The arena erupted into cheers as the crowd awaited the combatants. Suddenly, a yellow thunderbolt illuminated the stadium, and Tiger emerged from the electrifying aura. His eyes gleamed with anticipation as he faced the opposite side of the ring.
The referee smirked, building the suspense. "NOW! For the opposing side, please welcome Relta Ganahi!"
A crimson zig-zag line materialized above the ring, crashing onto the stage in a blaze of glory. Relta Ganahi appeared, his long red hair flowing like a wild inferno. Red tattoos adorned his body, pulsating with an inner fire. His eyes sparkled with mischief as he grinned. "Sorry I'm late!"
Tiger's annoyance flared, but he sensed a danger emanating from Relta. His Arukyo Thunder style kicked in, surrounding him with a halo of electricity.
The referee whistled, and Relta's Arua wings burst forth, taking the shape of a majestic hawk mask. Tiger charged forward, unleashing a flurry of punches. Relta blocked each blow with ease, his smile never wavering.
With a swift motion, Relta shot a feather at Tiger, who narrowly avoided the attack. The feather exploded into a swarm of smaller projectiles, forcing Tiger to leap back. Relta seized the opportunity, flying towards Tiger with his Arua wings.
Tiger countered with his claws, slashing at Relta's leg. The attack shocked and stunned Relta, but only for a moment. Tiger seized the opening, delivering a thunderous punch to Relta's gut. Lightning crackled everywhere, striking the spectators and sending them into a frenzy.
A barrage of feathers shot out of the smoke and dust, forcing Tiger to dash backward. As the dust settled, Tiger spotted a deep wound on Relta's shoulder. "What the...?!" Tiger's eyes widened in awe.
Relta stood up, still smiling, despite the bleeding gut wound. He focused one of his Arua wings on the wound, and his regeneration ability kicked in. "Hmm, impressive. You knew about our regeneration, so you infused your Arua into my injury to slow it down."
Relta transformed his other wing into sharp, massive tentacles, reminiscent of Lexi's abilities. Tiger and Relta clashed, their movements lightning-fast. Tiger's superior speed allowed him to dodge the tentacles, but Relta refused to yield, his Arua fueling his determination.
Tiger swept Relta's legs, causing him to stumble. Seizing the opportunity, Tiger charged forward with another thunderous punch. Relta countered by pouring Arua into his chest, unleashing a maelstrom of tentacles that slashed Tiger's face and body.
Undeterred, Tiger landed another thunderous punch, sending both fighters flying in opposite directions. Relta pushed himself up, blood dripping from his forehead. His excitement boosted his Arua, and he shouted, "COME ON, TIGER! LET'S END THIS!!"
The hawk mask enveloped Relta's right arm as he charged forward, his massive Beast Claw at the ready. Yellow lightning surrounded Tiger, fueling his wild storm of Thunder. Tiger focused all his Arua into his fist and legs, lightning shooting upward as he took his charging stance.
The two fighters collided, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. Relta shouted, "BEAST CLAW!" as he closed the distance, but Tiger vanished, reappearing behind Relta. Tiger's ultimate Thunder punch obliterated the ring, sending lightning flaring wildly.
Sukurada appeared, containing the storm with a barrier. As the smoke cleared, Tiger stood victorious, his chest heaving with exhaustion. Relta lay defeated, his body battered but unbroken.
Tiger's gaze locked onto Relta, a hint of respect in his voice. "You weren't bad. You were a nice warm-up." The crowd erupted into cheers, their awe and amazement palpable. Tiger's eyes gleamed with a fierce inner light, his thirst for battle far from quenched.
End of chapter 18