Before long, a staff member came over to inform them that the match was about to begin. The two followed the staff member toward the center of the arena. The stands were already packed, and the moment the crowd saw them emerge, cheers erupted.
"Go, Marcus! Knock this human down!"
"Go, Lin Taichu! You beat the Sea-Splitting Beast, so you can definitely beat Marcus too!"
As soon as the bell rang, Marcus pulled the twin axes from his back, one in each hand, and charged at Lin Taichu.
He was far faster than he looked. The twin axes whistled through the air in his hands as he chopped toward Lin Taichu's head.
Lin Taichu hurriedly dodged to the side. The axe struck the ground with a bang, sending shards of stone flying.
He had barely steadied himself when Marcus's second axe came at him. This time, it swept horizontally, aimed at his waist.
Lin Taichu leaped backward. The axe grazed the hem of his clothes and slammed into the arena wall, leaving a deep mark.
"You're pretty quick at dodging!" Marcus smiled, and his assault grew even fiercer.
The twin axes attacked in alternation—chopping, cleaving, sweeping. Their range was enormous, forcing Lin Taichu to keep dodging without any chance to close in.
In the stands, Alicia watched anxiously, clutching Aron's arm. "Lord Aron, why isn't Taichu fighting back? If he keeps dodging, won't Marcus eventually find an opening?"
Aron shook his head. "Don't worry. Taichu is looking for Marcus's weakness. Marcus's twin axes are powerful, but every swing leaves a brief pause. Taichu is waiting for that moment."
Sure enough, before long, Marcus swung his axes more than a dozen times in succession. His arms began to ache, and his swings slowed slightly. When he raised his left axe again