It was no wonder Atticus and Jared movements were a blur in most of the students' eyes.
Before each of them finished executing one move, they were already preparing multiple steps ahead.
Their movements were perfectly synchronized as though it was a completely rehearsed fight.
'Amazing,' Lila thought in amazement while focusing her gaze on the unfolding fight.
Lila had been lucky to be gifted with an incredible talent just like her brother Dell. Many in the family might even argue that she was more talented than Dell.
While she hadn't awakened her perception yet, she was able to see each one of their movements, and that same word was the only thing that came to her head.
Kael's hands were clenched hard on his biceps as he stood with his hands folded over his chest. His eyes were currently focused on one thing: Atticus.
He didn't even turn to look at the figure of Jared.
Kael's lips curled up into a crazed smile, a subtle berserk aura seeping out of his form as his eyes took on a sinister shade of crimson.
It was clear to anyone who knew even the slightest bit about the Stormrider family that Kael was restraining himself from jumping into the stage and joining in on the fight.
Zoey focused her gaze on the unfolding battle. She could see all of their movements clearly, and even she had to admit that it was incredible.
Atticus, a 15 year old boy, was standing his ground against an instructor that was well above 30 years of age.
Even though Atticus was currently a rank above his opponent, it shouldn't matter!
Experience was something one could only get with time, and this was something that Jared most definitely had.
But even so, Atticus was still standing his ground.
The rest of the tier ones all narrowed their eyes at the scene. If Atticus could achieve this kind of prowess while his ability was locked, then how strong was he really?
Some of them had already subtly removed Atticus from the people they needed to be careful of.
While he had taken the 2nd rank, he was far too unknown. It was hard to believe a talent on the level of Kael and Zoey had been in the human domain for 15 years and still remained unknown.
While it was hard to believe that Atticus had gotten lucky to get that 2nd rank, to them, it was the best possible explanation. It was easier to believe that than he was a genius.
But watching him fight now, it was completely obvious that they had been completely and thoroughly wrong.
Right now, just the way Atticus had been removed from the list of those to watch out for, they each subtly added him back to the list, pumping his importance to the top.
Atticus and Jared's movements were short, essential, and deliberate. Blows were evaded and counters were made.
Despite the current cold expression on Jared's face, his actual feeling was anything but so. Jared was currently feeling elated beyond belief.
This boy was just too much!
Jared was taller, more bulky, and more experienced!
Despite the one-rank increment Atticus had on him, Jared, because of his age and bulky form, had been able to match and even subtly surpass Atticus's strength.
Yet, Jared had tried a multitude of tricks, feints that would have at least fazed even the most experienced individuals in his rank, but Atticus had remained completely unfazed throughout the duration of the fight.
Just like Jared, he maintained the cold neutral expression as he countered Jared's brutal attacks with an even more brutal one.
Atticus was currently experiencing a completely surreal feeling.
This was a first for him.
Atticus's perception had always been higher than his strength.
And it was exactly because of this that while he could see an extremely fast attack, his body might not be able to keep up.
When he had been in the intermediate+ rank, Atticus's perception had been nothing compared to how it was currently.
While his body still couldn't keep up with his perception, but at the very least, it wasn't nearly as high as it was now.
Currently, to him, his form was moving at a pace that seemed even slower than a snail.
To his current perception, he was remarkably slow.
And this same thing can be said for the pace Jared was moving at.
Moving at this extremely slow speed with his opponent gave Atticus way more time to think.
He was able to utilize his perception to capture even single nuances on his form and Jared's all the same.
Every single twitch of his muscles was seen by him. Every single planned feint already accounted for and planned for.
At this rate Atticus was fighting, he already had his 25th move planned out already.
Every single one of his movements was calculated. But unfortunately or fortunately, Atticus's opponent wasn't a simple foe.
Just as Atticus had been scrutinizing Jared, Jared had also been doing the exact same thing to him.
He matched Atticus's 25 moves with his own 25. Both of them kept on releasing attacks upon attacks, coming to a standstill.
'Ah, I wish I could have him,' Jared thought with a small sigh as he deftly evaded another one of Atticus's swift and brutal counters.
Fighting with Atticus had been nothing more than thrilling to Jared, and he really didn't want it to stop!
'I really want to enjoy this more, but I guess it's time I end it,'
Jared's thought was accompanied by Atticus unleashing a spinning flying kick with his right leg.
But unlike the last numerous times, Jared's form didn't even move an inch.
As Atticus's swift spinning kick approached the right side of Jared's face, Atticus's eyes widened as a sudden manifestation of a blue translucent shield effortlessly intercepted the impending strike.
Before Atticus could fully regain his composure, Jared's counterattack was swift.
A punch suddenly materialized, inches away from Atticus's chest.
