The Transmigrated Author

Chapter 63: That One Archer

[Pinnacle Academy, Stadium 1 - Arena A: Main Stage]

The hush over the arena felt unnatural, as the two competitors faced each other across the white expanse of the platform.

"Three!" roared the announcer, his voice carrying the weight of the moment. Jae Yoona, hair pulled into a neat ponytail and fingers resting lightly on the surface of her bow exuded an air of serene focus. Every part of her was stillness, an unsettling calm in the face of the storm to come.

"Two!" On the other end, a flicker of impatience warred with the cocky, hungry look in Bazz's eyes. His stance was loose, almost feral – fists wrapped in brutal-looking iron gauntlets.

"One!"

Then, like a dam breaking, the countdown reached zero, and the energy of the fight shifted. Not even the roaring cheers of the audience could pierce the bubble surrounding Jae and Bazz as they locked in.

Bazz roared, fueled by an almost childish excitement for raw combat. Each thunderous stride seemed to send vibrations through the very bedrock of the arena.

As Bazz charged, Jae seemed to sidestep with the casual grace of a dancer, always just out of reach of those powerful fists.

TAK!, TAK!, TAK!

Arrows rained through the air, forcing Bazz back on his heels.

"Hold still, dammit!"

Bazz roared, lunging again as another arrow whizzed past his face.

While his fists met space, reflecting blows from Jae's attacks hit true, her arrows were designed to slow and redirect rather than inflict major damage.

Each hit landed like a slap, forcing Bazz to alter his trajectory, breaking his relentless momentum and buying Jae precious moments to reposition.

This wasn't just speed. Bazz realized there was a pattern he couldn't crack, a strategy tangled into the timing of Jae's attacks.

His usual confidence flickered for a moment – was this...a trap? His gut urged him to continue his brute force assault, but that same gut had screamed victory against the infamous Shadow Writer – and how well had that turned out? Confusion replaced pure rage, a speck of doubt worming its way into his mind.

- How is this archer beating a bruiser like him?

- There's no way he should be getting outplayed like this...

- I put 1000 on Parley for that Bruiser he can't lose.

With multiple arrows shooting wide, striking seemingly into Bazz without a trace. An invisible rain of death unfolded as his every frustrated lunge and dodge played right into her hands.

No matter how much Bazz twisted and turned against the rain of arrows, He was still getting hit regardless.

Every charge seemed to end in emptiness, until a moment later, that emptiness became a sting at his back, a hit too precise for mere marksmanship.

He tried feinting, he tried changing stances–he even held perfectly still, waiting for her strike – and even that resulted in another shot appearing from nowhere, catching him on the shoulder.

The crowd now murmured in fascinated bewilderment as they struggled to track the arrows Jae had shot.

But with each successful hit, a growing horror gripped him. Those harmless deflections now became a harbinger of a much smarter, deadlier play.

TAK!, TAK!, TAK!

One, two, then three arrows seemed to vanish on impact, not with a puff of energy, but simply disappearing from view.

The invisible arrows suddenly snapped to reveal their purpose. In rapid succession, a shot erupted from beneath his right leg, throwing him off balance.

As he struggled to regain footing, an invisible arrow caught him square in his lower back, forcing him to stumble forward.

And with the precision of a conductor's final sweep of the baton, the third, final arrow reappeared– not from any side, but from above, slamming down between his shoulders with enough force to finally ground him.

With Bazz kneeling against his will, defeated. While he wasn't visibly injured, the look in his eyes told the real story.

It wasn't about brute force vs. Pure Archery any longer, but the realization that he never stood a chance.

It was a crushing knowledge, the defeat far deeper than any visible bruises. Jae bowed, acknowledging the crowd's baffled awe with a quiet, icy-calm nod.

"Thank you for the match." She spoke kindly and left the stage.

____________

Authors Notes:

- Jae's tactical prowess is number 1 in terms of analyzing an opponent during a battle.

- With each shot used with the ability Invulnerable Pursuit the strike is aimed to stop mana flow which explains why Bazz wasn't able to release proper attacks as Jae was able to stop the core structure of where mana is controlled.