Atticus entered a completely surreal state. It was like a state of limbo where the entire world paused, and everything around him was darkness.
In this state, Atticus' thoughts roamed freely and without pause.
He had been foolish.
How could he have been so foolish?
This question kept repeating itself in his mind. He had just learned a lesson—a very big lesson that he felt he should have known from the very beginning.
It was a no brainer. Why the hell would he hold back in a life and death situation? Was his head filled with air!? Niall was stronger, faster, and trying to kill him. Why, just why, would he hold back!?
Atticus' eyes slowly flickered open, and his heart immediately froze. Niall loomed over him, his fist rocketing forward with intense momentum. If that punch landed on his head, it could only result in his skull imploding like a wrecking ball hitting a watermelon at high speed.
Atticus saw his life flash before his eyes, an intense wave of fear gripping him.
Memories passed through his thoughts.
He saw Anastasia first, her face illuminated by that radiant smile she always wore when she looked at him. The way her eyes sparkled, full of warmth and love. He could almost hear her laugh, feel the gentle touch of her hand in his. The thought of that smile, that light in her eyes, fading to darkness because of him—it was unbearable.
He saw the numerous times Aurora had nagged him like a bratty younger sister and the smile he always wore when he teased her. The image of her breaking down, sobbing uncontrollably, crushed his heart.
Then there was Ember, the one who understood him without words. She was aloof, yes, but Atticus knew how deeply she cared, even if she rarely showed it. If he were gone, if his absence made her retreat even further into herself, made her colder, more distant—he couldn't let that happen. He couldn't let his death become another scar on her heart.
Each memory, each face, twisted the fear in his chest into something else—something fierce, something unyielding. He couldn't let them suffer because of him. He couldn't let their light be extinguished, their smiles fade.
A roar erupted from deep within him, a primal, desperate sound that reverberated through his entire being.
He didn't want to die.
He would not die!
His grip on the katana tightened, every muscle in his body tensing as his figure erupted in a mixture of red and blue.
'Huh?'
Niall only had time to think before a razor sharp blade appeared inches away from his neck.
Niall's eyes widened, his hand retracting from the punch. His stance shifted, and his hand erupted upwards to block the blade.
The razor sharp blade and Niall's chitin like armor covering his arm met, an intense spark erupting.
However, Niall's eyes narrowed in the next second.
'What…'
His armor, the same armor that could withstand a bombardment of multiple elemental attacks from a peak master+ rank with just a few scratches, was being cut by an ordinary looking blade?
Niall acted immediately, his center of balance shifting as he deflected the blade to the side.
But it was far from over.
The ground trembled. The air hissed. Countless azure slashes erupted toward Niall from every angle, blazing with intense speed.
'Such speed,'
Niall's figure blurred, leaving afterimages in his wake. His stance shifted rapidly as he evaded each strike, but Atticus was relentless. His figure suddenly erupted, and the katana's blade appeared inches away from Niall's neck once again.
Niall's gaze narrowed, his mind racing. 'This isn't the strength of a master- rank!'
Niall's fingers flickered, and the ground beneath him sank. His figure was yanked downward by thick black roots that erupted from the earth.
The roots coiled and twisted with unnatural speed, dragging him out of the path of the katana that slashed devastatingly through the air where his neck had been moments before.
The force of the slash continued forward, carving a deep gash half the size of the pit into the wall, sending stone and debris flying.
Atticus immediately followed up. His body moved like water, fluid and deadly. The blade, initially moving sideways, suddenly changed direction. It swung in a downward arc, aimed at Niall's head.
Niall's red eyes narrowed, his aura shifting. Massive roots burst from the ground, thick and fast, engulfing the pit and surging toward Atticus.
However, Atticus moved like a streak of blue and red. His figure was swift, his legs appearing weightless as he evaded the roots with ease.
Atticus circled around the pit, his cold crimson eyes focused directly on Niall.
During this short exchange, he had utilized the katana's first and second arts multiple times. He could still continue, but he could feel the drain!
However, Atticus's eyes blazed as his resolve hardened.
'No more holding back,'
Tendrils of lightning crackled around Atticus, his body reaching newfound speed.
Circling around the pit, Atticus abruptly stopped before erupting, sending several azure slashes all at once.
Each slash cut through the thick roots like a hot knife passing through tofu, slicing through the black roots before they could entrap him.
Niall's eyes widened in shock. 'What the heck is going on?'
His chitin-like armor was made from the pitch-black roots of the chasm. They were tougher than any material Niall could possibly think of. Why? Just why was this boy cutting through them as though they were nothing?
'Is this why the sovereign is so interested in him?'
He wondered, but as he remembered Atticus's rudeness when addressing the sovereign, Niall's face contorted into intense anger.
'I'll kill him,'
He didn't let up. More roots erupted, thicker and faster, each one closing in on Atticus from all directions.
Atticus called, and the fire molecules responded. Intense flames erupted from him, spreading outwards and engulfing the entirety of the pit.
Niall and his roots were also engulfed, but the flames had no effect. However, Niall's form was momentarily obscured.
Atticus rocketed forward in the next instant, charging through flame-engulfed roots and appearing in front of Niall.
They clashed, power against power, each strike sending shockwaves that snuffed out the flames around them. The earth cracked, and the flat ground of the pit changed.
They were both akin to streaks of light, crimson and blue, appearing and clashing everywhere.
Ultimately, Niall was relatively faster. Bridging the gap between master+ rank and grandmaster- wasn't so easy.
Despite that, Atticus was still holding up. Each burst of speed allowed him to catch up to Niall momentarily, and the latter was beginning to show slight frustration.
The main problem with the bursts of speed was their abruptness! Niall had no idea when they would happen! It was nerve-wracking.
However, soon enough, Atticus felt the strain. He began pushing his limits.
He utilized every single part of his powers, each to its full extent. But the inevitable eventually happened. His movements slowed, and the number of bone-breaking hits he received increased.
This was when the real battle for his life began.
Time passed: 8 minutes.