Tournament (Part 1) - Whispers of Darkness
"Sometimes the villain of your story is just the hero of their own."
(POV: Ryomen Sukuna)
"If you're in a bus, you see an elderly woman standing, looking like she's going to fall anytime, and you push out someone else from their seat to make room for her, did you do a good thing or a bad thing?"
"Is that how you start a conversation with everyone you meet for the first time?"
I'm currently talking to Eva Helion, the girl I talked about in the last chapter, a few hours ago in my case.
She seemed to be ignoring everyone but actually gave me attention, probably because I have become quite famous.
The news of a person getting first place in the entrance exams, beating the last record by over a minute, had spread out everywhere, especially to other academies.
Well, for the reason I'm talking to her, she has all my attention in his tournament, she seems really strong, like, too strong. Shouldn't the protagonist be the strongest?
She hasn't lost any matches yet, and we are already in the top 200, but the best thing is, she hasn't even tried.
I told my father's subordinates to do research on her, and they found that she's from a family that can considered low nobles, but had some very strong connections. These connections are no longer because...
.
A few years ago, there was a massacre in her family, by an unknown person, in which her parents, grandparents and all other relatives died, her mother's body was found brutally diced, while her father's body was not found.
Even children were not spared, bodies were laid out everywhere, from the grounds, to the halls, to the bathrooms.
Eva survived only because she hid herself on the roof.
Ever since that day, she became distant from the world and trained without stop. Doctors said that this was due to her trauma at a young age.
She claimed that she had seen the person who did this, but refused to tell anyone, saying that she will be the one to punish him. Pretty dumb if you ask me, well, I don't know about my family getting massacred so I shouldn't judge.
.
If you didn't read all that, I'll simplify it, she's a Sasuke.
"No, that's just a question I wanted to know the answer to... Anyhow, cake?"
I held out a plate in which was kept a piece of vanilla cake with chocolate chips on top of it.
I could literally see the confusion in her eyes, how adorable.
Contrary to my expectations, she accepted the cake.
"I hope we meet again, as friends next time."
I said as I walked away, going back to the cafeteria in the stadium, ordering another vanilla cake.
Well, I don't have a match until top 100, so I'll just rest for now.
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(POV: Unknown)
I am really frustrated right now, I lost the match, not even making it to the top 500.
I was trained by dad and thought that I was actually strong, but compared to the monsters in the academies, I'm lower than average.
While he, Ryomen Sukuna, has won every match without difficulty, I doubt he would even need to blink to kill me right now.
My fists clenched hard and my nails dug into my flesh.
My deep red blood dropped on the road, but I didn't feel any pain, my emotions had overwhelmed me.
I still remember that day... the day when...
.
(Dramatic Flashback Begins)
I was sitting on the table, studying monster dissection like normal.
The table was filled with scribbled notes, multiple books, and pencils thrown around, but one thing that stood out from all of it was a frame, in which was a picture of a father and a son.
As I was reading, my father came into the room.
"Hey Lucas!" He said enthusiastically, though I could feel unease in his voice.
He had been like this many times, and I still don't know the reason, but he always comes back safe and unharmed, so I don't ask him either.
"Hey dad." I said, my voice happy yet tired from all the studying.
I was trying to get admission into the biggest academy in the Union, the ITAAS Academy, and for that I had to give it my all.
"I'll be going out for a bit, so I left food in the fridge," he said, before abruptly going out of my room and closing the door with a thud.
I sighed, but there was a small smile on my face.
(About three hours later)
I was eating the food dad left in the fridge, it was not the best he has made, but was pretty good.
My doorbell rung. Thinking that dad had returned, I went to open it, wiping my hands on the shirt I was wearing.
"Welcome ba–" I was enthusiastic at first, but seeing that it wasn't my dad, I got embarrassed and cut my words off.
There were two men, dressed in black suits standing in front of my door.
Their faces were blocked by the darkness and I couldn't make out their features.
The one on the right was holding a huge wooden box by a metal handle in his left hand.
"Hi, how can I help you?" I asked, my voice neutral, as it should be with strangers, especially mafia-looking ones.
"Are you the son of [Unnamed Character]?" They asked, their voice devoid of any emotion.
I gulped, a little scared by their intimidating presence, but still considered whether I should give away that information or not.
"Yes I am." I finally said, after a pause of a few seconds.
They threw the wooden box onto the floor.
Pointing at it, the one on the left said...
"Well that's your dad now, here's the report if you want info." He threw a file on top of the paper.
I could make out a small smile on his face, as if he was enjoying the situation.
They immediately left afterwards.
But what did he mean by this was my dad now?
My curiosity got the best of me and I opened the wooden box, albeit with a slight difficulty as it was quite heavy.
Peeking inside it, my heart froze, it had limbs, organs, cut out precisely. I felt myself about to throw up.
But at the far left, there was a head, cut into two, but placed together as if a jigsaw puzzle.
It was...
"Dad..." My voice was trembling, my hands shaking, as my hand went towards his face, which had an expression of pain even after death.
But I dared not touch it, it was covered in blood, blood that had been his own.
I could no longer control myself and threw up on the floor, tears streaming from my eyes.
Still weeping, I picked up the file and flipped through it.
With each page that I read, the hate in my heart grew as well, and so did the desire for revenge.
"Ryomen Sukuna..." I managed to whisper, my voice carrying ferocious hate as I punched the table, breaking the glass on it into pieces.
(Flashback Ends)
I left the Tournament, it was no doubt that he will win, and I don't want to see that.
As I was walking on the deserted road, something seemed off, it was too quiet, not even the rustling of leaves was heard.
So quiet that I could hear my heart beating, it started beating faster and harder.
I decided to run to a more populated area, my instincts told me to do so.
But as I was running, I was engulfed in darkness, it was an Infinite Void with nothing but black.
Suddenly, a portal, which looked like a dungeon entrance, but much bigger, materialized in front of me.
It was unlike a normal gate, it gave off an intense malevolent aura, but something seemed so beautiful about it, as if it was attracting me.
I felt as if I was floating in space, it felt...comforting.
I opened my mouth, trying to utter words, but nothing came out, as if I was being prevented from doing so.
"I can give you power"
A whisper came out from the gate, a voice that I can only describe to be of the devil.
But I would do anything for power, for revenge, let it be ending the world, let it be selling my soul.
.
The dark sphere in the roadway disappeared, the boy who was stuck inside the sphere had disappeared as well.
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(POV: Ryomen Sukuna)
Man, the last two days have been boring as hell.
What? You didn't know that 2 days had passed? Well meh, you know now.
I have a match in about an hour, and I've been playing the snake game for a few hours without stop, it feels so good.
Anyhow, my match is with some random guy who's pretty good for his age, not from my academy though.
Eva is in another set of participants, so I'll probably meet her in the finals.
I died in the snake game. Sighing, I put my phone down and took a sip from my cold coffee.
Then there's Nect, the...small girl I talked about, she's in my set, so I'll probably meet her soon.
A loud cheer came from the TV set up in the cafeteria, some of the students resting here also cheered along.
I glanced at the TV and checked out the participants. They were just random nobodies, so I withdrew my gaze back to the table.
"What do you think of the next match?"
A female voice came from the TV, the commentators were having a conversation.
"It will definitely be a match not to miss out on, both Liam and Sukuna haven't lost a single match this whole Tournament."
So they're talking about me, I got a few stares from people, which I obviously ignored.
"Oh no doubt about it, I'm so excited that I'm wet"
"Me too...wait wha–"
"Now, for the analysis of the previous match"
"Hey wait I wa–"
What the hell was that? We'll act like it didn't happen, though she got a chuckle out of most people, respect.
Suddenly, I felt a chill run down my spine, my eyes darted around the room, but everything was normal.
I looked around once again, and saw nothing out of the ordinary.
Passing it off as just paranoia, I went back to my drink.
A camera in the corner flickered with a light.
Little did I know, all the cameras in the cafeteria were pointing towards me, and a person, sitting leisurely in his office, was watching my every move.
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Really long chapter.
TYSM FOR 100K VIEWS, WE'RE 10% TO THE FIRST MILESTONE
Now you know the name of revenge man.
so now, give me POWER STONES