*** PLEASE READ PREVIOUS TWO CHAPTERS DUE TO CHANGES**
There were five stages to mastering an intent: the awakened stage, shaped stage, manifested stage, sovereign stage, and extinguished stage.
Kael's wind intent was at the manifested stage, this level of mastery on a completely different level from the first two.
Below the top 50 on the supreme list, no single Supreme had pushed their intent to this stage, and among the top 50, the number of people with a weapon intent at the manifested stage could be counted on one hand.
Silently cutting through the air, the wind struggling to register his presence, Hulio had arrived beside Kael and thrust his spear.
Death was the outcome he sought with his move, his mind seeking to bore a hole through his opponent, the space around him hearing his wishes.
As he became alerted to the presence behind him, the space around Kael clamped on him, seeking to restrict his movements.
The spear was still inches away, but on his chest, he could already feel a piercing sensation.
Kael's wings moved, flapping, and in an instant, he shot to the side, crossing several meters to escape Hulio's attack.
Before his spear struck empty space, Hulio registered his opponent's escape, and from the corner of his eyes, he saw the man swing his blade at him.
A blue slash shot out from Kael's blade, carrying no trace of intent, but Hulio's senses screamed in alert, and with a push, he sent himself forward, diving and avoiding the attack.
Pushing up from the ground, Hulio spun to his back, his spear ready by his side, and within seconds, he sent out a flurry of thrusts.
Several invisible attacks shot out from the tip of his spear, their nature and shape not told by the eyes but by one's senses, and with calculating eyes, Hulio watched as Kael sent out a single slash, a long arc of energy speeding out and clashing with his attacks.
Hulio readied to move forward but quickly cancelled his plan, his spear descending as Kael flashed before him.
The image of Hulio's spear distorted as it moved through the air, blocking a brutal swing from Kael which had been aimed at his neck.
Moving quickly, Hulio withdrew his spear and stabbed downward, aiming for Kael's thigh.
Kael, though, blurred to the left, dodging the attack, then his left hand shot forward, tightening into a fist.
Hulio's palm flashed out and blocked the punch, his expression tightening as he skidded backwards, an ache going through his arm.
The tables had turned, Kael was now the stronger one, and with a coy smile on his face, he pushed forward, swinging his blade and engaging Hulio once more, each of his strikes sending the man stumbling.
From all corners, Kael's blade fell, giving Hulio no breathing space. The man had finally decided to make known the power he now wielded, and a few times Hulio fell and rolled on the ground to save his life.
Blocking an upward strike, Hulio took a step forward, looking to push Kael to the side and gain breathing room, but the man stood like a block, his posture unmoving, and a kick fell on Hulio.
Hulio slammed down to the ground, but in a second, he was up, escaping a decapitating slash, and as he stumbled back seeking balance, several blue slashes came speeding his way.
Backpedaling left and right, Hulio destroyed the attacks, the impact between his spear and each slash rattling his arms.
Doing his best to distance himself from Kael without making it obvious, Hulio suddenly planted his spear in the ground and his two hands came together.
His fingers blurred as he went through several hand seals, then slamming his palms together, he pointed both his index fingers up, nearly half of his essence disappearing.
From above, hot red fire birthed, rapidly swelling and turning into a 20-meter flaming bird with a long beak, its entire form giving off the sensation of a spear.
The bird's wings stretched almost as long as its body, and as it flapped into the air, a dark shadow was cast down on the arena.
Hulio was a monster, the strength of his will on a level billions would never reach in their life, but his power paled in comparison to what Kael had called forth.
'The sky realm!!'
'A royal summon!!'
'Why didn't the summon appear?'
'I thought I was finally going to see a mythical level beast.'
When the crowd had gotten over the suppression from Kael's aura, they burst into a cacophony of voices, shock and excitement echoing through their reactions, Hulio's intent barely registering on any lips.
Sure, Hulio's intent was one out of billions, but Kael's summoning, trillions would kill to have it.
Kael hadn't summoned the sky realm royalty, instead, he was bestowed a portion of its power, but that was enough to tell everyone that it was only a matter of time before he could bring the beast into the world.
A creature whose strength matched or even eclipsed that of the academy's principal, how could Hulio's intent compare?
Hulio didn't need to listen to the talks outside the arena to know that he had already been written off.
Were he on the outside, he would have written himself off, but he was himself. Not for a second did failure cross his mind.
Kael looked invincible, but Hulio knew enough about summoning to suspect he wasn't.
It wasn't the royal beast that stepped into the arena but rather its power, and observing the wielder of this strength, it was clear he could barely control it.
The students of Blackcrop Academy wouldn't fall to their knees from a diluted aura; it would take something more tangible.
Kael was leaking power all throughout the arena, and given that he had received only a small portion of the beast's strength, something their most recent exchange had proven, it meant that his power could be exhausted.
It was a narrow chance, one with a very low rate of success, but if his analysis was right, Hulio knew he could pull it off.