《I regressed and became the Sword Ice King》


 Chapter 1- Waking Up

    How many? Just how many of them have I killed? My body is tired. I''m TIRED.


    "Is this what you truly amount to? The first son of the Jun family ?"


    I could feel my legs shudder each time I tried to stand back up.


    ''What sort of situation is this ?''


    I looked around, ring at the wholesome army surrounding me and the one who led them.


    "Prince Jullian¡­.why ?"


    I served the nation all my life. I fought till the end. I wasn''t strong but I got stronger with each passing time.


    "Isn''t it obvious? You''re too much of an uncertainty¡­as if your father wasn''t a threat alone¡­you just had to grow as strong as him¡­."


    Blood dribbled down my lips as I stood back up again, holding the hilt of my de tightly.


    "You¡­what do you mean ?"


    I always suspected it. What this man was capable of.


    "Kill him". He ordered, and a man with rough ck hair and golden armor walked up to me. He held a great sword and a gloomy expression exuded his face.


    "You¡­have fought well.."


    "Don''t¡­.don''t pity me !"


    I pointed the de at him and screamed out, forcing the little aura out of me.


    "I shall not die like this !".


    I charged at him, swinging my de up, and he struck back with the same timing.


    Our des struck each other and the force pushed me back. I was weak, far too weak.


    Heaps of soldiersy dead behind me, and they were all at the 8th star.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    I defeated hundreds and hundreds of masters of the sword and my body was crumbling in pain.


    I back-flipped, flinging short knives at him at the same time.


    He deflected them when I used that opportunity to get behind him.


    "Oh¡­.you still move even in this state?" The crown prince chuckled.


    "Get this over with!" He had a scowl on his face as if he felt disgusted at just the thought of me surviving.


    "Yes ! Master !". He mmed the great sword behind me, pushing me to the ground.


    My bones snapped and I screamed in pain.


    I was unable to move, Unable to speak, and unable to hear. My eyes could still see and I marked each one of their faces.


    ''I''ll kill them¡­.I''ll drag them to Hades and kill them all! I wille after their souls¡­after their generations¡­and kill them all


    There were 11 officials. All from the 12 great families. They took everything from me and killed everyone that tried to assist me.


    They isted me from the world and ordered me to save humanity from the demons in exchange for my freedom.


    And this? This is what I get in return.


    "IF I RETURN¡­I SHALL TAKE YOUR HEAD-".


    Thest thing I saw was the ground rotating with the sky and some piles of bodies as I felt mud in my mouth.


    I couldn''t feel my body¡­.I couldn''t breathe. My eyes blurred and slowly¡­reality faded away.


    ****


    *Wa


    ''What¡­what is this noise?''


    *Wa


    ''Oh¡­is this the afterlife¡­does the afterlife involve me meeting a baby ?''


    "Lord Michaelo! Your 6th child is a son !"


    ''Michaelo ? Funny¡­that was the name of my father¡­.''


    *Waaaa


    ''Hah¡­I can¡­see¡­Enh ?''


    My eyes slowly opened up as I stared at these little hands that seemed to being from my body.


    *Waaaa


    ''What? Why did I just say that?''


    "We finally have a son, my lord"


    ''That voice¡­.'' My eyes slowly searched the room for the source of the voice. ''Mother ?!''


    ''What ?! What is going on here ?!''.


    *Waaaa


    "He''s such a crybaby!" I heard a little girl cry out behind a tall figure that seemed too familiar to be true.


    "He''s a baby¡­of course, he should be crying," The man said,ughing out loud. A voice too familiar for me to forget.


    ''Father ¡­.ehn ?'' Reality finally dawned on me as he picked me up like I was a piece of feather.  ''I am the baby ?''


    "Our little boy, Raffaello Jun has been born"


    ''Ehhhhhhhhh ????''


    ***


    Two years have passed since I regressed or at least that''s what it seems like. I still have the memories of my past life, and everyone I''ve seen so far is just as they should have been at the time I was born.


    My five elder sisters were always meddling with me in one way or another, and the maids never let me out of their sight.


    So it''s been difficult to find a way to be alone, and my mother seemed to always see through my intentions.


    "Why do you keep running away from your sisters, Raph," my mum said as she patted my head. I looked up at her with excitement in my eyes.


    In my past life, my mother died when I was 10 after going for the demon subjugation that the king had ordered at the time.


    Our family was a family of knights, and my father was a 10th star grandmaster. My mother was an 8th star but she wasn''t weak in any way. ''To think she got killed during a demon subjugation¡­.something else must have happened at the time¡­.and it was then that the Jun family became prey to the King''


    I turned away from her and tapped her hand to continue reading the book she held. I was unable to write but I was able to read and was fully aware of what was going on around me. Though, a two year old reading on his own might get too much attention.


    My eldest sister, Gloria Jun, was 11 years old and a 4-star knight. She was a genius amongst the youngsters, and her beauty was unparalleled, just like my mother''s.


    My 2nd eldest sister, Fiona Jun, was 10 and, unlike my eldest, was vested in mage craft and magic. She was a 3rd circle magician and she became a future grandmaster. She was just as beautiful yet she could not hold up a candle to my eldest.


    My 3rd elder sister, Reba Jun,  was 7 and a 3-star knight. She was just as talented as my eldest, if not more, but she was assassinated at a young age and unable to grow to her full potential.


    My 4th elder sister, Thalia Jun was 5 and wasn''t interested in the sword or magic. She chose to live as an administrator of thew and her aid in the King''s court was helpful in the future until she was assassinated in her attempt to prove my innocence. In this life, I will have to push her to choose either one so she can protect herself this time.


    My 5th eldest, Morganna Jun, as well as the prettiest, was 4. She was still young, yet her wisdom was abnormal for a 4-year-old. Sheter grew up to be a priestess and her wisdom spread wide and far. She was unable to get involved during my trial because of the church''s neutrality.


    They all went through different hardships and pain and it all began with the expedition 8 years from now. If I want to prevent the downfall of my family, I will have to grow stronger in the future.


    It was an obvious n and I had already begun. I was still a child who had just learned how to walk, so building up my mana was what I had decided to do first.


    "Mother !" I slowly turned towards the door where Morganna stood holding a little doll.


    "Can you read to me too ?" She asked with childish eyes that were unbelievably cute.


    "My dear, Morgan" Mother said as she signaled for her toe closer.


    Just as she walked in, the door opened wider revealing the rest of my sister.


    A baffled expression exuded my mother''s face as she chuckled.


    "Weren''t you having fun with your dad?" She asked.


    They all shook their heads as they ran towards her. "He went out for work" Gloria replied with a faint smile as they gathered around her.


    I sighed, resting my head on my mother.


    ''I wish to protect this family¡­.and I will grow stronger by doing so''


    ''We were a beautiful family''


    ***


    5 yearster.


    I just turned 7 and my once very affectionate mother has reduced her contact with me by just a little. It''s not something I wasn''t used to before but it still feels weird.


    "Master Raffaello"


    "Just call me Raph, Serena"


    Serena, the maid that was in charge of me even before I regressed. She was always by my side and remained with the family even after most of our people abandoned us. I will never forget them.


    "Has my teacher arrived ?"


    "...he¡­quit¡­" she said with a solemn expression and a sigh escaped my lips.


    I was currently on my bed in my room meditating. I had finally reached 3 stars and I was slowly gaining an understanding of mana. In this life, I decided to be a Magic Swordsman. A job that became a rarity in the future and to do so, I would need to form a mana circle.


    Swordsmen made use of stars to count the level of mana they had umted in their dantian. Each star is equivalent to a circle formed around a mage''s heart, and having both was thought to be suicide or at least until a way to possess both were leaked by the magic tower.


    "This is the 3rd sword teacher that has quit¡­can''t Father find someone that has the guts ?" I asked while stretching my body.


    Serena had a baffled expression on her face as she nodded. "Your father hired Ballom Jack¡­.an adventurer this time¡­"


    "Oh? An adventurer ?"


    At this time..they were people known as adventurers who performed mundane and not-so-mundane tasks. They were helpful during the war, and Ballom Jack¡­isn''t a name I''ve heard before.


    "If he''s an adventurer..then he wouldn''t be so scared right ?"


    "Of course¡­your growth is simply astounding¡­that is why it has been hard to find the right teacher"


    Well, it was only right that I grow strong quickly. I intend on reaching the 12th star, The Great Grand Swordsman.  A level thought unachievable.


    "When will he be here ?"


    "He''s at the training yard at the moment with your father," she said.


    "Then¡­take me to them". I stood up from my bed as I headed out of my room when I was stopped by an unwanted guest.


    "Where are you off to Raph ?"


    "Morgan¡­" I slowly turned towards her and then red at my maid at her ipetence for not telling me about her arrival. She looked away guiltily.


    "...to the training yard¡­" I replied. "Is there a reason why you''re here and not at Mother''s residence?"


    "Of course! To witness the growth of my baby brother," she suddenly pulled me into a bear hug, and I begrudgingly epted my fate.


    The affection my sisters and mother had for me was no joke and it was stifling.


    "You..you can let me go now.."


    She sighed as she pulled me away. "When did you grow to be so mean¡­" she pouted.


    ''Nheless..she is still a 9-year-old girl''. I thought.


    "I''m going to bete¡­.I have training practice" I slowly pulled away and continued my way to the training yard.


    Morganna sighed as she turned towards Serena. "Come and exin how his growth has been these days".


    "Yes, mydy" she nodded and walked after her.

 Chapter 2- 5 stars

    As the only son of the Jun family, I had to grow ustomed to the weight of diminished expectations from those around me.


    Especially the other noble houses of the kingdom of Lumbrica.


    Including us, there are exactly 12 noble houses and the royal family that rule this kingdom, and each is ranked ording to their talents and aplishments.


    The Jun family is ranked 3rd, the Teras family is ranked 2nd, and the Kang Lin family is ranked 1st. The Aquarius family, ranked 7th, is where my lover from my past life was born. Like me, she was the only daughter amongst four elder brothers and two younger brothers so it was easy for us to get along when we first met.


    The familiese together for a battle of the youngsters every ten years to settle the ranking of the 12 families.


    Gloria and Fiona participated in thest family battle two years ago, and they emerged 3rd, which was a wonderful feat since boys were mostly theirpetitors.


    I, as the sole son of the Jun family, should not falter in any way. Something I failed to understand in my past life because of how pampered I was.


    A sigh escaped my lips as I arrived at the training yard. ''Not in this life¡­''


    "You''ve arrived, son.." My father called out while I looked up at him. A small smile exuded my lips until my gaze slowly went to the next person who stood in a dignified manner. Blood boiled down my body as memories shed before my mind.


    ''Him¡­..''


    Noticing my sudden change in mood, the man known as Bom chuckled with a weary sigh. "It seems like your son doesn''t have a good impression of me".


    In my past life, I was 12 when I gained my 3rd star, and I didn''t require an advanced teacher at the time, but this man is the future right knight of the 2nd crown prince as well as the person that cut off my aura veins.


    ''....to think I would meet him this early¡­.''


    "Raph ?"


    My father called with a worried expression and a sigh escaped my lips as I walked towards them.


    ''No¡­he hasn''tmitted any of those atrocities in this life yet''.


    "I apologize sir Bom, for my rudeness¡­.I seemed to have a momentary image of how cruel my training would be with you and I flinched for a moment"


    He chuckled with a wide smile as he patted my head. "Don''t worry about it kiddo. It was right of you to show me what you''re made of from the very beginning".


    Unlike my father, who was reserved and neat, Bom was a rather brush-it-off fellow with a rough personality. His hair was ck, spiky, and messy, and his clothes did nothing to hide hisrge, bulky, hairy build.


    "Is that so¡­" I could still hear the worry from my father''s tone. I looked up at him and smiled trying to ease his mood while he released a small sigh before turning towards Bom.


    "I leave my son in your hands¡­and I must warn you¡­he is a handful"


    They chuckled as Bom shook his hands.


    "That..I can see".


    "Father? When can I start learning from you ?" I asked while he was about to walk away. He turned around to face me with a smile. "You are yet to learn the basics¡­when you reach 5 stars¡­then I''ll pass down our techniques to you as well"


    I nodded my head as I watched him walk away.


    My father and I were alike in many ways including our hair color. I was the only one born with his snow-white hair, while my sisters had my mum''s blue-colored hair.


    However, a difference would be in the color of our eyes. Where my dad was blue¡­mine was whitish just like my mum.


    A color that made me seem blind to others.


    "Are you ready? Unlike the other trainers you''ve met¡­I''m a lot different¡­you should know that" Bom said as he handed a wooden sword to me.


    I nodded my head. "I should be asking you the same thing. I''m a lot different from the rest of the students you''ve taught¡­are you ready ?" . I took my stance, gliding my de towards the front while my other arm was just below my waist and my legs spread apart.


    Bomughed as he picked up another wooden sword. "Come at me !".


    In one swift sweep, I pushed myself forward towards him in the blink of an eye.


    Bom POV.


    I always thought his father was exaggerating when he told me stories of how his son exuded his strength and bested his teachers. It seems like an understatement now that I''m experiencing it in person.


    ''He''s fast..'' I quickly turned to my right, dodging his attack, and prepared a counterattack immediately when he suddenly vanished. ''How is he so fast?'' .


    Turning to my right, I swung down at his sword, and it shed loudly.


    I was far stronger and bigger than this little boy but he withstood the hit. ''Has he already mastered the 3rd star..amplification ?'' And just as I thought, he did.


    Tiny streams of blue aura exuded his body at the necessary positions to withstand my hit.


    He pulled back immediately and ran towards my left as if gauging for a weakness.


    I felt his presence at my right all of a sudden, and once again, I turned just at the nick of time to block his hit.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "You are an adventurer¡­you must be in the 7th star now¡­I''m impressed".


    ''Impressed? A little boy dares..''


    If the 1st star is forming


    The 2nd spreading


    The 3rd amplifying


    The 4th exuding


    The 5th engulfing


    The 6th reinforcing


    The 7th, which is just at the nick of being the 8th and a master at that, is imagery, which is forming an aura from thin air.


    I have reached that stage and this little boy¡­


    Aura exuded my body as I pushed him far away from me, but still, he found his way andnded on his two feet.


    "You¡­I''ve been going easy¡­but now¡­I''m going to show you who''s boss !" I rushed towards him using the 1st stage of my sword skill, bull chargepletely forgetting the purpose of the battle.


    "Prepare to kowtow to me, Kid !" That''s what I said when I suddenly felt a force block me from reaching close to him.


    "Mr Bom¡­I believe this was not what my father had instructed you to do"


    The presence I felt was not of the Patriarch, Michelo Jun¡­it was something else.


    ''Someone else¡­. can exude such a presence ?''.


    I slowly regained my cool as the dust caused by my skill dispersed.


    "Elder sister Reba !".


    I heard the boy call her name and I was well aware of what I was looking at.


    A  girl who looked like she wasn''t in her teens had just blocked my attack with a simr wooden sword that was still in a perfect condition unlike mine that shattered.


    ''This girl..she''s already at the 5th star¡­''


    "I apologize, Lady Reba, and to you as well, Sir Raphael." I sighed as reality dawned on me. ''This man¡­has spawned demons of his own''.


    Raffaello POV.


    ''It''s a good thing Reba was nearby¡­ I wouldn''t have resisted that hit..'' I sighed as I stared at my sister. ''She''s already gotten this strong¡­she really is my sister.'' A small smile exuded on my lips as I giggled while she turned towards me.


    "What''s funny? You could have gotten killed Raph.."


    "I believe Master Bom wasn''t aware of his situation¡­he must have not wanted to let me down and decided to go all out"


    She stared at me nkly.


    ''Now that I think about it¡­''


    "..you¡­are you still wearing Male clothing ?"


    Her cheeks glowed red as she dropped the wooden sword. "Don''t¡­don''t ask such questions¡­." She muttered ready to walk away any time soon. "And Mr. Bom¡­be careful of my younger brother¡­he might seem overly talented for his age, but he is still a child, so teach him the basics and help him advance if possible".


    Bom nodded his head as he watched us in silence. Who could me him if he only knew our eldest sister was much scarier and stronger than the both of us?


    "Then I shall take my leave". She bowed and walked away immediately fuming with embarrassment.


    She was never good with words, and she had always wanted to fulfill my dad''s greatest wish since I was too spoiled to do it. My smile slowly faded as memories of the past clouded my mind.


    ''3 years from now¡­when she turns 15¡­an assassin will be sent to kill her right after news of my mother''s death was announced. "I must get stronger!" I cried out loud as I turned towards Bom.


    He stared at me with an amused expression. "Sir Bom ! Please help me".


    Bom chuckled. "I shall do the best I can¡­and who knows¡­learn a thing or two from you lots¡­".


    I smiled as I held the hilt of my wooden de with determination.


    ****


    3 yearster.


    It was winter and my final assessment had begun. My parents and sisters watched from a safe distance away as well as with our maid and some of our guards.


    "This is your final assessment.." Bom said as he folded his hands. "You have shown amazing progress, and your fighting skills are more reserved than they were before and, honestly, too impressive for a ten-year-old¡­.so as of today, if you defeat me¡­I will no longer be your master¡­"


    A small sigh escaped my lips as I held my sword at him in my stance. "Do you always have to recite those cheesy lines before our yearly assessment ?"


    "But of course¡­you''re a monster amongst your peers¡­it was only a matter of time before I leave you"


    These three years weren''t for naught. I have reached the bottleneck of the 4th star, which is exuding, and I''ve learned a lot of skills¡­skills I couldn''t learn from my past life.


    ''...Bom¡­.'' Memories of what he had done to me were still evident, and I never once forgot about them this past year, but at the same time¡­I learned to think of it in a new way. ''He''s not that bom in this life¡­at least not yet¡­''. I still haven''t forgiven him yet but at least, I don''t hold a grudge..at least..not yet.


    "Then here Ie !" I yelled out as I swung my de across the air. I was old enough to wield a real sword now at least in the Jun family culture.


    The footwork I had created in my past life while facing endless numbers of demons was my pride. It was a rhythmic movement that had little ws called the Wandering Feets.


    I swiftly appeared behind him swinging my de towards his side. He noticed it instantly and blocked, using his other hand to try and reach out to me. I quickly, swiftly appeared at his front aiming my de at his neck when he turned back in an instant and brushed it off.


    The strength of a now 8th-star swordsman was no joke. He swung his de down almost instantly, and I quickly pushed myself backward as he smashed his great sword to the ground, causing a thunder-like sound.


    ''Is he trying to kill me ?'' I thought as I prepared to attack again when he suddenly appeared beside me.


    "That weird footwork of yours¡­. it''s really handy¡­"


    I bent back, dodging his sudden attack, and spun around, kicking him back.


    ''To think he would master my footwork so quickly¡­.as expected of the future right knight of the crown Prince''.


    "Is that all you got ?!" He cried out as he swung his de around, causing aura to envelop it.


    "Tch.." I wanted to save this forter but


    "Aura¡­.". The fourth state of a swordsman is exuding. Possessing the ability to exude aura from your body. It wasn''t a difficult thing but it required time and precision, though I mastered it when I was 12 before I regressed.


    The 5th stage is engulfing, and it involves you skillfully controlling your aura to surround you or your weapon like a barrier.


    A stage I''m yet to attain because it requires me to push my 4 stars to the limit.


    Aura slowly exuded my body in light amounts before surrounding my body, I forcefully channeled it to my sword as I felt a bit of blood drip down my lip.


    "Raph ?"


    I could hear my mother''s worried tone but more than that, I could feel my father''s worried gaze.


    ''If I don''t push myself now? Then when ?''.


    I pushed myself forward, charging at Bom with my de sprung up.


    He had a bitter sweet smile on his face as he did the same and surrounded his de with aura.


    "....strike !".


    I struck his de in a clean and swift attack and appeared directly behind him all in a blink of an eye.


    Bom chuckled. "....Congrattions on getting to 5 stars¡­".

 Chapter 3- Traits

    Normal POV.


    "5 stars ?" Michelo said with an overwhelmed expression.


    "He went ahead and pushed himself too hard..this kid". Morganna cried out as she got up from her position.


    "It seems the fight has ended¡­" Gloria muttered.


    "Yes¡­.it''s impressive he''s been able to grow this much¡­he''s truly our pride" Reba nodded with excitement.


    "Oh please¡­don''t know what''s with you boneheads and swords¡­you really should try magic". Fiona said with a rather satisfied expression.


    They all seemed pleased at his results, though their mum, Rachael, thought differently. "He''s hurt isn''t he ?" She quickly walked after Morganna to where her son stood talking to Bom.


    "I guess it''s time he does that¡­" Fiona said while she looked up to her dad.


    "Indeed¡­it shouldn''t be too difficult seeing as how he''s gotten to this extent ignoring his age".


    "You mean the passage rite.." Thalia said while adjusting her sses.


    They stared at her nkly.


    "Don''t give me that expression¡­ I meant it when I said I didn''t want any part in it". She got up and headed towards the mansion.


    "Let''s go Be".


    Be, her personal maid, nodded as she quickly walked after her.


    "Did you notice it¡­.those sses ?"


    "She doesn''t even have an eye defect so why¡­?" Michaelo wondered as he got up as well. "Let''s go congrat our boy then".


    They all nodded, walking towards Raph.


    Raph POV.


    A small sigh escaped my lips as I watched Thalia walk away in a hurry. She made it a habit of distancing herself from us ever since she started going to the Law school she always wanted and it was painful for her family to watch. Luckily, she always had Be, who cheered her up; I''ll have to do something about her once the series of events is resolved.


    "Are you alright, my boy?".


    I turned towards my mother and Morganna, who were finding their way towards me, and my lips curled into a tight smile.


    "Mother ! I''ve made my 5th star now".


    Though it wasn''t stable yet¡­not until after I''ve amplified it with mana by meditating, it was still there.


    "Honestly¡­you have such gifted children...I''m sure the other houses would be quite jealous, mydy," Bom said,ughing out loud.


    "You tter me". My mum replied as she bent down to my size holding my cheeks with her soft hands.


    "You little rascal¡­you''re so young¡­why do you insist on pushing yourself so much". She wiped off the blood on my lips and I giggled.


    "Of course to protect you".


    She smiled with a baffled expression as she patted my head. "Silly boy" she chuckled while Morganna puffed her cheeks at me.


    "You too, Morganna," I giggled.


    "Hmph !" She turned awaypletely ignoring me.


    "You''ve done well, son¡­" My dad and the rest of my sisters gathered around me, and I excitedly nodded my head.


    "I guess I''ve done my part..the rest is all up to you now". Bom said as he headed towards the exit.


    "Let me walk you there". Father said as he walked towards him.


    "Shall we go back to the mansion now¡­it''s oddly cold" Morganna whined.


    "Yes¡­.let''s go celebrate this feat". Reba agreed as we walked towards the castle with the other guards and maids present.


    "Charly, instruct the cooks on the preparations for the feast, would you?" my mum said to a gray-haired man in all ck. He was Charly Kaftan. A former noble and the head of a fallen house who became our butler to save what was left of his family. In myst life, he was the first to flee because of his opportunist instincts.


    ''He''s someone to be wary of''


    "Yes, Ma''am." he nodded and walked ahead of us.


    I slowly looked up to the sky staring at the moon. Time is moving fast and soon, if I don''t do something about it, I''ll lose the most important people in my life.


    To protect them in this life, growing stronger, and using the memories of my past life to protect my family is my main priority¡­at least until the war with the demons begins.


    ****


    "Is your son truly human ?" Bom asked, scratching the back of his head as he prepared to depart.


    He was standing in front of therge gates of the mansion with Michaelo and some guards that stood watch.


    "I wonder as well," Michaelo chuckled. "He hasn''t ceased to amaze me"


    "This much should be expected¡­.seeing as how he''s your son"


    "...I never intended to put the burden on him since he''s my only son¡­.but I''m d he has shown this much determination"


    "..indeed¡­.I guess it would be time for him to go through that¡­"


    "Yes¡­.the trial of Jun where we gain our traits¡­I''m curious as to what he''s going to gain"


    "...indeed¡­he might be even more terrifying than your eldest.."


    "..let''s not forget the 3rd¡­her proficiency and understanding of the sword was always remarkable¡­"


    Michaelo felt worried; having talented children would only attract more enemies, and his family was the most important thing. He was determined to be the wall that would protect them all.


    "I guess this is where we say our goodbyes.."


    ".indeed¡­.until we meet again, Bom"


    "...the pleasure is all mine¡­after all through your teachings¡­I''ve been able to advance to the 8th star. I shalle again whenever you require my assistance".


    They shook hands, making a promise between themselves. A promise between swordsmen, a strong bond has been formed.


    Bom waved as he walked away towards the town while Michaelo watched closely.


    ''That man¡­.'' His gaze slowly turned cold. ''Was someone sent from the pce¡­''


    He turned back and headed to his mansion. ''My children¡­they must grow strong to protect themselves¡­.''


    The feast had ended without an inch of problem. My sisters and I had fun while my parents watched with delighted expressions. It felt like a paradise I never wanted to disappear, like the calm before the storm.


    I went to my room after most of my sisters had slept and immediately started to cultivate my 5th star. If a star formed isn''t strengthened with mana, it disperses almost immediately and it bes more difficult to form it once again. It''s a troublesome process, to be honest.


    "Huhhh¡­" I took a deep breath and let it all out as I felt my 5th star stabilize.


    "Are you done ?"


    My eyes slowly opened as I felt a familiar presence walk towards me.


    "Thalia¡­".


    My 4th eldest, she should be 13 now and she''s been going to a Law School since a year ago. She was the best student during their final assessment, and a lot of aristocrats took a liking to her.


    "Why do you keep pushing yourself ?" She slowly climbed up my bed and sat down facing me. "You''re only 10¡­it pains me when I see you keep trying to push your limit¡­"


    My lips curled into a smile.


    "Don''t you do the same elder sister¡­at your school..?"


    Her eyebrows twitched. She always had a nasty temperpared to how caring she was.


    "Huh? How does studying and training have anything to do with each other?


    I chuckled.


    "What''s so funny, you prick? I''m being thoughtful here, and you¡­"


    "..I just want to protect my family¡­I don''t know what may happen in the future¡­or what dangers exist in the world¡­but from the books that mum read us¡­outside these mansion walls¡­is a world that isn''t nice"


    Her expression suddenly turned serious.


    "Why does a kid like you have to worry about that¡­.we can protect ourselves you know.."


    I raised a brow while staring at her and I''m sure she got the hint since she seemed rather quick on leaving.


    "....sword and magic isn''t Everything!" She yelled out just as she was about to leave.


    "It may not be everything¡­.but it''s still something necessary of us¡­.as members of the Jun family to prosper in this world".


    She froze at the door and suddenly turned to me.


    "That''s¡­.Seriously, not something a 10-year-old should be saying¡­" before fuming out of my room in a rage of fury.


    I chuckled. "You can stop hiding now, Father"


    "Oh¡­.." Out of the far corner of the room close to the window, a shadow glimmered in the light as his father''s figure appeared.


    "You''re already able to recognize a person''s presence through mana alone".


    "Of course Father, I''m at the 5th star now".


    Since a while ago, Father had walked into the room and stood silently while watching the events unfold.


    "She''s right, you know¡­you don''t speak like someone that''s 10 years old"


    My smile only widened. If only they knew I wondered.


    "I just obtained my father''s profound knowledge"


    He chuckled as he sat next to me on my bed.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Where''s your personal maid ?"


    "I asked her to help the other maids in cleaning our mess¡­.they need a pay rise you know"


    My father chuckled and ruffled my hair. "Maybe one of these days, my son". He smiled.


    "Now¡­do you have something for me Father ?".


    My father wasn''t someone who woulde to his children without having something important to discuss.


    "Hmm¡­" he sighed. "It''s about the tradition of the Jun family¡­the Jun Passage Rites.."


    Finally¡­.one of the steps I need to take before I begin to learn my family''s sword techniques. Acquiring a trait.

 Chapter 4- Trial begins

    A Trait.


    A power blessed by our ancestors to their descendants to continue their lineage. We were always a powerful family, and nothing less than 10 stars was expected from our family heads, but to get to this stage, we required a trait.


    It is unique to an existent member of the Jun family but they are all powers that once existed within our heritage. Our forefather and the founder of the Jun family, Mario Jun, and the eleven other members of the 12 great families defeated the Demon Lord and sealed the gates of Hades.


    They were blessed by the goddess of casualties and granted immense powers for their contribution.


    These powers were spread to their descendants and a wider and far greater range of skills began to appear.


    All of these skills became our traits and were passed down through generations. When a Jun dies, their powers return to our blood and are once again sprouted in their future descendants.


    A person can upgrade this trait and make itpletely theirs.


    In my past life, I obtained the trait I SEE YOU. A skill I was unable to use until my death because of myck of understanding but after going through so many books at our family library, I found a way to use it.


    ''It''s such a shame I wasn''t able to use this OP skill in my past life''.


    "Are you listening to me? Ralph ?"


    "Sorry Dad¡­.too much information to process"


    "Oh¡­well..it''s something I was supposed to tell you when you reached the 5th star but who could have thought¡­" he sighed. "Maybe until.."


    "NO !.... I''m ready¡­for anything you throw at me, Father ''''.


    I fixed my gaze on his gaze for him to see my determination. If anything, my trait is one thing I need to get.


    My father chuckled. "Alright...I will give you a week to prepare for it¡­" he said before getting up to leave but, next week was when¡­..


    "Father? Didn''t you have an expedition next week?".


    He stopped at the door and stared at me with a baffled expression.


    "....I was walking past your study when I overheard"


    In my previous life, my father didn''t go for the expedition because he had to oversee my training since I was being toox¡­but this time. I have to make sure he goes with her.


    "Oh¡­well, your mother can take care of that¡­she''s a 9th star after all," he smiled at himself.


    "Father? Have you forgotten from the legends of old..of how cunning demons were¡­"


    I could see his wary expression. He seemed tired.


    "You want me to go with her don''t you?...this Mother''s Child". He sat back down on the bed.


    "Well¡­if I agree to go, it means I''ll have to postpone your rite till I return.."


    "But father¡­can''t it be done tomorrow ?"


    His expression slowly turned from amused to worried.


    "Do not¡­be overconfident my son¡­the rites are not something to be ridiculed"


    "...I''m not¡­.I''m simply saying that I can at least give it a try to ease your worry going forward.."


    My dad stared at me as if contemting what I had said. He rubbed his temples and stood up. "Well¡­.you can always try again when you reach the 7th star¡­though getting there is much harder than reaching the 5th". "Alright¡­.I agree".


    He headed towards the door. "I give you 15 hours¡­.at midnight tomorrow, you shall begin your rites".


    "Yes, Father! I shall not let you down".


    "I truly hope so". He nodded and walked out of my room.


    ''He must be feeling like I''m being overconfident¡­.but¡­I''ve been through the rites before¡­and this time¡­I intend on passing with flying colors.


    *****


    Michelo POV.


    "How was it ?"


    I could hear the lovely voice of my wife as I stepped into our room.


    I didn''t realize when I had sighed and walked up to her, lying down on the king''s size bed while resting my head on her thighs.


    "Since when did a 10-year-old be so smart ?".


    She chuckled. Herugh always made my heart flutter.


    "You silly woman..What kind of genius did you give birth to me?". I couldn''t help but chuckle as well.


    "Did something happen ?"


    "Yes..he insisted I follow you for the Demon subjugation"


    I could feel her faint disbelief with the way she suddenly stopped stroking my hair and then continued after a moment''s breath.


    "And how did he find out ?"


    ".... he heard our conversation while walking past my study¡­."


    "Oh¡­.wasn''t he supposed to go through the rites during that time ?"


    "That''s the part that baffles me the most¡­.".


    The Rite of Passage was a sacred act where I instilled the mana of our forefathers into their bodies.


    It''s a process where they lie in a state of dormant rest, unable to wake up until they go through the trials of our forefathers with a simr faith to them.


    "He insists on taking it tomorrow¡­"


    "That child !...you didn''t agree, did you ?"


    I could feel her worry from the shake of her voice.


    ''My lovely Rachael''.


    I sat up and held her face while gazing into her eyes. Her eyes made her seem like she was blind and I loved it about her. I thought it was a shame that my daughters couldn''t inherit such beautiful eyes.


    "He''s getting overconfident, dear¡­.it''s not something he can do without proper rest, and he will face the consequences¡­.he can try again once he reaches the 7th star, so let''s just let him see what could happen to overconfident kids".


    "...." she stared at me with a worried look. Her eyes seemed like they stared deep into my soul.


    "Silly man¡­you don''t truly wish that for your son¡­.but¡­..I understand¡­if it is my Lord''s will¡­then I won''tin". Sheid her head on my chest causing my lips to curl into a smile.


    ''She always had this effect on me¡­making me smile''.


    I patted her and slowly turned off the readingmp next to the book she had been reading.


    "Thank you, my dear¡­.".


    ******


    Raffaello POV.


    The next day hade as soon as I wanted it.


    I yawned as the blinding lights seeped their way through my room.


    "Close the windows, Serena".


    ''Shitty light¡­I hate how blinding it can get''.


    Serena quickly walked up to the window and lifted the blinders down.


    "Look who''s still sleeping at 11 am"


    "Hmm..".


    I turned to the door to meet the greeting eyes of Morganna.


    ''Shitt¡­this troublemaker''


    "Morning Morganna¡­.what do you want ?"


    I queried as I climbed down my bed.


    ''I''m still too short¡­.when did my growth sprout ur again¡­''


    "You insist on taking the rite at 12 today don''t you ?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''Oh right¡­there was that¡­''


    "I''ll get ready soon¡­.Serena..prepare my breakfast by the time I''m done dressing".


    "Yes, master".


    "You insist on it ?" Morganna asked with an expression I didn''t seem to get used to. "I don''t have a star so I couldn''t go through it¡­but.."


    "Then you should¡­.either a star or a mana circle¡­as long as it''s at the 5th state¡­you should be able to get through the trials".


    In my past life, Morganna and Thalia had not gone through the trials¡­my eldest sister, Gloria, had gotten the trait ONE WITH NATURE¡­she became the Queen of Thorns on the Battlefield. Reba died too early but she gained the double traits SOLDIER OF LIGHT and RAINBOW VALLEY. Whatever the hell that means, we weren''t able to find out since she passed away.


    Fiona gained the trait of LIGHTNING GOD, and I still remember how powerful she was.


    "...it''s not something I need to¡­"


    ".....We aren''t always going to be together Morganna, Thalia as well¡­you girls should think about your future safety¡­at least¡­".


    I left for the bathroom to get prepared.


    There was no time to waste since the subjugation was fast approaching.


    "Seriously¡­.that''s not something a 10-year-old should be saying." I could hear her sigh as I went in.


    Morganna turned towards Serena with a knowing look. She nodded and walked out of the room with Morganna.


    It wasn''t long before an hour had passed when I finally found my way to my father''s study.


    My sisters were worriedly staring at me, while my mother and father had indifferent looks.


    ''I''m sure it was hard for them to decide¡­..a ten-year-old is about to take the rite¡­.and just after forming his 5th star too¡­it''s irresponsible, to be honest¡­but the sooner.., the better''.


    I walked up to my father and bowed.


    "Ready for the rite ! Father !".


    I could hear his sigh as the chair he sat on shifted.


    He walked up to me and tapped my shoulder.


    "Alright then¡­.I shall now..infuse the mana¡­be prepared¡­"


    I nodded my head in agreement as I stood up straight.


    "Alright then¡­"


    The initial process was always the most annoying¡­you wouldn''t know when you''ve suddenly passed out due to the influx of ma-....na¡­.


    Normal POV.


    Raffaello fell to the ground like a piece of wood as he felt the sudden surge of mana that flowed through his body. His father''s hand glowed bright blue as he panted lightly.


    "The rest¡­is all up to him¡­" He said silently as he went back to his chair.


    His family stared at him hopeful¡­that his confident demeanor was more than enough for him to make it out in one piece.


    Meanwhile, in the mansion, the maids were going about their usual tasks when Charmy walked into the kitchen.


    "Where''s the head cook ?" He asked.


    The cooks all pointed towards the storage room and he nodded, walking towards the room.


    The door opened just as he got there, and an old woman in herte 50s walked out. "Oh¡­.how may I help you today ?". She asked why looking around the kitchen. "Focus on your tasks !" She screamed out after noticing their nosy looks.


    "Seems like we need a better ce to talk.." Charmy said as he walked into the storage. She followed after him, locking it behind.


    "Have you gathered enough?"


    "Of course¡­.the money was given to buy food supplies¡­I''ve secured enough.."


    "That''s good¡­we should send news to the King so we can get out of this house once and for all¡­"


    "Indeed.." the cook sighed. "How is the child ?"


    "He''s begun his trial¡­"


    "Oh¡­then all the family members must be locked up in there¡­"


    "Yes¡­isn''t that why I''vee to visit you ?"


    "Oh¡­is that so¡­.".


    They stared at each other silently, as if aware of each other''s thoughts.


    "That child¡­is dangerous isn''t he ?" The cook asked.


    "Indeed¡­as if that devil..the 3rd daughter wasn''t enough¡­"


    "We''ll just have to include their son in the assassination as well".


    "True..but..why do I feel like it won''t go as nned ?"


    "....ording to my ears and eyes¡­the patriarch might leave with his wife for the expedition.."


    "..if That''s the case¡­then..the children will be left unsupervised".


    "Not necessarily¡­.he might summon his younger brother"


    "Oh¡­.you must mean Phillip"


    "Who else? Retard"


    Charmy red at the woman with a disgusted expression. "Don''t¡­you dare¡­say that again" he said as he suddenly pointed a knife close to her neck.


    The woman chuckled.


    "...you¡­think I''m afraid of you ?...fallen noble¡­."


    His eyes exuded blood lust that could not be contained, yet he turned a blind eye and walked out of the storage room before leaving, he said.


    "Wait for further instructions and we''ll¡­.discuss this matter in detail soon.."


    The woman''s lips curled into a devious smile as she cleaned the drop of blood that dribbled down her neck.


    "What an idiot¡­"

 Chapter 5- dual traits

    How long was it¡­.that I felt this feeling of emptiness.


    I couldn''t feel my hands or feet or the sound of my heart beating. ''Hah¡­this feeling¡­..I kind of miss how reassuring it feels¡­but soon¡­.'' A bright light shone on my face, and slowly, I could feel my body listening to me once again.


    "Oh¡­your fate is unique¡­a person that has returned from the future¡­.".


    ''How ?''. I turned around to find the source of the voice but likest time as well, they wouldn''t reveal themselves first.


    "Where are you looking ?"


    I turned to my right immediately and my gaze was fixed on two individuals.


    ''That''s weird¡­..why are there two of them ?''.


    One was white, while the other, a more familiar figure, was ck and had a white bandage wrapped around his eyes.


    "He possesses strong eyes¡­.he deserves to gain my trait".


    "He''s someone that can turn Destiny itself¡­..I''m interested in this one¡­"


    "But..will he be able to pass our trials?"


    "That, my friend, is all up to him". The one on white flipped his finger and the void space suddenly turned cold.


    I felt a chill creep up my spine and my skin slowly crumbled to the cold. ''Where is iting from ?''


    I thought without realizing I was in the middle of a snowstorm. ''This wasn''t the trial I went throughst time''


    "Young Jun¡­.you must be one with the cold".


    ''One with the cold? How do you expect me to do that? Do I look like an ice cube or something?''


    "Why does he resist ?" The other one said.


    ''Resist¡­.me ?'' I had not realized it this whole time but the body automatically reacts when a foreign entity causes harm to it. We cool ourselves when it''s hot and we struggle to cluster warmth around us when it''s cold.


    If he wants me to be one with the cold¡­.then does he insist¡­I die in it ?...''


    I stared at my cold hands that hadpletely frozen up.


    "No¡­not just be one with it¡­.exist with it".


    I stood still and let the cold pierce through my body. It was a cold and harsh feeling, and I felt like holding myself tight to resist the cold, but would something like that even be helpful?


    My legs hadpletely turned to ice and then slowly, I felt it slowly creep up to me to my knees and then my lower abdomen. It wasn''t long before it had reached my face.


    I closed my eyes tight and hard as it surrounded me in its cold.


    "You have done well¡­.".


    A white light pierced through the ice and it cracked open, shattering in pieces from my face down.


    I breathed in heavily, falling to my knees.


    ''I could have¡­died ?''


    "He has passed your test¡­..then¡­.is it my turn ?".


    ''What another one ?''


    He clicked his finger again and the icy storm turned into a grassy in


    ''This¡­I am familiar with¡­the goal¡­''.


    I slowly turned to my left where a target wasid over a kilometer away. ''...to shoot down that single target''


    "It seems like you get the gist of it¡­.my test is simple¡­shoot down that human target from your current position".


    ''It may seem simple¡­but the distance was too abnormal before my regression but now¡­.maybe¡­''


    A bow and arrow appeared before me and I picked them up.


    I stood at the position designated and aimed it at the object.


    ''As expected it''s too far¡­.though¡­.''


    I exuded aura from my body, leading them to my eyes.


    "Kid! What are you doing ?"


    Using aura on organs such as the eyes is usually dangerous since they have a 50% chance of damaging them if used wrongly, but the trait I SEE YOU is just that important.


    The aura rushed through my eyes, sharpening my vision several levels higher but causing blood to drip down at the same time. A smile escaped my lips as I shot out the arrow.


    It rushed through the in field at an incredible speed and shot down the target in an instant.


    Not just vision mattered in this trial, strength mattered as well. Without applying mana to fortify your aim¡­it would be impossible.


    "It seems we have a genius even amongst our family¡­"


    "Indeed¡­I''m curious as to what you will achieve in the future¡­"


    "We approve of giving you our Traits¡­.may you use it to bring honor to yourself and your family". They appeared again floating above me.


    ''Double traits¡­it seems like my future is even more certain now¡­'' A smile escaped my lips as I slowly faded away from the void world.


    Morganna POV.


    It wasn''t a simple process; that''s what I''ve always been told about the rites, and it''s not something that we all have to go through. It wasn''t that I didn''t want to partake in it, it was just I never wanted to learn any of them.


    Just like Thalia, I had made up my mind to live without a mana circle or an aura star¡­but this kid.


    I stared at Raffaelo''s unconscious body on the ground. It was custom to leave them on the spot they fell unconscious if not, the rite could be altered.


    "How long has it been now?"


    My father asked Gloria who was in charge of keeping the time from the moment he fell to when he woke up.


    It could take as long as a week for him to wake up, depending on the kind of trial he goes through, but it could also be as short as an hour.


    "About 2 hours now¡­" she replied while checking her pocket watch.


    I sighed as I gazed at the room to see their reactions. Just as I thought, Thalia seemed the most worried.


    "Should we get something to eat in the meantime ?" I asked to try and change the atmosphere.


    My dad stared at me and his lips curled into a smile.


    "Maybe we should.." he said as he slowly got up from his chair.


    "...you''re going for a meal without me ?"


    At that very moment, I was sure of the reactions I had seen on their faces¡­.surprise, and relief as I slowly turned to find my younger brother getting up while holding his head.


    "....wow¡­.I see why you didn''t want me to take it¡­.my head hurts¡­is this mental fatigue or ?". He stood up straight and stared into my father''s eyes with a smile.


    "I''m back, father¡­"


    "....that¡­was quick¡­" the words slowly slipped out of my mouth without me even realizing it.


    "I guess so" he nonchntly said, scratching the back of his head.


    "...what trait do you possess ?" Reba asked, tilting her head in surprise. Well, I''m sure she would; she was a monster herself since it took her 5 hours to pass her trials.


    I wouldn''t deny I wasn''t curious as well.


    "Well¡­." He slowly raised his left hand. "I got the trait¡­.".n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    A cluster of snowkes began to form on top of his palm and it slowly solidified into a snowball. "THE KING OF SNOW"


    ".....isn''t that trait¡­." My mother muttered with amazement in her eyes as she turned to my father.


    He slowly chuckled beforeughing out loud.


    ''What''s so funny you old man?'' I thought, feeling ufortable with his sudden weird reaction.


    "As expected¡­your destiny is fraught with danger¡­." He said slowly.


    ''What? Danger ?''


    "...but the power you possess is strong enough to protect you¡­I hope you make it yourspletely as time goes by.." he smiled. That smile I only see when he feels satisfied with his children''s growth.


    ''Such a power-lover''. I turned my head and sighed. "That''s¡­ not all".


    His sudden statement got all of our attention, especially Reba.


    "What do you mean ?" She asked.


    Raffaelo smiled at her as he ced one hand over his left eye.


    "I possess a dual trait¡­.my second trait is I SEE YOU".


    His right eye suddenly glowed bright white¡­a feeling I hadn''t felt before. It was like someone was searching through my very being.


    "...another unique trait from our ancestors¡­your destiny doesn''t seem to be that different from your sister''s, Reba".


    I could see Reba''s expression. She didn''t seem fine with the situation.


    ''Probably because her destiny is a dangerous one as well''


    "You may be dismissed". My father announced and fell back to his chair.


    We all bowed and slowly headed for the door, Gloria being the first to open it.


    "Reba¡­Fiona and Gloria¡­do ensure your brother doesn''t misuse his traits and inform him about our sword techniques"


    "...as you wish¡­father" Gloria nodded before shutting the door behind her after we all left the room.


    NORMAL POV.


    "So¡­.?" Rachael stared at her husband.


    "Hah¡­..this kid is such a handful¡­how talented do you have to be"


    "THE KING OF SNOW¡­.do you think he''ll be able to withstand the cold ?"


    "The trait doesn''t affect the wielder¡­.it''s amon perk thates with our traits¡­"


    "...they could also obtain more traits along the way¡­."


    "Yes¡­now that they''ve alleged contact with their ancestors¡­I''m sure a new trait will be applied each time their destiny changes".


    Rachael sighed. "Should we start our preparations for the Demon subjugation.."


    "...yes we should¡­.I''ll have to summon my younger brother to look after them".


    "...he''s a 10-star knight of the Imperial Family now, isn''t he¡­."


    Rachael sighed as she rested her body on his desk. " you guys are so talented¡­."


    "Oh shush wife¡­." Michaelo held her hands. "You''re just as powerful¡­and you will continue to grow¡­I will be sure of that".


    Rachael chuckled at his words. "I know you will¡­you''re a stubborn man"


    Michaelo chuckled as well.


    "Did the King at least tell you where the demons appeared from ?"


    "Not at all¡­.as if he expected us to find it ourselves¡­"


    "..well it shouldn''t be hard since I possess the Search skill"


    "..skills¡­"


    Michaelo ced his chin on his small beard while pondering over the name.


    "They are more than one way of obtaining power, Michaelo"


    "...yes¡­.the system¡­.we still don''t know where that thing came from so we ought to be careful"


    "...well..it stilles in handy"


    "It does¡­"


    "..I hope this demon subjugation goes as nned¡­.I don''t want to leave my babies with someone from the imperial pce¡­"


    "It''s alright dear¡­" Michaelo said with a smirk on his face. "I sent aid to the north¡­I''m sure you remember him¡­The King of the Human-giant race"


    "King Hercules"


    "Yes¡­.he agreed to send a knight of his as well¡­.though this is just insurance¡­.his knights are at the 10th star as well but their unique blessing from the giant god should more than make them strong enough to face even me".


    ".....the powers that exist in this world¡­"


    "..we''re nearly getting to the peak of it all¡­.we ought to refine ourselves"


    Rachael nodded her head in agreement as they continued their conversation about their son.


    ****


    Raffaelo stepped on the snowy field of the training yard as he heard his sister''s footsteps


    He turned around and his five sisters were presently watching him in earnest.


    "Do I look like an alien or something ?"


    "Well¡­.you are something not human" Morganna said with a chuckle.


    Iughed as I grabbed a wooden sword from the bundle ced in the corner of the training yard.


    "You said you had something to show us¡­". Gloria said, staring at him with keen interest.


    "...." Raffaelo tapped the sword on his shoulder rhythmically while ncing at his sister.


    "...wh..what ?" She stammered.


    "Why aren''t you putting on female clothing? Even if it''s cold¡­.you should"


    "What is this nonsense !" Gloria cut him off and turned her face away blushing.


    "Ye¡­yeah..you tell him, sis !" Reba nodded.


    Morganna and Thalia chuckled.


    "It''s their preference¡­I couldn''t even do anything about them," Fiona sighed, shaking her head.


    "Stop this pestering and show us".


    "Okay...Okay," Rafaelo chuckled as he pointed his sword forward. "I realized something from the trial¡­..a way to make our abilities ours and make them blossom".


    The snowkes that fell slowly began to gather around the tip of his sword.


    His sisters gasped at the reaction.


    "You just obtained it though!" Reba muttered.


    "Yes¡­.but¡­making it ours and growing with it¡­isn''t that one of our goals as a Jun¡­to continue growing stronger to protect what is ours".


    The snow formed into a ball and it solidified into an ice ball. He shot it out, and it flew to the other side of the court, striking the ground with a small, snowy explosion.


    "Let''s work hard sisters¡­.I might surpass the whole lot of you at this rate". He smirked at them as he dropped the sword and walked back to the castle.


    Gloria smiled. ''That''s seriously not something a 10-year-old should be saying¡­''.


    I''m sure they all had the same thoughts as they stared at their brother''s back while he skipped his way back to the mansion.

 Chapter 6- circles and stars

    Thalia POV.


    The ticking of the clock echoed in my room in silence as the rattling of the window from the snowstorm urring outside began to get louder.


    The small book in my hand containingw information didn''t seem to get into my head as I sipped my tea.


    Well, it''s not like I couldn''t understand it¡­it just felt like I couldn''t focus.


    "Be¡­"


    "Yes..mydy ?"


    She replied with a stammered expression. She always had low self-esteem, but that was what I liked about her.


    "Do you think I''m going down the wrong path ?"


    "...what¡­what do you mean, mydy ?"


    "...well ....our genius younger brother said something I never thought of before.


    He said something along the lines of ''obtaining power to protect what is ours¡­''...I never thought of it that way".


    "...mydy, if I may¡­ everybody''s destiny is different¡­"


    "...yes¡­.but to be unable to protect what is mine doesn''t sound pleasing¡­.imagine if I was not strong enough to protect you, Be"


    ".....there''s no need mydy¡­because I shall be the one doing the protection¡­"


    "....that''s right¡­you''re a 7th circle magician¡­"


    ''Honestly....most of our maids are mages¡­and if not mages then swordsmen¡­.I''m honestly surprised how we haven''t started a war with this kind of power¡­."


    "...does¡­does mydy want to learn magic ?"


    I stared at her quietly. She saw through my questions. ''Yes¡­swordsmanship¡­looks like something I wouldn''t want to learn¡­the sword is a beautiful thing but¡­I don''t have the time and patience for that¡­magic on the other hand requires understanding¡­that is what I want''


    "...yes..seems like I''ll have to take a short trip to Fiona''s room".


    Meanwhile


    Fiona''s POV.


    "...wh¡­wh..what did you just say ?" I had to repeat the question. It was a question that I had to ask because of the statement that my younger brother just made.


    He was currently in my room and without my permission.


    I turned towards my maid, Isabel, and quickly notified her to leave.


    "You¡­you want to get yourself killed ?"


    He shook his head rather adamantly.


    "Creating a mana circle¡­I want to do that".


    He repeated his earlier statement.


    Though my curiosity as a mage took the better of me, my worry as his sister was much stronger.


    "You can''t have both¡­it''s impossible".


    "....what if¡­.I tell you there was a way¡­."


    "...what ?".


    "Though¡­ I''m simply bringing up the topic to you now¡­.I truly wish to form one"


    "..what method do you have in mind ?"


    I couldn''t help it. My curiosity got the better of me.


    "The reason why it''ll be impossible to form a mana circle and an aura star in the same body is because of the conflicting energy''s purpose in the body.


    Where the star is to form aura which swordsmen use for fighting¡­the mana circle is used for magic¡­to make the impossible the possible"


    "Well¡­obviously¡­"


    "So¡­.it''s impossible to form the two at the same time¡­so we form one first before the other.


    And instead of absorbing new mana to form a circle¡­we use the aura from the stars to create one while absorbing atmospheric mana¡­.linking the two together"


    "...that¡­.that¡­."


    The process was rather simple but it was just theoretical. There was no sure answer that it would work that way.


    "That''s not something you should try on yourself¡­.we need to go through some trial and error before we can use it on a human¡­"


    He let out a sigh and I was hoping he was going to give up his weird dream when he looked up at me.


    "...can you at least give me the breathing mechanism for a mage¡­."


    I squinted my eyes at him. I saw no issue giving it to him but I felt like there was more to it since he was the one asking for it.


    "I¡­."


    "Fiona !".


    Just in the nick of time, Thalia stepped into my room. Once again¡­without my permission.


    "Yes? Since when did you guys start entering my room without my permission?"


    "What? Why are you at Mother''s castle¡­." Thalia ignored me while staring at Raffaelo.


    Well, it''s an expected reaction, but I''m older.


    There are three mansions in ourplex. One in the middle is our meeting and social mansion, while the one at our far left is Father''s mansion. We call them castles just because it''s convenient.


    ''Don''t even know why they have three..''.


    "Just talking with Fiona". He smiled at her.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''Some talk¡­''. I sighed.  "Is there something you need, Thalia ?"


    "..oh yes¡­I want to form a mana circle¡­I believe you were at the 6th circle ?"


    ".....".


    I stared at her surprised. "...re..are you serious?"


    "....would I joke about something like that ?". She replied with another question while adjusting the sses on her face.


    She doesn''t even have an eye defect¡­this girl.


    "Alright then¡­" I came down from my bed and pulled out a book from the pile of magic books I had behind my bed.


    "Read this¡­it should be easy to understand¡­and just do what it tells you to do¡­" I handed her the book and she nodded.


    "Is this why you''re here ?" She asked Raffaello and he nodded.


    ''This kid¡­''


    "Oh alright then¡­let''s read it together in my room¡­"


    "Wai¡­wait! He already has an aura star"


    "Hmm¡­.he''s just reading it¡­there''s no harm in that". She pulled his hand and walked out of my room while I watched with a baffled expression.


    ''Did I just make a mistake?''.


    ****


    Normal POV.


    Thalia pulled Raffaello to her room while dismissing her maid.


    They both sat on her bed while Thalia opened the book.


    Raffaello stared at her with a smile.


    "..what''s so funny ?" She asked as she flipped through the pages.


    "You overheard what we discussed didn''t you ?"


    She remained silent. "So what if I did¡­"


    Raffaello chuckled. "You''re too nice"


    "..I''m not¡­" she stopped skimming through it and dropped it. "Fiona was right¡­I understood it easily"


    "...well..you are a genius"


    "Nonsense". She waved her hand for him to quit hispliments.


    "Alright". He picked up the book and opened it as well.


    "You¡­.you shouldn''t push yourself so much¡­.why do you want to learn magic ?"


    ".....I can get stronger with magic and swordsmanship"


    "....you already possess a trait though¡­"


    "...you shouldn''t be satisfied with just one thing when you know you could have gone for more¡­"


    Thalia stared at him and sighed. "You¡­are you even 10 years old ?"


    "...who knows" he giggled as he stopped at one part of the book.


    "...I want to start practicing this¡­can you call for Fiona if anything goes wrong¡­"


    She stared at him and turned towards the book. "....don''t¡­try anything you can''t handle" she muttered slowly while taking a meditating position.


    "I''m going to try it out as well¡­.and I''m sure Fiona wille if she notices something bizarre urring¡­ "


    "....well¡­true..".


    They closed their eyes almost immediately to begin the mana breathing.


    It was a simple yet difficult process where they had to feel the flow of mana in the air, then try to incorporate it into their body and slowly move it to their heart, where the first ring slowly forms after circting it for a while. Stabilizing it was also a difficult process.


    However, it was a whole different thing for Raffaelo, who already had an aura star in his dantian. He had to incorporate mana into his body around his heart to form the mana circle while substituting thetent energy with aura from his stars so they could bnce each other out.


    He was in the middle of the process. The mana had prated his body and reached his heart¡­this was where the difficult part started.


    Raffaello POV


    I could feel the mana gather around my heart smoothly but then the conflicting aura from my stars had begun to fight it out. It''s a natural process that would ur, but the pain it caused was tremendous, and the mental fatigue caused was exhausting.


    I had to take heavy breaths just to maintain my current position. ''Now¡­whates next¡­.''.


    Extracting aura from my stars and moving it to my heart to substitute for the mana that my body won''t ept.


    I felt blood dribble down my lip as I clenched my teeth to the pain. I was almost done. The circle began to form from the aura stars and it began to surround my heart carefully.


    I was already feeling relieved that the process was about to end when my heart suddenly thumped and the mana trembled. My hand gripped my chest as blood spurted out from my mouth.


    "RAPH !" I could hear Thalia''s voice as heavy footsteps rushed towards me.


    "Idiot ! your mana isn''t enough!".


    I suddenly felt an influx of mana rush into my body from one of my sisters.


    The pain began to subside and the mana circle was stabilizing more.


    "Quickly¡­form the circle !".


    I sat back up and quickly stabilized the excess mana in my body to my heart. A circle formed instantly but there was still mana that roamed freely in my body. ''If I stop now..then this excess mana¡­''


    I gathered them around my heart again and using my 2nd star, I formed a 2nd circle. The mana left wasn''t enough to form a third so I distributed it equally around my stars until it stabilized.


    I panted lightly as the pain slowly ceased. ''I¡­.I did it¡­''


    My mind slowly went nk as I fell limply on the bed.


    "RAPH !" Thalia screamed again.


    "Rx¡­he''s just exhausted¡­this kid¡­he did it.." the second voice I heard was from Fiona.


    ''I guess her curiosity as a mage took the best of her in the end''


    My lips curled into a weak smile as their voices slowly faded away.

 Chapter 7- Uncle Phillip

    My vision slowly began to return to me. I caught a few glimpses of a very familiar-looking ceiling before I weakly turned my head around to observe the environment.


    ''Seems I''m back in my room..''


    "...oh..you''re awake¡­"


    A stern and strict voice echoed in my ears and the familiarity made me shudder a little. I looked towards the door to find my mother in silver Pdin armor.


    ''Looks like I slept for quite a while''.


    "...you are a handful¡­nearly killing yourself¡­."


    She walked up to me sitting down on the chair next to another one. I had not noticed all this while. A little girl''s bodyy soundly asleep on top of my chest.


    ''This girl¡­she could have at leastid down on the side next to me and not on top of me !''


    "Don''t mind Morganna, she insisted you''ll wake up faster this way"


    ''....well..she has a point".


    "You¡­..are you my son ?"


    My pupils dted at the sudden question, and I felt a bit of a cold breeze creep up on me, but soon I regained my normal expression.


    "What sort of ?" I muttered weakly.


    "Well¡­..you''ve done absurd things that have worked for you so far, and you''re extremely talented even for a Jun. This is absurd".


    I smiled at her a little. "You worry too much, Mother...I am your son¡­it''s just that¡­they are somethings that require the only son of the Jun family to achieve in this life¡­"


    My mother stared at me with a baffled expression as she caressed my hair. "That''s not something a 10-year-old should be saying¡­seriously¡­you sound older than me sometimes, you know¡­"


    ''Now that I think about it¡­.I didn''t live as long as my mother in my past life¡­.how regretful¡­.''


    "I''m just¡­trying to get as strong as I can¡­.surely this world has much more powerful unknown forces out there¡­I just don''t want to be at the losing end"


    She stared at me silently and sighed.


    "Your father''s younger brother is in his study with him. They''re discussing some official matters¡­."


    "The demon subjugation is today¡­.guess it''s no surprise¡­I''ve been unconscious for a week now?"


    "To be precise 11 days¡­."


    "Oh¡­." I sighed. "But¡­I seemed to have achieved what I wanted".


    My mana circles and aura stars were all stable. ''And it seems I''ve formed a 3rd circle¡­.as I thought¡­.my mana circle and mana star are connected¡­if one grows so does the other¡­.it will be faster to reach the peak of a Grand Master Swordsman with this''


    "Yes¡­.I can only fathom the depths of your abilities in the future¡­" she smiled as she got up. "I look forward to it¡­.and try not to kill your sisters with anxiety¡­..especially Thalia¡­you have no idea how worried she''s been these few days"


    ''Well¡­I''m sure of it that little girl is a big softie''


    "I shall be on my way then.."


    "Good luck ¡­ mother¡­ande home safe".


    She stared at me with a surprised expression. She smiled, causing a feeling of reassurance to swell in my heart.


    "Of course¡­." And she left.


    I sat up, slowly pushing Morganna to the bed. "She must have stayed by my side this whole time¡­."


    ''Even in my past life, We were the closest''


    Now, my mother''s safety is ensured since my dad would be going as well, unlike in the past, so all that''s left¡­.is the assassination attempt between this evening and the next three days.


    ''I already have a n for that¡­.as for Uncle Phillip''


    "Raffaello!"


    I turned towards the door and a smile exuded from my lips. "Thalia¡­you seem to have formed a 2nd circle¡­talent at its finest".


    She stared at me shockingly as she shuddered with immense emotions.


    "You idiot¡­.that''s not something a 10-year-old should say"


    ''They keep reminding me of my age''


    I chuckled as we embraced each other.


    "Enhhhh ? What''s all this¡­".


    We turned towards the bed to find Morganna slowly waking up.


    "Oh¡­..You''re awake¡­.YOU''RE AWAKE !" She jumped off the bed onto me, and we both fell.


    "Sister! Get off me !" I cried out as she hugged me tightly.


    "Shut it! Do you know how much stress you''ve put me through these past few days"


    Thalia chuckled.


    "We better go meet the rest of our sisters¡­.they''re waiting for us downstairs"


    "Oh right¡­.the monster subjugation should be today".


    Morganna muttered letting me go after nearly suffocating me to death.


    "Let''s go !" She pulled me along with her as we headed down the stairs ignoring the maids that were probably sent to attend to me.


    We rushed to the main entrance where my elder sisters were waiting with my father, mother, and...that traitorous man. Uncle Philip.


    "Oh! Looks like you''re awake !" Phillip yelled out the moment he saw us. He looked just as much as my father, though he had rough hair, unlike my dad''s neat hair tied to a ponytail and a much bulkier body. He was wearing gold armor with the symbol of the imperial family. A dignified stork.


    "Raph¡­" Reba called out as she walked towards me.


    "...hah¡­I''m fine¡­Reba".


    She held up my cheeks and stared at me with a fearsome expression.


    ''Oh..wait¡­she only does this when¡­''


    As if she could hear my thoughts, she mmed her head on mine causing this insanely prickly migraine that made me cry out


    "SISTER !"


    ''Shit! This little girl! Why do all my sisters show their affection in violent ways''


    "Don''t make us worry like that ! You idiot".


    I could hear my familyughing at my sudden state.


    ''Are they sadists? Seeing me fluster in pain?''


    "Guess he''s still a 10-year-old after all," Philip muttered, chuckling.


    "Alright, we''ll be taking our leave now¡­" Father said as he tapped Philip''s shoulder.


    "Have my back and protect my kids for me".


    "Of course, brother," he nodded.


    ''Liar''


    My dad walked out with my mum and they got on their horses as they headed out with a battalion of 50 soldiers armed in armor and on top of war horses.


    ''....in my past life, 30 died¡­and all 30 were from our army unlike the 20 sent from the imperial pce¡­.the whole thing was sketchy¡­.I hope my dad can handle it¡­.though¡­they probably don''t know he has reached the 11th star at this stage


    Phillip sighed as he turned around to face us.


    "So¡­is there something you would like to do since your parents are gone now ?". He smiled.


    His smile. I never liked it, actually none of us did. I turned around to walk away, and my sisters followed after, except my eldest.


    "I apologize on behalf¡­they probably have training to do". Gloria said with an amused expression trying to wave it off.


    Heughed as well.


    "...well¡­I''m sure they would".


    NORMAL POV.


    Phillip stared at Raffaelo as he walked up the stairs with his sisters. A devilishly impulsive smile curled from his lips as he turned around and walked out of the mansion to the courtyard.


    All this while Gloria watched his every action.


    Gloria was 19 now and had reached the peak of the 8th star. The process of climbing from the 5th star upwards is much harderpared from the 1st to the 5th since a broader understanding of the sword is required, but for her age, it was still a wonderful feat.


    She had reached the master of the sword, and she was fully able to feel the emotions people emitted through their mana. And felt the cold and devious feelings he gave off as he walked out.


    ''He¡­.'' She red at him and slowly turned around to walk up the stairs.


    Phillip walked down the courtyard quietly then stopped when he got to a tree at an end close to the walls surrounding theplex.


    "This noon¡­aim for their son¡­eliminate him first".


    The leaves of the tree rustled and a satisfied smile curled from his lips.


    ''Slowly brother¡­I shall take everything you have built.''


    ****


    Gloria stopped in the hallway when she noticed her siblings standing in the middle while staring at her.


    "Oh..where you guys waiting for me ?" She asked as she walked closer to them.


    "Raph suggested something that I think you need to hear". Fiona said, nodding her head to Gloria''s question. There was never any obvious conflict between the sisters and they respected each other unless it came to personal matters.


    "Which is ?" She asked as she got to them.


    "I think¡­it would be best if we slept in the same room¡­until Dad and Mume back," Raffaelo replied.


    "...hmm¡­what for ?"


    "Uncle Philip.....even you felt it didn''t you¡­" Reba replied. "He doesn''t have good intentions¡­I don''t trust him¡­"


    Though Reba wasn''t in the realm of a master, she was at the 7th star now. A level away from the master, but through her unique trait, soldier of light, she can tell malicious intent just from the aura they give off as well.


    "....true¡­" she sighed.


    "Alright¡­let''s decide on a room".


    "Of course, it will be Raph''s".


    They all turned towards Raffaello with expressions he couldn''t afford to refute.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "...o¡­o..of..of course¡­". He had a weary expression on his face.


    ''These sisters of mine''. He chuckled as he turned around. "Let''s go".

 Chapter 8- Spawns

    Michaelo POV.


    We marched silently in the forbidden forest while being cautious of our surroundings.


    It was an obvious strategy but I had to take extra precautions since I could not feel the presence of any thing.


    The green scenery and majestic trunks that stood out from the Long and tall trees of the forbidden forest where it''s distinguishing features. It was a habitat that seemed full of life yet it could not nurture animals. The trees tend to feast on wild animals, or so I''ve heard.


    "Hey, Michaelo.....do you think the kids are alright¡­"


    ''This woman¡­''


    "They''ll be fine¡­there is no uncertainty with my ns".


    "I know that but¡­." She muttered..


    I sighed, turning to my left to face the leader of the army troop sent by the imperial king.


    "Did the highness give you details of the demons we''ll be facing?"


    His name was Alex Burner, an 8th star master swordsman.


    "....the vigers had been going missing whenever they came in contact with the forest¡­it''s only right the King suspects the presence of demons¡­he sent you to inspect it..didn''t He?"


    ''.....hmmmm¡­..''


    I let out a small sigh and continued facing forward.


    The imperial family was never satisfied with the Jun family even before my generation. They''ve been unable to control us as much as they want since we''ve always proven our way as Knights.


    It''s right to believe that the other houses might be in cahoots with the imperial family.


    ''But¡­that is nothing but a mere thought'' .


    We continued marching forward when I felt the sudden change of influx in mana in our surroundings. It wasn''t a feeling I wasn''t used to, blood lust.


    "Halt !" I raised my arm in the air and they halted.


    "...you feel it too¡­" my wife said whileing down her horse.


    Silence followed after when a sudden scream echoed from.behind our troops.


    I turned around almost immediately to find one of my men being dragged like livestock by a ck thin moldy creature.


    "A spawn of hell". My wife muttered as she held up her hand.


    "Listen to my plea! Lightsaber". In response to her call, a golden light struck down from the sky and onto the palm of her hand forming a golden greatsword.


    She pushed herself forward and sliced off the creature into two in one single swoop.


    I smiled at her quick reflexes when the man next  to me decided to interrupt.


    "MORE ARE COMING !"


    I quickly turned to my front to find a horde of them rushing towards us. Some crawled on the ground while some swung down from the trees.


    The number was numerous, almost overwhelming.


    ''But this much¡­is nothing¡­''


    My lips curled into a smile as I pushed my trusty steed forward.


    "Obey the sound of my voice! Mystic de".


    I felt my blood swell at the palm of my right hand as a reddish blue long sword appeared on my grasp.


    I swung it across emitting my aura and a sharp crescent moon formed, slicing off the spawns before me


    "Men !! CHAAaarge !!!!".


    My men roared to my order as they charged with me, slicing and killing any that came our way.


    I felt a sudden thrust of wind above and on looking up, my eyes made out a falling silhouette crushing down on the demons in front of me. She turned back at me with a daring smile.


    "You''re too slow hun¡­I see you''ve been cking off".


    She jumped up again to another side, mming down her great sword causing a loud thunder sound each time.


    "As expected of my wife".


    I chuckled as I waved my de from the bottom up.


    "Chapter 1 of the 13 Jun Swordsman !".


    Many baffled before our unique Swordsmanship. Especially the n''s way of fighting. The dominating presence we give in wars was our pride.


    "Endless Surge"


    A stream of auras formed in the air and struck them at multiple angles.


    Each time we struck them they let out a dying scream and fell limply on the ground before turning into magic stones.


    "Hun !" I heard my wife''s voice besides me and on turning to my right. I found her riding her horse beside me once again.


    "Your speed never ceases to amaze me".


    "Can''tpare it with you freaks of a Jun family though" she giggled. "There''s a leader¡­.a strong one too".


    I nodded my head. I had felt it as well. The deeper we went into the battlefield, the stronger the blood lusting from a single being became".


    The spawns of hell are usually the small fries, whatmands them is the problem since any of the officials from Hades can control them.


    "It better be a death knight," my wife said with a smile as she pushed her horse forward.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    I chuckled. ''She''s getting back her old habits''.


    Rachael was once known as the golden blink of the battlefield since it always felt like you couldn''t catch up with her body when she''s killing multiple opponents. It''s usually her golden aura you get to see.


    We marched forward, killing them as quickly as we could when we stopped after finding the culprit. I chuckled at its essence.


    "It just happened to be a death knight".


    Death knight''s were undead beings that had the ability to control the dead. If faced without them, they bring out living-like creatures known as spawns.


    He stood as if waiting for someone, with his sword stabbed to the ground.


    "I''m taking this one !".


    My wife jumped off her horse and pulled her sword behind her as she mmed it down at the death knight whilending at the same time.


    ''Sometimes¡­.I wonder if she thinks when she''s on the Battlefield''


    "Alex !" I turned around to find him and he quickly heeded to my call, rushing up to me on his horse.


    "Take charge¡­and ensure I lose no one".


    He nodded his head and rushed back to kill the rest.


    NORMAL POV


    ''What an idiot¡­..'' Alex thought as his lips curled into a mischievous smile.


    "Malicious intent¡­" Michelo muttered as he watched him walk away on his horse.


    He sighed as he jumped off his horse and watched the fight that urred between the death knight and his wife.


    "Oh¡­is this what you''ve got?" Rachael chuckled as she swung her sword again and mmed it on its sword almost in a second.


    She took a deep breath as the pace and sharpness of each strike increased.


    ''The power¡­I need to increase it'' . She swung down again and the death knight swung his sword weakly causing his de to be sliced into two.


    Its eyes glowed red as it swung its hand, punching Rachael in the face causing her to halt in her actions.


    Noticing the sudden change in mood, the knight attempted to punch her again when it''s hand was sent flying away.


    "....you¡­You dare hit ady ?".


    She had this murderous look on her face which caused it to shudder.


    It took a step back when Rachael moves forward in an instance and sliced it off into two


    "How dare you¡­.".


    She muttered as it fell limply on the ground.


    ''....seems¡­like it should be done-''


    "RACHAEL !".


    She turned around frantically when her eyes dted in shock.


    ''I can''t dodge this''. She thought, seeing the sword''s de already aimed at her neck.


    She forcefully took a step back when time suddenly slowed down.


    "...no¡­." She looked up ahead to find her husband rushing towards her. "Idiot ! Stop using this trait!".


    Michelo Jun, the patriarch of the Jun family possessed 4 traits. You obtain a single or multiple trait at the 5th circle or star and you grow and obtain more when your destiny changes and a simrity is seen with an ancestor trait. Of these traits there was one of his most unique. THE LORD OVER TIME.


    Michelo appeared just in front of her and sliced off the death knight that had attempted to kill her. Time resumed once again and blood dribbled down his lips as he panted heavily.


    "Why did you ?" His wife muttered when he signaled for her to look around.


    She did and her expression slowly turned into shock.


    "..when ?".


    "They''ve been here all along¡­"


    They were presently surrounded by four more death knight''s.


    "It''s nothing we can''t handle together".


    Michelo held out his de at them. Rachael sighed as she held the hilt of her de firmly.


    "It''s been a while since we did abo huh¡­." Her lips curled into a smile. "Let''s do this !"


    She rushed towards one when the other three attempted toe at her.


    "6''o clock: slow time".


    A symbol of a clock appeared within his eyes as time slowed down around only the death knight''s.


    It was part of his unique trait. The ability to affect time for a particr or group of things that could be living or non-living but like the saying goes, every poweres with great risks.


    He is unable to use another trait while using THE KING OF TIME trait and the amount of mana it consumed was great.


    The death knights movements were highly reduced as Rachael quickly swung her de up surrounding it with aura.


    "Chapter 2 of the Jun Swordsmanship ! Clean surge".


    She swung it down, causing the wind to propel and aggressively pushed it back against countless numbers of trees.


    She spun her sword around and mmed another one to the ground, turning again and mming another one away into the air.


    She surrounded her de with aura and clenched her teeth as her eyes glowed. "Chapter 6! Unparallel Surge".


    The ground felt like it trembled to her mana and it did. The force pushed the knight into the ground again and again. Pushing it deeper and deeper.


    Its armor cracked and shattered to the force, twisting and turning in directions normally impossible for the human''s body.


    She struck her de into its armor like it was a sheet of paper and it crumbled into dust to the force.


    Time resumed and she panted heavily, falling to the ground.


    "You''ve mastered the 6th already?".  Michealo said as he walked up to her panting.


    "Yeah¡­though it seems like it''s still taking a toll on my body". She chuckled.


    Michaelo smiled at her reaction.


    "So stubborn".


    "Sir Michaelo ! All the spawns have been taken care of".


    "Is that so¡­.". Michaelo turned towards Alex as he walked towards him. "How many losses ?"


    ".....we lost 4 of your men¡­due to their nature and numbers". He bowed.


    "...that''s okay ... .it shouldn''t be your fault....just gather the dead bodies and keep them safe¡­we''ll have to return them to their families at the vige they reside".


    "...Of¡­Of course".


    ''Such benevolence is always the source of a great man''s weakness¡­.''. He turned around to observe the death knight''s thatid limply on the ground unable to move


    ''They defeated them so easily ... .and quickly too ... .these death knight''s that killed a lot of the king''s masters ... .guess they didn''t amount to much''.


    "Should we start going back ?" He asked.


    "Going back ? You realized we haven''t solved the main issue right?"


    "....the main issue?" He muttered with a baffled expression.  ''Guess they know about it already''


    "The fruit of depravity" Rachael sighed. "They usually have a guardian¡­much stronger than the death knight''s¡­.". She turned towards her husband. "You don''t n on using any other do you ?"


    He stared at her, understanding her question while Alex watched in confusion


    "All of them ?" He asked.


    "....it''s nothing¡­and no¡­just one".


    Rachael stared at him worriedly. "Don''t overdo it¡­and use them if necessary". She stood up slowly. "Let''s go¡­it should be further inside¡­it won''t be that hard to find it"

 Chapter 9- La Teuer

    Raffaelo''s POV.


    I stared at the beautiful ceiling paintings in my room while trying to get some sleep.


    It wasn''t as easy as I thought


    ''Hmm¡­.who could have thought sleeping on a nket on the ground would be this ufortable''.


    It was an inconvenience since my sisters somehow found a way to sleep on my bed without finding enough space for a 7th person.


    ''This is absurd¡­shouldn''t the owner of the bed at least be sleeping on his bed¡­''. I could onlyin to myself, though.


    *Raffaelo*


    I heard my sister''s voice loud and clear in my head.


    Voice transfer¡­..the ability of mages to transfer their thoughts through words into someone''s line of thoughts. It''s a 4th tier spell that enables people to talk without actually having to move their lips.


    *yes¡­sister ?*.


    I replied to Fiona, slowly moving my body towards their direction.


    *don''t move too much¡­.*


    *...I won''t¡­*


    *Alright¡­.don''t be too shocked with what I''m about to tell you¡­but above you¡­there''s a person on the roof*.


    ''What? Someone managed to sneak up on me through the roof¡­.I may be a 5th star¡­but that doesn''t mean I''m unable to feel people''s presence¡­..well unless they''re far stronger and more cunning when hiding their presence''


    *Is Elder sister Gloria aware ?*


    *Yes¡­..she''s unable to tell what he''s doing¡­so we want to wait and see¡­*


    ''...there''s a man that could kill me above me¡­.and they can''t tell what he''s doing¡­.he''s able to hide his aura from a master¡­.I''m sure¡­.this isn''t an easy opponent''.


    Iid back, facing the ceiling as my lips curled into a smile.


    ''Guess I''ll at least make it difficult for him¡­''


    I exerted my aura and sted it around me, pushing it towards the ceiling.


    It exploded, causing a crack as debris fell to the location I onceid.


    "Why would you ?..." Fiona yelled out as she woke up her sleeping sisters.


    "No¡­it''s much better this way¡­now we can face whoever is hiding..head on". Gloria said as she stretched her hand to the sky. "Ascend the thrones of greatness ! Magic bone". A blue glowing greatsword shaped like a canine tooth seemed to have fallen from the sky into her hands as she surrounded her aura around her.


    "Chapter 5 of the Jun Swordsmanship !".


    She took a step forward, suddenly appearing some few feet away, sting any object that came her way in the process, and waved her sword with great efficiency at what seemed empty.


    "Humble surge".


    The strength of her sword and aura caused a refined flow of aura to suddenly strike out from her de destroying anything that came its way.


    Of course, that included the walls and a part of the ceilings of my room as well.


    ''Would you look at this¡­.is this why they chose my room?''. A wary expression exuded my face as I stared at Fiona.


    She smirked at me.


    "What''s going on ?" Morganna muttered, rubbing her eyes while still sleepy.


    "Ke Ke Ke Ke"


    ''Oh¡­.this kindaugh always seemed to fit assassins¡­.well not just any kind of assassin''.


    Some few meters away from Gloria, the space distorted as a man in all ck slowly appeared. He had an emblem on his right chest. A boar with 5 knives stabbed into it.


    "The 9th family¡­assassination Family, La Teuer".


    "As expected of the first daughter of the Jun family, you''re able to tell where I''m from right away". He chuckled with each word he said. Though he felt cornered.


    ''Who wouldn''t be ?''


    NORMAL POV.


    ''I? The king of assassination was seen through¡­.impossible¡­.how can a mere 7th star be able to see through me? A 1st grade assassin ?''


    The assassin thought as he brought out two swords shaped like a sickle.


    "I believe you are smart¡­I am much stronger than the lot of you¡­so just hand over the boy and the girl that dresses like a boy".


    Reba''s face turned pink due to his earlier statement. "How¡­how do you know that ?". That was information that should not have left the family home unless they had a spy amongst their people.


    "As I thought¡­.we have a spy in our home," Raffaelo said with a sigh.


    "It doesn''t matter¡­.we''ll get to the bottom of that after I apprehend you¡­". Gloria stretched forth her sword towards the man. "I shall apprehend you in the name of the Jun Family". Her aura increased explosively and formed an aura around her de and her body.


    She took a step forward and appeared in front of him in the blink of an eye as they shed des which caused a sonic explosion that pushed them back.


    "Tch¡­she''s not even nning on holding back¡­.". Fiona said as she turned towards Reba. "Take them away from here¡­.I''ll stick around and assist Gloria¡­but you guys would get in the way".n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Raffaelo felt the intense need to stay and watch the fight. A fight between a master and a 1st-grade  assassin was a fight he didn''t want to miss, but s, Morganna and Thalia pulled him by his hands and ran after Reba, fleeing the room together.


    Fiona quickly rushed to her sister''s side. "You can go all out now¡­"


    Gloria smiled as she swayed her sword around her.


    "Just so you know¡­you might not be able to catch up¡­".


    "Huh? Who do you think you''re underestimating?"


    Fiona pped her hand as her mana ravaged her body. Her eyes opened up glowing a bright yellow as lightning forced its way out of her body. "Can you even catch up with my speed ?".


    "We''ll see about that¡­."


    "Oh¡­.it seems I''ve be a joke to you¡­for you lots to ignore me". The assassin said as he got up from the pile of rumbles he was pushed to. He waved his sickle-like sword around, and a ck, reddish aura suddenly formed around him.


    "....murderous intent¡­" Gloria muttered.


    If a swordsman possessed aura, mage mana, and martial arts ki, then what would assassins possess? Of course murderous intent. The hardest to form since it''s a physical formation of the thought of killing someone.


    Assassins spend years¡­killing and killing multiple sets of people just to obtain this power.


    "That sword¡­.." he pointed at the Sword that Gloria held. "It must be the famous Soul Weapon¡­.a weapon that has formed a contract with your soul¡­.Ke Ke Ke Ke" he chuckled.


    "He knows¡­too much¡­" Fiona said with a raised brow.


    "He does¡­" Gloria muttered in reply.


    The soul weapon is an exclusive skill of the Jun family as well as those married into the Jun family. A soul weapon is formed when a swordsman forms a contract with a spirit that forms their weapon. They say some kind of words that act as their activation code which summons their weapons. All activation code varies.


    "....we can''t let you live," Fiona muttered, stretching her hand towards the Assassin. "We''ll capture you and take every information from you".


    A lightning bolt began to form around the tip of her fingers.


    "5th tier magic: Lightning bolt".


    The lighting roamed around her increasing in size and power as it shot out towards the assassin.


    A loud explosion urred destroying the rooftop and walls of the room.


    "Seriously¡­.your powers are too absurd¡­shouldn''t we just kill the lot of you !" The assassin screamed out as he jumped out from the shadows behind them aiming his de towards Fiona.


    "Tch !". She muttered when Gloria appeared in front of her, swinging her de towards the assassin.


    Their weapons shed and the force pushed the man away.


    "You might not realize it but I wasn''t the only assassinmissioned¡­." He chuckled as he swung his de again, increasing the speed and force of each strike.


    "3rd tier magic: bind!"


    Fiona yelled, widening the palms of her hand. Vines of mana shot out from the ground and grabbed the man by his arm and his feet.


    "Huh ?" The man grumbled trying to fight back when he felt a stinging pain from his chest as blood splurged out of his body. "Aargh".


    He screamed out.


    Gloria pulled out her de smothered in his blood as she stretched her fist towards his face. "Go to sleep".


    She punched him once, and he growled, unable to retaliate.


    ''Mere 3rd magic wants to stop me ?!''. He cried out, causing a sudden increase in the intent around him, pushing them back.


    He sliced off the vines, panting heavily as he red at the two girls.


    ''This strength? Shouldn''t her mana have been exhausted when she used that 5th-tier magic¡­isn''t she a 5th-tier mage¡­.what is going on??''


    "It seems you received misinformation¡­" Gloria said, lowering her head. "It would have been a bit of trouble if they sent someone stronger than you¡­but even amongst our people¡­we hide the depths of our power".


    "Shush! Gloria, that''s not something you should be telling an assassin!" Fiona face palmed herself, sighing.


    Gloria stared at her flustered. "I...I didn''t think there was an issue¡­since¡­"


    "Alright, Alright¡­you sword brains never reason sometimes". She muttered when they noticed the sudden change in atmosphere.


    "..wha ¡­.wha¡­.what did you just say¡­someone stronger than who ? Me? Don''t make meugh¡­." He chuckled abhorrently. " HOW DARE YOU ! I AM JAMIE LA TEUER ! I AM THE STRONGEST OF MY GENERATION !".


    He screamed out, blood rushing to his eyes. Heughed madly as his murderous intent grew stronger and wider. It turned ck and mucky, slowly consuming him in this endless surge of evil.


    "You..I shall kill you all". He ced his right hand on his face, ring at them through the small holes his hands presented for him.

 Chapter 10- Assassin King ?

    The footsteps of Raffaelo and his siblings echoed in the hallways as they rushed towards the staircase.


    Their eyes roamed around the rooms they could get into but their spirits were alwaysid down with disappointment with each passing time.


    "....I can''t believe the maids in charge of this Castle are missing"


    "...it''s either they went on leave¡­.or they know an assassin has been sent for our necks". Reba muttered when they finally got to the stairs.


    "Will Fiona and Gloria be alright ?" Morganna asked with a worried tone. It was her first time in this sort of situation and she never liked the thought of violence.


    Raffaelo could only feel sorry for her.


    "They''ll be fine¡­they''re not kids¡­". Reba replied when she suddenly halted. Her expression slowly turned dark and gloomy as she bit down her lips in annoyance.


    They all turned towards the direction she red at and they gave out a simr reaction.


    "Oh¡­.to think some of you would escape¡­.that idiot¡­" The man standing before them in his golden armor chuckled as he walked away from the dark towards them.


    He stood down the stairs as if waiting for them all along.


    "As I thought¡­my brother hid your true abilities from his workers¡­he was always the cautious type but seriously¡­". He held out the palm of his hand.


    "It is time for Judgement !  Dark saber".


    The darkness warped around him, obeying his bid, and formed a ck greatsword on the palm of his hand.


    Raffaelo had a worried expression on his face. ''If I remember correctly¡­.Uncle Philip was a 10th star at this period...we don''t stand a chance against a monster like him¡­''


    "Hm. Since it''se to this¡­.I may just kill the whole lot of you¡­" he said with a hollow smile on his face. His expression was devious and empty, too void for a human toprehend.


    ''To think our ancestors had someone with this kind of power¡­..'' Raffaelo thought as his gaze slowly shifted towards Reba. ''Though¡­.I think we have someone with an opposite trait¡­''


    "The goddess favors me ! Speck of light". Reba muttered as a blinding light shone from her hands forming a white long slim sword. "Stay behind me¡­".


    She pointed her sword forward.


    "Let the world''s light obey my will ! Righteous Brightness!".


    A blinding light shone from the tip of her sword and consumed the hallway turning it into a bright coloured mess.


    Phillip felt a stinging pain from the light and on observing his body condition, he realized his skin was melting.


    ''An ability that can affect me even with my armor''. He chuckled as his lips curled into a devious smile.


    "Interesting!". He screamed out mming his sword into the ground. "Absolute darkness".


    ck shadows began to creep out from his de and spread out,pletely consuming the light that was once blinding.


    ''The difference in stars was too much¡­if only she were a master''. Raffaelo thought as he watched his sister splurt out blood from her mouth. His expression turned wary when his other sisters held her before she fell exhausted.


    "Is this all ?" Phillip asked as he walked up the stairs towards them. He dragged his de along with him and his walking step became deviously unsettling.


    "If not then killing you would be too easy".


    "Tch¡­" Raffaelo cursed as he grabbed his sisters by the hand and rushed towards the window at the other side of the hallway towards the courtyard. "1st tier magic: fireball".


    A ball of fire formed around his mouth and he shot it out at the window, blowing it up in the process.


    They jumped out immediately.


    "2nd tier magic: Wind blow". He stretched out his arms to the ground and a stream of wind surrounded them as theynded on the ground.


    He quickly turned around and pped his hands together. "3rd tier magic: Magic dome". A green dome surrounded him and his sisters as they watched their uncle slowly walk up to the broken window.


    "Magic ?" Philip muttered, utterly dismayed. "Why does my brother keep giving birth to monsters¡­." He yelled out with a disarray tone in his voice. "WHY ? WHY ?! WHY ?!". He screamed, pulling out the hair from his head.


    "Do you have a n, Reba ?"


    Reba stood next to him, her hand still gripped on her sword. Her expression only disyed the amount of pain and annoyance she felt for being weak at that moment.


    "Don''t be too disappointed¡­.with time, you''ll be stronger than that Asshole".


    She turned her gaze towards her brother as her expression slowly turned soft.


    "He''s right, we''re still kids, Reba," Thalia said, patting her on the back. "We should think of a way to drag this on until Gloria and Fiona arrive"


    "Just so you know ! If you think it''ll be time for your siblings toe save you! Then you would be delusional !".


    As if he heard what they said, Phillip cried out as he jumped down with a loud thud. "They should be facing Jamie¡­that bastard might be a maniac but he does his job properly".


    ''JAMIE?As in Jamie¡­the future assassin king¡­.why? Why are there so many strong opponents¡­.was it a mistake asking Father to go with Mother¡­.'' Raffaelo thought as he cursed at his rash decision.


    "There''s no way they''ll lose". Reba said as she tapped Raffaelo''s back.


    "Yeah¡­I''m sure they underestimated us since Dad hid our abilities from the maids and soldiers¡­"


    "...True¡­" A sigh of relief escaped his lips. ''I can''t believe I almost lost hope¡­there must be a way¡­a way to stop this bastard¡­.''


    "I have a n". Morganna muttered, getting their attention immediately.


    A smile exuded Raffaelo''s lips as he said. " Shall we get started ?"


    Meanwhile,


    Jamie was currently on one knee panting heavily while groaning. His swords were broken into two andid a few feet away from him while blood dribbled down his arms and face. The only weapon he felt avable for him was his re.


    "This f*cker¡­.how is he so persistent," Fiona said as she panted heavily. She had a wound on her right arm and she was currently healing it. Apart from that, she was fine.


    Gloria was in a simr situation; her body had no signs of injury, and what was more, she wasn''t fatigued.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Her expression turned into a scowl as she stared at the assassin. "Jamie was it ? This is disappointing¡­.or was it because my sister aided me ?".


    "Tch¡­you should be d I was here to make things easier for you !" Fiona cried out. ''Seriously this girl¡­well, she hasn''t exactly found someone as strong as her¡­even amongst her peers''.


    "Ke Ke Ke Ke" he chuckled as reality slowly dawned on him. "I don''t intend on going out just like this you see¡­.so if anything¡­". He slowly stood up, staggering in the process.


    "I like that you''re persistent¡­.but you can''t defeat us," Gloria said as she walked up to him, pulling her great sword with her.


    "Don''t let your guard down; he''s an assassin," Fiona said, sighing as she walked after.


    "TCH !" He suddenly disappeared, as if he had submerged in the darkness.


    "...you see what I mean¡­." Fiona muttered as she turned around and slowly stood behind Gloria, their backs against each other. "You have my back ?"


    "Always sister," Gloria held her sword forward, "to think he still had more tricks¡­".


    "What did you expect¡­.he''s an assassin¡­"


    They stood quiet, trying to locate his presence in the once Raffaelo''s room.


    Three minutes turned to five minutes¡­and then ten minutes.


    "That f*cker" Fiona muttered. "Did he escape ?".


    She walked towards the broken-down walls to try and locate him while Gloria lowered her sword.


    "Hmm¡­.." Gloria muttered. She could still feel it, blood lust. It was a very minuscule amount, invisible to the normal human but not to a master. ''He must have not realized my full abilities from the fight¡­.but I''m unable to even tell his position this time¡­''


    Fiona looked around for a while and sighed as she turned around to face Gloria. "Alright, I-


    In That split moment, Jamie''s hand pulled out of the ground and grabbed her leg.


    She felt paralyzed and her spells could not alter out of her mouth.


    "If you let your guard down like this¡­.Ke Ke Ke¡­.I have no choice but to take it head on".


    He pulled her down into the crumbling wood and pulled himself out.


    Fiona felt splits of wood pierced her skin as she fell to thest floor while Jamie jumped out of the hole.


    "Now¡­all that''s left is-


    It was toote, whatever he thought he had in mind was toote. He could see his life sh before his eyes as he felt the sharp sword slowly and easily pierce through the back of his neck.  Her sword glowed a bright and fiery white and it all seemed to go on in slow motion in his head.


    ''Soul Aura ?....she..was a master ?''. He thought as the world suddenly spun around his bloodied-colored eyes. ''Oh¡­.I stood no match from the very beginning ?'' He thought to himself as his headnded hard on the ground.


    His gaze slowly focused on Gloria in her blood-stained night dress. The moon glowed down on her blue hair, her cold eyes, and her sword covered with blood.


    "Beau..."


    His eyes lost focus and he gave out hisst breath.

 Chapter 11- Aura Field of Vision

    Raffaello POV.


    The n my sister, Morganna had was a rather simple and risky one.


    It depended on our mastery of our traits and skills. Of course, it''s to be expected. Against a monster like Phillip.


    He stared at us, with his arms folded as I lowered the dome around us.


    "Hmm? Did you think of a n or something ?" He asked, tilting his head to the left with an amused expression. "Shall I see what you had in mind¡­".


    I''m sure of it, just as Morganna had said, he''s going to underestimate us from the very beginning, but even if we''re far below him in power, we can still make up a little bit of it in our brain.


    Reba walked up in front of us and held up her de with both of her hands.


    "Chapter 6¡­.". Her eyes glowed white as the force of the technique she was about to use pushed her down into the ground.


    We had to stay a few feet away from Reba because the 6th technique of our family, Swordsmanship, doesn''t discriminate.


    Phillip might be a Jun but he does something that we don''t. He underestimates his opponents. He''s probably thinking, ''How cute'' since the difference in stars also affects how strong our techniques can be, but that''s only referring to normal Jun family members.


    She swung her de down in a clean sweep and the force spread to Phillip in an instant.


    He felt shocked and quickly raised his sword to block the strike; it wasn''t too effective since he was forced further and further into the ground.


    "Unparalleled Surge". Her aura increased explosively and her aura roamed around her body as she forced him deeper into The ground.


    Phillip spurted out blood from his mouth, and his eyes were shocked by the force of the strike.


    This is my queue. ''The ability I possess¡­.The King of Snow¡­..I''m not fully aware of how to use it but the basics at least


    I charged at him, avoiding the areas that were under the effect of my sister''s skill. I didn''t need to get close to him.


    The whole point wasn''t to get close to him either.


    I rushed mana to my left hand as it slowly grew cold.


    "Ice burst". I mmed my hand on the ground at a considerable distance from him, turning the snowy field into hard solid ice.


    It crept up from the position I mmed to Phillip and grew up his body, freezing half of it in ce.


    ''It worked¡­.'' I thought.


    NORMAL POV.


    Phillip felt a chilling sensation creep up his body and his gaze slowly went to Raffaello.


    ''When did he get there ?'' He thought, still holding the strike from hitting hard on him. ''If not for this girl¡­.why is she able to hold this power for so long ?'' He thought slowly falling to one knee.


    ''Doesn''t matter¡­if this is all-


    It took an instance when he felt someone''s presence behind him. His eyes quickly moved towards the location and his gaze was fixed on Raffaelo, who was holding a sword and swinging it toward him


    ''What a sword¡­.I see¡­was this why he froze half of my body  Where did he even get that sword ?'' The ice on his body shattered as he forced his arm to block the attack.


    "NOW !" Morganna cried out and Phillips'' attention quickly turned to them as he heard a crackling noise.


    Thalia held a cannon made of lighting on top of her shoulder as she red at him.


    "High tier 2nd circle magic: Lightning cannon".


    She said as a stream of lightning shot out from it towards Phillip.


    It struck him and the inductive pain roamed around his body.


    "Aargh¡­" he cried out.


    ''Now¡­now is my only chance¡­''Raffaelo thought as he swung his de faster towards his neck.


    ''Hah¡­I think I''ve had enough'' Phillip thought as his expression turned in.


    "Dark bloom".n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Time seemed to have stopped for Raffaelo and his sisters as a dark matter sipped out of Phillips'' body. It froze them in their ce, and in the blink of an eye, it exploded.


    The force swept them off their feet and mmed them to the ground. It pushed the snow and the fields, and the once beautiful courtyard was turned into a sandy wastnd.


    The mansion wasn''t exempted from the force as half of it fell to the ground.


    "That hurt, you know", he muttered as he walked up to the three girls lying on the ground. The smoke dispersed slowly into the air and Reba slowly found her way back up.


    She coughed out blood as she slowly looked up at Phillip, who was right in front of her.


    "You could have probably fought back in a few years more¡­.but not now¡­.you''re still a chick". He held his de up in the air while looking at her other sisters behind her. "Seems they''ve both gone unconscious¡­and Raph should have died since he was the closest to my attack just now¡­..so¡­.anyst words ?"


    Reba panted lightly as she felt streams of liquid roll down her eyes while she red at him. "....why¡­..to your own family¡­." She muttered utterly confused and disgusted with the situation.


    "Hm, Profit, my dear¡­" he slowly pulled his sword down when he suddenly felt a heavy blow to the side of his waist. His expression was filled with pain and anger when he heard a cold and chill voice.


    "-MOVE"


    The force blew him away from theplex as a whole. He was forced out through the walls of the Mansionplex to the snowy fields that surrounded their home.


    "Glo¡­Gloria !" Reba muttered as she staggered towards her. Gloria held her up just before she fell and slowly dropped her down. "You have fought well¡­sister".


    Gloria said as she stroked her forehead. Her expression was filled with sadness and anger. ''I can''t believe that bastard¡­.'' She thought when Fiona appeared next to them holding an unconscious body of Raffaelo.


    "Is he alright?" Reba asked, staring at Fiona with worried eyes.


    "He''s alright¡­just needs to rest". Fiona replied while she ced him on the ground.


    "Oi  !" Philip''s voice projected in their ears, gaining their attention.


    "...Tch¡­and here I thought I knocked him out¡­" Gloria muttered as she grabbed the word she had dropped. "Heal them up, Fiona".


    "What about you¡­you can''t face him alone"


    "I know that¡­just¡­..I''ll give you time to catch up so just¡­.heal them up".


    "Oi! Don''t you hear me !" He cried out again in pain. He cursed and grunted as he walked faster toward them when he suddenly felt a presence beside him


    ''Again  What sort of speed ?!''


    "-COME WITH ME". Gloria smashed her sword on his chest and flung his body up into the air.


    "Tch ! This B*tch !" He cried out in anger as he held his de again when he suddenly felt her presence next to his. "Ohe on ! Even in the air ?!"


    She swung her de down and mmed him further away from the mansion.


    He crashed into the ground causing a crater.


    Phillip struggled to get back up as he heard a loud thud in front of him. He looked up only to find her swinging her sword down again.


    "B*tch use your damn words !" He cried out as he swung his sword in retaliation. ''This is it¡­.she might have reached master¡­but I''m still high-


    She disappeared from his presence and appeared behind him. His expression slowly turned to annoyance. "What are you thinking of in the middle of battle ?" She asked as she swung her de again, mming the back of his head and forcing his body into the ground.


    "Tch¡­.that''s some strong aura¡­" she muttered as she jumped backward


    "Hah for f*cks sake ! Why are the whole lot of you monsters ?!" Phillip cried out as he slowly stood back up.


    " ¡­you''re not any different¡­.getting back up as if nothing happened after all those hits¡­"


    "Huh? It''s to be expected,isn''t it? You didn''t want the fight to end like that, did you ?" He tapped his head worriedly. "Hah ,geez¡­how hard did you hit my head¡­." He muttered, feeling blood. "I''m going to lose a lot of blood like this¡­." He grumbled to himself ignoring her presence.


    "Now¡­should I get serious¡­." He said as he held his de up in a stance.


    "....." Gloria sighed as she held her de up in a stance as well.


    She disappeared again in an instant


    ''She''s fast¡­just as I thought¡­'' He muttered. "But you''re predictable !" He turned around to where he thought he would find her.


    "Predictable you say ?" Her voice rang in his ear from behind and a mix of annoyance and confusion etched on his face.


    She swung her de on the back of his waist and mmed him further away into the ground.


    She clicked her tongue as she stood up. "What sort of barrier¡­" she muttered slowly. ''But¡­it''s not unbreakable''


    "Hah geez¡­." Phillip muttered slowly as he stood back up. "You know you''re going to have to do more than that to stop me right?"


    ''He''s right¡­.I can''t even cut through him no matter how much I''ve tried''


    "Well then¡­" Gloria pushed her de into the ground as she focused her aura around her.


    "Oh¡­are you¡­you can use that already ? You must be a sword master then"


    A technique a swordsman from the Jun family can create from his will and aura when he or she has reached the apex of their trait.


    "What trait did you have again? nt control¡­was it ?" Phillip thought to himself as he held up his chin yfully.


    "Well¡­.you''ll know it once you see it". Gloria replied, focusing on her aura.


    It''s an AOE technique that epasses their strength and It is called the Aura field of Vision


    The snowy field began to rumble to her will asrge and thick vines began to sprout from it.


    It grew 50 meters tall andpletely enclosed them leaving only an arena-sized space for the both of them.


    Some of the vines began to bloom into carnivorous flowers with teeth ,and some began to grow hefty, sharp, and purple coloured thorns on their bodies


    One of the vines slowly pulled down towards Gloria and formed a crown on top of her head and her sword was slowly enveloped in green vines.


    "Aura Field of Vision¡­.House of Thorns". She muttered slowly as she opened her eyes.


    Phillip stood mesmerized by her powers. He felt a cold sensation creep up his spine and he couldn''t help butugh out loud.


    "Now that I think about it ... .there''s no way an assassin could kill you¡­.." he muttered, his expression turning in and cold once again.


    He held out his de as dark matter began to envelop it.


    "Then¡­.." Gloria said as she slowly pointed her sword at him.


    "Shall we get started ?"

 Chapter 12- The Will to protect

    A dim light pierced through the deep, gloomy darkness as a white-haired boy drowned in it. His eyes were partly open and his breath haphazard. He felt like he was losing himself to space, and his heartbeat slowly dropped.


    ''Hah¡­.? Do I die like this¡­..''.


    Memories of how Phillip exploded, causing his current situation shed through his mind.


    ''No¡­..my sisters¡­.I still need to protect them''.


    He stretched his hand forward as if trying to hold on to something but he still kept drowning.


    He felt his breath suddenly cease, and he opened up his mouth to catch quick breaths, but instead, he choked up in the darkness.


    He gripped his neck as he struggled to fight back.


    ''Shit ! I don''t want to die ! I''ve already died ! I don''t want to ! Not in this life ! I will survive¡­and protect my sisters.


    I alone !''. He ignored the choking feeling and pulled his arms up trying to swim out of the darkness. He felt like he was finally going to escape when he suddenly felt something pull him back down.


    He looked down to find dark, icky hands grabbing onto him. He struggled but it kept increasing, holding him tight from ever escaping.


    ''What is this ?!'' He thought, unable to fight back, and slowly drowned deeper and further away from the surface.


    "Do you wish to survive ?".


    A familiar voice projected in his ears as his eyes roamed around the darkness in an attempt to locate it. The source of the voice.


    "Why bother searching for something that''s right in front of you ?".


    The scenery changed in a second. The darkness turned into a bright white-colored room.


    Raffaelo stared at the walls and his body condition when he heard footstepsing from afar.


    "...." he looked up to find two strange peopleing his way. One a female and another a male.


    The female had a bandage wrapped around her eyes and the male had an expression exuding coldness and indifference.


    "You are¡­.." Raffaelo didn''t need to think twice before he realized who these people were. They both had the characteristics of a Jun patriarch. Blue hair.


    "Raffaelo¡­.we meet atst". The male said with cold breaths. The air around him froze at the sound of his voice.


    ''So¡­.so cold'' Raffaelo thought as he stared at them.


    "What¡­..Why did you call me here ?" He asked.


    "Why ?.....how do we even exin this situation to a 10-year-old?" the female said, yfully extending her finger to her pink peach lips.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Don''t jest; we''re your ancestors¡­.and the predecessors of your trait," the male replied, ignoring her taunts.


    Raffaelo chuckled at their reaction. "I am well aware of that¡­.it''s just¡­I thought I was going to die so.."


    "Die ?" The female repeated as her lips curled into a smirk. "You think something like that can kill you? We simply called you here"


    "Called me here ?" Raffaelo repeated, raising his eyebrow baffled at her statement.


    "It''s a thing ancestors do when their descendants don''t use their traits properly," the male said.


    "What¡­.what do you mean ?" Raffaelo asked, confused.


    "To put it simply¡­we''re just giving you a little tutorial on how to use it¡­" The female said, walking up to him slowly. "You don''t mind if I start first right ?" She asked her partner, who stood behind her, and he shrugged in reply.


    "Thanks, dear," she waved at him as she stood right in front of Raffaelo. "Did you know¡­.you could easily find the assassin with those eyes¡­"


    Raffaelo''s eyes dted, and realization dawned on him. ''..why¡­..why didn''t I think of that¡­''


    "Now¡­let me teach you properly¡­how they use those eyes". She slowly ced her hands on the side of his face close to his eyes as her lips curled into a devious smile.


    ***


    Phillip staggered to the ground as his armor fell off, one after the other.


    His body was a bloody mess and some of his open skin was purple due to poison.


    Green vines surrounded him while Gloria stood from afar watching the whole thing unfold.


    ''.....why¡­hasn''t he used his yet¡­.'' She thought. In normal cases, she stood no chance against Phillip, a 10th star knight but somehow she was able to not just stand her ground but also put him in a miserable state.


    The second rule of the Jun household is never to think a battle is finished until you confirm the dead body.


    "In that cas-


    She stopped her words when Phillip slowly and firmly found his way back up.


    "Hmm¡­.so this is the extent of your Aura Field of Vision ? Well this is kinda pared to my brothers¡­this is simply¡­.childish".


    He rotated his arms around adjusting his muscles and bones as if nothing had happened.


    ''As I thought'' Gloria thought as she pulled her sword from the ground. ''I''ll have to take care of him myself''


    She took a step forward and the ground broke apart as she suddenly appeared in front of him.


    She swung her de down, coating it in a fiery ze of aura.


    "Soul Aura ?" Phillip muttered with bewilderment. "Just how many monsters...Seriously !".


    It struck Philip on his shoulder and the force pushed them further into the ground, causing rocks to split into the air.


    She struggled with all her might to pierce through his skin, but instead, the force pushed them deeper.


    "Oh¡­didn''t I tell you already" Phillip muttered as he held the de of her sword. "You can''t pierce through my defense".


    His expression exuded a mixed feeling of pity and annoyance but she wasn''t going to let him have his way.


    "7th chapter of the Jun Swordsmanship¡­"


    ''7th ?!'' Phillip thought in an attempt to escape from her sword. ''Shit.''


    "Boundless Surge".


    Her aura suddenly shot out of her body and spread to the de of her sword. Her eyes glowed a bright white as the aura around her sword shot out explosively like the projection of a rocket forcing her de down into his skin.


    The aura continued to roam and increase wilder around her de, sharpening it endlessly in an attempt topletely slice off his hand.


    Phillip struggled to hold the sword in ce from going any further than it already had. The pain was unbearable, and his expression was mixed with countless emotions as the de gradually descended his body, causing blood to drip down to the ground.


    He struggled and groaned when he thought things couldn''t possibly get any worse.


    "8th chapter¡­.." She took a deep breath in and closed her eyes as the mana producing her aura suddenly ceased from her body, and instead, fumes of smoke began to spread out openly from the corners of her body.


    Phillip''s expression turned from pain to dread as he pped the de continuously in a ferocious attempt to break it. "Fuck it ! What is wrong with you? Don''t you get tired! This isn''t a situation where you can use this!! Shit !


    Shit !" He cursed continuously in a fruitless effort to fight it off.


    The ground suddenly split, and he was pushed further; he felt his knee bones crack, and he fell to his knees, screaming in pain.


    "...Peerless surge". On opening her eyes, her body was ravaged with a ferocious amount of power. Her aura roamed around her as it spread out forming the head of a dragon on her de. "....just Die¡­".


    She muttered as it exploded with a supersonic scream. Phillip screamed in pain as she effortlessly split his right arm off his body.


    "Arrrrgggghhhh...." His body vibrated to the force of the attack while Gloria felt relieved in her heart that she was somehow able to achieve something when murderous intent prickled her skin.


    A vine pulled her away from him in an instant as ck spikes, long as a pole struck out from his body.


    "That FUCKING HURTS YOU KNOW !" He screamed in outrage as blood rushed to his eyes. " Tch¡­I''ve had enough¡­.I''m killing the whole lot of you".


    Gloria watched him stand up effortlessly as ck mana formed another arm. "....Aura Field of Vision¡­"


    The sky began to gather above him in obedience to his will.


    It formed a tornado-shaped ck mass of clouds as it slowly began to descend to the earth. The sky roared with ck thunder and the vines began to die off.


    The tornado-shaped ck mass began to form an arm asrge as a skyscraper.


    "Just so you know¡­..you brought this upon yourself". He muttered as he pointed his de at her.


    Gloria could feel it. Dread and an ambitious feeling of doom. ''Was the difference always thisrge !?!... Am I going to survive this¡­.''. Memories of her siblings shed through her head as she held the hilt of her sword tightly with a feeling of new determination.


    "I can''t believe I was scared¡­.what would Dad make of this?". She chuckled as the vines began to grow out of the ground once again.


    She pointed her sword at him as well.


    "Don''t think I''ll let you do as you please".


    "Much better¡­..it won''t be fun if you don''t put up a bit of resistance".


    She swayed her sword across as she disappeared from her position and appeared beside him; she swung her de across, aiming for his neck when the arm from the sky struck her away.


    "Huh? Did you think that would work again ?" He muttered as she got back up from the pile of rocks.


    "Who said so ?"


    A vine suddenly sprouted out directly beneath him, stabbing into his right leg. He winced, slicing the vine off his leg.


    "This bitch !". He charged at her aggressively swinging his sword towards her neck. She blocked it and the force pushed her back, opening up her defense.


    Phillip jumped in the air, rotating his body in the process as he kicked her across her face.


    She groaned as the force mmed her to the ground. She struggled to get back up when the arm from the sky grabbed her and threw her back into the ground.


    "Stay down already¡­." Phillip muttered as he walked towards her. He attempted to slice her when a vine pulled her back away from him.


    The hand from the sky reacted instantaneously as it was about to m her.


    Another vine from a different location pulled her to the left changing her position as the hand mmed into the ground.


    "....oh¡­" Phillip muttered while he stared at her as shended safely on the ground. "You''ll be troublesome to take care of".


    "....well¡­sorry for disappointing you¡­.but I don''t intend on letting you have your way"


    "....we''ll see then".


    They stood, staring at each other, calcting each other''s weaknesses and strengths as ideas spontaneously formed in their heads.


    Gloria could feel adrenaline build up in her but she could also feel strength draining out of her. She was nearing her limits, but the yearning to protect her siblings was strong and her will even stronger.

 Chapter 13- A saviour ?

    Raffaelo''s body quivered as blood dribbled down his eyes, staining the white in floor of the small room he was presently held in.


    His bloodshot eyes stared at his trembling hands when he felt energy slowly dissipate from his legs. He fell to his knees and his breathing became hurriedly haphazard.


    "Aren''t you pushing him too hard ?" The male asked the female with a slight frown on his face.


    She cast a nce at him and chuckled at his remark.


    "It''s only right he does this much for him to use it to its full potential¡­.though¡­." She slowly took a peek at him and her lips curled into a satisfied grin. "He''s done well so far".


    She slowly walked away from him and towards the male sitting on an ice throne. "I''ll take my leave now¡­.I''ve thought all that''s been needed so far".


    The male watched as she walked past him and slowly disappeared into thin air.


    "Are¡­.are you going to make me spill blood too ?" Raffaelo asked with a cold tone in his voice. He held his eyes with his hands but the male was sure he red at him.


    "Do not worry¡­" he sighed, adjusting his position on the throne, crossing his legs, and resting the side of his face on his right hand. "My trait only requires you to be smart"


    "...smart ?" The baffled tone in his voice could not be reduced no matter how much he tried to reduce it in his head.


    "Yes¡­" he ignored his tone and continued with his exnation. "You see...ice¡­.freezes all"


    "..." Raffaelo paused his line of thought for a moment at his "immature remark" or so it seemed in his head. Well, of course, it was natural for ice to freeze all things.


    "Well¡­I''m sure it does". He replied, trying to fake a smile.


    ".....don''t make jest of me, boy". The male said with a stern tone. The walls of the room and the air itself began to make crackling noises as kes of Snow and ice began to form.


    ''...he¡­.froze the air ?'' Raffaelo could feel it. The air he had been breathing suddenly felt smaller than it formerly was. It may have been reduced a while ago since there didn''t seem to be a source of venttion but it wasn''t as obvious since just now.


    "You see child¡­.we can freeze everything¡­.it depends on your concept and skills but ice can even be harder than metal"


    "What ?!" His eyes bulged in surprise and a hint of excitement as the true ability of his trait seemed to be much wider than he expected.


    "It''s like I said¡­.during my time¡­there was nothing I couldn''t turn into ice¡­.be it a human¡­.be it water and even the mountains. Everything froze before my feet.


    Turning them into solid ice forms was nothing but child''s y for me".


    ''Okay¡­.now it just feels like he''s boasting''. Raffaelo thought, feeling a bead of sweat drop down his forehead but before it could touch the ground. It had turned into a beautiful crystal of ice.


    "I see¡­..so depending on how I see it¡­.there''s nothing that can''t be frozen ?"


    "Of course¡­that includes gas as well¡­.droplets of liquid¡­and even ice in the absence of water¡­dry ice¡­..they are all possible". He stood up from the throne and it disappeared into tiny bits of shiny particles.


    "Don''t limit your imagination¡­..and your understanding¡­.imagining it is one thing but understanding is apletely different aspect¡­."


    "Hmm¡­understood".


    "...good¡­.then¡­..till we meet again¡­".


    A bright light suddenly enveloped Raffaelo causing him to disappear. "....and good luck to you¡­.Ice King".


    ****


    Thalia and Morganna held Raffaelo''s hands as trickles of tears ran down their pretty faces.


    Reba had a solemn expression while Fiona stared at them in ridicule.


    "....you realize he''s not dead right ?" She muttered slowly.


    They cast a nce at her and she suddenly felt a chill creep up her spine. "Sorry sorry¡­continue¡­my bad".


    "...why isn''t he waking up though¡­.and we need to go help Gloria too¡­" Reba said as she stroked his hair.


    Thalia furrowed her brow. "Maybe we¡­shouldn''t have done with the n ?".


    There was an awkward silence between them as they felt a pang of guilt when they felt a cold chill from the wind surrounding them.


    "When did it¡­." Morganna said when she noticed a blue light glowing from the wounds of her younger brother.


    A bright light sparkled in her eyes as relief cooled her frenzied expression.


    "You see¡­." Fiona said as a satisfied smile grew on her lips. "Did you think that would be enough to stop our obnoxious little brother ?". She giggled as their worry turned into relief and a smile grew on their grim expression.


    The light stopped glowing after some seconds and Raffaelo''s eyes slowly opened up.


    His eyes focus was still shaky so it took a while before he could finally get a grasp of the images of his sisters surrounding him.


    "Did someone die ?" His shaky voice brought joy to their ears as Morganna and Thalia hugged him.


    ''Would have been nicer if we weren''t blood rted'' He thought when he felt a bit of pain from his eyes.


    He ced his hand slightly on it slowly when he noticed a distinctive change in his vision.


    Although the bright moon was their only source of light in the pitch darkness of the night, they could still see not as clearly as day but they could. Probably another feature of a Jun. Reba, Fiona, and Gloria could feel the distinctive energies from their bodies and could tell whatever directions they were moving, so it was easier for them, but it wasn''t the same for the rest.


    Now, not only was Raffaelo able to see their distinctive features as if it was still day, but he could also see their distinctive energies and the flow around their body.


    "Is¡­..is This what she was talking about ?'' He thought when they heard a sudden loud explosion.


    "Gloria ?! Where''s Gloria ?!"  He snapped out of his line of thought standing back up in a sudden burst of new energy. ''Hah? I feel¡­..fine¡­'' He thought, inspecting his body.


    "How ? You should be exhausted from that battle ?" Fiona pointed out, stupefied by his current condition.


    "I''m fine¡­.we need to help Gloria". He quickly rushed towards the broken walls of theirplex.


    His sisters nced at each other with worried expressions as they quickly ran after him.


    "You should be more concerned about yourself. Idiot," Thalia muffled up her words, but her sisters could still make out the words from her sentence.


    They giggled.


    ****


    Signs of a vigorous battle were evident on the fields as they could make clear figures of two people far away.


    Their expressions slowly twisted from curiosity to animosity to the sight before them.


    Raffaelo bit down on his lip as he increased his pace and held back the urge to cry about his sister Gloria''s predicament.


    "Gloria !" His sisters slowly screamed out her name and they could tell the dim light in her eyes as she slowly turned towards them.


    She was currently held up in the air with a sword thrust in her abdomen out of her body by Phillip who held a disdainful look of satisfaction on his face as he watched them run towards him. Her blood gushed out from the wound and dribbled down her lips as a tight, small smile exuded her faint, trembling lips.


    They screamed out in horror at the sight when Fiona struck out her hand in the air


    "7th tier magic !".


    Her mana spread furiously around her body as lightning sparks slowly emitted from her body.


    She disappeared and reappeared right next to him.


    "What is it with your f*cking speed !" He muttered and flung Gloria''s body into the air. It hit the ground limply some meters away from him with a loud bang.


    He then quickly turned when she stopped his attack by holding his de.


    "Mountain Giant Shock".


    The sky rumbled and yellow lightning struck down from the sky onto her. She streamed it around her body to the tip of her fingers where it suddenlypressed and exploded into sharp stings of lightning bolts.


    The number of whichpletely stunned him causing him to scream out in pain.


    His body slowly turned ck as the lightning reduced.


    Fiona felt him slowly lose his grip on his sword and the thought of him falling unconscious crossed her mind.


    She slowly dropped her hand when he swung his sword at her at a speed that was impossible to dodge.


    "Just kidding~" He yed with the end of his statement as she begrudgingly red at him while stopping his attack with a mana shield.


    It shattered to the force and another one blocked it from going further.


    She used that opportunity to draw back away from him when her siblings finally caught up with her.


    Phillip clicked his tongue at them when his gaze jumped to Raffaelo.


    "Huh ? You''re still alive¡­.well that doesn''t matter¡­.I''m gonna kill you all anyways".


    He sighed as he flipped his finger.  "Aura Field of Vision¡­..The Dark Side".


    The sky formed therge arm of ck clouds once again as it stretched towards Raffaelo and the rest of his sisters.


    They could only mutter small curses at him, unable to fight back.


    ''Curses! Do I die like this ?''


    Images of their time together shed before their eyes as hope quenched from their heart.


    "Is this it-"


    Fiona thought when a sharp sound like the sound of a sword slicing through the air projected in their ears.


    Their eyes slowly bulged open, observing a thin line that was formed on therge arm, slicing it into two.


    Phillip felt a pang of pain across his chest as blood spurted out from his mouth and a fine cut appeared across his chest.


    "Oh¡­..you bully your brother''s children now ?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "What ?! What are you doing here ?! Jerome!!!".


    The children gasped at the sight of a ck-toned man that appeared apparently out of nowhere. He stood in their presence, blocking them from their foe, Phillip.


    "Sorry I''mte, kids¡­.took a while to find the assassins that were sent for your heads'' ''. He stretched out his bandaged-ridden hands holding two long swords smeared with blood. "Can you believe it ?! There were 12 assassins sent for your heads !" Heughed out merrily. "Michaelo has to pay double! There''s no way our king will let this kind of opportunity pass him by".


    He pointed his right de at Phillip with a provocative smile on his face and his left de on his shoulder. "I''ll be your opponent now, Phillip".

 Chapter 15 Chalter 15- Sulter

    Jerome slowly dropped his de when the night was filled with the silence it ought to be filled with.


    A satisfied expression exuded on his face as he walked up to the dead body of his formerpanion, Phillip Jun.


    A sigh escaped his lips when he stared at the put created by the technique.


    "Honestly¡­.the Jun family¡­are too strong".


    He avoided the pit, walked up to Phillip, and retreated the spikes back into the shadow. "....if you weren''t so weak from the battle against his children¡­.you would have won¡­"


    He lifted his dead body and slowly made his way to theplex.


    "I''m pretty sure Michelo isn''t working as hard as his children¡­.when did he say he''ll be back again¡­."


    ****


    Meanwhile, About 2 hours ago.


    In the forbidden forest, Michealo and Rachael were marching deeper into the forest. After defeating the five death knights, they decided to find the fruit of depravity. A fruit that should not be eaten because of its deep connection to Hades. It summons monsters on a whim and makes a terrain uninhabitable by both animals (yes including humans) and nts.


    They stopped when Rachael halted her horsen/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Did you find something ?" Michealo asked his wife as he came down his horse.


    She pointed at a crispy old tree. It had the appearance of a malnourished tree that was burnt up, but at the tip of one of its seven shaky branches was a bright red fruit in the shape of an Apple.


    "Oh¡­.that''s it¡­" Alex chorused as he was about to set his horse down the small cliff they were currently on.


    Rachael cast a nce at him with prickly eyes and he brought himself to a halt before he could even move down.


    "Where do you think you''re going ?" She asked sternly and he lowered his head in submission.


    He bit down on his lips as he trembled in his fit of rage. "I apologize¡­." He muttered through gritted teeth.


    "Keep your apology for your king since it seems misfortune loves you.."


    He gritted his teeth, stopping himself from replying while Rachael came down her horse thanks to her husband''s aid.


    A wry smile exuded his lips. "Calm down¡­"


    "Calm what ?" She muttered and pointed at the fruit. "That thing could kill us all if we''re not careful".


    He chuckled as she walked past him.


    "....I''ll burn it with the holy mes then".


    She carefully came down the cliff and walked up to the ck-looking tree.


    Michealo whispered as his sword appeared in the palm of his hand. "Obey the sound of my voice¡­.mystic de".


    He held it firmly as he watched his wife''s every move.


    She sped her hands together and whispered some words. A bright white me appeared at the palm of her hand when she opened it and a small sigh exuded her plum lips.


    She was once a temple knight of the Temple of Lucia. She served the god of casualties, Mayura that saved humanity from the grasp of darkness before she met Michaelo.


    She still remembered the countless number of times he broke into the Temple just to see her. She always chuckled at the thought whenever it crossed her mind.


    cing the fire on the tree and taking safe steps back, she watched as the fire spread and consumed the tree.


    It slowly burnt making crispy noises as a result of the burning of wood.


    She slowly turned around to walk away when a loud hollow scream, like the sound of a siren, projected in their ears.


    She turned around, rmed, when a branch of the tree was about to strike her away. Her husband appeared in an instant and sliced it off before it could even reach his wife.


    "Get behind me, Rachael"


    "What are you talking about ?" She walked next to him, and her sword, "lightsaber", appeared in her hands after saying the code. "We fight together, idiot"."


    They were both fully aware that if Michealo had not stopped the branch at the time, She would have seriously gotten hurt and the thought alone scared him.


    Sunken eyes and a hollow mouth formed on the trembling stic body of the ck tree as it began to uproot from the ground. The branch holding the fruit retreated higher as another branch stretched at them like an stic rubber.


    They jumped back, avoiding it, and it caused arge crater in the ground.


    ''...something like that  Almost hit my wife ?!'' Michael thought as a grim expression exuded on his face.


    He turned around at Alex.


    "Take my men and yours as far away from here as possible and ensure¡­.that not even one of them dies¡­.if not".


    Alex felt a chill creep up his spine as his heart was sent into a state of panic. ''All this bastard Juns ! See what the king does to you !''. He thought as he turned around. "Men follow me !".


    "...." Michealo turned towards his wife and a small sigh escaped his lips. "I can''t let you get hurt¡­."


    "Hmmm¡­.I know¡­" she nodded as they watched the gruesome sight before them.


    The inner surface of the tree began to twirl gruesomely as the hard bark turned into flesh. The branches retreated into its body as three pairs of fleshy beast hands stretched forth and ravaged the earth.


    It cried out as the main branch metamorphosed into a rhino-like head with hollow eyes and long canines.


    "Oh¡­..this is rather¡­." Rachael muttered as the beast let out a beastly cry.


    The red fruit appeared at the end of its crocodilian tail as it suddenly charged forward at them.


    Rachael jumped out of the way while Michealo stood still, raising his sword into the air.


    "Chapter 7 of the Jun Swordsmanship !" His aura increased explosively, far greater than what Gloria had formed.


    The aura spread around his body to the de of his sword, increasing strongly and explosively as he struck it down.


    The beast jumped out of the way and the strike extended towards the trees behind it.


    "Oh ! It''s smart!".


    Rachael cried out when she appeared above the  beast.


    It moved its head towards her direction and its tail struck her away in one full sweep.


    She blocked the hit with her sword and charged forward again.


    The beast swung one of its paws as it stood to four of his feet towards her when it suddenly felt a sharp stinging pain behind it.


    It turned around to find the perpetrator when it felt another stinging pain.


    It screamed out as its paw was sliced off


    "Pay attention to me you fool !" Rachael cried out as she twirled, slicing another one of its paws away.


    Its green blood spilled on the snow and it began to melt down into the ground.


    "Careful of the blood !" Michaelo screamed out as he swayed his sword horizontally. "3rd chapter- Fierce surge". His aura spread across his sword ,forming a coat,three times the length of his original sword.


    He sliced the two paws of its hind legs causing the beast to cry out in pain.


    It fell to the ground unable to maintain the bnce with just a pair of arms left.


    ".....to think I''ll see a beast with 6 arms".


    Rachael said as she walked towards its tail.


    "Are you cutting it off ?" Michaelo asked, walking towards its head.


    "Of course¡­.and you¡­you''re cutting its head off ?"


    He nodded as he raised his sword in the air.


    She did the same and simultaneously, they cut off its tail and head.


    The beasty motionless on the ground as Rachael pulled the tail by its end towards her husband.


    "Should we just burn it directly?"


    "Yes¡­.it''ll be more effective that way". Her husband replied with a small sigh. ''I guess¡­nothing major urred¡­.''


    The white me appeared on the palm of her hand as she set the fruit on fire directly.


    She watched as the red color of the fruit began to turn ck before settling as ash and whisking away into the air.


    Michaelo felt refreshed at the thought of aplishing their mission. Now that the fruit is gone, the forest will slowly revert to its original form. At first, he felt suspicious of the mission but now that all has been done, he felt like he could believe the king A little.


    "Should we leave now ?" He asked his wife with a satisfied expression spread on his face.


    She chuckled. "You''re just d nothing serious urred". She walked away with him as a blissful feeling swelled up in her chest. "Wonder what the kids-


    They froze on the spot as they felt a horrifying disgusting aura creep up on them. This wasn''t an energy that could be emitted by the small-time demons but the big bosses of their field.


    It was choking and spread a feeling of dread in their hearts.


    Rachael attempted to turn around when Michaelo stopped her. "Don''t even¡­move¡­"


    Cold sweat ran down their spine as Michaelo quickly took a step forward holding his wife disappearing and reappearing a long meter away from that spot.


    He turned around in an instant and drew out his sword as a dark red sword struck down on his.


    "Oh¡­.you can see me ?" The amount of power he held in his voice was more than enough to bring fear into the hearts of  the normal people and cripple those that attempted to ignore it.


    The air warped as arge figure in ck spiky armor appeared. He held a dark red greatsword and two long horns protruded from its forehead. Its tail was half its body length and its eyes were red with rage.


    "I am the 3rd Knight of the Demon Emperor known as Sulter, the Rage king".


    His introduction didn''t seem necessary as Michaelo could identify who he was.


    A demon who was the 2nd strongest in the rankings in Hades was well known all around the world.


    It said he brought down everything and anything that stood in its way to their knees in one hit.


    "You¡­.you burnt the fruit you know¡­.you know how long it takes to grow those ?" He said as he increased the strength of the grip of his sword.


    Michaelo groaned as he was forced into the ground. The stones pierced his armor but did not dig deep enough to deal actual damage to him.


    "You need to die¡­you and that woman¡­.you killed my pet like it was some chickling¡­.you have any idea what it took to groom that beast ?" His eyes smoldered with rage ,and contempt filled his expression. He felt disgust in his chest at their existence and he only thought of wiping them off the face of the earth.


    "Just die already"

 Chapter 16- Will to Protect

    It happened all in a matter of seconds as the snow frenziedly fell from the sky when Sulter appeared. Michealo still found it in himself to doubt his existence.


    If something like him were to be released into the world, the number of deaths that would be as a result would be drastic.


    ''I can''t let a being like this set loose into the world''.


    He struggled with his sword, trying to gain back momentum


    "...Oh¡­.you can fight still ?" He suddenly squeezed the hilt of the Sword, increasing the power seven folds.


    Michaelo groaned, his eyes.nearly going nk in the process. ''I nearly fell unconscious¡­'' He thought, looking up at Sulter.


    "You¡­..why do you keep struggling". His tone came rough and arrogant and he felt disgusted at his worthless struggle.


    His gaze slowly moved from Michaelo to Rachael.


    Her body felt frozen in ce as her eyes met his. She felt cold sweat fall down her spine with each moment and the only thought that ran through her mind was doom.


    ''....Michaelo¡­'' She thought, sadness in her heart, knowing fully well what was about to take ce.


    Sulter felt an unprecedented situation ur. His sword was being pushed back by a human.


    His gaze jumped back at Michaelo when he noticed something different about him. He clicked his tongue in annoyance and raised his sword in the air, mming it back down faster than a person could blink.


    It mmed the ground causing a loud explosion as pieces of rocks and snow floated in the air.


    He grunted as the particles in the air settled down and he regained his vision.


    "Tch¡­.you don''t want a quick death do you ?". He muttered ring at Michaelo and Rachael that were currently almost a whole kilometer away from them


    Michaelo panted deeply and heavily, resting slightly on his wife.


    ".....you talk alot¡­" he muttered in between breaths and a bulge of vein could clearly be seen pop out from Sulter''s forehead.


    He took a step forward to attack them when an invisible force held him back,pletely ceasing any more of his movement.  He clicked his tongue once again and pointed the Sword at them instead.


    "Come at me !" He cried out.


    Michaelo had noticed his failed attempt to charge at them and a smile slowly crept on my face. "Oh¡­.Seems like you won''t be able toe any closer than that¡­"


    Sulter remained quiet, his annoyance couldn''t even be expressed any more. "Are you¡­.picking a fight with me ?". He asked slowly, dropping his sword.


    "What do you mean by that ?! You''re gonna kill us even if we decide not to fight". Michaelo replied with a raised brow while keeping his smile up.


    His wife remained silent, she was well aware of therge difference in power and she didn''t intend on having a conversation with this being. If he so wanted It, he would have killed her in a single strike but the presence of her husband was more than enough to at least survive for some few hours.


    She was concerned about the words he altered. He was clearly aggravating the matter and she didn''t seem to understand why.


    Her hands shook lightly when Michaelo slowly held it, she looked at him and his expression calmed her down a bit.


    "Did you force your way into our world ?" Michaelo continued as Sulter''s expression continued getting darker. "I see¡­.so if youe any farther away from the gate you forcefully opened¡­.then you''re going to lose some of your strength¡­."


    "Hmm¡­..I shall erase your existence and your future lineage from this world¡­.if you speak one more time".


    He raised his sword in the air as red mana began to surge around his de.


    "I see¡­.to get this kind of reaction¡­." His smile slowly faded as he took a stance. Holding his swords with both of his hands and pointing it forward at Sulter. His glow of aura receded and instead of growing wildly and ferociously¡­it became refined and sharp.


    "Then I must be right"


    Sulter swung his de down with might causing a loud supersonic explosion and a red aura with lightning sparks emitted out of his sword with breakneck speed. The trees and snow vaporized into nothingness as it floated towards Michaelo.


    Michaelo''s eyes dted as white aura began to glow out of his eyes as his wife quickly rushed out of the way to a safer distance while hoping for the best. He exhaled and the air around him seemed to have been frozen in ce. "Chapter 12 of the Jun Swordsmanship....."


    He swung his de down but nothing appeared instead, what formed was beyond the scope of the eyes.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Atoms splits, the air splits and the red aura splits not into two but into a countless number of smaller tiny atoms.


    "....Atomic Surge"


    A white ball of uneven mass began to form in front of the tiny bits of red aura and what urred next was an event that wouldter strike fear in the hearts of many when they hear of the Jun.


    An explosion able to tten a whole town urred. Blowing out the trees and snow within its range of attack reaching even the skies clearing out the snow.


    Sulter''s body was split into two but it stopped at his abdomen and it began to instantly regenerate after the attack ceased. Sulter felt mesmerized by the power. He had never met a being able to slice his body in a perfect half even on Hades. All demons except his liege were unable to even hurt him.


    ''And yet a human?'' He thought when he felt a presence besides him.


    "The more you stay on earth¡­the weaker you get because the gate that connects our world is too small".


    His gaze slowly turned towards his right where Michaelo was preparing another attack while swinging his sword down towards his almost regenerated head.


    "Next e prepared".


    The aura around him changed as time froze.


    Sulter''s eyes bulged open in in awe ''time control ? A human ?''


    Michaelo''s sword emitted a colorless aura that could only be identified by the strong vapors it emitted.


    He swung it down and yet again "Chapter 12¡­.Atomic surge".


    The white ball formed in an instant as the same explosion urredpletely sweeping everything in its presence.


    The forest that was once blooming with trees now turned into a wastend with cratersrge enough to form rivers.


    "Oh¡­I like you¡­I like you alot" Sulter''s once arrogant tone turned into an excited little child as Michaelo turned toward his right. Far away from him, almost a kilometer away, an eye floating in the air began to regenerate and slowly formed the whole of his body. "I don''t know who you are on earth but I''m taking you back with me to Hades!


    I need you to be a demon so I can fight with you again !" He cried out withughter as his sword appeared in his regenerated hands. "Yes ! You''re right. I have less than seven minutes on earth ! But how long do you think you canst".


    Michaelo disappeared from his position causing a depression on the ground as he appeared before Sulter swinging his sword at the same time.


    "It won''t work a third time!" Sulter cried out as their de shed.


    The force of their strikes caused a great vibration on the earth, shaking the forests with great might.


    "Is this all you got ?!" Sulter cried outughing with an excited expression.


    Their des struck again causing the same effect as the speed of their attacks increased and the power escted explosively.


    If a normal human were to be in the presence of their battle, they would surely dissolve into the air like nothing.


    A clock sign appeared in Michaelo''s eyes, freezing time once again.


    ''This again ?'' Sulter thought. He was unable to move but his line of thought was still in ce.


    Michaelo swung his sword towards his neck when he felt a crack to the time he had paused causing a swelling pain in his guts.  He ignored it and before he could cleanly slice it off, Sulter broke free and blocked his attack causing blood to spew out of Michaelo''s mouth.


    "Huhhh¡­.can''t you not use petty tricks ?" Sulter said as he grabbed Michaelo by his leg.


    He mmed him on the ground causing a depression and swung him to the other side, mming him again.


    He attempted to m him on the other side when he felt his presence disappear.  "Oh¡­.so this is how you escaped¡­not only time¡­.but space as well ?". He slowly lowered his sword as Michaelo appeared above him swinging his sword down.


    "Not exactly" he said as he sliced through the air andnded behind him.


    ''Hm ?'' Sulter thought, turning around to swing his de at him when his hand suddenly fell off while blood began to spill to the ground. "Huh ?"


    "Oh ! It seems you''ve spent too long¡­.your regeneration isn''t working anymore". Michaelo hardened the grip on his sword and raised it up. He sliced his other hand off causing a gush of air to blow out at the end of his attack.


    Sulter felt bedazzled. ''He cut off my arms ?''. A snickering smile grew on his face as he jumped away, preventing Michaelo from attacking any further.


    "It seems¡­I may not be able to take you with me this time¡­.I still have four minutes left¡­.but the attack I''m about to use will most likely pull me back to Hades forcefully".


    He sighed. "Why don''t you juste with me ?"


    Michaelo took a step forward."I will have to decline your offer¡­.I have a wife and kids waiting for me you see"


    "Oh¡­.that insignificant woman standing next to you¡­." He asked with a solemn expression. "I must apologize as well¡­.to think I would have provocative thoughts with your wife¡­.I must have been a fool"


    Michaelo felt taken aback by his words. He raised a brow. "Why would you apologize ?"


    "I am a demon. We respect the strong and all those who follow the strong. If you were a demon. You would surely surpass me in terms of destructive powers¡­..but it''s a shame¡­.you were born as a human".


    "..." Michaelo could not find the words he could use to reply to his remark. It was something he heard for the first time and nheless from a demon.


    "Humans use political power to control the masses¡­.something like that shouldn''t be allowed. We demons shalle to im yournd and rule you properly not by social power or money but by absolute strength"


    "...but why are you telling me all this ?" Michaelo asked. He couldn''t find a reason why he would tell him so much about their ns.


    "If you really survive this attack¡­..then fight with me during our invasion. It shall ur ten years from now when the sun and moon meets and the gates weaken then the demons shall tread upon the earth"


    "..." Michaelo sighed. He had no intention whatsoever to let himself die now. He still had children to protect and a wife to love. There was more to this world than just power and especially when you''ve found Love. "Even as a human I am stronger than you".


    "Oh¡­" Sulter sighed as a ball of ck mass began to form over his head. It grew exponentially in size, forming a perfect sphere as tiny red balls began to emit out of the ck ball and surround it forming two rings opposite each other. "Why do you say so ?"


    Michaelo''s body began to emit a colorless aura. Something simr to steam. "The Will to protect those you love¡­."


    "ck atom¡­." Sulter said as the ball speedily floated over towards Michaelo in an instant. "Will to protect those you love ?" Heughed out loud. "Let''s see how far that kind of strength canst against me"


    "You see¡­." Michaelo split the air and a thin line formed and slowly opened up like a zipper. "....if you don''t have that¡­how do you intend to be strong ?"


    The line formed a pathway to a dark-filled space with tiny bits of light as it swallowed the ball in a heartbeat.

 Chapter 17 - coming home

    "...." Sulter was stupefied at the sight before him. The thin line that was formed wasn''t something a human should be able to do. "....you¡­made a connection with space ?" He muttered as the invincible force began to wrap around him. Slowly bing more visible to the naked eyes.


    "...what¡­What exactly is your power ?" He asked with a baffled tone. He had never felt this sort of way before. He held this human with much regard now. He only wanted to know more about him. "Answer me¡­"


    "...I can''t say the whole thing since eyes are watching¡­." Michaelo answered, referring to the soldiers from the king''s court.


    Sulter clicked his tongue when a red dome surrounded them both. "Alright¡­.now can you reply ?"


    Michaelo chuckled. "I don''t control space¡­.but position. I have the ability to change positions with anything and anyone. It is called CONTROL OVER MATTER".


    "...such a power exists in the human world ?" He asked as his body slowly faded towards a small hole in the air above the location of where his pet died.


    "Hah¡­" Michaelo chuckled. "It would surprise you¡­the powers of humans are not to be underestimated"


    "Hmmm¡­.this is good information¡­.I shalle back stronger and mightier¡­.expect me¡­Master¡­."


    "Michaelo¡­.Michaelo Jun".


    "Jun ?" Sulter repeated with an amused expression. Heughed out loud when his presence was just about to disappear and said "That exins it".


    Michaelo felt relieved as the pain and fatigue broke out in his body. He felt an immense pain rile up in his chest as he coughed out blood. His vision began to turn blurry when he heard the voice of his wife. '' Oh...such a lovely tone'' and with a short sigh of relief. He fell unconscious on her open arms.


    She patted his head lightly as beads of tears streamed down her eyes. "You did it¡­.you really did it". She muttered in between her mellow tears as she slowly lowered down to the ground. The saying went as" great power doesn''te without a great risk" and she was the only one well aware of what he had to pay in order to gain that strength.


    A few minutes passed when Alex walked up to them with slow steps. ''Monsters ! F*cking Monsters ! How the f*ck am I supposed to exin this to the King ?'' He pondered with a nervous expression.


    "....Ma¡­Ma¡­Master Rachael¡­" he managed to call out on getting close to them.


    "Call the Calvary¡­.we''re retreating back to the mansion" she said without waiting for any of his remarks.


    "..un¡­.understood" he bowed and turned around to walk away when he noticed the blood thirst in the air. He froze on the spot as cold sweat dripped down his back.


    "....was the King aware ? That the gate to Hades was weakened in this area ?"


    He pondered on his thoughts before uttering any word because he was well aware that the wrong statement would cost him a head.


    "....how¡­could he be aware ?" He replied as strongly as he could.


    She remained silent for a while before dismissing him.


    She bit down on her lips as she stared at her Michaelo''s face. "Just how far do you want to push my husband¡­..uncle"


    ''Well¡­..at least the kids couldn''t have experienced an event worse than this¡­.'' She thought while trying to calm her nerves.


    ******


    The night was long and monotonous, but the moon couldn''t possibly stay up in the sky for too long.


    The sun had finally shown its face, warming the hearts of many that were alive to see another day and closing the stories of many that couldn''t live to see this day.


    The Jun''s residence was a mess. Most of the guards and maids were nowhere to be seen but the few that were located were all locked up in the storage room of the main mansion.


    The Jun Kids all sat on a table setting at the veranda of the Main Mansion as the maids left, served them some food while the guards left, cleaned up the parts of the mansion that was destroyed. Well, all except one.


    It was a gloomy atmosphere and a wearied expression exuded their faces while Jerome stood and watched them from the small fence.


    "....why so gloomy ?" He asked with a sigh.


    They slowly turned their gaze at him and with an annoyed expression, looked away with a sigh.


    ".....we nearly got killed by our uncle" Morganna said, pondering on the series of events that urred.


    "....honestly¡­.It was so tiring¡­.I felt I could die with a single slip up" Reba nodded her headn/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "At least we survived" Raffaelo pinched in as his expression slowly wrinkled. "I hope father and mother return safely".


    They remained silent in contemtion when Jerome burst outughing. "Don''t ruin the atmosphere you bunch of chicklings !"


    "Chicklings ?!" Fiona repeated feeling hurt¡­probably for another reason.


    "Your dad is the strongest person I know. He''s definitelying back safely"


    "....." Raffaelo pondered on his words. ''True¡­.father was extremely strong¡­but after the King sent him on countless missions¡­he began to age quickly and suddenly he died two yearster¡­..I still don''t understand how¡­.'' He thought as a small sigh exuded his lips. ''Bit this time¡­..'' He stared at Reba, gaining her attention.


    She raised a brow confused and his solemn expression slowly turned into a smile. "Yeah¡­.they''lle back safely" he nodded his head. ''Reba''s safe''


    Gloria was still unconscious and was sleeping soundly on a couch in the room leading to the veranda.


    "If anything¡­you guys should be excited" Jerome said, folding his hands.


    They nced at each other before Thalia asked. "Why ?"


    "You were able to fight back against your uncle¡­.that''s no easy feet for chicklings"


    "Chicklings ?!" Fiona repeated again in a fit of rage.


    "Ha ha ha¡­.why do you keep repeating it?" Jerome chuckled, staring at Fiona.


    Her cheeks bloomed red as she twirled her hair. "I¡­I don''t know what you''re talking about"


    Her siblings had a wry smile on their faces, all thinking of the same thing ''don''t make it so obvious''


    Jerome chuckled.


    ''He''s right though¡­.'' Raffaelo thought slowly, staring at his palms. ''Thanks to Phillip¡­.I''ve been able to learn a lot of things¡­.''. He slowly closed his eyes, then opened them as he looked around the veranda.


    He was able to see their flow of mana and how much mana they had. Their pulses, the flow of blood and even the flow of neutrons from the brain. He could tell each of them from the other.


    It wasn''t just subjected to what was before him, it saw through objects and the maids as well.


    ''This will surelye in handy''


    "Mister Jerome¡­.you mentioned our father¡­.did he really send you here ?" Morganna asked, her gaze not leaving him for even a minute. She seemed to have grown a deep resentment to the things that have unfolded. Not only were they betrayed by their family but even those she thought were special to the family.


    "Not to worry¡­" Jerome chuckled, nodding his head at the same time as he saif "It''s good to be cautious¡­but if you don''t have the strength to back up that kind of resolve¡­it''ll be meaningless"


    "....." Morganna remained quiet, still staring at him. His remark made her reconsider her line of thoughts. He had a point, a basis without some kind of backing doesn''t mean a thing in this world and someone like her that''s an advocate of peace would find it even more difficult.


    "Not all peace is tranquil" he continued. "I noticed¡­.that you''re the only one out of your siblings that possesses neither a mana circle nor a mana star¡­.you will need to get one at least if you want to promote peace¡­."


    Her siblings couldn''t take their eyes off her. Jerome had a point and it was something they wanted her to consider.


    Morganna slowly stood up from her seat. "I''m done with my meal". She muttered slowly walking into the room of the building.


    "You think she''ll change her mind ?" Reba asked when Morganna left.


    "Well¡­I''m sure she will, it worked on me didn''t it ?" Thalia replied, sipping her cup of tea.


    Raffaelo nced at his sisters as memories of his past life shed through his line of thoughts. He could still remember how persistent she was in not learning either magic or the Sword even though she was well aware of the dangers she was going to go through as a member of the Jun family.


    ''Well she''s smart¡­she''s not someone I need to worry about''.


    They continued their conversations for a little while longer when they heard the sound of horses marching towards their gates.


    Jerome turned around first as his lips curled into a blissful smile


    "It seems they''ve finally returned".


    The excitement that followed was in no short of words as Raffaelo and the girls turned towards the gates.


    A guard quickly rushed up and opened it up revealing Rachael as she led the tired-looking Calvary into the building.


    Their expressions slowly twisted into worry, noticing the unconscious body of their fatherying limply on their mother''s back.


    "....seems they had a bit of trouble as well¡­."

 Chapter 18- Royal message

    Raffaelo POV.


    Time passed by quite quickly after the battle against Uncle Phillip and more than a week had already passed.


    During that week, Gloria was unconscious until a few days ago when she finally woke up.


    It was relieving to find her training on the training fields again after all that time.


    ''Well, now¡­.she''s going to be more focused on getting stronger".


    I currently reside in Mother''s mansion since my Father''s mansion was undergoing reconstruction after the battle but my sisters couldn''t find the time to trouble me since they had other things to take care of.


    Gloria, Fiona and Reba left for the Republic of Lumbrica¡­the capital of our country. They were attending the Homeric Academy of Gifted children.


    It''s an institution that''s more or less like a school but for Kids with talents in magic or Swordsmanship. It doesn''t have to be those two either, all kinds of talents are weed.


    The academy takes in new students every year and you must have at least reached 15 before getting in, meaning five years from now after the battle of the families I have to attend the academy and Reba is also taking the entrance examination this year. She''ll be safe with Gloria and Fiona so I don''t need to worry about her and the exam isn''t something she would fret over as well


    ''In my previous life¡­the academy was more like torture for me¡­..though I met some very interesting people at the time¡­.especially Annie¡­.my former fiancee¡­.''


    I sighed as I looked down at the pavement.


    The snow had finally stopped falling and signs of spring were finally blooming out.


    I didn''t really have anything to do throughout the week.


    ''I''ve done so much mental training that I''ve gotten sick of it''. I thought.


    Thalia went back to Juvenile Law school but she seems to be preparing to get into Homeric Academy. It''s a good thing too since I won''t have any family waiting for me when I get over there. Morganna on the other hand seems to be holding a grudge on us¡­I think.


    "Raph.. " and just like the saying goes speak of the devil and she appears.


    I slowly turned around to face her. "....Yes sister ?"


    She was still wearing her night dress.


    "...you must have overslept" I muttered as she walked closer to me, fisting her sleepy eyes.


    "Is that how it seems¡­." She muttered as she yawned loudly. "I can''t find the new maid¡­where is she ?"


    "You mean Prisci¡­."


    "..yes¡­her¡­I need to take my bath and all¡­.where is she ?" She repeated her earlier statement as she stared down the window as well.


    After the whole incident, my mum ensured to find every single one of our maids and guards that abandoned us. The punishment given to them wasn''t light either since it was a straight banishment. Well it''s a suitable punishment since The Jun family has a generation old torture room in the basement. No one really liked to talk about that till now.


    The head cook and Charmie escaped. There wasn''t a single trace of them in the towns surrounding us so I figured they either bailed out of the country or had someone really high up there protecting them.


    She stared at the big tree next to the mansion and let out a small sigh. "Why do you think those maids betrayed us ?"


    ''Is she still caught up with that ?'' I thought with a puzzled expression. She never really mentioned anything about it since then, retreating to herself.


    "Why do you ask ?" I asked with a raised brow.


    She turned towards me with an expression that seemed to mature for a 12 year old.


    "What is it ?" I asked.


    "....I''m going to pick a sword....since  humans don''t try to get along it''s only right I do something about it¡­"


    ''Wait ?! She holed up in herself for a whole week just toe out with that conclusion''


    A small chuckle escaped my lips but I couldn''t hold back theughter that came right after.


    She stared at me, baffled at my reaction. "Is it that funny ?" She muttered pouting her lips.


    "No¡­not at all" I patted her head. ''Little girl¡­there is so much to this world you don''t know yet¡­.'' I thought as memories of her in my past life filmed through my head.


    "Huh ?" She mumbled out but didn''t reject my hand.


    "Don''t worry about needless thing¡­.firstly¡­protect something¡­.you should find power to protect something¡­.the Jun family especially focuses on bonds and love¡­so¡­find something you wish to protect".


    She stared at me nkly. I couldn''t tell what went through her mind but it sure wasn''t going to be some girly thought.


    "You talk like an old man". She turned around and walked away in an instant leaving me with an almost suffocated expression.


    "She came out so mean" the familiarughter projected in my ears as a presence suddenly appeared on the rail of my window.


    "You''re still here¡­Mr Jerome ?" I mumbled some few words looking up at the dignified dark skinned man before me. ''This man really saved our a*ses back then''.


    "Sorry sorry¡­.your dad''s calling you to his study¡­I came to tell you that"  he said, jumping into my new room.


    I couldn''t help but gaze at his toned muscles and dignified structure. Don''t get me wrong, I''m straight.


    "You want to build your body as well don''t you" he asked almost like he could read through my thoughts.


    Well, there was no way he could.


    "Yes¡­.do you have a routine ?" I asked, getting up from the stool and walking out of the room with him behind me.


    "Well¡­body building isn''t exactly easy you know¡­.and most Swordsmen skip through it".


    Well body building may not seem like a necessary factor for a swordsman but there are times when we''ve got to be a man and use our fists. In my past life, I was as slim as a broomstick. Well not literally but in that sense.


    "It''s necessary" I replied as I got to my Father''s study. Well it belongs to my Mother but they seem to use it together more often these days.


    ''Now that I think about it¡­.since after that battle¡­.they''ve been focusing on training and understanding the ways of the Sword¡­..did something happen that I''m not aware of ?'' I thought as the door clicked open before I could get hold of the handle.


    A slim brown haireddy with hazel eyes slowly opened the door. I noticed the dress she was putting on. ''The head maid¡­'' I thought as my trait activated on its own and I noticed her number of stars. It tends to do that these days.


    ''Anyways¡­.an 8th star maid¡­.not bad father''


    She sped her hand on her mouth as her gaze met mine and bowed. "Good day young Lord".


    ''Young Lord? I like that¡­..but¡­Why am I young¡­?''N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "...good day" I replied and nodded my head as I turned my gaze to a petrified Jerome.


    ''Huh ? Is this a love triangle?'' I thought, noticing the red blush on his cheeks. ''Do people''s cheeks just turn red when they see an attractive person they like¡­jeez''


    I walked into my Father''s study, locking it from behind and leaving Jerome to handle whatever situation that was.


    "Good day, Father".


    He looked up from the small newspaper he was reading and his lips curled into a proud smile. "Is there something on my face ?" I asked out of curiosity, chucking a little at the same time.


    "Of course not¡­what could be so funny in that unattractive face of yours". My mothers taunts projected in my ears and I slowly turned to my left where sheid down in an undignified position on a sofa while reading a novel.


    There were shelves of books surrounding the walls of the room and only two windows served as the venttion and source of light. ''With this kind of setting¡­it''s no wonder they have six kids''


    I chuckled at the thought and she furrowed her brow as if reading my mind.


    ''Are all of you psychic now ?'' I sighed. "Mother you jest, I''m a handsome kid just so you know". I turned around to face my Father ignoring her words. It''s true.


    Even in my past life, I was regarded as too "beautiful" for a guy because of my white hair and  eyes.


    "This kid !" She cried out, adjusting her position as my fatherughed.


    "Let''s get to the reason I called you here shall we"


    "But¡­before that¡­.Father¡­you got an 8th star maid ?" I asked, remembering thedy that I had just met outside.


    The question seemed to hold more weight than I actually thought.


    "How did you know ?" My mother asked.


    My gaze jumped to her and we stared into each other''s eyes. I did get these particr eyes from her.


    "My trait¡­.I can see it" I replied.


    My father seemed bbergasted while my Mother just clicked her tongue. "The Jun family". She muttered and continued with her novel.


    "Anyways¡­Raffaelo¡­.I think it''s about time". My father pinched in and he said just the right words to peak my interest.


    I turned my gaze towards him in an instant beaming with excitement. The Jun Family technique. Once you be a 5th star and possess a trait, you begin your training in earnest.


    There are exactly 13 techniques each with its own difficulty in mana control and strength. It''s something we pass down only to our direct lineage and if allowed, our partner. Luckily, the male heads of the Jun family don''t favor polygamy mostly because they''re a bunch of lover boys.


    Well, that includes me too.


    "The Jun Swordsmanship Training¡­it''ll be good for you to start in earnest so you can make preparation for the battle of the family".


    I nodded my head without waiting for him to exin the rest.  He chuckled.


    "You little kid¡­.do you think the Jun Swordsmanship Training is some joke ?" My mother asked with a disapproved tone.


    ''Is she one of those¡­.tsundere mum ? Is that a thing ?'' I pondered on my thoughts, almost forgetting she asked me a question.


    "....I  want to get as strong as I can¡­.after all¡­I intend on protecting my mum" I replied with a childish smile.


    She stared at me nkly.


    "That may had worked 3 years ago but not again"


    I felt a piece of arrow poke my heart at her remark. ''Why are all the women being mean to me this morning ?" I thought quickly, turning to my father. "Can we please start¡­.?" I asked.


    He chuckled, enjoying my predicament as he got up from his chair.


    I felt satisfied with my parents'' reactions. It meant we were still a close family.


    ''At least¡­.no more drama for a while¡­.''


    Or so I thought when we heard a loud horn sound from outside. A sound that sent chills down my spine without me even realizing it. ''PTSD¡­'' I thought as my dad looked out through the window.


    "As expected¡­..the royal messenger"

 Chapter 20- Greenhorn

    I could hear my name faintly being called as my focus slowly returned back to me.


    A yawn escaped my lips as I slowly looked up to meet the eyes of my sister.


    "Morganna¡­?" I muttered as she pointed out the window.


    ''Oh¡­.we''ve made it'' I thought as the beautiful scenery before me stirred a nostalgic feeling within. My family may think this is my first time arriving here but the memories of my past life made it painfully clear that it wasn''t.


    The capital wasrge and beautiful. It was adorned with numerous arts and sculptures because the first King was a fan of it. He intended on creating a city just for that single purpose of creating master art pieces though over the years, with each new King that reigned, a new dream aspired and as such, the Capital flourished in all aspects.


    The streets were always bustling with people and Carriages were the norm here. It was hard to find this kind of economy at this period of time making The kingdom of Lumbrica one of the Five great Kingdoms.


    "We''ll arrive at our Mansion in a bit¡­" my dad said as my gaze slowly moved towards him. He looked like he had been overthinking again seeing the expression he had on his face. He was always transparent, it''s no wonder my mum doesn''t find him difficult.


    I nodded in response and continued to watch the scenery past us as we headed towards our Mansion.


    ****


    About an hour more and the floral white gates of our Mansion were slowly opened up for us by two guards.


    My attention was fixed on their outfit revealing they were royal guards of the King. ''Till the end¡­this man is trying to get a grasp on us¡­.well, I''ll just have to handle it eventually''.


    We passed by a water fountain before the carriage slowly came to a stop in front of a mansion far bigger than the one we lived in at Pasville.


    "When will Reba and the others get here ?" I asked as I jumped down the carriage.


    "We arrived quite a while ago"


    The familiar voice projected in our ears as we looked up the stairs.


    Reba, Thalia, Fiona and Gloria waved at us with a bright smile on their faces.


    They were each in their academy uniform and just as I thought, Reba got in seeing as she was putting on the greenhorn uniform.


    "When did you arrive?" My mum inquired as she climbed up to meet them while I turned around to my Father.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Father¡­.if you don''t mind then I wish to take a walk around the capital¡­".


    It is supposedly my first day and I was curious to see how the public was faring now. You can never tell how much you''ve changed the future, until you observe more.


    My dad stared at me with a disapproving expression. I could tell he was going to be reluctant when Reba stepped in."I''ll go with him then¡­" she added as she smiled at me.


    I returned her expression with a sigh of relief. My Dad nodded his head as he went after Morganna and mother that were already heading to the mansion.


    "Is there a reason you want to look around ?" She asked.


    I shook my head while taking quick nces at the same time as we headed back to the gates.


    "Nothing in particr¡­."


    "....is there something on my face ?" She asked.


    I shook my head. ''Well damn¡­she''s pretty in that uniform¡­''. Sometimes, I always get this momentary realization that my sisters are pretty during random moments like this.


    "I can''t wait to get in Homeric that''s all"


    "..Oh¡­Well I''m sure it would be easy for you". She nodded her head when we stopped by at the gates for the guards to open it up.


    They stood like monumental statutes at both sides of the gate, each holding a northern style sword called a katana at the time.


    ''I remember these weapons¡­'' it wasn''t anything too noteworthy but the katana was an interesting weapon because of its structure. The sword was invented almost 50 years ago for a man whose origin was unknown. Well, the details don''t matter.


    My sister was about to open the gate when a sigh escaped my lips.


    "Oi¡­are you going to keep acting like poles or should I remind you about your job". I said, reaching out my hand to stop her from touching the gates but as I suspected, there was no response.


    I still had not formed my soul weapon and it''s something that would take ce during my Jun Swordsmanship Training so I always carried a sword around my full body length on my waist.


    I drew out the Sword and walked up to the one on the left.


    Guards at the gate only have one purpose. Hinder intruders and open up the gates for nobility.


    They''re probably doing this out of disrespect.


    "There''s no need to go so far¡­.." I  could hear Reba''s calm voice but still, this was most rational for me.


    I sliced off his right hand and the pain was surely too unbearable for him to stand like a statue.


    "Oh¡­so you can move ?"


    "Are you insane ?!" The other guard yelled out as he rushed to the aid of the other one who was fumbling on the ground in pain while holding his bleeding hand.


    "You may have to get him to a clinic if you don''t want him to die of blood loss.


    The man red at me as he attempted to draw his sword.


    "You realize we are guests of the King right ?"


    The guard stopped for a second but then his contempted filled face only worsened as he said. "The King called you here to find a new dog. He couldn''t care less about your wellbeing".


    I slowly turned to Reba who had been observing quietly. Her gaze jumped from the man to mine and she let out a defeating sigh. "Hmm¡­I thought as much as well" she muttered.


    The gates slowly creaked open as they walked out.


    I shrugged and walked out with Reba.


    "It''s a good thing Father brought some of his guards with him".


    I always wondered why guards were considered important since the ones being protected are far stronger than the guards themselves.


    Well, these are matters that remain unquestionable. You need the guards to protect the noble, well most times it feels like nobilities are the one doing the protecting.


    "Should we check the market ce ? I heard there''s a shop where potions are sold" I asked my sister, noticing her thoughtful expression.


    Just like my dad, she was transparent with her emotions.


    "If you let the weak bully you from the on-set, it''ll get to a point when they feel entitled and getting back at them will be a headache on your part¡­."


    From the memories of my past life, the number of times I almost got expelled for findall standing up for myself against bullies was numerous. That''s why this time, I intend on entering with a Bang.


    She shook her head as if driving the thoughts away.


    "Don''t mind me¡­" she muttered as she held out her hand, grabbing mine.


    I stared at it, baffled and looked up at her. "....I''m¡­not a child anymore¡­.". I''ve never mentioned it but my sisters were tall for a girl. No offense but they were. Gloria was 5, 8 while Fiona was 5, 9


    ''I was 6, 1 in my past life though''.


    She chuckled at my expression ignoring my remark and one-sidedly pulled me forward. "Let''s go¡­.we only have a few hours till we have to leave for the ball at noon.


    ''A ball ?'' I thought. ''The King intends on masking it as a party huh¡­''. We continued talking while walking while ignoring the human presence I felt on the trees.


    ******


    Just like I said, the streets were bustling with people and this was my first timeing out in the open like this since I''ve mostly been focused on getting stronger.


    My gaze moved around at the countless stands and the diverse number of people from all races.


    Eleves, dwarves, beastmen and all sorts of other creatures hiding behind their masks.


    My sister stopped when we got in front of a wooden hut with a potion sign on the front.


    ''Oh¡­.She found one so quickly¡­''


    I turned towards her. "You¡­.you didn''te here with a guy right ?"


    Her expression seemed flustered to my question and she awkwardly avoided my gaze. "What nonsense are you saying ? It was only a friend outing".


    A wry smile appeared on my face. ''Clueless girl''


    She was about to open the door when a very unfamiliar voice called up her name in surprise.


    I turned around quickly and my gaze was fixed on a brown haired boy with hazelnut eyes behind his huge round sses. He wore the same homeric uniform as my sister though the male version of it and on both of his hands were bags containing what I presumed would be herbs.


    "Oh¡­." I muttered, well he is cute.


    "Phestus ?!" She screamed out his name, her cheeks glowing red.


    ''Oh¡­this seems good''


    "I didn''t know you helped the blind too" the boy said with a bright smile. Well, as cute as he seemed I guess he was also clueless. Moments like this I don''t even need to get angry because my sisters seem to like my eyes a lot.


    "What did you just say ?" Her voice came out colder than she probably wanted to but he got the message clearly.


    Shifting back a little while adjusting his sses he said. "Wait ? Is this your brother ?!"


    ''Oh¡­.he''s quick-witted too''.  I slowly looked up at my sister and whispered. "I like him¡­"


    Her face froze up and she looked away. I chuckled.


    "I''m Raffaelo, her younger brother" I stretched my arm up for a hand shake.


    He walked up closer and stoked it. "I''ve heard so much about you¡­.it''s nice meeting you in person. I''m Phestus Greenhorn"


    "Nice to meet you....GREENHORN!!!"


    My expression changed on hearing his surname again.


    My sister and  Phestus stared at me with a baffled expression and I quickly shook my head.


    "...is there a reason you''re out here ?" He asked, staring at Reba.


    She looked away shyly. "Just came to check some of your potions out".


    He chuckled. "Thene on in¡­"


    He led us in, shutting it close from behind.


    The room was filled with the pungent smell of herbs and concoctions. On the shelves were all sorts of bottles of potions and some others had ingredients. There didn''t seem to be any form of venttion except for the air vent on the ceiling and the two windows at either side of the room.


    A woman was a dark shade under her eyes and big gloomy sses stood behind the counter while giving us a quick look down.


    "Hey mum, I brought the herbs"


    She gave the boy a bright smile as Reba and Phestus walked up closer to the counter


    "Good day, Miss Greenhorn" I heard my sister say as my thoughts slowly organized themselves.


    In my past life, in order to get better results while gaining strength, a potion was more than a basic necessity. Especially in battle, once vitality was the deciding factor in all.


    The top-tier Alchemy shop at the time was The Greenhorn household. They experienced theplete opposite of what we went through. What I mean is that they rose up from grass to grace and became future influencers of the King because of their astounding talents in alchemy.


    ''For Reba to get in touch with the eldest son, Phestus Greenhorn ... .well this is good''.

 Chapter 21- Bruno

    My lips curled into a smile as I walked towards the counter as well.


    "Oh¡­so this is the only son of the Jun family ?" The woman muttered as she gave me a thorough look. Her brows slowly furrowed up and I was fully aware of the reason why she would have that kind of expression.


    ".....you¡­How can you use both of them ?" She asked while my sister let out a sigh.


    Phestus stared at both of us with a baffled expression as he dropped the bag on the counter.


    "That''s why I came here" I muttered with a wry expression. It couldn''t be helped, since I would have to wait till I''m a master before I could hide my aura or mana heart then it would be best to use a potion instead.


    She held up her chin.


    "A potion that can hide one''s aura¡­..I do have one¡­.but it only works on one of them...." She muttered slowly.


    "....." Phestus seemed to want to say something when he decided to remain quiet.


    ".....hah !" She yelled out as if she had just reached a hypothesis.


    Well, alchemists were really rational sets of people at times. Few of them even decide to be a mage.


    "Though it might take some days to get it prepared¡­I do have something else that''ll suppress it for you for only a day¡­..at least for now".


    Well I didn''t really expect much in the first ce but I was more curious about Whatever she had in mind than whatever she had right now.


    "Can¡­can we go get the ingredients ? Money isn''t exactly a problem for us¡­." My words may havee out a bit arrogant but it was true.


    She stared at me with a baffled expression before suddenly bursting out withughter.


    "Oh¡­you''re a funny one¡­" she turned towards Reba. "He causes a lot of trouble doesn''t he ?".


    She nodded her head relentlessly.


    ''Oh..way to go sister¡­and you''re supposed to have my back ?'' I did feel a little hurt but it''s not something I can''t handle.


    "Alright then¡­." She wrote down some things on paper. "As long as you pay the right fees, then there''s no potion we won''t concoct".


    She handed the paper to Phestus and when he looked over it, he turned towards me in bewilderment.


    "You have both ?" He cried out.


    ''Well¡­I should be the one surprise¡­.you understood what the potion was for by just looking through the ingredients ?!'' My lips curled into a smile.


    "Your brother''s amazing ! Reba"


    She looked up with a smug expression.


    ''Too cute¡­.'' My gaze quickly turned towards Phestus and he had the reaction I had expected from him.


    He quickly adjusted his sses walking towards the door and Reba quickly walked out towards him, urging him to slow down.


    I slowly observed them when the woman behind the counter said "You see it too don''t you¡­the sparks"


    I chuckled with a smile. "Young couples these days huh¡­"


    "Oh¡­your sister was right¡­you really do talk like someone that''s not your age".


    I shrugged slowly, cing my hands on the counter. I had some questions I needed to confirm of course.


    "When did she first arrive here ?"


    Her intense gaze which was fixed on mine seemed so petrifying, almost like she could see through my soul.


    "Ever since the practical exams¡­.He came home with several injuries on his body¡­.it''s a surprise he was somehow able to recover quickly" .


    ''I see¡­''. It wasn''t a new urrence, he was probably beaten because of his weakness inbat. His mana level was only at the 4th level barely able to make the cut-off.


    "Hmm¡­so she most likely saved him huh¡­"


    "....most likely¡­.It would be nice if he''s able to get a little stronger than he is now¡­.I''m a little worried you know".


    A thought crossed through my mind. "I can ask an elder sister of mine to help him out".


    "Oh¡­..well if you think you can help¡­" she said, her words lingering on each sentence. It seemed like she had second thoughts but what sort of hidden intentions could a ten year old possibly have.


    "Alright then". I turned around to leave when she called out to me. I slowly turned my face towards her with an inquisitive expression.


    She smiled. "You''ll be attending five years from now, won''t you ?"


    ''Hmm ?'' I thought, debating on her words. Now it was my turn to wonder if she had hidden intentions behind It, though that could just be me overthinking it. "Yes I will".


    "Alright then¡­I look forward to it".


    I nodded and quickly walked out of the room in an attempt to avoid her stinging gaze.


    NORMAL POV.


    Right after the door clicked, the woman''s smile slowly faded and the atmosphere beside her began to warp as a boy with simr features as Phestus appeared. The only difference would be the freckles on his face.


    "He seems interesting" the boy said while nonchntly crossing his legs as he floated in mid air with a book in his hand.


    "He''s the same age as you¡­."


    "Hmm¡­.he doesn''t look like the other kids from the 12 great families either¡­"


    The woman sighed as she slowly turned her gaze to the boy. "It''s still too early to judge¡­he shouldn''t be able to measure up to you by the time you take the examination"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "...if you say so¡­" the boy ignored her stern expression and continued reading his book. "Oh¡­are you really going to let Phestus mingle with that Jun girl ?"


    "...she''s an interesting girl. I might make use of her when the timees".


    Her tone and voice came out rigid and stern in contrast with the tone she had used with Raffaelo and the rest. It may seem that her true nature isn''t what it''s portrayed to be.


    "There''s nothing to lose either way". She chuckled.


    A sigh exuded the boy''s handsome face as his body slowly faded into the atmosphere. "You''re crazy".


    ****


    Raffaelo walked quietly behind his sister and Phestus as they headed towards what they called the central garden.


    It was more of a botanical building where nts and herbs were grown formercial purposes.


    He seemed keen on their conversation and he was getting bored of it after walking what seemed like hours.


    ''I wonder if I''m this tired because of my body....I really need to start exercising''


    They got to a flight of stairs and slowly found their way up ignoring the guards that stood at each corner while observing the people that went in.


    Raffaelo slowly let out a yawn as his gaze slowly looked up from the ground to meet the worried looks from his sister and Phestus. He sighed.


    "What¡­what is it ?" He muttered.


    "Sorry, I don''t really know what to say that could be of interest to you.." Phestus said with an intense gaze focused on him.


    "Hope you don''t feel left out¡­" Reba muttered with the same expression.


    ''Oh¡­they''re even making the same expressions now¡­how cute''.


    They finally made their way up the stairs when Phestus was pushed back by an unfamiliar figure.


    He was about to snap at the person when a frightened expression appeared on his face. Reba didn''t seem pleased either as she quickly strode to his front.


    A young blonde boy with a smug look on his face, stared at them as some boys slowly walked up behind him.


    "Oh ! If it isn''t Ph*niusWarlock" the boy said with a childish tone in his voice.


    ''Oh¡­.he looks familiar¡­'' He noticed the group of boys that stood behind him. ''Bullies ?''


    My sister red at him. "What do you want ? Bruno¡­"


    ''Hah !....Bruno Pheran¡­.the 5th varsal family of the Imperial King himself and also the son and 2nd child of the owner of the Central garden''.


    Regrettable memories crossed through his mind as he stayed still behind them during the situation.


    He didn''t really need to do a thing since Reba was with him. The problem was Bruno just happened to take one unique feature of his father, the King at the time. Craftiness.


    It was something he wasn''t able to handle with just his power alone.


    "My name isn''t that !" Phestus cried out as Bruno''s expression slowly turned into a scowl.


    "Try not saying that behind a girl''s back next time".


    ''.....well damn¡­.that''s going to leave a spot''


    "What do you want ?" Reba questioned, her expressions turning colder. It seemed like he made a mistake without even realizing it.


    A group of boys, 4 in number began to walk out behind him each calling out his name as if they had been upied with something.


    "Oh ! Its Ph*nisWarlock and the Ice Princess !" One of them yelled out. A chubby fellow at that.


    Raffaelo could feel the urge to burst out augh when he held up his mouth to hold it tight. ''They''re all from the vassal families¡­what is this ? League of the Vassals ?''.


    The current King was an individual with great wisdom and skills since he was able to guide the town for so long but sometimes he would grow weary of his wife and sleep with other women from other households.


    Those that got identally pregnant be part of his vassal family.


    The 7 vassal families were more like a vermin to the Imperial Family before he regressed and they were also youngsters his age that attended the Academy.


    "It would be best if you avoid causing any issues". Reba said with a stern tone in her voice. She was prepared to summon her sword, the moment he tried anything funny.


    Bruno chuckled as he shook his head.


    He turned away from them and walked closer to the stairs.


    "Let''s go boys¡­we still have other things to take care of". He said when he stopped next to Raffaelo.


    His gaze centered on him. "So you''re being nice to Blind people now" he chuckled as his friends walked past him. "Tsk¡­that kind of careless righteousness will be the death of you¡­" . Heughed with his friends as he waved his hand in the air.


    Raffaelo slowly watched him with a sour expression on his face. A sigh escaped his lips as he turned away towards his sister.


    "He didn''t notice the hair did he ?" He asked as they resumed their trip.


    "Most likely not¡­." Reba replied. Her tone still sounded way harsher than she had intended.


    All this while, Phestus walked behind her with his head hanging low. He had much more talent than he thought he had and much more ahead of him.


    He wasn''t aware of this but deep-within his heart was the Will of Revenge.

 Chapter 22- Respect

    The night had finallye and the Jun family were finding their way towards their carriage to get to the King''s castle.


    They were all dressed on formal attires with their father leading the way into a night filled with uncertainties.


    They got in their carriage and the coachman did his job of making the horse move.


    In silence, their short journey came to an end when Raffaelo noticed the walls and gate of the Castle. "It seems we''ve made it, Father". He said with a hushed tone.


    "Hm¡­.is someone nervous ?" His mother chuckled as she smirked at him.


    His expression slowly lightened up in embarrassment as he looked away. ''Is this what they call PTSD ?....and from my past life at that''.


    Memories of his past life in the Castle weren''t situations he could be proud of. The king made it a habit of using the Jun family at the forefront of the War against the demons. Only for him to be betrayed by them.


    "How nostalgic¡­." He muttered, noticing the number of guards that stood in pairs on each side of the road leading to the Castle .


    The structure was just as magnificent and artistic as the whole city itself, maybe even more. It kind of looked like the famous Pantheon but its structure didn''t seem as old. It had golden pirs with white marbles spread around it.


    Floral and aesthetic designs portrayed a feeling of elegance on the walls as a beautiful swan water fountain stood tall in the middle of the courtyard.


    It had a wellwned field and projecting from the roof gutters were statues of wyverns.


    The carriage stopped and they slowly found their way down.


    Raffaelo looked around, observing the other families that had been invited as well.


    ''Really just seems like a normal party'' he thought when an attendant walked up to them.


    "Pleasee this way, Jun residence".


    My father nodded and with his wife''s arm in his, he walked behind the attendant while Raffaelo and his sisters followed quietly.


    "Do you think we''re going to get beheaded ?" Thalia murmured in Raffaelo''s ear though it seems she wasn''t able to get the desired result.


    "Behead us ? For what ? Uncle Phllip attacked first" Morganna replied sharply.


    "Be calm girls¡­" Gloria muttered as she turned her face around to take a look at her siblings.


    Morganna grumbled while Thalia chuckled.


    Her gaze slowly fell on Raffaello and a worried expression pierced his gaze.


    He shook his head. "I''m fine".


    She stared at him for a bit longer then looked away.


    They finally got to the inner chambers of the Castle. The word Artistic would not be able to describe how well built it was made. They were led to an open space without a roof, tables and chairs arranged neatly while other families took their seats.


    A well arranged table was reserved for them and they took their ce quietly.


    "How many of them came ?" Rachael asked Michaelo as she looked around the number of people gathered and socializing.


    "Six of them¡­.luckily the First family isn''t here". He let out a sigh, rxing his body on his chair.


    "The other families are here as well ?" Gloria asked her tone unintentionally expressing her excitement.


    Michaelo stared at her with a cold expression and she slowly turned away from his face.


    Raffaelo observing them, sighed as a familiar thought crossed through his mind. ''Gloria used to have an infatuation about the First son of the first family, Dan Kang Li. My father never trusted them since their abilities were still kept a national secret and our family failed to im the first rank from them¡­..well not this time''


    Raffaelo''s thoughts slowly drifted away when a choking feeling suddenly and slowly crept up his throat.


    He felt the need to hold it as he caught quick breaths.


    "That''s some guts¡­.Kelvin¡­..".


    With a single sentence from his father and the heavy feeling seized.


    Raffaelo looked up panting heavily only to notice he wasn''t the only one in that situation.


    His sisters except Gloria and Fiona all seemed to be rasping for help.


    A wildugh. Something you wouldn''t think a human could make projected in their ears as Michaelo slowly stood up from his seat.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He looked up as a heavy breeze began to descend upon them and the loud screams of a wild bird echoed in the ce, gaining the attention of all who had gathered there at the moment.


    A Griffin slowlynded on the ground as a gray haired dark toned man in leopard coated clothing jumped down from the beast. "It was only a joke my friend".


    "A joke ? Did you just choke my kids as a joke ?" His tone couldn''t express how annoyed he was as his sword appeared in his hands. "Don''t forget I don''t even need a second to end you and your foul beasts"


    The man''s smirk only deepened as he brought out two daggers from his pouch wrapper around his waist.


    "I don''t need to take you down to defeat you¡­". His words seemed shallow but it had a deeper meaning and Raffaelo was well aware of this fact.


    They red at each other at what would possibly be an inevitable fight when a tall blue long haired man and a fair blonde haired woman slowly walked up to them. Their clothing wasn''t any different from the rest though the color was rather unique but what really differentiated them from others were the long pointed tip of their ears. "Please refrain from causing trouble in the Kings castle".


    The man said, gaining their attention.


    "If it isn''t Derek. Still looking young I see". Kelvin, the white haired man chuckled  "myd over here can take both of you !" He screamed out and his Griffin only made things worse by increasing the audibility of its voice.


    "Enough of your squirming¡­" the woman replied with a harsh tone in her voice. "Do you want the King to see you misbehave like this in his court ?"


    Kelvin sighed as he slowly turned towards the table Michaelo seemed so evident on protecting. His gaze slowly flickered from his wife to his children and a dubious glint sparked in his eyes.


    ''.....'' Raffaelo could tell. They were being looked down upon. Kelvin was the elder brother of the head of the 2nd Ranked family, Teras while the elves are the 5th ranked family, Silvan and these two families were hostile towards the Jun family before he regressed.


    The number of families that were actually on their side were quite few and not everyone likes to see the all powerful stay at the top.


    ''These bastards¡­.'' He thought evidently showing hostility against them.


    "How impudent¡­.."


    Their attention was slowly attracted by Morganna, who sat next to their mother. She had an expression of disgust on her face as she stared at Kelvin. "How dare a child speak in the midst of Adults without their permission".


    It may have seemed like someone else was referring to her but these seemingly contrasting sentences were directed at Kelvin.


    "What ?" His eyes shot red with anger. " Does your daughter not know the first meaning of respect ?"


    "You should be more concerned with how much brain you have left in there for you toe out so openly to aggravate us !".


    Now all their attention was fixed on Raffaelo.


    Morganna''s eyes slowly bulged open.


    "You dare ? Aggravate the Great Jun Family ?!" His words though childish were still firm and vigorous and it left them speechless of words.


    His expression was evidently cold as the air around him began to freeze up in his spur of emotions.


    "This kid¡­" Kelvin muttered taking a step forward when he suddenly froze up. He felt a sting on his throat and on slowly looking towards his side, Gloria stood aiming her giant sword for his throat.


    "It would be best if you stay out of our father''s way¡­" she replied coldly.


    "..."


    Kelvin turned around as he climbed back up on his Griffin and immediately took off into the air.


    Gloria and Michaelo slowly went back to their seats as the other guests continued with their conversation while trying as much as possible to avoid their gaze.


    Derek and his wife slowly walked up to their table as they slowly turned their gaze at them


    "Do you wish to cause a scene as well ?" Michaelo asked with a stern voice.


    "Surely you jest !" Derekughed out. "I am just here merely to greet you"


    "Oh¡­" Michaelo stood up slowly as they shook hands


    "It has been a while, Rachael". The woman said, covering her lower face with a hand fan.


    Rachael chuckled. "Still the same, Luxia".


    "Your kids have your fighting will in you" Derek said as he nced at Raffaelo. "Especially your boy"


    Michaelo chuckled. "Of course they would have to¡­.They won''t be able to protect themselves if not".


    "True¡­" Derek sighed. " Do you wish to cause amotion yourself though ?"


    "Why would I? I just wish for the safety of my family".


    "....hmm¡­with the appearance of the other three of the 12 great families¡­it might prove difficult".


    "Why do you think that ?" Michaelo asked with a raised brow.


    "....the other 3 families attending¡­the 9th family, La Teuer ¡­..the fourth family, Son Goku and the 6th family, Merlin are all arriving¡­."


    Michaelo sighed while pondering on his words.


    "All I''m saying is¡­do be careful". He waved them goodbye as he walked away with his wife while Michaelo took his seat.


    "Should we listen to him ?" Thalia asked with a worried expression.


    "Don''t be worried Thalia¡­we won''t go down that easily even if they all decide to fight us right now¡­." Raffaelo whispered into her ears loud enough for the rest of his family to hear him.


    They chuckled as they questioned Raffaelo on how he was bold enough to speak the way he did when a loud horn was blown.


    All those who had been seated, quickly stood up and those who were in the midst of a conversation organized themselves as they walked up besides the red carpet while watching as the King in his admirably beautiful attire slowly walked up towards the Throne set for him.


    His gaze flickered around the ce until it fell on Raffaelo and a sinister smile began to grow on his face.

 Chapter 23- I want him as mine

    Raffaelo''s POV.


    It felt like needles prickly on my skin when I noticed the King''s gaze on me. A tight nut formed around my abdomen and the hair on my skin stood on end.


    It wasn''t just danger I felt, the urge to quickly grab a weapon and aim it at the King''s neck was what overwhelmed me the most. I simply wanted to be on guard.


    My dad''s right arm slowly tapped my back and the thoughts that roamed through my mind came to an immediate halt. I quickly regained my posture and looked away from the King as a small sigh escaped my lips.


    The King, a man with ck hair and brown eyes continued his entrance nonchntly as a fair blonde woman slowly walked after him.


    Her beauty always captured the eyes of many men even when I was 20 in my past life.


    I always wondered if she had some sort of power that continued to make her look younger.


    Their kids walked right After, the first Prince first and the second daughterst.


    There were four of them. The first Prince, Prince Thn¡­.who is going to be the future Tyrant King after his father. The first princess, Manita. Her beauty was just as eye-catching as her Mothers but couldn''t hold a candle no matter how much she tried.


    She had a habit of using her body to get what she wants from people. I would know, since I lost my virginity to her in my past life.


    The 3rd Prince, Prince Julian. Well, the bastard that ordered my elimination in my past life, though things will be different now.


    The 4th daughter and second princess, Meadow. She died far too early for me to have enough information on her but what I do know for sure, is that she didn''t die a natural death.


    After what seemed like forever, the Royal families took their seats on the Thrones presented for each of them.


    The King''s was ced in the middle while the Queen''s was right of his. Four smaller thrones were ced to the left of the King.


    Silence filled the courtyard as the King slowly raised his right hand. " You may go back to your seats¡­".


    In response, every one slowly went back to their seating position all the while noticing the number of guards that had suddenly increased after the entrance of the King.


    Some few secondster, maids walked into the courtyard with covered trays of food.


    "The King didn''t seem to pay attention to us" Thalia murmured into my ear as I slowly turned my gaze to her.


    "Hmmm..it seems so".


    "It''s only right he attends to usst¡­.just put your fingers crossed for whatever event he intends on ying for us today" Morganna said, fiddling with her hair as she stared at the maidsing their way.


    Her impression was right but not something you would expect from an eleven year old. ''Maybe she experienced her growth sprout too early ?'' A small sigh escaped my lips when I noticed my father''s worried expression as he stared at me.


    I gave him a weak smile and he nodded softly.


    After a few minutes, Everyone seemed to be engrossed in their meal while chattering with one another.


    The King had an attendant next to him, Nexulus Bon, the life line butler of the Imperial family.


    He whispered words into his ears after every few minutes while taking a nce at the courtyard.


    My father and mother had noticed this strange behaviour as well but they insisted on ignoring it unless Something provocable ured.


    "Firstly !" The King said with a loud voice that made  everyone present silent. The thought of disobeying his orders was unfathomable.


    The imperial family are known for having an unnecessary bias with the goddess of casualties and the abilities they possessed were unique and difficult to deal with.


    They would have been a force to be reckoned with if not for the presence of the Jun family.


    "On behalf of the Teras family, I want to officially apologize to the Jun family for theirck of discourtesy" .


    His words sounds pleasing to the ear but it felt more like mockery for someone like me that knows his true nature.


    My father stood up from the table and my Mother as well.


    "We thank the King for his generous words". He bowed in reverence and my Mother followed after him saying.


    "I pray you live a wonderful life, sire".


    The King smiled as he waved his hand at them. "I want you and your family toe closer".


    It seemed the time had finallye, for the King to judge our matter against Phillip.


    It felt like the whole worldnwas watching us as we walked our way to the aisle in red carpet, before the King and his family.


    I looked through the Prince and princess observing their pompous expressions. They looked down on us, maybe because their father has a habit of using one of our own people like they were his.


    My father knelt on one knee and we all followed his actions.


    "Secondly, I would like to apologize on behalf of the Nation for the betrayal of the Traitor known as Phillip Jun".


    ''Oh¡­so he''s a traitor now¡­..someone that took your orders¡­.'' I thought as a small inconspicuous smile escaped my lips.


    "That is not something you should worry yourself My Lord. He was bound to betray the Nation. It is only right we end his life". My father replied.


    ''Nice reply !'' I thought.


    "Maybe¡­.but it is still right that I reward you. As well as the demon subjugation. I heard a high tier demon appeared".


    The crowd seemed to have gasped in unison as small conversations began to rise into an irritating, unnecessary noise.


    The King''s face seemed to have grown darker when the Crowd suddenly went silent after observing his sudden change in mood.


    ''For the people to fear him so¡­..''


    "I thank the Sire for his generosity" my mother replied, gaining his attention once more. His expressions seemed to have lightened up on hearing my mothers voice.


    "It is good to see you cousin"


    "....and You as well, my king".


    "As a reward for your help to the Nation, I want to take in your son as my student and train him to serve the Nation".


    ''Yeah right¡­.you mean you want to do whatever you did to Phillip to me¡­.son of a bitch''. I thought when I suddenly heard a giggle by my left.


    I slowly turned my attention to the source of theughter and the 2nd princess, Meadow suddenly turned her face away from me. ''...what was that all about ?'' I thought.


    "My King¡­that is too much for a reward" My father said when the noise from the crowd began to rise again.


    I''m sure it would, since the Kings attention on me will surely ruin my growth in going forward.


    Though it doesn''t mean we won''t take his offer, just under our terms.


    "What ? You dare refuse my offer ?" The King asked impatiently tapping his finger on the throne while resting his arm holding a cup of wine.


    "All I ask is that you let my son reach the age of maturity before you take him in as your student¡­"


    My mother suddenly turned towards him staring daggers into his expression and the King seemed to have noticed.


    "You do not want your son to serve the nation, cousin ?"


    "Of¡­of course my king but he is young and knows not of the world"


    "Then do you propose I take in one of your daughters then". He asked and my mother seemed to have been put in a stand still as she pondered on his words


    ''This m*therf*cker¡­..why take any of us in the first ce? What are we, some kind of cattle ?!''. I thought while hearing the giggles of the 2nd daughter again.


    Our attention slowly fixed on her and the Queen had this worried expression as she stared at her.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    She slowly turned away ignoring our stares and continued her poker face.


    "My King!" It was my turn to pitch in now. In this time and age, the thoughts of children hardly ever mattered to adults but in the presence of my father. Who dares to touch me ?!.


    The King slowly looked at me with a baffled tone.


    "Did your son just speak before adults ?"


    "Hah¡­my King¡­.it must have been a mistake¡­I will surely correct-" I slowly tapped my father and he slowly looked at me. His soft eyes exuded a worried expression as he sighed.


    "My King ! There are still things for me to do at the Jun household ! All my father asks is that you wait 5 years for when I officially graduate from the Academy".


    The King didnt seem pleased at the thought.


    "Why would I agree to such a condition".


    ''Oh wow¡­son of a b*tch can''t even hold his true intentions now''


    Once again, the 2nd daughter giggled holding her hand over her mouth this time to stop herself from increasing the intensity.


    I ignored, I didn''t know what was going through her mind but this was more important.


    "I don''t agree to such an absurd demand ? Do you realize how important Phillip Jun was to the military ?! I have techniques in the Castle that will benefit you"


    ''Why is he being so stubborn''.


    "My King¡­the only son of the Jun family has to learn everything from his household if not the family will not thrive until another son has been born". My mother retoriated.


    It seemed they have stopped at a standstill. If the King says any thing more, it would only imply he has other intentions other than "training me".


    "Tsk¡­.I do not care¡­.from now on, by the power invested in me¡­Raffaelo Jun is now- *THUD*


    The King froze in his statement as our attention was slowly drawn to the crowd behind us.


    It seemed like something, a ck mass had suddenly fell from the Sky.


    "Hmm.." my father chuckled and Yes so did the rest of our family.


    The ck mass suddenly began to twirl and mutate as small bulges began to pop out of its skin.


    It suddenly increased in size slowly and persistently as it formed what looked like a two legged creature. Its arms were muscr to a fault and it had a long lion tail. It''s head grew into a mass of round balls forming the mane and the head of a mighty lion as two long red horns protruded out of its head. All this while, the crowd had begun to panic due to the unknown uncertainty.


    Most began to rush towards the exit before it evenpleted its transformation.


    The ck mass had transformed into a mighty lion-demon like creature as it stumped on the ground causing a super sonic scream and letting out a mighty cry. "ARGHHhhhhhh  !!!!"

 Chapter 24- Layla Lake

    I turned towards my father and he seemed to have the same expression I had.


    ''What perfect timing''


    The soldiers around the King quickly came forward to surround the Imperial family.


    "What is the meaning of this ?! I was in the middle of a procession". He cried out.


    ''Well¡­I''m sure he would be pissed''. We quickly rushed towards a dessert location. Most of the crowd had escaped but those who couldn''t were being mercilessly turned into shreds by the beast.


    "How did a demon appear in the Kings castle?!" Morganna screamed out when we finally gathered together.


    "It seems they''ve been dabbling with things they ought not to" Fiona replied as their attention slowly turned towards mine.


    ".....what is it ?!"


    "That was really close¡­" Thalia sighed. "I didn''t realize they were going to take you¡­the king is pretty mean¡­"


    "Oh please ! There was no way it could have worked¡­.luck is on this kids head" Morganna said but her expression gave away her hidden emotions.


    "Let''s just be d the demon appeared when it did¡­."


    "....I''ll take care of it with the other heads of the family¡­. so Rachael and Gloria, find a way to evacuate the other nobles while the rest of you find somewhere safe to stay"


    My father held out his hand as he recited his quote to summon his sword.


    He walked towards the Kings side where the other family heads were assembling.


    NORMAL POV.


    "Oh¡­..if It isn''t the Sword Lord himself" A brown haired man with bright brown eyes said with a Swedish ent.


    "Nice to meet you too, Bryne" Michaelo replied with an amused expression as the brown haired man, Bryne pulled out a needle from the back of his ear.


    He held it upright and it expanded into  a golden staff.


    "What is the meaning of this ?!" The King screamed out as his soldiers made way for him to walk through.


    "It seems a demon as appeared in your castle my Lord".


    Derek replied, cleaning the smudge off his rapier.


    "I want that thing dead !" He screamed out, stumping his feet on the ground.


    "Not to worry my King" Kira, the head of the 6th household. Merlin. A dazzling beauty with dark toned hair and fair white skin.


    She walked up to the band of men and said "I have sent members of my green tower to capture it in a barrier".


    "....." the King puffed as he slowly nced at Michaelo.


    "I still wish to have your son beside me"


    "And it shall be so, my king¡­.but what I ask of you is to let him be nurtured by his true heritage so he could serve you properly".


    "....." the King turned away brushing off his cloak as he stumped out of the area.


    "Oh well¡­wasn''t that a close one huh ?" Bryne Son Goku said as he spun his staff around.


    "I do not seem to understand why you would want your son to train in such crude antics when they''re so many things to gain from the Castle" Kira said, staring at him with a disgusted expression.


    "The Kings attinks aren''t clear¡­.even I would be careful to let my children frolic around in the Castle" Kevin said as his Griffin slowlynded on the ground next to them.


    "Is that why y9u left the moment the King arrived ?" Derek asked as Kevin jumped down from the wild beast.


    "That is none of your business, Elf". He looked around the courtyard and clicked his tongue. "It''s good you were able to capture it¡­.we would need to find the source of its origin"


    He walked up to Kira with a satisfied expression.


    "I do not care about your opinions¡­"


    She turned around towards the ck beast and their attention was drawn to it as well .


    Some group of people in green cloaks, 6 in number, surrounded the beast while forming what looked like a hexagram pattern on the ground. It glowed green and formed a dome around it.


    The beast snarled and screamed as green lightning sparks streamed through its body like a metal conductor.


    It continued to do so until it finally stopped moving, falling to the ground limply


    "Do you intend to wipe off the evidence as well¡­.how would you recognize the source of the ck mana heart if it were killed like that ?" Michaelo asked as he withdrew his weapon.


    A ck mana heart was formed by ck mages in ce of the pure mana heart possessed by mages.


    They require transferring mana from it to an organism when creating abominations such as Chimera and Ranked undead.


    This beastly creature was one of those things. Not a spawn of hell, but a Ranked undead. Cerberus Mini.


    "....that will be for me to take care of and for you to stay out of it" Kira said coldly, walking away from the group of men. "I do not intend on staying with you bunch of vagabonds any longer. I''ll see you in 5 years then". She slowly turned back winking at Michaelo before turning away in an instant.


    The other men chuckled and snickered while Kevin patted him on the back. "I would watch your back if I were you".


    "What a waste of time¡­" Michaelo said with a sigh as the other men walked away.


    "I will withdraw to my chambers since we have no more business together"


    "...." Michaelo watched as the hears of the family walked away towards the exist while avoiding the dead corpses and broken woodware on the ground.


    He was about walking away when he felt some thing that pulled his heart lightly. He gripped his chest as his gaze became hazy.


    He quickly held himself from Failing, just barely as a wind chill grew up his back to his neck as if strangling him from the air around him.


    "I havee for you, Michaelo".


    A chill and serene voice projected in his ears as he looked up to find the source of the voice.


    His eyes widened dumbfounded at what looked like a woman in white clothing floating over him like a ghost while wrapping her arms around his neck. Her piercing blue eyes gave him chills.


    "...who¡­who are you ?" He muttered when he observed his family rushing towards him.


    The woman giggled.


    "I can not talk to you in a ce like e to me. You shall find me by the King''ske".


    She disappeared as if she was never there as he fell into the graceful embrace of his wife.


    "Michaelo ?" She cried out as she patted his head.


    The other heads froze on the spot as their faces exuded a baffled and confused expression.


    "Did¡­did you do something Kevin ?" Derek asked.


    "...what¡­..what could I possibly do to put him in that kind of situation ?"


    "....Hmm¡­.you''re right¡­you''re much weaker than him"


    Kevin slowly turned towards him with an annoyed gaze. He clicked his tongue and quickly jumped on his Griffin and flew away.


    "You never cared about your words huh" Bryne chuckled walkimg out as well.


    "Hmm¡­.." Derek watched for a little longer but the more he tried to gain understanding of what had urred, the more difficult it became.


    "Did¡­did he want to pee ?" He muttered as he turned around and walked out.


    "I''m fine¡­do not be rmed" Michaelo said as he slowly found his way up.


    "I think it is best we return to our home" Rachael said turning her gaze towards Gloria.


    "Get the coachman toe here immediately"


    "Yes mother". She nodded and quickly walked out.


    They all consoled him while Raffaelo stood quietly behind them.


    He had a surprised expression on his face as well but not because his father had almost fainted but because he clearly saw what made their father nearly faint and the conversation they had reyed in his head quite vividly.


    ''That creature that appeared to him¡­..the ghost of La Lake...ake that appeared after the death of the mother of the Third king of Lumbrica''


    ".....so that demon that appeared was her doing ?"


    He couldn''t seem to put the pieces together in his head but the memories of his past life clearly yed out the event that had urred.


    The reason they called her the ghost. She lived by thatke for over centuries and she only appears whenever she finds something that amuses her. She possessed the absurd abilities of summoning undead creatures and Chimeras.


    There was a wholeboratory hidden from even the King in his castle where she ensnared people to perform her vicious work of using living humans as a material for creating monsters.


    She was a being meant to be dead but for some reason she established a means for herself to affect us in the future, causing harm to us during the battle against the demons.


    ''Does she find my father amusing ?'' He thought over it as he slowly bit his lip. ''I don''t intend on handling her or her secrets yet¡­and it would be too weird for a 10 year old to know so much about her¡­..but¡­.She won''t have her way of using my father in any of her diabolic ways''.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I shall not let that happen¡­."


    This was something he couldn''t afford to let happen.


    Former popr Swordsmen used in her work were formidable Chimeras to battle but his father. A being close to the zenith of humans. If he were to be turned into a Chimera, the amount of devastation that could be caused is unimaginable.


    "Raph ? What are you spacing out for ? We have to leave !"


    His thoughts were put to a halt when Morganna called him. He quickly looked up to find his family leaving the scene and with a sigh, he walked after them.


    "I''ming¡­."

 Chapter 25- tomb

    When the night grew colder and the moon pierced its darkness with  full glory, a man walked out of the Jun residence heading calmly and carefully towards the gate.


    He wore a cloak over his body shielding him from unnecessary attention if any and exited the building, walking past the sleeping guards as he headed for the King''s castle.


    Just as he walked out, Raffaelo opened the door slowly. His gaze fixed on the door. "...". He sighed, cold breath sipping out from his mouth as he turned his gaze to the mansion. "....we''ll be back".


    He covered himself up in the cloak and quietly exited theplex as well.


    "....where do you think they''re going?" Morganna''s voice projected as the girls watched from the window.


    "Not sure¡­.but they saw something we didn''t¡­." Fiona replied.


    "...no need to worry¡­.they''ll be back before mum wakes up¡­" Gloria turned around and walked away while her sisters watched her back.


    "...I hope so¡­."


    Raffaelo POV.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The night was cold but my body was colder. I haven''t told anyone but after I met the predecessors of my trait, my internal organs grew cold. Not in a state unbearable to me butfortable enough for me to handle the cold easily.


    It felt like I was bing one with the cold. ''Is this what he meant ?...''


    I thought about following my father to theke directly but I''m well aware he has over a km of sense so he''ll sense me the minute I enter his radar.


    Instead, I''ll follow a different path to the Lake, the underground pathways that lead to different annexes of the castleplex.


    Theboratories that were captured in my past life were also located there but¡­.it should not have advanced much at this time.


    ''The tomb¡­.'' I thought about walking away from the direction my father took. ''A tomb is located at the edge of the Royal fence. A tomb built by the 3rd King of Lumbrica''.


    That being said, the tomb wasn''t an easy structure to find since it had the characteristics of blending in with its environment, like a camouge.


    It was hidden away for many years before I found it by ident in my past life.


    ''Now that I think about it¡­..it must have been these eyes of mine''


    Memories of the conversation I had with the predecessor of my eye traits yed through my head as my lips curled into a smile.


    ''This¡­shouldn''t be an issue''.


    *****


    Minutes turned into hours as Raffaelo walked past the buildingplexes surrounding the castleplex.


    The castle guards that stood in different annexes of the building marched around while taking their rounds.


    They held wooden torches and their expressions void and serious as they carried out their tasks.


    Raffaelo found his way past them. Lowering his mana level to a bare minimum while surrounding his body with aura in order to hide himself.


    His aura may have been mediocre but his trait yed an important factor in lowering his temperature passed below the average human body temperature.


    Finding his way past the quiet alleyways and the busiest roads, he finally reached it.


    The point where he had found the tomb. It was at the northern side of the castle where wild trees and a diverse number of domestic and average carnivorous animals were located.


    He looked around the forest and then looked back. "To think they would build these houses to hide this treasure trove". I murmured observing the number of medicinal nts.


    I could still remember how in his past life, he obtained resources strong enough to cure his illness or injuries.


    ''I did dabble in a bit of alchemy in my school years¡­.I''ll have to do it thoroughly this time''. I thought.


    Though I was in the location,I couldn''t see the tomb¡­.yet.


    ''Hidden with nature¡­.'' I thought as I slowly ced my right hand over my eyes as her words yed in my head.


    *"There is one thing I will tell you before I leave" she said while I was bundling the feelings of frustration and pain in my eyes.


    "....what more do you want me to learn ?" I replied in an outburst of emotions. She simply chuckled and continued. "The only limit to your eyes¡­is your will to see what you want to see"*.


    Honestly, those were the most arrogant words I had ever heard in my life but they held meaning to it.


    It simply meant these eyes of mine¡­.are quite difficult to understand.


    I opened them and the darkness that once swept over the trees had be clear to


    ''I see¡­.so this is what you meant''


    The tomb that was hidden in the darkness slowly became quite vivid to me.


    The stone pirs that were arranged gracefully to form an arch with beautiful faded written symbols on them. The art style was breathtaking and it could have been a good sightseeing spot if not for the purpose of its structure while a small human size opening stood vividly in the middle of it.


    With a satisfied sigh, I walked into the hole and steadily ced my foot on the stone stairs.


    The internal structure of the tomb had deteriorated due to time and the stairs were quite shaky.


    It led down, underground with a series of 10 stairs hinged to the walls of the tomb.


    I walked down carefully and as quietly as I could while avoiding the shaky parts.


    It was rtively easier since my eyes could see every bit of the open space.


    There were wooden torches hung at different parts of the building though they weren''t necessary since I could clearly see where I was headed.


    It took a couple of minutes before I finally arrived at the bottom of the tomb and in front of me was a ck door.


    If I remembered clearly, my eyes enabled me to see whatever I wished to see so the thought of seeing what was behind the door before I opened it crossed my mind.


    So I closed my eyes and tried to focus as well while I ced my right hand on the dusty old knob.


    I opened them in an instant and reality began to dawn on me as a feeling of mortification overwhelmed me. Absolutely nothing happened and my vision was still as it was.


    "Well not everything works the first time". I said as I turned the door knob.


    I felt the door suddenly pull back instead of it being pushed by the force I applied on it and startled by the sudden movement, I looked up towards the upper side of the door when my body froze in surprise.


    Two big bright green eyes with  concave shaped pupils stared down at me. Its eyes exuded a feeling of cold blood thirst as it roamed around the open space behind him.


    A female snicker exuded from whatever is behind the darkness as a sharp row of canine teeth glistened white just below the eyes.


    "Oh¡­.how interesting".


    It stretched out its hand as it pulled Raffaelo into the room in an instant and locking it as soon as he was in.


    *****


    NORMAL POV.


    Michaelo had finally arrived by theke.


    He slowly took off his hoodie as his gaze was drawn to a statue of a woman that was built at the beginning of the Lake.


    A sigh exudd his lips as he said. "Come out creature ! I am here to answer your call".


    Walking passed the guard and making his way towards the Lake wasn''t a difficult task for him. After all, he is a swordsman at the top of game but that didn''t mean he couldn''t get in trouble if he was foundthis deep inside the Kingsplex.


    After his outburst, nothing really happened and a feeling of frustration washed over him as he walked closer to theke. He stared at the reflection of himself in the Lake and a smile slowly grew from his lips.


    His gaze remained fixed until he noticed the dark pond had sudde Kyle Hogan to lighten up exuding a white smoke in the process.


    rmed by the sudden change, he took a step back as the smole began to spread thicker around them.


    The white light shone brighter and some particles of the water began to float up in the air while contesting together to form the ghost that had appeared before him.


    A perplexed expression appeared on his facial features as the ghost that he had wished was just a dream floated, with her piercingly blue eyes at him.


    A cold smile formed from her lips as she said.


    "You came¡­.my saviour".


    Michaelo felt confused. He raised a brow looking over the ghost from top to bottom and asked.


    "When did I ever save you¡­.when you should be dead ?"


    She giggled.


    "You may not remember me but I remember you¡­.your lineage has been passed for centuries"


    "...and you ought to be dead¡­"


    Michaelo said coldly. He didnt like uncalled situations that could possibly endanger him. "What is it ? Whar is it that you want from me that you have appeared so ?" He asked.


    "..." her expression slowly furrowed into a displeased scorn. "Give your son to me. His destiny is something that I require in my research"


    "....what ?"

 Chapter 26- Reptilian

    "...." Raffaelo felt a stinging pain on his head as his eyes slowly regained focus.


    He slowly raised his head as he felt another stinging pain from his eyes as the light shone bright on his face. "Huh¡­" he mumbled, adjusting his field of vision to the way it was before he used it to see in the dark.


    ''.....I guess the sensitivity matters'' he thought as his vision finally lowered focus enabling him to observe his environment.


    He heard some clicking noise like the sound of ss utensils being used and on turning to his left, his expression slowly became dark.


    "You''re finally awake I see".


    A woman with a well defined body structure and full bosoms was busy handling some ss tubes and a beaker. It contained a green liquid and she seemed to be analyzing it.


    Her eyes were green and a scaly tail hung out openly from herb coat.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Her skin seemed tough and her arms and legs were covered with hard scales.


    She had long brown hair and two elf-like ears popped out in the messy bundle she tied it into.


    "....why is a Reptilian still in the Kingdom ?"


    A species that was long ago banished from the Kingdom because of their persistent indulgence in the inhumane ult arts.


    "....." she ignored him and continued with her tasks. "You''re the first and only son of the Jun huh¡­.it''s hard to believe you found this ce through the tomb alone. Did someone tell you of this ce ? You''re only 10 which makes it more suspicious¡­.I can see why the madam has taken a liking to you¡­"


    ".....you talk a lot¡­" Raffaelo said with a raised brow and she turned sharply at him with her stinging gaze. "You don''t seem to understand your situation do you¡­"


    "...honestly, maybe we should just take care of all this problems all together" raffaelo ignored her while he contemted on what to do next.


    "You''ve been captured and those chains".


    She referred to the chains that bind his arms to the walls and the clubs on his feets.


    "Those chains seal off both your mana and aura"


    ".....you really investigated that much in such a little time¡­."


    He said as he turned around. It felt weird that she was the only one currently in the wideboratory room.


    ".....you have other branches". He said and her expression gave off a perplexed hue.


    "....why do you know that much¡­.aren''t you supposed to be 10 ?" She held a syringe in her hand and sucked in the green liquid in it as she slowly walked closer to him.


    ".....a truth serum ?" He asked as he slowly turned his gaze at her.


    Her perplexed expression turned into a mix of confusion and annoyance. "At least leave that task for me"


    She said as she closed the distance between them. "The madam wouldn''t mind if you were left half-dead¡­.after all you are a Jun¡­.I''m going to get all the information you possess¡­.do you understand ?" It felt more like a statement than a warning question and he didn''t wee it in any bit.


    A sigh exuded his lips as he bowed his head. "Don''t get cocky¡­" he said as the air around him grew cold.


    Her eyebrows furrowed as she took some steps back. "What ? What are you doing?"


    "...you seem to know alot about Juns¡­.but there is something we never reveal to others¡­.and all who are aware of it¡­are mostly dead".


    He said as the cold froze off the chains and clubs.


    He simply had to use enough force to break it off as he slowly stood up.


    "It was a magical item¡­..how can you freeze ?..." she muttered with an annoyed expression.


    ".....I don''t know how many of you are present¡­.but I promise you this¡­..I will eradicate every single one of you that lives under the Kings castle".


    He stretched out his hand and the sword that he had been carrying all this while appeared in the palm of his hands.


    It wasn''t that he summoned it.


    It was just a normal sword that he had ced behind his cape to hide it. He found it at the other end of the room and he had long since enchanted it to his right palm with magic.


    ''How did he¡­'' she thought as she took slow steps back towards the counter, she put her hands together as she reached out for a button.


    Raffaelo watched her carefully and smiled ''I guess this will act as some kind of training''.


    "The madam will not be pleased if you leave so¡­." She tapped the button and made an attempt to run as a wailing siren projected in theb.


    Her act was cut short as she felt her body suddenly lose bnce as she fell to the ground with a loud thump.


    Confused at her sudden condition, she looked but as a horrifying pain slowly crept up in her expression. " ¡­what¡­what did you do ?" She screamed as her legs remained in the standing position while green blood gushed out from her cut off legs.


    "Did you think I would let you go ?" Raffaelo asked. "....and stop making a fuss¡­it''ll grow back in a month¡­you Reptilian people are very formidable bastards".


    Theb began to rumble and she ignored his statement, crawling to the exit with all her might.


    "Do you think that''s what I''m afraid of ?! I don''t think you understand what I just released !" She increased her pace as best as she could, ignoring the pain as much as she could.


    "....." Raffaelo felt the need to ignore her warnings as the door at their other end banged ferociously and a loud roar like that of a wild beast projected in the room.


    "...." he waved his sword around. "....this¡­.is" he muttered when the door suddenly burst open.


    The woman squealed in fear as she hid behind the counter instead. "..oh no¡­it''s toote ! It''s toote !".


    "What is she-"


    He was cut off when he saw something charge towards him in a frenzy aiming a punch at his throat.


    He had quickly blocked it with his sword but the force was too great for a 10 year old. He felt his body shudder to the pressure as he was forced away hitting the walls with a loud sound causing a crater in the wall.


    He coughed out blood as his body dropped down to the ground on his feet.


    ''I see¡­.so what she meant by what I summoned¡­it must be this¡­.''.


    What stood before him was a creature with simr features as that of the previous one though this one seemed smaller¡­about 5ft 6.


    Its body was much muscr than its height though and its expression was filled with rage.


    "....you¡­.didn''t die on the first hit ?" The creature said making Raffaelo surprised.


    He slowly turned his gaze towards the counter to find the woman still hiding.


    "Do not worry. I shall take care of her when I am done with you" it said, taking a step forward.


    "...and for what reason ? I am not involved in any aspect rted to you¡­"


    "No¡­it is you¡­.you humans that have used my kind for your pleasure for centuries ! I shall eradicate your kind from the face of the earth !"


    ''.....a lion head with a bad temper¡­.they really must be of the beast kin¡­but it seems their lineage had been cut short by the absurd taste of La''


    He held out his sword, as he struggled to stand back up. "I can''t let you do that¡­.I have problems of my own you see¡­.so I can not afford to die".


    "...a mere chickling dares to ?"


    The air around theb suddenly grew cold at an instantaneous rate. The walls and the ground of theb had slowly turned into a snowy field.


    "Why do grown ups like saying that about me anyways".


    ''I never really use it do I ?" He thought, lowering the temperature of the environment at an exponential rate.


    The creature snarled as its feet slowly froze up to the ground.


    "What sort of sorcery¡­"


    It roared as it stumped its feet on the ground letting out a mighty roar.


    It caused the cold air to dissipate and the freedom of his body temperature was returned to him.


    It was about charging towards him when its eyes dted in shock.


    "Don''t worry¡­.I''lle to you"


    Raffaelo appeared in front of him at the blink of an eye as he swung his sword towards the creature''s neck.


    ******


    ".....what did you say just now ?" Michaelo muttered as his annoyed gaze was fixed on the ghost.


    "It is like I said¡­.your son is too unique for me to let go¡­.I require him in my research"


    "....you¡­.how could you possibly be undergoing research when you''re a ghost ?"


    "...why do you care so much about the details ? Won''t you give him to me. I wanted you first but your son foolishly followed you here and now I want him instead"


    "..." Michaelo''s expression could no longer be described with words. A dark annoyed expression took over it as he recited his code, summoning his sword in his palms.


    "I do not know what it is that you wish to ''Research'' but I will tell you one thing¡­..my son¡­.hand him over to me"


    ''That kid¡­.'' He thought as a chilling presence exuded his body.


    "...." she remained silent while he slowly took steps, towards her

 Chapter 27- Cold zero

    "Do you seriously intend on fighting against me ?" She asked with an amused tone in her voice.


    "....I assume you must have put a barrier around this ce¡­..it doesn''t seem like peoplee here that often".


    He replied with a straight face.


    Her lips curled into a dubious smile as a ck portal appeared beside in the air.


    "You don''t seem to realize¡­.that I am the one responsible for the appearance of that creature"


    She referred to the monster that appeared during the meeting with the King.


    "I am truly grateful for that¡­.but if the King couldn''t get my son¡­what makes you think a dead person could ?"


    Her expression turned dark at his statement but she remained fixed to her position.


    Two arms popped out of the portal, dragging the rest of its body out with its head first.


    "....you called mother¡­" it said as itnded on the ground with a loud thud.


    "It seems I won''t be able to get this one¡­please take care of it" she said pointing at Michaelo.


    The creature snarled as it charged at Michaelo with great might.


    ".....do you¡­." He muttered out as he swung his de down, slicing the beast into two in an instant "....underestimate the power of a Jun ?"


    He asked, staring at her nkly.


    "....". More portals appeared surrounding her, as more of the creatures forced their way out,nding on the ground with great might.


    "let''s see how long youst"


    "...if this is all that you have prepared¡­then I may have to be worried for the people that captured my son instead of my son".


    Her brows furrowed into an annoyed gaze as her body slowly dissipated back into the Lake.


    "I''ll be sure to make sure that doesn''t happen".


    ".....a ghost¡­.." Michaelo muttered as he looked around his environment. "The king¡­would like to know of this¡­".


    Another monster charged at him but he cut it off in an instant.


    Turning towards their direction, he swung his sword up. "I will have to notify him once I''m done with you lots".


    Swinging it down, a power thrust caused a wave slicing off those in his presence.


    "He is just one person ! Let us take him down together !".


    One of the creatures screamed out as it opened its mouth, causing a beam of white light to gather at the front.


    Three others followed its lead while the rest. Almost fifteen charged at him together.


    Michaelo slowly turned his gaze up in the air. There were a total of 17 portals and each summoned one of these creatures in a span of 2 minutes.


    ''The only way to close the portal would be to attack the creator first but since she''s not here¡­..I will just have to kill every one of them''.


    He jumped to his left dodging a beam of light that struck the ground some few darts away causing a loud explosion.


    He dodged another, running to his left while flipping and turning to dodge the rest that came his way.


    "Chapter 1 of the Jun swordsmanship ! Endless surge !".


    By hismand, a stream of waves of energy surges out of the air each time he swung his de down.


    The energy sliced the creatures as easily as you would with a piece of paper.


    He vanished from his position, appearing in front of the beast that led the rest.


    "I get that not all of you can talk ?"


    The beast snarled and made an attempt to scratch him with his ws.


    "Sadly for you¡­"


    Michaelo swept his de diagonally, slicing them off as he appeared behind their dead bodies. "...you are no match for me".


    He swung his de down, driving off the blood that stuck to it.


    His gaze fixed on the portals as more creatures, bigger than thest, began to pop out in pairs.


    "....." he contemted for a while but his intentions were fixed.


    "Let us see¡­who will get tired first¡­"


    He charged at the creatures as soon as theynded, slicing those that failed to block and killing those that failed to resist.


    "I shall kill you all".


    ******


    Raph aimed his sword at the beastly creature as he forced a snow storm to form around theboratory.


    The female that captured him had been hiding behind the counter and watched the events unfold herself.


    "....what¡­what is this kid¡­" she muttered as a shivering sensation climbed up her spine.


    She felt her body freeze up to the sensation and it stuck to the ground.


    ''He''s ¡­.freezing everything¡­.'' She thought.


    "What¡­is this ?" The beast muttered as it rushed towards him.


    Raph took a step back dodging the sudden charge and spun to its back, swinging his de down, slicing across its back.


    The beast screamed in pain when Raph suddenly appeared beside it, slicing its neck in the process.


    "..." he stared at the dead creature and shifted his gaze to the female hiding behind the counter.


    "...is this the only thing you called for ?" He asked, feeling a bit disappointed at the quick oue.


    "To think you would cause this much issues"


    A eerie female voice proprojected in his ears as he quickly turned around towards the door to find the ghost floating towards him


    "....Mother !" The female screamed as she suddenly rushed to her side.


    "It seems I underestimated the abilities of the Jun family"


    "You did always have a habit of suggesting you were the strongest¡­.La Swanstorm"


    Her eyes opened in dismay while the female looked at them confusingly.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ".....Swanstorm" she muttered under her breath.


    The official family name of the royal family, Swanstorm.


    "How does a mere chickling¡­..?"


    She muttered as she raised her hands in the air. "You¡­.I''ve changed my mind. Killing the both of you would be best for me"


    The ground began to rumble as loud cries began to echo from the deeper parts of the room.


    "They were more¡­." Raph asked as he swayed his sword around. "...nevertheless¡­.I will take care of them all".


    He suddenly charged at them, appearing in an instant as he aimed his sword at La.


    "Material things don''t work on me¡­"


    She said as he swung his de down slicing through her but just as she said it went through her easily.


    ''I''m well aware'' Raph''s memories from the past were a unique experience for him since he remembered quite vividly how she was defeated.


    "You appeared too early". He said as he controlled the mana in his veins, spreading it around while manifesting a white flowing me on the palm of his hands.


    Her eyes bulged open in confusion when he suddenly grabbed her physically. The white me spread around the de of his sword as he attempted to sh her again.


    ''Impossible !" She cried out when the female standing next to them attempted to push Raph away.


    The mana spread vividly around his body and bursted out in arge pulse pushing her away. He continued with his attempt to slice her when the loud screams he heard became too close for him to continue the attack.


    He quickly shielded his body with the sword as a heavy blow pushed him away, causing him to crash on the white walls of the underground room.


    Raph coughed out blood as hended on the ground, standing.


    "...I see¡­" he muttered as he stared at the beast that had barged through the walls of the room, using its head to push him away. "You had more than just the Lion-looking chimeras"


    ".." stared at him with great contempt as the 1000 square feetrge lizard creature crawled around her.


    It was green in color with four pairs of eyes and a long tongue with sharp bits stuck out of its mouth.


    "...." Raph gripped the hilt of his de. "I wonder ... .how you intend on hiding all of this from the royal family" he said.


    "...." she remained silent as she stroked the beast. "....Kill him but don''t devour his body".


    The creature cried out as it charged towards him in a frenzy, blowing off the ceramic counters that stood in its way.


    Raph jumped out of the way causing the creature to crash its head into the walls causing another tremor.


    "Mother, if this continues, all our researchers will be gone !" The female screamed out as she crawled her way towards the floating figure.


    "None of that would happen¡­" she muttered. "I already prepared another way ... .detonate everything if they win.."


    "...." she nodded her head as she quickly ran out of the room.


    "Now then¡­show me your abilities¡­.Raffaelo Jun"


    Raph jumped out of the way as the creature''s tail mmed its former position causing a crater due to its force.


    It cried out as it suddenly turned around in an instant, whipping its tail as hended on his new position.


    Raph cried out as he blocked it with his sword. The force pushed him against the wall again causing arger crater.


    "...."


    He slowly stood up from the debris as he wiped off the blood that dribbled down his lips.


    ''If I had learnt at least the first chapter ... .but¡­from my past memories¡­.''


    Raph had reached a situation where he would have to depend on himself instead of his sisters. At least, in this life.


    He didn''t seem scared at the thought of losing but he did feel something else. Excitement.


    It had taken over his body as he hardened the grip on his sword. ''This¡­.would be good practice for me¡­''


    It was his real first battle against something or someone whose power level wasn''t that higher than his.


    It was a perfect time to hone his skills.


    "I do have some skills I''ve been thinking up in my head though". He muttered, the temperature around him suddenly began to decrease rapidly.


    ''This snow isn''t enough¡­..I''ll have to do that¡­.''


    A skill he came up with after many trials and errors in his head on how best to use his traits.


    "Cold zero".


    He muttered as a chill breath surged out of his mouth. His body began to turn pale white as the snow that covered the room began to turn to ice. His sword was turned into a fine sculptured ice sword and the tip of his white air began to freeze up.


    He pointed his de at her as he said. "Can you handle the cold ?"

 Chapter 28- What more about the King ?

    About thirty minutes earlier, in the Kings castle.


    The king sat ufortably on his office chair as he stared at the documents handed over to him by the man on ck suit with long flowing golden hair.


    He had a pair of red gem eyes and his gaze was fixed on the King.


    "This is not a matter that can be handled by the King''s legion.." the man said.


    "The neighboring kingdoms are finally showing their hostility¡­" the king muttered slowly, dropping down the document. "And we lost a Jun¡­."


    He stroked the hem of his hair while his finger tapped his table.


    The man, apparently his butler, slowly walked up to his side. "We still have 6 more¡­."


    "....." A sigh escaped from the King''s lips as he stood up from his chair. "They do serve the kingdom¡­ but other great families are involved as well¡­.I want you to prepare an elite team"


    "An elite team ? Without the great families ?" The butler asked with a raised brow as the King walked towards the door of the room


    "Yes¡­..an elite team of yers¡­.I shall summon a great congregation meeting".


    "But my liege? Why people that use the system ?"


    "...the great families are our biggest allies but also our biggest enemies¡­if they decided to overrule the king¡­.then doing so wouldn''t be a difficult feet for them"


    ".....that is something that would never happen, my liege¡­"


    "Only when we tie them down when they are at their most weakest¡­..do as I say and do it discreetly". He opened the door, giving his butler one more look as he said. "I expect great things from you, Jester Ophiux"


    He locked the door shut soon after, turning towards therge window in front him while he gazed upon the moon.


    ''...at least¡­I still have hope¡­'' he thought when a ck aura suddenly began to creep around his body.


    His expression seemed to lose its color on his face as he turned towards the left direction and walked slowly.


    "Is there something wrong ? My King". An eerie voice, different from La''s and dissimr from any human property projected in his ears as his pupils began to lose its white color, turning into an empty dark husk.


    "Not at all, sovereign¡­.I am only excited about the ns you havee up with¡­." The king muttered.


    "Is that so, well that is good¡­.keep up the good morale¡­.oh¡­and one more thing"..


    The floor suddenly rumbled in shock causing the King to quickly ce his body on the window, narrowly escaping falling to the ground.


    "It seems there was someone else like me¡­" the voice said as the ck aura slowly formed a ghostly figure in a dark worn-out cloak. "A ghost¡­.lives in the castle¡­find her¡­and exorcize her"..


    "A ghost ? But how ? No one but you should exist in the human world¡­"


    "They are many ways of being a ghost, My liege¡­.you have formed a contact with a higher demon and I am his subordinate¡­.but this ghost is different"


    "How so ?"


    "She seems to have no ties with the Demons I know of¡­.yet she somehow lives in the human world¡­she is too dangerous to be left unchecked".


    ".....is she the cause of that tremor ?" He asked as he slowly got  back up when the tremor resounded again, louder and stronger than thest.


    "It very much is¡­my king" the ghost began to dissipate as the ck aura disappeared from the King''s body.


    ''....it seems I will have to check it out with the head guard''. He thought while walking towards the exit of the castle.


    ***


    Michaelo was just about done with the number of chimeras that had appeared.


    Each time he wiped them out, a stronger and more diverse set of chimeras forced their way out of the portal.


    It had continued like this for over an hour now but it seemed to have reached a level cap.


    The same set of chimeras hade out from the portal 3 times. This makes their fourth.


    Michaelo was slicing off the head of thest one that stood in his way when he noticed the sound of intruding footsteps.


    He turned towards the castle knowing fully well that the King''s soldiers were on their way.


    He turned back towards the portal. "It is such a shame¡­.but I am about done here¡­" he said as he stretched his left hand.


    The chimeras that seemingly forced their way out of the portal froze as if time hade to a halt as each of the portals suddenly disappeared.


    Blood dribbled down his lips and an expression of fatigue watched over his tired face.


    ''This technique¡­uses too much of my aura'' he thought as he walked towards the Lake. What he had just done was simr to switching positions but instead of switching himself, he switched the portals for free air causing the portals to appear at designated intervals andnds.


    He looked through the water and he could mark where the ghost passed through by controlling his aura in the water through his sword.


    ''Wait for me¡­my son¡­'' he thought as he jumped into it just when the Kings guards finally got to the area.


    "Search for any body or any foreign object belonging to someone of the other Kingdom"


    The kingdom soldiers thinking the intruders could be likely intruders from another kingdom were frozen in surprise at the gruesome sight before them.


    A particr soldier that led them wore silver ted armor and he had an eye patch covering his left eye. He sighed as he turned towards one of his soldiers.


    "Report to the King immediately, they are signs of Chimeras in the area".


    The soldier nodded and was about to leave when they heard the sound of their King.


    "Do not leave your position"


    The soldiers quickly knelt on one knee noticing their King walk up to them from behind.


    "Your highness" the man on an eye patch greeted.


    "Cain¡­.this is a matter I shall personally take care of¡­I want you to protect me at all times¡­.is that Understood ?"


    "As youmand, Sire".


    "Good¡­..withdraw your squadron, inform them to inspect the Castle for any signs of intrusion"


    "As youmand, Sire¡­" the eye patch man, Cain slowly stood up and did as the King hadmanded.


    His soldiers quickly retreated from the area, leaving the King and Cain alone.


    The King stared at the Lake with a perplexed expression on his face. He always felt something was amiss in this ce and it felt burdensome that it suddenly decided to show itself now.


    "I shall lead the way".


    The King, as much as he may not look it, he is a 9 star King. He is already on the path of a Grand mage.


    He spread his mana around his veins as blue mes lit up at the tip of his finger nails.


    The mes grew wild and formed arge ball of mes as he slowly dropped it in the water. "High tier 7th magic ! mes of gehenna"


    The mes sank into theke untouched until it reached the bottom as it suddenly grewrger and wider forming the face of a ravaged beast as it evaporated theke to itsst drop.


    Cain felt amazed by the power of the King as he slowly looked up at him. He was a yer himself, but the growth of a yer is far easier than non-yers.


    The system works in unpredictable ways.


    The King jumped into theke and Cain quickly followed as theynded on the dry hard ground.


    His gaze wandered around the walls of the now formed Basin.


    "I see¡­" he noticed the closed door that was locked shot at one end of the wall and he walked towards it.


    "Brace yourself Cain, even I don''t know whatys in wait in that ce"


    "I will heed your warning, Sire".


    ''....The sovereign mentioned a ghost¡­.but to think all this while there was an underground system¡­ how did I not know of this¡­'' the king thought as he punched the door open exposing the dark humid path that led to the deeper paths he wasn''t aware of.


    "Let us go in"


    ******


    Therge lizard mmed its head on the ice walls as it made an attempt to break off the ice that had seemingly frozen most parts of its body by now.


    It screamed and snarled in annoyance as it searched the room for Raph.


    "If you''re looking for me¡­."


    His voice attracted it and it snarled towards its direction with its mouth open revealing itsrge set of canine tooth


    "How bothersome" he muttered as he suddenly appeared behind the Lizard with his sword facing up.


    The right fore and hind limbs of the Lizard suddenly cut off as blood splurged out of its wounded parts. It screamed in pain.


    "What are you doing ?!" The ghost screamed out in annoyance.


    "....it can''t defeat me..the way I am now" Raph said, turning towards her direction. "I didn''t just freeze the surface but the internal organs as well, everything required to produce energy has been put in a dormant state¡­..do you possibly think yourst trump card would work against me ?"


    ''Freezing its internal organs ? What sort of¡­.'' She thought with an aggravated expression.


    "I shalle for you next". Raph said as he quickly sliced off the other half of its legs.


    It cried out again,nding tly on the ground causing loud tremors.


    "....I wouldn''t be surprised if the King arrives here to check out the situation". He said as he walked towards the Ghost with slow steps until they stood facing each other.


    "Your ns¡­.were useless from the start¡­.you realized we were of the Jun household and yet you chose to attack us ? Are you a ghost without a brain ? You are a ghost right? Do I need to exorcize you ?" Raph asked as he pointed his sword towards her seemingly pale face.


    Her lips curled into a smug.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "What ? Do you think you can freeze mana as well ? I am made up of arge vast amount of energy¡­.so for someone like you¡­.exorcizing me¡­.is a mere thought¡­."


    She raised her hand up in an attempt to attack when a sword suddenly sliced her in half and  an immeasurable pain washed over as her face curled into a confused and shocked expression  causing her to scream in pain.

 Chapter 29 Chaptrr 29- The future will change

    Raph''s gaze turned towards the perpetrator.


    A satisfied smile appeared on his face on seeing his father walk calmly towards us through the door while holding the head of the lizarddy.


    "I''ve taken care of the rest of your minions¡­.you shouldn''t have any means of fighting right now". His father said as he dropped the head on the ground.


    La began to dissipate into the air. Her eyes lost focus and her hands hang down limply.


    "....don''t¡­.think¡­.this is¡­the end¡­." She muttered on herst breath.


    Michaelo slowly turned his attention from the ghost that disappeared to his son. He noticed the ice and snow that surrounded the room and a smile slowly found his way on his face.


    "You''ve pushed yourself.."


    "...of course¡­.I have to do this much to prove myself as a Jun.." Raph replied as they walked out of the room towards the direction he came from. "The King and his guards are on their way here, right ? It''s best we follow the path I came through"


    "...." his father remained silent as he walked behind him.


    ******


    The night grew brighter with the appearance of the sun on the horizon as Raph and his father walked towards the door of their residence.


    "....It was disappointing wasn''t it ?" Michaelo asked as they opened the door.


    The maids in charge greeted them both while they nodded in response.


    "Not as much as you father¡­.though we may have stopped a dangerous event from urring in the future¡­"


    "...Hmm¡­." His father nodded his head as they climbed up the red carpeted royal wood staircase.


    "When we get back to our residence in pasville¡­..your training shall begin¡­understood ?"


    Raph nodded in excitement as they parted ways to different rooms.


    RAFFAELO''S POV.


    I felt exhausted from the short trip as I pulled the sword from my back. ''It was worth borrowing this from the guards''. I thought as I dropped it next to a table.


    I walked up to my bed with a tired sigh only to find an unnecessary guest lying quietly on it.


    ''....the nerve of this girl¡­'' I thought as I walked over to the other side.


    It was a tiring night. Not every 10 year old has the stamina to keep up with that kind of situation. Not to mention¡­.she was a ghost¡­.only mana worked on her¡­supposedly¡­.but Father definitely doesn''t possess mana¡­.so how did he¡­.'' I did have my thoughts and theories on how he defeated her but they were all uncertainties.


    ''...what if she just yed to be defeated¡­..'' that was also a possibility I considered but i don''t think she''ll pose much of a threat in the future¡­..I will surely be stronger than I am by the time I meet her if she wasn''t exorcized''.


    "..is¡­is that you, Raph.." Morganna''s voice projected in my room as I turned back towards her while sitting on the other end of my bed.


    "Did I wake you up¡­.I apologize¡­"


    "Hmm¡­." She muttered as she rubbed her eyes with her fists while sitting up.


    ''So cute¡­.'' I thought,ying down.


    "I''ll be going to sleep now¡­" I said


    "Oh¡­.is dad back yet ?"


    "Yes¡­.we arrived together".


    She stared nkly at me and yawned.


    "Could have told us where you were headed to¡­"


    "....didn''t want to blow it out of proportion"


    "....guess so.."


    Morganna slowly came down from my bed as she walked towards the door. "We''ll be leaving soon¡­..Reba said you need to get some things before that¡­.don''t forget to get them on time¡­"


    "...of course".


    I heard the door to my room creak open and then closed with Morganna''s footsteps fading as she walked further away from my room.


    My gaze was fixed on the ceiling as memories and thoughts ran through my mind.


    ''.....this life¡­.it''s going to be exciting¡­" .


    My lips curled into a smile as I closed my eyes slowly drifting into sleep.


    ONE WEEK LATER.


    It was finally time for us to leave the Capital.


    I heard from my father that the King epted his demands of letting me train till I became 20 before letting me serve him.


    Well, it was only a matter of time before he agreed to it¡­.I think.


    My sister''s, Reba, Fiona and Gloria had returned to the Academy while Thalia returned to her Law school leaving Morganna and I alone once again.


    The house is boring without the presence of my sisters but I felt I would be upied with other things soon to notice.


    The potion from the greenhorn also worked perfectly.


    It was guaranteed to help hide my mana for at least 14 hours in a day.


    I figured it was still enough, I''ll just have to do my best in reaching the 7th star.


    ''I''m not too far off¡­.'' I thought. I''ve done my best in getting here but it won''t still be enough to protect my family.


    "Raph¡­are you ready ?"


    Morganna''s voice snapped me out of my thoughts as I looked away from the window to the door of my room to find her dressed cute as always.


    "....have they arranged our things ?" I asked, walking towards her.


    "Yes¡­Dad asked me to call you¡­.hurry¡­I''m getting sick of looking at this country folks.."


    She turned around in a hurry and quickly walked away.


    ''....hmm¡­.'' I could never really read her, it felt like she had different personalities for different situations.


    A sigh escaped my lips, as I walked after her, shutting the door to my room at the same time.


    On reaching the stairs, I noticed the maids lined up with their heads bowed down. It must have been their way of greeting us before we left but it seemed inconvenient and unnecessary.


    "I bid you farewell, young master Raffaelo"


    ''...just Young Master would have been fine though¡­'' I thought as I waved at Marian, the head maid of this mansion. "We''ll leave things to you this time as well¡­".n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    My Mother''s smile greeted me oning out of the Mansion. She stood in front of the Carriage as Morganna walked in.


    My dad seemed to have been inside already, he was reading a newspaper when his gaze met mine before continuing what he was reading.  ''He''s been checking information about the Kingdom since then¡­''


    The incident that urred in the King''s castle wasn''t blown out of proportion.


    It seemed the King only notified the houses present and his family. I heard they were excavating the undergroundboratories to find out the perpetrators.


    ''Though they''re mostly going to find dead bodies¡­.''


    "Raph¡­are you prepared ?" My mother asked, her voice snapping me out of my thoughts.


    My gaze fixed on her as I stopped walking in front of her.


    "Yes¡­.I don''t really have any personal luggage¡­"


    Her smile deepened.


    "My young man¡­.it seems you went out causing trouble again with your dad".


    I could see my Dad giving us the side eye.


    ''Well¡­I''m sure he was curious as Well¡­.so he ended up telling her about it¡­''


    I shook my head. "It was nothing mother¡­.they weren''t that difficult to handle¡­"


    She sighed, holding out her hands to hold mine.


    "You silly child¡­.do you realize you could have gotten hurt¡­.you''re only 10"


    "....." it wasn''t something I could refute, though I may seem like a child to them, my mind and personality were far from my actual age. I sighed.  ''Well¡­not like I can tell them about it¡­.at least not yet''


    "I''m sorry mother¡­.I will be careful next time¡­"


    She sighed as she helped me into the carriage.


    "Aren''t youing as well ?" I asked as I sat down next to Morganna.


    "...I have something to take care of here in the Capital¡­.It might take awhile before Ie back home¡­"


    ''What ? Did something like this happen in the past ?''


    "Is there something going on, Mother ?" I asked with a raised brow.


    She patted my head. "Not something a young child should be concerned about¡­"


    Her gaze shifted to My father and I could notice her subtle change in expression.


    "....take care of the kids, My Lord"


    He nodded. "Don''t get hurt¡­.and summon me if you are in need of me¡­"


    A weak smile grew from her lips. "Of course"


    Some few minutester, the coachman struck the horse causing it to move.


    My gaze was still fixed on my mother until we left the residence.


    I could feel a deep gap in my heart as mixed emotions filled my heart.


    ''In the past, she died too early¡­.so now that she''s alive¡­.I can no longer tell what will happen to her in the future¡­.''


    "Don''t worry too much¡­." Morganna said as she patted my back. "She''ll be back soon" her smile gave me some reassurance.


    "She''s right¡­nothing will happen to your Mother".


    My father stated clearly on observing my expression. I smiled while nodding to his statement.


    Some parts of the future may seem uncertain because of how much I''ve changed it but if I''m with my family, I''ll be sure to grow strong enough to protect them.

 Chapter 30- Training begins

    My gaze was fixed on the drops of rain that struck the window of the carriage as ideas and distractive imaginations seemingly carried my attention away.


    My left shoulder rested on the surface as I stroked the hair of Morganna whoid soundly asleep with her head on my thighs.


    "You seem to be lost in thoughts¡­"


    My attention was attracted to the voice of my father as I turned towards him.


    One of the questions I pondered about popped up in my head when I felt the need to ask.


    "....how Did you defeat her ?"


    I never really realized it but since that day, I wasn''t able to find time to be alone with my father to ask this question.


    He raised a brow as he turned towards the window.


    "....is there something you noticed about her ?"


    "Yes¡­.aura didn''t work on her¡­.it was only by the physical manifestation of mana¡­"


    "....Oh¡­.I see" he muttered.


    "....What Do you think the difference between aura and mana is ?"


    ".." I raised a brow in response to his question. It wasn''t a question I needed much thought before answering but he always had a meaning to what he said.


    "....an aura is manifested by a swordsman and mana by mages¡­."


    "Hmm¡­then why do you think a person is born with one ?" He asked


    "....I don''t necessarily think a person is born with one¡­.I feel a person is born with affinity to both¡­.they choose at their disposal which they have more affinity to¡­"


    "....true¡­most people that don''t have the physical adaptation would simply cultivate mana and begin their lives as a Mage while most of the physical capable would cultivate aura"


    "...it is as you said¡­"


    "But¡­.if you think about it¡­aren''t they the same thing¡­.but just stored and used for different things¡­"


    "....."


    I could hear the sound of an engine suddenly break down as if my brain couldn''t contemte the words he said but at the same time he was slowly making sense.


    "...but mana is also with nature¡­aura isn''t¡­.it grows from one''s hard work¡­"


    "...there''s that as well¡­but aura and mana when they are at equal amounts can be used for the same thing¡­..they can be substituted for one another and can be used to rece mana at the right amount¡­."


    "..you can''t use aura to summon beasts¡­or mes or water¡­"


    "And yet our traits work with aura¡­.and not mana¡­."


    "....."


    I always felt it was weird. Most powerful attacks work best with mana but the Jun''s household is different.


    We were made to use aura and all our techniques and traits require it for us to manifest them.


    "Even so¡­.I don''t necessarily think they are the same thing¡­.a Mage can not use aura and a swordsman can not use mana¡­" I stated frankly, trying to make sense of what he meant.


    "....well¡­.you can put it simply¡­both forms are energies that aid us when manifesting the supernatural¡­.even though different results are gotten¡­they are still fundamentally the same thing¡­"


    "..." my gaze was fixed to the ground as I contemted his words. "I see¡­..on a molecr level¡­.you were able to substitute yourck of mana for aura¡­.that''splex in its own way¡­"


    "Well of course¡­you need to be a grand master for you to be able to do that¡­"


    "Of course¡­." I muttered. As the saying goes, no poweres without a price and most great powerse with a condition attached.


    "When we get back to the Mansion¡­you shall learn theplex ways of applying aura¡­.I don''t have any concept of mana¡­.but I''m sure you''ll find something in Fiona''s room¡­"


    ''..but ? Will she really let me into her room without her permission¡­.?'' I thought and it seemed my intentions slipped from my expression.


    "Not to worry¡­.I already discussed this with her earlier on.."


    "Oh¡­I see"


    "....have You ever heard of the  Ranking Battle of The Great Families ?" He asked, his gaze stubbornly fixed on me.


    ''Of course I know of it¡­..I went through it in my past life¡­..but I can''t clearly say Any of that. I''m not dumb..''


    "Well¡­I''m sure you haven''t¡­it is something we only bring up when the time for it tomence is fast approaching"


    "...yes sir" I muttered, it seems events that made me who I was in the past were finally arising.


    In 5 years time, not only did I partake in the great family battle, I also participated in the entrance examination to get into the Homeric Academy of Gifted Children.


    At first, in my past life I considered it impossible to participate in one event after the other but not this time. I shall not shame my household any longer.


    "....right after that is the examination into the academy¡­.well you can take a break till you get in so don''t feel the pressure of having to do two¡­"


    "Father¡­..Surely You jest¡­..I am a Jun. The path we take is different from any other of the great Families and I am not the only one amongst the family that will be partaking in two exhausting events after the other¡­"


    In my past life, the  third son of the Martial arts was also the only child of their family to partake.


    "If you say so¡­"


    He turned his gaze from me and it raised the uneasy feeling that bothered me.


    *****


    The journey had finallye to an end as we came down from the carriage in an orderly fashion.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Reba yawned, stretching out her small limbs as she took a peek at me.


    "....I can see you¡­" I muttered after she remained quiet for a while.


    "...it''s nothing". She turned away and quietly walked past Gilda and the rest of the maids that had lined up to greet us.


    Four men also stepped out, hurriedly carrying our luggage to the mansion.


    ''Seems they found new recruits in the short time we were away'' I thought when the sound of construction workers projected in my ears.


    My gaze was led to Father''s Mansion or at least a tip of it and I could clearly make out the number of men in yellow caps constructing the fallen structure.


    "Wee back, Master Michaelo" Gilda greeted as She bowed.


    My father nodded and hinted for me toe with me. I respectively bowed to them and quickly walked after him.


    "Gilda,e with me"


    "Yes sir !" She yelled, instructing the other maids to return to their tasks while she quickly walked after us into the Mansion.


    "Do you have the keys to the Dungeons ?"


    "Yes sir"


    ''Hah¡­how can I ever forget about this¡­.'' I thought as a small smile formed from my lips.


    The Training locker room was a dungeon  found only in the main Mansion.


    Its size was approximately the width of the Mansion and its depth was deep enough to prevent any tremors from leaking out although it tends to fail sometimes.


    It''s a method used by most households to prevent any leakage of their techniques passed down through generations. Texts on how to perform them are usually stored there and the family head acts as a guardian during that process.


    "Is it finally time for the young master?" Gilda asked with a smile as she turned towards me.


    I shrugged. "It was only a matter of time".


    My father chuckled when we got to the hallway of the ground floor.


    We hardly evere here unless a celebration is going on.


    He pulled on themp and the sounds of machines clicking could be clearly heard. After a minute, a loud tumble sound echoed followed by the wall next to it shifting inwards and moving to the left.


    "He shall undergo intense training so I want you to get things prepared for him while he trains" my father said as we walked down a series of steps.


    He stepped on a particr foothold and the door began to close forcing the light that had sipped in to slowly fade away.


    "Raph, could you summon a me"


    "...." I sighed. ''Did he forget to bring a torch ?''.


    I thought as I flicked my fingers forming a tongue of me at the tip of my right index finger.


    I increased the size, illuminating the dark closed space and the candlemps that stood at either side of the wall.


    I walked up to it and turned it on. It followed a systematic pattern, turning the rest of the candles on.


    "Hmm¡­.magic is useful in many ways". My father chuckled as we followed after him.


    We walked down a series of what seemed to be a 100 stairs and got to the end opposite a concrete wall. My father lowered his body down and held a metal hinge nailed to a wooden fracture of the ground.


    He held it and raised it up forcing a crack sound to echo followed by the creaking of wood.


    The structure of the underground training room was built so the entrance was found on the ceiling which was our current position. The door my father had just opened was actually the Dungeon door.


    He carefully went through the door and signaled for us to follow after him just beforending on a white in room.


    I followed after him while Gilda followed after me.


    ''Honestly ... .I always found it stressful to go through this process'' I sighed, observing my surroundings.


    The room wasrge and spacious and the white walls illuminated brilliantly.


    The room was magically enchanted to prevent suffocation and enhance vision. ''It''s a well built underground training field¡­.though the process of going in anding out was stressful and as such, it wasn''t used unless it was necessary''. I thought when a particr board in the middle of the room caught my attention.


    My father and I walked up to it at the same time and I could make out the written words and artistically drawn figures.


    "The 13 chapters of the Jun Swordsmanship" I muttered.


    "Indeed¡­.the first 6 are easily learnt by 6th stars and below, the next 4 by 7th to 9th stars and thest 3 by 10th stars to great grand masters".


    "...."


    The process was stifling but the method at which I learn this skills will greatly affect my future


    ''I have to be a Master as soon as possible''


    The stage of a Master begins from the 7th star and I am on the verge of bing stronger.


    "Raph. I shall drill in you the skills and concept of being a Swordsman. Not just any Swordsman but a member of the Jun household. Everything you know about the sword is pointless and everything you shall know about the Sword shall be your foundation. Prepare your mind and body".


    This is it. The beginning of my new chapter.

 Chapter 31- The 12 great families

    5 yearster.


    Rachael''s POV.


    The loud screams of help and torture rang through my head as I sat silently on top of my white horse with my eyes closed.


    I can''t count the number of times we went into the battlefield and returned without having as much as five repercussions. Their deaths may seem meaningless whenpared to thisrge army behind me though.


    "Lady Rachael. We will soon arrive at the border of the Kingdom of Lumbrica".


    I slowly opened my eyes on hearing the mellow voice of my lieutenant.


    Jenny Leon. A basal household to my uncle the king as well as my cousin.


    "Is that so¡­.we can finally return home huh¡­" I said with a sad tone.


    The King had sent us on an expedition to check the diplomatic status of the neighboring Kingdom of Tiz, east of the Kingdom of Lumbrica and just as he had feared they had ignored all warnings from our truce and had been secretly attacking the smaller kingdoms that are loyal to ours.


    "I can see why uncle was so displeased when he sent us out on this mission¡­" Jenny said, patting me on my back as she rode her horse further away from me towards the front.


    "....honestly¡­why go through all the trouble of disobeying an order just for somend¡­" I thought but I had a premonition that something else was amiss here.


    The Kingdom of Tiz is a nation with little to no rules. They serve the strongest individual as their leader and it''s a system with five right arms and five left arms that guard their Supreme Strongest as they call it.


    Lately the new Supreme Strongest, Van Dutch Gregory has set his eyes on our Kingdom. Well that is understandable sincepared to the Native Northerners and the Holy Empire, the Kingdom of Lumbrica seems like an easier opponent to deal with.


    "I wonder what gave them this much courage to stand against our Kingdom" I muttered as I rode my horse to walk next to hers.


    "Of course, it is all due to the System¡­". Her expression grew dark and her eyebrows furrowed into a displeasing expression. "Mother of Casualties or the goddess Mayura¡­whatever her n was¡­for bncing the power scale..that was for naught".


    I pondered on her words when a knight that goes by the name Ray rushed up to us.


    "Captain ! The knight''s at the rear noticed some movements behind us ! Permission to investigate !"


    "Movements ?" Jenny muttered as she nced at me. "You don''t think they sent pursuers ?"


    "....it''s Not something we can ignore¡­" I said with a sigh. "I will go investigate myself, lead the others safely back to the Kingdom"


    "On your own ?" She asked with a panicked tone. "I can not ept that, it is best you take some knight''s with you¡­.in case they really are pursuers.."


    "...." I turned my gaze from her to Ray. "Have you confirmed their numbers ?"


    "...we have estimated at least a thousand.."


    "A thousand ! That''s even more than our numbers !" Jenny cried out, her gaze still fixed on me.


    "Do not worry¡­.I am here¡­." I said to her trying to calm her down. "You must be calm on the Battlefield. Didn''t your father teach you that¡­"


    Her expression slowly softened and I could see a hint of regret from her earlier behavior. "I apologize, Mydy"


    I nodded at her.


    "I''ll take half of our knight''s here. We are plenty enough to deal with those vagabonds".


    I turned my horse around and signaled for Ray toe with me. I walked up to our army that had waited for our reply.


    "Company 1 to 4e with me ! Company 5 to 7 keep marching forward!"


    "Yes Captain !"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    They chorused in unison as they made a way for me to charge through.


    Just as I instructed, the knight''s under mymand charged with me while the rest continued marching forward


    ''Honestly. .that uncle of mine¡­  giving me a task for 5 years¡­.I don''t even know how my kids are doing¡­.Raph should be 15 now¡­I wonder how much he''s grown since then¡­.Jeez ! I have to hurry up and get back to him !''


    ******


    NORMAL POV


    The sounds of people cheering and screaming in excitement could be clearly heard as a carriage bearing the crest of the Jun household , three swords pointed at each other to form an hexagon, slowly made a halt behind another carriage in a  parking lot behind a huge colosseum.


    The coachman jumped down while stretching his body as he walked towards the door.


    "Master Raffaelo, we have arrived at the Highbur''s Colosseum"


    "..is that so.." A white haired boy slowly opened up the door as he walked out. He stood 5ft 7 and had a green hoodie covering his face.


    "Has my father arrived ?"


    "He arrived a day earlier to attend a meeting with the other family heads".


    A feminine voice as Gilda walked out of the carriage after him.


    "He''s expecting you¡­young master"


    "...I am well aware" he walked forward towards the Colosseum. "Let''s go¡­.it''s best we don''t keep him waiting"


    The Highbur Colosseum. A magnificent structure that was built to settle in-fights between the people of the Kingdom of Lumbrica.


    It was built by members of the 12 great families when the ranking battle of the families began and it flourished due to its tendency to attract arge number of people.


    This year''s Rankings battle was especially exhrating due to the abilities of the younger generations.


    Times have changed and with that new abilities have appeared. It''s only right to say the younger generations will make a new way for future prospects.


    In the Colosseum, there is a room where the 12 great families were presently gathered, all seated at their seats around arge circr desk with their assistants standing next to them. The head of the great family, Chun Kang Lin sat at the end of the table while the 2nd family led by Ben Teras sat at the other end with Kelvin standing next to him.


    The rest of the family were seated in such order with the 3rd, Michaelo Jun sitting right of the 2nd and the 12th family Ophiuchus, a family known for their green hair, sat to the left of the 2nd.


    The 4th family Son Goku, the 5th family Silvan, the 6th family Merlin, the 7th family Aquarius, the 8th family Lucia, the 9th family La Teur , the 10th family Techa and the 11th family Vinci.


    "...Let the 2nd meeting of the 12 Great Families begin !" Chun Kang Lin stated getting the attention of everyone present in the room.


    "...we aren''t still talking about that again right ? We already made our decision yesterday". Ben said with a sigh tapping the table with an impatient expression.


    "It can''t be helped if our absolute leader decides to talk about the same topic again" Derek said with a chuckle.


    "You were always a sweet talker weren''t you Mate" Bryne Son Goku said as he crossed his legs on the table.


    "I am not your mate, Monkey ! And get your legs off the table !" Derek Silvan screamed out banging his hands on the table.


    "You guys act like such kids¡­can''t you be more concerned about our current situation ?" Mirabel Lucia, the head of the Divine Family, a female with golden lush hair said. She had fair golden skin and wore a priestess costume. She held a staff with three metal loops at the tip. Her eyes were pale white, the same color as Rachael and Raph.


    "People from the holy empire should just stay out of this !" Kira Merlin said with a frown on her face as she red at her.


    "Oh dear Kira¡­.it seems you''re still upset at how old you look"


    "Huh ? Are you courting death ?!" Kira replied pointing her index finger at her.


    "..dies really shouldn''t fight" Isaac Te, the youngest out of all the Leaders with dark hair and sharp intimidating eyes. He was wearing a mechanized suit with two drones floating over his head.


    "How dare a kid talk in the presence of grown ups?" Tonrook La Teur, the head of the Assassin''s family as well as the oldest. He looked well aged in his appearance with a long white beard and long eyebrows.


    He was about to retaliate when he froze on the spot. Their attention was now fixed on Chun Kang Lin as a feeling of intimidation seeped through their bones.


    "Are you done ?" He asked with a chilling voice.


    Isaac clicked his tongue and turned his face away.


    "It is a shame for the 12 great families to gather and chatter like this as if we were little children" he said, with authority in his voice.


    The atmosphere had turned chilling with pressure when a chuckle softened their mood.


    "Give them a break Chun, it''s only right we argue like this¡­we were once friends at the Academy you know". Michaelo Jun said with a smile on his face as he stared at Chun Kang Lin.


    The other heads felt perplexed at his mood.


    "...." Chun Kang Lin sighed. ''It seems he''s gone far beyond our reach¡­'' he thought as he adjusted himself on his chair.


    "Alright¡­let''s get down to business.."


    "We were discussing the rankings weren''t we ?" Michaelo asked with a raised brow. "I still feel it''s better we leave it for the next generation".


    "You only say that because your son is proficient with the sword" Tonrook said with a dissatisfied expression. "It is best we ! The family heads fight and decide for ourselves¡­just as Chun Kang Lin had suggested"


    "....honestly..I feel it''s best we leave it for the next generation as well" Mirabel said.


    "Oh¡­.hope you''re not saying this because Michaelo married a rtive of yours" Kira said with a frown on her face.


    "....what a foolish thing to say Kira, of course this is simply my judgment"


    "...." Kira clicked her tongue in annoyance and turned her face away.


    "I still insist that we, the family heads, should battle for the ranking" Chun Kang Lin said, folding his hands.


    "..."


    Silence filled the room as they pondered on their response to his statement. Most of them had not made up their mind. Leaving it for the younger generation may seem like a waste of time since fighting prowess changes with time.


    So the rankings may not hold up during the next few years.


    ".....this isn''t a matter of contest¡­we leave it for the next generation"


    Their attention was now fixed on Michaelo Jun as he stared at Chun Kang Lin.


    It was only right to leave it to them was what he thought.


    "And your reason ?" Chun asked and in the process the ground began to rumble and the table began to rise in the air. His aura had suddenly turned dark causing fear to seep into those that stood in his presence.   "You better have a good reason"


    Michaelo sighed and ced his index finger on the table and immediately, the room turned calm and the tablended on the ground with a loud thud.


    He released his aura as well causing a suffocating effect on the assistants that stood next to them and a domineering pressure on the other heads as he stated coldly. "Not everything is a contest of strength"

 Chapter 32- the younger generations

    Meanwhile in a separate part of the Colosseum, the younger generations of the 12 great families were presently gathered in an open room opposite the arena and therge audience that had been cheering.


    Most were covered in cloaks while others saw nothing to hide. One of which, Rhett Son Goku and Brett Son Goku. Twins with amicable simr appearance that could only be differentiated with their difference in dressing style.


    While one looked reserved and cool-headed with wellbed brown hair and white sses, the other looked rough and scatter brained, with messy brown hair and shiny golden teeth. A simr structure would be their monkey tails.


    The others were all wrapped up in cloaks and hoodies that it seemed nearly impossible to distinguish them from their respective families.


    "Hey Brett¡­.hmm..from the numbers I''m seeing here. Why do I feel like we''re missing a person ?" Rhett, the rough looking one, sat at the end of the window while his brother stood next to him.


    "It''s as you said, elder brother. It seems someone may be too scared to take thispetition with us" Brett said both with simr ents as their Father.


    They chuckled. "Well¡­not as scared as these freaks that refuse to show their faces¡­" Rhett sighed, turning around to watch the matches that had been going on.


    There were a total of 22 in the room, all standing or seated at different positions away from each other.


    "...should we at least introduce ourselves¡­"


    A young male voice said, gaining the attention of the others.


    "....we''re not here to make friends you know and especially not to you shady bunch" Rhett said with disdain in his tone.


    "Come on¡­" the boy slowly dropped his white hoodie.


    "Master Jane !" A female standing next to him in a simr coloured cloak cried out in protest.


    "Rx Frieda" The boy smiled. He had golden lush hair and pale golden eyes. He looked very much like a girl.


    "Oh¡­..the son and illegitimate child of the Divine family, Lucia". Another male voice said.


    A boy slowly dropped his hoodie as well revealing his elf ears and silver hair. "It''s alright¡­you guys can drop yours as well" he said with a sigh and two girls standing behind him dropped their hoodie revealing their elf-ears.


    "I see you did your homework¡­.Elven family heir¡­Darrell Silvan" Jane said with an obviously annoyed expression.


    "Isn''t it only right you learn about your enemies before entering the Battlefield" Darrell, the male elf asked. He had a very simr appearance to his father though his hair was longer reaching down his back.


    "Haven''t you heard of the saying? Your father''s enemies are not your enemies ?" Jane said with a sigh.


    "Oh¡­.that saying¡­" Another male voice spoke up and slowly the whole room began to reveal their appearances.


    All except two that stood at each end of the room.


    "You better not forget those words when we meet our Family heads". The boy added. He was tall andnky with messy hair tied to a bun. He had a Chinese character of art tattooed below his right eye and standing next to him was a girl with messy long ck hair and sharp beautiful eyes.


    "Raymond and Reba Vinci !" A young boy with blue hair in a ck overall with white earpads around his neck screamed out as he rushed up to the duo.


    "I''m such a big fan of yours !" He cried out with admiration in his eyes.


    "This kid" A boy with the same color of hair said, face palming himself.


    "Is¡­is that so¡­" Raymond, the boy with the tattoo said with a weird smile on his face.


    "Don''t get excited you dummy !" The girl behind him sighed in disappointment.


    "How old is this kid¡­he looks like my younger brother" A girl said. She had aqua blue hair and eyes. A young boy standing next to her with a simr height as the boy in overall red at her.


    "Elder sister ! I am not a kid !"


    "Yeah ! Neither am I" the boy in overall yelled out in annoyance ring at her as well.


    A loudughter echoed in the room stopping them from further interaction.


    Their attention was fixed on Jane now. A warm feeling swelled up in their hearts as they kept staring at him.


    "You see¡­we all wanted to talk to each other¡­.to think we''ll do whatever our parents say just because they say so" He chuckled. "Can we start the introduction now¡­I would like to know the people I''ll be spending time with at the academy".


    "...." they all walked back to their position standing next to their rtive.


    "We''ll start first !" Rhett cried out with a smile showing off his golden teeth. "After all, we started it all didn''t we?" he stroked his finger under his nose with proud shoulders.


    They all sighed in annoyance.


    "I am known as Rhett Son Goku and here with me is my younger twin, Brett Son Goku¡­the Staff family". He grinned from ear to ear.


    "''I''ll start next then. I''m known as Jane Lucia and here with me is MY SISTER, Frieda Lucia of the Divine family" he bowed and walked back to his sister.


    ''To think Master Jane would regard me as his sister'' the girl thought, her cheeks brightening up.


    "...I am called Adam Teras and with me are my younger brothers, Will Teras and Jake Teras of the Beast tamers Family". A brown haired boy said. He had distinctive cat eyes unlike his other brothers that simply had yellow coloured eyes.


    "I am known as Darrell Silvan, heir to the Elven throne and behind me are my sisters Nicole and Karen Silvan" the elf male said with a proud smile on his face.


    "I am Ciara Merlin of the Elemental family and next to me is my younger brother, Armond Merlin" A girl with sharp looks, dark tone hair and a busty appearance said. She gave off simr vibes to her mother, Kira but her young age clearly showed itself in her appearance.


    "I am Mariam Aquarius and with me is my younger brother, Mario Aquarius. The Masters of the Sea" The girl with aqua blue hair and eyes said with a smile on her face. "Nice to meet you all"


    "I am Albert Techa !" The young boy in overalls cried out with a wild grin on his face


    "And I''m his older brother, Michael Techa, it''s an honor to be gathered amongst your presence".


    "Hmm¡­I am Raymond Vinci and behind me is my younger sister, Rita Vinci" the boy with a tattoo and the girl behind him nodded their heads in unison.


    "....thenstly¡­" Jane said, turning towards thest two boys that were yet to introduce themselves.


    "...I am Louis La Teuer and my younger brother here¡­" The older one said. He had dark wavy hair with red bloodshot eyes.


    "..I will introduce myself¡­." The younger one said as he walked up in the middle. "I have no idea what you all intend on doing with our names but as an assassin I refuse to reveal further information on myself. I am simply known as Dark. Take note of that name for the rest of your lives !" He said with an arrogant grin on his face. He swayed his cloak as he walked back to his brother.


    "How irresponsible of you, brother" the boy said with a disapproving expression.


    The elder brother sighed. "I apologize¡­" he muttered, covering his face with his left palm.


    Jane chuckled. "That''s alright¡­the younger ones always tend to get ahead of themselves"


    He walked up to the middle of the room, his gaze turning to the two figures still covered.


    "I see some of us still insist on following old customs¡­"


    Their attention was now fixed on the two figures.


    One at the left back of the room and another at the right.


    The one at the left had a small body build that most likely indicated it was a female but the other one remained still. It was hard to tell which gender was hiding behind the mask.


    "....I see¡­well it can''t be helped" He said with a sigh.


    "Hold on !" Rhett said with an annoyed expression as he walked up to the front. "You see the rest of the family introducing themselves and you¡­you both dare not ?" He asked.


    "...." the one at the right chuckled. "I don''t have time to deal with such an insignificant set of people". He said with a male voice.


    "What ?!" Rhett cried out in annoyance. He picked out a needle from his hair and it elongated into a silver staff.


    "How dare you ?!"


    The room that had seemed merry a minute ago had suddenly turned cold with everyone''s annoyed expression fixed on the boy when suddenly they heard a loud chatter behind the door as it suddenly burst open.


    They turned towards their left as two guards peeked into the room.


    "What is the meaning of this ?!" Jane cried out in annoyance. He seemed more aggravated with the guards than the boy that stood at the end of the room


    "I apologize, Master Jane!" One of the guards said.


    They were both wearing silver ted armor. An indication of their rank as knight''s.


    Bronze ted knight''s are ranked Rookies, Silver ted are ranked Intermediate, Golden armor are ranked Masters and Diamond armor are ranked Grand Masters.


    "A maid and a blind boy keep insisting on letting them in" the second one cried out.


    "A blind boy ?" All those in the room were taken aback by hisment. They were all aware of the child that could be mistaken for a blind boy.


    "Are you crazy ?! Let him in !" Darrell cried out, taking the knight''s by surprise. They looked at each other before attempting to walk away when they stopped in their tracks.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "No need¡­"


    The cold and chill voice crept into the room causing them to shake in astonishment.


    Their expressions slowly turned dark and confused as the footsteps on the wooden floor became louder and clearer.


    "Please be sure to remember that the other heads of the family are gathered here" A grown up female voice said.


    "Hey ! Who let them in ?" One of the knight''s asked as he walked up to them in the hallway. "We still need to verify¡­"


    The maid red at them and their bodies froze in shock stopping them from altering another word. "If the Master heard of this incident¡­he will surely get upset".


    The boy chuckled. "Then you better clear up this incident before my father hears of this".


    The footsteps finally ended at the door of the room revealing a white haired boy with pale white eyes.


    ''I see¡­then the boy that spoke before must be Jang Kang Lin'' Jane said as his gaze focused on the male figure still wrapped in his cloak. ''While the other one must be from the 12th family¡­.'' His gaze then focused on the female figure still wrapped in her cloak.


    "Oh¡­.A bunch of weaklings in a tight room ey.."


    His voice sent a chilling aura into the room.


    "What ?!" Rhett screamed out in annoyance.


    Jane slowly focused his gaze on the boy before him.


    ''Just as mother said¡­.he''s handsome'' He thought as he forced a smile on his face. "Now that''s no way to talk to people you''re meeting for the first time"


    The boy raised a brow as he stared at him. "...oh.....Jane ?"


    "...you know of me..?" Jane asked in surprise. ''But he shouldn''t have made any contact with the outside world for 5 years¡­''


    "Hmm¡­that''s right¡­we were introducing ourselves that time too weren''t we¡­." The boy''s gaze roamed around the room until it focused on Mariam and his lips grew into a small smile.


    "...I am Raffaelo Jun ! The sole son of the Jun household and the whole lot of you..". He raised his hand up in the air forming a thumbs up. " Are going down.." and He turned his thumbs up upside down.

 Chapter 33- The 12th family

    "Young master Raph ! You had no reason to instigate them like that" Gilda said, sighing in frustration.


    "Oh..I wasn''t instigating them though¡­.just you know, encouraging them" Raph said waving his hand at her.


    "Young Master Jun¡­what you said right now¡­.do you think you can possibly face the whole of us in this room ?"


    Jane asked, getting his attention.


    "....you were always the main character weren''t you¡­." Raph said while chuckling.


    "Why do you keep talking like you''ve met them before, young master ?" Gilda asked with a raised brow.


    "..are you still here ?! The guards are in disarray because of our arrival ! Go take care of it already"


    He red at her and she shrugged. Walking away some few secondster.


    Raph slowly tilted his body on the door staring at each of them before fixing his gaze at Jane.


    "Well, excluding Jang over there and the Tett Twins¡­..hmm¡­.I guess it''s overkill saying I can face the whole lot of you here¡­" he muttered with his hand on his chin. "...well that isn''t what matters¡­"


    "And how does it not ?!".The figure that had refused to take off his cloak spoke up in an urge of fury and his cloak flew off his body. He couldn''t hide the bloodlust from his eyes as it emitted a pressure that grew fear into the hearts of those that couldn''t handle it.


    ''Oh shit ! He''s no joke at all'' Rhett thought with excitement in his eyes as their gaze was now fixed on Jang Kang Lin. Thest son of the Heavenly Sky King, Chun kang Lin.


    ''So that''s how he looks¡­.'' Jane thought with a feeling of uneasiness swelling up in his chest. ''This isn''t going to be an easy battle¡­'' . His fists curled into a fist when he suddenly felt the uneasiness turn into somethingpletely different.


    "Oi¡­you call that blood lust ?" Raph took a step into the room and more than half of them grasped their neck tightly and fell to their knees.


    Those that remained standing felt an overwhelming feeling of Fear.


    ''This¡­.this pressure¡­.how can a mere child ?'' Jang thought, his eyes bulging in shock.


    "This is bloodlust" Raph said with an eerie voice.


    A dark red aura had enveloped the room making it difficult for most of them to breathe.


    Amongst those that were still standing were Jane, The Son Goku twins, Adam Teras, Darell silvan, Ciara, Louis La Teuer andstly Mariam. She seemed to be unaffected by it in general.


    Something only she could have noticed. ''He''s on a totally different ball game¡­.but why is he alienating me from the rest¡­.since that time¡­'' She thought remembering how he smiled when their eyes locked on each other for only a moment.


    "Raph !"


    The red aura stopped in an instant as if it was never there as he heard a familiar voice call out his name.


    He peeked out the door with a worried expression on recognizing the voice.


    "....fa..father¡­.it''s good to see you again" he said awkwardly as his father walked up to him from the other end of the hallway.


    "You refuse toe with me and when you eventuallye ! You decide to cause trouble! What would your mother say if she were here ?!" His father asked in annoyance as he pulled his right ear. "Come with me you stubborn child".


    "Fa-fa-father ! It was only a little greeting ! A greeting"


    He mumbled as he was pulled away by his father.


    They felt relieved as he left. Jane sighed walking towards the door. "We better get to our families¡­it seems they are done with their meeting". Frieda quickly walked after him, bowing before leaving the room.


    And like that, one after the other they left until thest two people, Jang Kang Lin and the other female figure that had yet to reveal her identity were left.


    ''...what ? Are you telling me that a kid like that can emit that kind of bloodlust ?'' He thought as he walked towards the door, stopping in the middle.


    He turned his gaze to the girl.


    "...you¡­must be from the 12th family then¡­.I think it would be best for your family to sit out this year as well. You wouldn''t want to lose another prodigy due to an absurd taste of victory". With that, he walked out of the room leaving the female figure in her line of thoughts.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    A sigh escaped her lips as the wall behind her began to warp. A figure wrapped in a cloak slowly prated its way through the walls.


    "Were you able to gather anything with those eyes ?" The figure asked with a hushed male voice.


    "Of course, Patriarch". The girl said as she turned around to face the figure that appeared before her and knelt on one knee


    Patriarch was another term some families use to refer to the family head.


    "So¡­what do you make of this set¡­.they are people that will work with you in the future¡­"


    "....." the female voice remained silent for a while. "With due honesty¡­..they were disgusting".


    "....." the figure stared at her for a short while. "Get yourself ready then and depart to the fortress. I shall remain here to watch the matches¡­it should be entertaining".


    "As you wish, Patriarch". The girl replied as the figure warped through the walls.


    ''It is only a matter of time¡­.before the downfall of the 12 families¡­.and the redemption of the Ophiucus family. Just you wait !'' She thought as she slowly stood back up.


    Memories of their features streamed through her head for a short while when she froze in her spot. "....but¡­Raffaelo Jun¡­.I should watch him some more¡­" she whispered to herself as she finally enacted the now empty room.


    Jang Kang Lin POV.


    What I felt when he released his bloodlust wasn''t something a mere child should be able to do. He should be only 15 and I am ahead of him by 2 years but still, this brat dares to look down on me.


    The conflicting feelings that boiled in me only riled up each time I thought of it as I walked towards the bright light that shined ahead of me.


    "My son¡­"


    The voice of my father sent a chill that calmed all the uncertain feelings I felt in an instant.


    "You called father" I replied as I turned towards him once I got to the light.


    My father sat on a throne made out of stone and we were currently on a podium above the arena.


    There were 12 more. Each representing the family and onerge podium that represented the king.


    The arrangement was determined by our ranks with our father seated closest to the King and the 12th family or should I say the forsaken family seated to the other end of the King.


    "What was it like ? That kid''s bloodlust".


    His gaze was fixed on the sole son of the Jun who seemed to have a chatty time with his father.


    ''How dare someone like that¡­'' I thought but honestly I felt excited that there could be someone other than my elder brothers that would make me feel this way.


    I always wanted to trample on those that think they are strong. That has always been my calling and I shall start with him. "He is nothing to fear father. I shall rip his head off his body and deliver it to you in a golden tter"


    My father gave me a piercing stare as if staring into my very soul. "Foolish child. Don''t make decisions based on your emotions¡­it''s no wonder you''re the weakest out of your siblings". He looked away leaving me with an awful feeling of dejection.


    Mother always told us stories about my Father. I am someone who wished to live by my father''s story so I can be as great as he is but yet he looks down on how I act even though it is the same way he did when he was my age. It infuriated me at the thought alone.


    "Avoid killing anyone. We wouldn''t want to cause trouble at this point"


    ''What ?!'' My expressions clearly revealed my shocked expression.


    He stared at me and turned away. It felt like he was trying to avoid something this whole time And my gaze tried to follow his movement but it only led to the Jun''s.


    ''Just what happened at the meeting ?!'' He thought in annoyance.


    NORMAL POV


    "Father¡­doesn''t it seem like you''ve gotten alot of attention ?" Raph asked as his dad finally let go of his ear while seating down.


    "It could not be helped. Sometimes violence are necessarily to get adults to listen to you"


    Gilda slowly walked behind him.


    "You''re finally here, My assistant"


    "I only act as a proxy Master, your mistress shall be back very soon" Gilda said with a smile.


    "..hmm¡­.I truly hope so"


    "Everyone seems to be prepared¡­" Raph said, gaining their attention.


    They searched through the arena noticing they were all seated now.


    "I guess it''s finally time huh¡­." Michaelo said with a sigh.


    "Hm ?" They all turned their heads towards the 13th podium that was meant to be vacant on hearing the horn of the King.


    They stood up in an instant with surprised expression because never has the King evere for a Rankings battle.


    The King and the second Prince slowly came out of the hallway that led to the podium with four guards around them. He took his seat in an instant with his son standing next to him on his right.


    ''....what¡­the fuck is the King doing here ?!''

 Chapter 34- 1st stage

    The King rested his head on his right arm as he looked around the Arena.


    The sight of his citizens, themoners and the aristocrats that sat vividly apart in the audience section made him chuckle.


    "These fries¡­they don''t seem to know when to shut it" the 2nd Prince, Jullian said with a haughty tone in his voice.


    "That is not why we are here my son¡­" the King ignored the masses, focusing his attention on the sole son of the Jun household.


    "We are here to see just how much the son of the Jun household is worth to us"


    "...that is true¡­Father¡­" Jullian said with a sigh. "I would prefer they start their tournament with the two leading figures of the next generation¡­"


    "No¡­they always save the best forter but I have no idea what they are nning this time"


    "...." Jullian listened keenly to his father''s words. He liked the ideology his father lived by and he did his utmost best to work towards his father''s goals.


    The Main reason his Father chose him over his first son for the seat of the throne was for this very reason.


    He would prefer someone as shrewd as him to lead the kingdom in his absence. Jullian was the splitting image of what he wanted.


    ****


    Raph squinted his eyes in annoyance as he tried to ignore their stubborn gazes.


    ''He doesn''t even intend on hiding his ambitions..'' He thought when his father tapped him.


    "Do you know how this battle wouldmence ?" He asked.


    "..." Raph had a very distinct memory of how the Rankings battle went on in his previous life but mentioning it to his father would only cause suspicion.


    "Of course you don''t¡­.we don''t mention it to our kids until it is time for them to get down on the stage"


    "..then ? What did you have in mind, father ?"


    "For starters¡­this Battle is going to have 3 stages.


    The first stage of course is the knockout stage. Having too many of you on the arena will only sleep problem for us"


    ''That''s just¡­.the way I remember it'' Raph thought when his father began to exin the 2nd stage.


    "The 2nd stage begins in earnest. We distribute the names that survive through the 1st stage and put each of them against two others. In order to reach the 3rd stage, you are required to defeat the 2 opponents given to you in order"


    ''....that too¡­'' He thought nodding his head as his father started to exin thest stage.


    "Thest stage will be an all out battle royale where death of your opponents are allowed. In this open Arena, the Family heads shall be the judge and whoever arises victorious shall be Ranked 1.


    The rest of the Rankings will be distributed ording to their prowess in their battles"


    Raph nodded again. "I understand father¡­"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Of course you do¡­I made sure to make it as simple as I could" he chuckled when Chun Kang Lin suddenly floated into the air gaining their attention.


    "Oh ! Seems like it''s time". Michaelo smiled as he nced at his son. ''What wonderful calmness''. He thought.


    "All Participants to the Arena Immediately !!" Chun cried out and in an instant as if fearing death, they all rushed from their families to the arena, standing tall with their heads up. Nothing could possibly take their shine or at least they thought.


    "The 1st stage of the Tournament is rtively easy".


    Chun sighed as he nced at Michaelo. ''That bastard !''


    "If you are still standing after 10 minutes. Then you pass".


    Jane raised a brow in confusion when a powerful pressure suddenly overwhelmed his senses as he heard loud cries. He spat out blood and was on the verge of falling to the ground when he stumped his feet to get his bnce back.


    ''Oh¡­.so this is what he meant''. He thought.


    The first stage was given just a single rule and that is to remain standing after 10 minutes of his continuous release of murderous intent on the arena.


    It may sound simple but the murderous intent from a man on par with a grand master is no joke for them.


    Even his son was finding it difficult to hold up but by calming his nerves and distributing his energy from his diatian to the rest of his body, he was able to resist far much better than the rest.


    The King and Jullian continued to watch the scene when Jullian turned towards his father. "Father ! I do not understand ?! What is going on ?" He asked, confused.


    His father slowly stared at him.


    ''Murderous intent is something manifested from one''s desire to tremble upon their enemies until they reach certain doom which is death.


    It is something that can be manifested physically but only those who have reached a high mental state would be able to see it¡­.''


    His gaze turned back slowly to the Arena. ''I see it clearly. The red murky feeling that creeps out of his body and consumes the Children¡­.the 12 families are noughing matter¡­.''


    He looked through the participants. ''Or may be the 11 families''.


    "Only watch Jullian.. they are experiencing one of the worst kind of torture a human could ever experience¡­.the blood lust of Chun Kang Lin is said to have brought more than half an army to their knees".


    ''Not a single one of them should be able to ¡­..Oh !'' His thoughts came to an end on observing a certain participant.


    CHUN KANG LIN POV.


    I couldn''t bring myself to be impressed by the sight that urred before me. How could I ? When it''s supposed to be impossible !.


    My attention was fixed on only one person. A total of 8 people had fallen and many others were shaking. It was only right they did. They were years too early to be able to resist my murderous intent but that child.


    "Raffaelo Jun"


    His name slipped out my mouth and that only made me more furious. How dare he ?


    It was something I was well aware of but the Jun household isn''t just a great family.


    Their prowess with the Sword goes a long way.


    One could say they were destined to be one with the Sword and every generation produced an absurd monster.


    Just like how that man appeared and turned the tables in an instant 35 years ago.


    My lips curled into a smile. "I shall test you"


    I increased the force of my intent and more fell to their knees leaving only 12. That was more than enough for the next stage but I wanted to force him to at least bulge.


    He remained fixed as if he were in a daze the whole time. It seemed like he was getting bored out of his mind but for a 15 year old to be this strong against my murderous intent¡­just how much mental strength does he have ?


    He has only lived for 15 years and his five years of istion training shouldn''t matter at all.


    It''s absurd. The thought of it was absurd and it only gave me a headache the more I thought about it.


    "Chun !"


    As if to add oil to the mes, I heard his mocking voice.


    I turned towards Michaelo''s direction only to find the same expression I despised the most.


    Realization shook me and I ceased my murderous intent.


    ''He always looked arrogant whenever he gave me that look¡­.it was like he was exercising his powers over me¡­.and I hated it because I couldn''t do a thing about it''


    I sighed as I shut my eyes. ''It was a good decision to leave the matter to the next generation as he said¡­.at least this time. Raffaelo will be put against my son¡­..there should be no way my son will lose''.


    I opened my eyes to observe the conditions of the participants that were still standing.


    They looked tired. Well most of them did, only one remained unphased. "Warriors who have passed the first stage. Introduce yourself to the masses".


    A total of 10 participants remained standing. Most of them were bleeding with weary expressions from their eyes but I could tell the amount of determination in them.


    A golden haired kid stood straight first and began. "I am Jane Lucia !" He panted heavily and tiredly but except for that He looked fine and filled with determination.


    I nodded my head. "It seems that woman has raised a decent son this time" I said with a chuckle.


    "Ara Ara¡­he''s saying nonsense now" Mirabel Lucia muttered from her podium.


    "Be careful of your words mydy !" A female wearing simr clothing as her but not as important said with a scared tone in her voice.


    "It''s just a joke Dearie" She chuckled and thedy standing behind her known as Daisy Lucia, her younger sister as well as her Assistant sighed.


    I ignored her statement as they continued introducing themselves to me. They were now children I have to take notice of as well for them to have withstood my intense murderous intent.


    ****


    NORMAL POV.


    Aside from Jane, Jang and Raph the others that passed through the 1st stage without any issues were Rhett, Albert, Darrell, Mariam, Louis, Adam and Ciara.


    They introduced themselves to the crowd and each time the crowd cheered for them.


    ''They survived 8 minutes and 2 minutes was when I nearly got serious'' Chun thought with a sigh.


    "You have passed the 1st stage. Take your rest and prepare your minds for the 2nd stage shall begin in earnest tomorrow"

 Chapter 35- 2nd stage (Jane Lucia vs Albert Techna)

    Raffaelo POV.


    The 1st stage ended without an inch of a problem or at least that''s what I thought. I didn''t realize he had increased his murderous intent so much to the point it was supposedly unbearable.


    I didn''t need to think too hard to realize why I had such mental strength sincepared to the 7 Generals of Hades, his murderous intent was child''s y. Of course this is something only I am aware of.


    When the 1st stage had ended, 12rge doors linking to the 12 podiums suddenly fell open with two guards standing close to each of them. Chun had quickly floated away while we were left to walk back to our quarters.


    I turned around to leave when some pestering buffoons'' decided to bother me.


    "Hey you !" I could make out the loud, rash voice instantly. I haven''t forgotten a single one of them after all.


    I went through hell because of how strong they werepared to me in my past life.


    It''s too bad they won''t get the chance in this lifetime because I''ll show them what through torture¡­.or at least that''s what I thought but these days¡­.since after mastering my trait till the fullest. The thought of revenge has simply just been an immature phase in my life.


    ".....are you talking to me ?" I asked, staring him over.


    "....how¡­How are you still fine ?" Brett Son Goku asked while the others went their way leaving us to ourselves.


    Of course I noticed Jane''s worried expression but he quickly turned his face away when our eyes met.


    "....that''s just how much difference there is¡­"


    "Difference ?" He repeated as I turned around to leave.


    "...the Difference in our abilities. You are so far from reaching where I am".


    What I said as a simple statement that day to him just turned out to change a lot of my future ns but it was also the building factor of my future goal.


    After a few minutes of walking up the narrow stairs leading to the different podiums of each family, I met my father and Gilda who seemed to already be on their way to get me.


    "..huh ? Why are you down here father ?"


    "...why Do you ask ? I simply want to check my son''s health". "...I''m fine as you can see¡­" I sighed as a small smile formed from my lips. I always thought it would be impossible to escape the love and attention my parents gave me no matter how strong I be in the future.


    "The 2nd stage will begin tomorrow¡­.shouldn''t you be with the other Family heads to select the battles that should take ce ?" Gilda asked my Father.


    I nodded in agreement. ''Nice one Gilda !''


    My father chuckled. "Then take him straight to his quarters¡­I don''t want him causing any more problems¡­I shall take my leave then" he waved at us as he walked towards another entrance of the Colosseum towards their meeting room.


    I sighed. "Cause trouble huh¡­"


    "Yes¡­it''s just as he said. Nowe with me" Gilda indicated for me toe with and I nodded.


    ''In my past life¡­.this event changed the rest of my life¡­.but in this lifetime¡­I think I know where my destiny is headed at least''. I chuckled quietly but it seems it was for naught since Gilda still turned around with a questioning expression on her face.


    I shrugged.


    NORMAL POV.


    At the other side of the Arena, Mariam walked up wearily assisting her younger brother as their Grand father who is also their Head of the Aquarius family, Paulson Aquarius walked down towards them.


    "Mariam dear ! Are you alright ?!" He cried out on meeting them.


    "I''m here as well you know¡­" Mario grumbled when he suddenly felt a heavy blow at the back of his head.


    "You scoundrel ! You couldn''t even protect your only sister ! What would your father say ?!"


    "But pops¡­.she''s perfectly fine¡­I''m the one that needs stitches" the boy cried out in pain holding his head. "How could you just hit me after that ?!" He cried out again.


    "You scoundrel ! You got eliminated early and now you''ve left Mariam with the sole purpose of representing the family !"


    "No worries Grandfather" Mariam said trying to hold herughter in. "I''m perfectly fine¡­and I won''t fail you" she said with determination in her eyes.


    ''Oh¡­my dear granddaughter¡­have we spoiled you so much that you don''t even know when an opponent is way over your league ?!'' Her grandfather thought with a sorry expression on his face "How much time has passed".


    "...anyways¡­I''m going to my chambers to train! Don''t disturb me !" She cried out running up the stairs past them.


    "Mariam dear !" Her grandfather cried out trying to call her back but she ignored.


    A sigh escaped his lips. "...I can only pray¡­"


    His solemn expression suddenly turned into A fit of rage as he turned to his grandson. "You on the other hand need some kind of beating right ?!"


    "...wa..wait pops ?!" He cried out in retaliation but he was ignored as his grandfather pulled him up by the ear.


    ******


    The 2nd day came without a hint of warning and the noisesing from the crowd of people gathering outside the Colosseum was enough to sound as a waking bell for all those that slept throughout the night.


    A board was ced in front of the Colosseum and it showed the battle sequence for the 2nd stage.


    The beginning battles consisted of Jane Lucia, Albert Techa and Ciara Merlin


    The middle battles consisted of Rhett Son Goku , Raffaelo Jun and Adam Teras


    The ending battle consisted of Jang Kang Lin, Darrell Silvan, Louis La Teuer and Mariam Aquarius.


    It was expected that each segment battled against at least two of their opponents in order to reach thest stage.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Some few hours passed as the number of people filling up the audience section continued to pile up. The 2nd stage was the beginning of pure entertainment.


    Though it was a serious issue for the great families it meant another thing to the masses. An opportunity to check out the abilities of the great families doesn''te that often.


    The heads of the 12 great families arrived at their podium and took their seats in earnest as the two participants for the 2nd stage walked up to the arena from their different gates.


    The 2nd stage of the Battle began with Albert Techa of the Techa family and Jane Lucia of the Divine family.


    The King wasst to appear at his podium with Jullian walking beside him yawning due to exhaustion.


    "....they''ve already begun this early ?" He muttered with an annoyed expression as his father took his seat.


    "If they don''t¡­then they won''t be able toplete it by this evening¡­"


    "Is there a time limit ?" Jullian asked when his father suddenly pointed down at the arena.


    Michaelo Jun walked to the middle of the Arena gaining the attention of the masses.


    "I shall be the referee for the 2nd stage and I will now ry the rules".


    Albert smiled at Jane while Jane sighed.


    ''Even though mother said I should be most careful about the Techa family¡­I don''t really get what there is about them I need to be careful of''


    "The rules are simple. Eliminate your opponent either by knocking them out or pushing them to the walls of the Arena. Elimination of your opponent by death is not Looked upon and the participant shall receive immediate execution.


    You are given a time limit of 30 minutes and if you fail to win your battle in that time span then both of you shall forfeit the battle and your results will be calcted from your battle prowess". He announced as he raised his hand in the air.


    The crowd went silent in an instant and a refreshing feeling of excitement filled their eyes. Their hearts seemed to have stopped in a single beat in anticipation of what was about to unfold.


    It wasn''t only them that felt it. The general public. The guards, the Family heads and even the king with anticipation to see the battle of the 12 great families.


    An event where 12 abilities of different concepts are showcased in an elite manner.


    It wasn''t some simple board game or a tournament match. The ecstacy felt here was on a whole different level. Why wouldn''t it be ? After all It was now time for the RANKINGS FAMILY BATTLE.


    Michaelo dropped his hand and the crowd roared in excitement.


    He disappeared from his position in an instant as the two participants charged towards each other.


    "I apologize Albert ! But I will have to win this one !" Jane said with a stern expression.


    "Make me fly ! HERMES !"


    His eyes suddenly shed with a golden light and a golden stream of light surged out from each of the corners of his body.


    The ground suddenlypressed due to the sudden force and with it came a loud supersonic explosion and a crater was formed almost in a second.


    He propelled himself forward in an instant with his right hand held forward as he grabbed Albert by his neck and mmed him to the ground with greater force causing another crater muchrger and deeper than the previous.


    He dragged him across the ground like dirt and pulled him out when he had almost reached the ending of the Arena and with one swell swoop flung him down to the middle of the Arena causing a muchrger crater with a loud supersonic explosion.


    He panted lightly as the beams of light began to fade away.


    "I have my own reasons¡­please forgive me" he muttered under his breath as the crowd cheered wildly.


    "....what ? Is it over already ?!" Jullian yelled out with an annoyed face. " Come on ! Couldn''t the little one put up much more effort ?!" He yelled, mming his leg on the ground.


    "....calm yourself my son¡­" his father said and snapped his finger and Jullian quicklyported himself.


    ''.....the only problem he has¡­..would be his quick temper¡­'' The King thought with a sigh.


    He focused his attention on the battle at hand and his right brow raised in confusion together with the surprised tone of the Audience.


    The dust began to clear up soon enough and Jane was amazed by the sight before him.


    ''As I thought¡­.just the god Hermes won''t be enough for this one'' He thought as a chuckle escaped his lips. ''This isn''t gonna be an easy battle after all''.


    "Ow¡­..hey elder brother, that hurt a lot you know". The childish voice of Albert projected in the stadium gaining their attention as most of them had an absurdly surprised expression written on their face.


    Before the dust had begun to clear up, they had noticed five shiny beams of blue lighting from different angles but on the dust clearing, they had noticed one beaming from his right eye and four others from his right arm that now looked robotic with four holes shiny brightly and five more holes closed up.


    "I''m d we''re both fighting with the intent to win¡­cause how else would I be able to win if you don''t fight seriously ?" Albert said with a chill tone in his voice sending a shiver down Jane''s spine.


    "Hope you''re ready for round 2¡­.cause it won''t be the same as round 1"

 Chapter 36- Jane Lucia vs Albert Techna 2

    Lucia or the Divine family is a family you could say is close to the gods.


    it was once said their ancestors gave a gift offering to the gods and as a result the gods took a liking to them.


    Each Family has a story behind them before their involvement with the goddess of casualties.


    The Divine family, Lucia have the unique ability of offering a prayer request to a specific god and be granted their unique ability by the god.


    They can stack up on the number of prayers up to five times depending on their level of divine energy and be granted 5 attributes from different gods. Each time they acquire a god''s ability a stigma of that specific god appears on one part of their body chosen by the gods themselves.


    Their divine energy and level of understanding of the god in question also affects how much power they can get from that god. Meaning, a member of the Lucia n that has strong understanding and a vast amount of divine energy can be able to obtain 2 attributes from the first god he/she prays to.


    Andstly. There is a time limit depending on their level of divine energy. Those withrger amounts can stay up to an hour to 24 hours and those with a minuscule amount canst up to 5 to 10 minutes.


    The Techa family, Techna on the other hand are a futuristic set of people.


    It was once believed their ancestors arrived from the future, bringing with them a lot of unknown knowledge that had been worked upon by others of this world to produce better results.


    Their unique ability is the physical manifestation of their technology or the ability to summon such technology.


    Their abilityes in all sorts of manifestations and their unique ideas are highly treasured in their kingdom.


    The rule to how much they can manifest was simply based on one''s imaginations and implementing the right rules regarding physicalws.


    NOTE CHANGES TO SURNAMES:  Techa- Techna.


    ****


    "...honestly Elder brother¡­you''re so mean¡­you couldn''t even give me an opportunity to fight back". Albert said, pouting his lips.


    "....." Jane, on the other hand, had other thoughts besides the kids'' persistent use of "elder brother" when he was referring to him. ''..so¡­this must be his ability ?'' he thought, staring at the futuristic robotic right arm of Albert.


    "...it''s cool isn''t it ?!" Albert sparked up with excitement as he held his right hand forward. "apparently¡­even amongst my Family, I''m special¡­I don''t get the whole gist of it but¡­."


    He slowly dropped his hand down. "...that''s not what we''re here for right ?"


    Albert inhaled lightly and exhaled deeply as if calming his nerves for what was toe.


    It felt like both of them had met a wall blocking them from their victory. Of course, it was only natural to expect this much¡­there is no such thing as a weak Family amongst the 12 great families. Each have their pros and cons and what they focus more on.


    The crowd remained excited at the fight that had yet to begin with their loud cheers and provocations at them for stopping instead of fighting.


    Jane fixed his gaze on Albert. He was no longer sure of his own victory any more but showing his trump card now¡­could only spell trouble for himter when he has to face off against Ciara Merlin.


    "Aren''t-" He was cut off mid sentence as his pupils dted in surprise noticing Albert sudden appearance next to him with his robotic right leg aiming a kick at his face.


    "pay more attention to me would you" Albert muttered with a cold tone in his voice mming his leg on Jane''s face with enough force to push him towards the walls of the Arena.


    "this is good bye.."


    The Crowd screamed in excitement due to the sudden change of events while the King raised a brow from his throne.


    "...a kid like that ?" Jullin muttered.


    it seemed the King wasn''t the only surprised one out of them both.


    ''it''s like father said¡­.none of them are to be underestimated¡­.'' he thought.


    "so¡­does this mean the battle is finished ?" he asked turning his head slightly towards his father when he noticed his sudden hardened expression.


    he quickly turned back to the Arena and the same expression grew on his face.


    A wall of water had formed in between the Wall of the arena and Jane just before he had made impact on it.


    he was panting lightly as blood dribbled down his fore head.


    On his right hand was a golden pattern of a Caduceus ( a winged staff intertwined with two snakes copting) representing the god Hermes and some few secondster another pattern, a blue trident began to appear.


    "Oh ! you never fail to impress !" Albert screamed out as he stumped his foot to the ground. "but you''ll have to lose for me to win !".  Three holes opened on the calf of his right robotic leg gushing out blue fumes.


    He propelled himself forward, appearing in front of Jane in the blink of an eye.


    It felt like the propulsion of a jet due to the heat that gave off each time he moved with great speed.


    the ground split due to the force all the way to his new position in front of Jane.


    he threw his right hand forward aiming to knock him outpletely with his punch.


    blue fumes exuded from the open holes on his right hand as well as he pushed it toward Jane''s head.


    The wall of water suddenly moved  and streamed out of the way towards the right, carrying Jane away from the astonishment of Albert''s punch right before his attack had hit his former position.


    albert clicked his tongue when the force of his fist caused a propulsion of the airpressing the wall deeper into the cement.


    "Why did you move ?!" He screamed out in annoyance as he propelled himself towards Jane again.


    "I deserve your healing¡­Asclepius". A green symbol of a rod staff entwined by a single snake appeared on his hand as his injuries began to heal automatically.


    "where you really just trying to knock me out ?!" Jane cried out with an annoyed tone in his voice. "I could have died !"


    "no¡­.I''m good at controlling my strength¡­nothing would have happened". Albert said swinging his hand in the air as he pulled it down towards Jane''s head.


    ''My head again ?!'' Jane thought, raising his arms to block the attack.


    The attack was blocked but not the force that came with the attack. It pushed him down into the ground causing a crater and the water that surrounded him dispersed to the ground. it felt like his insides were churning at each other as blood spurted out from his mouth.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Now rest" Albert said clenching his left arm as it turned into a robotic arm, the same colour as the rest.


    Three holes were opened and fumes propelled out of it like the exhaust of a Jet fuel.


    He thrust his fist forward with great speed towards his abdomen and punched it with great force.


    Jane''s expression twisted into a fit of annoyance and pain.


    "seriously¡­" he thought as the force of the punch pushed him back but not far enough to reach the wall of the Arena.


    "...." Albert took a few seconds to breath in and breath out again as he propelled himself foward yet again intending on finishing what he had started.


    "this kid¡­" Jane muttered clenching his abdomen in pain. He stretched his right hand forward forming a fist and the water streamed towards his rescue forming a fist asrge as a school bus.


    He mmed it in front of him just before Albert could get close to him forcing him to retreat some few steps back.


    5 more began to form in the sky and each fell one after the other further increasing the distance between them.


    "tsk¡­.do you think this can stop me ?!" Albert cried out as he punched one of the fist of water turning it into a gas.


    ''Damn it ! it seems I''m gonna have to use everything to defeat this brat !'' Jane thought cursing under his breath as his wounds began to heal up.


    ''isn''t there a way to win this without relying on my whole abilities ?''. His brain kept cooking up all sorts of ideas and questions on a way to bypass having to use all of his abilities,pletely distracting him from reality.


    "Where do you think you''re looking ?!" the loud childish voice of Albert projected in his ears snapping him from his line of thoughts. The fists of water had all been turned to gas as Albert propelled himself forward towards him.


    The number of open holes on his arms had increased to 8 as he thrusted his fist at Jane.


    ''the same  attack again ?!'' He thought as he tilted his head to the right, his gaze following the movement of his right arm when he heard a swift movementing from the bottom.


    His pupils quickly moved to the source of the sound and he quickly tilted his head further back to the left dodging another blow.


    He bit his lip in pain trying to ignore the supersonic explosion caused by the force of his punch.


    "I''m not done !" Albert cried out, increasing the speed and the force behind his punches and with each thrust, Jane would barely manage to avoid getting hit.


    This continued for what seemed like 30 seconds but  the number of punches he would likely have to avoid kept on increasing and his godly eyesight and reflexes was beginning to lose count of which fist wasing next.


    "Tch !" He cursed when he suddenly felt a heavy blow on the left side of his cheek followed by a sudden rush of information to his brain.


    He groaned in pain when the punches only increased from there.


    "you brought this upon yourself¡­" Albert said with a mellow tone in his voice as the 9th hole opened, exuding blue fumes in the process.


    "Lock 9¡­.open"

 Chapter 37- A victor at last.

    JANE''S POV.


    ''Hah shit¡­..''. What was it¡­? Pain ?. One of the few  sensations that is hated by humans in general. An ufortable sensation that makes the brain cry out stop each time information reaches it.


    Words wouldn''t be enough to describe how much pain I was in as his fists continued to violently assault my face, My most valued feature.


    But that was the least of my worries. I kept on wondering whether or not I would remain conscious when he finally decided to stop his barrage of attacks. It was annoying that I couldn''t do anything else other than thinking and I tend to think back in the past to wonder where it all went wrong.


    It''s a simple question that attracts a simple response which is ''I didn''t take him Seriously. Even after my mother warned me''. I felt perplexed by the mix of emotions and pain that rushed all sorts of information to my brain and I continued to grasp on the little consciousness I had left.


    ''Should have just used my whole abilities from the very beginning''. I was more worried about the families higher than us in the Rankings rather than the battle at hand.


    I made up my mind right there and then. That if I grasp even a little bit of consciousness. I''ll surely trample on this guy.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    As if in response to my request. Albert suddenly ceased his reign of attacks and clenched his right arm as a blue light suddenly shone from one of his holes.


    ''..those holes¡­the more he opened¡­the faster he became¡­.I should take note of that just in case''


    "It''s over¡­..Lock 9¡­open !". He cried out as he mmed his fist on my abdomen.


    The mix of emotions and pain curled into a tight knot in my brain as blood spurted out my mouth. It felt like my intestines were churning at each other as the force sent me to the ground and further away from him but¡­I was still CONSCIOUS.


    The crowd began to scream in excitement as if Albert had already won the battle. I mean that is what it should have seemed like but sadly for you all.


    ''Poseidon¡­'' water wrapped around me tightly, preventing me from hitting the wall of the Arena.


    It was amon thought most of us in the battle would have chosen. Eliminate your opponent by throwing them against the walls of the Arena so even if they were still conscious, they would  be out of the battle.


    The crowd seemed to have gone silent since I could no longer hear their deafening voices though I did hear one voice.


    "It''s about time my son".


    Mothers encouraging voice. I may not seem like it but I''m a sucker for my mother. I''m what you would call a mothers child so that was more than enough reason for me to flip the switch.


    "You still won''t give up Elder brother" Albert whined. He seemed fixated on the thought of victory.


    How ? How dare he ?.


    My bodyid lightly on the wall of water that formed blocking me from hitting the wall as my wounds began to self heal.


    "It''s too bad Albert¡­.you could have done your best to make me unconscious"


    "Hm ?" He muttered though he seemed to get the gist of what was about to take ce. "What¡­What are you trying to say¡­"


    "I have only one request, Albert¡­" My voice came off calm and rasp as I looked up at him through my bloodied face. ".....don''t die".


    I surged my divine energy throughout my body and it exploded in harmony. The mix color of gold representing our father HERMES, blue the true master of the sea, Poseidon and green, the scientific medic Asclepius.


    An auto regeneration began in my body as I charged at him with full force.


    The ground split and tore due to the force I applied. This is the true strength of Hermes though I could only bring out 50% of his abilities.


    Albert staggered in shock but he seemed to get hisposure quickly as I threw my fist at him.


    He stretched his right hand to block it and the force blew him away.


    He groaned as he forced his robotic legs into the ground, stopping himself from moving any further.


    "...what the hell brother ? You were hiding this all this time ?" He said with a chuckle in his tone.


    "...why not ?!" He cried out as his whole body became robotic. It looked like his flesh kept metamorphosing and the robotic parts just piped out of his skin.


    Each of the holes turned bright blue and there were a total of nine of them.


    "I''ll go all out too !" He said and charged at me.


    ''Like I care'' I tilted to the left dodging his charging fists that caused a super sonic explosion reaching the Audience section.


    They were all teleported out of the way in an instant just before the whole area they watched the battle from was turned into debris.


    ''Seriously¡­the force of his punches¡­''.


    I turned around and grabbed him by the neck. "It''s such a good thing you''re short right ?!" I muttered as I pulled him up into the air and mmed him down on the ground.


    The force caused arge crater almost taking the whole size of the Arena but he was still alive and breathing since I heard loud weird noises like fumes forcing their way out of a tight hole. ; )


    His body suddenly floated up into the air from the rubble away from my grasp as  he aimed his right palm at me.


    ''What¡­is he nning on ?'' I thought when I heard another weird sounding from the blue hole on his right palm.


    It began to glow bright blue and a loud crackling noise projected in my ears.


    Without even meaning to, My body jumped out of the way and a blue beam asrge as half a bungalow shot down at my previous location.


    I looked up at him from the new position I stood with my mouth agape. "What the fuck was that ?!" I screamed out as he shot another one at me.


    I jumped again towards the other side of the Arena, dodging it.


    "You''re way too much brother ! Just take this already ! I know it won''t kill you !" He cried out as he shot out more.


    ''Brother ?....not elder brother ?'' I thought as I continued jumping away with my God like reflexes.


    ''I can only maintain this much power for 30 minutes. I need to end this as soon as possible'' I thought. ''Well then¡­''


    "Beseech upon me your mighty trident !" I cried out and in response a bright blue light shone from the sky and a trident fell down to a path in front of me.


    I rushed towards it and grabbed it, spinning it at the same time as I forced my body to turn towards his direction.


    I clenched my grip and flung it at him with force in hope it would take him down but he only propelled himself away from my trajectory to dodge the attack.


    I clicked my tongue in annoyance as the trident struck the Audience section. They were teleported away as soon as possible as well.


    I charged at him, stomping my foot on the ground as I rose up into the sky.


    He noticed me and aimed his right palm at me again.


    "....Guess I have no choice¡­" I muttered as the stigma of Asclepius disappeared on my right hand and another one began to form.


    The beam shot out before I should have retaliated but I had more than enough time to appear at the other end of the Arena dodging his attack in a swift motion.


    Albert slowly turned his head towards me and a childishly annoyed expression etched on his face.


    I felt a chuckle escape my lips as I looked at my right arm. ''Just in time¡­'' I thought.


    Normal POV.


    Albert seemed at a loss for words on seeing Jane at the other end of the Arena. His little brain contemted so many reasons why his attack didn''t strike him down and he came up with two reasons  ''either he teleported¡­.or he ran¡­.did he already change one of the gods ?''


    Though he might be a little youngpared to the others, his field of thinking and his superior abilities made him stand out even amongst them giving him enough face to battle against them heads on. He was a prodigy of his generation though it seemed he couldn''te up with a solution this time.


    He was about to attack again when Jane appeared above him. ''Speed ! It''s definitely speed !'' He thought when Jane swung his leg down from, mming him back into the ground.


    Janended on the ground safely as Albert forced his way out yet again. He panted heavily as his eyes focused  on his right hand ''symbol¡­.there''s just two'' He thought.


    "Oh¡­you must be wondering what I did right ?" Jane asked, his voice sounding rasp and loud. "You might want to beat the answer out of me !" He cried out as he appeared beside him yet again.


    ''How ?! How ?! How ?!'' Albert thought over and over again. This speed was not in human terminology. He couldn''t grasp when he left his position and he didn''t feel his presence until he appeared again.


    It seemed like he was teleporting but it was speed. Godly speed. This was an obvious abuse of abilities !


    Jane threw his right fist at his face, blowing him into the ground.


    Albert groaned in pain as he felt a sudden rush of screaming information to his brain. He couldn''t grasp why his metal tes failed to block the hit.


    His metal armor was supposed to be as hard as gold but even the strength of gold can''t handle the strength of a god ?!


    The force blew him away and in the blink of an eye, he struck the wall of the Arena causing arge depression into the hardened cement.


    It seemed victory was now safely in his palm.


    Note to self : The Arena is asrge as a football field

 Chapter 38- Ciara Merlin vs Jane Lucia

    CIARA MERLIN''S POV.


    I couldn''t seem to make sense of the battle that had just ended or that was what I thought at first.


    Since the beginning of the battle, my mother and I had ced a good amount of our attention on thest son of the divine family and we were affirmative that he should have lost that battle.


    An unexpected urrence¡­.a variable had urred. What our family stands against the most. I could tell from my mother''s apparent disgusted expression on her face that she wasn''t satisfied with the end result.


    "my daughter¡­"


    She called out with her stern voice and I had no choice but to kneel on one foot. It''s a sign of respect all mages bestow upon her when she uses that tone on us.


    We are aware of what next she would say.


    "Do not disappoint".


    "....yes mother¡­" I said in agreement but I already had no intentions of losing to someone who only depends on unexpected circumstances to win a battle.


    Everything in life is set on a mathematical level or a scientific basis where things follow a distinct order.


    Our grand magic is based on that order.


    The ability to create magic from a distinctive orderly nothingness or the form known as mana and with this basis we have been able to attain high positions in the magic world.


    The rule of the Battle, though it wasn''t mentioned at first, was something that had been passed down through families.


    The winner of the previous battle faces off against the 3rd opponent while the 3rd opponent faces the loser as thest and 3rd battle and with this we''re able to face two opponents one after the order.


    Michaelo Jun, the solitary king of the sword in his own field or what I''ve heard directly from my mother¡­.and his son, Raffaelo Jun. Memories of how he introduced himself in the waiting room flowed through my brain and what was left was a hefty feeling of hate.


    "...calm down my child¡­you shall get him soon".


    I nodded in agreement. ''The sword shall always be inferior to magic''. I thought as Michaelo Jun announced the winner.


    The crowd screamed in excitement but I could tell most of them were disappointed. After all, they make a living from betting on us. ''Fucking swines..''


    A group of people putting on a yellow robe suddenly floated into the Arena. They positioned each of themselves properly and started a restoration spell on the Arena that had been damaged almost beyond recognition.


    "It''s almost your turn, Sister¡­are you nervous ?" My younger brother asked as he climbed up the podium.


    ''this little piece of shit''


    "You wouldn''t have had to depend on your sister if you had remained standing, right ?" As if she read through my line of thoughts, my mother spoke up as I turned towards my brother.


    His expression tends to give off his feelings and I could tell just how much he hated our mother. ''Men¡­.such fucking swines¡­'' I thought as I turned my gaze from him while he stumped back down without leaving a reply to our mother.


    ''How rude¡­if I were my mum¡­I would have used that childish behavior of his as a reason to banish him from the family¡­.in fact all males should be banished. How dare they exist¡­.filthy things''.


    "I hope you aren''t cursing men again¡­"


    Once again, it seemed like my mother could read through my line of thoughts.


    I turned my head away and pouted my lips. "not at all, mother !".n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ***


    About 10 minutes had passed and I was finally called down to face off against Jane.


    I couldn''t have been any happier showing my strength against men that think they''re worth something. ''Every single one of them thinks the same way !''.


    "The rules are the same as thest¡­.and you will be given a total of 30 minutes as thest¡­..Fight to your heart''s content but causing death to your opponent shall not be tolerated".


    ''....well¡­that''s okay¡­.I can just leave him half dead¡­.or maybe a little bit dead ? this will be fun¡­.not to mention I''ve already figured out what he had done during thest few minutes¡­its over for you¡­Jane Lucia''.


    NORMAL POV.


    "Is she thinking of doing something bad to me ?" Jane asked as he looked up at Michaelo.


    Michaelo gave him a wry smile. ''looks like the expression my wife gives me whenever I try to win an argument''. He thought.


    "Good luck" He said, giving him a thumbs up as he raised his right hand to the air.


    The crowd began the count down.


    "Ready !".


    He disappeared from the battlefield in an instant as the crowd screamed "FIGHT !!!"


    Jane quickly backed away to the other end of the Circr shaped Arena waiting for her response.


    His body system had been sending warning signals to his brain since he saw the weird expression on her face. "Hey ! Lady Ciara ?! Do you always have a scary face before a fight or¡­..?!" He screamed out trying to reach her.


    She simply ignored it as she took a step forward. "you are gonna be in the worst kind of pain, Lucia !". She pulled out her right hand and a 35 cm long white wand began to form on her hand.


    She swung it around her body and a red robe appeared. "6th star magic ! firey Implosion !". Five balls of me asrge as a school bus formed from the tip of her wand and collided together to form arger denser ball in the form of a mini sun as it shot out towards him in a single motion.


    He quickly jumped out of the way in an attempt to dodge the firey mass when he noticed the heavy ball was floating towards him even as he arrived at a new position.


    "silly kid ! of course its expected for others to dodge the magic of a mage ! that''s why there''s such a thing called the marking spell" Ciara chuckled as she began another spell. "5th star magic : Firing drops".


    A stream of water began to form at the tip of her wand as Jane continued moving around in a desperate effort to get ride of the fire that stubbornly floated after him.


    ''It shouldn''t be long when his stigmas expires¡­I''ll get him with time¡­and mages just so happens to be the Masters at prolonging battles !''


    Jane was well aware of what she intended on doing. ''seems this battle will be much more difficult !'' he thought as he turned around to face the firey mass head on.


    A new stigma began to appear as a red fiery glow emitted from his eyes and a vast amount of divine energy began to emit out of his body. The stigma took the form of a bright sun with a face on it.


    "The mes shall never forget your greatness ! Helios !". His body emitted a surge of mespletely wrapping his body as he held the ball of mes from moving any further.


    The massive force pushed him back a little as he forced it to the ground causing arge crater.


    "ARGHHHH !!!" He cried out as he absorbed the massive mass in an instant.


    His fiery appearance began to tone down as he panted heavily.


    "I knew you would use him !".


    The provocative voice of Ciara projected in his ears as he quickly turned to his back.


    "it''s toote¡­" she said as drops of water bullets shot out from the stream of water at him.


    He increased the amount of mes that surrounded him in an instant when he noticed the mes suddenly dimming.


    ''My time is running out ..'' He thought. He could only maintain the full extent of the gods abilities he could savage for a total of 30 minutes in every 3 hours.


    It seemed he had spent far too long in his current mode.


    The water bullets turned into steam before they could even reach his body and this continued in a seemingly infinite amount as the steam blocked his field of vision as well as others abilities to note his position.


    Ciara smirked at herself. She seemed to be fixated on the idea of victory. It was on the scop of her n in winning this battle.


    ''with this¡­he should be exhausted¡­'' She began to prepare for another spell.


    ''With this third one it is truly done'' She thought when a chill feeling crawled up her skin.


    "it seems you fail to pay attention to your surroundings".


    Her eyes bulged open in shock as she quickly turned around in an attempt to shield herself.


    "you shouldn''t underestimate others¡­.." Jane said, his eyes a husky ck colour and his skin as white as a ghost. His veins exposed itself to the surface as a ck colour as he aimed a punch on her. It didn''t seem like Jane at all but it looked and sounded just like him.


    Ciara was lost in her thoughts as she attempted to figure out what had just urred.


    She quickly took a nce at his right arm but not a single Stigma was printed on it.


    That was when it dawned on her and with that was a reassuring feeling of the result of her spection.


    Her pupils slowly moved to her left above her and another Jane with actual human flesh was vividly facing her with his right leg swinging down from above towards her.


    ''....two Janes¡­ and one is an Undead¡­.'' She thought as her expression curled into an ugly disgust as she cursed out loudly.


    "Fucking variables !".

 Chapter 39- Ciara Merlin !

    Her mana swirled up from the inside of her body like a hurricane as the strong wind caused by the sudden outburst of mana blew the two Jane''s away before they could even touch her.


    He crashed to the ground with a loud noise and tumbled for a while as his clone disappeared after it mmed against the walls of the Arena.


    He quickly stopped himself from moving back any further as he was now extremely close to the walls of the Arena.


    ''Fuck ! The undead didn''t work¡­and I''m at my limit¡­I couldn''t  take anymore than I already did from Hades'' He thought remembering how he switched stigmas using the steam that was formed as a smoke screen.


    "No¡­.not yet¡­.I still have to hang on for a little longer !" He muttered as the strength of the wind only increased stronger and more intense.


    The walls began to crumble due to the wind and the number of people that had been returned back to their seats after the end of the previous battle were now being moved away yet again.


    It was a repercussion spell. Something that had been cast on the Audience section after the fourth previous Rankings Battle due to the Bloody Masses incident.


    People are teleported away from their seats to outside the Arena when signs of danger are imminent.


    The head of the Four Towers of Magic, Kira Merlin was in charge of this grand duty because of herrge mana.


    She was currently frowning at her daughter''s performance. ''To think you would be forced to use this ability¡­it seems you''re still far from bing strong my dear'' She thought with a disapproving look on her face.


    She heard her name being whispered and turning towards the direction, the prying eyes of Mirabel met hers.


    Mirabel snickered at her and Kira could feel her veins bulge up to the scalp of her head.


    "You fucking bitch !"


    Meanwhile Ciara began to float in the air with her eyes glowing white. In the Land of Mana, there have always been four groups of Elements. The FLAMES that spark life. The ocean WATER that cools down our taste. The mother EARTH that guides humans on the path of righteousness and the AIR that begins all life.


    All other attributes arrise from this four as the basic medium.


    Though at times non-elements that seem like elements exist.The source of scourge and pain, DARKNESS and the healer and helper, LIGHT are two examples.


    Ciara floated in the air with a bright light shining around her. It seemed nearly blinding, the audience had to look away from her glorious sight but there were others that thought it was too beautiful to be looked away from.


    Jane remained, lying on the ground in a daze as he stared nkly at her magnificent form.


    Her hair had turned white and her eyes shone a glorious brightness. She raised her right arm lightly into the air and the Four basic elements formed on top.


    "You shall regret making me show this side of me" she said with a stern tone in her voice.


    Jane seemed to have lost all motivation to fight back. He only had one goal from that moment then on.


    "8th tier high magic¡­."


    The four elements swirled around her palm andbined forming a ck coloured ball. It floated into the air.


    "....Elemental Implosion".


    Her voice sounded calm and calctive as the ck ball began to vibrate vigorously while white bright light pierced out of it.


    The Patriarchs of each of the Family had a panicked expression for just a short while. Surprised at the level of Magic she was about to use in that small sized Arena.


    The bright light broadened blinding all those who had dared to stare at its might as thergest explosion known to man was about to ur.


    Michaelo clicked his tongue as he was about to take out his sword when the bright light suddenly froze.


    Their eyes bulged out in shock but all were surprised for different reasons. Her mother, Kira for example was amazed at her feat.  Her daughter had just fooled the whole Patriarchs of the 12 great families. Her surprised expression twisted into a devilish grin. ''The Jun''s are no match for us !''


    The white light sucked in into the ball as it floated back to the palm of Ciara and disappeared into dust.


    Though instead of her former position which was floating graciously in the air, she was now standing in front of Jane, holding him up by his neck against the wall of the Arena.


    "....Don''t think unpredictability can win a match" she said as she dropped him down. "You are no match for me, Jane Lucia".


    "Wi¡­winner ! Ciara Merlin !!!" Michaelo announced as the crowd screamed out loud in excitement.


    "Holy shit ! What was that ?!" An audience in the crowd cried out in shock.


    "No freaking idea ! But that was so cool !"


    "Did she disappear ?? Or teleport ?!"


    "What was with that beauty ?!"


    "She''s freaky gorgeous ! The prettiest girl in the world !".


    The crowd conversed so many random questions and answers to one another while Michaelo walked towards Jane who still seemed to be in a daze.


    "I know that look anywhere" he said with a chuckle as he stretched out his hand towards him.


    Jane looked up at him with a raised brow.


    "Wh¡­what are you talking about ?!" He asked in confusion as he took it and stood back up.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "...I guess children these days prefer to run away from their feelings" Michaelo said with a sigh as they walked towards their Family gate.


    "...What do you mean sir ?" Jane asked, feeling a little confused on the issue. He seemed to be searching for an answer himself.


    "....no..that''s something for you to find out¡­.though I will tell you one thing¡­"


    Jane looked up at him as the gate opened revealing his mother and aunt walking towards him. She had her arms wide open as yful tears ran down her cheeks.


    "...women can be pretty fiddle" Michaelo replied, chuckling as he turned away.


    " Wait ?! What?! What do you mean ?!" He cried out in utter confusion but he was left without an answer when the warm embrace of his mother snapped him from his line of thoughts.


    He looked up at her with a weary smile.


    "...I''m sorry mother¡­since I couldn''t¡­"


    "Silly boy ! You''ve done more than enough ! I was definitely entertained" she replied, chuckling.


    ''Weren''t you crying just now ?'' He thought when his aunt, the assistant to the Head of their family, Daisy Lucia walked up to them.


    "Congrattions Sir¡­or should I say Lord Jane". She greeted him with a genuine smile.


    "...thanks Daisy" He smiled back at her while chuckling.


    "Now you can use the Divine pool¡­..it would suffice plenty for yourck of time and increase your efficiency of how much power you can gauge out from the gods" she continued.


    "It''s not a matter of gauging out power !" Jane and his mother screamed out at her in unison startling her in the process. They stared at each other for a little while and her mother''s lips curled into a genuine smile.


    Something he barely gets to see unless she was talking to one of her husbands.


    His eyes slowly opened up in amazement as he thought. ''Mother''s pretty¡­.''. He was always fixated on the thought of how beautiful his mother waspared to the rest of the mothers out there in the world since he was young  but for the first time something else¡­.no someone else popped up in mind.


    ''....so is Ciara..'' His eyes seemed to have bulged open even more startled by his own thoughts. Something his mother easily noticed.


    She chuckled as they turned back to walk away.


    "Daisy ? Do you think we should stay for the rest of the battles ? Results can easily be sent to our households you know¡­"


    "..th¡­that is true, Mydy" she replied still startled from their previous yelling at her.


    "Ara Ara¡­..were you scared back then Dearie ?" She asked, chuckling.


    "...O¡­Of course not !" She cried out in retaliation, her cheeks turning bright red.


    "....I want to stay¡­."


    They turned towards Jane who was still in his mothers embrace. "These are people I may have to face off against in the future right ? I already underestimated one¡­.I can''t do the rest for the others¡­.I need to know what I''m facing". His gaze slowly turned towards the 3rd household. The Jun podium.


    "You have a point¡­.guess I''ll stick around till I watch that cute kids battle".


    ''Cute ?!''. He turned towards his mother with a sulky expression causing her to chuckle at his reaction.


    "Stop being such a baby~" She said, herughter increasing as his sulky expression only increased.


    **


    "More and more people are turning their heads in this direction. It''s bing annoying" Raph said with a sigh escaping his lips at the end of his statement.


    "You can as well just leave here since it''s making me Embarrassed as well". Gilda said with a tired tone in her voice.


    Raph chuckled. "Don''t worry about it¡­you already have a suitor you know¡­.no one here is interested in courting you"


    "....Young master Raph¡­.you seem to have gotten better at dissing people" the pitch in her tone had gradually increased each time she uttered a different word.


    "Hmm¡­.spending a lot of time down there got me thinking you know". He sighed again. ''In my past life there was no such fight like Jane Lucia vs Ciara Merlin¡­not to mention, I''m sure I saw that boy gawking at one point.


    Did the motherfucker fall in love with the heiress to his future Family''s enemies ?'' He thought as his gaze turned towards the Merlin household noticing the Head of the family patting her daughters head.


    "..seems Your Father extended the Resting period after this battle"


    "..It''s nothing like that Gilda. The kick that sent Albert flying away broke off most of his metallic armour around his abdomen region. If anything, there''s not enough time to fix him up".


    They noticed how the Head of the Techa family walked into the Arena and whispered something into Michaelo''s ear upon meeting him in the middle of the Arena.


    Michaelo stretched his hands up in the air forming an x letter with it. A sign meaning the next battle would be cancelled.


    "...Oh¡­It''s just as you said, young master¡­." Gilda muttered, amazed at his insight.


    "It was bound to happen¡­.I think I would do the same to my opponents so I can face off against that Merlin girl"


    "...you¡­want to face off against her ?" Gilda asked with a raised brow turning to face him directly.


    "Oh yes¡­it''s just that¡­her mentality¡­..I freaky hate it". He replied. ''And it''s going to be the cause of many great disasters in the future. I need to beat some sense into that bitch¡­.sorry Jane''. He sighed.


    Ciara Merlin has now been officially promoted to the 3rd stage after winning her first battle while being lucky enough to win her second battle by default.


    Participants also have the right to forfeit their battle if a severe injury or an issue arises.


    After a maximum of 15 minutes, the next two participants were called to the Arena starring the two top dogs of the Rankings.


    Rhett Son Goku vs Raffaelo Jun !

 Chapter 40- Rhett Son Goku vs Raffaelo Jun

    The Son Goku Family.


    I don''t need to tell you much for you to figure out their lineage. Their forefather being The one and only Son Goku, the Monkey King.


    Well, having kids was never really on his mind and starting a family seemed to be a waste of time for him since he was going about the heavens causing one sort of havoc after the other until meeting the Priestess during her journey to the west.


    The Monkey King was someone who was destined to be alone because of hisid back character and his strong antisocial skills towards the Ladies. This wasn''t a case for him this time though since it waspletely led by the Priestess herself, they went through heaven and hell with their pals, the Fish King and the boar King and just somehow ended up victorious at one point.


    Settling in, they had kids and their lineage started from there leading down to the current generations.


    His powers never diminished but only grew stronger and broader with each generation because of the holy powers blessed from the Priestess.


    The Son Goku Family are a family of god-like monkeys in their own special field.


    The Jun household as well as the Family of the main character.


    Not much needs to be said about them since we''ve heard alot about it.


    Their secret technique of course, the 13 Chapters of the Jun Swordsmanship.  A series of surges that entails destroying the heavens.


    *****


    Rhett Son Goku vs Raffaelo Jun.


    The battle spelt trouble because these two powerhouses were known for theirbat strength and abilities.


    The crowd were probably cheering because it seemed like a normal battle to them but for the important figures on the set.


    The King, the Family heads and the other participants were all tense though some were just excited.


    Finally getting the opportunity to gauge out the strength of the only son of the Jun household.


    Expectations were high.


    "It''s finally our turn, ey" Rhett said with a grin on his face as he plucked out a needle from his hair. He threw it up and it turned into a silver staff crashing on the ground with a solid loud metallic sound.


    Raph whistled. "Now that''s a fine metal pole"


    "....you motherf*cker¡­.I''m gonna teach you just how hard this ''metal pole'' is when I hit it on your head". Rhett gritted his teeth in annoyance as he grabbed his staff.


    "Are you two done ?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The two boys slowly turned to their side and their expressions had to soften on seeing Michaelo''s disappointed expression.


    "The match hasn''t even started yet¡­.do you want to be eliminated ?" He asked.


    They turned their heads away in unison. "...we..apologize".


    Michaelo nodded as he raised his hand in the air and with that, the Crowd began to cry out the count down.


    "READY !!!!"


    "FIGHT !!!!"


    In an instant, Rhett disappeared and reappeared behind him swinging his staff towards his head in one fell swoop.


    "....oh¡­" Raph chuckled as he bent his body forward dodging the attack.


    "..idiot~" Rhett chuckled, swinging the staff down towards him in an attempt to m him to the ground.


    Raph disappeared from his position dodging the hit by a hairline as the staff mmed to the ground with a loud thud causing a crater that dug deep into the ground.


    "You little shit¡­" Raph chuckled as Rhett jumped up into the air, swinging his staff down towards him.


    "Quit dodging !".


    Raph dodged again, changing his position before Rhett couldnd a solid hit on him.


    "...this¡­.crappy¡­bastard !" Rhett cursed slowly as he turned around to face Raph who was now standing further away from him.


    "Do you really think¡­that hitting a stick will defeat me¡­I''m disappointed¡­." Raph''s lips curled into a devious grin as he said "....Monkey".


    It felt like the world had turned upside down due to the force at which the ground began to rumble.


    "How¡­dare you¡­.runt !" He cursed as his hair slowly floated up. The ground began to crack as his staff glowed bright golden.


    "If it is my full power you want¡­.."


    He raised his staff up into the air. "..then It is my full power you shall get".


    He mmed it down to the ground and thousands of rocks pulled out from the earth in a straight line heading towards Raph.


    His eyes bulged open in surprise. No ? It wasn''t a surprise, it was somethingpletely different. He could feel his blood boiling up. The speed of the adrenaline that ran through his veins. It was exciting.


    His lips curled into a smile as he said.


    "Come to me ! Cold steel !"


    In response to his call, a cold breeze shook the Arena as a sword began to form from the gathered cold air.


    The hilt formed first and he held it, pulling it out from the gathered wind and shing it at the same time at the iing avnche of rocks.


    The cold wind intensified, freezing the rocks into a clean blue sculpture.


    Rhett raised a brow in confusion. "Ice ?" He muttered. "...oh¡­is that his trait ?"


    "Well¡­you could put it that way"


    Raph''s voice projected in his ears. He looked up to find him walking around the iced rock statue.


    "....I guess there''s more to you than being blind huh"


    Raph chuckled as he took a stance. Stretching his right leg forward and spreading his hands at a distinctive distance away from each other with his right hand holding his white crystal like sword. The cross guard had the shape of a snowke and the de had a distinctive curve to its long appearance.


    "Chapter 4 of the Jun Swordsmanship!"


    Rhett clicked his tongue and charged forward with the intent of stopping him before he prepared his attack.


    He swung his staff across and the length increased two folds reaching Raph in an instant.


    Raph blocked the iing attack as Rhett flipped over him, swinging his normal staff length towards the sky as he pulled it down in an attempt to m him to the ground.


    Raph dodged the attack, appearing in another position.


    ''...of course¡­.the way it would seem. The Jun household can only disy their prowess after calling its name¡­.though that''s how we make it seem''. He thought when Rhett appeared from the sky above him.


    "Thunder rain". He said as the sky rumbled at his will.


    Streams of lightning with the sound of a mighty thunder struck the ground countlessly with Raph as its target.


    ''This isn''t something the 4th chapter can fix¡­.well then''


    "Chapter 7 of the Jun Swordsmanship !".


    On hearing him call out the chapter, he charged in dodging his own lightning strikes as he pulled his staff down from the sky towards him yet again stopping him from attacking or so he thought.


    Raph''s eyes suddenly glowed white as the force of his attack pushed him a bit into the ground.


    He clenched his teeth charging forward instead and tilting his body away from the reach of Rhett''s staff


    He aimed a strike at his neck as a blue massive dragon head formed from the edge of his de.


    "Do well to dodge¡­" he said.


    "But ?!" Rhett took a step back in an attempt to dodge his attack when his surprised expression changed into a smirk.


    The lightning surged around the sky, gathering at one point as it struck down towards Raph.


    "You as well ! Do well to dodge this!".


    Raph clicked his tongue, rotating his body 360 as he swung his de across the sky in the blink of an eye.


    The force of his attack struck the lightning before it could reach him and a loud explosion urred,pletely clearing the thunder skies.


    ''Was that his aim from the beginning ?!'' Rhett thought. "Tsk !" He thrust his staff forward with a massive force when Raph had appeared at his side.


    ''....when¡­.?'' His gaze tried its utmost best to follow his movements as quickly as possible but Raph was just too fast for his eyes to follow.


    The force of his thrust caused a solid straight crack on the ground reaching the wall and causing arger crater.


    "Chapter 4 !" He swung his de down to his neck. "Sonic Surge !".


    His sword seemed to have vibratedpressing the air with refined skills as a loud super sonic sound screeched from the tip and edges of his de.


    Rhett shivered and took a step back dodging a fatal attack by just a hairline. The strike passed by his ear, slicing him across his chest from the top left to the bottom right.


    His mouth clenched closed, holding in the painful scream he was so tempted to cry out. His pupil constricted, revealing a mix of emotions and pain as blood gushed out from his mouth.


    Raph swung his de around, stabbing it to the ground as he twirled into the air, swinging his right leg across at the same time, mming Rhett on his cheek.


    The force caused a crack to his cranium with his pupils dted in shock. His body shuddered under the strength as he was sent flying towards the Wall of the Arena all in a second.


    Rhett struggled to get his bnce as he tumbled fiercely on the ground. He gripped and grabbed any thing that felt holdable to avoid hitting the wall and luckily for him, a small pebble anchored to the ground stopped him in time.


    He coughed out blood, panting heavily soon after.


    ''....what ?! He didn''t even call out the name of the 7th chapter ? What''s up with that ? Did he call it out in his mind or does he not need to call it at all ?!''. His brain tried its desperate best to figure out what Raph had just done when he felt a simr presence as well as the feet of his very opponent on his head.


    He cursed under his breath.


    "Come on Monkey ! You ain''t going super saiyan on me ?". The sound of his voice sent a chilling feeling crawling up his skin and his blood boiled due to the unhinged anger he felt whenever he came in contact with him.


    "How¡­.how¡­how dare you ?!". Rhett''s eyes sparked a golden texture as a golden aura sted out of his body.


    Raph had quickly retreated, dodging the surge of unknown energy that enclosed Rhettpletely.


    "....you¡­You !! Hah ! Hah ! Hah ! This kid is losing to a brat like you ?!" An unfamiliar voice projected around the Arena.


    A voice that got their hair standing on edge though Bryne Son Goku seemed to be excited instead of surprised. "Oh ! He managed to switch with him huh ?!" He said with a hint of excitement in his voice.


    "What are you talking about Bryne ?!" Derek Silvan asked in confusion.


    "That kid is finished. There''s just no way of stopping him once his arrogant self is called upon the world !" Bryne chuckled.


    All this while Michaelo had his eyes set on them during their short conversation. ''I see¡­.it must be that man¡­.maybe this match would be a little¡­.'' He thought.


    The energy dissipated revealing a man much taller than Rhett. His appearance was much more monkey-like and his tail stood out even more.


    With golden lush hair and a distinctive smile, he swung his staff around in excitement. mming it to the ground as he sat on top of it.


    "It is I ! The MONKEY KING !"

 Chapter 41- RAFFAELO JUN

    The Monkey King, Son Goku sat calmly on the top of his staff as his lips curled into a grin while he stared at Raph.


    "What is this ?! You don''t seem to be surprised at all ?!"


    ''..why would I be¡­'' Raph thought with a sigh. In his past life, a situation like this had urred as well. The Lineage of Son Goku have the special ability of summoning their forefather once every fifteen years.


    ''It was such a pain in the a*sst time so I''m a little excited that I get to battle him now that things are different''.


    He took his stance and a short deep breath in.


    For a single second, it had seemed like time hade to a stop as the force of his charge blew the solid ground open forming a crater while the debris flew into the air.


    He appeared in front of Son Goku in the blink of an eye, swinging his sword towards him.


    Son Goku smirked, using his tail to pull himself down while backflipping and throwing his staff into the air.


    He caught it as soon as Raph was in front of him and they shed weapons all in an instant.


    The force of their pre-emptive strike caused an explosion of air blowing the ground apart only by a little.


    Raph increased the strength and speed of his swing as he pulled his sword up and struck down again.


    Of course, Son Goku did the same, striking his staff nonchntly at the same time.


    The force caused an even wider and stronger burst of air and the speed increased drastically, impossible to be seen with the naked eyes.


    "Oh ! You''re pretty good kiddo !....but".


    The staff suddenly increased in length as he aimed a thrust at Raph pushing him by his left shoulder away from him.


    Raph held onto it and forced his feet back to the ground, stopping himself as the length of the staff stopped pushing him towards the wall of the Arena.


    "It''s not going to be that easy" He muttered, gritting his teeth due to the pain of the staff forcefully clinging to his corbone as he looked up only to find him gone from his former position.


    ''Shit !'' He thought when he felt a chill creep up his spine.


    It seemed like the air had wisp as Son Goku appeared below him, standing on all four with a smirk on his face.


    He suddenly twirled, pushing his right leg up and mming it on Raph''s chin with great force.


    "..." Raph choked out blood as his body was forced motionless into the air.


    Son Goku twirled around in the air horizontally as he kicked him away into the ground.


    Raph''s body tumbled on the ground for a short while as his body mmed against a rock debris stopping him from reaching the wall by a hairline.


    The heads of each family except Michaelo seemed to have reached a desirable conclusion and the masses were now praising the strength shown by the Monkey King.


    It was an excitingly one sided battle now and the so-called only son of the Jun wasn''t much to look upon¡­or so they thought.


    Raph had slowly risen to his feet as he sighed.


    ".....huh ?" Son Goku muttered, staring deeply into him. "You should be unconscious by now¡­"


    "...well¡­I wanted to check for myself¡­.just how fun this battle is gonna be". Raph said as he wiped off the blood stain from his lips and stretched his body.


    "...what are you talking about ?!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Noticing the sudden change in the Arena, the Masses had turned quiet and Heads of each Family grew tense. What more could this kid have to offer to them ?.


    Raph took in a long deep breath and on exuding it, what came out was a vividly chilling breeze.


    "....you¡­better keep up".


    Son Goku raised a brow in confusion when his field of Vision warped. He looked up in haste as his eyes bulged open in shock.


    ''When did he ?!'' He thought as he quickly held out his staff to block the swing that came from above with Raphnding on the ground.


    The force pushed son Goku deeper and deeper into the ground. ''He''s much stronger !''


    The force suddenly stopped as the weight of the de was no longer pushing him down.


    He quickly adjusted his position in an attempt to counter attack when Raph forced his sword down once again.


    The sudden increase in speed caught him for a second and he was able to block by a hairline.


    A cut appeared on his right shoulder as blood oozed out from it. ''I couldn''t block the whole thing ?'' He thought in surprise.


    Raph withdrew his sword and swung it from below upwards towards his face.


    Son Goku quickly retreated before the attack couldnd a solid hit but just as he got to his new position, Raph appeared as if he had expected him to withdraw to this position.


    He bit down on his lip hard as he quickly swung his staff and blocked another one of Raph''s attack.


    The speed and strength only increased exponentially until Raph suddenly struck him with an even greater force causing his staff to move upwards exposing his chest and abdomen.


    Raph threw his left fist at him, blowing him with an outstanding force of power.


    An explosion of air urred as he twisted his fist on Son Goku''s abdomen before he sent him flying away.


    Son Goku coughed out blood as he used his ws to stop himself from hitting the wall of the Arena but the force was too great causing it to break and snap forcing him to use his bare fingers to stop himself.


    His smirk had turned into a grim expression as he stood back up and pulled out a fist full of hair strings from his hair.


    Each of the hair strings puffed into a clone as he pointed at Raph.


    "Get him !".


    A whole bunch of him reaching a thousand in numbers rushed up to Raph jumping into the air as a total of ten staffs increased in mass and size.


    The size of the staff was equivalent to the height of the Eiffel tower and as wide as the Enger Tower.


    All staff hovering over the Arena while casting its magnificent shadow at them were aimed at Raph but yet he didn''t falter.


    Raph smirked as he jumped up, dodging a staff that mmed the ground with great force causing arge crater and a small tremor to the audience section.


    Hended on the side of it as the remaining 9 crushed the ground with its mighty weight. He ran upwards when ten more Son Goku''s suddenly jumped down towards him swinging their staff''s or aiming a kick or a punch at him at the same time.


    He flipped over dodging one of them as he curled his body back grabbing the one that passed him by his tail.


    He pulled him up and mmed him on three more that rushed towards him. He quickly jumped into the air flipping forward as he dodged the sixth one, thennded safely on the side of the giant staff as he mmed the next two away with the clone that was still held firmly by its tail.


    He mmed the one he had been holding all this while to the ground and stabbed him to the staff. The clone shrieked in pain as he regressed back to a hairline.


    "You prick !".


    The ninth screamed out as he aimed his staff at him. He deflected it to his side with his sword and aimed a punch when the tenth aimed his staff at him.


    He twirled his de behind him deflecting the tenth''s sudden attack.


    The ninth twirled his staff aiming a thrust at him when Raph deflected it to his foot, stepping on it and stopping him from moving any further. The tenth clicked his tongue as he swung his staff towards Raph''s head.


    Raph bent his back dodging the attack and grabbed the staff before the clone could retrieve it as he took a deep breath.


    ".....Code¡­Zero". A chilling cold sensation spread towards the staff turning it into cold ice.


    It continued to spread to the monkeys turning them into perfect ice statues.


    Surprised by the sudden attack, Son Goku red at him as he sent all his clones at him at once.


    Raph smiled as he flung his sword to the ground and widened his palms as a chilling blue aura like snow emitted out of them.


    He rushed towards the numbers dodging them skillfully and touching them at the same time as he descended down the staff.


    They turned to ice each time he touched them and the ice spread each time they touched someone or something else.


    ''The true ability of code zero¡­.spreading ice¡­not only do I turn them into statues of ice, I also spread the ice to surrounding areas through them..this way. I can make this whole Arena and of ice''.


    Raph thought as he punched thest one that clouded his path away. He descended with his hands gripping the staff as he spread his ice around each and every one in contact with that staff.


    He was about done freezing them when one suddenly jumped out from the side towards him with his staff aimed for his head.


    Raph suddenly red at him as a white shimmer appeared on his eyes.


    The clone suddenly froze in the air and soon after began to scream and cry out as if he was in pain while scratching his body profusely.


    Raphnded safely as hepletely turned the 10 statues and about a thousand clones into a beautiful sculpture of ice frozen in air.


    He slowly walked towards his sword that was stuck to the ground when thest one crashed to the ground still screaming in pain and scratching his body profusely.


    He slowly turned his gaze towards Son Goku causing him to take a step back.


    ''Did¡­.I just get scared ?'' Son Goku thought as he stared at Raph with shaky eyes. It was a feeling that was very familiar to him once but he didn''t expect to get this feeling from a human.


    Humans were always beings with the possibility of growth and their limits were only set when they think anymore would be impossible. At times it is impossible but a human that''s able to make that "impossible" possible is no longer a human but a god.

 Chapter 42- RAFFAELO JUN 2

    Ciara Merlin POV


    ''....What ? What ? What ??''.


    My emotions were in disarray each time I tried to make sense of the Battle that had just urred.


    I couldn''t fathom it. The amount of uncertainty that urred in just a few minutes.


    It was impossible to expect this kind of result.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    I wasn''t the only one surprised by his fighting prowess. My mother seemed to be in a simr state to mine. Her expression was dark and I could make sight of her lips moving as if she were churning her teeth.


    ".....am I supposed to fight someone like this¡­.?" I muttered even without realizing it when I heard a loud eerie sound followed by a long and sharp stinging pain.


    My right hand slowly touched my left cheek that was now glowing red as I slowly looked towards my mother who still had her hand stretched out forward with teary eyes.


    ''It''s been a while since mother hit me like that¡­..I see¡­i must have been doubting my abilities''


    "Isn''t that a little too much Morganna dear~".


    A familiar tone rang through our ears as we turned towards the Lucia household.


    Their family head had a smug expression on her face and a dark tone in her aura. It was obvious she felt pleased at the result.


    "It seems the Merlin household might not turn up this time". She chuckled with her hand on her mouth. "Are you scared Morggy~".


    I could see the assistant standing next to her fussing over her statements and her son simply sighed.


    It seemed like they were used to this sort of behavior she exposed to us.


    "Stay out of this you bitch !".


    My mother snapped back at her and turned back to me sharply. "I will not tolerate weakness".


    Her simple statement shook me to the core as she adjusted herself back on her seat.


    ''Hah¡­.it seems I forgot where I came from¡­.''


    I sighed. ''Magic shall always be superior to the Sword and I shall prove it¡­..by defeating you. RAFFAELO JUN !''.


    NORMAL POV.


    The King sat quietly lost in thoughts as he watched Raph walk up to Son Goku slowly.


    His gaze was serious and stern and his son couldn''t make an inkling of an idea of what his father seemed to be pondering about.


    He turned around to focus on something else instead.


    ''....that bastard¡­..is pretty strong''.


    His gaze slowly roamed through the arena and he observed the emotions and expressions of the other families.


    They weren''t the only ones perplexed by the situation.


    Well, all except one.


    It seemed Michaelo Jun couldn''t hide his excitement since he seemed to be smiling from ear to ear as he watched the battle.


    ''The Jun household¡­..what more could you be hiding''.


    Raph walked towards Son Goku with easy steps. His expression, cold and stern. He seemed focused on one thing and that one thing remained Son Goku.


    Son Goku was well aware that this battle was as good as lost.


    ''Though¡­this kid called Rhett was only able to bring out a quarter of my abilities¡­.to think I would still lose to a mere human''


    His yful expression had turned into disdain.


    He pointed his staff at Raph, stopping him from moving any further.


    "You¡­what is your name ?" He asked.


    Raph stared at him nkly and a scoff escaped his lips as he suddenly appeared behind Son Goku though surprised, he remained fixed on his position.


    "You wouldn''t have asked if you had defeated me though". Raph said as he slowly raised his sword in the air.


    "...this embarrassment¡­I shall never forget it"


    "...well¡­It will take a while before you appear in Rhett¡­."


    Raph slowly turned towards Brett. "Brett does have more adaptability to you¡­.so I guess he should bring out more of your powers".


    "....you¡­How do you know this ?" Son Goku asked in confusion.


    "Oh. Don''t mind me. Anyways¡­.I am Raffaelo Jun".


    The de of his sword suddenly glowed blue as a burst of aura surrounded it and shot out like the exhaust of a jet.


    ".....Jun ? Hah¡­.I see now".


    Raffaelo swung his sword down as the aura surged out mightily turning into tiny bits of multiple ferocious dragon heads.


    "Chapter 7¡­..boundless surge"


    He twirled his sword so the back of it mmed Son Goku on his head.


    The pain surged through his body as blood gushed out from his mouth and a hollow scream followed after.


    His transformation regressed in an instant and the tone of his voice changed back to the original Rhett.


    The force mmed him to the ground causing arge crater and a loud tremor that spread through the Arena and the Colosseum as a whole.


    The audience were stupefied by the strike as silence swept the Arena while the particles of dust clouding their vision in the air began to settle down.


    Raph stood over the unconscious body of Rhett as Michaelo walked towards him.


    "You did well my son". He said with a smile as he slowly ced his hand on his son''s shoulders when his body felt a sudden chill on his fingertips


    "....I see¡­.the repercussions".


    He stared at his son who was panting lightly, breathing in normal air and breathing out an obviously chill ice coloured air.


    "I''ll be fine, father". He said.


    ".....WINNER ! RAFFAELO JUN !"


    The audience remained silent as the clean up mages floated in the air to take care of the damages to the Arena.


    Michaelo patted his son on his head as he walked back. "You have 10 minutes before the next battle begins¡­heat up a little".


    Raph nodded, walking after him while members of the Son Goku Family came down to pick up Rhett.


    "Brother lost¡­" Brett muttered with a disappointed tone in his voice.


    "...what did you expect¡­he was facing that man''s son, a Jun". His father responded with a chuckle.


    "How can you be lenient about this father ?! He defeated our great father even if it was only a quarter of his abilities".


    "Silly child¡­.I''m well aware of the gravity of the situation¡­."


    He slowly turned towards Michaelo. "To think he would groom such a monster¡­there''s no telling how the battle between the Jun household and the Kang Lin household would turn out".


    Brett sighed as he nced at his unconscious brother and then at Raph.


    "I will have to train much harder than I have if I want to catch up with him¡­..Raffaelo Jun¡­"


    ".....that''s the right mindset to have Brett¡­.but as of your brother¡­."


    "....I only hope he doesn''t seek revenge once he''s woken up" Brett said, turning around to walk away. "I will go join the medics to take care of him¡­.his injuries are severe¡­he may not be able to make it for his 2nd battle"


    "....you can never tell"


    "...." Brett stopped walking, turning his gaze towards his father. "I know my brother much more than you know your son".


    He turned away and quickly exited the area leaving Bryne Son Goku to his thoughts.


    "Your son always had a way with words¡­"


    Bryne chuckled. "You talk like he''s not your son as well"


    He slowly looked up towards his wife, Lady Aria Son Goku. A native of the northern continent.


    "He takes after your sharp words" he continued as she slowly stretched her arms around him.


    She had golden lush hair andrge pointy fox ears standing at the top corners of her head.


    A bushy golden tail, protruded out from her back and her silver sses gave her a dignified royal look.


    She giggled at his statement.


    "That child¡­is much more than what meets the eye" she whispered into his ears.


    "....does your precognition tell you something ?"


    "...for now¡­it would be best for our sons to watch him closely¡­it''s possible he could achieve great things"


    "....we''ll leave this discussion for another time Aria. Let''s just focus on the next battle"


    "Adam Teras"


    "...their ability to control the wild. It''s an absurd ability"


    "Though Raffaelo Jun as proven himself quite profoundly"


    ".....you could say that.."


    The stage had finally heated up and the next series of battles were ones that couldn''t be missed. No one could tell the oue in the end and no one really cared. It was a battle used in disguise to enable the family heads to observe the changes in their techniques and a source of entertainment to the normal folks.


    However, It meant something else entirely to the king.


    He sat quietly as the next battle was about to begin. RAFFAELO JUN vs ADAM TERAS.

 Chapter 43- RAFFAELO JUN vs ADAM TERAS

    Adam Teras stood idly with his shoulders slumped down and his gaze fixed to the ground. He seemed to be in his own line of thought when Raph walked down the arena facing him in an opposite direction. The crowd was tense. Well, they weren''t the only ones tense.


    The Teras family has had quite the history. Their ability to control animals goes as far as the control of demi humans and all creatures including divine and demon beast. They were extremely helpful during the war against the demon beasts and demi humans that had sided with the demons.


    "Do you intend on going easy on me¡­.you see, I would rather avoid facing off against someone like you" adam said with a sigh as he scratched the back of his head.


    ''Adam teras¡­.'' raph thought to himself, staring at him. He never really had any issues with him even in his past life. He was someone that could read the room and act ordingly but yearster he was used of siding with the demon faction and sentenced to death by devouring by his own tamed beasts.


    ''He endured a cruel fate just as he did and a feeling of sympathy washed over him. He sighed as well and a small smile exuded from his lips.


    "Fight with your life on the line¡­because i intend on giving it my all in this battle"


    Adam stared at him nkly as michaelo walked towards the middle of the arena, raising his right hand in the air as the audience section stayed silent.


    "The next battle will begin now. RAFFAELO JUN vs ADAM TERAS !". He swung his hand down and disappeared immediately.


    Adam took a stance almost immediately as purple portals began to appear behind him. Six in number. Two on the ground and four in the sky.


    "As you wish !" he muttered when an elephant with three huge tusks. One from its head charged out towards raph with a loud cry.


    "Surely this is not all you have right ?" raph said, raising his hand in the air as he waited for the beast to close the gap between them. "COME TO ME ! COLD STEEL". He pulled out the sword from the ground and swung it up in a single straight line.


    An aura emitted from his action and sliced it into two as the dead body slide passed him. He pointed the sword at Adam or where he thought he should have been when he felt a strong wind over him.


    His gaze quickly turned up when he found a pterodactyl flown over the arena with Adam standing on top of it.


    ''Another feature of the Teras family¡­they have the ability to summon prehistoric creatures using their remains as a base''. His lips curled into a tight smile. "Interesting !


    show me more !" he screamed out jumping into the air and closing the gap between them in an instant when a hollowed cry followed by a loud tremor shook the entire stadium as arge worm-like creature sprung out of the ground with its mouth of 10 rows of sharp canine teeth wide open.


    Raph could feel his presence being swallowed up as his sight was slowly getting darker and darker with the closing of the worm''s mouth.


    The audience section seemed pleased with the result as they slowly began to cheer him up but Adam could not bring himself to fall for such antics. He could hardly believe that the Raffaelo Jun would be taken down with just a few beasts and distractions


    Well, he thought right as a chilling breeze emitted from the body of the worm that remained fixed in the air.


    ''Now that I think about it ... .doesn''t the desert sea worm usually retreat to the ground immediately after consuming its prey.


    He suddenly felt this tingling sensation of danger and he quickly urged his pterodactyl to fly higher. He was right in doing so because as soon as he left his previous position, long shards of ice shot out from the body of the worm almost grazing him,pletely freezing it over in an instant.


    The sound of a sword slicing through solid echoed as the ice gigantic worm was turned into pebbles of stone.


    "As I thought¡­facing you would be calling death" Adam said with an awkward expression on his face.


    "You can surely do better than that right ?" Raph asked as the ice pebble crashed to the ground leaving a part of the frozen worm''s body as a standing pole for him.


    "They were six¡­..you summoned six of them¡­.bring them all out so i can eliminate them"


    "You !" Adam cried out, getting a little agitated by his words. No, he was being led to it and he could tell that much.


    He pped his hands together and arge wolf beast with chameleon features stood at the wall of the arena growling at him. "....is that-BOOM !!!!


    Arge rhino with five husks crashed into the ice pole Raph stood on as the chameleon wolf shot out its tongue at him at the same time.


    He backflipped, dodging the tongue when something grasped him by his feet and flew into the sky. "Shit !" he cried out, staring at the red bird creature that seemingly continued to fly higher and higher. ''Does he n on suffocating me in space ?'' he thought to himself as he continuously flipped up to grab the flying beast by its leg.


    The beast noticed his struggle and began to twirl around in the sky, it flew in a continuous disarray manner crying out in fury as it did so.


    "..." Raph was left in a state of near consciousness. He felt amused that someonepletely unexpected could push him to this extent. "I shall remember you, Adam Teras"


    He muttered to himself as his aura began to sip out of his body in the midst of the disorderliness of the bird''s flight.


    It began to grow wilder, continuously consuming him in its blue warmth as he said with a harsh tone in his voice. "Ice burst !" and in an instant, shards of ice shot out from his body, piercing the beast simultaneously. It cried out in pain in response as it lost momentum and began to fall down.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He finally had control over his body and he used his sword to slice off the leg of the bird and grab the fur using it to propel himself downwards together with it.


    He was back in the arena within five seconds and the sight was one to behold by the audience and whoever had their gaze on it. It crashed into the ground with a loud explosion and raised dust into the air.


    Adam felt perplexed. He might have woken up the sleeping dragon for all he knew but he wasn''t ready to pick up a fight against him. ''Should I attack ? now that he''s probably injured from that great fall¡­..he was really high up'' he thought to himself as two more portals began to open up in the sky. Red in colour this time.


    "Rise my champions !" he said with a hushed tone as two magnificent beasts of hybrid origin flew out of it.


    They radiated an energy of unfathomable power. One was a humanoid with two eagle-like wings and it held a trident. It was reddish in colour and his fingers were sharp and short ws.


    The other one summoned was like a fat humanoid blob. Green in colour and transparent. It shapeshifted into a wolf and snarled.


    "What does our master wish for us to do?" the eagle humanoid spoke up first as it pped its magnificentrge wings.


    The audience were mesmerised by the creatures. Who wouldn''t ? The teras family have a total of five summon portals. Each its own grade of beasts it contained. A purple was intermediate. The second level.


    A blue, the first level or primary. Red, the 3rd level, tertiary and extraordinary beast with the ability of vocals exist. Next would be silver andst would be golden.


    "Not now Grixon¡­we must wait and find out first.." Adam replied as he keenly focused on the dust that finally dissipated.


    "Where ?" he muttered to himself, noticing Raph was gone. He heard a slice sound and felt one of his beasts died and he quickly turned to the source of the sound.


    The chameleon wolf beast was sliced into two without even getting the chance to howl to its death but he still couldn''t find him and yet he felt another one of his beasts die and what felt like a chilling breeze crept up behind him almost in an instant.


    His eyes dted in shock when Grixon, the eagle humanoid screamed "master!" as it quickly used its trident to block the sword attack from Raph that had appeared in the sky seemingly out of nowhere.


    "..move" he said with a cold tone in his voice as he struck it away into the ground. It fell fast and almost without resistance.


    ''Even a level 3 ?'' Adam thought to himself in grave shock as Raph drew out his de "chapter 4 of the jun swordsmanship !"


    ''Shit ! Chapter 4 ? what was that again ?'' he thought to himself feeling a tingling sensation of great danger yet he couldn''t move. It felt like he had finally reached the end of the rope. Is this where he finally loses ?

 Chapter 44- ADAM TERAS VS RAFFAELO JUN. PART 2

    Adam thought it was finally over. He gave out onest sigh as an eptance to his defeat when his second 3rd rated summon, blob spread open and consumed Raph in its gooey insides.


    Raph was forced to stop his actions as Adam quickly used that opportunity to find a way to escape.


    Luckily for him, his pterodactyl was still living and flying. He could make sense of what had just happened in a single sentence. ''I gave up''. He thought to himself. Though you could say giving up is simply the best option for those that find themselves facing a perilous task and in this case, his perilous task was facing Raph.


    Raph had just frozen the blob, sliced his way through andnded safely on the ground.


    "You are truly a formidable enemy! Raffaelo Jun. it is no wonder your family has been feared as great sword masters". Adam raised his hands in the air. "If it is my strongest you wish to face! Then it is my strongest you shall face".


    A silver portal formed and the sight of it made the other families gasp and chatter to each other.


    The teras family weren''t exactly pleased. What would happen to their reputation if Raph was able to defeat even their silver summons as well. It could as well just pummel to the ground with the defeated silver beast but yet again it would be fantastic if he were to lose here.


    Green lightning shot out from the portal as arge wed arm forced its way through the small portal.


    "Who is it?" The loud cry of the beast shook the arena to its foundation with its mighty voice. "Who dares to push my master to this extent?!". Its voice was filled with anger and malicious intent as it forced the portal to open up wilder with its single hand stretched out.


    The audience were shaken with fear but some were thrilled. The king seemed especially thrilled. It could be said that he''s been giving a front row seat to a show of the trump cards of the great families. How could he not be thrilled?


    His gaze was fixated on the masterly green beast that had majestically walked out of the portal. It has green lightning sparks emitting from its body and tworge wings the size of its body. Its body alone was asrge as a statue, not just any statue but arge one.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    A mythical beast thought to be lost to time. "Its a fucking dragon!" the king muttered with a wild grin on his face.


    His son, bewildered by his fathers expression, stared at him in shock. This was the first time, in all his 16 years, that he had seen his father smile. ''A dragon? Are they that powerful for my father to give such an expression?'' he thought to himself as his gaze slowly shifted to another figure. His bewildered expression only grew broader as he stared at Raffaelo Jun.


    "Is he smiling?" he asked himself in shock. His father overheard and turned towards his direction as well.


    "Son, don''t take your eyes off this match for even a second! Understood?" his father asked, his tone sounding a lot more rxed now.


    "As you wish, father".


    They remained silent to themselves, each with their own thoughts as the battle went on.


    ***


    "Is this it ?" Raph asked with excitement in his eyes. He was smirking from ear to ear and his aura was continuously poured out from his body. "Surely this can''t be it!". He yelled out as Adam took a stance.


    He held his two fist forward as the dragon hovered above him. "Is he the one that disturbs my Master?" it asked as Adam''s body began to glow green.


    "Baraq, lend me your powers"


    "If it is my master''smand then so be it". The dragon replied as green scales began to form on Adam''s body. It covered the whole of his body exposing just his face.


    "...I must remind you once again, Raffaelo jun!".


    Adam took a step forward and in the blink of an eye, he appeared beside Raph with a strong wind blowing past him. He stretched out his fist in the air and dragged it down in an attempt to punch him and it mmed into the ground causing arge crater and dust to rise in the air.


    "You seem much faster than before".


    Adam slowly pulled himself up as he stared far behind him. His expression hardened. "You''re quite fast for your age". He said as he flipped his finger.


    In response, a ck cloud formed over their head and a bolt of lightning shot down from the sky to the arena. Raph simply jumped out of the way, dodging it easily.


    Hended at the opposite end of where Adam stood as he pulled his de forward. "Since you''ve gone all out..". His aura blew out from his body in a massive amountpressing the air and solid ground around him. He took a step forward and the groundpressed further into the soil. "I expect alot from you! Adam teras!"


    He charged at him in the blink of an eye, his aura forming a blue thin line behind him as he moved. He swung his de down on getting to Adam causing a thrust of air to swing down to the earth as a result of the force of his actions. "Oh?!!!!" he screamed out, noticing Adam''s intention of blocking his attack with his arms stretched forward.


    "This armor is made of dragon scale. Not even-"SNAP.


    His eyes opened wide in shock on hearing the cracking of a scale as it fell down from his armor.


    "Is that so?! Alright! I apologize for underestimating you !" Raph cried out in excitement as he pulled his sword up into the air.


    "CHAPTER 6!" He cried out, swinging his sword ck down as the force of gravity pushed everything to the earth causing a depression. "UNPARALLELED SURGE!!!!". His loud voice sent waves of intimidating aura in the whole arena. Those who were less powerful than him could feel it. The ghastly murderous intent with his innocent tone to it. He was a dangerous individual.


    "Hah !'''' Adam cried out in pain as the cracks appearing on his armor began to increase continuously and speedily while his body was forced deeper and deeper into the ground. "Master ?!". Bq screamed out in anger as hended forcefully to the ground. He opened its mouth wide as electric sparks ran down his body from its tail to its head.


    "DIE HUMAN !" its voice echoed as  streams of lightning bolts shot out from its mouth towards Raph.


    The lightning ran at the speed of light striking Raph and Adam at the same time though it only affected Raph. The abilities of the green suited armor enabled him to endure the whole brunt of the attack but for Raph. It was a different case. The lightning produced from a dragon is noughing matter and its properties showed distinctly as it paralyzed Raph in a single position.


    Adam had used that opportunity to back off,nding next to Bq as he did.


    "Would that stop him?" he asked as he rxed a bit.


    "Of course! My lightning isn''t something mere humans can resist"


    Adam nodded but he was well aware that what Bq mentioned was meant for other people other than the jun household. Their unparalleled sword skills made them unpredictable. It made them confident and it made them superior.


    "...I hope you''re right".


    He wasn''t the only one that hoped for Raphs downfall. It seemed like most of the family heads wanted the match to be over at this moment. If he were toe out of this unscratched, it would be a real problem to them.


    It wasn''t long before it dawned on them. The lightning did in fact strike him but he wasn''t screaming. If anything, there was no reaction, just the sound of crackling noises as lightning roamed through his body. The green lightning hadpletely surrounded his body to a point where it was impossible to find a living thing in its midst and this persisted for a while.


    For almost a minute before it began to rescind but yet, what they heard was silence.


    Adam continued to stare at it hoping not to see a single hair from his body. He hoped for Raph''s death. He is too much of a singrity and his strength is too impressive for his age.


    But in a single moment, it felt like his hope was crushed by a cold chill voice.


    His pupils dted in shock as he slowly but yet quickly turned his head around.


    "CHAPTER 8¡­."

 Chapter 45- ADAM TERAS VS RAFFAELO JUN. FINALE

    ADAM POV


    What was the saying again? "If you know yourself and know thy enemy, you need not fear the result of a thousand battles. If you know yourself but not your enemy, for every victory gained there is a defeat to be suffered. But if you know neither yourself nor your enemy, YOU WILL SUCCUMB IN EVERY BATTLE." I''m sure the gods made this statement the minute I stepped into this situation, because why else?N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Why else would I need to face such an absurd situation?


    It felt like the world had stopped in these few seconds as I stared in awe at this monster in human clothing. How else could I describe it? It felt like he deflected everything I threw at him. Was I no match for him? Was a dragon no match for him?


    His sword began to descend as a dragon head shot out from it, in one of the mostical ways ever. It felt like it was over. Was I finally losing? I thought to myself countless times. ''Forget it. It''s over, why should I care?


    It''s just a dumb family match our adult parents y with each other to determine ranks.'' I thought to myself. I was never interested in this battle in the first ce. I had epted it. If I were to lose here, I wouldn''t give a damn. That''s how I''ve lived my life so far, and how I''ll continue to live it.


    "Adam!" The voice rang sweetly in my head. It was familiar, with aforting aura. "Adam!" the voice said again, louder and clearer. I could instantly tell who the voice belonged to. ''Mother¡­'' I thought to myself, as a familiar scene from my childhood yed in my head.


    "What is it, mother?" the young me, about 10 years old, replied back then. It''s not a scene I recall often, but it certainly isn''t one I would think about. All memories before her death were wiped away. It was myst attempt at making peace with myself. Now that I think about it, our family was a crazy bunch.


    I know this isn''t something I should be thinking at this moment, but I would rather not have a shback that reminds me of the goals I had already promised myself and to my mum. I don''t need a flimsy memory for that. I am fully aware that I ABSOLUTELY CAN NOT GIVE UP!


    I raised my arm seconds before he couldnd a direct hit on me. "BALAQ! Help me!" I screamed out as the dragon quickly twirled its tail at him in an attempt to m him away, but before it could, Raph had turned his trajectory from me to Bq, the dragon, within a second. ''He wasn''t aiming for me?'' I thought to myself as I forced my body forward, stretching out my hand in an attempt to grab him.


    My face twisted with mixed emotions as I cursed under my breath. "Why are you so much trouble!" I screamed out without even realizing it, but I wasn''t able to make it. Raph''s attack had sliced off Bq''s tail, and the force of the attack had caused arge opening in the ground. He took a step forward, causing an outburst of aura. The force pushed me away before I could reach him.


    It seemed like he was fixated on Bq now, and I didn''t want him to cause any more damage than he already had.


    Bq was frozen to the ground. He attempted to move, but I could clearly make out the ice that held his leg to the ground, and the effect of the previous attack most likely prevented him from trying to force his way up. "Bq! FLY!!!!" I cried out with all my strength. I couldn''t afford to let him die here! This was my dragon!


    Bq belonged to me. He was mypanion in all of my troubles. He remained by my side even when my family turned their backs on me. He was my friend. "Raffaello Jun! Please!" I screamed out, noticing Bq''s inability to fly.


    His wings were gradually freezing up due to the cold air that had begun to form around him.


    NORMAL POV


    "How dare you, Human!" Bq screamed out in annoyance, his voice echoing in the arena and causing the ground to shake. The audience froze in fear; some sought cover from the brunt of the wind attack, while the family patriarchs watched in anticipation and excitement, especially the king.


    Lightning struck down from the sky as a ck cloud formed overhead. "I am the mighty Lightning Dragon Bq! How dare you, insignificant human!" he cried out, sending lightning shooting down from the sky to the ground in an attempt to intimidate him.


    Raph wasn''t fazed; he seemed fixated on whatever he was nning next. "I was about to stop just now when Adam pleaded, but this stupid lesser dragon seems to have forgotten its ce¡­" He exhaled a crisp, cold air, causing the wind to swirl around him. "Chapter 9¡­" His words felt like a death knell to Adam when he heard them. It felt like time had truly stopped.


    "I¡­ I have to do something¡­" Adam muttered, struggling to get up against the ice that froze him to the ground. "Bq! Disappear now! You must escape!" he cried out in fear, striving to reach him. "Do not fear, Adam! I shall teach this human to fear dragons!" Bq cried out, sending lightning directly at Raph.


    Five lightning bolts struck Raph, causing a crispy sound as they ravaged his body. It was a gruesome sight, and the sound was cruel. It was an attack that should have ended him there, but it didn''t. The lightning seemed to have no effect on his concentration, catching the attention of the patriarchs. What allowed him to withstand such a brutal attack?


    Could it be the Jun Physique, a body said to be built with each stage of the Jun swordsmanship, or was it something else entirely? They couldn''t be sure, but they saw the result.


    The air grew cold, the temperature dropping to well below freezing. Everyone could feel it; the normal humans trembled, the mages and knights shivered slightly, while the patriarchs could withstand the cold by circting their mana or aura around them.


    "Father? What is going on?" the prince asked, shivering from the cold, only to see his father shivering as well. "Your Highnesses," the knights quickly led the King and the prince away from the arena.


    "The temperature?" Kira Merlin, the patriarch of the Elemental Family, muttered in confusion. "¡­what is going on?" she wondered aloud.


    "Oh¡­ seems like Michaelo has raised a monster yet again," Mirabel Lucia, the head of the Divine Family,mented, her gaze fixed on Raffaelo. "¡­what now, boy¡­" she muttered.


    The air continued to freeze, and the temperature kept dropping. By now, Bq''s wings were frozen, and hey helplessly on the ground due to the force of Raph''s sword.


    "Raffaelo Jun!" Adam screamed out again. Breathing became difficult, feeling like he inhaled frozen blocks lodged in his throat. His insides were losing warmth; it felt like he was going to die, but his plea fell on deaf ears.


    "Arrogant Surge! Cold Zero." With a single swing of his de, everything went silent.


    MICHAELO POV


    The Arrogant Surge. It may seem like every surge follows the next in the Jun Swordsmanship chapters, but in actuality, they do not. Each chapter has its beginning and its end, its own story to teach. Each move has its peculiarity, arranged not by rhythmicity, but by power.


    But the Arrogant Surge was something else. I always felt like it was misced in the series because the effect of its abilities is just as the name suggests: arrogant. It warps reality and gravity in a single swing, putting matter to a halt and then, almost like amander in the army,mands every bit of matter to its will, in any direction of the caster.


    I should be surprised he was even able to get it this far. My son is truly a monster.


    "But this Cold Zero¡­ is truly astonishing," I didn''t realize when my lips curved into a smile as I stared at the beauty of my son''s creation. Snowkes began to fall from the sky as the clouds obscured the sun''s face. Some of the children in the adult section were amazed by the sight, but they all shivered from the cold. I suspected the temperature had dropped to about -20 to -40 degrees Celsius.


    It was an unbelievable sight. The arena was covered in ice, and the dragon had turned into an ice sculpture frozen to the ground. No, It was frozen to what was left of the ground.


    His sword had split the ground into two, stopping right in front of the Audience section. It was a very deep and broad crack. Almost as wide as a crater much deeper  but certainly longer.


    The Teras boy was shivering from the cold and seemed very upset as he red at my son. He was on the right side. The st must have pushed him there while the mature audience was left in astounding shock


    I turned around to take a look at the other patriarchs, and theirplex expressions did nothing to quell the excitement that grew in me. Then, finally, I took a peek at the king out of the corner of my eye, and my smile only grew wilder.


    ''This is it, son. This is the power we grasp as the Jun Household''.

 Chapter 46- THE LAST LAP BEGINS

    NORMAL POV.


    Adam fell unresponsive to time. His expression could only give a pygmy of the emotions he felt swell up in his chest. The anguish and anger mixed clearly in an ugly cascade on his face as beads of tears began to flow down his eyes, only to be frozen before it could touch the ground.


    His gaze was fixed on Bq. He had be a sculpture. A magnificent work of art. The mighty figure that protected him seemed to have disappeared in a span of half an hour.


    "Do you resent me?" Raph asked as he walked towards him. His body made chilly, crispy sounds as frozen gas exuded from it. "Bq can still be saved, though finding a cure for him will take time."


    Adam stared at him, utterly bbergasted by his words. His expression quickly changed to disgust. "What? With what audacity?! I begged you! Time and time again.


    I begged! So why?"


    Raph stared at him, his icy expression exuding a brilliance. "On the battlefield. You will learn to lose and lose again until you be strong enough to protect what you must."


    Adam''s expression only intensified. He red at him in hateful resentment, an expression he had never thought he was capable of exuding. "This¡­ this isn''t a real battle! This is just a farce yed by the patriarchs! You''re a smart kid, so why?"


    "The battlefield is the battlefield. If you had taken this fight with the intention of winning, then I would have had to resort to my trump card¡­ though. I am impressed you pushed me to this extent." A smile exuded from his charming face when he felt a bright, burning yet subtle sensation in his eyes. He stretched out his hand to block the light as he turned towards the direction of the source.


    The dark clouds had begun to copse, giving way for the bright rays of the sun to shine its brilliance and the arena began to warm up once again. Raph felt the rays. He dropped his hands down and stared at it with a smile. "I won''t ask you to forgive me. Instead, use the anger you feel for me to get stronger. There is a way for Bq to be free from my ice.


    Though you will have to work the hardest to find it."


    Adam couldn''t keep up with his emotions. Raph''s calm responses conflicted with his rational anger towards him. He sighed and slowly slumped to the ground. His gaze slowly went towards Bq. "I don''t know what it is you wish to achieve by doing this¡­" he slowly got up and walked towards his family post. "But I hope it is all worth it, Raffaelo Jun."


    Raph watched as he walked away. Adam''s clothes were mostly ripped apart due to the fight, and his clothes weren''t in any better condition. He chuckled. ''Now¡­ the only obstacle that could stand in my way would be¡­''. His gaze shifted quickly to the Kang Lin Household.


    ''Jang Kang Lin.'' A smile exuded from the corner of his lips as Jang stared right back at him. A contest of strength. It was no false news when people said the highlight of the day would be these two young beasts.


    Michaelo finally got to the middle of the Arena at the same time as the clean-up Mages.


    "Winner! Raffaelo Jun!" He cried out, and what followed next was the thunderous standing ovation from the audience section, the patriarchs, and the King. This was only his first step to being the Sword King. He had many more steps to climb, but his battle against the Teras showed his remarkable prowess towards being the Sword King.


    Ciara felt perplexed as she sluggishly pped her hands while staring at Raph with a mix of shallow emotions. Her thoughts must have been on the fight. Not only was she surprised by Adam''s summoning prowess but Raph''s powerful ice technique. ''Is there an ice magic as strong as that¡­?'' she thought as her gaze slowly locked on her mum''s.


    She hurriedly looked away. "You want me to defeat that?" she asked.


    Her mum, Kira, stared at her daughter. The disappointment in her expression couldn''t be any more visible. "What kind of mage gives up without even trying?"


    "When? When did I ever say I was giving up?" Ciara muttered in protest but her words betrayed her solemn expression.


    Kira sighed and pulled her closely. "My daughter. Magic is supreme. As long as you give your very best, then there is absolutely nothing you cannot achieve." Ciara couldn''t bring herself to look up to her mum. She could feel the falsified sweet words her mom only said when she needed her children to aplish something, and it only made her feel more pressured.


    "If he''s already mastered chapter 9, then he must be a master¡­ at least an 8th star Master," the words of Almond Merlin got their attention as they turned towards the source of the voice.


    "Almond? Shouldn''t you be in the Wind Castle by now?" Ciara asked as she slightly pushed her mum away.


    "I was curious about this fight too¡­ so I decided to stay a little longer."


    Almond Merlin. Otherwise known as the young prodigy. His magic is based on wind and its attributes, and his affinity is so strong that a magic castle was named after his favorite magic. He may be fifteen, but his prowess in magic is remarkable. Though, all of it pales before his sister''s talents.


    "You shouldn''t be here, Almond," Kira said as she gave him a disapproving expression. He shrugged in response and took a seat next to his sisters. "Your words don''t matter to me, mother. I am here for my sister." Ciara smiled. If there was going to be a difference between these two siblings, it would be Almond''splete independence from his mother.


    She clicked her tongue and sat back down while Ciara chuckled.


    The Jun household is truly remarkable¡­but we do not pale inparison," he said while he stared at his sister. "You''re a 9th circle mage¡­ at the age of 17. You should be confident."


    He held her hand and squeezed it tightly, reassuring her with a genuine smile on his face.


    Who knows, maybe something remarkable woulde out from their battle.


    Meanwhile, above the arena, within the midst of the clouds, a certain figure seemed to be standing in the sky, wrapped in cloaks, watching the scene.


    It had a solemn aura wrapped around him/her and its attention seemed fixated on Raph as he was being treated by healing mages.


    "Master, you shouldn''t be here. The mistress will be displeased."


    A blonde-haired woman in a maid outfit appeared through a portal and seemingly stepped on the air next to the figure.


    The figure remained calm, still fixated on the boy from the Jun household.


    "Tacha, why aren''t the 12th family allowed to participate?" the figure asked with a feminine voice. A seemingly ridiculous question since it didn''t require an answer.


    Tacha, the maid, remained silent as she stared at the small figure. "We shouldn''t be here. Your mother will be upset¡­" she repeated, ignoring her question.


    The figure sighed. "I want to watch his fight a little longer¡­" she muttered as she turned around towards the portal. "Alright. Let''s be on our way."


    She stopped just in front of the portal and took onest nce. "We will meet again, Raffaelo Jun," and slowly she walked through the portal.


    Tacha adjusted her sses and took a quick look at the arena. Her expression curled into disgust as a result and without realizing it, her eyes had darkened. She could only feel hate for the rest of the family that had isted theirs for hundreds of years.


    Though she felt a ridiculous amount of hatred, it was evident that she couldn''t release it. At least not right now.


    With a solemn expression, she turned around and walked through the portal and it disappeared as soon as she did.


    *****


    The arena had begun to quiet down now. Their refreshed expressions as they conversed on the battles that had urred and the battles that had yet to begin only left them with excitement.


    The clean-up mages were nearly done and the patriarchs had begun to settle down.


    The next series of battles was about to begin. The tension had definitely risen to a remarkable level.


    It was no surprise. The expectations from the king and the audience must have risen after seeing that fight but yet the best was yet toe.


    "Father, how do you feel?'''' The second prince asked as they watched the scene unfold from their podium.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "...I showed an ugly side of me today."


    "...no father¡­.it is Raffaelo who must apologize for making the temperature drop by so much."


    The king chuckled. "It was truly remarkable. I hope to see more of what I did. It is important to gauge the strength of those around us."


    The prince nodded as they watched the patriarch of the Jun Household walk up to the Arena.


    The fight between Adam Teras and Rhett Son Goku was canceled, and Adam Teras won by default. It seemed Son Goku was yet to recover from his wounds and he had certainly strained his techniques in the battle. It would have been difficult for him to go on any longer.


    It was finally time for the finalp of the battle, consisting of Jang Kang Lin, Darell Silvan, Louis La Teur, and Mariam Aquarius.


    "The finale shall now begin!" Michaelo announced, gaining the attention of the audience. "The next battle shall be between Darell Silvan and Jang Kang Lin."


    It was time. It was finally time to take a look at the martial arts technique that had begun to gain poprity. Jang had quickly jumped into the arena, boiling for excitement and the taste for blood.


    His opponent, however, wasn''t.


    "I surrender!"

 Chapter 47- LOUIS LA TEUR VS MARIAM AQUARIUS

    "Did he just surrender?"


    "Is that even allowed by the rules?"


    "Can they do that even before the battle?"


    In the midst of the Brilliant Colosseum, the crowd chattered away as they watched the next event unfold with bewilderment. An even more peculiar individual seemed to have emerged.


    "....Mr. Silvan. Do you realize the implications of what you just said?" Michaelo asked with a raised brow and a questioning expression.


    "I do, Patriarch Jun," Darell replied, bowing slightly. "I may be young, but I am not foolish."


    He nced at the other households. "I am well aware of whom I can challenge and whom I would lose bitterly to." He stole a nce at Jang and quickly averted his gaze as he headed straight for his family podium.


    Jang exuded a visible red aura with a malevolent glint in his eyes. "...and you call yourself a knight?" he muttered, his voice harsh and husky.


    Darell halted in his tracks, looking back a little, locking eyes with Jang.


    "I am indeed a knight, but a cautious one," he responded.


    He left the arena without further words, returning to his podium and taking his seat next to his father, who appeared unfazed by the situation.


    Michaelo watched quietly and sighed. This wasn''t the first time such a situation had urred, but surrenders usually happened either in the middle or at the end of a battle.


    Perhaps it was for the best that Darell knew his limits. Some people today fail to recognize the wisdom in not always challenging a wall when they are merely a pebble.


    The audience section also seemed displeased, with constant grumbling andints, but their opinions mattered little.


    Michaelo sighed. "May as well proceed to the next battle," he thought to himself. "Jang, return to your seat. The next battle doesn''t involve you."


    Jang''s jaw muscles clenched so tightly they seemed ready to snap, and a murderous glint filled his eyes as he red at Raffaelo Jun. He had wanted to make a spectacle of Darell to demonstrate the power disparity between them.


    He had no interest in the other family members; all he felt was an intense anger towards the sole son of the Jun household.


    Raph noticed Jang''s hostile gaze, and a wild smile yed on his lips as he waved back.


    With a click of his tongue, he walked away.


    Michaelo chuckled quietly as he announced the next battle. "Mariam Aquarius vs Louis La Teur!"


    The crowd muttered in disbelief and disappointment at the previous event, rather than paying attention to the uing battle.


    It was no surprise; martial arts had always been a spectacle for themon people.


    Mariam bowed slightly at her podium as Louis La Teur sluggishly approached the arena.


    His patriarch furrowed his brow deeply as he stared at Louis, while the younger one, known as Dark, looked on with a bitter expression.


    "I apologize for not being the one going down there, Grandfather," the boy muttered quietly, ignored by the man who continued to stare at Louis.


    ''Not again!'' He thought to himself as he turned his gaze away.


    Mariam finally reached the center of the arena as the two men waited patiently.


    "I apologize for myteness," she said.


    Michaelo raised a brow and chuckled. "No need for formalities in the battlefield, dear," he said with a smile, noticing Louis''s disengaged expression. He seemed lost in thought, gazing at the clouds throughout.


    "Are you prepared for this battle, Mr. La Teur?" Michaelo inquired, but Louis appeared even more distant from reality. "Louis?"


    The boy finally snapped back to attention, gazing at Michaelo with an inquisitive expression.


    "Uh, yes?" Louis replied.


    "You... do you realize you''re about to engage in a battle?" Michaelo asked, smiling faintly. ''How intriguing,'' he thought.


    "Yes, of course," Louis muttered, his gaze shifting to Mariam. "Nice to meet you, mydy," he added, prostrating.


    Michaelo''s brows furrowed, his forehead disying wrinkles, while Mariam tilted her head, her eyes wide in surprise.


    "Oh¡­ okay," Michaelo muttered, raising his right hand. "Let the match begin," he dered swiftly, then disappeared from their midst.


    He must have thought spending more time with Louis might seriously affect his mental state, as he nced at Tonrook and then back at Louis. ''What''s going on?'' he wondered.


    Mariam assumed her stance, quickly evading Louis''s range, or so she thought. It was never wise to engage in close or rangedbat with the La Teur household. Their assassinations were wless unless their target was stronger.


    Louis, however, remained motionless, gaze fixed ahead.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Tension seemed to intensify as they remained motionless for about thirty seconds, but it dissipated when she suddenly mmed her hands on the ground. "Summon... water," she muttered, and the ground began to rumble.


    "Hm?" Louis muttered, noticing a tiny crack forming on the ground, followed by a ssh of water bursting out. He raised a brow as the soil gave way, causing arge quantity of water to surge out.


    "I don''t know what you''re up to, but I won''t y your games!" Mariam cried out, standing atop the flood of water that had inundated the arena within seconds. Louis swiftly shot out a gun with a hook, which clung to the arena walls, enabling him to escape the water''s grasp.


    "As if I''d let you off that easily!" Mariam eximed as the water formed multiple arms, each asrge as a bungalow, rushing towards Louis in an attempt to seize him.


    He dodged, causing therge arms to m against the walls of the arena, creating tremors and tiny cracks in the concrete. "You fight well for a woman," Louis muttered as he suddenly transformed into a red mist, narrowly evading arge arm''s punch.


    "Where did he go?" Mariam wondered aloud as she scanned the area, searching for his whereabouts.


    The La Teures were skilled assassins, and losing sight of them during a confrontation spelled trouble for their opponents. Mariam was aware of this, yet for almost three seconds, she couldn''t locate him¡ªa second too long when facing such adversaries.


    Turning her back for the fifth time, Mariam sensed a chilling, eerie aura enveloping her. She nearly stumbled as an arm grabbed her from behind, its whispered words sending shivers down her spine. "I am here, Princess of the Sea."


    It was over. Mariam knew it was over. Why? Because in the real world, she would have been dead. This fight had an advantage¡ªthe La Teurs refrained from using their full potential to avoid lethality. Louis stood on a thin thread, connecting the arena wall to the bottom beneath the water.


    The light in Mariam''s eyes dimmed, and the strength in her expression waned. ''And I thought I could...'' shemented silently. Defeated without even trying, embarrassment engulfed her, suffocating her will to fight.


    "ELDER SISTER!! DON''T YOU DARE GIVE UP!!!" Her younger brother''s words rang in her ears like a judgment bell, snapping her out of her despair. "DON''T YOU DARE!!!" he cried again before their grandfather intervened, silencing the boy with a light tap on the head.


    Their grandfather, patriarch of the Aquarius family, sighed as he regarded Mariam with a solemn expression. "Do your best, my daughter," he encouraged, loud enough for the other patriarchs and his daughter to hear.


    "Hmmm¡­" Prince Julian observed the scene with intrigue, stroking his hairless chin. "How amusing."


    "Family bonds are nothing but a weakness... you should learn, Julian," the king remarked with a sigh as they continued to watch the fight unfold.


    "What a bunch of useless people... what good do they think their words would be?" Louis muttered to himself, eyeing Mariam''s family, unaware that she had heard him.


    "What? How dare you¡­" Loud tremors emanated from the water as a tentacle shot out, pushing Louis away from Mariam. "Oh¡­" he muttered as he felt a ssh of water behind his neck. Turning slowly, he saw multiple slender arms pulling him towards the arena walls.


    His expression remained indifferent as he manipted his fingers, summoning multiple thin threads that sliced through the water, freeing him from its grasp and pulling him back to the thread near the arena walls.


    "How troublesome."


    He said aloud, noticing how the water began to swirl around her protectively in response to hermand. The tentacles numbered greatly, twirling continuously around her forming a formidable barrier as her eyes glowed bright blue while she stared at him with murderous intent. "This time... it will be different."


    She waved her hands rhythmically, almost like a ballet dance causing the water tentacles to surge around her and strike out towards Louis in a hurried frenzy. He groaned as he dodged one after the other. Each tentacle caused arge tremor, andrge portions of the concrete wall were cut off.


    Manipting his fingers deftly, he caused the threads to slice off those that came too close forfort as he moved around the arena, desperately looking for an opening with his agility when the water suddenly rose up above him. His eyes bulged open in shock. "What?


    Did you think I couldn''t control thisrge mass of water?" she cried out as the waterpletely engulfed him, crashing back down to the ground.


    Her senses refused to believe that he was gone from just that simple attack. She must have learned from before, and she would not let the same thing happen again. Some seconds passed, and he was still nowhere to be seen. Her expression becameplicated. "Hmm¡­" she muttered, lowering her shoulders, and the feeling that engulfed her once before quickly returned.


    It pierced through her defense and crept on her skin, making her hairs stand on end. Danger was very close by, and it proved to be true as Louis appeared seemingly out of nowhere above her, a dagger in his hands and a murderous glint in his eyes.


    He swung his de down in an attempt to cut off a limb when the water suddenly opened up below her, causing her to fall within it and making Louis miss badly.


    His eyes bulged open in shock when he noticed Mariam''s smirk as she fell into therge amount of water with her arms raised as if holding a gun.


    "Bang!"

 Chapter 48- The Mermaid Princess.

    NORMAL POV.


    A small ball of water began to form at the tip of her finger as she shaped it like a gun.


    Louis'' eyes bulged open, staring at the smirk that spread across her lips. He smiled.


    "BANG!" The ball of water shot out like a projectile at the speed of sound, piercing through Louis'' shoulder. He groaned in pain, yet did not cease to move forward.


    He pointed the tip of his dagger forward with more intent. The lines on his face began to grow more visible as the nonchnt expression slowly disappeared.


    "I''ll take you seriously now, mydy. So do not disappoint," he muttered, suddenly disappearing into a red mist.


    Mariam raised a brow as she waved her hands up, causing the water to swirl above her and form a dome for protection.


    "Where could he have gone now?" she muttered to herself, feeling immense pressure from behind and hearing a loud pop as the water dome blew up. She quickly manipted the water to pull her down further, dodging an attack by a hair''s breadth.


    ''You''re kidding me¡­'' she thought, noticing Louis'' sadistic smile and red bloodshot eyes. "Is that all you can do?!" he cried out, charging forward at a speed she couldn''t have expected.


    "Shit!" she cursed under her breath, retreating further into the water and causing it to flow upstream, forming arger water dome.


    "You should have realized this doesn''t work on me!" he shouted, stabbing his dagger into the water and imbuing it with his bloodlust. It quickly popped open, exposing her to his attacks once again.


    She bit her lip in annoyance. "First transformation!" she muttered as her ears and arms suddenly glowed white, while the water around her grewrger with more water flowing from the ground.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Catch me if you can!" she cried out, retreating into the water and swimming away from his grasp. He clicked his tongue and quickly retreated, manipting his threads as they pulled him away from the rising water.


    "Isn''t this dangerous?!" Mario cried out, turning to his grandfather.


    "Not to worry, my child. The Patriarchs have this under control," his grandfather replied as he stood up from his seat. He took a quick nce around the arena and locked eyes with Michaelo. After what seemed to be a very long time, Paulson Aquarius nodded his head and floated into the air, gaining the attention of the congregation.


    "What?! What''s that?!" The congregation were left to their thoughts as they observed the flying individual in the air.


    He sighed as he ced his hands together and raised his index and middle finger up. His eyes began to glow a bright blue, and blue water whiskers grew from under his nose and chin.


    "Rise, Ocean," he said as he separated his hands and raised them in the air slowly. In response, the mass of water that had begun to reach the audience section rumbled as it swirled up into the air in arge mass, leaving the arena ground as dry as it was before the water had gushed out.


    Louis slowly walked back to the arena, maneuvering over the rocks and debris from the damaged ground.


    "...." he stared at it, downcast by the mere destruction, and slowly he raised his gaze up in the air.


    "Why is the Patriarch intervening?" he asked out loud, implying that he wasn''t talking to anyone in particr.


    "Did you not notice the rise in water tide while you were battling?" Michaelo responded. "The battle stillmences."


    Louis didn''t need the reminder that the battle was ongoing. Therge mass of water, now airborne, continued to increase in size. The holes on the arena ground kept streaming water upwards, rapidly adding to the mass. It had grown to the size of the Colosseum by the time it had moved a safe distance away from the arena.


    "This is troublesome¡­" he muttered upon noticing Mariam within therge mass of water, though she appeared less human. She red at him as she spun her arms around, causing therge ball of water to form ten tentacles, each asrge and tall as a pir.


    The tentacles struck out one after the other at Louis in a hurried frenzy. It was like trying to swat a fly, but Louis was much more agile and quick. He dodged them effortlessly, one after the other.


    Whenever one tentacle came too close forfort, he would turn into red dust, only to immediately reappear somewhere else in the arena. However, Mariam seemed to predict his movements, nearly turning the arena grounds into a mess with debris and rocks filling the area. The tentacles caused heavy tremors to the ground with their fast, whip-like sound as they shot out at Louis.


    Louis wasn''t just dodging; he was analyzing. There was a reason why he had been able to withstand the first stage of the tournament, and he wasn''t even close to revealing it. He dodged one tentacle, and a smirk formed on his lips. He grabbed the tentacle as it pulled away from the ground, pulling him along with it.


    "You!" Mariam cried out as she flung the tentacle back to the ground, hoping to smash him to bits. However, she soon realized he wasn''t there.


    "Shit!" she muttered, realizing she couldn''t sense him. "...Assassins are so much trouble." She could onlyin to herself as she waited patiently for him to appear again. After a few seconds, she decided to take action.


    "Second transformation¡­" Her legs began to glow as she descended towards the bottom of therge ball.


    "Ocean call," she muttered, and in response, half of therge mass began to descend back to the arena. Her eyes began to glow brighter blue, and her legs curled together, forming a majestic blue mermaid tail.


    "Don''t underestimate me, assassin," she muttered, swinging her arms down as she halted her movements simultaneously.


    The water rumbled and swirled as it crashed down with great speed and force, causingrge tremors and loud wails, almost as if it were alive.


    "Ocean''s breath," she muttered, and the water began to glow, forming five massive dragon heads as it swirled around.


    She was left unprotected by her water, floating in the air. Her majestic appearance took the breath of many.


    Her ears had turned into fins, and webs were found between her fingers.


    Beautiful blue and ck scales adorned her body, and her Aquarius blue hair grew wilder down below her waist.


    It was no wonder the congregation was dazzled. She looked like a goddess descendant, and she had the power to match.


    "No matter how many times I see it, it still remains ever so beautiful," Raph muttered under his breath as a smile appeared on his face. "Though, strength triumphs over beauty¡­."


    In the midst of the dazzlement, a red blood mist filled the air above Mariam as she slowly looked up quizzically.


    "You amaze me, mydy," Louis said, his voice projecting in the air.


    "...This must be the 7th La Teuer Assassination technique?" she muttered.


    The La Teuer, like the Jun, had their family lineage learn their family techniques, and for the La Teuer household, it was a series of ten assassination techniques that brought the death of their opponents regardless of their strength.


    Out of the ten, the 7th technique, Hollow Shadow.


    "You are well-versed too," Louis said as he cackled when a scythe pulled out from the red mist and struck down towards Mariam.


    She waved her right arm, and the dragon head cried out.


    A loud siren noise, like the echo of the whales and dolphins in the ocean, cried out, sting the scythe to a halt.


    The loud siren noise continued, stronger and firmer with each adding scythe.


    "I won''t lose to you, Louis," she said with a hushed tone as she raised her left hand up.


    "Ocean''s blow."


    Therge half of the water left in the air suddenly twirled around, forming a pot as arge blue beam, its diameter half of the arena, shot out down to the red dust and the scythe with a loud explosion.


    The siren ceased at once as the blue gust of smoke formed from the explosion dissipated, revealing an empty space.


    "....Where could you be hiding now¡­." she said as the dragon heads began to twirl up towards her, floating and swimming around her in an endless maze.


    "...You might want to show yourself¡­". she continued speaking regardless of whether or not he was paying attention.


    The crowd was hesitant. Everyone left on edge on what was going to ur next.


    They felt expectant, and their hearts were heavy.


    They probably hoped for the goddess to win as they too were seeking for the Assassin to warn her beforehand but s amidst the loud cheers from the crowds.


    And the patriarch''s very eyes. An evil red aura emerged from the air. Seemingly out of nothingness and what urred next froze the Colosseum in a shock never seen before.


    "Your attacks are truly beautiful." His voice sent a chill down her spine as her eyes widened. She felt a cold iron sticking on her back and the presence of an otherworldly being behind her.


    His voice sounded sweet, yet it hid a danger that could not be mistaken for something else.


    He had yet again found himself behind her. His dagger aimed at her back and his right hand behind her neck.


    He held a sadistic smile while in this position and an evil glint hid behind his eyes. A glint that hid a meaning other than murder.


    "What will you do now, mermaid princess?"

 Chapter 49- The next stage has been set.

    The Aquarius family, over the years, has gathered various nicknames, such as the Sea People, the Mermaids, the Creatures of the Deep Blue Sea, and the Masters of the Ocean, among others. They are the royal family of the Antic Kingdom of the Sea and have been granted ranks among thend people.


    There was a time when they had nearly gone extinct due to human greed. They were beautiful creatures and rumors of their flesh granting immortality only brought more attention and misery to their kind. They are masters of the sea and anything rted to water, and their power has only grown with time.


    Now they stand side by side with the greatest powerhouses of humanity, and their kind are no longer sought after, at least notwfully. They have the ability to flood a whole nation with their strength.


    On the other hand, the La Teure household is one of the most notorious in bothnd and sea. Their impable methods of killing and torture have built them a reputation that no one could fathom. They have a family technique passed down from generation to generation, with each younger member surpassing the older in cruelty.


    It was only a matter of time before they would stand among the powerhouses of the Kingdom.


    ******


    The crowd was left bewildered by the scene before them. The patriarchs felt a ghastly feeling that should not have been there, especially Michaelo, who was amazed. No one had seen iting, no one had seen his next move. It seemed like Mariam wasn''t the only one watching for his next appearance.


    And if he was good enough to fool even the patriarchs, then who was she? But the feeling of giving up was far from the mixed emotions that bombarded her as she figured out what to do next.


    "Ho¡­How?" she muttered.


    "Your defense isn''t as strong as you think. You should work on that," he said with a smile, slowly putting down the knife as he seemingly crashed down to the ground from the air.


    Hended with a loud thud, gaining their attention. As the smoke cleared, hey on the rocks with his right hand holding a white g and a big grin on his face. "I give up!" he cried out, chuckling and cackling at the same time.


    "...."


    For almost ten seconds, everyone was left stupefied.


    Tonrook La Teure sighed as he patted his forehead. "It''s exactly because of this attitude of his that I decided not to let him in the battle," he muttered with a shaky voice. A dark shadow loomed over his forehead as he sighed. "Louis La Teure¡­.until when will you stop torturing me," he muttered with a bitter taste in his voice.


    The young assassin named Dark could only watch his Patriarch in silence. ''Brother Louis is as strong as always,'' he thought to himself, observing the scene of the battle. "The arena has never gotten this bad," he said to himself while staring at Mariam. ''...would I have survived through all that?'' he thought when Michaelo finally walked towards the arena.


    The clean-up mages were waiting behind him.


    "Mr. La Teure¡­.are you sure about this?" He asked the boy, who seemed to be in a world of his own. He was back again in a trance, staring at absolute nothingness. "Louis?!" Michaelo cried out, and he finally snapped back to reality. He took a nce at Michaelo and then at Mariam, who still seemed too shocked toe down from the sky. "Yes.


    Mariam has proven herself plenty¡­.while on the other hand." The boy slowly took a peek at his family podium. ''There are many of us who have failed to learn,'' he thought to himself as he excused himself.


    Michaelo had aplicated expression, and the congregation seemed equally in an uproar. The king and the prince weren''t affected by the result in the slightest. It was evident since they showed little interest in who won the battle.


    "....Ma¡­Mariam Aquarius wins!" Michaelo cried out awkwardly as she floated back down to the ground while reverting her mermaid body parts to human. "...I don''t ept this win," Mariam cried out, walking quickly towards Louis. She bit her lip and scowled as she walked begrudgingly towards him.


    It was difficult to tell what she felt at the moment, and the congregation seemed to be only adding fuel to the fire with their chants of congrattions to their Sea goddess. "Lou-." She froze in her tracks as she felt a dashing pain nearly suffocating her and a nauseating aura overwhelmed her senses.


    Her eyes contracted and shook as she stared at the ground with her hand stretched forward in an attempt to contact him.


    Louis slowly turned around, noticing her presence, and the feeling disappeared in an instant as he smiled. "Oh, it''s just you, Mydy," he said, grinning from ear to ear. Mariam slowly regained herposure as she stared at him. A chill crept up her spine, and cold sweat began to form on her forehead. "It''s¡­it''s nothing. Just wanted to know.


    Are you okay with this result?" she asked with a hushed tone. ''I really am no match for him,'' she thought to herself. "Not really. I have no interest in this farce of a tournament after all" he replied, bowing down a little and walking away, leaving her to her thoughts. She stood still for a few seconds, sighed, and walked away.


    The cleanup mages quickly took the stage. It seemed like a short break would be necessary due to the sorry state of the arena.


    Raph remained in his seat, observing the events unfold. ''Nothing has changed much from my previous life¡­ well, except for winning my matches,'' he thought to himself as he watched Mariam walk back to her podium. A smile escaped his lips.


    ''Even in my past life, she was loved by the people,'' he thought, remembering the moments when their squad would return after a demon subjugation and the crowd would shout praises at them. ''It was fun.'' He slowly turned his gaze to his side, feeling a rather unpleasant eye contact. "Is there something you wish to say?" he asked with a raised brow and an awkward smile at Gilda.


    She stared at him for a few seconds and then turned slowly towards the Aquarius household. "I see Master Raph has found a soulmate?"


    Raph choked on hisughter as he held his chest light-heartedly. "You must be joking, Gilda. What made you think so?" he asked, trying to control his amusement.


    "You have not stared at anyone here as long as her," she replied with a puzzled tone. ''Did I say something funny?'' she thought to herself.


    "Well¡­ maybe," he muttered with a sigh as the cleanup mages began to retreat. The arena was finally restored to top-notch condition.


    "The mages are really pulling their weight," Raph said as he watched them float away through arge door with their flying brooms.


    "It''s only right they do so," Gilda replied, her expression stoic.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He turned towards her once again. ''She always had a dislike for mages¡­ and it only became stronger because Fiona is a mage.''


    "Well¡­ the next battle should begin any minute now¡­" Raph shrugged off her reply. ''I already know how the battle ends anyways¡­ Louis La Teure. If not for his disappearance, I would have lost Mariam to him¡­ though this time. I will stop it, I may as well get her on my own terms this time,'' he thought as he watched the next contestant walk down to the Arena.


    "It''s finally your turn, huh¡­ Jang Kang Lin," he said with a smile.


    Gilda stared at his peculiar reaction from her spot, and a thought dropped in her mind. "Certainly, you are not into men, right?" she spoke out, causing Raph to choke on more than just hisughter in that instant.


    "No!!!!!"


    ******


    Michaelo was in the middle of the arena as the next two participants locked gazes. One was locked in a gaze with the other, while the other simply drifted into space, and the one with the locked gaze looked like he was seeing red.


    ''This¡­ insignificant¡­'' Jang thought.


    It felt like he was being ignored, and he didn''t like how he had been feeling that since he came to the tournament.


    Well, this was an opportunity to bring their heads below his knees. He was finally going to fight after all.


    "Are¡­ Are you ready?" Michaelo awkwardly smiled as he stared at Louis, only to be ignored. "...Louis?"


    "Uhh¡­ Um¡­ Yeah?" He replied, snapping back to reality.


    ''Like a repeat of before¡­'' Michaelo thought to himself as he raised his hand in the air.


    "The next battle shall nowmence. JANG KANG LIN VS LOUIS LA TEURE."


    A battle between martial arts and assassination techniques?


    "Oh, this¡­ is going to be fun."

 Chapter 50- The Martial Kang Lin

    He disappeared instantly as the crowd screamed in excitement.


    It was finally time for some martial arts !.


    Jang charged in almost immediately with his palms stretched forward.


    ''A palm technique¡­.'' Louis thought as he skillfully dodged his iing barrage of attacks one after the other.


    Jang stretched his right hand forward in an attempt to hit his face while Louis took a step back and tilted his head dodging the attack by a hair''s breadth.


    Jang suddenly squeezed his right arm into a fist and the airpressed causing a force that mmed Louis on his face and blew him some few meters away.


    "....." Louis stared at Jang. The light slowly fading away from his eyes. "...you must be seeking death". he said with a hushed tone.


    "...death ? and you think you are worthy enough to give me death ?" Jang asked, his tone sounding as haughty as the expression he made.


    "I won''t be like you. I won''t give my win to the weak".


    He charged forward with a considerablerge force sting the air in the process as he aimed a punch at him.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''fist techniques now ?''. Louis thought barely dodging an attack when another came almost immediately.


    " A stream of flowing River !" Jang cried out as he swirled while throwing his fists at a rhythmic movement aimed at Louis at his joints.


    "Tigers fury".


    The attacks were precise and momentous as each attack led to an increase in the strength of the other.


    They shed fists together, Louis simply trying to channel the force of the attack away from him and he was doing quite nicely since each time he deflected a punch, an air force would be emitted causing part of the ground topress due to the force.


    "Is this all you have ?!" Louis muttered with a strained groan as an attack breezed his face causing a cut and an explosion ofpressed air.


    The explosion mmed his face to the side. an attack that should have cut his head off.


    "What ?! done talking ?!" Jang asked, his expression growing more confident as he swirled around, ready to kick him


    His attack missed Louispletely, only passing through a red mist.


    "Tsk". he cursed under his breath as he mmed his hands together.


    He watched the previous battle and he was well aware of how dangerous it was to have Louis out of your sight. He didn''t need a second more to cut you down and maybe another second if he wasn''t nning on cutting you down.


    The airpressed around him as a white aura surged out of his body in little bits.


    "Oh¡­the legendary Ki". Gilda muttered in amazement as she watched the battle with great intent.


    Raph nced at her and chuckled. Even in his past life, no one was able to understand the concept of Ki.


    Though, it was a power meant for those that could harness neither aura nor mana.


    Your adventure continues at empire


    Quite frankly. It was a power meant for the weak but yet it became their strongest ally and that power quickly grew to be one of the mightiest.


    The white energy that exuded from him had a brilliance to it. He looked around while his palm was still sped together hoping to gain a clue on where next he might appear.


    "you''re smart¡­." The voice echoed in his ear, his eyes bulging open as he turned to his left side. "though not smart enough.."


    Louis appeared, magnificently with a red scythe aimed for Jang''s head and a red blood aura with it.


    His sadistic smile always left an imprint on those he had attacked all this while. it spelt death for most people and maybe danger for a few but Jang knew what it meant and he had prepared beforehand.


    "3rd step of the Raging Dragon Fists ! Rising tidal wave!". He spun his arms around and the propulsion of the wind surged around him acting as a shield of some kind. The scythe was blown back as soon as it struck the wind causing Louis to lose bnce in the air and the sound of metal cracking could be clearly heard.


    "you might have to do better than that". Jang muttered as he charged forward, his white Ki surging through his body and wrapping his arms in a white warmth.


    He jumped into the air and threw his fist down in an attempt to m him back to the ground only for his fist to pass through red dust.


    "....Tsk". Jang cursed as hended on the ground with a small explosion causing a wide crater.


    "....you''re more than I expected¡­" Louis said as he reappeared a safe distance away from Jang.


    "Did you get scared and run away ?" Jang asked, ignoring his question as a smirk grew from the corner of his lips. "Come¡­.I shall amend that haughty attitude of yours" He said as he positioned his body in a stance.


    His right arm stretched out and his left hand rested just below his waist in a curled fist.


    His expression was tense but in that moment, a splinter of excitement was in his eyes. It felt good finallyying off some steam right after watching Raph''s battles.


    I''m sure he thought of finishing the battle with not a single injury to prove his superiority but¡­.Louis was never gonna make it easy for him.


    "....you''re more dumb than I thought¡­.you my friend. are the haughty one¡­".


    He suddenly dispersed into red dust as five scythes appeared from the fog.


    He charged at Jang instantaneously. A speed too impossible to see with the naked eyes, appearing behind Jang as he grabbed a scythe from the floating ones and aimed it at him.


    Jang turned at the same time, holding out his fists. "4th step of the Raging Dragon Fists! Bloody dragon fists". His ki turned into a bloody red mist as it formed the solid image of a dragon that danced around his arms to his fists.


    It caused a Sonic explosion when it came in contact with the scythe and followed by a loud explosion of air as the red dragons smashed the scythe and blew Louis away.


    He coughed out blood as he dragged his fists in the ground in a desperate attempt to stop himself from moving further towards the walls.


    " 4th step of the Mythic Swan Diamond Feet ! Hollow Swan". Jang''s voice sounded like a warning siren in his ears as he struggled to maintain his bnce after stopping himself.


    "Did you think I would let you go ?!" Jang muttered, his voice coarse and cracked as he appeared in front of Louis in the blink of an eye.


    Louis could only furrow his brow and bite his lip as a heavy blow wrapped in white ki smashed across his face.


    He groaned as a loud whine sound echoed in his right ear followed by a stinging pain.


    He felt the force of the punch push his body away but he was stopped before his feet could even lift up from the ground.


    He heard another loud whine sound like a TV that had been quickly turned off echo in his ears and followed by the stinging pain as his face was forced in the opposite direction with a wrinkled expression and bloody filled eyes.


    He felt another blow to his chin and the tinnitus only increased as he felt his soul float above his body. The white color of his eyes began to show more evidently as thest punch blew him towards the walls of the Arena.


    The congregation must have thought the fight was over after witnessing the sound of the blow he had inflicted on Louis but even at that, Louis refused to give in.


    His body dissipated into a red mist leaving just the propulsion of the wind to cause a deep crater in the wall.


    Jang clicked his tongue as he resumed his initial stance. His fists curled tightly as his hair stood on end.


    it felt like he could feel it all. The moisture in the air, the strength of the wind, the warm embrace of the sun as the screams and cheers from the audience began to dim spontaneously as he focused on that feeling and once again the air began to pulsate around him as his White ki emitted from every corner of his body.


    "Didn''t I tell you already, you rat¡­". He muttered under his breath as his gaze shifted continuously in an attempt to search for him.


    "...and didnt I tell you as well".


    The sound of Louis'' voice sent a shiver down his spine as he turned around. ''How ?!''.


    His eyes bulged open and his brows furrowed as he watched Louis slowly aim a dagger at him. He had appeared from his blind spot once again, unnoticed¡­like a ghost.


    "This is it Jang". Louis muttered under his breath, his murderous intensity glowing bright and red.


    "...you don''t get to decide that, Louis".


    Jang replied with an even sharper gaze.


    Time was ticking and the intensity of the fight grew sharply like a fire set in a dry forest. Was this truly the end of the Martial Arts Jang ?.

 Chapter 52- The Last Lap

    RAFFAELO POV.


    I sat down, my eyes focused on the winner of the battle while the side of my lips curled up.


    "How cute". I muttered while Gilda stared at me with her right brow raised.


    I simply ignored it. Thest thing I needed to do was give her more reasons to doubt my interests.


    "Thest battle will soon begin".


    I heard the sound of My Father as he flew up from the Arena after announcing the winner.


    The Cleanup mages had begun to do their tasks too.


    "...I wonder how bad the Arena will be after your battle with Jang". He added as he sat next to me.


    I chuckled.


    It was obvious that the battle most people anticipated was the fight between The Kang Lin household and The Jun.


    "Louis did well. He''ll have to recuperate for a while though". I said with a sigh.


    The 15 steps of the Imperial Mystic  Kang Arts.


    Just the name alone sent a shiver down our enemies spine. It was that powerful.


    There was once a debate in the past about which was more powerful.


    ''but¡­.only experience can tell''. I thought to myself as I nced over to the Elven family.


    "Silvan¡­" I muttered. Memories of my past vividly shing through my mind.


    "....".


    His battle with Mariam was one of the most sadistic. My father had to intervene in the past.


    "The polite ones are always the demon-like bastards". I said out loud when Gilda and my Father stared at me with a raised brow and questioning eyes.


    ''I''ve been getting that expression a lottely''. I thought to myself.


    "oh well¡­".n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Thest battle between Darell Silvan and Mariam Aquarius was to take ce soon.


    The audience were in a frenzy about the results of the previous battles while the Families patiently waited for the next battle to unfold while having small conversations with each other.


    It was a serene site.


    Something I never got the chance to enjoy in my past life.


    I never did question it, why I was brought back and how I was brought back.


    I could as well assume that it is as a result of one of our ancestors but I wouldn''t even be able to confirm that.


    Though one thing''s for sure. ''This¡­is only the beginning''.


    *****


    NORMAL POV.


    Meanwhile, away from the Kingdom of Lumbrica.


    A small army led their way back to the kingdom, led by Rachael Jun.


    A white bandage soaked in blood was tied on her forehead and the head of a human man was ced on a spike that was tied to the side of her horse. Her eyes seemed gloomy and her lips cracked.


    Her left arm had been amputated, living a white bandage soaked in blood to tie it up.


    "My Lady, we are nearly home". A man rode his horse towards hers and announced with a chilly tone.


    He was the man that had warned them about the army a long time ago.


    He stared at her reaction with a sigh.


    ''We lost a lot of warriors¡­some died to protect her¡­.she must be tired''


    "We are your soldiers¡­we do what we have beenmanded. Lady Rachael. You are a noble, it is only right we protect you".


    She sighed. She had always grieved that sort of statement. It was so normal that even themoners made use of that statement.


    The gap between a noble and amoner.


    A few minutes passed and they finally got to the gate.


    They were surrounded by arge grass in, with walls as tall as a tower and a silver gate wide open.


    The gatekeepers quickly rushed out to greet the returners as Rachael climbed down from her horse.


    "Cousin !".


    The familiar voice of Jenny rushed towards Rachael with a wild hug.


    "you made it back".


    "indeed we did¡­though¡­more than half of us were lost in the fight".


    She muttered under her breath with a shaky voice.


    Jenny sighed as she let her go while her eyes focused on the head.


    "themander?" she asked.


    "indeed. Duke Von Ran".


    "...a vassal". She muttered under her breath as they led the warriors into town.


    "...I heard your son made it to the finals¡­"


    Rachael''s ears literally perked up on the word "son".


    Her gaze had slowly swept in the light it had once lost as she turned towards Jenny Leon.


    "My son did ? Oh. How strong has he be now ?" She asked with curiosity etched in her voice.


    Jenny chuckled.


    "you will just have to find out for yourself.." She replied when Rachael''s lively expression had slowly resided.


    "....I don''t know if they would like to see me this way¡­". Rachael muttered staring at her left arm¡­.or where it was supposed to be.


    "don''t let that bother you¡­I think he would be happy to see his mother again after all this time".


    Though Jenny had said that as some kind of constion but it was true in every sense. Rachael meant much more than she realized to her son and it was something she would learn to understand as time went on.


    "...and his sisters ?" She asked with a raised brow as she stared at Jenny.


    "....um¡­.I think they should all¡­.be¡­.busy maybe ?" Jenny replied awkwardly, her smile trying to stay where it was.


    Well, it didn''t work.


    "...those bitches of daughters". Rachael cried out in annoyance as she stumped forward. "Come with me ! we must get to the Colosseum right away !".


    Jenny  chuckled behind her while she followed quietly. ''I am curious as well¡­the next puppet for the king¡­I wonder just how strong he is''.


    Her smile had curled deeply. There was no innocence in her expression and the demeanor she once gave off dispersed into something else.


    Well, another two-faced bastard appears.


    ******


    The arena was fully intact and the participants of the next battle had found their way to the Arena.


    It was time for the finale of the day.


    Thest matchup would be determined right after this one though the end is inevitable. Discover stories at empire


    No one really expected the Aquarius woman to win though, it was a plus to see her in her Mermaid form once again.


    Her beauty was enough spectacle for most of them.


    "Are you ready¡­I will not give you my win as Louis did". Darell said with a raised tone.


    "...I dont think a coward has a right to say a thing in it". Mariam replied with a higher and firmer tone.


    "....." He stared at her murderously as Michaelo waved his hand in the air with a puzzled expression as he stared at Darell.


    "....you may begi-BOOM!.


    Before he couldplete the statement, a loud explosion had urred followed by a loud feminine cry.


    ''....impatient kids''. Michaelo thought, leaving the Arena.


    Mariam groaned in pain as she sped her stomach while spurting out blood from her mouth.


    She was on her knees close to the Arena wall while Darell walked calmly towards her.


    "This bitch. Who gave you the right to run your mouth like that?". He cried out, spinning his silver spear around and mming it to the ground.


    "You are nothing before the Elf Prince".


    He charged again, as fast as light as he aimed the blunt side of his spear towards her. "Go to sleep ! bitch".


    He mmed it across, in an attempt to m her head when it passed through.


    His gaze hardened as her body turned into a pool of water.


    "The Elf prince ? Hah ! Don''t make meugh !" She cried out in annoyance behind him.


    He turned towards the source of her voice slowly when he felt water below his feet.


    "....this shit again ?" He muttered.


    A rising pool of water appeared before him, flowing towards the sky until Mariam sprung out from it in her majestic mermaid form.


    "I am The Mermaid Princess! Asshole ! You bow to me !".


    The crowd were in a frenzy due to her form. It seemed different from before.


    Her body had beenpletely turned into a mermaid and her aqua blue eyes and hair hair turned ocean blue.


    "...two royalties facing off ? How invigorating".


    He mmed his spear into the ground and drew out a sword from its scabbard tied to his waist.


    "I am the Stronger Royal between the both of us! So you bow to me !"


    He charged forward and upwards towards her, swinging his sword forward as a silver aura shot out towards her.


    The water pulled her away, dodging the attack and flowed around the Arena.


    She turned towards him as blobs of water formed around her.


    "Rapid shot".


    She shot them out at him in haste and he quickly maneuvered his body from the air to the ground and quickly dodged them, running around the Arena in a zigzag manner.


    "your aim is as poor as your blue blood".


    "blue blood ?!" Mariam cried out, her tone high and mighty as her hair began to float in the air. This man was again and again instigating her into a frenzy and she was being led by him at an easy pace.


    She pped her hands together and water gushed out from the ground in numerous amounts.


    It began to fill up the Arena once again at a quick pace.


    "Summon. The wind spirit". Darell said as arge hummingbird with fairy wings appeared in the sky above him as he grabbed onto its legs while it flew up to the sky.


    "Hmm.." Darell pondered as he stared at Mariam.


    She had made the Arena into her domain as she swam in it majestically.


    "you prove yourself to be a good fish".


    "Oh. I can be more than just a Fish".


    Mariam replied with venom in her voice as she began to form tornadoes of water from the pool of water that had covered the Arena.


    "Get ready. Your demise is near".


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