Leo's eyes threatened to bulge out as he processed those words.
The person who stood before him had revealed his ambition, which involved establishing an organization that stood at the pinnacle of Earth.
His goal was to institute an organization capable of overshadowing the Conscientious Faction and the Iniquitous Faction, which had an ancestry dating back 500 years.
Moreover, the Neutral Faction had also become powerful enough to rival the two in only a year and a half.
Despite this, he saw resolve and determination in his friend's eyes that he himself could never produce.
"Are you crazy!?"
He voiced out, his mouth agape due to his bewilderment.
"Definitely."
Ace replied with a serious expression, causing Leo's face to be filled with annoyance.
"Were you joking?"
"Definitely not."
"Then explain how we're going to establish an organization rivaling the three Factions."
"I'll do what I have to. All you need to do is bring the organization fame using your name."
"But…"
"Your disownment hasn't been revealed to the public yet. And I don't think it ever will be. After establishing the organization and gathering enough forces to at least not be killed by the OTF, we bring it fame using your name."
"How long are we talking?"
"After our fourth and last year at Academy 07."
"Right."
Thinking of it as a joke, Leo turned his head towards the window to spectate the match once again.
Deciding not to prove himself this time, Ace did the same.
"Match #2, Leo Kadz vs Yamashita Arata."
*
*
*
Leo and Arata stood before each other, eyeing the other with vulgar expressions.
Both were considered sadists by their peers but were regarded as brave and mighty by the media.
They were often compared to each other as the berserkers from rivaling Factions.
Yes, both relied on skills such as [Berserker] or [Hand-to-Hand Martial Arts].
Although their fighting style seemed similar, they differed in the strength used while performing moves or minimal movements when evading.
Simply put, their style was similar, not the same.
Their eyes locked with each other as they both revealed hints of murderous intent as if they were ready to chew the other.
"King of Bravery."
"Monarch of Courage."
As they greeted each other with a firm handshake and a slight bow, they soon positioned themselves into a stance.
"3."
Mana swirled around the two, making their presence seem majestic.
"2."
They both activated [Berserker], crimson veins popping up from their previously white skins.
Their eyes and expression seemed demented, but inwardly, they were formulating a strategy to decimate the other.
"1."
They both gathered mana inside their palms, causing them to glow shades of red and black, respectively.
"Begin!"
Boom!
Immediately, an explosion rang out, piercing the eardrums of everyone situated in the stands.
As the smoke subsided, they noticed Arata and Leo's fists connected, sending several shockwaves in different directions.
As they backed away, Leo activated [Hand-to-hand Martial Arts] while also using [Horned Bull Footwork] to evade.
Arata, on the other hand, used the [Yamashita Family Martial Arts], a form of martial arts derived from the ancient practitioners of Japan, who had collected a series of martial arts from different countries in the past, such as India, China, Korea, etcetera.
The Martial Arts consisted of various breathing exercises, poses, and moves, ranging from low difficulty to extreme difficulty.
Due to its diversity, it was nearly impossible to learn the entire skill, which is why it was divided into several skills.
Bam!
Boom!
Fists and legs connected at rapid rates, wearing down both competitors quickly.
"I've had enough of you,"
Leo muttered under his breath, his face turning into one of a demon.
[Transformation - Blonde Demon].
Humans had figured out a way to transform into a being different from themselves, increasing their stats, skills, and even mentality.
They also altered transformation into different variants.
However, such knowledge was only passed down to successors of enormous families that spread their influence along the Factions.
As Leo's expression darkened, a yellow horn started to emerge from his forehead, signifying the initiation of the transformation.
Arata watched in shock as Leo's body transformed into one unprecedented by the current evolution of humans.
Not long after the horn emerged, a yellow tail also materialized from within his tailbone, a sharp arrow-like feature at the end of it.
Mana swirled like a tornado, engulfing Leo's body like a shroud.
At that moment, one could mistake him as a nigh-perfect and absolute being… A God.
As he glanced at Arata, the latter felt like he was entirely exposed, with Leo being able to scrutinize him to no end.
His eyes widened as he desperately tried to distance himself from the… being.
Despite his original human species, Arata could not be sure if he was one.
His current transformation contradicted any predictions made by Arata, Leo's strength almost rivaling Ace's.
As he watched the match, a smirk appeared on Ace's face, disappearing just as quickly as it appeared.
"Thankfully, he inherited that technique before his disownment. Now, we can finally begin his training."
*
*
*
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Boom!
Crack!
Leo chased after his opponent, who seemed to be as slippery as an eel.
However, unbeknownst to Leo, Arata barely kept up with his movements, using almost all of his mana in the process.
Bam!
Crunch!
One of Leo's punches finally landed on his opponent, blasting his arm off.
Blood sprayed like a fountain as his arm flew off in the distance, rapidly decreasing Arata's stamina.
His consciousness started becoming hazy, following him losing strength in his arms.
Finally, as Leo approached him, he muttered…
"Y–You're a monster."
Arata finally collapsed, an expression of fright etched on his face.
Leo had won the match and had escalated to the next set of rounds.
As he walked towards the VIP Room, his expression lit up when he noticed who the next competitors would be.
"Ace Ambrosia and Grace Hernandez."
A bright smile appeared on his face, displaying his excitement for the match that followed his own.
"This is going to be fun."
*
*
*
"Mum, look!"
Alice squealed as she noticed her brother walking onto the arena. From the other side appeared a girl with light-brown hair and gray eyes.
Adam and Amanda immediately awoke from their slumber due to their daughter's thunderous voice, their eyes locked on the scene before them.
Their son stood before the heir of one of the most prominent and influential families in the Iniquitous Faction, the Hernandez Family.
"Is that Grace Hernandez?"
Her mother asked a rhetorical question, her eyes widening immediately.
Adam, still half-asleep, mumbled a little before collapsing on the couch again.
Not bothering to wake her husband up, she stared forward.
Her eyes were peeled at the scene that occurred before her.
*
*
*
"King of Indifference."
"Monarch of Destruction."
Ace and Grace greeted each other with a handshake and then a slight bow, just like Leo and Arata had.
The spectators weren't aware of this, but this match would be the best battle they had ever witnessed.
The two competitors were not unbeknownst to that fact.
They knew their strengths and weaknesses and were confident enough to be able to call themselves geniuses.
However, it wasn't enough to match another monstrosity currently sitting in a VIP Room, Luna Govel.
They both knew that her strength was equivalent to or higher than theirs.
For that, they had to prepare, unlike the current battle, which was only a stepping stone to the final one.
"3."
Mana swirled around the two in the shape of a tornado, engulfing their figures in a dense substance.
"2."
Ace gripped his scabbard lightly, preparing for a sudden movement.
Grace extended her arm, gathering enough mana to blow several houses to smithereens inside of it.
"1."
Getting into a stance normally utilized by ancient Japanese sword-practitioners, he gazed at his opponent, a fire burning in his eyes.
Grace extended her other arm, gathering more mana into it.
Her right hand glowed brown, while her left hand glowed green.
Suddenly, a small fire appeared on her left shoulder, followed by a stream of water on her right.
"Begin!"
Whoosh!
The cold breeze swept past the arena, taking Ace with it.
As he closed the gap between his opponent in mere milliseconds, the spectators gasped in excitement.
Kang!
Instead of using his blade, which he had suppressed the aura of, he swung his scabbard at Grace, only to be blocked by a barrier created using dirt.
'Earth Magic.'
He immediately backed away.
The decision turned out to be correct since an explosion occurred less than a second after he backed away.
The barrier had exploded, and as soon as the smoke subsided, he noticed a projectile darting towards his face.
Evading the projectile of dirt by utilizing [Short Distance Teleportation], he charged towards Grace, intending to use Diagonal Devastation.
Before he could initiate the move, however, he was assaulted by the intense heat of her Fire Magic, which he avoided by using [Short Distance Teleportation] again.
He could cut Grace's Magic in half. However, it would allow several pieces of debris to be controlled by her, resulting in a disadvantage for him.
The best option would be a long and wide-ranged attack, but he wasn't proficient in such destructive spells.
He could self-destruct, but that would kill her instantly. Moreover, he would faint before she did, causing his own disqualification.
He had to defeat her in one blow without getting knocked out himself.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Avoiding projectiles sent his way, an idea suddenly popped up in his head.
'What if I…'
Revealing a devilish grin, he charged at his enemy at inhumane speeds, evading the Earth projectiles and Wind bullets.
As he neared his opponent, he hoped Grace would do as he thought.
Whoosh!
A tiny flame appeared in Grace's hands, enlarging by the second.
Ace's grin only got wider as he imagined the possibilities. He had wanted to train his mana control a little, and this was the perfect chance to do so.
Ace extended his arm towards the flame, pulling the mana towards him.
The spectators went silent as they noticed the King of Indifference mercilessly steal his opponent's mana.
Their eyes widened and so did Grace's.
The level of mana control displayed by the King of Indifference surpassed any and every student they had seen before.
Whoosh!
Slowly, the flame enlarged and was shamelessly pulled by Ace.
Turning it into a whip, Grace desperately began pulling on it using her hands, a tug-of-war involving mana control.
Snip!
The slim rope split into two, sending both of the competitors flying backwards rapidly.
Thud!
Cushioning their falls using mana, the two circled each other, their bodies emanating amazing and overwhelming power.
They both were thinking the same thing.
'Luna is stronger than her!?'
'What the hell did this boy go through to become this powerful!? Moreover, Luna is even better…'
Giving up on defeating Ace using elements only, Grace formed a rapier using her mana, infusing all four elements into it to enhance its strength.
"Ah, close combat."
Nodding slightly, Ace created a long-sword using mana, infusing it with fire and darkness.
Next, he ignited his aura, adding a white-yellow hue to the blade's color.
'Should I use aether?'
Pondering over the decision, he ultimately decided against it, since Genro might be watching.
He decided only to use it in difficult situations.
As they both held their weapons with fiery expressions and fierce eyes filled with flames to depict their resolve, countless spectators cheered.
Even his family, who was in the VIP Room, couldn't help but squeal in excitement; namely, Amanda and Alice.
As dense mana swirled around the two, their figures became more and more blurry to the outsiders.
This was because of the concentration of mana, which hid their figures from ordinary people.
Staring at each other with excited expressions, the two aimed their blade at each other.
"Shall we begin?"
"Your call."
Revealing confident smirks, the two suddenly disappeared.
As two streaks of lights zipped across the arena, they eventually exploded on impact, creating a thunderous sound.
Boom!
Eventually, when the smoke subsided, the spectators noticed the two competitors in a sword lock, mana swirling around them.
"Your mana control is decent."
"I can't say the same about you."
The mana around them increased by the seconds, causing tremors to flow through the ground.
Whoosh!
The ground beneath Ace's feet suddenly shifted, revealing a deep ditch.
As he regained his senses, he realized he was falling into that ditch, and the entrance had been blocked.
'That damned Earth Mage.'
Immediately, he shattered the ceiling into the ditch using mana control.
Then, he cushioned his landing using [Body Augmentation], using the same skill to prepare his leap.
Jumping upwards towards the shattered ceiling, his view was once again obstructed by another wall, which had just appeared.
Boom!
Crack!
He destroyed the ceiling again, exiting the ditch successfully.
As he landed on the ground, his expression was indifferent, and his eyes were cold.
He had spent too much time lingering, using the least amount of moves so that Genro Govel would not notice anything abnormal about him.
The feeling still remained, but he now believed it was acceptable to use anything except aether.
Mana swirled like a tornado around the youth, who suppressed the aura of Shadow while unsheathing it from its scabbard.
Grace's eyes widened as a ringing voice reverberated throughout the arena, striking the eardrums of everyone present.
Soon after, silence descended atop the previously tumultuous arena as they watched the current display with horror present in their eyes.
They watched as the girl who had been infamous throughout the Iniquitous Faction lay on the ground, blood leaking from the opening Ace's blade had created after mercilessly chopping both her arms off.
Steadying his heavy breathing, Ace inwardly gave himself a thumbs-up for having cut two arms this time instead of one.
Even though it was with the help of Diagonal Devastation, he was still proud.
'Well, I could have done more if I could use Intermediate Level Mastery with Diagonal Devastation without fainting.'
As the medic team arrived to scoop Grace's body up, Ace noticed the furious expressions of the Hernandez Family from the VIP Rooms.
Grinning widely, he headed towards his parents' VIP Room.
"So, how was I?"
He asked, a bright smile hanging off his handsome face.
"Amazing!"
"Fabulous."
Alice and Amanda commented, revealing expressions of excitement.
"Dad slept throughout the battle?"
"Yup."
"Pretty much."
Nodding slightly but not paying it much mind, he said his goodbyes while heading towards Leo's VIP Room.
However, before he could arrive at his destination, his path was suddenly obstructed by the principal of the Academy, Felix Edwards.
"Ace, we have something to talk about. Meet me in my office in five minutes."
"Alright."
It was a small conversation, but Ace could identify several emotions and intentions within it.
Firstly, his expression seemed indifferent. However, his eyelashes quivered, making the talk appear critical.
Secondly, his fists were clenched. It was a typical feature that Felix adopted. However, the strength used to maintain it was more than usual.
Narrowing his eyes, he headed towards Felix's office, fully prepared if a battle broke out.
He had never trusted Felix due to his connection with OTF, and he surely didn't have any plans to do so now.
Refraining from knocking on the door, he barged in, only to see Felix solemnly sitting on his office chair.
"Sit."
Nodding slightly, he sat down on the chair in front of Felix's desk, resting his arms on the armrest.
He tapped his fingers, tilting his head, waiting for Felix to initiate the conversation.
"You called me?"
"Yes. I just had a chat with the leader of OTF, and it seems like they're moving."
"Moving?"
"Yun Su-Bin and Yun Ha-Yoon."
Ace's eyes widened as he suddenly stood up, slamming his hands on Felix's table.
"The Devils?"
"Indeed. You sure have a lot of knowledge about our organization."
"Yeah, well, it isn't really a secret."
Felix pouted inwardly, 'It is a secret, though.'
"Anyway, if Yun Su-Bin and Yun Ha-Yoon are being mobilized, they must be targeting a High-Ranker."
The term was given to the top hundred rankers in any given faction, hence the name 'High-Ranker'.
"Yes. Since you already know so much about the organization, it must be okay for me to inform you about their mission. They are targeting Yu Liu."
"Yu Yan's brother!?"
"Indeed. It seems they want to stir up conflict between the Conscientious and Iniquitous Faction, since Yun Su-Bin and Yun Ha-Yoon have currently infiltrated the former faction."
Ace nodded, processing the words Felix had uttered.
If the two siblings, Yun Su-Bin and Yun Ha-Yoon, were being mobilized…
Shit was about to go down.
"When are they being mobilized?"
Taking a sip of his coffee, Felix said, "It's in a couple of years, when the Royal Banquet is held."
"Infiltrating the Royal Banquet? That would be difficult even for those two."
"I could not agree more. However, if they can't, they die. Their life depends on a mission of this scale."
"That is true. Two of the Council Members are moving, huh?"
"Indeed."
"A war is about to begin."