*****
Arthur had lunch with Natasha and others and then, with Aaron and Sophia had returned to his room. Alice joined Natasha to catch up on old times and his father had gone for work.
Right now, he was sitting in his room with them and told them about his hobbies such as reading in the library or training with his parents when they were free from work. Afterwards, upon Aaron's insisting he showed them his [Novice] rank stigmata, which was quite close to advancing to [Novice+] after the little training he did with his father for the whole year. But of course, he didn't tell them as he didn't want to ruin Aaron's happy expression even though Sophia's face said otherwise,
"Damn! you awakened an [Initiate+] stigmata at the age of 5 and completely skipped a rank. That's so cool! I also awakened an [Initiate] stigmata with the [Light] affinity!"
It was quite apparent that he didn't know how big of a feat Arthur had just performed. By his actions, Arthur suspected that the boy never liked reading or studying otherwise his expression would have said otherwise like Sophia right now.
Sophia, unlike her brother, was quite similar to Arthur in many ways, she liked reading and had also awakened an [Initiate] stigmata with the [Darkness] affinity, which was why her expression was filled with shock and disbelief right because she knew what big of a feat Arthur had performed.
"H-How?" She asked with disbelief, as if her brain still couldn't comprehend the news that had just reached her years.
"How what sister?" Aaron couldn't help asking his sister because he couldn't understand why was she so shocked.
But just as Sophia's lips parted to explain, Arthur put a finger on his lips from behind to indicate her to don't say anything, he didn't want Aaron's happy spirits to drop as the boy was quite happy with his stigmata right now.
"I-It's nothing," Sophia changed her answer after seeing Arthur's sign not to tell anything.
Aaron frowned a little but then shrugged and started talking to Arthur once again about his stigmata and Sophia joined in as well, acting like nothing happened. Time passed, when suddenly Aaron requested something causing Arthur's eyebrow to arch with surprise.
"Hey Arthur, let's have a friendly fight!"
Before Arthur could ask the reason, Sophia cut in to explain the reason for his sudden request,
"Sorry about this, he's always looking to fight some ever since he's awakened his stigmata and been training with dad. Now that he's found you, he really wants to fight you to see his strength."
After hearing Sophia's reason, Arthur nodded in understanding and turned to Aaron,
"Sure, we can fight. I understand your reason as I want to see as well how far I've come."
He was not lying actually. Ever since he had awakened his stigmata and been training, Arthur could never fight anyone seriously like a human being to human being and one who was just the same age as him. So he really wanted to see how far he would go against the people of his generation.
"Let's go."
*****
After informing Alice and Natasha of the friendly fight, they gave Arthur and Aaron their approval and went to the Blades training ground to witness the fight. At that moment, even Nolan, who just came back from work, came rushing to the grounds to witness his son's first fight after his awakening. Moreover, even the maids and butlers were gathered at the sidelines to see how their young master would fare against someone of their generation. This would prove his strength of the heir in the years to come and whether they could place their trust on his strength.
Right now, Arthur and Aaron were standing opposite to each other on the training grounds with a sword in each hand and were waiting for Arthur's father, who was going to be the referee of the match.
While they were waiting, Arthur decided to check his [Status],
'[Status]'
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Name: Arthur Blade
Class: [Swordsman]
Title: -
Age: 7 years
Stigmata: Darkness, Death (unmanifested)
Stigmata Affinities: Darkness(Deity) Death(Deity)
Stigmata Talent: Empyreal
Stigmata Rank: Novice (N)
Guardianus: Hades
Weapon Art: [Blade Sword Art: Proficiency 0.1%]
Stigmatical Skills: [Abyssal Shroud] [Umbral Veil] [Spectral Steps] [Obsidian Screen] [Nightfall Blind]
Skills: -
Pandemonium of the Olympians: [5 Years]
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Arthur's eyebrows lifted in surprise at the new information on his [Status], they were [Class],[Weapon Art] and [Title] respectively.
His class indicated his profession as Arthur had learned from the books. If one practiced a weapon and learned its basic movements and stances, they going gain the respective class of the weapon. But class did not actually play a role in your strength or anything, it was just to show which weapons you could use with the basic proficiency in it, and in addition, it was not necessary that if a person learned how to use a weapon and gained its class, he would have the talent for that weapon.
Because anyone could learn the basic stances and movements, but as someone progressed in a weapon, Arthur had read that according to their progress and the approach towards using the weapon the class would update itself as a Fahr fought more and more.
Coming to his [Weapon Art], Arthur saw its proficiency at [0.1%] and knew that it must have been when he was practicing yesterday, because he faintly remembered hearing a *TING* sound but he was too engrossed in training then and forgot to check it afterwards.
Lastly, the [Titles], Arthur did not know what was the catalyst for it that it had appeared on his screen but he did know that [Titles] were basically given on your achievements or something unique that only you have exclusive from the whole world. Based on your Title's name, you would receive buffs or de-buffs depending on the Title's description.
Breaking him out his thoughts, was the arrival of Nolan on the stage and his voice cutting throughout the arena as he looked at both of them,
"This is a battle between Arthur Blade and Aaron Glade, in which both participants can go all-out without holding anything back. Are you both ready?" Nolan asked as he raised one arm in the air.
"Let's give it our all Arthur, I won't go easy on you friend," Aaron stated but none of his words reached Arthur's ears at that moment as his focus had just been turned completely elsewhere.
That malicious and devilish grin on Aaron's face and the gleam in his eyes made Arthur lose his all senses except those two things that settled themselves in his mind. Where had he seen this smile before? Where had he seen those eyes before?, it was so familiar yet his mind was not able to remember at that moment.
But that was the moment memories resurfaced in his mind, memories that he had tried so hard and buried a long time ago, memories of a man who was once maybe his only trust worthy friend in the world, his only confidant and his support. Yet the same man had taken everything away from him when it mattered most, when he had left his harsh life behind to start a new life. A man who was the last person he had expected to betray and revolt against him like this.
Instantly, a chilling and shuddering aura descended on the training grounds that seemed to permeate every inch of space around them. Such that not only his parents, but even the maids and butlers were able to feel the chill in the air and they could hardly suppress a shiver going down their spine.
Arthur's eyes lost their color and vibrancy and his face lost all emotion in that very instant. The man standing on the training grounds was not Arthur anymore right now, he was Ray Vixen, the man who left nothing alive. Men. women and children all mercilessly slaughtered, leaving a cold trail in its wake. The man who cared for nothing except his family, and for their future had been the cause of rivers of bloodshed.
"BEGIN!!" Nolan shouted to indicate the start of the battle.
Instantly, without giving any time for Aaron to prepare himself, Arthur coated his feet with darkness mana using [Abyssal Shroud] and dashed towards Aaron, leaving cobweb cracks on where he was standing before. Aaron, not expecting such intensity was caught off guard but stabilized himself quickly and used [Solar Guard], generating a light barrier in front of him to defend himself pouring as much mana as he could into it.
Arthur appeared in front of Aaron not even 2 seconds after he dashed and without caring to sidestep or halt his pursuit because of the barrier, he performed an axe kick at the barrier. As soon as the shrouded kick impacted the barrier, it shattered like glass in front of a hammer and the kick landed on Aaron's skull instantly blasting him into the ground.
*CRACK*
"ARGH!!!" shouted Aaron as he was blasted on the ground and blood spluttered out of his face in an instant.
Not even waiting for him to get up or hearing the shouts of of his father to stop the fight, Arthur used [Nightfall Blind] on him and instantly a dark aura gathered itself in front of Aaron's eyes, taking away his sense of sight. Arthur shrouded his fists now and began brutally beating every inch of Aaron's face and body eliciting screams and the cracking of his bones which didn't affect him in the least as he continued his brutal beating.
Blood splattered all over the ground forming small puddles but the fists continued. But Arthur didn't launch his fists very fast, but he landed each fist with calculated precision and after a second's pause to give a message not just to Aaron but to everyone watching as well: This is personal and stay the fu*k out of this.
But before another punch could land on the already broken face of Aaron, his father appeared before him and caught his fist,
"ARTHUR!! I SAID ENOUGH!!!"
And it was then, that Arthur's eye gained their color and he saw what had happened around and because of him, the state of Aaron and the puddles of blood on the ground. He realized that he had lost control of himself and he instantly stood up, because he knew if he was here any longer, something bad would happen,
"I apologize. I'm not feeling myself lately, excuse me."
And he instantly left the grounds, but in that moment every person in the training ground had one thing on their mind that they feared,
'A monster had appeared in this world'
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To not ruin the fight, I am going to put the description of [Nightfall Blind] over here so that you can see.
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Skill Name: Nightfall Blind
Skill Rank: Novice (Variable with user's rank)
Skill Description:
A blindfold made up of Darkness mana, descends upon the target's eyes depriving them of the sense of sight unless they can counter the spell or nullify it. The strength of the blindfold to restrict the sight, is proportional to the mana inputted by the user in the skill. The duration of the skill is also proportional to amount of mana inputted by the user
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Hello! Author here. I wanted to take a moment to thank you all for your big support and your reading this novel because today my novel got recommended for "New Releases" and I can't express how happy I am :') . It is all because of you people that this has happened and I want to sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart :) . I also want to say that we have just reached "20 Power stones" and for this I'll be releasing a bonus chapter later in the day. Thank you for reading this novel and I hope you continue your support and please don't hesitate to leave a review or power stones. :)