The hammer rocketed upward, slicing through the air and shattering the falling rocks effortlessly.
Its speed was so intense that it broke the sound barrier with sonic booms, the air currents gathering around the hammer as it tore through the sky.
Atticus's eyes widened; he hadn't expected Karn to throw his weapon.
His focus instantly shifted to the fire element, his body flickering out of the hammer's path just as it ripped past where he had been, the air around it swirling and distorting from the sheer force of its movement.
But as soon as he reappeared in another location, the hammer shifted course, changing direction and hurtling toward him with twice its speed.
Atticus wasted no time, flickering again and again, deftly evading the hammer. Each time it missed, its force caused ripples and gusts, tearing through the atmosphere.
Even as Atticus dodged, his focus remained on the earth element. He conjured more boulders, launching them toward Karn below, as though to overwhelm him.
The area rumbled as massive boulders shot from the ground, crashing down like artillery shells.
'He's smart,' Atticus thought, his mind clear as he assessed the situation.
During his lessons with Magnus, Atticus had learned about the Nullite race, and the realization of their power had been frightening. They could negate mana, making them the bane of the Ravenstein family.
Other families could still utilize their bloodline to a certain degree even without mana, but the Ravensteins wouldn't be able to do anything.
To manipulate the elements, they needed to form a connection with the mana and elemental molecules in the air. Without mana, how could they form the elements?
It was a terrifying realization, but Atticus calmed down as Magnus continued speaking.
The Nullite race had weaknesses — significant ones.
The most basic ability of the Nullite race was the creation of a null field, which was exactly as it sounded: a field where all mana was neutralized.
The range of this field varied depending on the strength of its user. A grandmaster+ equivalent of their race typically had a null field radius of about 85 meters with a height of 50 meters. Some could extend it further, but not by a significant margin.
This was their first weakness. The null field moved with its user but had a limited range.
The second weakness was that the Nullite race could only use their power of nullification when they were in contact with the earth.
It didn't have to be earth in particular, but it needed to be something directly connected to the ground, like a building or structure.
Atticus used these weaknesses to his advantage, staying high above. While the null field could still nullify his attacks and elements, the earth element was tricky.
If Atticus manipulated the earth to form a boulder outside the null field and then hurled it down toward Karn, it would still be a massive boulder, even without mana, once it entered the null field.
'I can continue like this for as long as it takes, but what's he going to do?'
Karn's choice to throw his weapon had been clever. It forced Atticus to stay alert, as one hit would have devastating consequences. It also kept Atticus busy, preventing him from launching a more direct attack.
However, Atticus was expending minimal energy. His suit continued regenerating his fatigue and mana. He could keep this up for as long as necessary.
Karn's eyes remained steady, his aura flaring as he weaved through the bombardment of falling rocks, his movements precise, the dark energy rippling around him.
Suddenly, his gaze snapped upward, locking onto Atticus's flickering figure high above.
The roars from the human domain outside were deafening as the crowd screamed in sheer excitement, but none of the sound reached the arena.
In the arena, the only noises were the heavy thuds of rocks crashing against the earth and the whistling sound of Karn's massive hammer cutting through the air.
To the people watching, it seemed clear that Atticus had the upper hand.
However, just as it seemed Karn was cornered, he uttered a single word that made the world tremble:
"Domain."
A pillar of darkness erupted from him, shooting into the sky before spreading out in all directions, engulfing a 500-meter radius with him at the center.
The once bright and chaotic world instantly transformed. The sky, previously illuminated by the distant sun, was now shrouded in shadow, casting an eerie twilight glow over the arena.
The air felt thick, heavy, and lifeless, like a suffocating fog that choked out all light. The world became dull, devoid of the vibrant mana it once thrived on.
The massive boulders that floated high up in the air suddenly began to tremble before crumbling into dust, their remnants falling to the ground.
The massive hammer, which had been homing in on Atticus moments before, lost its momentum and dropped from the sky.
Karn reached out and caught it effortlessly, his eyes never leaving Atticus. This was his world—a world where mana was nothing but a memory. A beautiful world.
However, Karn's brows rose as he observed Atticus's new form.
An intense crimson aura enveloped Atticus's entire form, and despite the neutralization of mana in the air, rendering him unable to control any elements, he still floated high above, his aura heavy.
How?
Karn thought, but his expression remained impassive. He had never been one to waste time pondering. It didn't change his objective: eliminate the filth.
Karn abruptly swept his hammer to the side, releasing a shockwave that tore through the air. The force of the swing cracked the ground beneath him, fissures spreading as dust billowed up.
His aura surged as he dipped low, muscles tensing before he shot upward like a missile, the ground buckling and cratering beneath the power of his launch.
Atticus's eyes remained cold, unflinching. The crimson aura surrounding him intensified as he shot toward the hurtling Karn with incredible speed.
A deep crimson collided with abyssal black, creating an intense shockwave that shook the entire arena.