Ting.
Ting.
Two figures clashed in a fierce dance of daggers and swords. Both leaped back, their bodies adorned with bruises and minor wounds, while the battlefield lay in ruins. The once-pristine 100-meter field was now scarred with gashes and blackened marks.
A girl with dark purple hair stood with a lavish, captivating figure, some spots of her skin exposed. Opposite her was a blond man with golden eyes, devilishly handsome and shrouded in a dark aura. Both were breathing heavily.
"I thought you wouldn't hurt a lady," Julia said with a smirk. "Seems I was wrong; you're just a caveman."
Veins popped on Kai's forehead as he thought, 'You ladies are more dangerous than men, so why should I hold back?' He sighed and added, "Anyway, I've been wondering."
He glanced up at the sky, where clouds were forming. "How do you do this?" he inquired.
"Are you scared?" She chuckled slightly.
"No, just curious." To be honest, Kai was a bit scared by the power she was gathering in those clouds. The worst part was that he couldn't stop it without defeating her. 'I'm already out of mana, and she's still going,' he sighed.
In terms of combat strength and speed, they were evenly matched, but Kai had the edge in raw destructive power. Even with her clouds amplifying her abilities, he could still keep up. He knew winning against her would be a challenge because she was also holding back.
Considering something under her breath, she said, "Basically, I create warm and cold water particles around me and then combine them to form a cloud. Simple, right?" Kai's jaw dropped in shock.
"What the heck are you talking about… that's not simple at all," murmured Kai, still in disbelief. Julia chuckled, and Kai added, "That's why Elijah likes you. You're both freaks of nature."
She looked confused. "Wait, what?"
Kai wasn't even listening as he felt himself being outclassed by both. "Why, why, why didn't I choose a normal group of friends? Life would have been much easier," he sighed, wiping away tears.
He asked, "What's your goal anyway, Julia?"
"My goal?" She looked puzzled, still thinking about Kai's earlier comment. "Oh, that's personal," she replied, adding, "But if you really want to know, bow down and say, 'my queen.' Maybe then I'll consider it."
"Over my dead body," he shouted as the clouds above rumbled, and an aura of armor began forming around him. Just then, they both sensed a presence watching them. They turned to see a young man with black hair and eyes, rather handsome, approaching them.
Elijah walked over with a smirk and broke the tension. "You two seem to be having fun," he commented, looking at the sky and sensing the power in the clouds. "Wow."
Kai smiled and lowered his guard. "That's what I'm feeling right now," he said. Julia, on the other hand, looked at Elijah with a complex expression.
Elijah had just broken through to a different realm of power, reaching the (E-) rank. The pressure surrounding his body was something Julia knew she couldn't withstand.
She was shocked at how quickly he had achieved this, knowing him and Kai from the gladiator, where they faced opponents even more powerful than themselves.
She knew they were both strong, but Elijah's talent was extraordinary, even though he wasn't one of the Seven Miracles. She pondered this for a moment before sighing, "So, you're now an (E-) rank, huh."
"Yeah, and now Kai's the only one left to break through before our match," Elijah commented.
"Hey, don't lump me in with you. I'm not a monster, you know," Kai said.
"Wait, who's a monster?" Elijah asked, puzzled.
"You are, of course. Who else would we be talking about?" Kai retorted.
"What did I do wrong? Isn't this normal?"
Julia responded, "Not really. Most people take three months or more to reach that level." She thought, 'Except for the Seven Miracles, but I'm not going to mention that.' She knew that if she did, it would spark too much curiosity, so she kept quiet.
"Wow, I wonder if that guy named Victor and Elena have already reached this level of strength," Elijah mused aloud, and Julia nearly fell over.
"Who are they?"
"They're two of the Seven Miracles, some of the most talented and powerful people of our age. They're said to be super powerful," he explained.
"Why did I even bother?" Julia murmured, but no one paid her any attention.
Kai's eyes lit up. "Do they have a swordsman?"
"Yeah, I'm sure."
"Then let's get ready to kick their leader's butt!" Kai shouted with stars in his eyes. Julia ignored the two boys as the cloud above began to disperse.
"That's the plan, but we need to conquer the gladiator arena first, then the Seven Miracles. So prepare, Kai; we're going full speed ahead," Elijah replied, matching his excitement.
"Yeah!" Julia laughed, watching them.
'To think he's the young master of the Dominic family,' she thought, smiling. 'What a strange guy, but he's not so bad.' The two men were fired up, encouraging each other for the challenges ahead.