Leveling Up With My Dragon System

Chapter 67 Tricks

"I'm not here to play games," Kai growled, his eyes locked on the enemy leader. The dragon within him was ready to unleash its full fury.

Bard smirked, his green node pulsing with life. "Very well," he said, he was a magic node bearer with his specialization in plants and nature, unlike Frode. The ground around him began to shake as trees grew from the concrete, their branches twisting into a cage around Kai. The vines grew thicker and denser, trapping him.

Kai's eyes widened, but his fear was quickly replaced with determination. He focused his dragon fire into a concentrated beam, slicing through the vines with surprising ease. He knew he had to act fast before Bard could come up with another plan. He lunged forward, his flaming fists ready to strike.

Bard was quicker, though. He raised his hands and a thicket of thorny vines shot out at Kai, aiming to ensnare him again. However, Kai had learned from the last encounter. He leaped into the air, using his dragon's agility to dodge the incoming barrage. As he soared, he aimed and released a volley of fireballs, setting the vegetation ablaze.

Landing gracefully amidst the flaming chaos, Kai found himself face-to-face with Bard once more. The green-node recruit's eyes glowed with the power of the earth, his body surrounded by a whirlwind of leaves and twigs. He had drawn power from the city's plants to bolster his defense.

"Your fire won't work on me," Bard taunted, his voice filled with confidence. "My power is the very essence of nature itself!"

Kai's eyes narrowed, his dragon instincts flaring. He knew he couldn't win with brute force alone. He had to think smarter and use his opponent's strength against him. He took a deep breath, focusing his energy. The ground beneath them began to crack and split, the concrete giving way to the fiery heat of Kai's dragon node.

"What are you doing?" Bard yelled, his eyes widening as the ground shifted.

"I'm bringing the essence of fire to your nature," Kai responded, a fierce grin playing across his face.

Bard stumbled, his control over the vegetation faltering as the flaming fissures grew closer. The plants around him began to wither and die, their life force drained by the intense heat. Kai saw his chance and pounced, his dragon's breath searing the air as he unleashed a torrent of fire directly at Bard. The green-node leader tried to shield himself with a wall of vines, but the flames were too much, too intense.

The crowd of recruits watched in awe as the two leaders clashed, their elemental powers intertwining in a dance of destruction. Frode's illusions painted the sky with a tapestry of light, confusing the enemy and buying Kai precious seconds. Ingrid's sonic waves crashed into the battleground, knocking Team 10 recruits off their feet, while Annika and Erik held their ground, fending off attackers with their unique skills.

Bard's vine wall crumpled under the weight of Kai's dragon fire, leaving him exposed to the relentless inferno. His clothes were singed, and his skin burned, but his green node continued to pulse, drawing life from the scorched earth. With a roar of defiance, Bard grew to a monstrous size, his body now a mass of twisting vines and thorns.

The arena's energy spiked as the audience watched the battle unfold. The other recruits had paused in their fights, drawn to the epic showdown between the two leaders. Colonel Skai's eyes gleamed with a mix of excitement and concern as he observed the battle through the monitors.

Kai's dragon fire raged on, but Bard's green node had transformed him into a creature of resilience. The vines and thorns grew thicker, and more aggressive, lashing out at Kai with a newfound ferocity. Each time Kai thought he had an opening, Bard would adapt, using the very earth beneath them as a weapon.

But Kai wasn't going to give up. His eyes searched the battleground for anything that could give him an advantage. He noticed the charred remains of a streetlamp nearby, its metal frame twisted and glowing red-hot from the flames. An idea sparked in his mind.

He sprinted towards the lamp, dodging the snapping vines that sought to ensnare him. With a mighty roar, he grabbed the metal frame and ripped it from its foundation. The molten metal burned his skin, but the pain fueled his determination. He spun around the fiery streetlamp now a makeshift weapon, and charged at Bard.

Bard's eyes narrowed, sensing the shift in the tide of battle. He tried to raise another barrier of vegetation, but it was too late. Kai slammed the red-hot metal into the ground, creating a shockwave of heat that vaporized the plants around them. The vines that made up Bard's monstrous form began to shrivel and retreat.

"You're just a beast," Bard spat, his voice strained with pain and anger.

"And you're just a weed," Kai retorted, his dragon's fire burning brighter.

Bard roared in fury, his plant form growing even larger as he charged towards Kai. The arena floor trembled beneath their feet as the two clashed, the sound of metal on vegetation echoing through the air. The heat from Kai's makeshift weapon was intense, causing the vines to hiss and crack as they made contact.

Kai swung the streetlamp with the might of a dragon, each hit sending shockwaves through Bard's plant form. The smell of burning wood and scorched earth filled the air as the two leaders danced a fiery ballet of power and strategy. Each blow brought Bard closer to his breaking point, but the green-node bearer was relentless, his vines stretching and snaking around Kai in an attempt to restrain him.

The arena's atmosphere grew thick with tension as recruits from both teams watched, holding their breaths. The scoreboards had gone silent, all eyes on the battle unfolding before them. Even Colonel Skai had stepped closer to the screen, his expression a mix of admiration and worry.

Kai felt the weight of the moment, his muscles burning with the exertion of his dragon node. Sweat dripped from his forehead, sizzling as it fell onto the hot metal. He knew he had to end this now. Summoning every ounce of strength and skill he had honed, Kai spun the streetlamp in a wide arc, the blazing metal leaving a fiery trail in its wake.

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Bard's plant form grew erratic, the vines and thorns flailing wildly as they tried to counter the onslaught. The recruits watched as Kai's weapon sliced through the dense foliage, leaving a clear path to the green-node bearer. With a final, desperate move, Bard sent a barrage of vines shooting toward Kai, aiming to pin him down once and for all.

Kai's instincts took over. He leaped into the air, the streetlamp a fiery arc above his head. At the peak of his jump, he brought the weapon down with the precision of a dragon's tail, cleaving through the vines and striking Bard directly in his core. The impact resonated through the arena, the ground trembling as the green node bearer's body shuddered.

The vines retreated, unraveling from the scorched earth as Bard staggered back, his human form restored but his clothes in tatters. His green node pulsed weakly, the power of nature visibly waning. Kai knew the fight was almost over. He landed lightly on the ground, the metal streetlamp now a mere twisted skeleton of its former self.

"It's time to end this," Kai said, his voice low and firm.

Bard, his plant armor now a mere memory, glared at Kai, his fists clenched at his sides. "You think you can beat the power of nature?"

Kai's eyes never left Bard's, his node pulsing with energy. "Nature has no king," he said calmly, "only balance." He raised his hands, palms outstretched, and summoned twin jets of fire.

The air grew hotter as the flames danced around his fingertips, swirling into a pair of fiery orbs. He took a deep breath, his dragon instincts guiding his actions. He knew Bard was strong, but he also knew that no node was invincible. The key was to find the weakness and exploit it.

With a flick of his wrists, Kai sent the orbs hurtling towards Bard. The green-node bearer's eyes widened in surprise, but his reflexes were too slow. The flames engulfed him, turning his once-mighty form into a human-shaped bonfire. The crowd gasped as Bard stumbled back, his skin seared and his node pulsing erratically.

Bard roared in pain and anger, his plant powers attempting to dampen the fire. But the dragon's fire was too intense, too primal. It consumed the vines and leaves, burning through to the core of Bard's very essence. Kai watched, his node singing in triumph, as Bard fell to his knees.

"Surrender," Kai called out, his voice resonating with the power of his dragon. "Your strength is admirable, but you must know when to yield."

Bard, his body smoldering, looked up with a fiery gaze. "Never," he growled, pushing himself back to his feet with a grim determination.

Kai's eyes narrowed, his dragon instincts recognizing the challenge. He knew that the battle wasn't over yet and that Bard had one last trick up his sleeve. The air grew thick with anticipation as the two locked gazes, each waiting for the other to make a move.