"Hooo! Looking good! You’ve got quite the determined face on you...!"
Despite the fury etched across Marcos's features, Migald maintained his flippant attitude. If anything, he seemed delighted that his opponent had lost his temper exactly as he had intended.
Losing his cool over something like this? He really is just a brat. It’s so much easier for me when they snap like that!
When blood rushed to the head, a person became impulsive and their actions grew predictable. Even if they believed they were acting rationally, they would inevitably create openings. By falling for the provocation, the boy had already surrendered control of the pace.
Migald knew he wasn't the strongest fighter, but he understood that dominating the flow of battle was the key to victory. Confident that the momentum was his, Migald watched the flickering rage in Marcos’s eyes and drew his weapon: a one-handed battle axe.
"Come on, then! Show me what you've got! You made a big show of saying you’d crush me, so show me something impressive!"
Migald gestured mockingly, beckoning him forward. Marcos didn't hesitate; he broke into a sprint. Seeing this, Migald laughed inwardly.
Idiot! You fell for it! Why is a shield user abandoning his defense to charge me?!
Marcos, who fought with the Giga Scissors, was clearly a warrior who relied on a rock-solid defense and counter-attacks. For someone like that to initiate a head-on assault was nothing short of discarding his own greatest strength.
Brats will be brats, Migald thought, smugly satisfied that everything was going according to his script. He watched the charging Marcos, raising his battle axe and preparing to seize control of the fight with a single, devastating opening blow.
Don’t look down on me. I’ll teach this greenhouse-raised noble that underestimating your enemy is a fatal mistake!
Clouded by rage, Marcos’s movements were direct and linear. His speed was greater than Migald had anticipated, but it wasn't anything he couldn't track. He would time his strike perfectly to meet the charge. A defensive specialist like Marcos would surely be rattled if his opening gambit was met with a direct counter.
Then, he would exploit that hesitation and overwhelm him all at once. The plan was set. All that remained was execution. Migald read the trajectory perfectly. He swung his arm down, aiming his axe straight for Marcos’s face, but then—
"What...?"
A sudden Golden Wave of pressure struck the arm he was swinging. It pushed his limb upward, forcing it in the exact opposite direction of his intent. Before the bewildered Migald could process the sensation, Marcos slammed the pincers of the Giga Scissors into his exposed midsection.
"Gah...!"
An agonizing combination of a sharp, piercing sting and a heavy, blunt impact tore through Migald. The force of the blow sent him flying. He groaned as he was thrown backward by the momentum, tumbling across the dirt.
"Wh-what? What just happened...?"
"Did you look at my weapon and assume I was incapable of initiating an attack?"
"Ghk...!"
Still reeling from the sudden reversal, Migald groaned and looked up, startled by the voice. Marcos was looking down at his fallen form with eyes that weren't just cold—they were filled with an absolute zero rage. The sight sent a primal shiver down Migald’s spine.
"Unfortunately for you, I have trained relentlessly to overcome that exact weakness. And there is one more thing. Unlike a fool like yourself, I never underestimate my opponent. You tried to provoke me, thinking you could cloud my judgment with anger... did you really think I was stupid enough to fall for such a transparent trick?"
"Ugh...!"
Shock washed over Migald as he realized his plan and his very thought process had been completely seen through. He couldn't accept that this younger brat had outmaneuvered him so thoroughly. He scrambled to his feet, but Marcos moved instantly, clamping the pincers of the Giga Scissors around his body.
"Whoa!? No! Stop!"
Migald thrashed in the iron grip of the twin blades, but Marcos didn't flinch. He braced his legs, putting the full weight of his body into the motion. With a single arm, he hoisted Migald into the air and slammed the massive form of the Magic Armor Beast into the ground with bone-shattering force.
"Gah-ha! Cough... ghk...!"
No way... he lifted me with just his left arm?!
In his Magic Armor Beast form, Migald was massive. His weight was significant. Even with Physical Ability Enhancement through magic power, the feat was monstrous. But more terrifying than Marcos’s raw strength was the technical precision he had displayed in their first exchange.
At the exact moment Migald swung, Marcos had released a pinpoint wave specifically to disrupt his axe arm. He hadn't just blown Migald away; he had adjusted the timing and intensity of the shockwave while mid-charge to create a specific opening for his own follow-up attack. As Migald replayed the technique in his mind, paralyzed by fresh terror, Marcos spoke.
"Thanks to your sniper friend, my Giga Scissors have already accumulated plenty of magic power. Now, get up. I told you I was going to crush you, and I intend to keep my word."