And yet, despite all of this, despite how much of a legend they were, a member of their family, their young master, had actually landed a punch—not just any punch, but a punch so overwhelmingly powerful that it had sent the apex flying away!
The excitement they were each currently feeling was electric. That punch was none other than a score for humanity. The fists of those aboard the Aegis ship clenched hard, their gazes fixed on the figure of Atticus down below.
How the hell were they just finding out that they had such a monster in their family?
"Wait,"
The voice of one of the crew members suddenly sounded, many turning towards him. The man gulped as though what he was about to say was difficult.
"Does this mean that he went through the first year along with the other students?"
Their gazes widened. That monster was a first-year in the academy? They all knew this fact; they went to pick him up, after all. But with what he had just shown, it was hard to grapple with that reality.
Dario was trying his very best not to cry in joy. He had hit the jackpot! He was among the first subordinates of a true apex! There was no better position than this. He couldn't help but imagine his future.
Meanwhile, Yotad had a firm expression on his face as he gazed at Atticus. The Ravenblade were a loyal breed. He was truly proud to be serving a genius of such magnitude, but at the same time, he could see the enormous amount of problems that were going to come in the future. It would rest upon his shoulders to protect and support him in whatever would come their way.
A chuckle sounded in the space, serene as it was clear, "Interesting, interesting, the boy keeps on surprising me!"
Ae'zard turned towards Magnus with a smile on his face, "You signed the mana contract, which meant you kept your end of the bargain and didn't tell him anything about our race. And all it took was one minute! Hahaha!"
Ae'zard burst into laughter, his mirth resounding across the area. Among the clauses in the mana contract they had both signed, one had been to keep all information regarding the opponent their grandchildren were about to face completely secret.
This meant that Atticus hadn't known anything about the Aeonians before this, almost the same with Ae'ark.
The latter had, of course, known about other races, but not Atticus and humans in particular, not to the extent that it mattered, at least not yet. Ae'ark had been raised as the Apex of the Aeonians from a very young age; it was natural he would learn about his competitors. Of course, humanity hadn't been among them, until now.
Only Magnus among those present could understand exactly what Ae'zard meant. What had taken Atticus one minute to figure out and counter had taken years for the human domain to do the same.
Granted, they were just learning more about mana and its utilization, but it was such a stark contrast that it couldn't help but be shocking.
What had Atticus done? It was simple and straightforward. Since Ae'ark could copy his mana signature in an instant, Atticus simply had to envelop his fist with mana and then rapidly manipulate and change its signature with such speed that it would be impossible to mimic in such little time.
It would sound simple to many, but the knowledgeable knew just how insane it was that a 16-year-old had just done this. It wasn't something one could say outside and expect people to believe.
Magnus knew this fact very well, which was why it was incredibly hard for him to hide his excitement.
He had brought Atticus here to finally battle someone formidable and gain true fighting experience. No experience could be better gained than during battle.
Ae'zard's grin widened, completely ignoring the fact that Magnus didn't respond.
His hand moved upwards, twirling the ethereal mustache on his face.
"Will brother lose?"
The face of a young girl with chubby cheeks suddenly appeared in his field of vision, his expression becoming warm.
Ae'zard lifted the young girl from his shoulder, moving her to his front. He gazed at her worried expression and gently pinched her chubby cheeks.
With a calm and serene voice, he reassured her, "You should know your brother better than I do, Ae'na. Watch carefully, this will be an interesting fight."
Ae'na nodded firmly, her cute gaze resolute. She found herself back in her seat on Ae'zard's shoulders, her eyes fixed on the unfolding battle.
Ae'ark stood up straight from his crouched position, his right hand reaching to his dislocated jaw.
With an abruptness and a crunching sound that would frighten many, he shifted his jaw back into its original position.
Ae'ark moved his head side to side, cracking and freeing its tense muscles. A chuckle escaped his lips, his black gaze fixing itself on Atticus.
He rubbed the spot where Atticus had punched him. Despite his jaw having been shattered, there was no hint of anger or pain on his face.
"Atticus, huh," Ae'ark muttered under his breath, but Atticus heard him loudly and clearly. Atticus stood a distance away, his gaze calm and steady. His right fist was drenched in bluish blood, enveloped in a coat of mana.
The smile on Ae'ark's face widened, a soft glow emanating from his chin as his shattered jaw healed instantly.
Ae'ark took a step forward towards Atticus, his aura changing.
"I'll remember that name. I think it's about time this battle started."
The world seemed to slow, the intense greenish glow on Ae'ark's figure changing. Its spectrum abruptly shifted, a yellow glow erupting forth, blinding in its radiance.
Ae'ark's soft hair seemed to elongate, intricate black markings snaking their way across his body.
Pitch black eyes dotted with stars collided in the air with a pair of piercing blue eyes, the whole world pausing.
With an explosion akin to a star going supernova, both figures moved in unison, the atmosphere quaking as they collided.