["Initiating combat zone."]
The sound of a robotic voice echoed throughout a large room in the shape of a circle, with futuristic designs, vibrant lights, and crystallized coating on the ground. On one side of the room was a large door, and directly opposite from the door was another large door. They both opened, and two figures walked forward.
One was a cocky middle-aged man, holding a sword inside his hand, snickering as he walked forward.
The other was a tall young man, wearing a black hoodie, and long dark robes, with short black hair, and soulless black eyes. Anyone could tell that such an individual has been through horrors over the course of their life. The young man spoke, saying;
["Let's get this over with."]
There was no pitch in his voice, just empty nothingness.
["Heheheh, I finally get to prove my worth, and kill the level 8 of Atlantis city! Today just couldn't get any better! Heehahahah!"]
Above them, the intercom turned back on, and the same robotic voice spoke once more.
["Let the battle for the strongest Sorcerer begin!"]
["Heeee-yaaaaa!!!"] The middle-aged man charged forward, raising his sword into the air with both hands.
But the young man didn't seem to move an inch. He only stood there with his hands inside his pocket, staring at the crystal ground below him.
["…That's all Atlantis City cares about, isn't it? Power… it only wants… power… and nothing else."] The young man walked forward, finally glancing at his opponent.
["Eee-yughh! Aaaaahh!!"] The middle-aged man came to a halt as fear echoed from his mouth. Pure fear, pure terror! He couldn't explain it… but the eyes of the level 8 were enough to make him fall down, and crawl backward. ["I-I forfeit! I forfeit! Get me outta here, get me outta here!!!"] He crawled away, backing against a wall.
Yet, the hooded boy steadily walked forward without hesitance. Each step left a trail of darkness on the ground until he was a few feet away from the man.
["Your skill as a sorcerer allows you to grow stronger against those who have committed bloodshed through the course of their life. Its power works solely on killers and murderers who take life with their hands, and spills the blood of their enemies."] The young man leaned forward, widening his soulless eyes. He was face to face with the middle-aged man, sending shivers up his spine, ["Too bad for you, I don't kill my enemies or spill their blood. My skill works something like this…"] And so he reached out his hand, stunning the man in fear.
Escape was impossible. He wished to challenge one of the strongest level 8's in all of Atlantis city, so now, he would suffer the consequences.
The level 8's hand gripped the man's face, and darkness slowly consumed him. He was shrouded in a cocoon of blackness, being absorbed into the confines of his shadow.
Slowly but surely, the middle-aged man became second-dimensional, fully mended into the shadow of the level 8.
His very being, his very existence! All of it was wiped away, and was fuel to empower the darkness inside this level 8's heart.
["Level 8 Sorcerer, Kira Tokigane, has won the battle. He will now receive a cash prize, and stay as the strongest Sorcerer in Atlantis city."]
Kira was his name.
He walked outside the circular room once the doors opened themselves upwards. The technology here was incredible, far surpassing any other nation's technological advancements. Only Atlantis City is known to have such capable machinery and contraptions.
Once he left the room, Kira walked through a long narrow hallway. Everything was so bright inside this hallway, from the shining lights above him, and the crystallized ground reflecting most of the lights. Yet in his point of view, it was darkness. Pure… utter… darkness. Even light itself couldn't penetrate the darkness that Kira felt deep within his heart.
("Why? Why is this the only thing I do? Kill those who approach me. I kill everyone… because that's all they ever do. They approach me to fight, and to become the strongest Sorcerer of Atlantis City.")
He eventually made it to a large metal door, opening it by the doorknob out into the bright streets of Atlantis City. He had hundreds of people standing outside, waiting for him. Such a sight made him only annoyed.
("And these people… they only cheer me on once I killed someone. Why are humans like this? Better yet, why are the nobles like this? To gain their respect is by killing… and being the strongest there is. I hate this, I hate all of it. I wish I was weak again… I wish… I didn't have this strength anymore.")
["Kira! Kira! Kira! Kira, Kira!"] Hundreds of nobles cheered Kira on, celebrating his victory once again after killing his previous opponent; a powerful sorcerer known to defeat even level 7 sorcerers with his skill, yet was no match by the mighty Kira Tokigane.
But even through all the praise, it faded away into his ears. He only walked forward with his head down, disembarking eye contact with everyone. He didn't even bother looking at those who cheered him on — they deserved nothing from him, and he deserved nothing from them.
He wished they felt mutual.
Kira walked through the streets of Atlantis City with buildings and stores on each side of him. Such a city resembled that of New York from the futuristic technology Atlantis City acquired.
("Nobody treats me like I'm human either, they only think I'm some soulless monster. They don't know that they're the ones who made me this way. Those bastards.")
He closed his eyes and walked to the sidewalk, making his way back to his house. The cheering behind him constantly got louder, as others joined in on the celebration.
["Hmph."] Kira murmured.
***
It took less than thirty minutes for him to reach home. He lived outside of the downtown area, and more in the neighborhood where everything was relaxing and peaceful.
["Oh Kira, you're home!"] Standing inside his house after they opened the door was a girl. She was average in height, having long white hair with red streaks dyed on the side. Her smile was genuine once she laid eyes upon Kira, happy to see him again.
Kira even smiled, though it was slightly.
["Hey Noelle, how have you been?"]
["How have I been? I've been worried sick about you, Kira! You didn't even bother telling me that you went to fight another sorcerer who challenged you for your title!"]
["Why do I have to bother telling you that? At this point it should be known by now that when I'm missing, I'm fighting-"] Before Kira could finish his sentence, his ear was being pulled on, forcing him to walk inside the house, ["Ow-! What's with the unnecessary pinching?"] Kira stumbled into the house as Noelle slammed the door shut.
["There shouldn't be excuses about something like this. You should always tell me when you're about to head out, so I won't get worried! You're so stubborn, just like dad was!"]
Kira pulled away from her pinching, holding his ear in pain, ["I'm not that stubborn like the old man. Sure I can be sometimes, but he was on a whole different level."]
Noelle giggled.
["Fuhehehe! I guess you're right about that! Dad was really a hassle, wasn't he?"]
["Yeah, I guess so."]
Kira turned around, heading for the stairs that led up to his room.
["Wait, did you at least accept the money, Kira?"]
Kira stomped his way upstairs, scoffing, ["We don't need any money sis, we already have too much as is. Maybe they'll give it to the commoners or something, who cares?"]
Noelle sighed before placing her hands against her hips, pouting.
["I wanted to use that extra money to buy us a car at least! It's not fair that everyone else can have one except us!"]
["You have magic sis, use your wind magic to fly you places, cars are a waste of money for someone like us."] Proclaimed Kira from upstairs.
["Urghhh! One of these days I'm gonna follow you to one of your fights at Sorcerer arena, just to force you to get the cash prize!"]
Noelle turned her head to the side, now crossing her arms and walking into the kitchen.
Kira finally took off his clothes. He wore a tunic, pants, and socks. His head hung low as he stared intently in thought.
("As the strongest Sorcerer of Atlantis City… everyone's relying on me. They want me to defeat even the strongest of nations with my skill — and my magic. But I don't know if I could do it… I don't want to be a hero for a nation that doesn't even respect their own race. Commoners are ridiculed and spoken down upon… despite them being human.") Kira sat his elbows against his knees and placed his chin on top of his palms. ("Maybe I'll use my power to change Atlantis city for good.")