https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-580-Slaying-Evil-Pacifying-Spirits-with-a-Single-Sword-/13025781/
Chapter 581: Feint or Not, Feint!
Chapter 581: Feint or Not, Feint!
Without hesitation, Jinghe recalled the Crimson Blade Phantom and reached for the gently swaying Poke Ball at his waist, releasing the Giant Forger.
"It's your turn, Giant Forger!"
"Chaaa!"
A red light flashed, and the Giant Forger, wielding an enormous hammer, instantly appeared in the arena.
Facing Lucario, who was leaning on its bone club, the Giant Forger grinned, revealing a set of pearly white teeth.
In truth, if it weren't for the Crimson Blade Phantom's eagerness to battle Lucario, the Giant Forger would have been chomping at the bit.
It wasn't about sharing the same Steel-type Pokemon status.
To be honest, Lucario, being both a Steel and Fighting-type Pokemon, had so little metal on its body that it wouldn't even be enough to fill the Giant Forger's tooth gaps.
The reason the Giant Forger also wanted to battle Lucario was that when it first started learning to fight with a hammer, Lucario had taught it a great deal.
Now, it was time to test the Giant Forger's growth over this period!
"Lucario!"
Seeing the Giant Forger, Lucario nodded slightly, still holding its bone club with both hands.
Clearly, Lucario's thoughts were similar to those of the Giant Forger.
Let's see how you handle this attack.
"Cha!"
Upon seeing Lucario's 'show-off' pose, the Giant Forger's grin widened. Holding the hammer's handle with one hand, it mimicked Lucario's stance and gently placed the hammerhead on the ground.
Boom!!
In an instant, the ground beneath the Giant Forger's feet caved in, and the moment the hammerhead touched the ground, countless fine cracks appeared, sending up a cloud of dust.
Seeing the commotion caused by the hammer, a bead of sweat formed on Lucario's forehead.
"Lucario!"
No, although it already knew the Giant Forger's hammer was heavy, it seemed a bit too heavy now, didn't it?
Could such a weapon really be wielded by that small creature with its tiny arms and legs?
If Jinghe knew what Lucario was thinking, he would calmly inform it that the small creature wasn't the Giant Forger; the hammer was the true body!
"Don't show off, Giant Forger! Strike with your palm!"
Despite Lucario's weakened state, the buffs it had were still in effect, and mishandling them could be troublesome.
Jinghe had considered using Gengue to 'steal' Lucario's buffs, but with Lucario's unwavering determination and powerful Aura, success wasn't guaranteed.
Additionally, with the Giant Forger's eagerness to fight, Jinghe ultimately chose it.
"Cha!"
Hearing Jinghe's words, the Giant Forger's expression immediately turned serious.
It swung the hammer with incredible speed, sending it crashing down.
The massive hammer, in the hands of the Giant Forger, seemed like a mere twig, but the sound of it tearing through the air indicated its exaggerated weight.
"Lucario!" Xihuona shouted.
"Lucario!"
Lucario could only respond with its fastest reaction, swiftly placing the bone club across its chest in an attempt to block.
Quick Guard! Against preemptive moves like Strike with Palm, Quick Guard was an effective tactic.
However, it tested the Trainer and Pokemon's reaction speed.
Clearly, Xihuona had anticipated Jinghe and the Giant Forger's tactical approach.
"Sword Dance!"
"Cha!"
As the Giant Forger chased after the thrown hammer, a crisp, ringing sound emanated from its body, and a crimson aura surged from its feet, intensifying its aura.
At this point, Lucario had no chance to stop the Giant Forger.
Boom!!
The hammer struck Lucario's bone club head-on.
In an instant, it felt as if it had been hit by a speeding train, the terrifying impact causing its body to uncontrollably retreat two steps, and the bone club bent into an exaggerated arc.
Crack!
Suddenly, a crisp sound burst from the bone club.
Lucario's eyes widened in shock, its face revealing a hint of disbelief.
The bone club it had used to clash with the Crimson Blade Phantom for so long had actually broken like this?!
Exaggerated!
In the audience, Da Ye and the others also widened their eyes in surprise.
"How is it that in just a few days, Teacher Jinghe's Giant Forger's hammer seems to have become so much heavier?" Da Ye muttered.
"Indeed, it has," Wu Song nodded.
Then, almost simultaneously, they turned to look at Dagu.
Dagu must have put in a lot of effort to increase the Giant Forger's hammer's weight in such a short time, right?
However, Dagu's expression at that moment wasn't much better than theirs.
Noticing their gazes, he gave a wry smile and shrugged, saying,
"I don't know either."
When he battled Teacher Jinghe, his Armor Bird was 'single-handedly' blocked by the Giant Forger, and even at the end, if the Armor Bird didn't appear, the Giant Forger wouldn't have either.
The clash between Forretress and Giant Forger wasn't as intense as the previous battles, and the audience's perception of it was less clear.
Jing He, as the student and "supplier" of Yuki, had primarily provided minerals and diamonds, so Dagu wasn't well-informed about the Giant Forger's metal skills.
From the round of 16 onwards, the tournament's pace slowed down, and the timeline stretched out significantly.
During this time, the Giant Forger had been busy, at least partially dismantling the Plasma Destroyer.
The Giant Forger's transformation was so significant that it even surprised Kiban, who had helped refine the Aluminum Steel Bridge Dragon.
On the battlefield, the Giant Forger rushed towards Lucario, catching the rebounding hammer and swinging it with precision, aiming directly at Lucario.
"Dodge!" Xihuona commanded.
Lucario, with its speed advantage, didn't need to withstand the Giant Forger's assault.
"Luka!"
Lucario sidestepped, attempting to dodge.
However, a smile simultaneously appeared on the faces of Jing He and the Giant Forger.
This smile startled both Lucario and Xihuona.
The Giant Forger's hammer, instead of a vertical strike, made a 90-degree turn, sweeping horizontally.
Feint!
The Giant Forger, skilled from birth, executed the move that could deceive even Gengar.
In the game, feints could only fool those who guarded, but in reality, their effectiveness was far greater.
Realizing the deception, Lucario, unable to dodge in time, decided to confront the attack head-on.
"Close combat!" Xihuona commanded, adapting her strategy.
"Luka!"
Lucario slid forward, its fur rippling backward, eyes intense and fists clenched.
Boom!
The clash of fists and hammer produced a deep, muffled sound, slightly slowing the Giant Forger's hammer.
"This is your chance! Get in front of it!" Xihuona shouted.
Lucario, understanding the strategy, knew that while the hammer was heavy and powerful, the Giant Forger's small stature gave it an advantage in close combat.
Jing He's eyes flashed with intent.
This was the opening they wanted! Lucario's speed advantage in long-range battles was significant, but the Giant Forger's accuracy with throwing hammers and stones was a challenge. However, in close combat, the Giant Forger deliberately left an opening, luring Lucario to charge in.
"Endure it, Gigantic Hammer!"
Boom, boom, boom—
Lucario's fists struck the Giant Forger's body, causing it to grit its teeth and grunt, but it continued to swing its hammer without pause.
"Guard!" Xihuona realized that she and Lucario had been impulsive, and a single close combat move wouldn't defeat the Giant Forger.
This was partly due to Lucario's condition, which didn't allow it to sustain a prolonged battle.
A series of numbers and symbols appeared, indicating the intensity of the battle.
Prolonging the fight wasn't favorable for Lucario either.
Buzz—
A green barrier formed around Lucario.
"It's useless," Jing He smiled slightly, "It's still a feint."
"Chua!"
The Giant Forger covered its chest with one hand, baring its teeth at Lucario, then released its grip, revealing a bright red chest, and switched the hammer to its other hand.
Clack! The guard's effect ended, and the barrier shattered!
"So dirty, Teacher Jing He! It's all feints!"
"Feint, feint, feint, has Teacher Jing He applied the 'Substitute Poison' tactic to feints?"
"It's all about psychology, and it's dirty!"
The spectators in the audience expressed their frustration on Xihuona's behalf.
Deceived by the feint, Xihuona's face turned grim, "Lucario, use Agility to create distance!"
But before Xihuona could finish her command, Jing He's voice interrupted,
"You won't escape, Giant Forger! Again!"
Again? Guard?
The spectators erupted in curses upon hearing this.
They had thought the repeated feints were dirty enough, but they had underestimated the extent of Teacher Jing He's "dirtiness."
The issue was that Teacher Jing He's Giant Forger had always given off a reckless, almost brutish impression. When did it learn these sophisticated moves?
To this, Jing He could only attribute it to the influence of Gengar, with whom it spent every day.
It wasn't used earlier simply because there hadn't been an opportunity, or perhaps the previous opponents didn't warrant such tactics.
"Giant Forger, smash it!"
However...
It had to be admitted that Xihuona and Lucario's luck was truly remarkable.
On the first strike of the hammer, Lucario's Guard miraculously activated again, blocking the impact of the hammer.
But their luck didn't hold up on the third attempt.
Boom!!!
Lucario was smashed into the ground, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
"Lucario, hold on!" Xihuona clenched her pink fist.
"Cha!!!"
The Giant Forger's third hammer strike landed.
"Lucario!!!"
From the ruins, Lucario roared, and its Guard activated once more, blocking the Giant Forger's hammer! But at this moment, the Giant Forger had fully swung its massive, heavy hammer, creating a whirlwind as if treating Lucario as a metal forged through a thousand hammers.
Swing!
Was this the Random Cloak Hammer technique?
Lucario had already stood up, facing the impending massive hammer strike, and took a deep breath.
Witnessing this, Xihuona shouted solemnly,
"Lucario, Rise from the Dead!"
Rise from the Dead, also known as Living on the Brink, was a move that grew stronger the closer the user was to defeat, drawing power from the brink of extinction.
At this moment, Lucario was indeed living on the brink, seeking a glimmer of hope in the depths of despair.
"Lucario!!!"
Lucario struggled to stand up from the ruins, roaring as it unleashed an incredibly resilient will.
This resilient and unyielding will transformed into its final surge of power, boldly confronting the Giant Forger's hammer.
"Giant Forger, be careful, give it your all!"
"Giant Hammer!"
Jinghe knew that Lucario, in this state, would unleash tremendous power, so he had kept the Giant Forger's ultimate move in reserve until the very end.
"Cha!!!"
The Giant Forger's body bent backward, its entire posture resembling a taut bowstring. With both hands firmly gripping the hammer's handle, it channeled all its strength into the hammer, unleashing its power without reservation!
Boom!!!
In an instant, the ground beneath them collapsed, cracks erupted, and countless rocks and debris scattered, kicking up massive clouds of dust.
But this time, the spectators didn't have to wait long.
As the dust rose,
Whoosh!
A massive hammer flew out from the cloud of dust, eventually landing heavily not far from Jinghe.
The Giant Forger, too, emerged from the dust cloud, stumbling and landing beside the hammer.
The wind from the spinning hammer dispersed the dust, revealing Lucario, lying in the midst of the battered ruins.
"Lucario... is unable to battle!" The Referee, hiding in the corner, hurriedly announced the result.
To be honest, when the hammer flew out, it seemed like the Giant Forger had failed.
But then,
"Chaaaaaaa!"
The Giant Forger, with a tearful voice, quickly ran to the side of the hammer and blew on its head.
One could see a distinct fist imprint on the surface of the massive hammer.
It was left by Lucario!
In truth, during the collision, the Giant Forger hadn't gained much advantage, and one could even say it was at a slight disadvantage.
However, Lucario was already at its limits, and after exchanging moves with the Giant Forger, it ultimately couldn't hold on any longer.
Although defeated, it had fought valiantly, causing significant trouble and damage to the Giant Forger.
Jinghe, seeing the deep fist imprint on the hammer, felt his heart skip a beat, and the pain was evident on his face.
This wasn't a simple metal imprint like the one on the Aluminum Steel Bridge Dragon; it was a genuine fist imprint.
The cost of repairing this imprint would be far greater than fixing the Crimson Blade Phantom's armor! He wondered how much metal was left on the Plasma Destroyer.
After all, although the Plasma Destroyer was named a destroyer, its design resembled a ship, incorporating wooden structures. Combined with the damage caused by Kyurem, the available metal for use was not abundant.
Jinghe took a deep breath.
Damn, this was going to be expensive!
"Lucario, you've done well. Your unwavering will has earned the respect of all."
Xihuona recalled Lucario, who had lost its ability to battle, and whispered softly to its Poke Ball.
Lucario had fought valiantly in this battle.
However, among her Pokemon, there was one who couldn't contain its excitement.
Xihuona brushed her golden hair aside, and despite the loss of multiple Pokemon, her confidence only grew stronger.
At this stage of the competition, there was little left to say.
She took out the trembling Poke Ball and threw it directly into the air.
Her eyes seemed to radiate a unique brilliance.
"Dance in the skies, Braviary!"
(End of Chapter)
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