Atticus might not have known how to do it, but what he did know was that it was related to his will. And he was sure he had enough will, so he decided to give it a try.
Darting backward, Atticus skillfully evaded a skull cracking sweeping kick from Jared.
Seizing the opportunity, Atticus leaped back, attempting to create distance, but Jared, relentless, swiftly closed the gap, launching a brutal uppercut.
Jared's eyes narrowed as he witnessed Atticus closing his eyes, and in the next moment, his eyes almost bulged out from its socket as he saw a red translucent barrier appear just beneath his chin.
Jared's fist hit the translucent barrier, the force generating a small shockwave that made his and Atticus's clothes flutter. But regardless of the force, the barrier held strong.
'How!?' Jared was stunned beyond belief.
He jumped backward, creating distance between him and Atticus, his gaze completely fixed on the white-haired little monster.
'To think he was actually able to figure out and create such a solid barrier on his first try! In just under 3 minutes of seeing me do it!!?' Jared marveled.
He was speechless. He truly had no comments.
Apart from the fact that no one even explained how Jared had been doing what he was doing to Atticus, how did Atticus have so much will at a young age!?
The amount of atmospheric mana and how sturdy or strong whatever an individual creates with it is completely dependent on the amount of will an individual has.
Jared was completely sure that, even if it was an Enigmalnk youth, none of them would be able to create a barrier as strong as what had just blocked his punch.
'Just what is this boy,' Jared couldn't help but wonder.
But almost immediately, the neutral expression Jared had been maintaining throughout the spar was broken as Jared's lips curled up into a huge grin.
What Atticus was didn't matter; what mattered was that his blood was pumping hard.
Jared was excited.
Atticus's eyes flickered open, the once-piercing blue now tinged with a hint of red in the irises. Atticus had never once tried to use his will outside the confines of his body.
He was either channeling it with his mana to make runes or attempting to empower himself just like those times back in the Raven camp when he had been on his last ropes.
But immediately Atticus had tried to use it outside his body, it felt like discovering a new limb.
Every single thing felt instinctual. Atticus didn't even have to strain himself and think; with his incredibly high will, the mana in the atmosphere came under his immediate control.
The red tint in Atticus's eyes glowed as his form was instantly covered from head to toe in a red translucent glow.
Atticus immediately felt his power increasing to unimaginable heights. Although it was unlike when he had his full power, but even then, compared to his earlier meager intermediate+ rank strength, it was a lot.
With a burst of speed incomparable to the last time, Atticus's figure blurred.
His form instantaneously appearing in the air above Jared with a sweeping kick.
Jared's grin remained unchanged as the blue translucent glow encompassing his legs suddenly expanded and engulfed his whole form.
And with a short burst of speed, Jared's head abruptly bent downwards, evading the kick.
The force of the kick generated shockwaves that swept through the area.
Jared's fist shot upward like a rocket, aimed at Atticus's airborne figure.
But the red tint in Atticus's eyes glowed, conjuring a translucent barrier that instantly intercepted the incoming blow.
Atticus's airborne form twisted, transferring the momentum of his previous right kick. His body rotated mid-air, and his left leg descended toward Jared's head.
But like a game of to and fro, a blue translucent barrier materialized and blocked the descending kick.
Atticus and Jared's forms blurred as they engaged in a rapid succession of moves, an intricate dance of offense and defense, creating streaks of blue and red light on the stage.
Each of the students had their mouths hung open as they struggled to comprehend the speed of the battle.
The initial clarity of Atticus and Jared's movements had given way to an indistinct blur, leaving stage filled with blue and red streaks of light as both Atticus and Jared moved at a speed none of the students could catch.
The tier ones all gazed at the fight with serious looks on their faces.
They had been able to clearly see the movements of Atticus and Jared when they had just started fighting, but now, every one of them struggled to follow their movements.
What they could only see was exactly what the rest were seeing, a red and blue blur moving from one side of the stage to another rapidly.
To them, this was bad news, really bad news.
Atticus clearly had his powers blocked, and yet, why did it seem like he was currently stronger than them despite the fact that he was heavily handicapped?
Sure, they might all gain the upper hand if they each utilized their bloodlines during the fight, but Atticus currently had his bloodlines and mana locked.
If that restriction was lifted, it was plenty obvious that Atticus would be way stronger than he was now.
The figures of Eldric and Aislan, who once had their arms folded on their chest, brought them down as they gazed at the stage with narrowed eyes.
Now, Atticus wasn't one they had to watch out for; he was one they had to bring down.
The red and blue translucent glow encompassing both Atticus and Jared respectively suddenly intensified two folds, the glows coalescing on their right hands.
Both figures of Atticus and Jared appeared in the middle of the earthen stage, leaving a red and blue streak in their wake.
With both their right hands pulled back, it strained and coiled. And with a devastating abrupt motion, both of them unleashed their powerful punches simultaneously.
BAAAAAM!!
The impact was explosive. Shockwaves spread throughout the stage as it swept dust around the area.
The whole area descended into silence as each of the students strained their eyes trying to see the outcome of the fight.
'Did he win?' Zoey thought, her hands subtly clenched on her chest.
Lumindra clearly saw this action, and if she were in her real form, she would be shaking her head with a smile.
Although she had constantly been pushing Zoey to talk to him all this while, never in her wildest dreams did she think that this would happen.
After a few seconds, the dust cleared, and the students' gazes immediately landed upon the outcome of the fight.