Chapitre 26: These things... are they trying to tickle me?

"Where did he learn to move like that, I wonder."

Rolan, observing the battle, turned to Seth.

The latter smiled, saying in a ponderous manner, "Hmm, I wonder too, really."

Rolan frowned and continued, "An orphan shouldn't be capable of controlling their strength to such degree, unless of course, he had someone backing him, wouldn't you say?"

This way, the orphan was taught martial arts.

"Oh, really… But how long exactly has this backer appeared? I'm sure you did your research."

Seth smilingly turned to Rolan.

Even if Seth and Anon had a deeper relationship, which was already hinted by the transfer to St. Hope high school two months back, it was just that, two months.

How could Anon become like this in two months?

How could an orphan surpass the years of nurturing that Catharina received by a great family, and in just two months at that?

"Then again," Rolan took out a cigarette as it lit itself, "This is none of my business."

Even if something was suspicious, it did not mean one should try and solve the mystery, especially when entities carrying the title of Constantin were involved, these were beings from a great family.

Whatever scheme was taking place with these great families was up and above his, Rolan's, payday.

Secondly, and most importantly, with a monster like Seth, and then there was Anon who saw stellar cosmic energy with a mortal spirit, it was very much feasible that Blackridge would see the birth of two academy graduates in the coming years.

'Nothing's confirmed though. Geniuses die before they achieve their full potential. Those who don't, might lose themselves, some see their potential squandered, a genius is a genius for a period.' Rolan inwardly mused.

Within this period, a genius would absolutely need to achieve their full potential, because when that limited time ran out, calamity struck.

The battle below came to a halt.

They stood some twenty or so meters away from each other.

When Catharina heard Anon's words, she sighed.

In hindsight, she was also looking to damage Anon greatly.

To dominate him in this battle, to such a degree that whatever made him lean towards Seth would be severed.

Only now, she realized that unknowingly, she was looking down on not just Anon, but even Seth.

She had been brought back to reality.

What if she was a genius?

Wasn't she standing before someone who saw stellar cosmic energy with a mortal spirit?

When their gazes met, unconcealable emotions flashed through her eyes.

"I was disrespectful, Anon."

Anon grinned, 'The false delusion has shattered.'

She said, "Let's fight seriously."

'Fight seriously?'

"I hope you can handle a serious fight." Anon replied.

"Oh, don't worry about me…"

Saying this, Catharina's eyes shone.

A shadow shaded Anon from the sun as above his head, a golden snowflake descended.

But it was unlike the others, which were sent spinning towards him like disks.

This one was multiple times larger than the others and descended the sky slowly.

More strikingly, it didn't approach with its edge, but instead fell towards him with its body.

Anon's figure, blurred.

To stand still and observe would be dumb, and retreating wouldn't be intelligent.

Whatever was to happen, by closing the distance between himself and Catharina, it'd implicate her too.

But he couldn't even leave the shadow of the golden snowflake when it unhesitatingly exploded into dozens and hundreds of fine and minute golden snowflakes, like a chaotic storm that enshrouded Anon.

From afar, his whole figure was swallowed by the dense cluster of golden snowflakes.

Catharina saw this and felt a stinging pain in her heart.

She didn't wish to use this.

Like Nickyle, who had that afterimage trump card, she too had her own trump card.

But it was a wild card that would leave Anon in a devastated state thereafter, much worse than what her initial attack would've done.

She wanted to dominate him from beginning to end.

Being forced to use this, even if she won, Anon would be no different than Nickyle, carried away in a horrid state.

Even though Anon forced her to use this, she still felt guilty.

"Why watch me like that?"

Anon's voice escaped the storm of golden snowflakes.

"No need to feel guilt." He said, "These things… are they trying to tickle me?"

Although he said so, when he stepped out of the golden snowflake storm, his clothing was torn apart and there were fine wounds that ran throughout his body.

But these were light flesh wounds that affected him not.

His foot stomped onto the ground as he exploded with speed that transformed his body into a blur.

When he stepped out of the storm, Catharina was left speechless, mouth agape.

Only after he stomped his foot onto the ground did she react, swiftly attempting to retreat.

But Anon touched full speed much faster than she was able to, so by the time she had retreated some two dozen meters, Anon had appeared within striking distance.

Sizing up, he punched.

"I give up!"

She shouted aloud, but Anon had already punched.

The distance between them was too close, and Anon had…

Bam!

Roland caught his fist, causing Anon to raise his brows in surprise.

Being forcefully brought to a stop, Anon turned to the small mountain where he saw Seth intently staring at him.

The thing was, they were over three hundred meters away.

A second had moments, and Rolan traversed such a distance in those moments, or maybe in a single moment.

'The third world? At least the absolute peak of the second…'

The strength of two soldiers could vastly differentiate.

To distinguish between them, titles were developed.

Catharina, Nickyle, Anon, and Seth had all shown the prowess of the first world.

The first world spanned from being capable of completing one complex task to four simple tasks simultaneously.

Naturally, this also meant that Anon was one bottleneck away from entering the second world, hence, this was considered a great limit, the first limit.

Seth had revealed strength that wasn't at the peak of the first world but was certainly on the higher end.

His true strength though, with all three principles in use, who knew where his true strength would reach.

To graduate the academy, a student needed to enter the third world in nine years…

Rolan had probably entered the third world by now, but that was after twelve years; three years had passed since he was released from the military academy.

It was simply that difficult.

Catharina had closed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth, but the punch didn't arrive like she expected.

Instead, there was a low muffled sound.

When she opened her eyes, Rolan had already let go of Anon's fist and blown out some cancerous air, not that it mattered to stellar fighters, nor the current humans.

"I've seen enough," Rolan's tone was much more serious than usual, "Since class began late, we'll be heading straight into the next two theoretical classes before you guys can have lunch."

Saying that, he looked into the skies, "Turn off."

Ordering to no one in particular, the world began trembling as the scenery faded into smoke.

Thereafter, Anon's world became a large hall with green walls, ceiling, and even floor.

It was spanned dozens of meters, more than sixty meters from one wall to the other, but it clearly wasn't as large as it first appeared to be.

Seth, Andrew, and Melissa weren't even that far away now.

After exiting the combat room, Melissa couldn't help but ask Rolan, "What about Nickyle?"

In the state he was left in after battling Seth, he almost seemed to be knocking on death's door.

At that time, Parkinson had a colder expression than normal as he said, "You children don't need to worry too much. This is a rather normal experience."

When glancing at Seth, he couldn't help but say in a dark tone, "Every year, there's at least one like this, overly ruthless."

Hearing her question, Nickyle replied, "The infirmary hall has three healing pods…" He paused here.

It was a term that Melissa and Andrew hadn't heard before, but its name was self-explanatory.

"It's a higher level of technology. Basically, once you aren't killed, you'll be fine." Catharina explained whilst glancing at Anon, subtly hinting at her greater knowledge.

Or more accurately, showing that she knew of a great many things, and was willing to teach him more about this world.

After all, she was the young missy of a great family.

'It's another piece of technology "absorbed" from another civilization.' Anon explained to Catharina, though inwardly.

Though she may think that she was more knowing than Anon, the latter was many times more knowledgeable about this world than Rolan, much less her.