Catena started swinging his chain above his head in a circle, his essence-forged hand moving the chain with such powerful speed it sounded like hundreds of beating wings.

"Hummmmm..... what’s he planning on doing now? This would keep Alex away but he could easily dodge it too." Kael said.

"He could adjust the length with just a little twitch of his hand though." Stallus pointed out.

Azaroth said nothing, only focused on the fight.

Catena started moving forward, his dark eyes trained on Alex as he steadily walked towards him. Alex on the other hand, held his sword with both hands and waited.

The only sound was that of Catena’s chain and his feet on the stone floor as he took steady steps.

Catena got within striking distance and he wasted no time, with a careful adjustment he sent the spiked ball with all the power of a kicking horse at Alex.

Stallus cursed.

But Alex himself wasn’t waiting to be crushed, he bent low and with a strong thrust, he sent himself forward straight at Catena.

Catena drew back his spiked ball but it was already too late, Alex was already there, bringing his sword down like a hammer.

Catena clumsily brought up his other hand with the smooth metal ball to block the attack. Alex’s blow sent hard vibration through his arm and Catena was thrown back with the force.

Catena staggered back, his spiked chain going off course, he drew backward quickly putting space between the two of them.

"I thought Catena was stronger," Stallus said. "In strength."

"Yes, even with his tall slim body he had such a strong body but you must have seen the way Alex struck. He used all his strength plus the power from his jump." Kael assessed.

"Is that the secret move?" Stallus’s voice said she wasn’t impressed.

Kael looked at her. "Secret move isn’t something flashy, it is sometimes the strongest attack you have or defense. It might be something as simple as removing your opponent’s eyes with two fingers."

Stallus gave him a look.

"I thought Azaroth was the only tricky fighter we have here." Catena withdrew his two chains until he was now holding both metal balls in his hand at the handle.

"Close combat now?" Alex said, ignoring what Catena said.

Catena withdrew some essence from his hands and instead put it into his legs. "Just following your style."

Then he lunged forward, driving his hand forward in a move that, if connected, would leave Alex senseless, but Alex was ready and his sword met the metal ball with a steady chop that shook both their bones with vibration.

Alex didn’t wait for Catena before he began a series of straight offensive strikes, his sword blurred as he parried and struck back at the same time.

It was all Catena could do to keep up, even though he was launching attacks with two hands.

"Damn! I didn’t know Alex could move so fast!" Stallus gripped her knee as she leaned forward.

"Not as fast as you thought," Kael said, not looking away from the fighting two.

"Well, I’m all about speed," Stallus said.

"And that’s why I chose the two of them to fight each other, you are obviously above them in speed," Kael said. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"Still, I thought Catena was faster than this?" Stallus asked.

Catena was barely keeping up with the barrage of thrusts and slashes that Alex was unleashing. Already he had been nicked in the cheek with a thrust meant for his mouth.

Not that Alex was any better; they were both tired and it had almost cost Alex his left shoulder. Fortunately, Catena’s metal ball only glanced him.

"Ah.... they should be rounding up now," Kael said.

And it was as he said. As Azaroth watched, Catena disengaged and immediately started spinning his chains, the two at the same time around himself at high speed until he was a blur of moving black steel.

Catena was swinging the two chains like a skipping rope that wasn’t connected.

"Defense and offensive," Azaroth said. All Catena had to do now was move towards his opponent.

And that was what he did.

Catena moved in fast and Alex backed away from the striking chains. His sword was useless now, but Catena didn’t leave him. He boxed him in against the wall.

Azaroth thought that was the end for Alex and he would admit defeat, but Alex relaxed and the essence around his leg doubled.

Azaroth understood what he was about to do a second before Alex tensed and then kicked out.

Two people grunted in pain as flesh met flesh and metal met flesh. Stallus sucked in a breath.

The two fighters had stopped, and Catena’s chain had stopped, now tangled around Alex’s right leg. The right leg had been planted solidly on Catena’s ribs.

"Shit.." Catena drew back, holding his ribs, and slowly folded onto himself until he was curling on the floor.

Alex braved a smile before the pain in his leg became unbearable and he started cursing. He limped and jumped with the chain before he went down in a tumble.

"Well...." Stallus said into the sudden silence. "That was interesting. I’m taking that was his secret move then?"

"Yes. It’s called the final kick and usually used with the last of fighting energy to strike at critical points," Kael said.

"Didn’t seem that powerful." Stallus pointed at the groaning Catena.

"That was because Catena forged against it; his ribs would have broken if not," Kael said.

Azaroth nodded. He hadn’t seen the actual forging, but he had seen the power in Alex’s kick. It had packed a lot of power and the only thing stopping it was a forged body.

"Such speed," Stallus murmured, looking at the groaning Catena.

"He might just be the fastest in forging," Kael said.

Azaroth didn’t doubt it. Alex’s kick had been very fast, and yet Catena had forged against it. Not only that, he had done it accurately.

Azaroth rubbed his right fingers together. Seems they’re not all useless after all.