Axis's breathing grew ragged, but his eyes only burned hotter, blazing with endless fighting spirit.
The blood of a Saiyan boiled in his veins.
Each attack erupted with wild, ferocious power, as if he meant to tear his opponent apart.
Yet Russ remained as calm as ever. His movements seemed casual, but every time, he precisely blocked Axis's assaults. He was utterly unassailable.
"Your attacks are too straightforward. They lack variety," Russ said lightly as he fended off another punch. His voice was calm but carried an undeniable authority.
Axis gritted his teeth, suddenly stepped back, lowered his stance, clenched his fists, and then sprang forward, twisting his body midair. His legs spun like a cyclone, lashing out in a rapid flurry at Russ's head and chest.
"Cyclone Barrage!" Axis shouted, his assault crashing down like a storm.
A glint of approval flashed in Russ's eyes, but he still didn't budge an inch.
His hands moved like phantoms, blocking every kick with uncanny accuracy.
With every blow, muffled booms burst through the air, and the ice beneath their feet cracked, scattering shards everywhere.
"Not bad, this is getting interesting," Russ said with a small smile. Then, all at once, he swung his palm toward Axis's chest.
Axis's pupils shrank. He hastily crossed his arms in front of his chest, but even so, the force sent him flying backward. He skidded dozens of meters across the ice before barely regaining his footing.
His arms tingled, and his chest felt tight, but a wide grin spread across his face.
I really underestimated this cheap foster father! This guy's battle sense and experience are monstrous!
"Again!" Axis shouted with excitement, charging in once more.
This time, his attacks were much more nimble and unpredictable.
He no longer relied solely on brute force but began to weave in feints and trick moves.
First, he pretended to aim a punch at Russ's chest, but at the last second, he changed it up, sweeping his leg at Russ's ankle.
A flicker of surprise flashed in Russ's eyes, but he easily dodged, leaping into the air in a graceful arc before landing steadily.
"Haha! My little wolf cub is improving, but it's not enough!" Russ laughed, then suddenly chopped at Axis's shoulder with the edge of his hand.
A jolt of pain shot through Axis's shoulder.
He grunted and staggered back, panting heavily.
"Battle isn't just about strength. It's also a contest of skill and wits. You can't let your guard down," Russ said calmly.
"Your strength is already impressive, but your fighting style is still too single-minded.
"You need more variety and strategy. Study your opponent instead of just charging in headfirst." Russ began to coach him.
Still, for his age, Axis already outclassed all his peers, but when it came to innate battle talent, he was still a notch below Russ.
When Russ was his size, his raw power might have been less, but he could perfectly imitate any move after seeing it just once.
Then he'd refine it, anticipate all his opponent's follow-up moves, and even predict their next ten actions.
And all this, he could calculate in his mind in just a few seconds, executing flawlessly.
Just in the few minutes of sparring, he had already figured out all of Axis's attack patterns.
He could predict every move, any technique Axis might try.
'You brat, if you think I'm just a wild brute, you're dead wrong. My wits are unmatched on this planet.'
Axis took a deep breath and nodded.
Russ was right, he still had a lot to learn. He steadied his breath and readied his stance again.
Their spar resumed.
The tundra echoed with the sound of blows landing and ice shattering.
Axis's moves grew more flexible and diverse, as he experimented with new techniques, sometimes aggressive, sometimes evasive, sometimes baiting his opponent.
But Russ remained poised throughout.
With every counterattack, the Wolf King guided Axis, step by step, to push beyond his limits.
Ice shards and snowflakes whirled through the air as the two figures raced across the frozen plain, darting like intertwining bolts of lightning.
After just a few more exchanges, Axis once again found himself thrown to the ground by Russ.
"I think I've just about figured out your level. That's enough for today!" Russ said, flexing his wrist.
Although they'd only sparred for a few dozen minutes, he already had a clear sense of just how strong this kid was.
In the entire tribe, aside from himself, no one could possibly be a match for Axis.
This kid was definitely from the same place as him, there was no other way he could be this powerful.
"Don't get cocky! I haven't even gone all out yet!" Axis growled, battle spirit blazing in his eyes.
A white light flared from Axis's body.
Back when he'd been sent as a lower-ranked warrior to that planet, aside from brawling with the natives, he'd spent most of his time practising this move.
This was a classic technique from the Dragon Ball world! Even if he didn't know all the tricks, just copying the stance and channeling all his ki into the move should work.
Axis quickly brought his hands together, palms facing each other, fingers slightly bent, forming the iconic Kamehameha starting pose.
He sank his body lower, feet planted firmly on the ice, which cracked faintly beneath him.
A surge of white light erupted from within, swirling around him like burning fire, before quickly gathering at his palms.
"Kamehameha!" Axis shouted, his voice ringing with confidence.
As the words fell, the white glow in his hands exploded outward, forming a dazzling beam that shot straight at Russ, packed with destructive force.
Where the beam passed, the ice was vaporised in an instant.
A scorching heat filled the air, as if the sheer force could rip apart even space itself.
Russ's pupils contracted. He'd never seen an attack like this before.
The energy in that beam radiated danger, but he didn't panic.
He quickly retreated, his feet gouging deep furrows in the ice, while he crossed his arms in front of his chest, bracing his powerful body to withstand the strike.
Boom!
The beam smashed hard into Russ's arms, erupting in a deafening roar.
The ice beneath his feet instantly shattered.
The impact sent him sliding back dozens of meters, snow and ice shards whirling around him like a blizzard.
A numbness spread through Russ's arms.
A flash of shock crossed his eyes as he glanced down, there, on his skin, was the faint trace of a burn.
"What is this power?" Russ muttered, disbelief coloring his voice.
He'd fought every beast in this world, and none had ever managed to injure him. This was the first time in years he'd been hurt in a fight, and it had been done by a child!
Axis was gasping for breath, sweat beading on his forehead.
His arms trembled.
That last attack had drained most of his strength; it had completely used up all his ki in one shot.
"This is the power of 'Ki'!" Axis grinned, a touch of pride in his voice.
This cheap old man of his might be a mutated native with ridiculous combat strength, but he didn't know how to use ki.
When he unleashed his ki, his power could spike to four or five hundred, yet his old man could still take the full brunt with just his physical body! He'd already tried to overestimate this mutant's power, but it still wasn't enough.
Russ slowly lowered his arms, a contemplative look in his eyes.
He'd never heard of anything like "ki" before, but the power in that blast had forced him to recognize this strange new energy.
If the kid's strength had been any higher, that attack could have seriously injured, or even killed, him.
Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Russ looked up at Axis.
"Little wolf cub, I'll teach you how to truly control your strength. But first, you have to tell me, what exactly is this 'ki' power?"
A keen interest lit in Russ's eyes for this mysterious force.
"Hahaha! I'll teach you! Everyone has ki inside them," Axis replied eagerly.