The Seven Wonders of the World

18. Rater vs. Oxolo! Battle of the Phantoms!

Oxolo chuckled, as he looked at Rater with disgust. “Kill me then, you irresponsible bastard!”
Rater frowned, as Oxolo jumped onto the arena and the two of them started throwing punches back at one another, Oxolo was dominant in the fight as his hits landed harder on Rater, as Oxolo grabbed Rater and threw him to the floor.
Rater got up in time, rolling away from Oxolo who attempted to slam him, as Rater ran at Oxolo and jumped onto his back, punching him a few times before Oxolo grabbed Rater like a doll and threw him away.
Rater's feet landed on the wall, as he dropped to the ground and watched Oxolo. “He's no Stobaru, that's for sure,” thought Rater, “i feel his power.. it's different, that's for sure.”
“For a kid like him, his power is extraordinary,” thought Oxolo, “yet he drank one of the weakest Phantom Liquids.”
Rater dashed towards Oxolo, getting his fist ready as he attempted to punch Oxolo, but Oxolo grabbed his fist and attempted to crush it.
“Stupid kid,” said Oxolo, “is punching me really that easy?”
Rater headbutted Oxolo, making Oxolo take a couple steps back, as Rater jumped up and punched him into the ground.
“Yep, it is!” said Rater.
Suddenly, Oxolo used his wheeling boulder technique, as he sent Rater flying upwards back up to the Citadel, leading to them being on the roof.

Rater looked at Oxolo, huffing and puffing as he was watching his every move, Oxolo chuckled as he said, “How'd ya feel, tired yet?!”
Taking his time to answer, Rater was huffing and puffing as he looked at Oxolo, before responding with, “No.”
Oxolo chuckled. “Good! Because i'm gonna pummel you to death and then stick you on a cross for the whole town to see!”
Oxolo dashed at Rater, as he grabbed him and threw him back towards the edge. “Now i'll show you the power of a Phantom!” said Oxolo.
A dark aura was formed around Oxolo, as half of his face was being consumed by his inner Phantom -- and before Rater knew it, Oxolo's body was half Oxolo, half Phantom.
“Ah!” said Rater. “What the hell are you?!”
“THIS IS LEVEL THREE PHANTOM BARRAGE!”
Oxolo used his phantom-consumed arm -- which was ten times bigger and heavier than his normal arm, as he grabbed Rater and slammed him to the other side of the roof.
“AGH!!” said Rater, who tried to get up, but Oxolo wouldn't let him as he stepped on Rater's chest.
Oxolo reverted to his wheeling boulder form, as he dashed at Rater, who had jumped up to dodge the attack.
What Rater didn't know, though, was that Oxolo reverted back to his normal form in time, which gave him time to grab onto Rater's ankle, as Oxolo slammed Rater down into the ground.
“GAAAGH!” said Rater.
Oxolo grinned, as he still had hold of Rater's ankle, which opted him to swing Rater around, before slamming him into the ground once more.
“You're lightweight, kid!” said Oxolo. “Can't believe someone like you drank a Phantom Liquid! Should be given to someone with ACTUAL use for it!”
Oxolo used his phantom-consumed arm to pick up Rater. “Maybe I should throw you off the citadel and make you go splat?” A few moments went by, with no answer, before Oxolo grinned. “Alright then, SAY GOODBYE!!!”
He threw Rater off the roof of the Citadel.

Rater slowly closed his eyes before he heard another voice talk within him.
Rater woke up, as he saw he was in a dark room, with nothing around him but a person -- well, it wasn't really a person, but an entity made out of pure phantom and darkness.
“Who are you?” said Rater.
“Essentially, I am you,” said the entity, “as I am trapped in your body.”
“What?! Does that mean—”
“No, you are not dead,” said the entity, “this is your spirit talking, and we are inside your body as you are falling to your death.”
“So what are we doing here?” said Rater. “Am I going to see my life flash before my eyes?”
“No,” said the entity, “you are going to go back up there, with the power I am about to give you. Seventeen years you have lived your life, and not once you have used your true power that lies within you, now it is the time to let it out. Do you got that?”
“Yes,” said Rater, “more than anything!”
“Very well,” said the entity, “i give you the power of a Phantom as one spirit to another, now save yourself before it is too late!”

“TRANSFORM!!!”
A few moments passed, as Rater ran up the walls of the citadel, and jumped back onto the roof, as he also had a dark aura surrounding him now, which confused Oxolo.
“What?” said Oxolo. “But you're supposed to be dead!”
“Oh, am I?” said Rater. “Did you forget? I'm a Phantom too! My inner spirit helped me out when I was about to die.
“Although, I haven't felt this power yet, this is my first time using my phantom energy.. it feels different, but I can get used to it.”
A sudden burst of energy erupts from Rater’s body as it’s engulfed by it and he is now enveloped in a bright flash of light, the flash of light eventually clears and Rater’s now standing in the rubble-filled room. He looks around, relieved, as he then spots Oxolo’s form approaching him and his rage begins to fill him. However, he stays calm and puts up his guard and gets ready to fight once again. “Don’t you dare even think that all of this is going to go unpunished!” yelled Rater.
Rater clenched his fists. “This is my level one Phantom Barrage state! I haven't reached level three like you have! But with my creativity, there is a slim chance I can beat you! Wouldn't you agree?”
Oxolo was at a loss of words, he watched as Rater was generating more energy as the seconds went by, before frowning in anger and resentment. “You think you can beat me..” said Oxolo. “YOU THINK A WEAKLING LIKE YOU CAN BEAT ME?!”
It almost seemed like Oxolo was about to go insane from what he was hearing, as he started manically laughing. “I've been in the buisness for over twenty years.. and this rookie thinks he can beat me with his little Phantom form? Oh, give me a break you pubescent bastard!”
He dashed at Rater, as he punched him into the wall, as smoke came out of the wall -- but when Oxolo looked, Rater was gone.
“What?” said Oxolo.
“UP HERE!!” said Rater, as enchanted energy was forming in his fist, as he punched Oxolo into the ground, sending him back into the throne room.
As the both of them fell into the room, Rater stepped back as he saw Alucard, Sora, and Zoela.
“Rater?!” said Sora. “But you feel..”
“Different? I know,” said Rater, turning to Oxolo, “get out of here, i'm gonna make this place collapse into nothingness.”
The three of them nodded, as they made their way out of the throne room, before a henchman of Oxolo said, “Hey, we should do the same thing too!”
A few others nodded, as they made their way out of the throne room as both Oxolo and Rater stared down at one and another.
“This little show has gone on long enough,” said Oxolo, “i say it's time to end this. Wouldn't you agree?”
“Yeah, I would,” said Rater, “but unfortunately, there's only one way to end this.. I don't plan on dying, nor being defeated by you. Since my dreams will not be crushed by a low-life gambling freak!”
Oxolo grinned. “Alright, then, lets see what you're made off, bastard!”

Nineteen is soon!