The moment the words left his mouth, Soldier Boy stopped talking and threw a punch straight at Axel's face.
Axel stepped lightly to the side, dodging multiple punches with ease. While moving, he casually spread his hands toward Soldier Boy.
"Fighting is just trading blows, seeing who's faster and stronger, right? Then what's this supposed to be? You're moving so slow it's boring."
As he finished speaking, Axel shifted his footing and vanished, reappearing behind Soldier Boy in an instant.
Sensing the change, Soldier Boy stiffened and swallowed, then spoke without turning around.
"Aren't you trying to put on a show for those kids? Then fight properly. Stop running like a coward. Or are you just teaching them how to be cowar..."
Boom!
Before he could finish, Axel grabbed the back of his head and slammed it into the ground.
The impact carved a crater into the arena floor. Even then, Soldier Boy forced his arm up, trying to grab Axel.
Axel didn't resist. He let his wrist be caught.
Soldier Boy lifted his head, twisting his body to stare directly at him.
"You're a monster."
Axel smiled.
"Yeah, I hear that a lot."
At the same time, both of them raised their legs.
Boom!
Their kicks collided midair, releasing a violent shockwave. Axel barely shifted, steady as ever.
Soldier Boy, however, was sent flying over a hundred meters, crashing hard into the stands.
Screams erupted instantly.
By pure misfortune, Soldier Boy's body landed on a student's leg, crushing it completely. The student screamed in agony, clutching what remained of his thigh.
Axel glanced over at Soldier Boy pulling himself out of the debris and shrugged.
"My bad. Missed my aim."
"What does that have to do with you!" Soldier Boy snapped.
Covered in dust, he grabbed the injured student by the collar and dragged him forward, then slapped him hard across the face.
"If you're going to watch a real fight, accept the risks! Crying over a lost leg? If you were on my team back then, I would've killed you myself, weakling!"
He tossed the student aside like trash. The boy rolled across the ground before collapsing in front of the medical team.
At the same time, Soldier Boy pulled out a cigarette, dragged his shield across the ground, and used the heat from the friction to light it. One deep inhale burned half of it instantly.
He dropped it, then charged.
This time, he went all out.
In just two steps, he crossed hundreds of meters, each step leaving deep craters in the ground.
Axel flicked his wrist casually.
As Soldier Boy's shield came crashing toward him, Axel delivered a brutal uppercut, launching him straight into the sky.
All eyes followed.
Students tilted their heads upward as Soldier Boy soared hundreds of meters into the air. Blood spilled from his mouth as the wind howled around him.
Then he spread his arms.
A golden energy cannon began charging from his chest.
Axel looked up, unimpressed. Then he raised his hand, grabbed his own head, and twisted.
With a tearing sound, he ripped it clean off.
The entire arena froze.
Screams exploded everywhere.
"What the hell is that!"
"Are you serious?!"
Even Soldier Boy, midair, widened his eyes in shock.
Axel calmly rotated the head in his hand, aligning its gaze toward Soldier Boy. Then he spat out a mouthful of blood.
With a smooth motion, he threw it.
"Go."
His head cut through the air like a projectile and slammed directly into Soldier Boy's chest.
"Pfft!"
Soldier Boy spat blood again, but his energy attack had already charged.
Boom!
A massive golden torrent erupted downward, engulfing Axel's flying head before continuing toward his body.
Axel reacted instantly.
He caught his own head midair and held it in front of him, taking the full blast directly to the face.
The arena was obliterated by the residual force.
Through the beam, Axel's head yelled loudly.
"Damn it, I messed up!"
He quickly pulled his head behind him, letting his body take the remaining impact.
When the energy faded, Axel brought his head back in front and reattached it to his neck, flames briefly flickering as it fused.
"Stupid habit," he muttered, annoyed. "Catch something, hold it in front of me. Of all things, it had to be my face."
Then he launched forward.
His body cut through the air in a wide arc before he appeared beside Soldier Boy, grabbing his wrist.
"Down."
With a violent motion, he slammed him back into the ground.
The already shattered arena rippled like water struck by a massive stone.
A moment later, Axel dropped from the sky, creating layers of sonic booms before crashing down onto Soldier Boy.
He straddled him and began punching.
Each strike landed with crushing force.
Soldier Boy struggled, raising his shield to block.
Axel immediately grabbed it and ripped it out of his hands.
Then he raised it high and drove the edge down into Soldier Boy's head.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
After several brutal strikes, Axel tore the shield in half with raw force and smashed the broken pieces into Soldier Boy's face.
One final kick slammed into his head.
Soldier Boy went limp, barely able to breathe.
Axel looked down at him, satisfied.
He nudged his head with his foot.
"You still conscious? Good. Then listen carefully."
He leaned slightly forward.
"Next time you stand in front of me, know your place. The gap between us is bigger than the gap between you and a toddler."
He paused, then smirked.
"I've got a spot waiting for you in The Seven. Heal up, then come work for me like a good little hero. Got it?"
"Damn… you…"
Soldier Boy forced his head up, glaring.
"You're a fucking monster."
Axel grinned.
"Yeah. And even I agree with that."
His gaze turned cold.
"You might scare other people. You won't scare me."
He tapped Soldier Boy's head lightly with his foot.
"To me, you're just something to play with."
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