Primordial Expanse: I have the Strongest Talent!

As the AI's countdown ended, Alex braced himself.

"Fight!"

Nikolas released his aura, and Alex's eyes widened in shock. He immediately recognized the intensity.

"He's a Mutant class D rank Awakened," Alex muttered to himself, the realisation hitting him hard.

The spectators gasped in awe as the powerful aura spread throughout the arena.

"He's a D rank in his first year? Incredible!"

"And who's this Alex guy? He must be good to face someone like Nikolas!"

Alex ignored the murmurs, focusing solely on his opponent. Nikolas moved with lightning speed, launching a series of rapid punches.

Alex barely had time to react, dodging and parrying with equal swiftness. Their fists collided with bone-jarring force, each trying to overpower the other.

Nikolas's strikes were precise and relentless. He was clearly well-trained and accustomed to using his physical abilities to their fullest.

Alex countered with his own martial prowess, but his movements were much slower and less flashy than Nikolas, as he hadn't received any training.

The two combatants were locked in a brutal exchange of blows, neither willing to back down.

"You've got no skill, you're just fighting on instinct." Nikolas grunted, his voice strained from the exertion.

Alex didn't respond and only gnashed his teeth together. Nikolas wasn't wrong in his observation, Alex had been fighting with sheer instinct alone up until this point.

'But my instincts still haven't failed me yet!'

They continued to clash, the intensity of their hand-to-hand combat growing with each passing second. Alex could feel the eyes of the spectators on them, but he blocked it out. This fight was about proving his own strength, not just to the audience, but to himself.

Nikolas's smirk faded as he realised Alex wasn't going to be an easy win without putting in some more effort. He stepped back, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. "You're better than I thought," he admitted, still no hint of respect in his tone.

Alex didn't respond. He was too focused on the fight to engage in banter. He lunged forward, aiming a powerful kick at Nikolas's midsection. Nikolas blocked it with his forearm, but the impact forced him back a few steps.

The crowd's excitement was palpable. "This is insane! Both of them are incredible fighters!"

Alex and Nikolas circled each other, each looking for an opening. Alex could feel his muscles burning from the intense exertion, but he pushed the pain aside. He had to stay sharp, had to stay focused.

The previous 9 fights had taken their toll on his body, and he was quickly growing even more exhausted as time went on.

Nikolas moved first, darting in with a flurry of punches. Alex parried and countered, his movements a blur. They exchanged blows with brutal efficiency, each trying to gain the upper hand. The arena floor trembled under the force of their strikes, the air thick with tension.

Suddenly, Nikolas stepped back, a confident smile spreading across his face. "Time to end this," he declared.

Before Alex could react, Nikolas activated his Talent. A blinding light erupted from his body, causing Alex and the audience to squint. The light didn't fade; instead, it seemed to envelop Nikolas entirely.

Alex's eyes widened in realisation. "An S+ rank Talent, so it was true!... and it's of the Light element too!"

The audience was stunned into silence, their eyes fixed on the radiant figure of Nikolas. The brilliance of his aura was overwhelming, casting long shadows across the arena.

"He's got an S+ rank Light element Talent? This is unbelievable!"

"Alex is in trouble now. How can he fight against that?"

Alex didn't let the shock paralyse him.

'Since you don't want to play our little game anymore, I might as well take this seriously too!'

Just like Nikolas did, Alex activated his own talent. To be specific, his Flame talent.

It wasn't nearly as flashy as Nikolas's, but it still garnered a wave of shock and cheers from the crowd.

This was the first time Alex was revealing this move to the public, as every opponent Alex had faced with this technique so far had been reduced to ash.

He picked up his sword, and along with the rest of Alex's body, it was quickly drowned in flames.

"Interesting! It seems you have an elemental talent too. You might not be as bad as I thought, but you're still the same rat underneath that fiery exterior!"

Nikolas didn't seem bothered by Alex's transformation into a flaming spectacle.

"Alex is holding his own against an S+ rank Talent. This is unreal."

"Who is this guy? Where did he come from?"

Nikolas lunged forward, his speed and power enhanced by his Talent. Alex barely managed to dodge, the air crackling with energy as Nikolas's fist missed him by inches. The ground where Nikolas struck Alex was scorched, the sheer force of his attack leaving a smouldering crater.

"You see, the interesting thing about Light-," Nikolas spoke amidst the flames, "Is that it is the limit of speed in the universe."

Instantly, Nikolas disappeared from his spot.

But it wasn't something like teleportation, no, he just moved so fast that not even the more experienced senior students in the audience could spot him.

Alex felt a surge of adrenaline. He knew that it was impossible for Nikolas to achieve something as overpowered as lightspeed at his rank, as the energy it would take was far, far ahead of anything he could provide.

'Where is he??'

But Alex was unable to find him nevertheless, which led to him being unable to dodge Nikolas's strike to his back when he came back into focus.

"Puh!" The air was all forcibly pushed out of Alex's lungs as he was sent flying forwards into the arena barrier.

Killing was banned in the combat assessment, and was severely punished even if it was a complete accident, so Nikolas only used the butt of his sword to strike Alex's back.

He wasn't going to take any chances just because of some fight.

'How the hell am I supposed to beat someone I can't even see!?'

Meanwhile, Alex was going through a dilemma on the other side of the arena.