Jabir threw a powerful punch at Akachi. The boy defended himself with one of his sticks. The sage struck a second time, only to be beaten back with the young medium's other staff. The old man soon tried a third and fourth attack, but to no avail. Azekel's grandson remained in place, not moving a step.

The Sage of Force couldn't admit that a lowly amateur like him had acquired so much skill so quickly. Jabir distanced himself from his opponent. He prepared the Shockwave Palm. To his surprise, his opponent didn't move or flinch. This angered Jabir. The sage shouted in fury:

“Don't look so smug, kid. Wipe that smile off your face.”

The shockwaves moved swiftly through the air towards Akachi. They exploded like and left a trail of high-pitched echoing sound. It was as if a huge squadron of supersonic fighter jets had broken the sound barrier, all at the same time. With little or no effort, Adisa's son deflected the shockwaves with unparalleled agility. It was as if he could predict where they would pass.

The sage punched the rock wall and pulled out a huge boulder. He dug his fingertips into the rock and whirled it around quickly, then released it towards Akachi. The teenager understood what his enemy was up to, and threw one of the sticks with repulsive force towards the rock, which crumbled into countless pieces of debris.

Akachi took advantage of the distraction and jumped over the rocky debris. He intended to attack his opponent from above. However, Jabir spread as much Axé as he could on his arms, then slammed his fists into the ground to raise a curtain of dust. The young medium's eyes were hit by the sand and he was unable to hit his target, who escaped.

Damn it, brou! Where is he?

I don't know, that old man's a tough nut to crack...

“I'm right here, kid! Damage Multiplier Punches.”

Before Akachi could react, he was hit just below the ribs by Jabir. His ribs cracked as if they were made of glass. This left him unprotected for a few seconds, which offered a great advantage to Jabir who struck him a second time. The young medium, in an instinctive gesture of self-defense, tried to kick the sage. The old man dodged before he was hit.

Akachi put one hand on his ribs and took two steps back. He had received two punches, but seemed to have earned many more.

“It hurts, doesn't it?”

“What did you do to me?”

“You'll find out soon enough.”

With great effort, Akachi pulled himself together. The young man recognized that despite the speed of his blows, they tended to be circular rather than straight, which made it easier for enemies to strike quickly from the flanks. His other staff was too far away to be retrieved. Jabir took the opportunity to mock his opponent.

“You want it? Go and get it.”

The sage kicked the stick away. Akachi waved his empty hand and fashioned another staff with the same characteristics. He concentrated some of the Axé at the ends.

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“Hunf! You've learned a new trick and you're already thinking about it.”

They both went at each other. Akachi tried to hit Jabir's knee, but he defended with his thigh. The move allowed the sage to hit the boy on the chin with a hook. However, the teenager hit him on the left side, at the elbow, but the old man punched him in the chest.

The exchange of blows continued between the fighters. They were so intense that sparks of Axé particles were emitted into the air. Akachi and Jabir were sweating. Despite all the physical effort, they didn't look fatigued.

The desire to finish the fight kept them on their feet. Everything around them was destroyed by the impact of the attacks. The steps of the Judgement Stone staircase were shattered. The rock wall was pummeled with punches, kicks and staff blows. Jabir was the first to show some fatigue after minutes of confrontation.

The air entered his lungs like a handful of needles. He put one hand on the wall. His legs trembled and he struggled to stand. He spat a mouthful of blood onto the floor. His eyes were struck by vertigo. It was as if his body was frozen.

Akachi was still standing. He looked tired and had many bruises all over his body. One of his eyelids was swollen, with a trickle of blood running from it. The young medium was smiling.

“What are you laughing at, you silly boy?”

“Now I understand your Ofó. At first, I wondered how it worked. I hadn't felt the first punch that much. But now I understand.”

“I doubt you have the ability to deduce a technique as advanced as that.”

“There's nothing advanced about it, it's very simple.”

“How dare you?”

“The first blow injects your Axé into the enemy's body. The second blow applies a repulsive force, multiplying the first damage that was delayed, and expanding the impact area of the second blow. It's ingenious, but it has a weakness...”

Great, brou, you got him. Look at the old man's face.

“You... but how?”

“I got suspicious at the first few blows. For the Ofó effect to take place, you can't be hit by your opponent. Otherwise, you'll have to restart the sequence from scratch. I let him hit me on purpose a few times to be sure. It's a good thing I was right, otherwise you could have hit me endlessly.”

Jabir grimaced. He couldn't admit that his technique had been neutralized by that boy. The sage tried to concentrate Axé in his fists, but the tendons stiffened. His eyes bulged out. The old man felt like a statue. The mere mention of moving made his body lock up.

What's the matter? Move, Jabir!

“Even so... you've been hit by many of my blows. You... shouldn't move either.”

“Ah! But you gave me the answer. I restricted my Axé Functions to my Mediumistic Profile. When you said that the Spiritual Key could level all the Functions by one hundred percent, I started to attract, propagate, repel and concentrate at the maximum level, so...”

“No, it can't be.”

“I was spreading Axé where you hit me and reducing the damage. That way I could find a way to counterattack.”

Jabir walked with difficulty. He rehearsed a move to attack Akachi. However, his muscles didn't respond.

“You won't be able to move. By maintaining the sequence of the multiplication of giving, you couldn't spread the Axé in your body and protect yourself from my blows.”

“You didn't manage to injure my joints.”

“No, but I used the Electrical Property of Propagation on your tendons. I cut off the electrical stimuli from the movements of your arms and legs. When you spend a long time in hospital, you learn something.”

Akachi approached Jabir without haste, dissolving the sticks he was carrying. He got as close to his opponent as he could. The sage's eyes widened. The young medium prepared a punch. Jabir tried to get away, but his arms and legs wouldn't move. The weight of his body tilted him backwards.

“That's for my grandfather.”

Tump! The sage's belly was hit, which made him lean over. He had never felt so vulnerable. He opened his mouth, frightened. The pain awakened his muscular system. His small arms curved under his belly. He screamed in pain.

“That's it, it's for my father.”

Tump! A second punch hit Jabir's ribs, causing him to bring both hands to the right side of his abdomen. It felt as if everything in his body was falling apart. The air seemed to stop in his throat. He took two steps backwards, but didn't collapse.

“That... that's for me.”

Tump! Akachi punched Jabir in the left cheek. The impact threw him meters away like a ball. The old man's body hit the wall, then fell to the ground face down. The sage was in so much pain that he couldn't seem to stay conscious. In his topor state, the image of his father took Akachi's place. Jabir growled something between his teeth. Something that only his soul heard.