Anzo swung his sword in a massive overhead arc, aiming to end the spar with a single decisive blow. But Alister moved with speed, sidestepping and slipping past the blade’s reach with ease. In one smooth motion, he clenched his scaled fist and struck Anzo’s sword.
The clash sent the great sword flying from Anzo’s grasp, the blade spinning through the air before crashing into the ground with a resounding
THUD. The impact created a small crater, and a shocked silence rippled through the crowd.
Before Anzo could react, Alister closed the gap between them, delivering a devastating punch to his abdomen. The force sent Anzo stumbling backward, skidding to a halt as he dropped to one knee, breathless.
The crowd erupted into chaos.
“Did that really just happen?!”
“He knocked Anzo’s sword away like it was nothing!”
“That punch… did you see the impact? I swear I felt it from here!”
“This is the guy we thought couldn’t fight without his dragons?”
“How did it end so quickly? Anzo didn’t even get a chance to use his full strength!”
“Alister’s on a completely different level… He doesn’t even look tired!”
Axel let out a low whistle. “Okay… I take back every skeptical thought I had. That was insane.”
Blitz nodded, her eyes wide with awe. “I mean, I knew Alister was strong, but I didn’t think he could handle Anzo like that. Did you see how smooth that disarm was? It’s like he’s been doing this for decades.”
Axel smirked. “Not just the disarm… the punch! That wasn’t just skill, Blitz, that was pure, raw power. Alister’s strength is on a whole other level.”
Blitz crossed her arms, a thoughtful expression on her face. “I guess his story of raiding that A Ranked dungeon is starting to make sense. Makes me wonder what else he’s hiding.”
Anzo pushed himself back to his feet, rubbing his stomach where Alister’s punch had landed. He let out a breathless chuckle, shaking his head in disbelief.
“Well… didn’t expect that. You got me good, Alister. That was over before I even knew what hit me.”
He dusted himself off, meeting Alister’s gaze with a respectful nod. “I’ve sparred with plenty of strong fighters, but I don’t think anyone’s ever disarmed me like that. That was something else.”
Ren adjusted his glasses, his sharp gaze never leaving Alister. “Strange…” he murmured, loud enough for Axel and Blitz to hear.
Blitz turned toward him. “What’s strange?”
Ren’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “The way Alister moved… That wasn’t just skill or technique. He displayed the raw physicality of someone with a physical enhancement talent. But as far as we know, he’s an SSS Rank Summoner. Could it be that summoners of his rank are physically strong as well?”
Axel blinked, then grinned. “So, you’re saying Alister’s a walking powerhouse on top of being a summoning genius? Figures.”
Ren adjusted his glasses as he spoke, “That could be that could be the case… or perhaps… it could always be something else.” he narrowed his gaze suspiciously.
Alister extended a hand to Anzo, helping him to his feet. “You fought well, Anzo,” he said with a calm smile.
“You’ve got solid instincts, and your mana control is impressive. We’ll go over the mistakes you made and how to address them later.”
Anzo stood tall, brushing off the dust from his clothes, his eyes still had that look of excitement. Despite the devastating punch and the fact that he’d been disarmed so quickly, he raised his hand to signal Alister.
“I’m not done yet,” Anzo said. “I want to go another round.”
The crowd, still stunned by the speed of the previous exchange, began to murmur amongst themselves.
“Another round? He’s serious?”
“Doesn’t look like he’s even breathing hard. Maybe he didn’t actually break a sweat.”
“Anzo’s still standing after that punch? He’s tougher than he looks.”
“He’s pushing himself again… How much stamina does this guy have?”
“Is he even exhausted? I’ve never seen someone recover so fast!”
“He looked like he wanted to puke a moment ago.”
Alister raised an eyebrow and shook his head. “No, Anzo. I need to spar with the rest of the team. You were given your chance, don’t hold up the rest of the team.” He gestured toward the other team members waiting in the wings.
“We can review your performance after I handle them.”
Anzo looked like he was about to argue, but Alister held up a hand, silencing him with a firm gaze. “You’ll have your chance to improve. But not right now.”
Alister then redirected his gaze to the rest of his team mates, “So, which one of you wants to go uo next?”
Axel and Blitz, standing by the side, exchanged a sly grin. They stepped forward, their eyes locked on the stage as they made their way toward Alister.
Blitz smirked, elbowing Axel lightly. “Guess we’re up next.”
Axel raised an eyebrow, his voice low but playful. “You think Alister can handle us?”
They both stepped onto the stage, standing side by side, facing Alister with a smug look. Alister raised an eyebrow, glancing at them with mild curiosity. “Huh… You two together? Aren’t you going to fight individually?”
Axel shrugged with a grin, his voice cocky. “Why would we? We always do things together.” Blitz laughed lightly, rolling her shoulders. “We make a pretty good team. Why change what works?”
Alister gave them a calm leveled look, then his eyes narrowed slightly. “Hmm… What’s your talent again? I’ve never seen either of you use it in battle.”
Axel and Blitz exchanged a look before speaking together, their voices almost synchronized.
“It’s called Rush,” they said.
Blitz continued sounding confident. “We move at insane speeds and can overwhelm opponents with a series of rapid strikes. It’s all about quick, high-intensity offense before the
enemy can react.”
Axel added, “Basically, we hit hard and fast. By the time you notice, we’ve already moved on to the next strike.” He grinned.
Alister raised an eyebrow, intrigued but not overly impressed. “Interesting. I’m curious to see what tye both of you will be capable of then.”
Hearing Alister’s words, Axel and Blitz exchanged an awkward shrug, scratching the back of
their heads.
“Uh, well,” Axel started, grinning sheepishly. “We kind of, uh, don’t really control it, you
know?”
Blitz nodded, looking a little sheepish herself. “Yeah… It activates when we feel like we’re in danger. It’s like, a reflex thing, but we can’t really turn it on at will.”
Alister blinked, genuinely confused by their explanation. “You mean you can’t activate it on command?” He crossed his arms, looking between them. “How does that even work?”
Axel grinned, a bit self-deprecating. “It’s like a fight-or-flight thing. We can’t control when it kicks in. When we’re in danger, it just happens.”
Blitz spoke, her tone a bit defensive, “It’s not like we want to fight like this, it just… happens when we’re cornered or when we sense a threat.”
The two of them quickly pulled out twin daggers, the edges blunt, but they moved with an air
of readiness.
“We’ll still put on a good fight, though,” Axel said with a wink, giving Alister an almost teasing look as he twirled his dagger. “You won’t be disappointed.”
Alister stood still for a moment, processing what they’d said, then raised an eyebrow, his expression thoughtful. “So, you’re telling me that you can’t control when it activates?” Blitz and Axel both nodded, their stances relaxing a little as they prepared for the spar.
“I see,” Alister said, his voice now calm but with a hint of amusement in it. “Then I guess it’s my responsibility as your leader to help you gain better control of your abilities.”
“I guess I’ll have to be a little more cold to tye both of you then.”
Axel and Blitz both blinked at him, looking confused by his response. Alister’s smile
deepened, and there was a glint of excitement in his eyes.
“If you’re going to fight alongside me, you’ll need more than just raw instinct,” he said, his
tone suddenly serious.
“You need control. So let’s see how well you can manage your Rush when you’re put in a
dangerous situation, no?”
VOOSH!
Alister’s golden mana flared out in a brilliant wave, casting an intense glow across the sparring arena. The air felt heavier, crackling with raw energy, as his gaze sharpened, locking
onto Axel and Blitz like a predator about to pounce.
“Defend yourselves.”
Axel and Blitz casual grins vanished from their faces, Blitz spoke. “Hey, don’t go too hard on
us, boss. We’re just-”
Before they could finish, Alister launched himself forward in a blur of motion. His sheer speed was like a flash of golden light cutting across the stage.
The ground beneath his feet cracked slightly from the force of his launch.
Ren’s eyes widened in shock as he instinctively leaned forward. “That speed…! Is that really
Alister?!”
“He’s moving like someone with a physical enhancement talent!”
Axel barely managed to process what was happening, his grin faltering as he yelled, “Blitz,
MOVE!”