"It's you?" As Dominic appraised the young man that dared to challenge, he could still recall him.
A certain individual that didn't know what was good for him and dared to challenge his group.
The beating the fool received was still fresh in his mind. Which was why he wondered. "What gave you the right to think you can challenge me?"
Garth kept his arms at akimbo as he glared hatefully at Dominic. "Don't ask me stupid questions and let's just fight."
Dominic put up a brow. He hadn't been insulted this much before, yet the first time he got insulted, it had to be at the hands of someone he had taken good care of before.
It was slightly amusing.
Last time, Garth clearly had the aura of an Origin Magician. An Origin Magician taking on an Intermediate Magician, Dominic did not know whether to pity the young fool that was most likely seeking revenge.
"Are you sure you want to fight me?... I don't want to hear later that I bullied you."
Garth narrowed his eyes. "I said stop talking!"
Dominic chuckled. "I'll just break your arms and legs."
He placed his sword back in his scabbard and exchanged looks with Garth. Silence reigned for a few breaths after which…
Whoosh
Dominic disappeared from his position and appeared next to Garth. Swinging his arm like a sledgehammer, he had already mapped out how he'd torture Garth before allowing him to concede.
But would things be so easily done?
It felt like he hit a stone wall but it was actually sand.
Dominic's eyes went wide in surprise as he didn't notice the sand wall formation. It was almost as though it occurred instantaneously.
Before he had a chance to understand what was happening, he realized that his arm was sinking into the sand thus he quickly backed away.
"This…" For the first time today, Dominic felt a sense of foreboding he was unfamiliar with.
As Garth met his gaze, something within him screamed that the person before him was not as simple as he was made to believe.
Unfortunately, Dominic remained stubborn. "So you blocked one strike, let's see how many more you can block."
Once again, he attacked.
Garth remained stationary and Dominic moved about him like the wind, punching and kicking but each strike was blocked by sand that kept on forming about the former.
Even as he tried to increase his speed, it wasn't enough to beat the speed of the sand that seemed to be moving at the speed of thought.
"Impossible, what the hell is going on?... Why can't I lay a finger on him?... He did not have this ability before… Am I crazy?" Just as Dominic got lost in thought, Garth's voice jolted him back.
"Enough!"
A gust of wind exploded about Garth, sending Dominic flying several meters, luckily he was able to control his body weight to land on his feet but at this point, his breathing turned ragged.
At the moment that the gust of wind slammed into Dominic, he had finally sensed Garth's aura. "Peak of Intermediate rank…" Dominic gritted his teeth. "How is this possible?... He was at the Origin rank a week ago, how did he manage to breakthrough so many levels?... Is it even possible?"
Just as Dominic was left speechless by Garth's sudden rise in power, Princess Elena's bad feelings regarding Dominic's fight had been alleviated.
"That guy… How is he able to manipulate the sand without a summon?... Is that even possible?" Elena wondered as she appraised the newcomer that not only helped her bring Dominic down a peg, but his peculiar fighting style had indeed caught her eyes.
Her retainer answered from beside her. "Your highness, I believe it is because of a rare phenomenon known as Avatar."
Elena facepalmed. "Oh yeah, I remember that. Isn't that like when a dimensional being implants a sliver of its soul into a Summoner allowing them to use a portion of their abilities without having to summon them?"
Tanya nodded. "Mn, an upgraded and much more dangerous version of talisman usage. Very few people have attempted it and even fewer have survived the process. It's a testament to the skill of that boy."
"I guess I now have two contenders for the spot of Cannon fodder in my expedition."
Elena seemed elated by Garth's appearance.
She looked forward to the clash between Garth and Dominic to have a grasp of Garth's true strength. "Hopefully, you don't disappoint me. You'd better give me a good show."
Meanwhile, in the audience, Max was trying to recall something. "I think his aura was in the Origin Rank at that time… Right?... I don't recall him ever having such a potent life force though… Hmm, weird."
Down in the arena, Dominic adjusted his bearing as he drew his sword. Garth saw this and smirked. "Hoh, finally ready to take me seriously?"
Dominic gritted his teeth but said nothing. He has tried to show Garth his superiority but he ended up being the inferior one.
Even though it was hard to accept it, he swallowed the bitter pill. Right now, Dominic was aware that if he did not give it his all, he would end up paying the price.
But he definitely could not lose. He wanted the prize of the tournament and what's more, he wanted the prize of a certain princess.
It was love at first sight and he won't allow anyone to take the opportunity to spend time with her, away from him!
"The name of this blade is Windbreaker, I shall soak it in your blood for the humiliation I have received at your hands," Dominic said righteously, pointing his blade at Garth while striking a heroic pose.
"Just die," Garth said coldly as stretched out his hand.
Boom
Sand erupted from the ground around him and moved high enough to block the rays of the sun from entering the area, casting a shadow that loomed dangerously over Dominic's head.
Everyone present was rendered speechless at the awesome show of strength, even Elena's eyes sparkled like diamonds. "So strong…"
Max chuckled inwardly as he recalled the words he said to Garth previously. "It would seem I judged you wrongly."