The shock that enveloped each and every one of the spectators increased manifold, many with their eyes wide open as they witnessed the speed and intensity at which a pair of teenagers were battling.
It had been truly shocking before when they saw both of them exhibit the strength of an Expert+ rank at the beginning of the battle, with the duo reaching Master- rank as they fought.
However, after the punch, everything had changed.
Two streaks replaced Atticus and Ae'ark on the large platform, each streak blitzing through the air with blinding speed before suddenly colliding in a cacophony of cataclysmic force.
The tone of the fight had shifted, their power magnified tenfold, each clash sending shockwaves that made the air itself tremble.
The sheer intensity of their collisions shattered the hardened ground beneath them, jagged cracks spiderwebbing outward with each impact.
Hardness met hardness, techniques met techniques, and yet, neither one of them gave an inch.
Their relentless assaults reverberated like crackling thunder, each collision causing the heart rate of many watching to quicken.
Atticus was currently enveloped in a red glow, his Aerokinesis working in full force. Coats of mana surrounded both his arms and legs, his gaze shifting with speed, mind working like a supercomputer, rapidly changing the signature of the mana around his arm.
His arms moved like a rain of rockets, launching forward with speed, each impact causing a cacophony of explosions that rocked the space.
However, Ae'ark was far from being left behind. His figure radiated an intense shade of yellow, his hair whipping behind him like formless waves. A palpable yellow aura enveloped his form, his speed effortlessly matching Atticus's.
Both his arms seemed to become bulky and heavy, their speed becoming even faster.
The hard platform was littered with snake-like cracks, many parts already having been shattered into chunks of concrete with many areas following as the seconds ticked by.
Fist met fist in the air, the air fracturing as the world seemed to slow.
Both their gazes flashed, their movements flowing in perfect sync.
Their right hands shot downward and backward, gripping their weapons tightly. The moment reached a crescendo as their eyes locked, both their weapons vibrating with intensity as though begging to be unleashed.
Hundreds of sparks flew as their weapons erupted into motion. Atticus's katana swung with a deadly arc, while Ae'ark's spear pierced forward with lethality.
Slashes met spear thrusts, each clash producing an intense wave of air that rippled outward from their epicenter.
The force of their strikes was so immense that the very atmosphere around them seemed to warp, the ground below further disintegrating under the pressure.
Their weapons sang and clanged, the intensity of their clashes growing with each passing second, neither giving an inch.
The air around them crackled and roared, the sheer force of their blows creating a vortex of energy that seemed to pull everything into their fierce battle.
In an instant, and in less than a minute this time, both their figures exhibited the speed and strength of a Master rank. The watching spectators felt their scalps go numb, none of them wanting to believe the unbelievable scene that was playing out in front of them.
They knew that an Apex was overwhelmingly strong, but this was far too much.
'Is yellow his highest, or is there more? And just what is that spear, another life weapon?'
Atticus's mind ran at full speed. Despite having figured out how to counter Ae'ark's phasing, he never stopped analyzing, analyzing, and analyzing, his every attention focused on every single movement or action Ae'ark took. He tried to find out everything about him.
From his habits, his reflexes, the way his ability worked—everything.
His katana had been so powerful that it had made a grandmaster bleed. Atticus was still learning about blacksmithing, but he was absolutely sure that not many weapons could withstand his katana, especially after clashing so many times.
Only one explanation popped into his head, and this same explanation would explain why Atticus had instantly felt some kind of connection to Ae'ark as soon as he saw him.
Ae'ark was another life weapon user and possibly another reincarnated individual.
To Atticus, if this assumption were true, it would be truly life-changing for him.
This wasn't the only thing he was thinking about. Ae'ark's initial color had been blue—this had been the original. Then he abruptly changed to green, and his movement and power exploded, after which he changed to yellow.
Atticus had no idea what each color did to Ae'ark's body exactly, nor did he know how many more colors Ae'ark planned to change to.
He had never fought so intensely with another individual his age before. This was the first time he had exchanged blows with such intensity.
Despite only two minutes having passed, Atticus could feel fatigue setting in. The intense clashes shook his insides, and the water element could only do so much as the damage kept on accumulating.
Ae'ark's condition appeared completely different. There was no shred of fatigue on his figure. In fact, as time passed, he only seemed to become faster and faster, his attacks becoming heavier.
Atticus could see the result should he continue this path. Despite the fatigue, Atticus had a small smile on his face. He was quite enjoying this battle.
He had no idea he had been missing out on so much. If he had known he could feel such a thrill battling another person with similar strength, why the hell would he waste time playing with robots and kids?
His katana vibrated with intensity, and despite the devastating clashes, it appeared happy. As though its owner was finally using it for its original purpose.
However, these clashes couldn't continue forever; a change was needed.
A palpable blue aura abruptly spread across the blade of Atticus's katana, its light blinding.
Ae'ark's gaze sharpened, his yellow aura spreading and enveloping his spear.
Space-cleaving slash met world-piercing thrust, the collision unleashing a cataclysmic force that seemed to rock the very fabric of reality.