To the onlookers, especially the Dimensari race, the battle seemed to be reaching its conclusion.
From the beginning of the battle, while many among the Dimensari had been shocked by Atticus's prowess— especially when he managed to land a hit on Carius— they had never once doubted the outcome.
Among the paragons of the Dimensari, and even their citizens, there was no excitement. Cheering for their apex against a race as insignificant as the humans would be an insult to their pride as a superior race.
Meanwhile, most of the other races' paragons who had kept an eye on Atticus's screen were equally shocked. To see a human push a Dimensari to such an extent was unimaginable. Yet, to them, the battle was drawing to a close.
This sentiment was shared by all in the coliseum, except for one person: Magnus. His gaze remained steady, his entire aura calm.
Despite Atticus's apparent disadvantage, there wasn't a flicker of worry in his eyes. Luminos, Thorne and Seraphina exchanged confused glances.
Given Magnus's reputation, they had expected him to be on the verge of rampaging by now. At the very least, they anticipated a flicker of killing intent.
But there was nothing.
Magnus simply sat, as though waiting for the inevitable. But his version of the inevitable was the opposite of what everyone else was expecting.
This… this was why, aside from Magnus, every single person watching the screen was left in utter shock at the sight that followed.
The five alternate Carius moved in perfect sync, their gazes cold and movements precise. Their swords carved through the air as if slicing through reality itself, unleashing relentless attacks and overwhelming Atticus.
As if they had decided to end it, their killing intent peaked, the coldness in their eyes deepening as their speed surged. The space element in the area suddenly intensified, multiplying several times over.
Then, in an instant, they blipped, appearing from different directions around Atticus, their swords cloaked in void energy as they cleaved through the air, closing in for the final strike.
Regardless, Atticus remained calm. The Dimensari's abilities were truly overpowered, and during his training with Magnus, Atticus had determined that there was only one element in his repertoire capable of standing a chance— one element that could give him the edge he needed to defeat them: his space element.
After his enlightenment during his battle with the Obsidian Order leaders, Atticus had come to understand the emotions that each element resonated with.
At that time, he hadn't thought much about the space element; his mastery over it had been sufficient, but he didn't feel it was the right moment to push further. However, after learning about the Dimensari, that perspective changed.
Atticus instinctively knew he had to focus on his space element. During his brief meeting with Oberon, this was one of the things they had worked on together. With Oberon's help, Atticus had his own mini space sanctum.
But the days had been too short; not even he could make significant strides in such a brief time, especially given the emotion the element required—detachment. He had to let go of everything, but Atticus couldn't.
That's when he found another emotion it resonated with: tranquility.
This discovery allowed him to learn something groundbreaking during his training.
He realized that due to his profound connection with the elements, despite his mastery not being fully developed, he could briefly take control of all the elemental molecules in the air, leaving his opponent unable to manipulate them.
With his subpar mastery of the space element, Atticus could only achieve this for a split second— a split second he now used without hesitation.
In an instant, as the five blades of Carius's alternates converged from different directions, their eyes narrowed dangerously.
Their forms abruptly stopped mid air, as every single space molecule in the air ceased responding to their call, leaving them suspended.
Not a nanosecond was wasted.
Atticus's gaze flashed, and his exosuit responded, utilizing half of the energy he had absorbed from the continuous beatings he'd endured.
His aura surged, shooting skyward as an immense amount of energy coursed through his veins. He moved at blinding speed, his katana radiating an intense azure light. He slashed, an azure arc cleaving through the necks of three of Carius's duplicates.
As the katana cleaved through the three Carius duplicates and neared the fourth, Atticus suddenly lost control of the space element.
A chill ran down his spine—a familiar sense of death. Without hesitation, he leapt back, just as the space he had occupied a moment earlier imploded, leaving a gaping void.
The entire human domain erupted into roars and cheers. Their apex was still in the game!
Smiles spread across the faces of Aurora and Zoey as their auras calmed slightly. The excitement in the domain was reignited, the energy palpable as people shouted, fists clenched in anticipation.
The Dimensari paragons brows shot up in utter shock. What just happened? The people of the other races watching couldn't help but gaze at the screen in confusion. Instead of cheering, they were perplexed by the sudden shift in the battle's momentum.
In the midst of it all, Magnus smiled. His boy was too much!
The Dimensari paragons watching the screen intensified their focus. Atticus had killed three of their apex's duplicates in that split second; what was to say he couldn't kill the original? The strength difference between each duplicate was minimal at best.
The threat level of this human had just skyrocketed. If Carius wasn't careful, he could lose. They could lose their apex.
…
Both of the remaining Carius duplicates glanced at their fallen counterparts before locking their cold eyes onto Atticus. Shock morphed into intense anger. The situation had spiraled far beyond their control, and they hated it to the very core.
The air around them grew heavy, distorting as their combined auras surged, and the space element thickened. The pressure felt as if the atmosphere itself was collapsing. A faint shimmer of energy began to gather around their blades.
In unison, both Carius muttered their third art:
"Spatial Convergence."
Suddenly, the air around them cracked and shattered as countless spatial blades materialized, circling them in a storm of razor thin edges. The blades swirled, multiplying and converging.
The vortex of blades expanded, forming a massive, spiraling void of cutting energy that tore through the air, converging into a singular point aimed directly at Atticus.
As the attack barreled toward him, Atticus's gaze narrowed. Without hesitation, he channeled the remaining energy of his exosuit, his speed reaching new heights as lightning crackled around him.
His body blurred, leaving afterimages in his wake as he entered a precise stance. His katana moved, slashing at fast speeds, his form a blur as the slashes multiplied.
The air ignited as each of his slashes converged into two focal points, forming two intense crimson arcs. The arcs spiraled outward, blazing with power as they shot toward the oncoming attack.
The crimson arcs and the spatial covergence collided in a cataclysmic explosion. The impact released a shockwave that rippled through the air, shattering nearby floating platforms into fragments.
The crimson energy tore through the vortex of blades, sending sparks and shards of dimensional energy flying in all directions. A blinding light filled the battlefield as the two forces clashed, pushing against each other with devastating power.
The sound was deafening— a mix of roaring flames and shattering glass. When the light finally faded, cracks had formed all around, and the very air seemed scorched from the clash of power.