Standing to the side, just a probing exchange was enough to make Atticus fully alert.
If he had not sensed the slightest fluctuation through his Observation Haki, he might already have been struck by Kizaru.
Kizaru likewise looked serious.
He had not expected Atticus's Observation Haki and physical coordination to be so formidable.
If that last strike had struck anyone else, they might have lost their ability to fight entirely.
Flames flickered, enveloping Atticus's entire body in golden-yellow fire, and his half-beast form slid into activation.
The two men glanced at each other, each seeing both solemn resolve and fierce excitement reflected in the other's eyes.
"Atticus, have you ever been struck by light?" Kizaru asked calmly.
"Kizaru, have you ever been burned by fire?" Atticus replied.
Almost at the same moment both lips curled into cold smiles, then golden light and red flames erupted together as the ground beneath them cracked.
In an instant the two clashed with extreme velocity: one wielding brilliance, the other driven by inferno.
Kizaru's sword of light materialized in his right hand, glowing with radiant power as he launched a merciless strike at Atticus.
At the same time Atticus called forth his own burning blade, its scorching aura visible even to the audience outside the arena.
The clang of their weapons rang out like metal striking metal, the sound shattering rocks.
The ground beneath Atticus collapsed, stones launching skyward in a cascade of chaos.
Yet Atticus stood firm.
He summoned a second flaming sword in his left hand and, without hesitation, lunged toward Kizaru.
Kizaru reacted instantly, conjuring a light sword of his own.
The two swords met again under a brutal shower of sand, stone and scorched earth.
Flames and dust erupted, obscuring their forms, before they separated — then closed again — then separated again in rapid succession.
Kizaru floated into the air and clasped his hands wide.
Golden energy beams shot outward like meteors, igniting the air and hurtling toward Atticus at lethal speed.
"Kizaru's Light Beam," came the roar of the attack.
Atticus rose his hands and summoned fire into both palms.
In response, he unleashed his own volley of burning projectiles — flames that soared upward into the sky as if hungry for the heavens.
Brilliant explosions bloomed in midair, dazzling and chaotic, the air rippling under the heat.
Then from the flames behind Atticus emerged countless fiery weapons — spears, swords, halberds — all launching upward like cannon fire.
"Light Rain," Kizaru muttered as points of golden light showered down like relentless rain against Atticus's fiery barrage.
The falling lights outnumbered Atticus's fiery missiles many times over.
Atticus inhaled deeply.
His hair flew wildly, eyes burning bright.
His arms stretched wide as flames erupted from his body, transforming his limbs into searing wings.
"High Temperature Storm Fire."
A vortex of flame erupted, twisting violently into a fiery tornado and surging toward Kizaru.
Atticus vanished and reappeared behind Kizaru, delivering a fierce black-ened kick that struck with the force of a pillar of iron.
Kizaru's pupils constricted — Atticus's speed at that moment was terrifying.
Kizaru's body shimmered and fragmented into specks of light.
He reappeared a hundred meters away.
A wisp of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth; despite his escape, Atticus had managed to graze him using Armament Haki.
"Impossible," Kizaru gasped, pale faced as he stared at Atticus.
Atticus's voice was calm, almost quiet.
"Light travels straight," he said.
"Even if your Devil Fruit grants speed, you still suffer the same flaw.
I simply sacrificed a bit of myself to keep up.
As long as I can match your pace, you don't stand a chance."
Kizaru's pride faltered.
He had always believed light to be invincible.
He vanished and reappeared beside Atticus, his right foot charged with power as he struck again.
Atticus vanished too and reappeared behind him, delivering a counter-kick.
But Kizaru vanished again, reemerging several meters away.
The ground cracked as the two continued to teleport and trade blows.
No matter how fast Kizaru moved, Atticus always appeared beside him again.
After ten brutal exchanges, Kizaru's confident smirk twisted into a horrific grimace and he roared in rage — like a beast.
The arena shook under the impact of their attacks.
Atticus stopped mid-air, panting heavily — the strain of that supreme speed was pushing him beyond human limits.
Golden light shimmered around Kizaru as he hovered.
He gazed down at Atticus's bleeding legs — flesh torn, bone visible under superficial layers.
Still, Atticus grinned wildly, his eyes fierce with fiery madness.
"He's a madman," murmured spectators in shock.
They stared at Atticus's blood-splattered legs in disbelief.
Some cadets turned pale, unable to fathom how someone could ignore such pain and yet still smile.
Kizaru sneered between gritted teeth.
"You crafted all this against me.
You designed this move for revenge," he spat.
His fear mixed with fury — he had not expected such obsessive cruelty.
Atticus's grin widened.
He raised his arms, flames spreading rapidly all around.
The air roiled with heat as the arena filled with an inferno so intense it felt like magma rising from beneath.
"Infinite Fire Domain."
A wave of scorching heat burst outward, forming a fire curtain that enveloped a thousand-meter radius.
The flames reached from the earth to the sky, sealing the area in a prison of fire.
Inside the conflagration, intense heat stifled breath.
Kizaru's golden glow flickered as he tried to resist.
Atticus snapped his fingers once.
Flames shifted strangely, and suddenly the heat escalated.
Kizaru flinched, his left hand clutching his throat, eyes wide in terror.
From the fire soared a monstrous creature with wings of flame and a blazing tail, a massive beast that radiated ferocity and destructive power.
Its form hovered mid-air, crown and wings shimmering in fire — it was Atticus's full-beast form unleashed in all its terrifying glory.
Light flickered around Kizaru as he tried to elementalize — to escape.
But before he could vanish completely, an immense, obsidian-black wing sliced through the air, striking him without mercy.
Kizaru's pupils widened in shock as blood spurted from his mouth.
He was knocked like a meteor, crashing heavily to the ground.
The impact left a crater at the point of impact.
Covered in blood, he struggled to rise.
A massive, black claw stepped onto his chest, pinning him in place.
He groaned in pain, choking on his own blood.
His eyes held disbelief and dread as he realized the price of underestimating a madman's resolve.
The arena grew silent as flames died down.
Atticus stood amidst the smoke and scorched earth, his breathing heavy, his legs trembling with pain — but his eyes gleaming with victory.
---
Early chapters. Early access.
Join me on Patreon.
Patreon.com/Zphyr_