Since Anaster wouldn't be able to punch Toz before he could strike Anaster's arm, Anaster changed tactics and tried to minimize the damage to his arm.
But there was only so much he could do before Toz's knee connected with his forearm. And with a snapping sound, Toz had successfully broken Anaster's arm. After succeeding, Toz hurried to back away and dodged Anaster's question mark kick. However, since he leaned back to avoid the horizontal strike toward his head, Anaster instead used his other leg to push forward and kick Toz in the chest.
Although Anaster hadn't had much distance to build up speed in his kick, he still managed to strike Toz hard enough to push him several strides backward. And before Toz could regain his balance, Anaster chased after him, ready to unleash a flurry of kicks and punches. Now that he had lost the use of an arm, he had to press the attack and take advantage of his strengths to force Toz's defeat.
Even with only one arm, Anaster didn't have any trouble dominating Toz. Toz had willingly let go of his sword, and Anaster was doing his best to punish that by intercepting the sword every time Toz tried to recall it.
Without his sword, Toz only had his magic and physical body to rely on as he fought. But he wasn't as used to fighting with his bare hands as he was with his sword, and Anaster, despite lacking the use of an arm, quickly overwhelmed him with nothing more than technique.
Anaster's intricate footwork, combined with the low and high kicks he flung out in between his punches, made sure that Toz never regained enough balance to take a proper stance and defend himself. Fortunately, it seemed like the dangling arm limited how much force Anaster could use, and even while taking the blows, Toz managed to remain standing.
Toz's arms, shoulders, legs, and torso all hurt from the blows, but he endured. Compared to the pain of his fire ravaging the insides of his body and his mana pool getting expanded forcibly, a few bruises were nothing. The one thing that made Toz unsure of whether he would be able to survive was if he had enough stamina to last long enough to find an opportunity to turn the tide.
Toz didn't even think about trying to outlast the seemingly untiring fighting machine that was Anaster. After unleashing a tornado of kicks and punches, Anaster wasn't even breathing any deeper than before. He might not be using his full strength in every strike, but he was certainly exerting himself by making sure that Toz didn't get to restore his balance. However, Anaster showed no signs of exhaustion, while Toz was already feeling tired.
Toz had to find a way to flip the situation before he grew too tired to fight back. As long as he could get an opportunity to cast some magic, he could probably do that. However, even a moment's distraction was more than enough for Anaster to land one or two blows that would disrupt his casting.
However, as Toz gradually got a little more used to how Anaster moved, he began seeing glimpses of openings. It wouldn't be enough to change the tides of the battle, but it might be enough for Toz to cast magic and create an even larger opening.
And before he became too tired, Toz cast a tiny flame that was just enough to make Anaster's eyes flicker. Toz used that tiny gap to cast a mini Fireball. He didn't have enough time to increase its power to the point where it would injure Anaster no matter what. But Anaster still had to be careful. He could choose to tank the Fireball and suffer some damage and keep Toz in check or spare a move to block the Fireball before trying to continue pressuring Toz.
With one arm broken and mostly useless already, Anaster wasn't willing to suffer any more damage, and he quickly deflected the Fireball by waving a hand coated in demonic energy.
However, that gave Toz enough of an opening to put some distance between them and finally stand on the ground with steady feet. Anaster had kept him on his heels all this time, so Toz hadn't even been able to properly defend himself or redirect the force of Anaster's punches.
And, with the distance between them, Toz would finally have enough time to do more with his magic than simply reinforce his body. It was a little unfortunate that his fire mana was the only one at the seventh level and, thus, the only magic that would be effective in a fight with Anaster. But at the same time, after undergoing the Baptism of Fire, Toz noticed a considerable increase in the efficiency and ease of use when he used fire magic.
He barely had to do anything when he cast his magic. And the effects of reinforcing his body with fire mana were also greater than before. Well, it could also be because he broke through to another division. But Toz wanted to believe that it was because of the suffering he endured.
After discovering how smoothly he could use his magic, Toz hurried to cast before Anaster closed the distance again.
He used the magic he was most comfortable with and cast a Fireball, this time slightly more powerful than the small one he used to distance himself from Anaster.
Anaster noticed that the Fireball was more powerful than last time, but that didn't affect what he chose to do, and he deflected it, just like the previous one. But he was forced to quickly raise his hand again and deflect another Fireball that came right after.
The third Fireball that Toz cast during their fight was more geared toward size and blocked most of Anaster's view. And thanks to the disturbance in the mana it left behind in its path, it also prevented Anaster from properly sensing Toz's approach.
Anaster only saw Toz's blazing fist when it pierced through the Fireball.
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