On top of a bell-tower, the Warrior and Magic User duo watched man walking out the Church intently.
Brandon came out to talk to some Holy Priest.
Arthur was feeling pretty cold, not from the blowing wind... but due to his friend's eyes.
"Hehehe, I'll be applying a Metal Rune to your fist a few times. Give him my 'greeting'~" The scholarly young man licked his lips. A wicked expression appeared on his face. Though it was quite understandable... when remembering their past.
"Aren't you going overboard?"
"You know how strong our Mentor is. You're being too arrogant if you think you can hold back...!"
"Still..."
"Hey, remember that you only have five chances to give him a good hit. I've mixed a Light Rune into them, so it won't get in the way of your regular techniques." Alex was surprised himself that his friends's body could handle five Runes on them.
Normally, a person could barely handle two without feeling irritated. His own method of using Runes was also different from how it affected others. It was a difference in the tolerance level they had...
Those he applied them had to wait compared to himself, who he could instantly conjure them on his body. Thus, allowing for a multitude of Magic Skills and Runic Formations that created various effects.
Like the 'piercing' effect he added just now...
"Fine... He kinda deserves it anyway. Your Bro over here shall beat him up for you! Mwahahahaha!"
"Punch that arrogant face of his!"
Alex looked a little like this: (｀㊥益㊥)Ψ
He was so burning with enthusiasm at the thought of beating up the Mentor that picked on them daily.
This made them reminisce of the past. Those times when this jerk made them go through extreme spartan training just because they pranked him once. Brandon had them once was petty enough to increase their training to an unbelievable level...!
There were two Basic Skills that everyone built the foundation of their abilities on: One was any combat-related ability they were born with while the other was called 'Partial Whitening', a Skill that focused the body's energy to boost one point.
By applying it to a person's fist, they can punch at high speed. This was most useful in combat.
By applying it to a person's feet, they can use a 'Rapid Movement' Half Spell. The best transport and dynamic battle steps. This, or they could just casually hasten their steps to a degree that even people sprinting had a hard time catching up to.
Partial Whitening, or 'Lightening', was the best Battle Skill even for those of non-combat Classes.
Using the Spirit Essence as a guide, and Magic Pathways as a medium that could took in External Energy (Ether) of the world, you could mould it into pretty good physical enhancement techniques.
However, even if you can augment your attacks, it needed mastery to put that strength to good use.
That's why their Mentor taught them how to fight in a very irregular manner due to his abnormal 'stats':
{Spirit Essence- Sacrificial Gauntlet:
• Innate Ability- Nature Affinity
Spell Slots- (Foundational Attribute- Light, Holy), Lightning, Fire, Wind, Water, Earth
Legendary Class- Grand Hero:
• Class Skill- Universal Prodigy
• Class Skill- Mana Burst}
What did it mean to be a 'Universal Prodigy'? It meant that he was talented at anything he did without question, to the point that he could easily look down on everyone of other professions...
He wasn't the strongest Lord Rank on Gaia for nothing...! Whether it was swordsmanship, battle arts, horse riding, cooking, etc. The man had never had any setbacks when it came to learning the techniques he wanted, which turned into a very annoying nature when he took in students. This clean-freak would act all high and mighty whenever he had the chance to show off...
What was the definition of a Mary Sue? This Gary Stu (male version) was that! He was so perfect and beloved by everyone that no one would blame him even if he became a 'Jerk Stu'; A bag guy paragon.
Whose self-insert was this guy...?
...because he was way too perfect!
Even his teaching methods and medical skills were so top-level that a normal Sword Warrior like Arthur was able to learn hand-to-hand techniques. He called his close hand chops: 'Swordless Skills'
Even a Unique Class holder like Alex was able to sharpen his fighting style, making it fully his own.
Before he was reincarnated, the Arcanist was part of a Internal Martial Arts Lineage that went by the title of the 'Dragon Family'. They were strong fighters of the Western Hegemony that passed on their techniques without care about bloodlines.
That's why even an adopted child like him was able to learn from the best. If it weren't for the fact that he was born frail in his past life and didn't have the best personality for a fighter, he might have been given the opportunity to be the next Family Head.
Too bad... he died at an early age and was thrown into the Dark Forest, where he'd met Arthur.
The two went on a great and epic adventure!
Even learning his brand of Arcane Skills like 'Runic Imbue' (which he just used on his friend's hands) and other Battle Skills, he had never forgotten the basics of his family's martial arts that had been ingrained into his body from a young age.
Since he didn't have much physical ability, his parents had decided to teach him Unorthodox Karate... so he could utilise the strength he had without wasted movements. This turned into the favourite 'Strike Tactics' he kept in his heart.
Of course, that was ignoring the 'Dragon Impact', 'Arcane Fingers', and 'Dragon Breath' Divine Art.
He couldn't always whip out the big moves...
Both of these youths had already matured their fighting styles, so it was only natural that Brandon felt a chill down his spine. They both smiled at him sinisterly from a high place like the bell tower...
Since this was just a 'greeting', Arthur wasn't willing to use his Spirit Essence carelessly.
However, he cracked his knuckles. The meathead with a craze for battle wasn't willing to hold back!
The Class Skill their Mentor had called Mana Burst wasn't a normal technique like his ordinary 'Slash Sharpening' Class Skill. The way it could be changed and moulded to fit the situation was something he was well-aware of, without question.
It was to the point that he was happy his scholarly friend added Metal Runes to his fists.
After all, that particular Attribute was the best at chopping through any and all magical defences.
He hadn't thought there would be a day he could experience the wonders of being able to use the Metal Attribute himself. Especially in order to physically punch through their Mentor's defence.
Just as he was about to go, he stopped.
Alex drew a Dark Rune in the aura and reached into the shadow before pulling out a certain weapon...
His mouth twitched as he remembered the specifics of his friend's Class, and 'fighting style'.
{Unique Class- Arcanist:
• Class Skill- Magic Prodigy
• Class Skill- Runic Insight}
Though this scholarly friend of his was supposed to just be a variant of Magic Users, the guy had a knack for creating things. It was to the point that he was certain that the 'Magic Technology' the young man came up with couldn't be reproduced.
"Are seriously going to use 'that'? Don't you have better weapons?" Arthur remembered there being this thing called a 'gun' that his friend had been using back then. He wasn't sure how that had changed over the years, but it's better than THIS.
"You don't like it? I call it my masterpiece... this Metal Bat is a 'Metal' Bat I integrated Metal Runes into.
I call it: 'Number Algebra Cannon Neil Armstrong Cannon'... or NAC NAC for short~" He kissed the light metallic weapon he made and smiled cheerfully. This made Arthur really confused...
What part of that bat looked like a 'Cannon'?
"...You're merciless."
"Hehehehe~ Let's get him to kiss dirt!"
Alex hysteria looked like this: Ψ( ｀▽' )Ψ
He was definitely an extremely dangerous Individual who loved to beat up others like a thug...
They were finally ready to give a Stuman style greeting to their Mentor, and from that very moment they had decided what to do. The two of them jumped off the bell-tower simultaneously.
Only these two were crazy enough to jump...!
"Woohoo!"
"Yeah!"
A rush of adrenaline pumped through their brains as the wind fluttered their clothes. Alex's hand drew many Wind Runes and threw the magical symbols below them. They were sky-diving off the largest building in near their destination.
[Runic Skill- Launch Pad!]
The moment they fell on the magical circle that formed underneath them, Arthur focused his Light Mana to his feet and 'Partial Whitened' it. The scholarly young man held onto the back of his friend. His hand tightly gripped his NAC NAC bat.
[Leg Whitening- Light Movement!]
A burst of energy similar to the 'Mana Burst' happened the same time the young Warrior's legs bent down on the Launch Pad. They went from being falling apples to beam-like shooting stars.
A brilliant glow covered the brawny youth's figure.
He aimed to make a beeline straight for the Grand Hero, who was casually talking to a Holy Priest.
It was too bad the man was being talked to noticed and quickly alerted Brandon before they could give him a great 'surprise'. Though the tan-skinned Grand Hero didn't see it necessary to dodge.
[Mana Burst- Earthly Defence!]
A burst of energy similar to the one that had happened around Arthur's legs covered the Grand Hero's body, but it didn't start fading moments after. Instead, the rigid and firm Earth Mana he drew from his Spell Slot made his skin bronze.
This was a layer of defence the duo, who were familiar with their heroic Mentor, were expecting.
A cheeky smile curved onto their lips...
They shot towards him like beam of light!
Though Arthur was fine, it was only by hiding behind the brawny youth's back to shield himself from the wind resistance... did Alex hold on long enough for them to get close to their target.
The moment they were close enough, the bodies of the two youths no longer seemed 'separate'.
Brandon slowly turned around and used his great technique in martial arts to block Arthur's first fist with his hand, only to suddenly reel in pain as the Metal Runes had pierced through his defence.
'So it IS you two...!' Brandon smiled, but didn't stop his ascending hand that was about to grab Arthur by the collar. All to over-arm throw him to the ground! He was going to end this in one grapple!
However, his knee buckled after feeling a bat slam into it, causing him to miss his target dizzily.
Arthur swayed back his body, giving Alex a chance.
The caused him notice the scholarly young man's presence. The Hero was happy for their growthZ
He instantly changed his tactics to get the weaker one first. This was the basics of fighting squads.
His hand stretched towards the scholarly young man's moonlight hair, yet was unable to grab anything but air the moment the big guy's closest arm did a crescent motion and touch his wrist.
This was what he saw before it fully redirected his stretched hand to the ground, which was then followed by the sneaky chuckle of these youths. A fist slammed his face and a bat hit his leg again...
His body disoriented and slipped, falling to the ground with a thud. They deliberately made his face hit the ground, and their movements were harmonious. The duo continued to beat him up!
Brandon tried punching Arthur instead, but Alex seemed to have predicted his movement and pulled his friend's collar to get him out of the way of his unfathomable fist covered in mana flames.
The air had been disturbed, but the two man team's eyes were still as water. The scholarly young man followed the motion of his punch and forcibly tilted it further into the sky using NAC NAC.
They were swaying themselves back...
The two youth fought like one entity-
'No, it feels like one entity is fighting as two!' The Grand Hero reminisced and remembered his two students from back them. Despite their differences in nature, they seemed to act as one in battle.
Their teamwork had refined itself to the point if felt like he was being beaten up by a two-armed, two-legged, two-headed creature when fighting this duo. It was hard to find anyone else with such refined combination techniques as these two.
"Nice!" The impassioned Mentor laughed heartily as he accidentally became a little serious.
[Mana Burst- Lightning Rapture!]
His outstretched fist recoiled back, vanishing like a puff of smoke, before cutting through the air once again. He used Lightning Mana to enhance his body, causing his speed to be so fast that both weren't able to react the moment he got up.
Arthur felt a uppercut smash into his chin and launch him up into the air in a straight line similar to way the Launch Pad did. His consciousness faded the moment his brain was rattled by the direct hit.
Not realising he went overboard, Brandon's other fist was ready to head into the exposed chest of his scholarly young student. It was too bad that in that split second, Alex was the first one to move.
A burst of electrical energy covered Alex's body in a familiar way and threw out his own final strike...!
[Runic Skill- Lightning Rapture!]
After a slight delay, Brandon suddenly felt his eggs break. It made his knees buckled to the ground in great pain. He looked at his student like he was a merciless demon who knew not human emotions...!
"That's cheating...!"
"...It's a Stuman style greeting." Were the words the Arcanist spoke as time started moving again.
He looked up into the air and saw a falling figure coming straight at him, so he opened up his arms to catch his brawny friend. The moment the youth landed in his arms, he realised how outrageously heavy the guy was. Alex used his bat as leverage.
Even though he felt his arms were going to break by doing so, he didn't let his unconscious friend hit the floor. It was only after the force of Arthur's descent was nullified did he put him on the ground and glare at Brandon. The guy he knocked him out!
'You guys were the ones who ambushed me...!' He didn't say this though. There was a lot of times in the past this Grand Hero would surprise attack his students to teach them how to be alert at all times.
The Priest at the side didn't know what he was looking at as things happened too fast.
All for man saw were blurry movements... before seeing the Grand Hero he respected kneeling while holding on to his nuts in an embarrassing fashion, and then saw a foreign young man catch another brawny figure that descended from the sky...
He was even shocked speechless after hearing their weird interaction. Hinting at their relationship.
"???" Would someone explain what happened?!