The two fighters charged at each other without hesitation as Socrates took the lead, his boots scraping harshly against the frost-covered ground. His face had already been seen, so there was no longer a need to remain passive.
Merkules wouldn't give Socrates that opening he wanted, as he also closed in with calculated steps, each movement precise and disciplined. The blue energies clashed in the middle of the fading frost mist, which was already losing its effect as the cold vapors thinned into the air.
CLASH.
Steel struck against steel as sparks flew upward in bright orange streaks, briefly illuminating their hardened expressions. It was Merkules who deflected Socrates' axe strike with his sword, the impact sending vibrations down both their arms. But then the red-haired teenager wasn't just attacking with brute force alone.
He controlled his hand as he went in for a middle horizontal cleave, muscles along his arm tightening visibly, but Merkules condensed a ball of energy into a shield as he blocked his side with it. The shield shimmered with dense blue light, humming faintly as it stabilized before impact.
The blade hit the energy shield as it was rejected instantly. It hummed violently as if trying to push back, the air around it trembling from the force, but Socrates pressed on. He exerted his full strength into the axe as he pushed forward, veins bulging slightly along his forearm, just for something surprising to happen.
The moment he used all his strength on the axe, the condensed shield got outlined with cracks before crumbling into pieces that scattered like shattered glass across the frost-coated ground. But then it wasn't only just the shield that broke — the handle of the axe followed.
Socrates' strength was too much for the weapon, and the handle crumbled into dust within his grip, splintering apart into fine fragments, while the heavy blade slipped free and fell to the ground with a dull metallic thud.
Merkules and Socrates stared at each other in surprise, the sudden stillness between them sharp and unnatural.
'That's a grade 1 weapon... How can it crumble by just his grip?'
All senses at that moment screamed for him to escape, a sharp instinct honed through countless battles ringing violently in his mind, but then Socrates was faster as he grabbed him by the nape of his garment, fingers clamping down like iron hooks.
He condensed his energy into a glove which wrapped around his palm, the blue light forming a tight, armored layer over his hand before forcefully using it to remove Socrates' grip on his body and retreating backward, boots sliding slightly across the scarred frost beneath him.
He stared at Socrates, his breathing getting a little tensed, chest rising and falling more noticeably than before as cold air escaped his lips in faint white puffs.
"How did you become so powerful in the expanse of one month?" Merkules asked, his brows furrowing slightly as suspicion mixed with genuine curiosity.
"Miracle..." Socrates replied, shrugging lightly despite the tension in his shoulders, his tone casual as if he wasn't standing in the middle of a deadly confrontation.
Merkules transferred energy into his eyes as he peered into Socrates' body, faint blue light flickering within his pupils as he activated his sensing technique. He couldn't feel any ounce of energy.
In fact, Socrates hadn't been using any form of energy at all, and that realization sent a faint ripple of unease through Merkules' usually calm mind.
"Why not join me and become a member of the Sky Pavilion?" Merkules offered, acknowledging Socrates' strength, his voice steady but carrying enough authority to silence the immediate surroundings.
This caused gasps among the disciples spectating the match, whispers breaking out like ripples through still water as astonishment spread across their faces.
"I'll give you a top position in the Sky Pavilion..." Merkules included as the crowd gasped again, louder this time, disbelief evident in their widening eyes.
"Why is Brother Merkules being generous?" One person asked, leaning slightly toward his companion while keeping his gaze fixed on the battlefield.
"Although Socrates is strong, he's still a far cry compared to Brother Merkules..." another disciple muttered, folding his arms tightly as if reassuring himself.
"Brother Merkules still has a card to play..." someone else whispered, voice filled with confidence in their champion.
"The Sky Pavilion Champion has seen potential in the red-haired teen, he wants to take him with him," another added, nodding slowly as if explaining an obvious truth.
"If I'm Socrates, I'll accept this offer almost immediately," a young disciple said under his breath, eyes gleaming with envy at the opportunity being presented.
The disciples discussed amongst themselves, their voices layering into a restless murmur that filled the training grounds like the buzzing of distant insects.
"Why do I need a top position when I can defeat you and become the Sky Pavilion Champion instead." Socrates replied, his voice firm and steady, cutting cleanly through the noisy chatter, and then there was an uproar amidst the crowd.
"Brazen... The kid is just too brazen," one disciple exclaimed, shaking his head vigorously.
"He just lost his only opportunity," another scoffed, lips curling into a faint sneer.
"He thinks he can defeat Brother Merkules... He's a fool..." came a harsh whisper from somewhere near the back of the spectators.
Merkules smiled as he stared at the defiant look on Socrates' face, the corners of his lips lifting slowly into a calm but dangerous expression, and then pointed his sword towards the sky, the blade glinting faintly under the thinning cloud cover.
"You think you can defeat me... Keep dreaming." Merkules released his aura. The aura of a sixth-level energy condensation realm cultivator surged outward as blue energy swirled violently around him before bursting up into the sky like a rising pillar of light.
His hair stood up as the wind blew violently, pushing everything around him away, loose frost and dust scattering outward in rippling waves that scraped across the stone floor.
'Such strong pressure...' Socrates was finding it hard to place his foot on the ground, the invisible force pressing against his body like a crushing tide, but it was just for some seconds as in the next second, his grip on his one axe tightened as he stared at the Sky Pavilion Champion, his knuckles turning pale from the pressure.
'But it still isn't enough...' Despite the current, he made his move instantly as he dashed against the current. His movement speed was very slow under the pressure but was still fast compared to an average human, each step forcing its way forward against the roaring resistance.
Merkules' energy which burst into the sky cleared up the clouds, tearing apart the grey layers above, as a blue round rune formation formed on the clear sky like a glowing celestial disc.
The formation was filled with ancient runes as it changed shapes and kept rotating, each symbol glowing faintly with power before forming into small small portals that surrounded Merkules, floating steadily in midair like hovering mirrors.
"SEA MOUNTAIN ART — FIRST ART.."
Merkules announced as he trailed his finger along his sword which was entirely covered with blue energy, the blade humming softly under the accumulated power, before placing one of his legs forward and pointing the sword at Socrates with measured precision.
"SEA OF SHRAPNELS — EMERGE AND STRIKE." He commanded as out of the portals came out stones that were shaped in the form of blades as they rushed out of the portals in dozens, all rushing towards the direction the sword was coming from.
The stones were not more than 12 inches long and 5 inches thick as they moved with blinding speed towards Socrates, slicing through the air with sharp whistling sounds, leaving him no place to dodge as their numbers rapidly increased.
"This is where you die, Boy..." Merkules announced as the shrapnels enveloped Socrates from different directions, surrounding him like a closing storm of jagged stone.
Swing! Swing!..
Socrates stepped backward as instead of charging forward, he moved backward with the axe, deflecting most of the strikes while some of the shrapnels still hit him, sparks and fragments scattering each time stone met steel.
Socrates' body was tough, so he didn't have any problem taking a few shrapnel of stones, his hardened muscles absorbing some of the impact as fragments scraped across his skin. But when few turned into dozens...
Tears and cuts started appearing all over his body as he tried his best to deflect the attacks, the repeated impacts numbing his arms slightly, but not all could he deflect with just his axe, especially as the storm of blades grew denser.
And by the time the sea of shrapnels were finished, Socrates' body was riddled with holes and cuts, thin streams of blood tracing along his skin before dripping onto the frost-covered ground beneath his feet.
Blood dropped down from his nose and mouth, forming dark crimson droplets that stained the pale surface below, but he was still standing defiant, his posture refusing to bend despite the punishment his body had endured. The blade of his axe dropped to the ground with a metallic clatter, but his hand was still on the handle, fingers tightening stubbornly around what remained.
"Is that all you got?" He beckoned on Merkules, his voice rough but steady despite the blood at the corner of his lips, who smiled and shook his head slowly as if amused by the display of stubborn resistance.
"SEA OF SHRAPNELS — SECOND WAVE..." Merkules announced again as this time, more blue portals opened up behind him, their circular rims glowing brighter than before as sharp blades of stones came out of them in greater numbers. This time they were 25 inches long and 8 inches thick, their surfaces jagged and uneven, radiating a far more dangerous presence.
Socrates' eyes widened at the sight before him as his heart beat loudly, each heavy thud echoing in his ears while the incoming threat loomed larger than before.
"Let's see how you escape from this one.... Emerge and Strike.." Merkules commanded, his tone calm but filled with lethal certainty, and the blades of stone split the air instantly as they rushed after Socrates without hesitation, tearing through the atmosphere with explosive force.