As Nero flipped backwards, negating the momentum of the redheaded man’s rebuff, he came to the conclusion that the man was definitely a Mystic. While Arcanists were definitely stronger than Initiates, the difference should not have been so drastic - at least not without the Arcanists using the Arcanist form!
No matter how Nero attacked or probed, using strength, speed or both, the man always blocked it easily, and with a single hand, all without so much as taking a single step back. Now that was just unreasonable!
After all, regardless of how strong the redheaded man was, his weight should be normal. Moreover, him being strong doesn’t negate Nero’s strength, so blocking Nero’s full strength strike should at least cause him to stumble or take a few steps back. Being unhurt was one thing, but not even being pushed back was entirely another.
Unless he had his feet glued to the ground, which was unlikely, the only way in which he could avoid being pushed back was if his strength was drastically greater than Nero’s, and he had excellent control over his own strength.
Thus, when he blocked Nero’s attacks, he could absorb the momentum of each attack by appropriately flexing or relaxing his muscles, as well as bending his limbs. But that was just theoretical. Even Nero could not understand how such a thing was possible.
Maybe it was through the effect of the passive of whatever his Profession was, but it was difficult to be certain. Nero didn’t focus on that. Instead, from the very first attack that had been blocked, he had already started working on a strategy.
Victory in a challenge could be attained through many ways, and pushing an opponent out of the arena was just as valid as defeating him in combat. That was his goal, yet with the redheaded man refusing to move in the slightest, it was far from easy.
Thus, in this fight, Nero had adopted a very specific fighting style. He attacked with punches, jabbing quickly and hard, before quickly retreating. The purpose was to first test his opponent, and second to lure him into a certain pattern of blocking that Nero could make use of!
After landing, Nero did not immediately attack again. Instead, seeing that he did not step forward once again, he genuinely felt slightly provoked. Compared to the redheaded man, Nero was weak, but he was not undeserving of respect. Since the man looked down on Nero so much, then Nero would show him the error of his ways.
With his focus heightening to his peak, and his fighting intent reaching its max, Nero attacked once again. The aether around him was once again swirling his body, reacting to his strong emotions, affecting all those who watched.
This fight, by no means, seemed mundane to them. It was not just about the sheer strength or speed Nero showed - it was his whole demeanor. In front of an undefeatable opponent, he was not intimidated at all. Instead, the harder the opponent the greater his drive for victory became.
For some reason, watching the fight, they felt both hot and cold, as if they stood not in an arena, but at the very center of a clash between a raging inferno and deadly blizzard.
What only a very few of them realised was that everything was being done purposefully by Axel - the redheaded man. He was here because Eleanor had praised Nero highly, making him curious.
He was purposefully influencing the aether around him to see how Nero would react to the presence of a strong foe - a monster, as it were. What he had not expected was Nero to respond by doing the same, even if he did it unconsciously.
He also purposefully blocked Nero in a very direct manner, as if to show him the vast gap between the two of them, testing his mental fortitude. Yet instead of being intimidated by the gap in their strength, Axel observed a deep and unwavering resolve in his eyes.
Nero may have attacked in a certain style to attempt to fool Axel, but all his actions had been seen through by the man. Yet instead of spoiling the show, he wanted to see just what Nero could achieve.
He had already proven himself worthy of fighting his seniors. In fact, most second years would not be his opponents at all, thus it was not a problem to grant him permission right then and there. Yet he had heard from Eleanor that Nero wanted to join the Valkan legion.
If that was his goal, then he needed to be tested in more than just combat strength. Today, Axel was here in person to determine how Nero reacted in the face of an unbeatable opponent.
When all his strengths failed, and his strategies were foiled, how would he react? Would he quit the battle? Would he feel fear? Or helplessness? Or would he prove himself worthy of being acknowledged by the legion?
Yes, Axel’s goal was to thoroughly crush all of Nero’s attempts at moving him. Thus, when the two clashed, it was no longer a fight between their bodies, but it was also a fight between their goals!
This time Nero attacked from the right side. Since the redheaded man did not move at all, attacking him from the back and the sides was the best option, for it made it difficult for him to block properly.
Yet, consistent in his style, the redheaded man stretched out his right hand and blocked Nero’s punch, grabbing onto his fist. It was at that moment that Nero suddenly changed his style, opening his fist and clasping onto his hand. Nero quickly twisted his hand as he moved behind the redheaded man, attempting to put him in a lock.
Just as Nero expected, the redheaded man used brute strength, locking his arm so that Nero could not twist it. Yet that was exactly what Nero wanted.
With his arm locked stiff, Nero treated it as a lever. No matter how strong the man was, could he stand still if Nero picked him up and threw him?
Nero did not act slowly, immediately using all his strength to lift the man as he twirled his own body, using that momentum Nero intended to fling him across the arena.
Axel smirked, amused by Nero’s methods. Instead of loosening his arm, Axel finally moved. Well, technically he moved. He did a back flip, straightening his arm once more, negating Nero’s attempts at twisting it, and landed back exactly where he stood. Though, as if in acknowledgment of Nero’s attempts, he finally did something other than blocking.
Using his foot, Axel swept the floor, hitting Nero’s ankles and causing him to trip.
Nero, once again, was stunned. While a backflip could straighten his arm, how could he just negate the forward momentum of his attempted throw?
But Nero did not give up. Even as he fell, Nero kicked the redheaded man’s hand, forcing him to let go so that Nero could roll away from him and resume his attack.
If Nero was confused, then by comparison those observing were even more confused because they couldn’t keep up. The fight was taking place too quickly, and the entire attempted flip manoeuvre had taken place in a split second.
By the time they even processed that Nero had done something different, everything was over and Nero was rolling away.
After that, the fight entered a whole new phase. While Nero’s plan of tricking Axel had failed, that did not mean he would give up. Actually, it hadn’t failed in the sense that it had made Axel jump. The fact that he landed in the exact same place could be disregarded.
The arena was filled with the sounds of Nero’s fists being blocked, of his kicks easily being stopped, of the wind their clashes caused. All the observing students saw Nero in a new light, for even managing to fight for this long, with this intensity, was quite an incredible feat.
Yet Nero was not satisfied. He wanted to win. He wanted to knock that redhead out. Since strategy alone was not working, and since his strength and speed were insufficient, then it was time to stop playing it safe.
Every time the redhead blocked, he tried to grab Nero’s limb, to immobilise him, which was also why Nero kept his distance. If he was trapped, unable to move, then the fight would be over.
Nero’s eyes narrowed, and attacked again, this time from the front.
Axel immediately sensed a change in the aether around Nero, and restrained himself from shaking his head. Whether Nero was accepted into the Valkan legion or not, Axel decided to teach Nero how to prevent his emotions from affecting the surrounding aether. While it may sound impressive, and such a thing had its uses, in front of someone like him, it was as good as telegraphing Nero’s intentions.
As Nero attacked, he once again blocked, and this time he gripped Nero’s hands harder, making sure he wouldn’t let go. Yet, contrary to his expectations, Nero did not try to flip him again!
Instead, Nero jumped forward, aiming to smash his knee into Axel’s face. Axel blocked with his other hand, but because he had been expecting Nero to do something else his block was not timed as well as it normally would have. Before he could grab onto his knee, he felt Nero move, wrapping both his legs around Axels’ upper body.
Using a grappling technique, Nero grabbed onto Axel’s body, and then threw himself backward, using the momentum of his fall to finally move that annoying redhead from his place.
The aether around Nero began to surge with even greater ferocity. This was not a foe Nero could take lightly, so instead of treating this like a spar or training, Nero treated it like a fight to the death.
Suddenly, it no longer felt like he was in an arena. Everything disappeared. All that mattered was his opponent. Although it was entirely unreasonable, Nero always felt frustrated about being unable to defeat the Primal Exarch. He had no intention of feeling the same frustration against this opponent.