A shockwave erupted as their weapon clashed and both combatants hopped back to where they stood before the battle started.

Artreus hoped to end the battle quickly and quickly used his Ki Aura to empower that single disarming strike. But based on the recoil he felt from that single exchange, he understood that it would not be that easy.

"Trying to end the bout at the very beginning now, are you? If I didn't expect you to come out swinging, my arm would've been cleaved in half. How about we enjoy this match of ours more?" Joe Nathan smiled as he lazily twirls the axes in his hands like they were toys.

"I'm not here to play." Artreus raised his sword. "I'm here to win." He then rocketed towards Joe and once he reached the perfect distance, where his opponent was within the reach of his sword while outside his opponent's striking range, Artreus swung his sword. Joe raised both weapons and block his attack easily, but that was expected. He knew that the man is strong, and with Artreus limiting himself to only utilizing his Ki Aura, he could tell that their strength was close to each other based on their initial clash.

If that was the case, then he will overwhelm his opponent with experience. As soon as his attack was blocked, Artreus didn't stop and quickly executed a front kick towards Joe's gut. It connected and Joe was pushed back a good few meters. While such an attack would've already knocked down the other members of the Twin Ax, Joe was a lot tougher than his comrades as it seem that the surprise attack didn't cause any visible damage to the man.

So what if he's tough? Then I just have to beat him to submission. Artreus thought as he charged once more.

"I didn't expect you to kick me. That was a good surprise attack." Joe smirked. Artreus could feel his Aura getting stronger. "Here's mine!" He roar as he threw his weapons towards Artreus.

Surprised by the reckless attack of his opponent, Artreus who has already committed to his frontal charge wouldn't be able to dodge the attack in time. Thinking quickly, Artreus also threw his sword towards Joe, and with both his hands free, he caught his opponent's axes in mid-air and his opponent did the same with his sword, and now that there are no more than two meters separating the two, they both attacked. Joe swung the longsword with both hands and Artreus parried it with his ax by deftly redirecting the attack away. Then with his free weapon, he swung towards his opponent's extended arms, intent on cutting them off and render his opponent unable to continue the fight.

But just like a wild animal, Joe blocked his attack by striking his hand with his knee. An action that is only possible with extraordinary battle instinct.

Knowing that this is not the time to be in awe of his opponent's battle prowess, he noticed that his opponent is now standing on a single leg Taking advantage of the situation. Artreus swung his other weapon towards the leg that is supporting his opponent's body, but then, just like before, Joe jumped using that one leg while at the same time swinging his sword while in mid-air with an uncanny accuracy considering his lack of proper posture. The attack flew towards Artreus neck and he was forced to block the attack that was surprisingly heavy, and with Artreus also not in a stable stance, he was forced to take a few steps back.

"Just like I thought. You are great!" Joe exclaimed, unable to hide his glee with that wide smile etched upon his face. "It seems we have swapped weapons. Want me to trade you your sword back for my ax? I don't want you to fight with weapons you're not accustomed to. That wouldn't be fun."

"I appreciate your concern." Artreus started before lunging towards Joe in a blink of an eye and performed a double-handed downward slash. Joe, with the instinct of someone bred for battle, quickly switched from his lax posture to a defensive stance and received Artreus' attack, but in the very last moment, one of the axes diverted from its path as one ax clashed with the weapon while the other tried to cut his opponent's fingers that are holding the longsword. Thinking quickly, Joe angled the longsword so that the handguard intercepts the blade of the ax. But even when both his attacks were blocked, Artreus didn't halt his assault as he feinted to kick Joe's gut once more and as his opponent instinctively raised his knee to block his attack, Artreus then stomped hard on his opponent's other foot. But just like before, he couldn't fool the man's frightening battle instinct as the man jumped once more to avoid the sneak attack before changing the angle of his longsword to try and slice Artreus' neck. Reflexively, Artreus blocked the attack using the beard of his ax before locking the sword in place with the other. He then tried to wrench away the sword from Joe's hand. But another surprise was waiting for him as Joe willingly let go of the sword, causing Artreus to lose balance and executing a roundhouse kick towards his head. Knowing that he was not in a position to block the attack, Artreus chose to roll away and dodge his opponent's kick. After he recovered, Joe has already retrieved his sword and is smiling at him.

He knew that Joe would not be an easy opponent to beat. But it seems that he got a lot more than he expected. It would be a challenge to defeat the man before him with Artreus limiting himself with just Aura.

Worse than that, he could sense that his opponent is also hiding his strength. While Artreus has his reasons why he has to hide his strength, he wonders why his opponent is doing the same.

Is he playing with me? Artreus thought to himself. If his opponent really do underestimate Artreus and chose to hide his strength, then he should not waste this chance. He must defeat Joe before he takes Artreus seriously.

"That's what I'm talking about! Come 'Bloody Savage' and give it to me! Show me more!" Joe roared as he lunged at Artreus,

Summoning his strength, Artreus met his opponent's attack with one of his own. Feeling heavy recoil from his opponent's attack as it travels through his arms and body only reaffirms his conviction. He must defeat his foe as soon as possible. Not only to clear his name but also to wipe that annoying smile off of his face.

***

As the two combatants clashed upon the stage, the uneasiness deep within Mikaela's heart, increases. Mikaela knew that the idiot Artreus was strong. There was no doubt about it. Measuring the strength he has shown so far, Mikaela could easily place him at the top-tier of B-rank adventurer at least and lower A-rank at most. Not that she's saying that she could compare to him since she's an A-rank, for now, she could admit to herself that her rank was only that high because she's a member of the White Wolves, and in their party, only Porsha and the old man could legitimately call themselves A-rank adventurers, S-rank even, if the old man didn't have such a bad reputation with the old coots of the Central Branch of the Adventurer's Guild.

This past month where that they have sparred daily, not once did he saw the idiot put his all in a battle, well, except for their fight against Bone Crusher Gen and his bandits, but that version of Artreus, Mikaela tries hard to forget. For that man is more of a monster than a human, far different from the man she has known for the past month. Now, that idiot is clearly putting his all in a fight against someone who isn't the old man, and it is putting Mikaela on edge.

"What was that? What's happening?" One of the spectators exclaimed.

"I don't know man. One moment they clashed, and the second they suddenly jumped away." Another answered.

"Quit playing and fight for real! I want to see a blood bath!" A rough-looking man yelled.

A mixture of booing and jeering boomed from the crowd. But Mikaela didn't heed them no mind. Who could blame these people for thinking that the two duelists are not taking the fight seriously if their eyes could only catch a glimpse of the action that has developed within a span of two seconds? Without training her vision from watching all the high-class duels in Central, she might've also missed most of the action.

But seeing an attack coming and reacting to it in time are two different things, and once the idiot wins the duel, she would make sure to spar with him till they drop. She has much to learn if she wants to be someone the old man and the others would be proud of and to reach that, she must learn from someone who not only knows how to swing a sword hard but also have techniques and skills she could learn.

For that to happen, the idiot has to win this battle.

He must win.

A weak tug on her sleeve caught Mikaela's attention. Looking at the girl holding her sleeve, she asked. "What is it, Juliet?"

With a worried look on her face, little Juliet asked while her eyes remained glued to the fight. "Will Mister Artreus be okay? He'll win right?"

Before Mikaela could find her voice, it was little Timothy who answered first. "Of course he would win. Mister Artreus is super strong. He already beat two of the Twin Ax, at the same time. A single member of the Twin Ax would be no match for him."

"But..." Juliet murmurs in hesitation.

"Don't worry little Juliet. He may be an idiot, but he is strong. Artreus is still hiding his strength. He could beat his opponent anytime he wants." Mikaela tried to reassure the little girl.

"But Mimi. Mister Artreus' opponent is also hiding his power. I can feel it." She whispers. Her fear is plain to see as the little girl trembles in anxiety. "I'm afraid Mimi. I don't want Mister Artreus to die."

To normal people, it would be hard to comprehend what was happening in the stage. To them, it would seem that the two duelists are just clashing swords before retreating. Could it be that Juliet could not only follow their movements but also Sense the power they were hiding? There is one way to find out if her hunch was true."How could you tell that they were hiding their strength?"

"The spirits taught me." She answered.

"Spirits?" Mikaela was confused.

"Yes. The spirits. The ones in the forest taught me how to Sense other people's energy and how to hide my own. They said it's for my own safety. From who, I don't know. They didn't tell me."

"Spirits talked to you? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought they spoke with you too, big brother."

"No."

"Uhn... The spirits are not important right now. We should help Mister Artreus." Mikaela could feel Juliet's mana begin to rise. To be able to have this much control on not only her mana but also with the ambient mana in the vicinity. What in the world is this little girl? Mikaela thought.

But before Juliet could gather more mana, Mayor Longley suddenly appeared from behind her without Mikaela noticing his presence until he spoke. "That's enough, little girl. For your sake, I advise you to hide your energy and go home to your mother. Or else I wouldn't be able to honor my promise to your father." The mayor advised, but even if his words are that of concern, his cold eyes show the opposite. A few meters behind his master, Hans also arrived and proceeded to stand behind the mayor.

"Mayor Longley, I apologize for my sister's transgression. Please forgive her." Timothy bowed his head in apology.

"Shush. Let's not speak of this anymore." Not even looking at the bowing child, Mayor left as quickly as he arrived like he couldn't stand to be there a second longer.

With his master already left the area, Hans stayed and left a few words. "As if your appearance during the trial earlier was not enough, you also have the gall the cause ruckus in such a crowded area. Stop taking advantage of my master's goodwill and begone. If not for your father, we wouldn't suffer your kind's presence even for a second." With those words dripping with disdain, the man left.

"What were you thinking Julie? Aunty Amara told us to not catch any attention towards us. Now we're causing more problems not only to her and mother, but also the townspeople."

"But. But I want to help mister Artreus." The teary-eyed Juliet tried to argue with her brother.

Mikaela could see the struggle within Timothy. She knew that the boy also wants to help the idiot, but at the same time, he doesn't want to cause trouble for his mother, for while using magic is not a problem, and in most cases, should be celebrated since not only Awakening to the blessing of Mana a rare thing, but for a human to Awaken in their young age is almost unheard of, to use such magic to interfere in a sanctioned duel is highly illegal and at worst, his little sister might be sentenced to death herself.

"Don't worry, little Julie. As I said before, the idiot... I mean, Artreus could handle this himself. There is no need for us to interfere."

"That's right. No need to worry, little girl. Let other people handle their own problems, for we all have our own." Another voice rang out, this time, from behind Mikaela. With her hand on the hilt of her dagger, Mikaela turned around to reveal the mystery woman. In front of her was the half-elf receptionist of the Adventurer's Guild. "No need for hostilities. I am not here to cause trouble. So if you would put your hand away from your blade before someone gets hurt, I would be grateful." The woman said. It may sound like a polite request from others, but Mikaela's gut tells her that if she doesn't let go of the hilt of her dagger, then someone would really get hurt, and it would probably be her. Thus, Mikaela reluctantly took her hand away from her dagger. Not because she's afraid to fight, but because if the woman really wanted to do harm to them, she already would, and Mikaela wouldn't have been able to do anything since it was clear that the mysterious half-elf receptionist was an expert, evident by her being able to approach Mikaela without her Sensing the half-elf's presence.

First the Mayor, and now the Guild receptionist. More people who are more than what they seem. Ever since Mikaela's recent Awakening, she was continually reminded how far vast the world is that there are Monsters not only in the Central but even in a dainty town like Mukala.

Her thoughts were cut short by the voices of the children as they cried towards the mysterious receptionist. "Aunty, we---" Both of them yelled but they were cut short by a piercing look from the woman.

"Now, now, children. A duel is no place for kids. How about I escort you back to your home?" Offered the woman who she now knows named Amara.

Seeing the two kids' reluctant expressions, Mikaela stepped between them. "I don't know what your relationship with these two. But they are with me, thus I'm responsible for their safety. I can't just let these kids go with just any stranger, especially with a murderer on the loose."

"Me, a stranger? That's funny, adventurer." Amara chuckled. "If I'm a stranger, then a person who has only stay here for more than a month is worse than a stranger. Anyway, I am not accompanying these kids of my own volition. I was ordered by the Guild Master to escort these children home. For their own safety." She pointed at Guild Master Anderson who just nodded in response. The receptionist then gave her a smile that says 'See? Now, how about you let me do my job' look.

Mikaela then looked at the kids. There is an uneasy look on their face, but there was no sign of fear. Is it alright to let them be escorted home by this person? It's clear that this receptionist was no ordinary woman. So far, the ones who are able to evade her senses are high-ranking adventurers, knights, and veteran fighters within Central, so Mikaela could rest assured that the woman is capable enough to protect the kids if ever danger arises.

Still... "I'm sorry. But if you wish to escort these kids home, then I will accompany you. There is a killer on the loose and wouldn't it be safer to have another capable fighter to keep these kids safe?" The idiot would never forgive her if something happens to the kids while she's on the watch.

"But Mimi. I want to stay and help Mister Artreus." Juliet argued. It has only been a month since the two have known the idiot, but they are already this close to him. This is not surprising since the man acts like a kind older brother to them. Cooking for them, playing tag with them in the forest, even helping them to Awaken and teaching them how to use Mana. But most importantly, it is clear that they are also important to the idiot. Seeing him spend time with the kids almost made her forget that there was a different side to the man. "Even if I can't help directly, I could at least cheer for him. Please let me stay and cheer for him, Mimi." She pleaded.

"You cannot." Amara, the Adventurer's Guild receptionist rejected her request. "We are already attracting too much attention. We need to leave now." She urged.

Seeing the teary-eyed child lock gaze with her, Mikaela wanted to argue with Amara, but her gut tells her that it would not be wise to do so. Instead, she kneeled on one knee and patted the head of the teary-eyed girl. "'Do you trust Artreus."

"Yes. But... But I'm afraid." Julie mumbled between sobs. "I don't want him to die."

"He will not die," Mikaela stated with confidence. "Trust him. This is his fight and ours is to put our trust in him and before we know it, he will win and we will have a meal together later."

"Trust... Hmmm... Such a precious thing." Amara whispered under her breath. Then with a stern voice, she spoke to them. "If there is nothing else, then let's be on our way. I reckon I wouldn't be able to convince you to let me escort these kids on my own, so let us not waste any more time and come along." She then took the lead and proceeded to walk through the crowd and Mikaela and the kids followed her.

Watching her move through the crowd further amazes Mikaela. Amara's movement was fluid for a normal receptionist as she traverses through the crowd like flowing water through the river that the people don't even notice her passing them.

Just who is this woman? Mikaela thought to herself. This woman is a mystery. Still. This is not what's important at the moment. The crowd roared once more as the life and death battle unfolds in the middle of the stage.

You must win, idiot. Win and come back to us, safe and sound.

***

That was close. Artreus thought as he barely dodged Joe's counterattack. This bastard is playing with me. It is clear that the man is not using his full power. Joe almost never initiates an attack, opting to wait for Artreus to make the first move so he could exchange attacks with him before pushing him back with sheer power and animalistic battle instinct as if making a statement to the crowd that he's the stronger fighter.

What arrogance.

That will be his downfall.

"This is the most fun I ever had. Come! Let us enjoy this moment as much as we can!" Joe roared and the crowd goes wild with cheers for his victory.

"Kill the murderer!" "Death to the savage!" "Kill him and bring peace to this town!" They shouted as the noble's men poured oil into the fire of the people's fear and anger.

Are these the people they sacrificed their lives for? He fought all those years alone so that these people could curse him and treat him with such vitriol?

They may have been manipulated by Viktor and his men to stand against him, but Artreus could not help but feel resentment.

No. Not everyone is like this. More than these ungrateful people, there are ones who are worth fighting for. Artreus thought as he scanned for Mikaela and the kids. Only to find that they are no longer there. Where have they gone? He wondered before his instinct told him to duck as Joe's longsword slices through the air where Artreus head originally have been.

"Eyes on me!" Joe snarled angrily before jumping back to regain his composure. "How dare you look at someone else while I'm in front of you."

"I didn't know you are the jealous type." Artreus mocked him. While there is nothing to be feared about with Mikaela accompanying the kids, Artreus still couldn't help but worry about a murderer on the loose. He must finish this quick and find them.

Joe only smiled at Artreus attempt to insult him and replied. "Indeed. I'm a jealous guy. Is it bad to savor the time we have together? No matter how short the time is left?" Then, for the first time, Joe took an offensive stance. "How about we have one more clash for the road?"

"Let's finish this." Artreus readied himself.

"That's what I want to hear!" Joe roared in excitement and the crowd roared with him. "Ready or not, here I come!" He then lunged at Artreus.

This is the moment Artreus has been waiting for.

For the whole fight, he's been holding back, only using attacks that are more useful in mass combat rather than duels.

It is all for this moment.

Joe's sword sings through the air as the distance between them shrinks.

Five meters.

Four meters.

Three meters.

Two meters.

One meter.

As the sword is only a few centimeters away from cleaving his head in two, Artreus sharpened his senses and waited for the right moment.

The moment to deliver a strike that even someone with a monstrous battle instinct cannot avoid.

30 centimeters.

Artreus gripped his axes tightly.

A little more...

20 centimeters

Artreus slowly raises his weapons.

Just a little more.

10 centimeters.

NOW!

Making his life energy explode from within, his Aura flared stronger than before.

Aura burst. A technique that doubles the power of a person's Aura at the expense of draining much of his life energy. A dangerous technique that he never used in the Void Plains since it costs too much energy and will render the user unable to move after a minute of its use.

But in a duel where a fight can be determined in a single moment.

This technique is perfect to use.

With all of the muscles in his body crying under the stress of his own strength, Artreus used another technique that he's been saving.

With the flat of the blade of one ax, he guided his opponent's blade ever so slightly away from him, and with the other, he chopped at Joe's undefended wrist.

"Rosewood style. Petals scattered in the Winds."