Battle Royale II
"That Ashbluff kid is as impressive as ever, isn't he?" Leon remarked, his red eyes glinting as he watched Jin's seamless elimination of the two girls on the broadcast screen.
"They are the rulers of the West, after all," Duke Blazespout added with a nod. "Their mastery and power over dark magic are truly extraordinary."
Kem, his expression thoughtful, turned to the Duke. "Come to think of it, your son is at Slatemark Academy, right? Why didn't you enroll him into Mythos Academy?"
The Duke smiled faintly. "Jack is a very special child to me, and I wanted him close for now."
"Such parental love," Kem mused. "Jack is quite strong as well, isn't he?"
"He is talented but not worthy of excessive recognition," the Duke replied, downplaying his son's abilities.
"No need to be so humble, Duke," Li interjected. "I've heard your son is strong enough to be in Class A at Mythos Academy."
"Well then," Leon said with a grin, "the inter-academy festival next year will be that much more interesting. I'll ask my brother to attend again."
"Indeed," the Duke agreed, his thoughts drifting back to his own son. The Duke's smile returned, a subtle yet knowing expression. "We shall see who truly deserves to be called the strongest."
Back in the battle royale, the stronger students swiftly eliminated many of their peers. While calling them weak would be a misnomer—they were powerful in their own right—against the academy's top talents, they were little more than obstacles to be brushed aside.
Kem's gaze locked onto the screen displaying his son, Ren, effortlessly handling a triple-team attack. Ren's purple eyes, glimmering with boredom, betrayed how easily he could read his opponents' moves, thanks to his Gift,
A fist aimed at him from what should have been a blind spot?
To Ren, there was no such thing as a blind spot. He had anticipated the attack long before it came, sidestepping smoothly and driving his elbow into his opponent's stomach with precision.
As Ren's opponents crumpled under his relentless strikes, he barely spared them a second glance, his thoughts already moving to the next challenge. His Gift,
The camera zoomed in on his face, a picture of calm amidst the chaos, as Ren continued to navigate the battlefield with cold efficiency.
Kem's lips curled into a proud smile, unable to hide his satisfaction at his son's display of power. Pride swelled within him—not just as a father, but as a member of the Kagu family, a family where his younger sister had taken the mantle of leadership after reaching
'That's it, Ren!' he thought, restraining himself from openly expressing his joy.
"By the way, I heard something interesting," Leon remarked, his red eyes never leaving the screen as they silently observed Ren Kagu.
"Yes, I did hear about that," Kem said, his smile widening with pride. "Arthur may have outranked my son during the mid-years, but when it came to a duel, Ren proved his superiority."
Valerie remained silent, her expression unreadable. She let their words wash over her, refusing to engage. Discussing Arthur's defeat was a sore point for her, one she preferred not to acknowledge.
Leon's eyes flickered with amusement, sensing Valerie's discomfort, but he chose not to press further. Instead, he turned his attention back to the screen, where Ren continued to dominate the battlefield with ease.
"He's quite something, your son," Leon remarked, shifting the focus back to Ren.
Kem nodded, his eyes gleaming with pride. "Indeed. But this is only the beginning. Ren will continue to rise, and soon enough, the entire world will know the strength of the Kagu family."
"Ren is certainly gifted," Li began, his fingers tapping rapidly across the screen of the device before him, "But I wouldn't count Arthur out just because he lost to him once."
The monitor flickered, shifting the focus to Arthur, drawing everyone's attention.
Arthur moved through the dense forest with an eerie calm, his footsteps barely making a sound, even as they crunched on dry leaves. His posture was relaxed, but the subtle tension in his muscles hinted at his readiness for the inevitable confrontation.
'Two, three, four…' He mentally tallied the mana signatures surrounding him, his expression remaining coolly detached.
"Are you going to attack, or what?" Arthur finally called out, his voice steady, as the number of surrounding mana signatures stopped increasing.
Without warning, an arrow infused with mana shot toward him from the side. Arthur's response was swift and effortless—he sidestepped the arrow and caught it mid-flight, crushing it into nothingness with a casual grip.
A moment later, a boy lunged at him from behind, his axe descending in a powerful arc.
Arthur's eyes narrowed, a cold gleam flashing in them as he assessed the trajectory of the incoming strike. With a fluid motion, he raised his sword.
"Is he going to block?" Leon muttered, leaning forward, his eyes narrowing in anticipation. But before he could fully grasp what was happening, his eyes widened in surprise.
Arthur didn't simply block. Instead, he twisted his sword with precision, letting the edge of his blade glide along the path of the axe. The motion was so perfectly executed that it deflected the attack effortlessly, sending the axe off course without Arthur needing to exert much force. The boy's momentum carried him past Arthur, who remained unscathed, his expression unbothered.
"Ho," the duke exhaled, a hint of admiration in his tone as Arthur effortlessly dispatched the boy. The remaining three students launched their attacks, each unleashing their arts with desperate intensity, but it was clear they were outmatched.
Among them, the strongest was a girl wielding a katana, her strikes resonating with sonic waves that disrupted the air with each unpredictable slash. The sheer force of her Grade 4 art was impressive, but not enough to cause concern.
"That's Aki," Valerie noted, her voice calm, "She's quite strong."
But there was no tension in her demeanor. She knew that Arthur far outclassed Aki, even when it came to raw mana.
Arthur's swords seemed to blur, then split into three as he activated Illusion Sword. The trio of blades moved in unison, their forms weaving through the air like phantoms. Aki's eyes widened in surprise, her focus wavering as she struggled to track the real blade amidst the illusions.
Arthur's blade moved with precise rhythm, each thrust timed perfectly to disrupt the flow of Aki's katana. Her movements faltered under the relentless precision, her slashes becoming more desperate as she tried to regain control.
"That..." Li began, his eyes widening in surprise as a grin spread across his face. "You trained him well, Valerie."
Valerie's expression remained composed, though a hint of pride flickered in her eyes. "He's always had a natural talent," she replied, her tone measured. "But talent alone isn't enough—it's his discipline and determination that set him apart."
On the screen, Arthur continued his advance, his every move calculated. Aki attempted to counter with a swift, powerful slash, but Arthur anticipated it, sidestepping with effortless grace. With a final, decisive strike, he disarmed her, the katana clattering to the ground.
Aki stepped back, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she realized the fight was over. Arthur lowered his sword, the illusions dissipating as he glanced at her with a calm, unreadable expression. Without a word, he turned and walked away, leaving her standing there in stunned silence.
"That's the difference between raw strength and refined skill," Valerie murmured, her gaze still fixed on the screen.