And then, without both of them uttering a word, they both took measured steps towards each other. Their eyes locked in silent understanding.
There was on need for talks, no need for delay, they were here to fight and they would do just that.
Just as they got 10 meters apart from each other, in an instant, Kael's form blurred, and he materialized before Atticus, one of the 8 swords on his waist already in his right hand. A diagonal slash cleaved through the space, aiming for Atticus.
Unfazed, Atticus watched calmly as Kael's attack slowly approached him. Before the attack could reach, with a burst of agility, he deftly sidestepped the attack with speed.
But as if reading his mind, before the attack finished its swing, Kael seamlessly redirected the attack into a horizontal slash at Atticus.
Reacting swiftly, with another jolt of speed, Atticus's figure darted two meters to the back, effectively evading the slash.
But Kael didn't relent, he pressed on closing the distance instantly with remarkable speed. Kael released a flurry of attacks at fast speed, his every movement precise and calculated. His every strike targeting weak points on Atticus form.
His movements were so rapid that only individuals with sufficient strength could perceive them.
The cameras struggled to capture his swift actions, leaving the masses with nothing more than a blur of his hands and the appearance of silver streaks in the air.
But regardless of the intensity of the attacks, Atticus's perception was just too high. With godlike agility, he calmly evaded each strike with minimal, almost ethereal movements. His body a blur as he gracefully evaded each attacks easily.
'This can't do, I'm wasting time here. I better increase the intensity so he'll be forced to use it,' Atticus decided.
The only reason he was fighting with Kael in the first place was because he wanted to see what Kael's bloodline was.
But currently, Kael wasn't even taking the fight seriously yet. The fact that he was only using one sword when he clearly had 8 more sheathed on his waist spoke volumes.
Seeing a thrust surging towards him, Atticus's silhouette blurred, gracefully lowering himself to evade the impending attack.
With coiled tension in his legs, he propelled forward, closing the distance between them with extraordinary speed.
Atticus's torso spun as he seamlessly executed an anti clockwise spin, his left elbow slicing through the air, aiming unerringly for Kael's head.
Kael responded swiftly, interlocking his arms in a defensive stance, blocking the brutal attack. But despite the effective block, the sheer force of Atticus's blow drove him backward, skidding several inches across the ground for a few meters.
"WOAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The whole coliseum erupted, the ground quivering in response to the fervent cheers of the audience.
"YES!!!" Avalon catapulted from his seat, the impact causing the seat to implode. Anastasia, too, leaped up, her voice joining the chorus, "Get him!!!!"
In the section where the Ravenstein youths were gathered, the atmosphere was electric as almost all of them rose to their feet, cheering with unbridled enthusiasm.
Even Ember, who was initially seating down stood attentively, her gaze fixed on the unfolding battle.
...
Kael gazed at his hands, seeing them trembling slightly.
"Hmm, strong," he muttered, clenching his hands a few times, trying to stabilize the shaking. His aloof expression not changing one bit.
Then he turned to look at Atticus, "Perception, huh," Kael muttered under his breath.
His voice was meant to be low, with no one hearing, but could it escape Atticus's keen senses? No.
Atticus raised an eyebrow in slight shock. 'How did he know?' He pondered.
Currently, Atticus was still fighting with Kael while matching the latter's strength, Advanced+ rank.
He didn't want the fight to end instantly because he wanted to give Kael the opportunity to utilize his bloodline fully, which was why he had simply been using his perception to predict Kael's movements.
At this point, it was an instinctual process; he was always using his perception even in his every day activities.
Then Atticus suddenly remembered Magnus, who had also found out he had awakened his perception without Atticus even telling him. 'My eyes,' Atticus swiftly deduced.
It was simple and obvious honestly. Kael had figured out that Atticus awakened his perception because of the movements of his eyes. They reacted and moved way faster than his body.
Although Atticus had decided to reduce his power to the Advanced+ rank, the same couldn't be said for his perception. His perception had always been higher than his rank, and this had intensified after training with Magnus all those years back.
Atticus smiled.
It was an action that seemed to baffle Kael, who was observing him.
Atticus's thinking speed was far too great for the ordinary, already coming to the conclusion in less than a second.
The only thing Kael observed was him muttering something and Atticus smiling immediately after.
Normally, during battle, when an opponent uncovers something about you, the last thing one should do was smile.
But Atticus didn't care.
He was happy, very happy that he had learned this lesson here instead of a life and death battle.
'Fighting other people really is the best way to gain experience,' Atticus thought.
What was Atticus happy about? It was simple; he had just learned a great lesson.
Regardless of how much intelligence he had, regardless of how much faster he could think compared to others, during fights, his opponents weren't brainless.
They were also capable of thinking and were always trying their best efforts to find any weaknesses in him.
He had gotten too comfortable with his strength that he had let his guard down, allowing Kael to obtain vital information about him.
It was a valuable lesson. Honestly, a very obvious lesson. But it was something one might not realize until you experience it firsthand.
Kael fixed his gaze on Atticus, maintaining the same calm and aloof expression he had worn since their encounter in the expanse.
Without warning, Kael bent down slightly, positioning his hands just below his waist, close to the hilts of the swords encircling him.
Then, in a swift blur, Kael's figure materialized in front of Atticus, his hands still poised in the same position directly above his waist.
