Truly, it was a normal step, but as Atticus took it, an overwhelming and oppressive aura, surpassing the intensity of Spineus's outburst, descended upon the entire vicinity, brushing aside his aura like an insignificant breeze.

Atticus moved forward, walking past Ember and standing in front of the group who had already been freed from Spineus's aura.

With an air of calculated indifference, Atticus spoke,

"You will torture my companions?"

His voice maintained a calm, measured tone, almost conversational, but those who heard it felt pressure the likes of which they had never felt before.

The hearts of the Ossara family warriors in the area trembled, their grips on their weapons tightening instinctively.

Spineus wasn't excluded. He quickly clasped his hands behind his back, intending to hide his arm that had suddenly begun shaking.

His warrior heart was screaming at him. It was a feeling honed from the life and death battles he had fought and endured during his life, the sort of feeling one gets when they meet an opponent who wasn't in or close to their league.

The area which had been silent became even more silent. The sounds of the rustling of leaves or chirping of birds disappearing.

Only Atticus's words echoed through the ears of the audience. It was as though the intensity of the moment reached every location.

The city of the bone race was enveloped in a palpable silence, the students mirroring the same scene.

To those who had seen it before, to those who had been subjected to his wrath, they knew it instinctively: this was a new level of anger.

Throughout all the times, no one had ever seen Atticus smile when anyone angered him, and yet, there was a small smile on Atticus's face as he spoke.

It was unnerving, a feeling that engulfed the entire student watching. So intense that the cheering of Nate and the others came to an abrupt stop, each of them silently focusing on the screen.

They all instinctively knew what was about to happen would be intense.

Spineus's heart was beating fast; he just couldn't understand what was going on. He felt as though he was making a huge mistake, but unfortunately for him, it was far too late to stop.

It wasn't about him anymore nor his petty revenge. He currently had the hopes of the people of the bone race resting on his shoulders; he couldn't falter here.

Spineus's hand clenched, forcibly calming his beating heart, before responding,

"Yes. But if you sign the contract, nothin-"

"I see,"

Atticus interrupted Spineus's words before he could finish, his voice the epitome of calm.

The first word of Spineus's response was everything he needed.

With a deliberate and effortless movement, Atticus's right hand reached for his katana hanging on his left waist.

The world slowed.

The sky seemed to darken.

The hearts of Spineus and every single member of the Ossara family froze as their hearts stopped beating in unison.

Hundreds of miles away, the eyes of Mortrex and Vertebrae, standing at the tops of high points, suddenly narrowed into pinpricks, their heads snapping towards the direction Atticus had fled in, their figures vanishing into thin air in the next second.

A voice, still maintaining its perfect calmness, suddenly sounded, each word dripping with chilling indifference.

"Katana Series - 2nd Art: Endless Blade."

In an instant, Atticus dissolved into nothingness.

The very air seemed to shatter as a multitude of blue streaks filled the space, weaving a mesmerizing tapestry of light.

For a heartbeat, all was silent, as if the world itself had stopped to witness the spectacle.

The blue streaks cut through the space with lethal precision, slicing through everything in their path.

Each streak found its mark, a blur of unstoppable force that phased through every single inch of the Ossara warriors in the area.

Instantaneously, a figure suddenly appeared in front of Spineus, materializing out of thin air, followed by a cataclysmic impact.

The force of the collision released an explosion akin to a nuclear detonation, a deafening roar that shook the very earth. The ground quaked, shockwaves rippling outwards, sending debris and dust skyward.

The final brilliant blue streak abruptly stopped, its lethal path interrupted.

The world regained its normal rhythm, the hearts of the spectators beating so fast and intensely it was as though their hearts wanted to burst out of their chests.

The figures of Zoey, Ember, Aurora, Kael, and Orion performed mid-air flips, their bodies skidding down the earth trying to stop their momentum.

Magnus grinned from his throne, the smile on Oberon's face remaining undisturbed as he took another sip of his tea.

The dust cleared, the eyes of many almost bulging out of their sockets as they witnessed the unfolding scene.

A fountain of blood rained from the sky as each one of the Ossara family warriors burst out in a fountain of blood and gore.

The sounds of drops of crimson blood hitting the earth, akin to rainfall, were punctuated by the explosion of the multitude of hover cars that were suspended in the sky.

Another intense wave rocked the space, sending debris and scorching heat flying across the area.

A translucent purple dragon construct radiated out from Zoey, covering the whole group and shielding them from the onslaught.

And yet, despite all of these mind-numbing things happening, every single eye was focused on one spot in the sky.

On the same spot where the final brilliant blue streak had abruptly been stopped, were the figures of three individuals.

First was the figure of the trembling Spineus, his whole body drenched with so much sweat that a small pool had formed on the bony platform he was on.

On the other end was Atticus, whose hand had turned bloodied because of the unmovable force that had stopped his attack.

And just between them was a man.

The man was topless and had a compact physique which seemed to brim with power. His head was completely bald, coupled with his golden beard, trimmed to perfection.

To the people of the bone race, he needed no introduction.

Mortrex the Indomitable, the Ossarch of the bone race, had appeared on the battlefield.