The force of the clashes intensified as their speed increased manifold.
Regardless of the battle's intensity, Atticus's mind worked quickly as he analyzed Karn's whole being.
'He hasn't used any arts,' Atticus noted. Every apex he had fought, just like him, had used their life weapon art during battle.
Sure, Karn had acted and immediately used his domain due to the situation, but it seemed odd.
From his brief interaction with Karn, Atticus didn't take him as the type to hold back.
'He's too direct, too simple. He sees this as a task to be accomplished, nothing else.'
No matter how he thought about it, such a person wouldn't intentionally hold back due to something as trivial as pride. Which only meant one thing:
'He doesn't have any arts.'
The ability to negate mana was already overpowered and likely came with some drawbacks. Arts had always been inherently dependent on mana, and although Karn seemed to control some kind of energy, it was possible that there were no arts to back it up.
Although Magnus had given him a way to fight, Atticus had taken it a step further. Even though Magnus was a paragon, no one could know his own power better than Atticus himself.
He had come up with another way.
The Nullite's power of negation affected mana, but the elemental molecules were different. They were still present in the air, but since they couldn't mix with mana, they were next to useless.
However, what if Atticus could get them to mix with mana within a controlled radius? Even if it was only for a brief moment, he could use his elements!
Atticus believed in this assumption—it seemed logical. However, he remained cautious. Although there were no life weapon arts, it didn't mean that there wasn't something else.
Regardless, one thing was certain: he had to end this battle fast.
Atticus's eyes blazed as his will abruptly exploded, forming a controlled radius that suddenly encompassed both him and Karn.
Karn felt his negation aura getting suppressed by Atticus's will. A frown appeared on his face, but before he could react, Atticus acted.
His mana suddenly surged outward, mixing with the elemental molecules in the air. In an instant, Atticus felt his connection to each of his elements reignite, and he didn't hesitate.
The crowd's reaction was instantaneous; they each gasped in shock as the humans erupted, shouting at the top of their lungs.
But Atticus was already moving. His body streaked forward, a blur of lightning and fire trailing in his wake.
His focus shifted to the earth and space elements, and the air within the confined space suddenly grew dense, gravity multiplying several times over, pressing down on Karn and forcing his form to struggle to stay afloat.
Atticus's speed was unreal, the sheer force of his movement parting the air like a sharp blade. His katana flashed, appearing at Karn's throat in the blink of an eye.
The entire crowd held their breath, the anticipation palpable, each person gripping something tightly.
But Karn's expression remained unfazed, steady. His brow furrowed slightly before he muttered,
"Void Rend."
In the next second, a cataclysmic shockwave erupted from Karn, ripping through the confined space like a battering ram.
The force of the attack slammed into Atticus's will, hitting him like a sledgehammer. He felt an intense pain pierce through his skull, and for a moment, his grip faltered.
Because of that, his katana veered off course, slicing a deep gash across Karn's left cheek.
Brown liquid sprayed into the air, but Karn's gaze remained unchanged—cold and unaffected, as if he felt nothing.
In the next instant, Karn's arm tensed as he swung his hammer in a brutal arc, its massive form hurtling toward the side of Atticus's head.
Atticus's eyes narrowed, his instincts kicking in as he fought through the pain. His thoughts shifted to the fire element, and his body flickered sideways, narrowly evading the hammer as it passed over his horizontal form.
In the next instant, fire erupted beneath his feet, propelling him forward as he twisted mid-air. His leg shot out like a cannon, the impact smashing into the side of Karn's head with explosive force.
The collision echoed through the arena like a war drum, and Karn's body was sent hurtling through the air, crashing into the earth with devastating power.
The ground buckled and cratered under the impact, dust and debris flying in all directions.
Not a nanosecond was wasted.
A streak of crimson tore through the air as Atticus launched himself, his katana flashing forward with momentum.
But just as he closed in, a burst of green erupted from the spot where Karn had cratered, and a barrier of emerald light materialized around him.
Atticus's katana collided with the barrier, and the impact sent a violent shockwave through his body, jarring his arm and causing his muscles to tense.
He immediately pulled back, flipping mid-air and landing a few meters away, his eyes fixed on Karn as he tried to shake off the numbness spreading through his limbs.
'My whole body feels numb,' Atticus thought, clenching his arm tightly, trying to regain control over his stiff muscles.
That barrier had been far too sturdy; his attack hadn't even caused it to flicker. His cold eyes locked onto Karn, who remained inside the barrier.
Karn stood up slowly, unfazed, his expression as cold as ever.
He had used the green flag, a barrier that lasted for only five seconds.
The time seemed small, but to Atticus and Karn, it felt like forever.
Karn took his time, deliberately reaching up to his cracked chin. With a sickening snap, he forced it back into place, the bone audibly clicking, yet his eyes never left Atticus. The intensity of his gaze was unnerving.
It was at that moment that Atticus made a mind-blowing realization.
Some time had passed since he had torn Karn's cheek, and yet, it hadn't healed. However, his shattered chin was visibly healing.
Many wouldn't understand why, but Atticus wasn't just anyone. His gaze narrowed, his mind racing.