Counterfeit Hero

Chapter 530: Volume 6, Chapter 23, Afterimage

The tense atmosphere enveloped the entire gymnasium. Thousands of spectators involuntarily held their breath, their eyes fixed unblinkingly on the virtual light screen, afraid to blink and miss any classic moment of this thrilling showdown.

Although all the students here had the identity of soldiers, most of them had never truly experienced the fire and blood of the front-line battlefield. For them, this kind of confrontation was already the highest level of combat they had ever seen up close.

When the red Mecha controlled by Thomas appeared on the virtual screen, the entire audience erupted in thunderous applause.

A direct collision between a Level 3 Mecha Knight from Free Port and a mysterious expert was about to spark dazzling fireworks, and just the thought of it made one’s heart race.

Following the general etiquette of Mecha Fighting in Free Port, the red Mecha bowed slightly, then separated its legs slightly, one arm raised high and the other low, standing still.

As soon as the red Mecha’s stance was displayed, several gasps could be heard. Even if they hadn’t eaten pork, they’ve seen pigs walk. Some students who regularly flipped through unofficial Mecha Fighting magazines immediately recognized that the red Mecha was posing the starting gesture of the Phantom Stream’s nine paths Ghost Shadow Attack.

Ghost Shadow Attack is a Level 1 Skill of the Phantom Stream. In the unofficial Mecha Fighting world, it is praised as ”like a ghost hovering, like thunder roaring.” These eight words not only accurately and concisely point out the leg’s yin and the fist’s rigid characteristics of this attack technique but also indirectly highlight the power of this technique.

Once the Ghost Shadow Attack is unfolded, the advancing route of the feet is elusive, uncanny, and difficult to defend against. On the contrary, its fists are open and fierce. In battle, the opponent is often dizzy from the Phantom Stream Knights’ bizarre movements. Once a flaw is exposed, a thunderbolt strike is inevitable.

Therefore, this technique is regarded as one of the representative techniques of the Phantom Stream. The well-known Jumping Through is one of the paths in this set of techniques.

Thomas has immersed himself in this technique for nearly ten years. It is also the highest technique he can master given his current status as a Griffin Knight. Focus and diligence, along with his naturally high hand speed, have allowed him to genuinely grasp the essence of Ghost Shadow Entanglement and Iron Fist Break.

At this moment, Thomas’s starting gesture had already drawn cheers akin to a landslide.

Naturally, the cheers came from students of the Capital First Military Academy, each with different mindsets. Some were excited to see the original technique of Jumping Through, which they themselves practiced, while others simply wanted to boost their own morale and diminish the opponent’s prestige.

Although their mindsets varied, their anticipation for the upcoming battle was identical. In the eyes of these students, this was definitely a duel that would open their eyes and be truly spectacular.

With Thomas’s starting gesture, time ticked by second by second.

Both Mechas remained motionless. On the virtual screen at the center of the gymnasium, the red Mecha still stood firm, while the blue Mecha hadn’t moved at all since the beginning. Its controller seemed to have fallen asleep!

The gymnasium was silent, everyone waiting for the red Mecha, which had posed its starting gesture, to launch a shocking strike.

After a long time, just as everyone was exchanging glances and beginning to feel impatient, Cosmo, watching from the sidelines, suddenly moved his right index finger slightly. At the same moment, Thomas’s red Mecha pulled out a Phantom and suddenly lunged toward the blue Mecha.

Ghost Shadow Entanglement. Thomas’s charge wasn’t straight. The Mecha continuously changed direction during the rush, too quickly for the eyes to follow.

Everyone’s hearts raced as the red Mecha launched, soaring with excitement. Too fast and too brilliant. The red Mecha lunging at the opponent was like an indistinguishable trajectory, encircling like a silk thread, as if the next second it would firmly bind the blue Mecha.

A wave of exclamations swept across, and in just an instant, the red Mecha had reached the blue Mecha.

Right foot grounded, stepping and charging punch.

The red Mecha’s iron fist rushed towards the still-stagnant blue Mecha cockpit with unmatchable speed. Watching this, many impatient spectators had already stood up.

What the audience didn’t know was that Thomas’s frontal stepping punch was merely a feint. When forced into retreat, the red Mecha would step forward, twist, and arc around to strike the opponent’s rear. Only then would it be the real thunderbolt strike!

Only Cosmo knew this. At this moment, he couldn’t help but show a approving smile. In his view, this Ghost Shadow Entanglement had truly reached Thomas’s peak operation, with the entire movement fluid and perfect.

Soon, Cosmo’s smile froze.

Because the blue Mecha moved too. Facing Thomas’s attack, it didn’t retreat but took two seemingly flowering steps forward. These steps, as swift as lightning, not only dodged Thomas’s attack but also struck Cosmo’s heart like a bolt of thunder.

”Well done!” In the gymnasium, Gallipalan College students jumped up and cheered. In their view, the blue Mecha dodging the red Mecha’s attack at the critical moment was already spectacular enough.

The opponent’s action clearly surprised Thomas. Cosmo noticed that on the screen, the red Mecha’s movements showed a brief pause.

Fortunately, Thomas didn’t let Cosmo worry for long. With his rich combat experience, he quickly regained his composure after a brief moment of shock. His right hand swiftly tapped controls, forcing the mecha to turn around, using a twisting step technique to initiate a curved charge...

Thomas had already mastered the nine-line technique of Ghost Shadow Attack to perfection. He didn’t believe that anyone could calmly escape after he closed in on them.

Thomas epitomized the characteristics of the Phantom Stream. The transition between directional changes and curved charges of the mecha was seamless. His movement techniques were as fluid and aesthetically pleasing as flowing water. The red mecha seemed to split into three instantly, with afterimages drifting like a dream.

This was the essence of Phantom Stream, creating a hundred shadows from one, indistinguishable from the real.

Seeing a mecha produce clear visual afterimages due to high-speed movements thrilled all the cadets. Although they had witnessed even faster mecha charges in online videos or in ”Sky-Filling Fire,” pulling off such visually resonant afterimages within such a small radius with effortless grace was a first.

The sound of cheers thundered through the gymnasium.

But soon, the cadets from Capital First Military Academy fell silent. They could hardly believe their eyes—almost at the same moment the red mecha created afterimages, the blue mecha executed the same turning and curved charge technique...

The exact same moves and steps, but the blue mecha’s spinning and running radius was smaller, producing four afterimages!

Shock, confusion, blank stares, admiration. All these expressions appeared on the faces of Capital First Military Academy cadets amidst the cheering from Gallipalan College.

Sensing the threat from the blue mecha, the red mecha on the screen accelerated again, increasing its afterimages to four as well. The two mechas, one chasing and one fleeing, sketched circles at high speeds, creating a spectacular sight of eight overlapping mecha shadows in a tiny space.

Just as everyone was awestruck and exhilarated by everything appearing on the virtual display, something even more astonishing happened. The blue mecha seemed to casually shiver, and two more afterimages appeared on the screen.

”Wow!” This time, no one could stay calm. The first to leap up was Cosmo!

In an instant, the red and blue mechas merged into two dazzling whirlwinds, mesmerizing over a thousand cadets from both colleges. No one could tell whether the red mecha was pursuing the blue mecha or vice versa.

Throughout the match, neither mecha exchanged a punch or kick, yet this match was undoubtedly more thrilling than the first.

Who would win, who would lose? Everyone was speculating and awaiting the final outcome.

Their wait didn’t last long. A minute later, they got their answer.

When the blue mecha frantically jumped out of the spiraling circle and created dozens of afterimages across the entire map with its movements, Thomas acknowledged defeat.

Incredulous!

Even when the system declared the winner, everyone present was still in disbelief.

Everyone knew that movement techniques were the foundation of the Phantom Stream. Many movement control standards in military mecha regulations were based on Phantom Stream techniques. In this regard, Phantom Stream knights were top-tier experts. But for a Phantom Stream knight to lose in their strongest area of movement techniques to someone else—how was this possible? It was more absurd than a rabbit losing a race to a tortoise.

Amidst the uproar, Thomas walked out of the simulation cabin.

There seemed to be no expressions of shame or embarrassment on his face. He just walked up to Cosmo and quietly exchanged a few words.

Cosmo stood up.

This Level 1 Mecha Knight had always been the focus of the entire venue’s attention. Under the bewildered gazes of everyone and amidst the gradually quieting commotion, he and Thomas walked side-by-side to the simulation cabin door of Gallipalan College.

Bowing with hands on their chests, these Mecha Knights performed the master’s salute.

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