Chaos’ Heir

847  Serious

Khan wasn't only fast. Achieving complete mastery of the Lightning-Demon style had made his attacks untraceable. No one could notice when he began sprinting, meaning that Tlexicpalli had seen him coming.

The level difference could explain that outcome, but Khan's body had several advantages. Moreover, he had steadily trained in the recent period, increasing his attunement with mana. He should have more than compensated for his lower standing, but Tlexicpalli had reacted to his sprint anyway.

The urge to smile tried to take control of Khan's face, but his expression remained cold. Truth be told, he enjoyed those friendly fights, especially against an opponent who could provide a challenge. The opportunities to test his power without needing to kill anyone were also rare, so he felt glad Tlexicpalli could push him to his limits.

On the other hand, Tlexicpalli couldn't contain her surprise. She had heard about Khan's strength, and he had even sprinted without giving warnings. Yet, that speed was unnatural. Tlexicpalli had to rely on a reckless jump to dodge him.

To make things worse, Khan didn't actually attack. He performed no kick or technique. He had simply sprinted forward as if testing Tlexicpalli's reactions. His genuine offensive was bound to be more dangerous.

Many soldiers would be terrified by Khan's speed, but Tlexicpalli belonged to a warrior race. Her green blood boiled at the idea of facing such a formidable opponent. In her mind, the trip was already worth the hassle.

"I'm pleased, Prince Khan," Tlexicpalli announced, resuming her fighting stance. "You are the warrior you have promised to be."

The light radiated by Khan's eyes slightly intensified. The symphony shone in his vision revealing the countless methods he could employ. Tlexicpalli's sharp but intense aura interfered with the surrounding mana, but Khan had been in the arena for hours. The world had already submitted to him.

Nevertheless, raining fire upon Tlexicpalli would only test the mana barrier's limits. It would also turn the battle into a chaotic scuffle that risked resulting in death.

'Let's see how far I can go,' Khan thought, his body disappearing.

Tlexicpalli was ready now. Khan didn't need to move his legs to sprint ahead, but the Ef'i still saw a faint dot approaching her. As she focused, details appeared in her vision, allowing her to perform a far better dodge.

Tlexicpalli leaned to her left, dodging the straight kick aimed at her right shoulder. Khan materialized next to her, almost horizontally floating in the air. The two exchanged a glance before something claimed Khan's attention.

The Ef'i's tail also reacted to Khan's attack, rising and pointing its sharp tip at him. Tlexicpalli sent it forward, planning to pierce Khan's abdomen, but the blow didn't connect. Khan sprinted again, reappearing on the threatening limb and calmly standing on it.

Tlexicpalli hurriedly lifted her right arm, blocking the sudden kick aimed at her head. Meanwhile, she swung her left hand on the other side, her claws descending right where Khan had reappeared.

The black claws expanded in Khan's vision, getting closer to his head. Time slowed down in his eyes, allowing him to notice Tlexicpalli's sneaky tail tilting toward him. She was ready to intercept his next evasive measure, so he opted for an offensive approach.

Tlexicpalli couldn't believe her four eyes when Khan grabbed her descending wrist, stopping her stretched claws at mere centimeters from his forehead. She had put real strength in her blow, but Khan had matched it without needing to place his feet on the ground.

That outcome was unreal. Tlexicpalli could accept that Khan had incredible techniques under his belt, but that was a brutish contest of raw strength. Her blow should have squashed Khan to the ground, but the very opposite happened.

Khan kept Tlexicpalli's arm still while shifting his body toward her torso, hiding himself from the sharp tail. At that point, his legs snapped forward, delivering a series of instantaneous kicks. Tlexicpalli used her free hand to block them, but a few slipped past it and landed on her abdomen.

Tlexicpalli eventually put all her strength into her legs, jumping backward. The pulling force was too much for Khan, forcing him to let go of her wrist. However, he shot forward, planning to continue his offensive.

Nevertheless, Tlexicpalli slammed her tail into the ground, using it to spin her body. Her clawed feet rose, trying to intercept Khan's sprint, but the gesture didn't take him by surprise. His figure ricocheted through the air, appearing above the horizontal Ef'i with a descending kick.

Tlexicpalli was in mid-air, with only her tail connected to the ground. She could dodge and block, but Khan clearly had the upper hand. His attack would land, and the previous kicks told her how heavy it would be.

Khan put all his weight and power into his descending stomp, but something suddenly changed inside Tlexicpalli. Her mana moved toward her arms and legs, making them blurry. The symphony between himm and the alien shattered, and his survival instincts forced him to bend his ankle, sending him away.

Khan landed on the ground, sliding for a few meters, while Tlexicpalli lifted herself from her tail and calmly restored a standing stance. The two stared at each other, seemingly engaging in a conversation only they could hear, and conclusions quickly arrived.

Until now, Tlexicpalli had matched Khan's Lightning-Demon style with her mere body. She had shifted her mana accordingly to boost her physical prowess, but no martial art had been deployed.

Instead, the previous blurry moves belonged to that realm. Khan had forced Tlexicpalli to unleash her martial art, and his instincts had screamed. She was dangerous, as expected from a fifth-level warrior.

"Shall we get serious?" Tlexicpalli asked, knowing that Khan would understand what she meant.

Khan's expression didn't change, but Tlexicpalli noticed something. An alien look had appeared on his face as if an otherworldly anger had spread inside him. The air vouched for Khan's new mindset, growing colder and heavy.

"[I decide when to get serious]," Khan said, using the Ef'i's language.

Tlexicpalli's excitement skyrocketed as she watched Khan shooting forward. She had grown used to his speed now, so her arms moved accordingly. Her hands became blurry right before the frontal clash.

Both warriors flew backward before landing on the ground. Blood fell from Tlexicpalli's claws, but no injury existed on her body. Instead, three oblique cuts had appeared on Khan's chest, ruining his bone armor and making it fall from his torso.

Tlexicpalli lifted her arms, showing her claws as if challenging Khan to come at her again. Still, he didn't move. His mind reviewed the previous exchange, uncovering invisible details.

Getting past Khan's senses was simply impossible now. The technology and techniques to achieve that had yet to be invented. Yet, he couldn't see Tlexicpalli's martial art, or rather, he couldn't study it during the exchange. His brain had recorded it, but everything had happened too quickly for him to develop a countermeasure on the spot.

Yet, that short break allowed Khan to sort out the recent information. He actually jumped into an exchange he knew he would lose to uncover those secrets.

"[Your technique accelerates your cells]," Khan said, "[Temporarily removing their limits. Incredible]."

Khan's praise was genuine. Tlexicpalli's technique was difficult to pull off and even harsher to control. Temporarily removing the limbs' limits allowed her to perform attacks above her current level, and her mastery over that hinted at years of training.

Moreover, Khan knew the strain caused by powerful techniques. Tlexicpalli's body was incredible, but her inborn gifts couldn't compensate for her martial art's power. She had to have a limit, which her expression didn't show.

Needless to say, Tlexicpalli was shocked once again. Khan had studied and understood her martial art after two exchanges. Theoretically, he shouldn't have been able to see her moves, so his on-point explanation came as an even bigger surprise.

"[Prince Khan]," Tlexicpalli called, switching to her language, "[Why are you holding back]?"

The question had more than rumors backing it up. Tlexicpalli could see the cursed knife's handle sticking past Khan's pelts. He had far more in store but wasn't showing it to the alien.

Khan knew the Ef'i's mindset. He was testing himself, but the Ef'i could see his behavior as disrespectful. They didn't care about their pride but wanted their battles to be engaging.

'So,' Khan thought, moving his bright eyes to the stages, 'This is my limit.'

Khan was fond of the Lightning-Demon style. It had been his first martial art, something that had made him freer than everyone else. Its techniques had made him survive, fly, and more, but his talent had highlighted its limits.

"[Focus]," Khan ordered, bringing his gaze back to the Ef'i. "[I'm about to attack]."

Tlexicpalli felt slightly insulted by the warning, but her excitement overcame that feeling. Her mind focused solely on her battle, and her senses sharpened to their utmost limits. She was ready for the imminent attack, but a thudding noise ended up surprising her.

The noise came from behind Tlexicpalli, making her turn. To her surprise, Khan had appeared behind her, and half of his right leg had stabbed into the ground. Cracks had also spread from the hole, destabilizing the surrounding terrain.