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Chapter 54 - The Zombie
🕑 Added 2024-10-25 03:44:18 +0000 UTCKen advanced with two final attacks, each chopping one of Nico's arms. Even with armor protecting his arms, the cuts were clean, removing the Ranger's arms. However, the referee did not stop the fight.
"Mike, it's now! Finally," John commented.
"I always find this moment disgusting," Mike explained.
Still visibly injured, Nico retreated to the center of the arena. However, in the short period he evaded attacks, his wounds had already closed, and new bones began to form. A few seconds later, muscles started growing around his bones, and finally, his skin and blood returned to his new arms.
Mike's holographic image looked like he was about to throw up upon seeing the scene. The commentator turned his face away from the arena, trying not to hear the sounds of bones and muscles regenerating.
"Yeaaaaay!"
"The Zombie!"
The crowd of Nico's fans began to shout.
"Mike, breathe," John said to his colleague in the commentators' booth. "It's no wonder Nico is so fearsome."
"Yes. His call name during the Ninth Wave was 'The Zombie.' Unfortunately, to defeat him, you'd have to strike his heart or brain," Mike explained.
"But that's not easy at all since the Yellow Ranger was exhaustively trained in hand-to-hand combat," John added.
Ken aimed at Nico again; however, his strikes couldn't hit easily. Occasionally, they connected with parts of the Ranger, but with his accelerated regeneration, he recovered before any significant damage could be done.
"Damn!" the Red Ranger shouted upon seeing that Nico had already fully regenerated his arms. "You freak."
"Hey! You'll hurt my feelings," Nico replied. "If you don't mind, I'll finish the fight."
As Ken advanced to attack Nico, the Yellow Ranger didn't try to distance himself. Instead, he moved forward to meet the blades.
BOOM
It seemed the Yellow Ranger had stopped the blades with his arms, but as they separated, it was possible to see that Nico had used his Ranger Weapons. A tonfa had appeared on each of his arms.
With the new weapons in hand, Nico returned to the fight, exchanging blows as at the beginning. Both blocked and attacked rapidly, to the point that even the audience couldn't follow all the moves.
Oliver blinked and tried to absorb as much of the fight as possible; even so, there were several moments when he couldn't observe the moves. Even his [Left Eye of Learning] didn't seem to capture what was being used or learn from the fight.
‘Damn. It would've been great. Imagine if I learned some advanced technique,' the boy thought.
Seeing the fight was at a stalemate, Ken took the initiative and deactivated one of his swords, holding the remaining one with both hands. The energy that once enveloped the blade now extended well beyond its tip, and each of his attacks was even more powerful, pushing Nico back several meters even when blocked.
The Yellow Ranger paused his advance. Both watched each other intently, waiting to see the opponent's next move. Nico took a deep breath, preparing for his final attack.
His breathing was increasingly calm as he gathered all the energy from his Z Crystal and merged it with his own.
[Prometheus] Nico announced.
"John, it looks like he's getting serious. He's activated his main technique," Mike commented.
Flames made from Nico's energy began to envelop his entire body, leaving no space without golden flames. In areas with lighter armor, one could see his skin burning from the intense energy.
"I remember other Rangers using a similar technique in the past. Mainly, veterans from the first Waves used it when there was no way out," John explained to the audience. "However, it's perfect for Nico. His Accelerated Regeneration heals him while he's affected by [Prometheus]."
Ken braced himself; he knew the next blow could be the last of the fight. He narrowed his eyes, trying to analyze any movement from Nico.
[Prometheus Strike]
The Red Ranger saw Nico's accelerated movement approaching to attack him, but even so, his body didn't react quickly enough to defend. The punch's impact with the tonfa shattered his chest armor into small pieces.
Unlike Oliver, who could only execute one attack, the Yellow Ranger continued advancing, delivering fierce strikes one after another without giving Ken any space.
Each attack made it seem like the Red Ranger was just a puppet, tossed from one side of the arena to another.
DING DING DING
"Fight’s over! Betting closed!" The holographic referee reappeared.
At that moment, Nico was restrained from moving, causing the Red Ranger's body to be thrown against one of the walls and fall to the ground.
Ken was unconscious and had no remaining armor.
--
--
Due to his regeneration, Nico didn't need to go to the infirmary and was soon released. With his victory, a line of fans and haters formed near the exit.
Oliver was waiting for him to leave the Prep Room when they met.
"What did you think of the fight?" Nico asked with a smile.
"Fucking impressive. I'd seen a Ranger fight an Ork before, but a fight between two Rangers is on another level," the boy replied.
"Then that Ork must've been weak. You have no idea of the power of a high-level Ork. Today's fight would've been much tougher," the Yellow Ranger commented.
'It didn't seem weak,' Oliver thought, recalling his experience with an Ork.
Nico's armor had already been deactivated, and he was back in his black tie attire. They walked through the corridors in the back area of the Trial Tower.
"Alright. How do we get out of here with your army of fans?" the boy asked.
"There's a special elevator for competitors to use after the fight. It's in the less frequented corridors; not many know about it, but Tower veterans do," Nico explained while guiding him.
Upon seeing the elevator, Oliver noticed it was in the service area, likely only used by the Trial Tower organizers. Once inside, Nico quickly pressed for the first floor.
Oliver didn't know what to say. All that remained was to return to the Academy, but he didn't want his experience in the city to end. For the first time since losing his family, he'd found a place that welcomed him with open arms.
Not only had Nico been a true mentor, but the Tower, despite its illegality, had given him a sense of belonging.
"Before you head back, I want to celebrate our victory," Nico said. "You don't have to drink, but—"
"Sure, let's go," the boy agreed without hesitation. Oliver also wanted to celebrate the week's success.
--
--
They both dashed out through the main exit of the Tower before more fans or critics could find the Yellow Ranger.
The walk to the bar was quick; Oliver remembered taking the same route the day he arrived in Selene.
They heard the familiar debate of old men playing cards as they entered.
"Damn! You guys are crazy. It's obvious that CGI cards are fucking trash. The best ones are the hand-drawn originals."
"Did you see that someone in Europe found a Charizard? Apparently, it's no longer an extinct card."
"Impossible. It must be fake, maybe a reprint after the war started?"
While the old men argued, Oliver and Nico approached the bar.
"The usual!" Nico shouted to the barman.
"Only if you pay what you owe," the barman replied without looking up.
"Come on. What do you think I am? A freeloader?" Nico retorted.
"No, just someone who delays payments by decades," the barman shot back.
"Hey," Nico complained but didn't press further.
He tapped his gauntlet against the barman's.
Ting
As soon as the payment sound chimed, the barman slid a drink over to Nico.
Nico took a long sip. "Ah! So cold!"
Oliver watched as his mentor savored the drink.
"Ah! This is for our victory!" Nico raised the glass and took another sip.
"Nico—" the boy began hesitantly. "Thank you so much."
"No need to thank me, kid. It was the least I could do for Caine," he said, patting Oliver on the shoulder.
"No. You went above and beyond. You could've just introduced me to the Tower and left me to fend for myself," Oliver insisted.
"Even so, I managed to bet on you and make some good money," Nico replied.
"Accept the fucking gratitude. I know you'd make much more money fighting or betting on others than spending a week training an academy student," Oliver said firmly.
Nico smiled and nodded. "But you also helped me; you eased the ghosts I still have from the Ninth Wave."
Oliver waited for him to continue, but seeing that his mentor was avoiding the topic, he decided to be more direct.
"Is it because of your Infamy?" the boy asked.
"Yes," Nico replied.
"What happened in the Ninth Wave?"
