Hero of Darkness

As the entire Nadur Empire spectated the match…

BOOM!!

Atreus and Gaja, the two combatants collided with a thunderous boom, causing shockwaves to ripple throughout the forest.

The audience watching the battle from the safety of the arena could feel the intensity of the impact as if they were right in the middle of the battle.

Despite the overwhelming force of Gaja's attack, Kahn managed to hold his own, using his mastery of water and ice to create walls, icicles and fist to deflect and counter Gaja's blows.

The two continued to exchange blows, their domains clashing in a spectacular display of power and skill.

As the battle raged on, the audience watched in awe, completely engrossed in the fight.

"Is that all you can do?" taunted the Elephantkin, trying to rile up Atreus.

Despite the mocking, Atreus remained focused and determined, using his training and instincts to anticipate the Elephantkin's every move and hit at his vital spot right when the opponent made unnecessary swings.

As Gaja tried to regain his composure, Atreus unleashes a barrage of water blades that slice through the air towards his opponent. But Gaja was quick to react, and he dodged them with ease. He charged towards Atreus, swinging his warhammers with tremendous force.

Atreus, however, remained calm and collected. He continued to carefully dodge and weave, using his waterblades in various fashion to either deflect Gaja's attacks or make a lethal swing strike and sometimes act as a protective wall. With each attack and dodge, he inched closer to his opponent, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

And then the moment finally came.

Gaja swung his Warhammer with all his might, leaving himself wide open due to his own momentum. Atreus took advantage of this and landed a devastating blow, sending Gaja flying through the air.

However, his figure suddenly turned into water and drizzled down. But before the enemy that was catapulted 3 kilometers away could even land, a swift figure shot up from the water below.

Boom!

The force of a punch to Gaja's gut by Atreus broke the sound barrier and throw the former away.

Observers could even feel the impact as if they were the ones who delivered the punch, making it evident to everyone how strong it was.

Kahn who swiftly switched places with one his doppelgangers in hiding, appeared in front of Gaja, who swung his warhammer with a single hand. But he quickly ducked and delivered an uppercut to his opponent's jaw.

Gaja staggered backward, his head spinning from the blow.

Atreus maintained his focus and stance, not rejoicing just because he landed a hit. He knew that the fight is far from over and remains prepared for his opponent's next move.

The fight between Atreus and Gaja had been going on for hours, and the audience was on the edge of their seats, feeling as if they were the ones deciding the fate of the match with every devastating blow and terrifying attack made by the combatants.

But as the fight continued, the spectators began to notice a pattern.

Gaja was in a hurry to finish the match, while Atreus was using his opponent's height to find weaknesses and create opportunities to land powerful blows.

Despite being seasoned warriors, Gaja was getting exhausted rapidly due to the excessive physical force and movements he had to make to swing his weapons.

As 5th stage saint, he should have been able to fight for days without tiring, but something was amiss.

The audience wondered why this was happening.

Was it because Gaja was using his legendary rank warhammers?

But even a 100-ton weight was like lifting a tablespoon for him, given his rank. Only then did they realize something crucial.

All of Atreus's physical attacks did not carry any world energy. He was fighting with pure brawler skills and technique, depending solely on his physical strength.

In contrast, Gaja, as a shadow disciple of the Ganesha tribe, was not only using his domain but also all his skills, and even his weapons were greatly consuming his world energy. This was the reason for his exhaustion.

Atreus's strategy of using his opponent's height to create opportunities and landing powerful blows was working, while Gaja's excessive use of world energy to cover his offense and defense was tiring him out.

The audience watched in awe as Atreus slowly but surely gained the upper hand, his physical strength and brawler skills proving to be a formidable match for Gaja's Domain as the latter kept destroying his massive summoned warhammers in the sky while also beating the Elephantkin physically.

It was a testament to the power of pure physical prowess.

Finally, Atreus made his move. He let his opponent close in and attacked the most damaging parts of his anatomy—the tusks.

Atreus's blow hit the tusks with such force that they broke, causing direct damage to the enemy's skull and nervous system.

This caused great confusion and disorientation, giving Atreus the one-second window he had been waiting for all this time.

With his opponent dazed and reeling, Atreus finally unleashed his most powerful attack.

Woosh!

Atreus clasped his palms and made a joint fist and right before Gaja could even come out of daze...

BOOM!!!

He made a double-fist drop, causing the ground to shake and the trees to sway within a three-kilometer radius.

After few seconds, the entire empire saw the result...

Gaja was buried deep in a hole, completely knocked out and covered in a pool of his own blood.

Atreus, on the other hand, didn't even break a sweat during the entire battle.

He emerged as the clear winner, having proven that pure physical strength and technique could triumph over world energy even if you used a Domain.

"YESSSS!! THAT'S MORE LIKE IT!!"

The audience erupted in cheers and applause, marveling at the display of sheer power and skill they had just witnessed.

Atreus basked in their adoration, knowing that he had given it his all and emerged victorious.

As he walked away from the arena, Atreus couldn't help but reflect on the strategy he put to practice in this fight.

This was neither a bloody battle and nor did he make some outstanding last moment move that no one saw coming.

In terms of strategy, it was simply a long drawn battle with only ocassional plot twists and limited display of skills.

Kahn as a warrior hadn't even used 50% of his strength in this battle.

But he realized that sometimes just like Romulus taught him, it wasn't just about raw power or flashy techniques.

The ability to seize opportunities when they presented themselves also played as a huge factor than just headbutting your enemy from the get-go just because you had more strength.

It was not a matter of flashy movements or devastating attacks...

It was a matter of Patience and Endurance.