Humans were complicated beings, but at that moment, there wasn't a single one among them who didn't want to rip that kid to shreds.
But in the entire human domain, Sector 3 was where all the anger was concentrated, especially in the Ravenstein estate.
It was eerily quiet. Not even the faint sound of insects could be heard. The entire Ravenstein family stood still, eyes locked onto the figure of Carius on the screen.
If there was one thing that didn't mix well with the Ravensteins, it was threats.
The anger that simmered in the air was so intense that the very atmosphere trembled, each elemental molecule blazing with energy.
The Ravensteins were seething. The Dimensari were powerful—overwhelmingly so—but at that moment, they wanted nothing more than to go to war. None of them cared about the consequences.
"Is this guy serious?" one of the Triplets of Ruin, Rurik, suddenly spoke up. "Big words from someone who looks like he's auditioning for a space opera."
Another brother, Borya, nodded in response.
"Right? 'I'll wipe them all out,' blah blah. What is he, a monologue enthusiast? Get this guy a podium."
The third brother didn't say anything, simply staring at Carius, his thoughts already clear. None of the Ravensteins responded or even laughed.
The Triplets of Ruin were known for their antics, and even though they were making jokes, it was obvious they were just as angry as everyone else.
The Four Stars sat unmoving, each of their auras swirling upward like beacons of doom. The air around them blazed with their respective elements. None of them spoke, but their anger was palpable.
Among them all, only Anastasia showed no anger. Her entire focus was on Atticus, tears still streaming down her face.
The expressions of the Dimensari paragons remained unchanged. Words like those from one of their own would be enough to cause severe political repercussions, but they didn't seem to care. It was a clear indication of how little they valued humans.
Soon enough, all eyes turned toward Atticus, waiting to see how he would respond.
Atticus didn't react. He didn't say anything. His breaths were labored, but his gaze remained cold, fixed directly on the original Carius.
He wasn't feeling any anger—he wasn't feeling anything. He had heard those words clearly, but at the same time, they didn't register.
In the entire world, Atticus's focus was locked onto Carius. His gaze was cold, detached, and icy, as though staring at a mere object.
Carius had expected Atticus's expression to change—to see despair or anger. But all he got was a stare.
It was a quiet stare, one that meant only one thing. It was the stare one would give an obstacle—something that needed to be erased, nothing more.
It was a stare that irked Carius to his very core.
He was the obstacle? Impossible.
The auras of both Carius figures flared, erupting into the dark sky. Despite Atticus focusing only on the original, even the alternate seemed to share his anger.
Their anger peaked.
"Fine."
The real Carius muttered under his breath. Atticus hadn't spoken a word, but that stare was enough.
Suddenly, Carius stretched out his left hand, and an orange flag appeared. Without hesitation, he crushed it, and it dissolved into motes of light.
In the next moment, a dome of shimmering gold radiated out, encompassing both Carius figures and Atticus.
Carius had used the orange flag:
Orange Flag: Create an impenetrable shield that encompasses both you and your opponent for 1 minute.
"Let's see how you'll escape."
Carius's cold voice echoed within the dome, as both figures raised their arms. The entire space started to become unstable, as if it might implode at any moment.
The people watching instantly understood Carius's plan. He had trapped both himself and Atticus in an enclosed space and was planning to detonate the space within the dome.
Unlike before, Atticus wouldn't have anywhere to escape!
It was a clever plan, but it filled Carius with anger. To think he would have to resort to tricks to defeat a measly human.
But Carius bottled that anger deep inside. From everything he had seen, it was clear that Atticus was smart and patient—the type to keep revealing hidden cards during a battle until he won. The type that was most annoying to fight.
But this had to be checkmate.
Atticus remained calm, his gaze steady. As the space around him became increasingly unstable, he straightened his stance, hovering with a composed demeanor.
His exo-suit had shut down due to overuse, and he was severely injured, his mana reserves low. The situation was dire, but he didn't seem to care.
Regardless of everything, his will was still going strong.
Atticus exhaled sharply, stretching his arm forward.
The drops of crimson blood trailing from his form abruptly halted in midair, then began to gather, swirling in front of his open palm.
His eyes ignited with a deep, intense red as his will surged out like a wave, merging with the blood.
In Sector 6, the members of the Enigmalnk family watching widened their eyes in shock.
"A grade 3?" one whispered, disbelief filling the room.
Oberon, however, grinned widely. "He's finally going to use it."
The air around Atticus shifted, an intense tension building.
Carius's eyes narrowed. 'Another card?' he wondered, his frown deepening.
But before he could react, Atticus's hand snapped forward, moving at lightning speed. In the next instant, two runes formed in the air before him: the first read 'Sea,' and the second, 'Surge.'
Atticus's will simmered slightly as they formed, but the coldness in his eyes remained. He channeled mana into the two runes.
The runes blazed with crimson light before shattering into particles. The Surge rune entered Atticus, and an overwhelming surge of energy flooded his veins like wildfire.
The Sea rune, meanwhile, unleashed a torrent of water, surging and crashing, filling the entire space and enveloping all three within the dome.
Atticus felt the immense power coursing through his body, overwhelming. His next move was immediate.
As Carius's thoughts raced, trying to assess the situation and attack, Atticus's voice rang out, and everything stopped.
"Domain."