The sound of bone meeting flesh was drowned out by the deafening roars of the earth shattering beneath them, the crater expanding as Alvis's fists rained down on Atticus.
Dust clouds billowed high into the sky, obscuring the battlefield in a thick, choking haze.
Atticus's body bore the brunt of Alvis's relentless barrage. Each punch drove him deeper into the earth, and he felt his bones snapping multiple times like twigs.
His vision blurred, pain radiating from every fiber of his being, yet he was still holding up.
A bubble of water had already engulfed him inside his suit, his body radiating an intense light. Atticus utilized the water and light elements in tandem, healing his battered body over and over again.
His exo-suit worked in overdrive, siphoning mana from the air, recovering his stamina, and also aiding in the healing process.
Atticus tried unleashing his other elements at Alvis; however, the sheer pressure the grandmaster was emanating seemed to flatten each attempt.
The brutal barrage of punches showed no signs of stopping, and Atticus's mind drifted off.
He had recently battled Niall and had overwhelmed the man. However, Atticus had clearly gotten ahead of himself. Niall had restricted his power to the grandmaster- rank.
Atticus had truly believed that if worse came to worse, he would at least be able to hold on against Niall's actual power should he not use his domain.
However, Atticus was just beginning to understand that the difference between a grandmaster- and a grandmaster+ was unfathomable.
Alvis was fast. The force of his blows was immense.
Even with the exo-suit and his new improvements after reaching the master- rank, Atticus felt his bones being crushed, his flesh mangled with each punch.
But all things must come to an end.
A boisterous laugh rocked the whole space, followed by the loud voice of a man speaking.
"Hahahaha! Alvis! I've never seen you lose your composure so much before! He must have gotten under your skin, huh?"
The constant barrage of punches stopped, and Alvis raised his blood-drenched arms, turning to look at the one who had just spoken.
His eyes instantly locked onto the red eyes of Ronad, who was perched just above the massive crater the duo was in the middle of.
"Shut up,"
Alvis growled, his anger palpable. The left hand that Atticus had cut open had already healed, and despite having pummeled the intruder with such intensity, Alvis didn't seem satisfied in the least.
Ronad grinned.
"Woah, easy there. You know, I always love seeing you in this condition. The calm and indifferent demeanor you always pretend to portray is boring on so many levels. A mindless beast will always be a mindless beast,"
A bestial aura erupted from Alvis, spreading out towards Ronad. However, just as it was about to reach Ronad, it stopped in the air as though there was an impenetrable wall.
"Quick to anger too. It's like I'm looking in a mirror," Ronad said with a twisted smile. He had always been a madman. Alvis's calm demeanor had always irked him; however, on the day they fought together back during the Raven camp attack, Ronad had seen Alvis's true nature.
The only reason Ronad ever pestered Alvis was to bring that primal nature out into the open. He would have never thought a random intruder would do that for him.
Alvis's overwhelming aura retreated as he clicked his tongue in annoyance. Ronad always behaved senselessly; he shouldn't stoop to his level.
Alvis turned away from him and looked at the intruder lying lodged deep in the earth. His eyes widened in the next instant.
"Y-you… you're that boy!"
The red shroud covering Atticus's face had crumbled due to the barrage he had received earlier, leaving his face exposed for all to see.
Alvis instantly recognized the white hair and piercing blue eyes. There was no way he could ever forget that face, despite having seen him only once, five years ago.
"Atticus Ravenstein!" Alvis exclaimed.
"Huh? Ravenstein?"
Ronad turned, raising an eyebrow in surprise as he saw that what Alvis was saying was true. He hadn't really remembered the boy; the only ones he had cared about back then were Ariel's children, Ember and Caldor, with Ember being the only one present.
However, he remembered the name. Atticus Ravenstein, the son of the family head of the Ravenstein family and the most probable heir.
"How could we possibly be so lucky!" Ronad burst into laughter, already imagining the leverage they could gain from capturing him.
But the frown on Alvis's face deepened with each passing second.
'He was at the intermediate rank five years ago…'
This was the only thought that came to Alvis's mind. How the hell was this possible? Crossing over from intermediate to master rank in 5 years? Not only that, but displaying the strength of a grandmaster?
It wasn't something that should be said out loud. Such a person would be thrown into an asylum immediately. He had to be mad; that was the only explanation.
But everything had happened right in front of him.
It was insane.
It was mind-bending.
It was crazy.
"But damn, what the hell are these Ravensteins feeding their children?" Ronad also seemed to pick up on the situation, but Alvis ignored him, his gaze fixed on Atticus.
"How did you gain such strength?" Alvis asked coldly. If it was with the help of an artifact, it would be invaluable to the order.
However, he received no response, only the sight of Atticus straining and forcing himself to stand.
Crimson blood drenched his suit and face, his body screaming in pain, but he was still alive and breathing, albeit raggedly and laboriously.
He looked battered, but the intensity in Atticus's stare made Alvis narrow his eyes.
There were two grandmaster+ ranks in the area—where was the expected look of hopelessness in his eyes?
However, Atticus was calm.
True, he had taken that devastating barrage of punches, and it had left him exhausted. However, he had done it for a reason. Atticus could have utilized the space element to teleport, but he didn't.
And it was for one reason.
One of the exosuit's unique ability to absorb and store incoming blows, then unleash them with nearly twice the original force.
Atticus's katana never left his grasp and it all happened in an instant.
The exosuit erupted in a blinding flash of crimson light, a shockwave of power radiating outward that shook the earth and split the sky.
The energy that had been accumulating within the suit exploded outward, the force so intense that the ground beneath Atticus shattered further, sending debris flying in all directions.
Atticus's body surged with an almost unimaginable strength, every muscle, every nerve, every cell charged with power.
In an instant, Atticus moved—no, he didn't just move; he seemed to multiply, his form blurring into countless afterimages as he executed the katana's third art.
One moment, he was standing tall in the crater; the next, a crimson crescent tearing through the sky formed in front of him.
Alvis's gaze narrowed in shock, but it was too late.
The arc of energy screamed toward Alvis, appearing inches away from splitting him in two.