BOOM!
With a powerful shockwave, Atticus threw his falcata!
All his momentum was perfectly transferred into the sword, stopping him in mid-air!
WOOSH!
The powerful thrust hit nothing but the air between Atticus' outrageously spread legs. It was like he had done the splits in mid air with his legs at impossible angles!
BANG!
The falcata pierced through Mikhail's upper torso, straight through his left lung. And then a shockwave reverberated throughout his body from the point of impact.
In an instant, he was flung across the training field and felt his spine shatter against the rocky cliff face of the hill that Maya's house stood on.
Mikhail's brain was overloaded with painful sensations, depriving him of conscious thought as he waited to be healed. Atticus pulling his sword out of him didn't even register until his spine had been healed.
At that point, he was able to think again, though he was mostly screaming obscenities in his mind. Which wasn't all too different from the overloaded state, admittedly.
However, once he was fully healed, he got back up on his own without a word. Instead, he inspected the place where they had fought. He saw an outcrop of stone that hadn't been there before.
'Is that how he accelerated to such an insane degree?'
Atticus had used the Rock Element to shoot himself forward with reckless abandon! Using so much force with a body so weak… All the bones in their legs would've cracked all over! Did Atticus really do that?
Yes.
Atticus had horrendously injured himself with that decision. He injured himself so much that the segments connecting his femurs to his pelvis completely shattered when he planted his feet on the ground and jumped.
Mikhail frowned deeply when he finished his inspection.
'I think I get it. In a real fight to the death, slowly gauging your opponent's battle style and adapting to it isn't an option. If I don't take my opponent seriously from the very beginning, they'll overwhelm me before I can do anything…'
Atticus slapped his back as he approached, his body still in its weakened state.
"Your battle instinct is frighteningly good for someone your age. If it were anyone else, they would've been paralyzed by the pain of the gash going through their torso, but you simply powered through it to dodge an attack you could barely keep up with!"
Mikhail felt a sense of pride when he heard the praise.
"However… You-"
"-Need to drop the bad habit of trying to gauge my opponent during the fight instead of just assuming the worst right off the bat. I know."
Alaya stifled a laugh, coming out as a brief snort.
"Took the wind right out of your sails, huh?" she said.
The frozen smile on Atticus' face became neutral after a brief sigh.
"Looks like your introspection ability is also frightening… Monstrous, even. If I have to be honest. Some adults would envy how quickly you were able to figure that out."
Atticus and Mikhail got ready again. Unlike before, Mikhail was focused before either of them took their stance. With that focus, he was barely able to perceive the incoming Atticus.
The same dash, the same slash…
"What are you, a one trick pony?!" Mikhail shouted as he barely managed to circle around Atticus just as he jumped. And then he went on the offensive, striking forward with his spear.
"I don't know what a pony is, but what about you and your simple thrusts?!"
Atticus' free hand grabbed the pole of the spear as he spun towards the ground. The pole spun in place and tore apart the flesh of Mikhail's hand because of the intense friction, leaving several splinters embedded in his exposed muscle tissue.
His grip threatened to loosen, but he held it with an unmatched ferocity! Letting go of the spear meant Atticus would kill him again! There was no doubt in Mikhail's mind. Even without his legs, he was almost positive that he would be able to move normally anyway!
And a second later, he was proven right!
Poles made of rock shot out from the ground and met Atticus' feet, yet rather than send him flying again, the rock became elastic and wrapped around his legs first before going up past his waist. And then, he landed on his two feet!
Using his incredible finesse with the Rock Element, Atticus had essentially created a makeshift prosthetic! With his control, he was able to move his legs like nothing had happened!
"You want me to refine my technique, huh?! Fine then, take this!"
Mikhail swung his spear like a bat at Atticus' head when he landed. With his body at an awkward angle, he could only lift his free arm up towards the wooden pole. However, he was surprised to find how little force was going into that seemingly ferocious swing!
The spear hit his arm and spun in the air parallel to the ground. Mikhail had let go of his spear! And then, he immediately grabbed it again, and swung the opposite way!
WHACK!
The wooden butt of the spear smacked into Atticus' cheek and made his head turn involuntarily. And then, Mikhail spun the spear at the end of his swing, grabbed it once it was reoriented into a proper stabbing position, and thrust forward!
The flat side of the falcata smacked the pole of the spear with great ferocity, knocking Mikhail off balance. He hadn't even turned his head back yet in that fraction of an instant, but he had still parried the attack!
In an instant, Atticus spun to face Mikhail and ran forward. His stance was back to normal, he was ready to slash downward! Mikhail preemptively dodged to the left in an attempt to make him overextend his swing in order to hit him. Yet he just kept running at him!
When they were nearly in front of each other, Atticus jumped forward and kneed Mikhail in the gut. A shockwave reverberated throughout his body again, before he was shot away and hit the wall of someone's house!
BANG!
He bounced off the wall as an inscription flickered to life for a few seconds, before disappearing again.
And then a sword came down and through his heart.
The fight ended in another loss.
The two continued to duel ad nauseum. Before they knew it, the sun had risen far into the sky. It was afternoon now. Mikhail didn't win even once.
Mikhail was propping himself up using the spear. The pain was paralyzing now, and it took a great deal of focus to move even an inch.
"Go home and rest, Mikhail. We're done for today."
"But… I… I want to continue!"
"Your body will fall apart if you keep going like this."
"Then let it! Alaya, you can… You can just heal me up, can't you?"
She shook her head with a sigh.
"I could heal you back up to your peak. But doing so wouldn't let your body naturally heal. If I heal you, I would be in full control over your new peak. In other words, I would ruin your potential growth from today's training."
"All your efforts would go to waste. By letting yourself rest properly, though, your soul will govern your growth. Your soul is a reflection of your ideal form, and outside interference will only hinder your path forward in the future."
Mikhail looked down at the ground as he thought about her words. He still felt a little unwilling, but when he heard his future was at risk, he could only sigh and accept that it was time to stop for today.
He then felt a sturdy hand ruffle his hair.
"You did great. See you in two days, kid."
The pair left shortly after, leaving Mikhail alone in the training field.
He had a seemingly impossible journey ahead of him, and he had to start by putting his support back where it belonged.
He dragged his feet as he moved, arid dirt getting in his caligae and causing imperceptible discomfort. His vision became blotchy and blurred as he continued forward.
And, before long, he collapsed onto the ground.