The fight continued as both fighters gave it their all while trying to kill the other. The beautiful forest park had now been brought to ruins as the magical beasts ran for safety, and even the few high-ranking magical beasts present were no exception.
Both closed the distance. The man's blade surged with condensed wind energy, the pressure of which was palpable even from afar. He lunged forward, the strike splitting the air with a deafening crack.
Alex faced the attack head-on. Their blades collided, and the resulting shockwave flattened the ground around them. The sheer force sent both combatants back, leaving deep trenches in the earth.
"You're tougher than I thought," the warrior admitted, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow.
"And you talk too much," Alex retorted, his golden lightning flaring even brighter.
Alex raised his katana, the air around him buzzing with electricity. His voice was calm but firm, as he decided to take a gamble with the last Art he still hadn't mastered before reinforcements arrived.
"Thunder Control: Katana Form—Sixth Art. Limit Break."
As Alex invoked the final art—lightning surged into his body with a ferocity that defied comprehension. The energy didn't just course through him; it became a part of him, merging with his essence. The golden lightning crackled violently, enveloping his form in an armor of pure energy, each arc alive with a divine intensity.
The moment the art took hold, the world seemed to shudder in acknowledgment. Thunder roared across the sky, rolling in waves that made the ground tremble. The air grew dense and heavy, charged with a power that made the forest around them feel insignificant. The heavens darkened, clouds swirling as if bending to the will of the storm manifesting on the battlefield.
The lightning didn't stop at empowering Alex—it transcended him. It surged into his brain, forcibly silencing the amygdala, one of the natural limiters that kept human potential in check. His eyes gleamed with an unnatural light, sharp and piercing as if they could see through time. His perception expanded, every detail of his surroundings crystal clear, seemingly slowed to a crawl, every movement of the opponent, his body empowered by the thunder element.
The golden lighting around him began cracking with even more power, and his yellow hair stood up straight. His eyes flicked open with golden light, as it seemed an incarnation of the thunder god just descended.
Then he moved.
The ground beneath Alex cracked and shattered under the sheer weight of his power, lightning coursing out in chaotic tendrils that scarred the earth. The world around him seemed to rebel against his presence—trees splintered, rocks crumbled, and even the wind howled in protest of the being who now stood as a thunder god incarnate.
With a sharp exhale, Alex vanished, leaving behind a blinding flash of light and the crackle of displaced air. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared before the master rank warrior, his katana descending in a devastating arc. The force of the slash wasn't merely physical; it carried the wrath of the storm, a raw and unstoppable energy that seemed to tear apart reality itself. The ground split open in its wake, shockwaves rippling outward, uprooting trees and reducing the battlefield to ruin.
The master rank warrior, despite his formidable strength, staggered under the overwhelming pressure. The very air around Alex felt oppressive, suffocating as if the world itself had yielded to his dominance. The golden lightning around him flared again, illuminating the battlefield in blinding brilliance, a declaration to all who bore witness: this was not a mortal technique—this was divinity unleashed.
The warrior parried, but the impact forced him back, his boots digging into the ground. Alex pressed the attack, his movements a blur of lightning-infused strikes. Each clash sent shockwaves rippling through the forest, the once-lush area now a battlefield of destruction.
The master rank warrior gritted his teeth, the winds around him howling in fury. He retaliated with ferocious slashes, each amplified by the gale force, but Alex's lightning-enhanced reflexes kept him a step ahead.
Finally, Alex saw his opening.
With a deafening roar, he unleashed a series of rapid slashes, the strikes blending into a single, continuous arc of destruction. The master rank warrior's defenses faltered, and Alex's katana carved deep into his shoulder.
The man staggered, blood pouring from the wound. He raised his sword for a final attack, but Alex was faster.
With a blinding flash of golden light, Alex drove his katana through the warrior's chest. The man's eyes widened in shock before the lightning surged through him, ending the battle.
As the master rank fell, lifeless, Alex stood amidst the ruins of the forest. His breaths came in ragged gasps, his chest heaving as golden lightning flickered and faded around him. The ground beneath his feet was scorched and fractured, a testament to the overwhelming power he had unleashed. Yet, his body trembled uncontrollably, each muscle screaming in agony as the immense strain of Limit Break took its toll.
The technique was not merely a test of strength; it was a crucible of will. The lightning that had coursed through Alex's body had pushed every system to its absolute threshold. His nerves burned, overloaded by the relentless current. His vision blurred as if the light he wielded had seared his very soul. Yet, through it all, his mind held firm—barely.
Limit Break demanded more than just physical resilience. It required mastery over one's deepest instincts, ruthless suppression of fear and pain through carefully paralyzing some aspect of the Amygdala,
Through sheer mental discipline, honed by years of nagging (forced) training, Alex directed the lightning within to temper his senses rather than destroy them. By focusing on his Amygdala, he maintained control over his emotional reaction and fear, channeling the overwhelming agony into a singular, focused purpose. He knew mastery over this state was the only reason he stood. Even with his mastery over the Amygdala, the limit-breaking art is still just 30% mastered.
The strain was unimaginable. His knees buckled slightly as he took a step forward, the weight of the battle and the cost of his power pressing down on him. The echoes of the battle still rang in his ears, mingling with the sharp, searing pain that radiated from every nerve in his body. For a fleeting moment, his mind faltered, the controlled suppression of his body's limits threatening to give way to chaos.
Still, Alex grits his teeth and forces himself upright. The golden armor he had worn before exiting the secret passage flickers again, a brief, fading reminder of the power that had brought him this far. Yet, even as the lightning subsided, a small ember of its energy lingers within him, a testament to his unyielding will.
This was the burden of Limit Break. To wield it was to touch the edge of godhood—but to survive it was to conquer oneself.
He glanced at the coordinates his mother had given him, determination burning in his eyes. There was no time to waste.