Blitz, equally caught off guard, threw herself to the side just in time to avoid Alister’s sweeping kick. The force of his attack sent a gust of wind rippling across the arena, and she stumbled slightly before regaining her balance.
Axel, meanwhile, brought up his twin daggers in a desperate cross-block, only for Alister’s golden aura to slam against him like a tidal wave. Though the blunt edge of Alister’s weapon didn’t touch him directly, the sheer impact of the mana knocked him back a few steps.
Blitz, panting slightly, shot Axel a look. “He’s not kidding around, is he?!”
“Yeah, no kidding,” Axel muttered, his playful demeanor replaced with wide-eyed focus. His grip tightened on his daggers as he adjusted his stance, sweat starting to bead on his forehead.
Alister’s expression didn’t waver as he closed in again, his movements deliberate but fluid, testing their reactions. “If you can’t handle this, then Rush will never activate,” he said coldly.
“Going off what you two said earlier, I may have to be a little harder on the both of you.”
Murmurs filled the crowd, growing louder with each passing second as Alister’s golden mana radiated.
“Man, that mana output is insane!”
“Yeah, but that’s expected from an Arcane-type talent. They always have more mana than others.”
“True, but Alister’s feels different. That’s not something you see every day.”
A younger guild member leaned forward, eyes sparkling with admiration. “He’s really something else. A Summoner who can fight like this? That’s next level.”
“Exactly.”
“He’s not just a prodigy; he’s a legend in the making. That’s why everyone calls him the Guild’s rising star. Bro’s going places.”
Ren, standing at the edge of the arena, adjusted his glasses. He was impressed.
“It’s truly fascinating,” he thought aloud. “Although I already suspected he’d be proficient in combat. From the information I’ve obtained, he was one of the top students of his academy, combat-wise.”
“And also, according to some things I later heard from Lady Aiko, he did return unharmed from an A-ranked dungeon raid back when he didn’t have any summons.”
Anzo’s head whipped around. “For real?”
Ren nodded. “Indeed. Considering his talent rank, it makes some sense. There have only been a handful of such powerful talents in history. His physical capabilities may seem surprising, but I’d argue they’re to be expected.”
Lila, standing nearby, tilted her head curiously. “What about the Guildmaster? He fights really well and has nice reflexes. What’s his talent rank?”
Ren paused, adjusting his glasses once more as if buying time. He repeated her question almost absentmindedly.
“Guildmaster Yuuto’s talent rank… Hmm.” Suddenly, his gaze shifted away, a rare flicker of unease crossing his face. “Now that I think about it… I never asked.”
“But his physical prowess is normal, considering he owns a physical enhancement talent.”
Alister’s golden aura pulsed around him, the dragon scales covering his hands glinting with a bright sheen. His sharp, predatory gaze moved between Axel and Blitz, assessing their
movements.
Without warning, he lunged forward with explosive speed, the ground beneath him cracking as he launched himself.
WHAM!
His clawed fist crashed down toward Blitz, who barely managed to roll aside. The impact left a crater where she had stood moments before, dust and debris erupting into the air.
The display of strength left the crowd dumbfounded. Some managed to mumble:
“W-what was that force…”
“Ummm… Isn’t that a… little too much?”
“Is he really going to hurt them?”
“Should… we stop him?”
“No need,” Ren said swiftly, adjusting his glasses, dismissing their worries. “There is little bloodlust behind his attacks. So he has no intention of actually hurting them. He only wants to intimidate them a little, that’s all.”
Anzo smiled as he said, “He’s even more intense than when we both fought. Seems he really wants to push them to the edge.”
“Move!” Axel shouted, darting in to capitalize on Alister’s recovery. He aimed his dagger for Alister’s side, but Alister twisted with a burst of agility, his scaled hand lashing out with a backhand strike.
THWACK!
The blow connected with Axel’s forearm, sending him sprawling backward. His dagger skidded across the arena floor, the high-pitched:
CLINK-CLINK-CLINK
Echoing in the silence.
“You’re both too slow!” Alister yelled, his voice sharp over the gasps of the crowd.
Without pause, he turned back to Blitz, who was already on her feet, charging toward him with twin daggers flashing in the light. She feinted left, then darted to his right, aiming a flurry of strikes at his ribs.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Alister’s claws moved like a blur, deflecting each dagger strike. Sparks erupted with each impact, and Blitz’s arms trembled under the sheer force of his counters.
“Is that all you’ve got?”
Alister taunted, ducking low and sweeping his leg out in a vicious arc. Blitz leaped into the air to avoid it, twisting mid-flight to launch a downward slash at him.
But Alister was already moving. His scaled hand shot up, catching her wrist mid-swing.
The force of his grip made her wince, and she struggled t free herself, but Alister used her momentum to hurl her toward Axel.
“Catch her if you can,” he said.
Axel barely had time to react, skidding forward to intercept Blitz as she tumbled through the air. The collision sent them both sprawling to the ground in a heap.
“Get up,” Alister commanded, his golden aura flaring even brighter. The sheer pressure of his mana was suffocating, pinning the siblings down like an invisible weight.
“If you can’t take this, you won’t survive the day we go on even higher-ranked raids.”
Blitz groaned, forcing herself to her feet despite the strain. “This… guy…” she muttered,
wiping sweat from her brow. “How is he so strong?”
Axel, panting, staggered upright beside her. “Doesn’t matter. We’re not giving up.”
Alister’s lips curved into a faint smirk. “Good. Show me what you’ve got.”
The siblings exchanged a glance and charged together, their movements sharper and more coordinated this time. Axel went high, launching rapid slashes at Alister’s upper body, while Blitz swept low, her daggers aiming for his legs.
Alister’s claws intercepted Axel’s strikes, the sound of:
CLANG! CLANG!
Echoing across the arena as their blades clashed. At the same time, he shifted his weight, narrowly avoiding Blitz’s sweeping attack, then lashed out with a downward punch aimed at
her head.
BOOM!
Blitz rolled aside at the last second, and Alister’s fist smashed into the ground, sending a shockwave rippling outward. Dust filled the air, and the crowd shielded their eyes from the
debris.
“You’re getting a little better,” Alister said, rising from the crater. His black-scaled hands flexed, the golden aura around him flickering like fire.
“But you’re still holding back. Stop hesitating!”
Blitz darted in again, aiming a lightning-fast series of jabs at his chest. Alister deflected them
with a flurry of parries with his claws, each:
CLINK
Echoing like a drumbeat. He sidestepped her final strike and retaliated with an open-palm
strike to her shoulder.
THUD!
The blow sent her stumbling, her daggers slipping from her grasp.
“Blitz!” Axel shouted, leaping in to cover her. He flipped mid-air, bringing his dagger down
in a powerful overhead slash. Alister caught the blade with his scaled palm, sparks flying as
his fingers crushed the steel with a loud:
CRUNCH!
The crowd fell into silence as they witnessed Alister effortlessly crush Axel’s dagger. Shocked
gasps echoed.
“Did he just… crush it with his bare hand?”
“That’s impossible! That blade was forged from reinforced steel!”
“How strong is he?!”
“No one’s ever done something like that before!”
“I knew he was strong, but this is insane!”
“Unbelievable!” The murmurs grew louder, the arena brimming with excitement, as the spectators continued
to process the immense strength Alister had just displayed.
“You’ll need to do better than that,” Alister said, twisting Axel’s wrist and flinging him aside.
Axel hit the ground with a grunt, rolling to a stop beside his sister.
Alister then decided to also push them with his words.
Alister slowly approached them, “Or don’t tell me… Is that actually your limit?”
“Can you actually not push past this?”
“I guess it all makes sense, you’re both weak in the end.”
Axel groaned as he pushed himself off the ground, his body aching from the pain.
Beside him, Blitz staggered up, wiping dust and sweat from her face. They both exchanged a
glance, their expressions blank.
“Take that back,” Axel muttered.
“Take what back?” Alister asked with a cold tone.
“The way you’re looking down on us,” Axel said through clenched teeth. His eyes flickered
toward Alister, who stood calmly in the center of the arena, golden aura swirling around him
like a storm.
“Like we’re just a couple of amateurs.”
Blitz frowned, her fists tightening around her daggers. “Look Alister, you are a cool guy and I
guess you must be doing this for us… but… The words you just said…” she gritted her teeth. The murmurs in the crowd began to quiet as attention shifted back to the siblings. Something was different. The air around Axel and Blitz started to change, thickening with mana.
Alister’s sharp gaze flickered, noticing the small shift. “Hmm?” he murmured, more to
himself than anyone else.
Ren, watching from the sidelines, adjusted his glasses. “Interesting…”