Axis's breathing grew increasingly ragged, but his gaze burned ever more fiercely with an endless fighting spirit.
The Saiyan blood in his veins boiled. Every attack carried wild power, as though he meant to tear his opponent to pieces.
Yet Leman Russ remained calm and composed. His movements looked casual, but he always managed to block every one of Axis's attacks with pinpoint precision, as if he were completely unassailable.
"Your attacks are too straightforward. They lack variety." Leman Russ easily blocked Axis's punch and spoke in a mild tone. His voice was calm, yet carried an unquestionable authority.
Axis gritted his teeth and suddenly stepped back, lowering his body slightly as he clenched his fists. Then he leaped into the air and spun at high speed, his legs kicking toward Leman Russ's head and chest in rapid succession like a whirlwind.
"Whirlwind Kick!" Axis roared, unleashing a storm of attacks.
A hint of approval flashed in Leman Russ's eyes, but he still didn't move an inch.
His hands danced like phantoms, precisely blocking every one of Axis's kicks.
The instant fists and feet collided, muffled booms erupted through the air. The ice beneath them cracked continuously, sending shards flying in every direction.
"Not bad. Now this is getting interesting." Leman Russ smiled faintly, then suddenly raised a hand and struck toward Axis's chest with his palm.
Axis's pupils contracted. He hurriedly crossed his arms in front of his chest to block, but the force still sent him flying backward. He skidded dozens of meters across the ice before barely managing to steady himself.
His arms tingled, and his chest ached dully, but he grinned.
I underestimated this adoptive father of mine. This guy's combat instincts and experience are terrifying!
"Again!" Axis shouted excitedly, charging forward once more.
This time, his attacks became more nimble and varied. He stopped relying solely on brute force and began trying feints and deceptive moves.
First, he pretended to punch straight at Leman Russ's chest, then at the last moment changed tactics and swept a leg toward his opponent's ankle.
A hint of surprise flashed in Leman Russ's eyes, but he still dodged the attack with ease. He sprang lightly into the air, traced a graceful arc, and landed steadily.
"Haha, my little Wolf Cub is improving, but it's still not enough." Leman Russ laughed, then suddenly struck with a knife-hand aimed straight at Axis's shoulder.
Pain shot through Axis's shoulder. He grunted and staggered backward several steps, panting heavily.
"Fighting isn't just a contest of strength. It's also a battle of skill and wits. You must never let your guard down!" Leman Russ said slowly.
"Your strength is already formidable, but your fighting style is too one-dimensional.
"You lack variety and strategy. You need to observe your opponent instead of blindly launching attacks." Leman Russ began offering Axis some pointers.
For someone his age, Axis was already stronger than all his peers. But when it came to combat talent, he still fell short of Leman Russ.
When Leman Russ had been the same age as Axis, his raw strength might not have matched Axis's. But he only needed to watch someone fight once to perfectly imitate their movements.
Then he could refine their techniques and even calculate every move his opponent might make next, predicting not only their next move but the moves that would follow several steps later.
He needed only a few seconds to work all this out in his mind, and then his body would execute it perfectly.
They had only fought for a little over ten minutes, but he had already figured out all of Axis's attack patterns.
He had even completely anticipated every attack Axis could make and every technique he might use.
Kid, if you think I'm nothing but a wild brute, you're sorely mistaken. No one on this planet can match my intellect, either.
Axis took a deep breath and nodded.
Leman Russ was right. He still had a lot to learn. He adjusted his breathing and assumed a fighting stance once more.
The two resumed their battle, the muffled sounds of fists and feet colliding and the cracking ice echoing across the frozen wasteland.
Axis's attacks grew more nimble and varied. He began trying different fighting techniques, sometimes pressing the attack, sometimes circling around, and sometimes using feints to draw his opponent in.
Leman Russ, meanwhile, remained calm and composed. Every counterattack from the Wolf King was precise and powerful, as though he were guiding Axis step by step beyond his limits.
Ice shards and snowflakes swirled through the air as the two figures darted across the frozen wasteland like intersecting bolts of lightning.
But after just a few exchanges, Leman Russ flipped him onto the ground once more.
"I've got a pretty good idea of your level now. That's enough for today!" Leman Russ said, rolling his wrist.
Though they had fought for only a few dozen minutes, he already understood just how strong the kid was.
Aside from himself, no one in the entire tribe could beat Axis. The kid had to be from the same place as him; otherwise, he couldn't possibly be this strong.
"Don't get cocky. I haven't even used my full strength!" Axis growled, his eyes burning with defiant fighting spirit.
White light flared around Axis. Earlier, he had been sent to a planet as a Low-Class Warrior. On that planet, aside from fighting the natives, he had spent his time practicing this move.
This was a classic technique from the Dragon Ball World! He didn't know the trick to it, but all he had to do was strike the pose, gather all the ki in his body, and fire it out.
Axis quickly brought his hands together, palms facing each other and fingers slightly curved, forming the classic opening stance of the Kamehameha.
He lowered his body slightly and planted his feet firmly on the ice, which cracked faintly beneath him.
A white light surged from within him, swirling around his body like a burning flame before rapidly gathering in his palms.
"Kamehameha—Wave!" Axis roared, his voice brimming with confidence and fighting spirit.
As the words left his mouth, the white light in his palms erupted, forming a dazzling beam that shot toward Leman Russ with devastating force.
The ice evaporated wherever the beam passed. Scorching heat filled the air, as if the force were tearing even space apart.
Leman Russ's pupils contracted sharply. He had never seen an attack like this before.
The energy within the beam made him feel a hint of danger, but he didn't panic.
He quickly retreated, his feet carving two deep furrows through the ice. At the same time, he crossed his arms in front of his chest, attempting to withstand the attack with his formidable body.
"Boom!"
The beam slammed into Leman Russ's arms, erupting with a deafening roar.
The ice beneath Leman Russ collapsed instantly. The tremendous impact sent him sliding backward for dozens of meters as ice shards and snowflakes filled the air, like a blizzard.
Leman Russ's arms tingled. Shock flashed in his eyes as he looked down and saw a charred mark on his skin.
"What is this power?" Leman Russ murmured, his voice filled with disbelief.
He had fought every terrifying monster on this planet, and none had ever managed to hurt him. This was the first time he had been injured in battle in many years—and he'd been hurt by a young child!
Axis panted heavily, sweat already beading across his forehead.
His arms trembled slightly. That one attack had consumed most of his stamina; a single blast had drained all the ki in his body.
"This is the power of ki!" Axis grinned, sounding rather pleased with himself.
Though his adoptive father was a mutant of a native species from this planet, with an absurdly high battle power, he didn't know how to use ki.
When Axis powered up his ki, his attack strength could instantly soar to four or five hundred. His adoptive father had taken the blast head-on, and his physical strength was absurd!
He had already tried to account for how powerful this mutant fighter was, but he had still underestimated him a little.
Leman Russ slowly lowered his hands, a complicated expression flashing across his eyes.
He had never heard of a power called "ki," but the force of that attack had made him take this unknown energy seriously. If the kid's blast had been a little stronger, it could have severely wounded him—or even killed him.
Taking a deep breath, Leman Russ steadied himself and looked up at Axis.
"Wolf Cub, I'll teach you how to truly control your power. But first, you have to tell me what this 'ki' is."
Leman Russ had developed a keen interest in the mysterious power called "ki."
"No problem. I'll teach you. Everyone has ki inside them," Axis said.
Before you continue