It was as though they had been enemies for the longest time.
It was only five seconds, yet it felt like multiple centuries was passing.
Atticus and Karn's gazes locked mid-air, and it was as if intense sparks ignited between them. To Karn, he wanted nothing more than to rid the world of the filth he was currently facing.
Atticus's mana was pure, so pure that Karn had surprisingly never seen anything like it before. Instead of being bountiful and plentiful, it was concentrated and strong.
Since he had unleashed his domain, Karn's power output had reached the grandmaster+ rank, and it was obvious that, although Atticus was close, Karn was faster and stronger.
However, Atticus still seemed to match him every time. Many might not understand how, but Karn did.
Atticus predictive analysis was off the charts—he was being read.
Where Atticus lacked in power and speed, he made up for it by predicting his opponent's weaknesses and reacting accordingly.
It sounded simple, but it was incredibly difficult. Not many could do this, even with heightened perception.
Despite coming to this conclusion, Karn remained calm. In fact, he hadn't been actively thinking before; everything had just been a passing thought.
To him, it didn't matter. It didn't change what had to be done. He would crush the filth.
Exactly four seconds had passed, and Atticus's will had receded to just the surface of his body.
His eyes held Karn's, but the number of thoughts running through his head made it obvious that, to him, this brief standoff was pointless.
He had suddenly realized something that would change everything about this battle and improve his abilities by leaps and bounds.
In the brief moment when Karn's destructive wave had hit him, Atticus had lost control over his will for just a split second as he slashed Karn's cheek.
In that brief moment, Atticus hadn't realized it, but he had done a lot.
Fixing his gaze on Karn's unhealed cheek, Atticus subtly felt a connection to it, as though a remnant of his will remained there.
This small fact led him to a mind-blowing conclusion, one that tempted him to slap himself for not thinking of it earlier.
It was something he had been using already, especially with his katana's third art, but he hadn't considered applying it to other things.
He had truly been foolish.
That one second felt like an eternity to the crowd watching from outside. Many were already at the edge of their seats.
The roar that shook the human domain when Atticus had kicked Karn was intense, and even more so when Karn, a supposed superior race, was forced to use a flag.
Their apex hadn't even used one!
Who was the lower race now!!?
The pride every single human felt at that moment was indescribable.
And, to their relief, the final second passed.
A roar that shook the domains erupted from the crowd, but none of it reached the arena.
Instead, the ground buckled as Karn launched forward with earth-shattering force, the sound echoing like a war drum. His speed was a blur, his hammer raised high with the intent to crush Atticus.
But he had barely covered half the distance when something shocking happened—something that stunned him and every single person watching.
A massive, flaming fireball suddenly materialized in his path, blazing with intense heat as it rocketed toward him.
Karn's gaze sharpened to pinpricks, a frown appearing on his face.
A fireball? In his domain?
It seemed inconceivable. No, it was inconceivable! So much so that he almost checked to see if Atticus had used a lighter and accelerant to ignite the flames. It was just that absurd.
For the first time since the Verietega Nexus began, a frown appeared on the Nullite race paragon's face.
Youn Voss sat on one of the high floating thrones, and despite everything—the event turning into a death match, and all the paragons showing their displeasure—he hadn't moved an inch.
If anything, he had been content. The Nullite race's ultimate goal had always been to rid the planet of mana-wielding filth. However, due to the Zorvans, they had to ally with what they despised most.
Watching as each of the other races' greatest geniuses died was a luxury to Youn. He had been in a good mood, even though his expression remained unchanged.
Not once had he been worried about Karn losing. To him, it seemed impossible.
The Dimensari might have won the competition multiple times in the past, but Karn Voss was different, and Youn had no doubt he would win the Nexus.
But that ball of fire that Atticus had just shot changed everything. For the first time, Youn's expression shifted.
Many others might not know what it was, but the Nullite had made it a point to study every ability that might pose a weakness to their race.
Youn knew exactly what it was, and it wasn't good news. However, the same couldn't be said for Karn Voss.
Karn wasted no time. As soon as the flaming ball appeared in front of him, he brought his hammer down like a judgment, smashing into the ball of fire—a mistake he paid dearly for.
It burst into an explosion of flames, smoke engulfing the air around him.
Then, to everyone's shock, including Karn's, the sizzling sound of burning flesh filled the arena.
Smoke rose, and Karn's eyes trembled in disbelief as he looked at the flames searing his skin. His shock was palpable.
How could fire burn him in his own domain?
For a being as strong as him, only fire infused with mana could burn him. This realization made Karn pause and think for the first time since the battle began.
As he focused on the crimson glow enveloping the fire, it hit him: Atticus had wrapped his will around the flames before launching them at him.
But before Karn could process this, Atticus shot through the cloud of smoke, his flaming katana descending like a comet.
Karn's instincts flared, his thoughts snapping into focus. He swung his hammer up to block, and the two weapons collided, igniting another burst of flames. The air became searing as the flames obscured everything.
However, in the next second Karn's gaze narrowed. He had expected a devastating impact, but something felt off.
Despite the flames engulfing his vision and the weight of Atticus's katana pressing against his hammer, his instincts screamed at him.
His gaze snapped downward just in time to see a flaming fist racing toward his face.
The realization hit him like a thunderclap.
Atticus had let go of his katana.
The fist connected with Karn's head with the force of a battering ram, the impact so intense it felt like a meteor smashing into the earth.