Kael's figure blurred as he moved, instantaneously appearing in front of Atticus, hands still in the same position, directly above his waist.
Looking at Kael's form in front of him, Atticus couldn't help but be a little shocked.
Kael's speed didn't change; he was still advancing towards him in slow motion, but what was shocking was the fact that looking at Kael, Atticus couldn't predict any of movement he was about to make.
There were no slightest shift in weights, no tensing of muscles before a strike, no rhythmic inhales or exhales signaling a specific technique.
It was as if what was currently heading towards him was a piece of rock! Kael was a completely blank slate.
Since he couldn't predict Kael's movement, Atticus focused on any movement he was going to make.
Even though he could predict, he was still able to observe Kael in slow motion. The only thing that would change was that Atticus would have less time to react.
And then, Kael's entire body tensed simultaneously, making it practically impossible for Atticus to predict his next actions.
With lightning reflexes, Kael's left hand swiftly drew a sword from his right waist, executing an upward swing with remarkable speed.
Seeing this, Atticus agilely swerved to the right, evading the strike.
Almost immediately, Kael's right hand flexed, seamlessly unsheathing the sword on his left waist. This time, executing a swift downward swing.
As quick as lightning, Atticus controlled the earth from under him, as it moved through his legs, his torso, and finally to his right hand, immediately transforming and molding into the shape of a sword.
Atticus focused on it, making sure it was completely sturdy.
Then, his hand blurred as he deftly parried Kael's downward strike with the earthen sword.
However, what happened next baffled Atticus as Kael immediately let go of the sword he just blocked, instantaneously unsheathing another sword from his waist and launching a new attack from the right.
Atticus effortlessly blocked the strike once more, but before the force could even transfer, Kael had left the sword he had first blocked, instantly unsheathing and unleashing another attack with it.
This sequence played out as Atticus easily blocked the strikes from all eight swords. The attacks occurred so rapidly and from all directions that each sword remained suspended in the air, each one conveniently facing in different directions.
'Ah, I see,' Atticus thought with a smile.
Then, at a speed beyond what many youths taking the test could fathom, both of Kael's hands blurred as he instantly unleashed attacks from all directions simultaneously.
His hands moved so fast that he grabbed each sword in the air, slashing them with such rapidity that it appeared as if different people were attacking Atticus from various angles.
Getting attacked from all directions in such a way, many would struggle to parry or block each of the attacks.
Atticus had already predicted what Kael was planning, but he had still let him do what he wanted to do. The speed Kael was currently attacking at was beyond what a normal Advanced+ rank could reach; 'It's probably related to his bloodline,' Atticus deduced.
But so what if Kael's speed was greater than what an Advanced+ rank could reach? To Atticus, it was no faster than a snail.
'I'll use lightning mimicry,' Atticus gingerly decided.
Even though Atticus could surpass Kael's speed even without it, he still wanted to use it. He enjoyed the feeling every time he utilized it.
Ever since Atticus had advanced to the Expert-rank a year back, as usual, he got some other elements unlocked.
But instead of the three like when he advanced to the Advanced rank, Atticus had only gotten two.
Awakening lightning was a given considering who was training him, and as for the second element, after a brief contemplation, Atticus had decided on the ice element.
Of course, Magnus had immediately been able to tell when he had awakened these elements, and after a few weeks, Atticus was able to unlock each one of them and train them like there was no tomorrow.
But this was the first time he was going to use the lightning elemental mimicry in actual battle that wasn't training.
The Lightning elemental mimicry, compared to air, was like heaven and earth when it came to speed.
As fast as lightning, Atticus stimulated his lightning bloodline with his mana, moving it around his body.
In that electrifying moment, Atticus felt an exhilarating surge coursing through his veins, transforming his very essence. As this feeling intensified, he became acutely aware of the newfound precision in his movements.
Every step, every shift of weight, was executed with a breathtaking accuracy that bordered on the sublime.
Yet, what made this experience truly extraordinary was the absence of the expected visual cues. No streaks of lightning adorned his form; instead, the power manifested internally.
This was the evolution of the elemental mimicry art. After advancing it to the Advanced+ rank, it had grown remarkably.
It was especially glaring after he advanced his bloodline to level 3. Apart from being able to hide the visual elemental cues he emitted, before, Atticus had only been able to control whatever element he was using elemental mimicry with, but with the advance in level, there were no such restrictions.
Now, regardless of whatever element he was mimicking, Atticus could control any elements he wished.
With giddy anticipation, Atticus gazed at Kael's attacks, then with thunderous speed, he raised the earthen sword in his hand, parrying every one of the attacks flawlessly.
And before Kael could react, like a bolt of lightning, Atticus surged forward, closing the gap between them in an instant.
The air itself seemed to part in acknowledgment of his velocity, leaving a shimmering streak behind him as he closed in on Kael.
In one seamless motion, Atticus drew back his hands, fingers clenched in a fist. With unbridled power, he unleashed a devastating blow upon Kael's stomach.
The impact resonated through the forest, the force radiating through Kael's form like ripples on a pond, forming three concentric circles of kinetic energy that pulsed outward behind Kael's figure.
For a suspended moment, Kael's form hung in the air, his body leaning forward, the sheer force of the blow bending him at the waist.
Then, with a sudden and explosive release of energy, Kael's form shot backward through the forest at supersonic speeds.
