Veliona's power. Her strikes became heavier, her movements sharper, her aura suffocating. Keqing was pushed back, her feet grinding against the arena floor as she struggled to match the relentless onslaught.

Then, Seele broke through—her scythe grazed Keqing's arm, drawing a thin line of crimson. The crowd gasped. Keqing narrowed her eyes, refusing to falter. Instead, she exhaled sharply and summoned her electro-clones, four shimmering duplicates appearing around her. Each one mirrored her movements as she dashed forward in unison.

Seele's eyes flickered as she read the attack, her mind processing multiple enemies at once. Keqing's clones struck in sync, forcing Seele to parry each strike with frantic precision. One clone feinted an overhead slash, another thrust forward, and the real Keqing circled behind. Seele barely managed to block the real attack but left herself open for a counter.

Seizing the moment, Keqing summoned a massive lightning-infused Stiletto and hurled it downward. The impact sent an explosive wave of electricity across the battlefield. Seele barely dodged, but the sheer force knocked her off balance.

Keqing pressed the advantage, launching herself forward with a lightning-step technique. She swung her sword in a wide arc, sending a massive shockwave toward Seele. Seele raised her scythe just in time to absorb most of the force but was still thrown back several meters.

Gritting her teeth, Seele's form flickered as she disappeared into the void, reappearing behind Keqing mid-air. With a feral cry, she spun her scythe in a full circle, creating a vortex of dark energy that crashed down onto Keqing. The electro wielder grunted as she was forced to guard, the weight of the attack pressing her into the ground.

But Keqing was far from finished. With a sharp inhale, she activated her ultimate once more—Starward Sword. The sky darkened as electro swords rained down like a celestial storm. Seele countered by summoning the full might of Veliona's power, her scythe extending into a monstrous shadow-like blade.

They met in a cataclysmic finale—thunder and shadow colliding in an apocalyptic burst. The very ground beneath them shattered, and the energy backlash sent shockwaves rippling through the stadium. Spectators shielded their eyes as the light and darkness merged into an explosion of raw power.

And then—silence.

As the dust settled, the figures of Keqing and Seele stood, panting heavily. The referee, stunned by the sheer spectacle, took a moment before raising his hand.

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