But before they could question him, William spoke again, this time raising his voice higher. "Now, you are going to fight me."
This statement took many students by surprise, each reacting in different ways: emotion, panic, fear, and even superiority.
But Wiliam's gaze was all the time riveted on a fixed point, the students eventually realized this and looked at the spot where the professor stared.
They were in for a big surprise, at least, for them.
"It's Theos!"
"Of the most powerful geniuses of the generation, the crimson shadow, mad swordsman, and much more, he has thousands of nicknames."
"Yes, yes, already our flattery sounds stupid, it's already obvious how monstrous he is!"
The exclamations kept coming to Theos who also stood watching Wiliam, the meaning of their crossed glances was clear: Today's first battle.
Averting his gaze first, Wiliam turned around to approach a door, subsequently slowly opening it.
Under the watchful eyes of all the students, behind the door was visible... Nothing, a completely white and empty room, like a bottomless cube.
"Academy Training Room," Theos muttered, but loud enough for Alice to hear.
"It looks like a very optimal training ground," Alice nodded several times.
He rolled his eyes, amused at his wife's awkwardness.
"Well, it's time to walk away, it's the first shift of the fight, and guess what? I'll be that first turn hahaha," chuckling, he slowly pulled away from Alice's hands.
"Fine, I'll be supporting you from the bleachers... If there are" As she looked around, she couldn't find any bleachers or seats to sit on.
Theos just shook his head. "You can make yourself a seat with your own Mana, after all, you are a genius at controlling it."
Several days had passed and he had become more powerful, much more powerful, because of the daily training he did every day.
William was no slouch either, expelling Mana from his body as well, he boosted his physical capabilities.
The two stared at each other, in silence.
But that silence was broken in a second, Theos made the first move, with his speed, so fast that he left a blur of his image, and he arrived immediately in front of William, throwing him a great blow.
But William didn't just stare, stepping back as he sensed the danger, he also made his offensive, launching a great spinning kick, so fast and destructive that Theos could barely block by crossing his forearms in "X".
But the force behind the spinning kick was such that it sent Theos flying a little more than a couple of meters away.
Sliding across the floor, Theos activated his Path, to the surprise of the students and William himself, the particles of darkness came out and gathered next to Theos' skin, forming a kind of armor on his body, having claws, wings, and protectors as they are on his chest, shoulders, elbows, knees, and calves.
Theos moved again, this time much faster, launching a blow that William miraculously blocked.
Responding to Theos' offensive, William moved towards him to throw a punch as well, but Theos blocked it by barely grabbing his hand.
"You fell," William declared, moving as if he had thought out all his moves minutes before performing them, he stood behind Theos, his free hand bent slightly to place it on Theos' neck.
As his other hand was still held by a bewildered Theos, Theos clamped his hand to the very back of his neck, performing a slightly odd and incomplete, but quite effective lion-kill against Theos.
"You had neither of your hands to defend yourself, one was holding my hand and the other in the air after that blow," William stated, exerting more force and pressure to render Theos nearly unconscious.
With impressive force, Theos placed a hand on William's forearm, trying with all his might to pull it away from his throat, which he succeeded minimally to the surprise of William and the students themselves.
"Ah," the professor winced as he felt the bones in his hand shattered into a million pieces, looking closely, he could see Theos crushing his hand brutally.
"And your mistake was underestimating my strength."
~