The instructor silently lowered the flag in his hand.
Huo Jia glanced at her midsection, perplexed.
âThat blow... it definitely should have taken her down.â
She got back on her feet, but Jiang Qiuqiu knew it didnât mean she had a chance. The gap in their strength was simply too vast, so much so that she had lost all confidence in winning.
Her head was still throbbing, but she told herself, âItâs okay to loseâ
âbut I canât go down this pathetically!â
So, the moment she saw Huo Jia charge again, she quickly maneuvered her Mecha and started running around the competition stage. But running was futile. Huo Jia caught up to her in no time.
The spiritual pressure from her powerful opponent made Jiang Qiuqiuâs spiritual power spontaneously begin to boil.
Her fighting spirit ignited. âWeâre both in Mechas, both the same heightââ
So, just as Huo Jia caught up and was right in front of her, before he even had time to attack, Jiang Qiuqiu struck first.
Using her hand as a blade, she chopped directly at the joint connecting the Mechaâs head and torso. This was a pivot point and considered one of the Mechaâs weak spots. A solid hit there would stun even someone like Huo Jia for a few seconds.
Huo Jiaâs reaction was just as swift; he dodged instinctively.
Seeing her chance, Jiang Qiuqiu rallied and launched a new wave of attacks.
Chops, slashes, punches, and ramsâshe threw everything she had at Huo Jia. Her speed was incredible, and for a moment, it seemed like the momentum of the match was back in Jiang Qiuqiuâs hands.
At that moment, the scales of victory seemed to level out again.
Seeing this from the stands, Liu Tingting cheered, "Go, Qiuqiu, go!"
Hearing the cheer, a few other girls started shouting along as well.
But the arena was massive, and with only a few of them shouting, their voices were barely audible.
Jiang Qiuqiu charged at Huo Jia once more, but this time, he didnât dodge.
In the face of absolute power, everything else is just for show. Seeing Jiang Qiuqiu charge, Huo Jia took a two-step running start and launched himself forward to meet her head-on.
The Mechas were incredibly heavy, their momentum immense. It was impossible for either of them to stop on a dime.
Then, with a deafening CRASH, the two Mechas smashed into each other.
As expected, Huo Jiaâs Mecha stood firm, but Jiang Qiuqiuâs was sent flying back by the force of the impact, crashing violently to the ground.
Pain. The agony made her tremble uncontrollably.
The massive screens in the stands focused on her.
The shaking was so violent it was clearly visible even on the screens. But Jiang Qiuqiu didnât dare to wallow in the pain, because if she stopped, she knew it would be nearly impossible to get back up.
So she ignored the pain, gritted her teeth, and got back up.
Once she was standing, it seemed to get a bit better. She started running again.
Huo Jia was stunned.
âThatâs twice now. The force I used was clearly enough to take her down.â
âAnd sheâs started trembling. A Mecha only shakes like that when its pilotâs Spirit Sea is quaking.â
âBut she still hasnât lost.â
...
The falls were endless.
Because Huo Jia was just that strong.
Jiang Qiuqiu couldnât beat him, but she possessed an unyielding spirit. At first, her only goal was to hold on a little longer. But as the fight dragged on, she pushed past a certain breaking point. Every time she forced her aching body back to its feet, a strange sensation washed over her. It felt as if she had just brushed up against some kind of barrier.
And so, she kept going.
Two other matches nearby had already concluded. And here she wasâthe person who had been knocked flat in the first two and a half minutesâstill fighting almost 20 minutes later. In another ten minutes, the match would be over.
âMaybe... I can manage a draw?â
But the moment the thought flashed through her mind, Jiang Qiuqiu was slammed to the ground.
Huo Jia needed the victory, so he no longer gave Jiang Qiuqiu any time to react. Besides, he also felt... she had earned her rest.