Cerron was currently experiencing a whirlwind of emotions, and the past three days had left him utterly baffled.
He had been so certain, so convinced, that Atticus's rapid ascent to the fourth summit had to be a hoax. Cerron was absolutely sure of this.
As soon as he descended from the fourth summit, the first thing he did was investigate.
Cerron approached the people of the third, second, and first summits and inquired about Atticus and his short time spent in each summits.
Although the sanctum was filled with a significant number of people, there wasn't a single person who didn't know who the five individuals in the fourth summit were.
The Ravensteins had never placed much emphasis on hierarchy, especially one without strength. But should one have both high standing and strength… As soon as they saw Cerron and his three lit flames, they simply obeyed.
They each narrated the events to Cerron, who found it hard to believe his ears. Truly, the people of the lower summits had exaggerated Atticus's feats, but even Cerron could recognize some truths in their accounts. Atticus had indeed reached the fourth summit in such a short time span.
A monster.
That was the only word that came to Cerron's mind. It was the only explanation. It wasn't just about Atticus's overwhelming talent with the fire element; deep down, Cerron knew that it wasn't because he had been caught off guard—it was because Atticus was that strong! He hadn't been able to react in time!
The fact that his brother, despite being known as a genius in the family, had ended up in that state at the hands of someone younger than him was now very acceptable.
But regardless, Cerron was far from backing down. It didn't matter if Atticus was a prodigy; he had still wronged Cerron's brother and family.
Atticus might be a talent the human domain had never seen before, but this was the fire sanctum—only fire could be utilized. Cerron refused to believe that all the years spent here were for nothing.
He refused to believe that three days were enough for Atticus to reach his level. And this was exactly why Cerron ascended the summit filled with absolute confidence that he was going to thoroughly crush Atticus today.
A notion that hadn't changed even as his fire construct charged at Atticus's. A notion he would prove to himself and everyone watching.
It was as though they were both weightless. Despite their enormous size, both constructs blazed through the summit, crossing the massive distance between them.
A wide grin appeared on Cerron's face as his gaze flashed.
Just as both constructs were about to collide, Cerron's construct abruptly stopped and stomped forward, instantly raising its longsword skyward.
A blue glow flowed like waves through Cerron's construct as mana moved through each molecule, reaching its longsword in an instant.
Its aura exploded, the flames of the sword blazing and taking on a blue hue. Cerron's gaze flashed once more, and the sword descended with the weight of a meteor.
'Got you!'
The whole process was lightning fast, and most of the onlookers couldn't help but believe this battle was already over. Truly, Cerron was one of the elites.
But it was only most who thought this was over.
Duran maintained an impassive face. Initially, he had believed Cerron would win this fight, but he wasn't so sure anymore after what Joana had said.
Joana watched the battle with narrowed eyes, fixed directly on Atticus, who remained motionless without a hint of emotion on his face.
While Dekai was all smiles as he remembered everything he had seen Atticus doing in the past three days, 'This boy keeps giving me goosebumps.'
The intense, flaming blue sword radiating an immense amount of power descended and appeared inches away from splitting Atticus's construct in two.
No one expected what happened next.
Atticus's construct abruptly split into two, its momentum undisturbed.
Cerron, along with the onlookers, opened their eyes in absolute shock.
The blue flaming sword cut nothing but air and landed on the ground with a devastating force that sent shockwaves radiating out.
'What the hell,'
Cerron's heart trembled. He immediately scrambled to regain control over his construct, but it was too late.
In a blur, the two halves of Atticus's construct scrambled and rejoined together in an instant.
The construct abruptly swerved and faced the back of Cerron's construct, hands clasped together in front.
The katana on its waist exploded into flames and instantly appeared in its grasp.
The katana's tip glowed blue, mana coalescing around it. And with lightning speed, it thrust forward.
The blade pierced through the back of the flaming armored giant like a hot knife through cheese.
Before anyone could react, the blue glow intensified, illuminating the entirety of Cerron's construct.
Then, with a force that rocked the space, it exploded.
The flaming armored giant shattered. Flames erupted, fragments of the construct scattering like fireworks.
The shockwave sent a gust of heat and light through the summit, prompting everyone to shield themselves.
A second passed, and each of them focused their gazes on the battle once more, their hearts trembling as they saw the current scene.
Atticus's construct stood tall, its blade still glowing an intense blue, with Cerron's construct having turned into nothingness. But this wasn't what they were focused on.
Everyone was focused on one thing, the cause of it all himself, Atticus.
He hadn't moved an inch. His body was still radiating the same coldness it had radiated three days ago after the incident with Cerron. Throughout this battle, his icy gaze had been focused on one thing and one thing only, Cerron.
Atticus was angry. He was seething.
This was one of the reasons why he wanted power: the ability to, under no circumstances whatsoever, take or tolerate bullshit.
Cerron had thrown a jab at his mother, and Atticus wanted him dead. There were a whole lot of moral codes that he was breaking, but currently, Atticus didn't care.