Luna closed in on Leo, her body encompassed in ice while her rapier glowed a bright shade of silver.
"Leo Kadz will now…."
Her eyes shone light blue, portraying her as the queen of all ice.
"...cease to exist."
Slash!
She swung her rapier, cutting the atmosphere with her mana, which was considered as dense as an S Rank individual.
For Leo, it felt like time itself had halted.
As he watched the blade swing horizontally, he expected it to do nothing more than cut air.
However, as he realized what she planned to do with her mana, his eyes widened, the fear of death engulfing his mind.
The glowing rapier revealed a streak of ice that darted towards its enemy, the lanky-armed individual who stood a few meters away.
As the streak of ice approached Leo, he said his goodbyes, expecting himself to be decapitated there.
'No.'
A thought appeared in his mind, much like a video.
'I can't die.'
Unbeknownst to Leo, the thoughts weren't his but Dante's.
Thunder!
*
*
*
In a room shrouded with nothing but darkness stood a boy, rapidly searching through books and scriptures.
He had to find a particular item before he was found out.
This item could unleash the downfall of either the Conscientious Faction or the Iniquitous Faction.
Thus, it could not remain in the hands of the Iniquitous Faction for much longer.
If this item were to get leaked, it would cause tremendous conflict, enough to sweep away an entire Faction at the least.
Perhaps, that was what Ace wanted.
Taking a glance at every book and scripture kept in Natalie's room, brought using spatial rings, he finally spotted the one he was looking for.
'Here it is.'
His eyes gleamed as he approached the scripture at inhumane speeds.
He felt like squealing in happiness as he held the dusty, old pages in his hands.
[The Scripture of Emergence].
It was a scripture from 500 years ago that defined the event that took place as well as how and what happened.
Entities, heroes, substances…
Everything about that incident was written inside this scripture recorded by Antariksha Subramanian.
Antariksha Subramanian was one of the top authors of the time, as well as an established scientist working on Mythology.
He had recorded everything he saw and heard before his eventual death at the hands of Jorge Musk, the founder of the Conscientious Faction, when he decided to relay his knowledge to others.
After his death at the hands of Jorge Musk, the scripture entered the hands of Andrew Simmons.
It had been to several different places, and now, the scripture was in Ace's hands.
Step!
Step!
Step!
The noise of footsteps entered Ace's eyes as he suddenly became vigilant.
Refraining from breathing for a while, he tried to listen to the footsteps to discern whose they were.
Step!
'Natalie Adams.'
He immediately dove behind a drawer, using [Concealment] to camouflage himself from the naked eye of even S Rank individuals.
However, it was unknown whether he could fool the eyes of Natalie with his skill and mana level.
As the door Ace had shut opened, it revealed a majestic figure.
It was Natalie Adams.
Her curly, dark-brown hair fell down to her shoulders, while her black pupils with a hint of green became the sun that shone in the darkness.
She wore a tight, black jumpsuit that covered all her body, perfectly highlighting her curves, which seemed to be in the right places.
Her eyes were emotionless but contained a hint of murderous intent, as if trying to savor her prey before devouring it whole.
The weak girl who had been abandoned by her parents, rescued by Genro Govel, and had grown to rival the Top Rankers of the Iniquitous Faction.
Although not at the level of High-Rankers, she was already a genius for her age, which seemed only to be 22.
"Is someone here?"
Her soothing voice resounded throughout the room, echoing in some places.
Following that sentence, she revealed a smirk.
"A male, 16 years of age. Long, black hair."
Ace's eyes widened as he realized he had instantly been found out by the girl in the jumpsuit.
He slowly stood up, deactivating [Concealment].
"Ah, a handsome one. I see why master Genro sent me here to investigate. He wanted me to find a pet."
Natalie remarked, licking her lips with a lewd expression clouding her face.
"Shut up, Linda Kleen."
Natalie's eyes widened as her body became numb.
Her pupils lost focus as her blood boiled.
Her mind urged for her body to destroy the puny boy in front of her, who had dared to utter her real name…
Lina Kleen was her name before she was rescued by her master, Genro Govel.
She had wished never to have to hear it again… However, a certain boy had uttered it right in her face.
Dark mana swirled like a tornado, camouflaging with the atmosphere and becoming almost impossible to see.
Her expression crumbled when she witnessed Ace emanating mana that seemed to rival those of A- Rank individuals despite being a B- Ranked one.
"How is your mana so dense, boy?"
Instead of responding to her question, Ace disappeared from his spot, appearing right before her face.
Whoosh!
He kicked as hard as he could, but he did not feel the sensation of touch.
All he felt was an intense pain bombarding his upper back.
After cushioning his landing, he turned his head around, only to see Natalie standing with a dagger in her hand.
Only, here dagger seemed to be in the wrong position, as the blunt side was facing Ace's direction.
The sharp side was directed towards Natalie.
"Are you toying with me?"
"Dense mana doesn't mean better technique or strength. It is only energy, not a way to utilize it."
Not paying mind to any of Natalie's words, Ace activated [Indifference].
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
He kicked several times, unable to land a hit on his enemy even after spewing out all of his mana.
'What is this… I thought I could contend with S Rankers. I thought Phantom was the threshold.'
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
The same thing happened once again.
Ace missed all of his kicks and punches.
"Is that it, boy?"
"Not even close, Linda."
Bam!
Their attacks struck each other, causing the walls of the enclosed room to suffer tremendous damage.
Ace was using aether, flames, darkness, and most of his mana.
Even so, he couldn't even put a scratch on his enemy, who smirked while toying with him to her heart's content.
Gritting his teeth, Ace decided to use his trump card, even if it wore him out to a certain extent.
Diagonal Devastation.
A ringing sound reverberated across the room as Ace disappeared, only to reappear behind Natalie, facing away from her.
Usually, this move would have sliced his opponent in half diagonally.
However, when he turned around, he witnessed the smug grin on Natalie's face, mocking him due to his stupidity.
"As I said before, mana is only a tool. Mana does not define strength, but energy for one to utilize to access the said quality."
"No, you're wrong. Mana is destructive power. Even though I loathe that particular word, I believe mana is the process of destruction utilized by wielders of the substance."
Chuckling due to Ace's foolish response, Natalie flicked her finger.
Ace lost control of his senses as she did so, his eyes growing dull and his body not responding to his will.
"You are wrong…."
She approached Ace, revealing a gentle expression instead of her usual emotionless one.
"The utilization of mana to us humans is a privilege, not a right. You are interpreting the usage of mana as a means of destruction, while I am interpreting it as a tool for creation…."
She gently touched Ace's cheeks.
"Remember what I am about to say when you arrive at the Underworld or Hell…."
"...Mana is a tool. Your actions define your strength."
*
*
*
There stood a boy coated in darkness, his eyes and face as emotionless as one could be.
Outwardly, he was a raging bull.
Inwardly, his glee outmatched that of people who had won the lottery.
As Luna stared dumbfoundedly at the lanky-armed individual with her mouth agape, the entire crowd fell silent.
A black tail with a pointy end.
Two horns with flames crackling at the tips.
Two wings protruded off of his shoulder blade, encompassed in dark flames.
And finally, a toothy and devilish grin to match the combination.
That was the outward appearance of a certain lanky-armed individual who stood a few meters away from his opponent, who was embraced with ice.
"Dante…"
As he uttered those words, a soothing voice was suddenly transmitted to his mind.
[I am doing this for the messenger of m'lord. Also, you can utilize this power if you mobilize my demonic energy like you did the other day.]
Nodding, Leo directed a smile towards his opponent, who seemed awe-struck.
*
*
*
"Is that the Primal Demon!?"
George Kadz, the former father of Leo Kadz, stood up in rage.
His eyes were fierce, and his face filled with hatred, unlike what it usually was.
"Father, calm down."
A gentle and soothing yet cunning voice entered George's ears. However, that did nothing to calm the raging man down.
The voice belonged to Mia Kadz, the former elder sister of Leo Kadz.
"How could I calm down, Mia!? The damned incarnation of the Primal Demon chose that failure instead of you or me. It's been 500 years, and no one has ever received the powers of the Primal Demon at an age younger than 18. Even those who have reached that age do not possess such potent powers as that boy."
"Yes, father. That is correct. However, if we just kill him, won't that solve all our problems?"
"I disowned him recently. The media will make random predictions without evidence, and the Kadz Family's name will be dragged in the mud."
"We don't have to do it right now. I'm sure he won't grow to your level in a couple of years. We can strike him when the iron has cooled down instead of when it's hot."
"Indeed, that is possible. However, I don't understand why the Primal Demon incarnation chose that filthy animal instead of us or our ancestors."
"Maybe it has something to do with his shady friend that seems to lurk in the shadows while appearing in the most convenient of times."
Stroking his chin, George pondered over the things he had been wondering.
It was the first time since his conflict with Noah Williams that he had actually pondered over something unsolvable, however much he seemed to look.
His former son…
For some reason, his former son was on par with his dead mother in terms of mysteriousness, which irritated the current Head of the Kadz Family.
'I will kill that boy one day, just like I did to his mother.'
*
*
*
"What… is that?"
Luna barely managed to get these words out, a supposed lump appearing in her throat.
Even she, the lovely and talented child of Genro Govel, felt her heart beat faster as she gazed upon the 'creature' that stood before her.
"Primal Demon's Incarnation. Of course, since you're family isn't exactly 'famous', you wouldn't know of such a thing."
Due to his newfound power, Leo had a little leeway to be cocky.
Moreover, insulting the daughter of one of the most powerful people on Earth had always been on his bucket list.
"Now, shall we get started?"
He asked rhetorically, lunging towards his opponent, who had regained her composure.
As Leo approached Luna, the latter's eyes became cold, and a mountain of ice ascended, tearing through the ground beneath.
Bam!
The ground shattered as the mountain of ice emerged through its depths, baring its fangs at the lanky-armed individual.
Leo's eyes widened as his movement halted abruptly.
He gazed at the majestic mountain of ice that Luna now stood on, his body shuddering either in fright or excitement.
"It seems you aren't out of tricks just yet, Ms. Govel."
Whoosh!
Leo leapt upwards, eventually spreading his wings to access flight.
As he pushed his wings downwards to maintain his altitude, his eyes locked on his opponent, who had crafted a throne out of ice atop the giant mountain.
Luna sat leisurely on the ice throne, not bothering to even converse with her opponent, who seemed visibly shaken by the recent development.
Leo's fists turned pitch-black as darkness oozed out, his body not being able to contain it any longer.
If one viewed Leo's current appearance, he would notice a boy overflowing with energy, his body too weak to contain such power.
"Shall we finally begin?"
"Indeed."
Whoosh!
Leo flew forward at inhumane speeds, hoping to land a hit on the iceberg below his opponent to falter her trajectory.
He wanted to disrupt her form of movement so that she would, in turn, be an easy target.
Crash!
His fist struck the monstrosity made of ice, as the structure received a gaping hole in the middle, unable to repair it.
Luna's eyes widened slightly, but she soon recreated the ice structure.
Only, she had used more mana than she initially expected.
Luna finally stood up, dismantling the structure and leaping downwards towards the ground.
Leo, not understanding the purpose of such a foolish attempt at survival, levitated without any constraints.
"Do you really want to battle on such uneven ground?"
"It's better than battling in the sky, where you have the advantage."
Sighing, Leo also descended since he couldn't fire projectiles from such a long range.
"Now, shall we have a duel without holding back?"
"I thought I would only experience this with the King of Indifference, but I now have high expectations for the King of Bravery as well."
"If you can't even defeat me, even standing in Ace's presence would be a privilege."
*
*
*
"...Mana is a tool. Your actions define your strength."
Bang!
Crash!
As she said those words, Ace, who had retained his senses due to Natalie wanting him to hear her monologue, headbutted her.
Her eyes widened, and she flinched, giving Ace just enough time to raise his right foot, kicking her in the process.
Following that, he quickly used aether to augment his body while using [Blitz Step] to…
Whoosh!
…escape.
*
*
*
Two monstrosities facing each other in a battle that might lead to one's demise.
Many spectators viewed the intense battle whilst sitting on the edge of their seat, their eyes widening in surprise with every move.
Bam!
Boom!
Kang!
Crash!
The two beings that didn't seem human kept on exchanging blows, causing winds with enough pressure to sink a cruise ship
to form.
Mana, as dense as a shonen manga's protagonist, swirled in the atmosphere, causing people to feel suffocated.
"You're better than I expected, King of Bravery."
"Can't say the same about you, Monarch of the Cold."
Luna and Leo said, their sword and fist pushed against each other respectively.
The two quickly backed away, bringing their climactic sword-fist lock to an end.
"Shall this be our final move?"
"Why not?"
As they exchanged those words, a sculpture of ice depicting the god of the northern winds, Boreas, emerged from within the depths behind Luna.
Following that development, a figure of darkness in the shape of the demon of darkness, Belial, emerged from the depths behind Leo.
'Dante, is this the best you could do?'
[Belial is an Outer God. The Primal Demon has conversed with him before.]
'An Outer God?'
Leo asked inwardly, expecting a detailed answer.
However, he did not receive one, much to his irritation.
"Now, shall we begin once again?"
"Yes, we shall. Ms. Govel."
The structures acted as their avatars, battling on their behalf.
As the ice structure formed a blade in his hand, while the dark monstrosity of a being ignited his fist.
The two locked non-existent eyes, their gazes piercing through the other.
"Arghhhh!"
"Ahhhhhh!"
"Aughhhh!"
"Aghghhhh!"
Leo, Luna, the dark giant, and the ice giant screamed, preparing for their first and final hit that would conclude their battle once and for all.
Boom!
A splash of color stained the views of the spectators, non-existent question marks appearing above their heads.
The utter silence spoke volumes about what had occurred.
No one said a thing, presumably to not ruin the moment that seemed so majestic to their eyes.
Then, one person spoke.
"Noah Williams!"
All heads violently turned towards the person who had disrupted the supposed moment of silence, annoyance clouding their expression.
As they did, they saw a boy with a wolf cut, his breathing extremely unsteady.
The boy looked like he was on the verge of fainting, blood trickling down his head like a fountain.
His hands filled with calluses and his torso covered in scars.
His clothing teared and his hair burnt.
That was Ace Ambrosia.
As he gazed impatiently at the man who sat in a VIP Room, he pointed at him using an old scripture that seemed on the verge of destruction.
Noah scrunched his eyebrows, while in the other room, Genro's expression crumbled.
The two competitors, Luna and Leo, gazed at the boy with their vision stained in red.
They had attacked each other, and had both been struck with the same amount of damage.
Only, their heroic moment had been interrupted by Ace.
A dark figure appeared behind Ace, threatening to slit his throat immediately with the dagger it held.
Whoosh!
Bang!
The figure was sent flying instantly due to Noah's kick.
The Head of the Conscientious Faction now stood before Ace with a calm look.
"Ace Ambrosia, you have violated the rules of the tournament, and interrupted an event very rudely."
"I… I don't apologize."
Ace managed to spit these words out, a mouthful of blood emerging from the depths of his throat.
"L–Look at this."
He quickly handed over the scripture now covered in a crimson substance called blood.
"If this isn't more important than what is currently happening, you will be imprisoned immediately."
"I–I understand."
Noah snatched the scripture out of Ace's hands, his indifferent gaze now locked on the old pages.
Suddenly, his eyes widened.