"Tell me, Koda, what does it mean to be ruthless?"
A young boy around 4 years old looked up from the book he had been perusing, his bright green eyes shifting over to the rather tall male sitting on the couch across from him. The male looked strikingly similar to Koda in every way, except for the way he held himself and the black tips at the end of his hair.
"Doesn't it mean to show no compassion for others?" Koda asked, his eyes narrowing. Though he was young, he could easily understand big words that many other commoners his age couldn't. This was mainly attributed to diligent studying and stern lectures each and every day, along with a mind that was a bit more developed than others.
"That is indeed the case. However, what do you think about it? Do you believe you're ruthless?"
The young boy's eyes narrowed even further as he thought about it and, after a few seconds, shook his head. "Not really."
The man smiled as he held up a finger. "That's right. One should always take others into consideration before acting and becoming someone heartless would go against what I've taught you. However, there are times when one should throw away the ideas of compassion and pity."
"If someone stands in the way of your goals or hurts those close to you, you don't give them any chances."
Koda shut his book, his eyes unblinking as he gazed at the male. "No chances? Why not at least one? Shouldn't we show compassion to our enemy and only fight as a last resort?"
The man scoffed and leaned forward, flicking Koda on the forehead. "If you think like that then everyone will walk over you like a doormat. If someone stands in your way then you swat them aside. If you recognize them as your friend then give them a single chance. Yes, compassion is indeed important but when shit hits the fan, being ruthless is what you need to get things done. Forget compassion and obliterate the obstacle in front of you. That's what it takes to be strong and that's what it takes to be a Legend."
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((Heh, I've always lived by those words. Damned old man. He always had a way with words.)) Koda thought as he sheathed his daggers and closed his eyes. ((Never let anyone stand in my way; to erase any obstacle, and yet here I am worrying about getting caught by the Guardians when panicking will get me nowhere. I need to use my head and figure out everything. Forgo all emotion and crush my enemy underfoot. No more mercy! No more chances!))
Taking a deep breath Koda opened his eyes once again and began to assess the situation. His surroundings, his opponents and their known move sets, his own magic capacity, everything. Nothing was overlooked as he swiftly took account of everything pertaining to the fight, down to the pebble at the end of the lane.
((I got approximately thirty minutes before I run out of magic while using this Gear and around an hour if I don't. The fastest response time of Guardian Knights varies depending on their location but they should've already been here. It's safe to assume that they won't be a factor...)) Koda knelt down as he prepared to move forward. ((Beating both of them at the same time will be difficult, if not impossible, so the plan still remains the same. Deal with Mantle first before engaging the battle freak, it's time to finish this farce!))
Seeing that Koda was about to attack, Tayuya snapped out of his trance, a smile appearing on his face. "Mantle, I want you to stay back."
Lightning began to emanate from his body, arcs of electricity building up as the young man's odd hairstyle stood up on end. The teenage royal was almost laughing as the ground underneath his feet cracked, a magic aura slightly weaker then Koda's forming around him.
"Are you sure Master Tayuya?" Mantle asked, hesitating slightly. "Are you sure you want to use your full power? The Acceptance Ceremony is in a few days. If you use everything now-"
"Just back up."
Mantle hurriedly nodded and retreated backward until he was at the edge of one of the buildings. As Tayuya was now taking the fight seriously, he only needed to worry about how much of this section of the market would be destroyed and not about whether the royal would lose or not.
Of all the royals his age, Tayuya was one of the most skilled in regards to magic control, or how much magic a magician could utilize in any given moment. One of the main reasons there was a huge gap between commoners and royals was because most commoners lacked the ability to control magic on the level royals could. The less experienced a mage was, the more magic had to be expended for a single spell. This was also why there was a huge gap between those who had been training a whole year long, their magic was more refined, powerful, and wasted less magic for stronger spells compared to those below them. The difference was like night and day, like regular mage and Guardian Knight.
Even if someone had a much larger magic capacity, it was still possible to beat them if their magic control was shit. This was why Mantle was confident in Tayuya, a prodigy with higher magic control than most royals his own age. Even if this mere commoner had a magic capacity on the level of an elf, he was sure that Tayuya would still win out in terms of magic control. In his mind, a mere peasant could never match royalty.
"It's time to go all OUT!" Tayuya exclaimed proudly as he crouched low. The electricity danced around the young man's figure as he prepared to charge. "Fulgur Impetum (Lightning Assault)!"
The arcs of blue lightning coursing along the outside of his body began to gather, gathering together around his feet and his hands and completely engulfing them. The electricity crackled as it began to take shape, forming glowing blue claws and boots with sharp dagger-like toes that dug into the concrete.
"Enough playing," Koda said before vanishing.
"I agree," was Tayuya's only reply as he also vanished from his spot.
They met up in the middle, a booming sound echoing around them as their magic clashed against each other, a fiery red aura being pitted against a deep electric blue. The ground cracked apart as the two struggled to gain the upper hand, locked in a virtual stalemate as they each lashed out, daggers against claws. It was unclear who had the advantage as they relentlessly pushed forth, each seeking victory. The windows in the surrounding area that had survived up until that point completely shattered from the pure concentration of magic being deployed by the two youths.
"And just like that, there they go," Mantle muttered as he watched the two engage in combat. "With Tayuya at full power, it'll only be a matter of time before the fight ends.
"And much sooner then you might think."
Mantle turned on the spot, his eyes flickering towards the person standing next to him, someone he hadn't sensed approaching him. As soon as his eyes made contact with the individual, he immediately took a step back, his face taking on different emotions in rapid succession.
He was staring at the figure of arguably the strongest Veni of all, Viridian Ignis, leader of the Fire Knights.
Millions of questions raced through his head, but the first one to escape his lips was probably the dumbest question ever. "Why are you here?"
Despite it being such an idiotic query, Viridian didn't seem to care much as he carefully watched the two of them fight, his orange eyes flickering back and forth as Koda and Tayuya moved from side to side. "Oh just here to see what all the fuss is about. I was going to put a stop to the battle right away but then I saw something that fascinated me."
"You were here the entire time?!" Mantle exclaimed as he took another step back.
Viridian just smiled, neither confirming or denying the question. His attention was completely absorbed on the fight as the intense battle continued, neither side making any headway. His brilliant hues held hints of amusement as well as a hint of satisfaction, a twinkle in his eye that few could mistake for anything else.
"Hmmm, as much as I want you to enjoy yourself, we really should be stopping this." A young woman next to Viridian said, tapping the red-haired man on the shoulder.
((Isn't that.....its Nana Terra, Leader of the Earth Knights!)) At this point, Mantle was basically scrunched back, trying to look as small and insignificant as possible. ((We're so screwed. Her temper is the worst.))
"Yeah I guess your right," Viridian said as he stood up straight. The red-haired male disappeared in a puff of flames, leaving the ground beneath his feet scorched.
Back over on the battlefield, Koda twisted midair and finally managed to land a blow on Tayuya, knocking the royal backward a few meters. The short breather gave the young man more than enough time to formulate one of his strongest spells, though the spell required an abundant amount of his magic of which most would just dispel into the air. It didn't matter to him how much magic he used though as he was going to end it all with this single attack.
"Requiem Adere (Burning Requiem)," Koda muttered as he flicked wrists, brilliant flames erupting from his daggers as he pushed off the floor, charging towards Tayuya with his weapons blazing.
Koda didn't make it very far as his wrist was grabbed and he was summarily yanked backward, one of his daggers dropping from his hand due to the sudden change of direction. The pure strength focused in the fingers of the one grabbing him was totally unreal, his bones threatening to snap as they creaked harshly beneath the man's strong grasp.
"I believe that's enough," A man with black hair said, brown eyes flashing seriously. "Any more and we'll have to assume it was you who started all of this."
The man wore a pitch-black cloak with the insignia mainly used for The Dark Knights, a symbol of a crow in mid-flight. His hair was combed back and he looked very intimidating, a sort of scowl etched upon his face. Koda was staring into the eyes of the Dark Veni, Caligo Nox, the leader of the Knights specializing in Darkness magic.
((Welp, I'm fucked,)) Koda thought as he let himself be pulled back. ((To think I'd run into a Veni level threat. Lucky me!))