It is a cruel and unjust reality of this world that Heaven and Earth do not play fair. They are biased, and the very concept of equality is shattered from the moment of birth.
Gifts are special abilities that some people in this world, who can wield mana, are born with. These people are called Gifted.
These abilities can manifest in various ways, such as enhancing weapon mastery or fortifying the body like an impenetrable armor.
A Gifted will always have a hidden ace up their sleeves to play in a battle; thus they'll always have the upper hand.
Of course, using mana, one can imitate many of the functions of the abilities that these so-called Gifted possess.
For example, one can strengthen their body using a spell, much like someone born with a body strengthening Gift.
However, here's the catch. Spells don't grow but Gifts do.
As a person's physical and mental strength grows through constant practice and combat, their Gift also evolves and becomes more powerful with them.
Consequently, an individual who has devoted all his life since childhood to the pursuit of being strong would possess a Gift that surpasses the might that a typical person can imagine.
"Enforcement!"
As those words were uttered, the world itself fell silent for a moment before a loud thundering crack echoed throughout the surrounding.
Alberto's short, messy black hair started to elongate right before Nero's eyes, transforming into strands of golden as if the mane of a lion.
His once-dark eyes erupted into a dazzling golden-white hue, radiating a fierce intensity that could rival the sun before the muscles in his torso ballooned up and hardened like a goldish-white exoskeleton.
In under a few seconds, Alberto grew taller and bulkier than before.
The nanotech armor that he had donned expanded accordingly to accommodate his enhanced form.
Nero wordlessly watched Alberto's transformation with eyes full of disdain.
He had half expected Alberto to be a Gifted too so he wasn't surprised by this sight unfolding before him.
"Fine," he muttered under his breath before crouching down and brandishing his longsword, assuming a formidable sword stance.
Swakchwaaak—!
As if to size up his opponent, Nero released a wave of Silver-ranked mana core pressure into the surroundings, enveloping Alberto in its suffocating embrace.
But unlike their previous encounter in the academy cafeteria, the Lord Commander of Class 1-C-8 remained unfazed this time.
"What did I tell you? It won't work this time!" roared Alberto before his giant figure vanished into thin air and appeared right before Nero's eyes.
"....?!" Nero wasn't able to follow his opponent's movements even with his trained eyes.
'Did his Gift give him a buff in speed?!' that was all the protagonist could think before Alberto shot a right hook at his chin.
Through gritted teeth, the black-haired boy quickly reinforced his sword with mana and brought it up to block the giant's punch.
Clang—!
THWACK—!
But to his utter shock, Nero's sword shattered upon contact with Alberto's fist as if it was nothing more than a fragile piece of glass.
Thud—!
With nothing to shield him from the impending strike, Nero was sent hurtling through the air by Alberto's powerful punch, crashing several meters away from his initial position with a resounding thud.
"Arghhh," Nero groaned in pain as he massaged the tender spot where Alberto's fist had made contact.
Despite the throbbing ache, he summoned his reserves of willpower and gradually forced himself back onto his feet.
Had Nero not reinforced his chin with mana at the last possible moment, he would have lost his head to Alberto's devastating blow.
'So his Gift gives him a massive buff in strength too,' observing his opponent with newfound wariness, Nero took note of the immense strength that Alberto's Gift appeared to bestow upon him.
His gaze flickered towards his right hand, still clenching the hilt of his shattered sword, before returning to Alberto's towering form.
"Tsk," he clicked his tongue in frustration. His sword was broken and he had no spare in his smart bracelet.
He could always use his nanotech armor to create a sword, but as Yelena informed them, doing that would deplete the nanobots from the armor itself which would bring down his defense.
And against the monstrosity he was facing right now, Nero needed every bit of defense he could get.
Clicking his tongue once again, he threw his broken sword away. He'll fight with his fists.
"Oh? You'll use your hands?" Alberto displayed his surprise at Nero's reaction before putting away his greatsword in the dimensional storage of his smart bracelet. "Then so will I."
"Do whatever you want," Nero scoffed. "I'm using my hands because I can't beat the ever-living shit out of you with a sword!"
…And because he forgot to pack a spare sword. But he didn't mention that part.
Willing mana into his legs, Nero propelled himself forward and cleared the distance between him and Alberto in an instant with his arms pulled back.
"Aaaaah!" letting out a fierce battle cry, he shot forward his right hand and delivered a boulder-shattering punch to Alberto's solar plexus.
Tannn—!
"....Fuck."
'So his gift buffed his defense too. Great.'
Cursing under his breath, Nero realized that Alberto's Gift had augmented not only his strength but also his defenses. It seemed as though his opponent was nearly invulnerable.
THWACK—!!!
Gripping Nero's head using his giant hands, Alberto struck his knee at Nero's abdomen.
"Khaaaa!"
Nero felt air gushing out of his lungs due to the impact of Alberto's attack.
At that moment, Nero realized. It was impossible. Defeating Alberto alone in a brawl was impossible.
Of course, if he uses his Gift, then it would only be a matter of a few seconds to bring Alberto down but without it, Nero could see no other option than to use magic.
So that's what he did.
"Lvae tormentorum!"
Struggling to keep his balance, Nero lifted his trembling hand and pointed his index finger at Alberto's chin before chanting a magic spell in High-Elven.
As he spoke the words, a bright flash of white light erupted from his finger, temporarily blinding everyone in the vicinity.
When the light faded, Nero saw a thin trail of smoke rising from Alberto's chin, indicating that the spell had hit its mark.
However, something was wrong…
'Light Cannon' was the strongest spell in Nero's arsenal. And despite being hit with Nero's most powerful spell, Alberto remained unfazed!!
He slowly brought his head down to look at Nero, towering over him with his massive frame.
"Is that all?" he growled, a sneer forming on his lips. "Beg for mercy now and I might just spare you a painful death."
