Echoes of Fire and Shadows
Chapter 81: Drunk with Power.
—Julius’s POV—
Power. Limitless power coursed through my veins like an overflowing river. The power of my bloodline… The power of a Demon King.
I had awakened a part of the power of my ancestors. Not only did I achieve transcendence in the process, but I got a pair of magical evil eyes of my own.
No… Calling them evil eyes would be beneath this kind of power… My eyes are special, far more special than any evil eye could be, even more special than the Demon Eyes of Silence that my biological mother got from our awakened bloodline.
These eyes surpass all other evil or demonic eyes by far… These All-Seeing Eyes.
I never thought I could be so blind before. But now with these eyes, everything is exposed to me.
From colors that I hadn't seen before, to the subatomic realm, the flow of time, the foundation of space and even the true nature of mana and magic, I could see it all with ease. I can see the imaginary ley lines in which Ether is ejected into the world to make the energy that powers our spells, Mana. I can instantly comprehend the structure behind any spell, no… I can understand the structure of all magic.
In other words, no magic is beyond me. I can dominate all magic in an instant if I so desire.
And despite the obnoxious amounts of information my brain is receiving, it does not hurt to receive such a constant stream of information, on the contrary, my brain is hungry for more. These All-Seeing Eyes are filled with curiosity, with a thirst for greater knowledge and revenge.
Due to these eyes, not only did I learn the spirit language within a moment, but I also was able to absorb all the spirits that were hovering around me, successfully expanding… No, opening the greater mana pool hidden within my body. One that keeps growing larger and larger by the moment, one that grants me a limitless supply of mana.
On top of the power of my bloodline, my transcendence was more powerful than I could ever imagine… Granting me control over lightning magic and all other elements.
And with the spirits also recognizing me as their king, well… I knew that the elements would bend to my will with a single word from my lips.
I couldn't help but bask in the joy of my new awakening as I slowly descended above the coliseum of the tournament.
I could see Alberis rapidly falling to the ground after I used a mere fraction of my new power to destroy the alternate dimension we were in. I could have just used spatial magic to erase it, but I preferred to show my enemies what awaited then.
Such was the force of my lightning attack that the arena had some new scars in the shape of craters. Some of which were very close to the Emperor, the man who tried to use my sisters as prisoners to ensure the loyalty of my parents as well as the descendant of the man who murdered my ancestor, the original Demon King.
But my objective was not to kill him, but to instill fear on him. To instill the fear that I could get rid of him without a second thought should he slight me further. I only pardoned the Emperor and his heinous crimes against me for the sake of Marina and Alicia.
As I descended further toward the arena, I was able to see the dumbfounded expressions of both Raphael and Dante. No… they weren't the only ones dumbfounded, everyone in the huge coliseum was looking at me with shock.
"Hehehe… I like those expressions." I smiled with satisfaction. "I wonder… Should I show you something that will leave you even more shocked?” I said as I decided to take off the magical ring I was wearing.
Such a small piece of wonderful crafting with an even more wonderful arcane power. To think that such a simple line of runes could do something as difficult as changing the hair color of a person and to make it seem natural… It is simply astonishing that a small thing like this could hold such power.
But I am no longer in need of the wonders that this ring offers to me as I no longer need to hide it anymore… I do not need to hide my hair for fear of what might happen…
After all, with this power there’s nothing I can’t do.
As my feet finally touched the ground, I could only hear the shocked gasps coming from the audience and the people that were here in the arena.
As for the weakling of my opponent, he had managed to survive the destruction of the alternate dimension by using the two high ranking water spirits attached to him as ice shields. Both spirits had also managed to mitigate the mongrel’s fall by using their water bodies.
“So they resisted my orders to become a part of me… If I had to guess why, it would be due to those things that resemble chains that are enveloping the mongrel and the two spirits. He has a contract with the spirits, it appears.” I muttered to myself as I focused my gaze on my opponent.
(Julius, you have to calm down. This isn’t who you are. I know that this power might be overwhelming and even intoxicating, but whatever you do, do not fall prey to its allure. Countless demons have fallen prey to it, even Bass himself. You know how that story ended, with the end of life on a whole continent… Do not allow yourself to be controlled by your own power.) I could hear Lia talking in my head. She could not hide the worry in her voice despite the serious tone she had.
(Whatever do you mean by that? This power… I am in control, Lia! With this power, I can finally make our enemies pay for their transgressions. With these eyes, I can see it all clearly. I shall end Agmos and the other traitorous gods with my magic in the blink of an eye! No… Not only them, but those traitors back home of the Order of the Four Petals, the Emperor of Marcel and the Laurent family too. Even both of my dear grandfathers. They can no longer hurt me. They can no longer laugh at my misery. They can no longer call me worthless and a waste of effort… They will no longer use this city as a monument to the tragic deaths of my ancestors!) Even though I could understand the logic in Lia’s words, I was far too drunk by my own power to see it.
(Julius, no. This needs to stop now. Your body and your mind were not ready for this. You were unprepared to go through the process of awakening your bloodline and as a result, you only went through a partial awakening. Your mind and emotions have become unstable… The way in which demons awaken their power… It preys on their worst fears and insecurities. It drives them mad with rage. It amplifies all the negative emotions of the person to the point that they cannot see beyond themselves and their hatred.) Lia explained. (You’re better than this Julius, so please listen to me. Just calm down and breathe. No one thinks that you’re useless. You’re far from it. Things are no longer the same as they were three years ago. You’ve grown infinitely stronger both physically and magically, you have people who love you and worry about you even at this very moment. So please do not betray them by falling prey to that anger.) She tried to reason with me to no avail.
(Unprepared? I have been preparing for this moment my whole life. And I am not unstable, my mind feels clearer than ever.) I replied calmly. (I know that I have people who love me. It is precisely because of them that I am doing this. I shall never allow anyone to take things away from me again, be it god or man. I shall not allow anyone to hurt those I love again. They will receive no mercy. I will take care of our enemies one by one. First I shall finish off Alberis, then the Laurents and the Emperor, after that I will crush the rebels of the four petals and then I will claim my throne as Demon King. Lastly, I will end Agmos and all of his followers, mortal or not. I will bathe this world in flames if I need to! Nothing shall stand in the way of my revenge!) Lia’s words fell on deaf ears as my anger grew.
(Julius… That anger will lead you to nowhere. Such resentment, such desire for unbridled revenge will only hurt you and those you love. I can understand your hatred toward Agmos, the Order of the Four Petals and the Laurents, I really do. The former two ruined your lives, and the Laurents are simply horrible people, but why would you kill Alberis or the Emperor? Even if they have wronged you, killing them will only bring more hatred and troubles to your life.) She again tried to appeal to my sense of reason.
(I will kill Alberis for what he did to Neris.) I said. (As for the Emperor, I will be killing him for trying to kidnap my sisters to make them his pawns against my parents. Plus, I get to kill the descendant of that detestable hero Rokkshar too.)
(And what will you do when Neris and Ophelia start looking at you with fear for killing their cousin and child? What will you do when Marina and Alicia look at you with disgust and murder intent after killing their father? What will you do when your parents both adoptive and biological, start blaming themselves for it all? What will you do when Liliana, Luna and Mia become afraid of you? What will you do when you become Demon King and someone disagrees with you? Will you act like a tyrant and kill them too?) Lia’s words angered me beyond belief.
(Shut up! Shut up! Stop trying to get in my head! Don’t act like you have any right to stop me! You watched as Bass and the other demons perished in the war while you did nothing!) I just exploded and shouted at the goddess.
(I… Julius… That’s…) I could feel the hurt in her voice due to what I had said. A low blow yet I didn’t care that I had used against her something that she still regretted deeply.
(I will not entertain this discussion any further, Lia. I will talk to you once you stop these foolish attempts to stop me from getting my revenge.) I forcibly cut the telepathic link between us and blocked any further attempts by Lia or the other goddesses of establishing contact.
I didn't realize that I had blocked Dying Scarlet's voice from reaching me as well.
In my mind, it was clear what needed to be done. Lia was just being unreasonable by not seeing my point of view. I simply decided to not listen to her anymore.
Deep down, I knew she was right but I just didn’t want to see it… Or rather, I couldn’t. My own power had taken me hostage. My demonic instincts had taken over. It was like I was no longer in control of myself, but I simply didn’t know it.
And there was no one no who could save me from myself.
“Now then… Should we pick up where we left off, mongrel? I know that you’re still alive and kicking and that your bracelet is intact. Let us begin the final round of this battle.” A devilish smile appeared on my face as I tried to brush off Lia’s words from my mind.
Alberis was standing several paces away from me, hiding between the two high ranking spirits, who had suddenly become a huge wall of ice. Alberis started trembling uncontrollably as our gazes met. It was quite ironic considering his ice-based transcendence.
There were a few people standing between us in the middle of the arena, mainly the Emperor and his daughter, as well as Raphael and Dante.
The four of them seemingly didn’t know what to make of my intentions or the fact that I had revealed my real color in front of them.
It is too much of a pain to have to deal with them now. I’ll leave killing the Emperor for later after I find and kill the Laurents. I will make sure the Emperor dies a slow and painful death for keeping such scum like the Laurents in power where they can hurt the innocent. Innocents like my father's mother, Aleisa Vauquelin.
Both Raphael and the Emperor seemed like they wanted to have a word with me, but couldn’t due to my imposing presence. The Emperor’s daughter had seemingly fainted at some point during my display of power, so Dante had somehow ended up holding her. Dante still had an extremely shocked expression on his face.
“Ah, yes… As much as I love witnessing those expressions you have on your faces, you’re in my way.” I spoke to those four people with annoyance. “Away with you. I’ll deal with you later.” With a simple snap of my fingers, they were all teleported back to the Royal Family’s private box.
As I watched with contentment that I had gotten rid of the obstacles in the way, I changed my focus onto something else.
"Seems like my dear parents wish to intervene in this battle as well. Although I would love to measure myself as I am now against Dad, I really hate to be interrupted. Better take care of that before they can screw this over for me." I snapped my fingers again while looking at the private boxes above.
Power coursed through me as spatial magic bent to my will. A powerful barrier was erected around the arena, completely isolating it from the outside. A barrier that not even my parents would be able to break into. No one goes in or out, only those with equal dominion as me over spatial magic could attempt to break in.
From down here, I could see the shocked expressions on my parents' faces. My dad tried to break the barrier by punching it with all his strength, yet he failed miserably. This was a place isolated from the real world. An alternate dimension superimposed on top of actual reality.
"Now that all potential interruptions are taken care of, let us begin with…-" I was interrupted before I could finish my sentence.
I was suddenly hit by a beam of ice breath coming from the two high ranking spirits. The wall of ice had grown two large salamander heads in order to shoot that beam.
"I just said it… There's nothing I hate more than being interrupted." I said as I tanked the ice beam with my bare left hand.
"You… You demon… What the hell is going on with you?" Alberis completely terrified due to my power.
"Hehehe... It is simple really. As I said before, I have become what I was meant to be from the start. The most powerful being in this world." I smiled from ear to ear thanks to Alberis's words.
Alberis was clearly taken aback by my response. He looked as if he couldn't believe what I had just said.
"Now then… Is that all you have, mongrel? My patience starts running thin. I have things to do other than playing here with you. So either you come at me right now or I will come to you." I said as I held my sword in a relaxed stance.
Alberis's spirits listened to my threats faster than he did. The spirits decided to attack again with their beam of ice, this time with an even bigger one, made by the entirety of their collective mana.
"Drink, Remillia." I uttered those words as I fed more of my blood to my blade.
As the beam of ice approached, I banished all thoughts from my mind leaving it completely blank.
“Blade of Tranquility, First Form: Moon Fang.” I spoke the name of my technique as I swung my blade upwards. The ice beam had no chance against the azure blade in my hands. The ice ray was swiftly split into two, both missing their mark.
Naturally, an attack of this caliber wouldn’t ever be able to harm me, especially after my awakening.
“Time to return the favor.” I said as I readied my blade, aiming it at the head of one of the spirits and putting my arm below the blade to help with that endeavor. “Blade of Tranquility, Fifth Form: Lightning Thrust.”
True to the technique’s name, now more than ever, I enveloped my whole body with my lightning before I lunged at my target like a predator toward its prey. None of the spirits could react in time to my attack. In the blink of an eye, before the two spirits could even make a sound, one of them was instantly decapitated with a single movement of my sword.
“Take that as a lesson and reflect in the spirit realm about your actions. Never defy your king again.” I said after putting my sword to the side and watched as the spirit crumbled into smaller particles of light.
The other spiritual salamander looked at me with shock and then anger as it realized what had happened to its sibling. It soon opened its mouth to fire at me another beam of ice.
I simply extended my hand toward its face and withstood the salamander’s attack as if it was a mere breeze on the wind. No, it is more accurate to say that the attack never reached me.
“I said before, didn’t I? That all elements do my bidding. That, of course, includes all the states of water.” I spoke with amusement as I held a small orb containing the ice ray in my hands. “Can’t blame you for giving it a try, even though you already know it won’t work.” I giggled at the laughable attack of the ice salamander.
The spirit grew enraged once more. Even though it knew that it was completely outclassed in this situation, it still decided to attack me once more. A foolish attempt, unfortunately.
“I have grown tired of you. Just return to the spirit realm.” I said with annoyance before the spirit could attack again. “Blade of Tranquility, Third Form: Execution of the Seas.” In the blink of an eye, highly pressurized water covered my azure blade. With a downward slash, the spirit and the wall it had created with its sibling was cleanly split into two. There was no sight of Alberis behind as the last of his spirits forcibly returned to the spirit realm.
“Now then… Where is he?” I said with fake curiosity. “Ah, of course. I suppose I could take this time to crush his will to fight even further.” I smiled before I was engulfed by a barrage of flames.
Alberis was smart. He had tried to slip away while I wasn’t looking when his spirits were trying to take me down. Unbeknownst to him, I was aware of his little plan all along. After all, there’s no way for him to trick these eyes of mine which can see even the most minuscule trails of mana.
He decided to bombard me with countless fire spells to defeat me. A fruitless endeavor, I’m afraid.
“Alright, you can stop this circus now.” I said with an imposing voice as the flames around me simply wrapped around my body like a fine cloak. The heat of the flames felt unbelievably nice.
“You… How could you…?” Alberis stared at me from the other side of the arena with complete disbelief in his eyes.
“You know, I am getting tired of repeating myself. I am the Storm King. The strongest being. The one who controls all magic and elements. I am the one who will end your life, Alberis.” I once again introduced myself as I started to calmly walk toward my opponent.
Alberis didn’t say anything. He looked at me rather nervously but held his pale white blade in defiance, aiming at me. His desire to fight was still there, even though he knew that he didn’t stand a chance.
“You still wish to fight? That’s very good.” I nodded with satisfaction. “That means that you don’t want to die. That you want to keep on living. Then you should be able to explain to me why you tried to kill your cousin. Give a reasonable answer of why she was less deserving of living than you. Answer why you thought that trying to steal away my Dying Scarlet from me while I was down on the ground was honorable. Answer me now, Alberis.” My smile disappeared as I gazed at the red-haired young man.
Despite my harsh gaze, Alberis didn't answer my questions. He remained there, aiming his sword at me. I could see that his hands began to tremble more and more the angrier I got.
"As I thought, you won't. Or rather, you can't." I said. "You can use the same excuse over and over again if you want, that the strong have the right to do as they please and whatever, but it is not a valid excuse for the unforgivable things you did in the pursuit of strength." I shook my head in disapproval.
"What would you even know? You have no right to judge me when everything was given to you on a silver platter! As the son of the Skull Crusher, I have no doubt that everything you have is because he became your father! Your strength, the weapon you carry and even your friends and the girls around you… It is all because he took pity on you and adopted you." Alberis screamed at me. "You have no idea of what struggle and real effort is. You have no idea of what it is to lose. You have no idea of what I have gone through for the sake of my dream! You don't know any of my sacrifices!" He exploded in anger while his ice cold mana surged from within, threatening to freeze everything around Alberis.
The words of the angered young man ticked me off more than I could think of. Soon a primal rage took over me, just like when I first awakened this power.
"You genuinely think that I don't know what struggle is? That I was handed everything on a silver platter? That I am a stranger to putting in effort…? Once more you're dead wrong, Alberis." I could feel a vein pop off on my forehead due to the wrath his words caused me. "Certainly, I achieved this strength due to my father's teachings. But… I achieved everything I have after putting my very soul into strenuous training regimes that no one in their right mind would even attempt. I have only known loss each day of my life." I spoke while being calm and collected, despite the fury within.
Alberis got taken aback by my calm response. Almost as if he had expected me to attack him almost immediately. That confusion of his lasted very little as he began to bombard me with fire and ice in an attempt to silence me.
"You're probably the most hypocritical person I have ever met," I said while deflecting his attacks. "You had a family who loved you and who could proudly show off your talents. My real family just hid me away. You were born with rare ocular powers and talent for the sword and magic while I was born without a talent for anything. Everyone sang praises for you while I was mocked and ridiculed in my homeland for being unable to even swing a sword or create a simple fireball…" I stopped before finishing my sentence.
Alberis was looking at me mouth agape after I stopped his bombardment of spells. It seemed that he also didn't expect that I would tell him further about my past.
"Tell me now… Where is this privilege that you're talking about? Sure, back then I always had food, a family and a roof over my head. But almost no one appreciated me due to my lack of talent." I said to the young man. "Everything I have now is the result of my own efforts." I said before letting the anger I held within to finally explode.
In the blink of an eye, a loud metallic crash echoed in the arena. My sword had connected an attack against Alberis's blade. He was barely able to block my attack in time.
“Tell me… Does that taste like I was raised with a silver spoon in my mouth? Does it taste like I was born this strong?!” I shouted at him as I swung my blade once more at him.
Alberis was barely able to stop my blade once more. He struggled to push back my azure sword. Yet he didn’t say a word, his face was still marked by a dumbfounded expression.
“Of course you can’t. I built every bit of this strength with my blood, tears and sweat. You who have only known victory all of your life would never understand it!” I immediately launched another attack, swinging Dying Scarlet at Alberis.
“Lies.” He replied as he avoided my blade. “I also know what it is to lose. I remember the bitter taste of defeat clearly. I got carried away by my hubris and my arrogance when I was a child and I almost paid the price dearly. Your father saved me from destiny worse than death at the hands of a tribe of goblins.” He explained while trying to maintain a proper stance. I noticed that his arms were trembling due to my strikes.
“And?” I asked while mildly surprised he decided to speak about his past as well.
“I vowed that I would do anything in my power to surpass that man. It doesn’t matter how much effort I have to put into this dream or how much I need to sacrifice for it to become a reality. I will become stronger than the Skull Crusher.” Alberis spoke with a determined expression.
Yet… I was not impressed in the slightest.
“And what would you do after that? You lost to a tribe of goblins and almost died, I can understand that. What about the rest? Is that the only time you experience a loss, Alberis?” I asked with a less than friendly look on my face.
“That’s…” Alberis suddenly fell silent. His eyes were trying to avoid my gaze.
“As I said, strength without a purpose is meaningless. But it seems that someone who has only lost once in their life is incapable of understanding that.” I couldn’t help shaking my head and laughing to myself.
“Stop talking as if you were superior to me! As if you were almighty!” Alberis suddenly blew off again. “You probably know as much about loss as I do! What is the problem if I don’t know what I will do after I become the strongest! I only care about growing stronger! Everything else is irrelevant! Had you stayed down on the ground this stupid conversation would have never happened.” He said while brandishing his sword and lunging at me.
Sigh… How foolish can he be? He still doesn’t get how outclassed he is in this match.
Alberis ran as fast as he could toward me and swung his blade horizontally. After reading his mind, I could tell that it was a simple feint. He was trying to make full use of his Evil Eyes of Foresight to make sure his real attack would land.
No harm in playing along. Perhaps this will make him finally understand my power.
As soon as I decided to block his feint, he forcefully stopped his blade’s momentum before our weapons could crash against one another. He then brought his blade above his head, preparing himself to strike again. A rather simple yet effective sword technique.
“This is the end for you!” He shouted as he swung down his sword aiming at my dominant arm and my bracelet. I could see it in his eyes, he genuinely thought that he could defeat me with that attack.
It didn’t take long for me to crush his hopes for victory after swiftly blocking his attack. Though when I looked at him again he didn’t look discouraged in the slightest, in fact he was smiling from ear to ear.
When I gazed at our weapons I noticed that my arm had been frozen and Dying Scarlet was completely engulfed in ice with Alberis’s sword. A trump card of his, perhaps?
“You fell for it. Who’s the one acting arrogant now?!” He said as he gathered his mana for a fire spell on his left hand. He was about to launch a gigantic fireball at me point blank, something that even he would not survive at this range. Perhaps he thought his ice armor might help him in that regard.
I was not particularly threatened by this futile attempt, but I couldn’t help but find his efforts commendable.
Now then… Time to teach him what despair feels like.
“This will be your end, Skull Kid!” He shouted as he moved his hand forward, trying to launch the fireball directly against my chest.
“I wonder about that.” I scoffed at him while shaking my head with amusement.
The moment he was waiting for… The moment of the big explosion that would surely send us both to the infirmary… It never came. The fireball he had worked so hard to produce was miserably erased within seconds.
“What…? But… How…?” Alberis looked at me with shock.
“Dispel Magic. Haven’t you heard of it?” I replied with a grin on my face. “When you know the structure of a spell as well as I do, it is not that difficult to take control of the spell away from its user. Dissipating your spell was simply child’s play. Even easier than that perhaps.” I said while staring at Alberis.
“Tsk… That means nothing! I will just have to defeat you with my own bare hands!” He shouted as he launched a punch toward my face.
His punch didn’t reach its target as it was stopped midway through by a simple barrier.
“Nice try.” I couldn’t help but scoff at him again. “Next time, try a little harder.” I smiled before changing my focus to something else entirely.
I concentrated on our frozen blades, both encased in a gigantic chunk of ice making us unable to get away from each other. Since Alberis' plan had failed, I had no need to keep playing along with it.
In the blink of an eye after infusing Remillia with some of my mana and blood, I was easily able to cut the chunk of ice as if it was made out of paper. And along with it, Alberis’s sword as well.
I could see the shocked expression of Alberis growing into one of despair as he saw his pale white blade pathetically fall to the ground while only the hilt remained in his hands.
“Whoops! I didn’t intend for that to happen! I might have used a little too much of my power… I just wanted to break the ice, you know?” I lied through my teeth while smiling innocently at him.
Alberis just stared at his sword on the ground with disbelief.
"Do you think that you have the luxury to stay there quietly?!" I shouted before hitting Alberis square in the face with the pommel of my sword.
Alberis grunted in pain after receiving the attack. He was in so much shock that he never saw it coming, not even with those evil eyes of his.
He didn't see that one coming or the next or even the ones after that. He just stayed there getting hit by my punches, my kicks and even a few sword slashes.
"C'mon! At least put off a fight even if it is one sided! I'm getting tired of squashing you down like a bug." I said while looking down at him with disdain.
Whenever his bracelet got remotely close to breaking, I repaired it with my magic. All so I could show him more despair. I wanted this match to continue forever. I wanted to keep inflicting pain on him and completely shatter his pride, his ambitions and everything about him, yet…
A part of me didn't know exactly why the sight of him angered me so much. His words and actions had cut me deeply in the moment, yes, but now… I was not so sure why I was going through this… I didn't know why I wanted to torture him so badly. I didn't know why exactly I wanted to end his life.
My mind was a blur. Everything before this match felt like a distant illusion. Even my own identity started to feel like one.
Who was I? Why am I so hellbent on killing this young man? Why won't my body listen to me? Why does it feel like it is controlled by another person besides me…
This can't be right… This situation… It feels like everything is going horribly wrong despite the fact that I am winning…
Why do I feel like that?
At this point, my body and my mind were acting completely differently and disconnected from each other. Each with their own desires. One driven by a demonic instinct and the other driven by a sense that something was amiss in this situation.
While my mind was desperately looking for an answer of what was wrong, my body could only see one thing… The man it needed to kill.
My demon blood demanded a sacrifice and my body was about to provide it…
"That's it… I'm bored. You are no longer able to entertain me." I said as I held Alberis by the neck.
Even with the magical bracelet, Alberis had received such a beatdown, that the artifact struggled to keep healing him. His uniform and his was in shambles, with cuts and blood scattered all over his body. He was even struggling to breathe.
Why? What was the purpose of this? Why have I done this?
"That bracelet won't save you from death. I'll make sure of it." My body spoke words that did not belong to my mind. "Any last words, mongrel?" My body said to Alberis.
Am I really going to kill him? This is wrong… This is not what I wanted… I never wanted to do this…
"..." Alberis was on the verge of unconsciousness so he didn't say a word. I doubted that he even heard me.
"Spoken like a true loser." My body said while laughing. "Now, I believe that last time your blade was on this exact spot on my neck. How quaint that our positions are now reversed." A malicious smile appeared on my face as my body pressed Dying Scarlet against Alberis's throat.
Stop it… This is not what I wanted to achieve here… I don't want to kill him…
"Say goodbye, Alberis. It was a disappointment to meet you." My body said as it prepared to land the finishing blow.
However, just before it could do such an unforgivable act, a single image was able to return me to my senses.
I don't know what compelled me to do so, something urged me to look at the private boxes where my family was sitting.
I could see the desperation on Sarana's and my mother's faces while trying their hardest to dispel my barrier. I could see the dark expression my father wore on his face while punching my barrier with all of his might, all to no avail.
I saw Laura trying to comfort Mia, Liliana, and Luna… All of them had expressions of pure dread about what was to come. I could see their tears… I could see the fear hiding beneath those tears.
I could see it all due to these powerful eyes of mine. What once seemed a powerful ability could only be considered a curse now…
I could see the dread in the eyes of the masses. I could see hatred brewing in the hearts of Raphael and Ophelia. I could glimpse Marina's and Alicia's despairing expressions…
Even the Emperor himself and Eliana were looking at me with both expectation and caution. They wanted to assert whether I was about to become a threat to the country or not…
It wasn't until I saw tears on my mother's eyes that I realized how much I had fucked everything up.
If that wasn't proof enough, the reflection in my sword of a silver-eyed boy with black hair all covered in blood was enough for me to accept the reality I had created.
This was the exact scenario Lia had warned me about. I was so lost in my thirst for power and blood that I refused to listen to her and now I am paying the consequences.
"Gods… What have I done…?" I mumbled as I allowed Dying Scarlet to return to the innermost place of my soul.
The azure blade disappeared without a trace, almost as if it had never been there in the first place.
I had also let go off Alberis before falling to my knees. We were both lying on the ground, one barely breathing and the other with his spirit broken by his own mistakes.
I've really done it this time… I made my sisters cry for me again. I made my mother cry again… I disappointed everyone I know… By allowing my anger and my trauma to get hold of me, I fucked everything up.
"What even made me think that I was the strongest being…? What sort of delusion was I feeding myself with?! How laughable…" I couldn't help but laugh to myself as I summoned a pillar of stone in front of me. "Don't fuck with me! Who the hell do you think you are?!" I shouted before headbutting the pillar with all my might.
The stone crumbled into dust with just one headbutt, but the attack was hard enough for me to harm myself just like intended. Warm blood began cascading down my face afterward.
I had made the pillar from the hardest stone I could find, it was the only thing a moron like me could deserve.
As I continued to remember the things I had done during this match, I couldn't help but become sickened of the person I had become due to the power I gained.
"Who the hell are you?" I don't even recognize you anymore…" The anger I once harbored against those who had wronged me was now directed at my foolish self. “Seriously?! You get a bit of power and you fucking go full edgelord?! What the fuck is wrong with you?!” I shouted at myself while using my fists to hit the ground with all my might.
As a result of my anger, the ground shook with great violence due to my newfound strength.
“What the fuck was even this match about?! Was it the biggest dick-measuring competition on who has the saddest fucking backstory?! C’mon!” I was greatly annoyed by my own actions and words.
I had no words to describe everything I was feeling. Due to my awakening, all the remaining memories that Lia had not unlocked came like a flood. The memories that triggered me, memories that made me happy, memories that made me want to cry… And of course, the memories of what I became after my awakening that made me want to punch myself as hard as I could.
As I looked at my downed opponent, I couldn’t help but let out the biggest sigh of my life. That was obviously after appropriately focusing my anger on the ground, leaving a few lovely craters as proof.
“It turns out that I am the biggest hypocrite I know. What are the odds?” I said as I slowly approached Alberis. “Only one way to remedy this clusterfuck of a pity party.” I said with disappointment in myself before starting to heal Alberis with my magic.
I had never been taught how to use healing magic by my adoptive mother, yet now I was doing as if it was as natural as breathing. This was the power of my new eyes. The truth behind all forms of magic laid bare in front of me.
“Everything I have is the result of my own efforts. Back then, everyone ridiculed me because of my lack of talent… Those are the biggest lies I have ever told.” I said while I continued to heal Alberis.
Even if it is true that I gave my all during my training, I would have never achieved this strength on my own. Everyone gave me a piece of their strength, a piece of themselves that later became a part of me.
My biological parents gave me the power of their bloodlines and the teachings of the Blade of Tranquility. My adoptive parents gave me their knowledge over martial arts and the arcane. Tiria taught me how to assess the situation and how to deal with opponents stronger than me. My adoptive sisters taught me the basic knowledge I needed to survive in this country. Mia has always been there for me as my unrelenting supporter, even though I’ve done things that should’ve broken her heart. Leaf offered me her eternal friendship without asking anything in return…
Even Sarana and Laura, my fellow earthlings, who taught me how to use spatial magic and spirit magic. They, along with their grandfather, Bruno, who insisted on teaching me on how to become a ladies’ man, all of them welcomed me in their home with open arms.
And Remillia… The sentient weapon that offered me its undying loyalty. The one who decided to fight by my side always from now on.
To think that I could betray them all so badly… To think that I could trash their faith in me so easily for a miserable amount of power. It sickens me to my core how pathetic I could be and how low I could fall.
Even in Gliosis, there were a lot of people that thought I was unworthy of praise, but the people who thought I was worthy were enough for me to keep putting in effort in spite of my lack of talent.
How could I insult them in such a way?
“How pathetic of me.” I mumbled as I remembered all of the important people in my life. As I bowed not to betray them again. Not to betray who I really was. “I will face everyone later. I will not escape nor justify myself, even if I’m scared of what they have to say. I will stand there and bear with it.” I steeled my resolve to make amends with my loved ones.
It didn’t take long before I had finished treatment on Alberis. I was dead set on correcting all the wrongdoings I did during my rampage.
“Oi.” I gently slapped the shit out of Alberis. I made sure to control my strength to not eliminate him before time, of course.
Alberis suddenly rose from the ground and jumped away like a bullet, taking a stance almost immediately. I could see the cold sweat streaming down his forehead as he made eye contact with me. He held his broken sword as if his life depended on it.
“Hey, so…-” Before I could even begin to apologize for what I did, Alberis interrupted me.
“You couldn’t leave me alone, even in the afterlife… You came to destroy my soul as well, you demon?!” Alberis looked severely traumatized by the previous events. It was evident by how much he was sweating and his trembling legs.
“For starters, this is not the afterlife and you are not dead.” I replied with an awkward expression. I raised my hands to show him that I was unarmed and that I didn’t want to hurt him.
“It is not?” He seemed stunned for a moment. He decided to look around for a moment only to realize that he still was in the arena. “I am alive then… You didn’t kill me like you said you would…” He grew confused.
“Yeah… About that… I actually wanted to apologize for all that. I never really intended to do something so nasty. I simply lost control. I am very sorry for that pathetic display of mine.” I bowed to him as I apologized sincerely.
“Pathetic display?! That was fucking terrying!” Alberis shouted back. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to sleep soundly again!” He was understandably upset.
“Definitely not my proudest moment.” I shook my head in disappointment before laughing awkwardly. “I guess since I actually tried to kill you, that means I should be disqualified, no?” I asked Alberis.
“Why do you think I would know?! I never tried to fucking kill anyone… Wait… Shit.” Alberis bit his tongue as he realized that he had told me a lie. “I suppose that the rules would only apply if you had actually killed me. Normally, no one should be able to bypass the power of the bracelets unless they were taken off.” He said, trying to change the topic swiftly.
“You know this is the first time I get a glimpse of the real you, Alberis. You feel more genuine like this.” I said to my opponent. “But I understand now… So if I’m still here in the arena and have not technically broken any rules, I suppose the match continues, right?” I asked Alberis.
“Oh, getting the crap beaten out of me and being absolutely fucking disturbed and enraged makes me more genuine? That’s good to know!” He replied sarcastically. “I suppose that should be the case… The match goes on.” He sounded a little afraid at the end. He still gripped his sword’s hilt nonetheless.
"Then I have a proposal to make." I said with moderate excitement.
"What kind of proposal?" He asked while looking at me with suspicion.
"You were close to winning, I was close to winning and we both had blades almost stabbed in our throats. I think we are pretty even if you think about it deeply." I said.
"No. Not at all. We are not close to being even." He fiercely shook his head with indignation.
"Look, I am not trying to brush off the blame for the things I did, but to be fair you did start to lecture me before trying to steal my weapon." I was mildly amused.
"Fair enough." Alberis replied, giving up his argument rather quickly.
The atmosphere around us was now a bit goofy and childish, but it was better than what we had going on before. Much better…
"So what I want to propose is to finish this duel in one strike. Both of our bracelets are in shambles, and we both want this match to end." I explained my line of thought. "To make it fairer for the two of us, let's not use either our transcended states or our ocular powers nor any magic whatsoever. Just a plain old duel with swords. With a bit of luck and skill, either of us could win the tournament." I smiled as I finished my explanation.
"A little anticlimactic to end the tournament, don't you think?" He asked. "Nevermind that. After what I went through, I just want to get out here and lay in bed for a fortnight. Let's finish this duel." He promptly agreed to my suggestion.
"Wonderful!" I was gleeful that he had accepted. "Now… We just need to fix your sword and we will be good to go." I said while looking for the missing half of his weapon.
It didn't take long for me to find the broken blade, sticking like a sore thumb in the middle of the arena. I swiftly recovered the blade with spatial magic and walked over to Alberis to fix his weapon.
"If I fix it, you promise you won't attack me immediately?" I asked him.
"No promises. Though, I am not as much of a hypocrite as you are." He said almost in a teasing manner.
"So you heard that… Wonderful." I let out a sigh of embarrassment as I began to fix his sword.
It wasn't too difficult to fix Alberis's sword. Thanks to my new Demon Eyes and my now near bottomless mana pool, I could easily fix the blade by altering the atomic structure of the entire object. In less than a few minutes, the blade was glued as if nothing had ever happened to it.
"Huh… It somehow feels less heavier than before." He said while admiring his sword and swinging it to the side.
"Consider that a courtesy gift," I said to Alberis. "Now then…" I quickly teleported myself a few paces away from Alberis.
He didn't fail to notice the sudden change in the atmosphere between us. He soon took a stance, preparing for our final showdown.
"Come forth, Dying Scarlet." I summoned my weapon once more. It was still taking the shape of its sister sword, Azure Tranquility.
<Master… Can you hear me?> The weapon asked timidly.
(Yes… I am sorry for what happened and for what you had to see. I'm very sorry that I almost fully lost myself to my anger.) I apologized honestly to my weapon.
<I'm glad, Master. I'm glad that your mind is still sound. Goldy said that going through an awakening for a demon can make them go completely mad for days or weeks, even if the awakening is partial like yours was.> The weapon sounded relieved.
(Wait… Partial awakening? What are you talking about? Also, who's Goldy?) I asked.
<My imbecile of a little brother, Golden Awakening. He is residing within your soul just like me, Master.> Remillia spoke with some spite in its voice.
(Golden Awakening?! The other abyssal weapon that was lost during the war?! That Golden Awakening?! What the fuck it is doing inside my soul?! You can't drop this kind of bombshell on me just like that!) Naturally, I was shocked by the revelation.
"What? Are you getting scared all of a sudden? This was your proposal, you fiend." Alberis decided to poke some fun at me.
(We'll talk about this later, Remi.) I decided to put that conversation on hold to focus on the duel at hand.
I took a deep breath and then brandished my weapon, choosing an extended long tail guard for our final clash. I decided to use the most basic stance of the Blade of Tranquility.
“Not at all, you hypocrite. I am just making sure I will not kill you by accident.” I scoffed in response, poking some fun at him too.
“Humph. Come and try.” He said as he held his longsword above his head. That was a basic stance known as the Posta Di Donna back on Earth.
“Will do, but I just wanted to let you know that I still do not share the same beliefs as you and never will.” I replied with a serious expression. “If I had to put aside everyone I ever cared about just to be considered strong and be able to do whatever I want, then I would rather never be strong. The strong should not do whatever they want. As the strong, they have the duty to protect those who lack the strength to defend themselves. The evils in this world are too many and those who protect the innocent are few. That is why I told you that strength without purpose is meaningless. Having to give up everyone you care for a bit of strength is sickening.” I couldn’t help but lecture him.
“The duty to protect the innocent… I suppose you’re right on that. What other purpose other than destruction could strength have?” Alberis seemed receptive to my words this time. “After almost facing my demise, I’ve gained a new perspective on my beliefs, so you might be right… But I suppose there’s only one way to find out which one of our ideologies is the right one, don’t you think?” Alberis said with a smirk on his face.
“Then on top of admitting that you were wrong if I win, then how about you spend a full day with your mother? She’s been telling us how cold you’ve been to her in the last few years.” I decided to do Ophelia a favor so she would forgive me about what happened in this arena.
“Alright… I’ll see what I can do…” He let out an awkward sigh before nodding. “But if I win, then you will have to prostrate yourself and admit that I was right in front of your father and everyone else.” A smirk appeared once more on Alberis’s face.
“Only if you win.” I said playfully before focusing on our last clash. The time for words was over.
Since I still didn’t know exactly how to turn off my new ocular powers, I was forced to close my eyes and rely on my other instincts. Even with my eyes closed, I could still sense and feel the mana around me accurately. I could map the entire arena and my opponent in my head just by sensing the mana in this place. That combined with my now extremely enhanced senses made it so that I could fight without issues even with my eyes closed.
The arena was quiet. Not a single sound could be heard in the coliseum. Was it due to the shock of what I had done? Was it due to me recovering my senses and harming myself in response? Was it because I helped Alberis? Or was it simply because they wanted to see how this would end?
I couldn’t tell and I didn’t want to know. I was afraid to face my family after disappointing them so badly. Even though I had made up my mind to receive whatever they had to say about what happened, I couldn’t help being scared of them rejecting me.
But this was not the time to be scared… I just needed to push my fears and insecurities aside, and end this battle once and for all.
After taking another deep breath, I cleared my mind of all unnecessary thoughts. Only focusing on my blade as an extension of myself and the opponent I needed to take down.
As soon as I heard Alberis dash at me, I responded in kind and made my way to meet him head on. The two of us rushed at each other with the same fierceness our battle had when it began.
The previously silent battlefield was taken over by a loud metallic echo as our blades clashed against one another for the last time. And just like that, the battlefield became silent once more.
The victor had been decided.
“Dammit… What the hell do you have against my sword?” Alberis said as he looked at the ground to see that his blade had been broken in half again. He complained before chuckling to himself.
“Blade of Tranquility, Second Form: Ogre’s Strike.” I muttered the name of my technique before abandoning my stance. I quietly turned around to see my opponent.
Alberis stood there with a smile on his face while looking at his sword with both disappointment and amusement. His bracelet was crumbling, yet he didn’t seem to care in the slightest.
“I suppose I’ll have to forge a new one… No need for you to fix it this time. It has already been broken twice and for a blacksmith and an adventurer, that’s a clear jinx.” He said while picking up his broken blade. “It was evident already, but I’ll admit it regardless. You are far stronger than me, Skull Kid… No… Julius. This has been a terrifyingly humbling experience.” He laughed to himself again.
“You don’t seem too mad about losing.” I said to him while lowering my sword.
“Oh, believe me. I am unbelievably frustrated about this, but at the same time… I am relieved that there’s someone else close to me in age that can overpower me and also capable of making me rethink my beliefs and morals.” He replied with honesty.
“I see… You were a formidable opponent, Alberis.” I praised him before bowing.
“Sometimes you’re too polite for your own good, you know that? It wouldn’t harm you to boast about your victory over me. You overcame the mighty Midnight Starlight, you know?” He shook his head with amusement. “Anyway… Well fought, friend. If we ever fight each other again, please make sure to not try to kill me again.” He smiled awkwardly while grabbing the hilt of his blade and aiming it at his almost broken bracelet.
“I’ll do my best.” I gave him a playful answer.
“Good enough for me.” He replied. “I hope that you’re now at peace with the things you went through in the past… I’ll see you at the awards ceremony.” Alberis spoke in a friendly and compassionate tone before destroying his own bracelet.
After that exchange, Alberis disappeared without a trace leaving me alone in the huge arena. What had once held a hundred people now held one person, the champion of the tournament.
“It is finally over…” I couldn’t help but let out a huge sigh of relief. “I feel like I aged a whole decade after…-” But before I could finish my sentence I began to cough uncontrollably.
I was soon welcomed by the sight of something very concerning… My own blood covering my hands. I couldn’t stop coughing my own blood. A definite proof that something inside had been severely damaged.
“Well, shit… That ain’t good…” I said while the whole world began to spin around me like a wild vortex.
I was struggling to keep standing. My vision had become blurry as a huge headache took over my head. Even speaking has become a huge struggle…
Ah… So this is how I die… It seems like I have really overdone it this time…
Before long, as my consciousness began to fade I fell to the ground. But before my mind went dark, I was able to see the silhouette of a young girl with light blue hair and a pair of horns attached to her head stopping my fall.
“It is over, Master. You have to rest. I shall protect you while you sleep.” The girl had a familiar somber voice. A voice I had grown accustomed to hear, yet it was more feminine than usual.
“Remillia…?” I struggled to even say the name of my weapon.
Of course Dying Scarlet was a girl… With that name, it should have been obvious… Why didn’t I think of that before?
With those final thoughts, my consciousness finally faded as the tournament itself reached its conclusion.
Chapter 81: Drunk with Power.
END
EXTRA: Julius’s Status
STATUS
Name: Julius / Crux Navar
Race: Half-Human / Half-Demon (Divine Bloodline / Demon-Succubi Roots)
Age: 10 years old
State: Perfect Transcendence - Storm King
Ability Points: 0 points
Titles: Reincarnator / Transmigrator / Expert Lady Killer / Experienced Goblin Slayer / Experienced Hunter / Skilled Chef / Skilled Weapon Master / Renowned Soap Artisan / Juli / 'Humie' of the Fairy Princess / Shameless Flirt / Adorable Cutie / The Favorite Person of the Blue Roses of Nebandia / Onii-chan - Oppa / Master of Dying Scarlet / Champion of the Princesses / Adored by the Masses / Skull Kid / Darkstalker / Shadow Walker/ Beloved by the Spirits NEW! / Crowned Spirit King, Crux NEW! / He Who Wields the Storm NEW! / He Who Sees It All NEW! / Champion of the Blaise Academy / Starlight Vanquisher NEW!
Jobs: Bladedancer Lv.6 / Enlightened Sage Lv.1 NEW!/ Paladin Lv.1
Level: 50 (40 → 50)
EXP: 0 / 75,210
Attributes
HP: 19,510 (12,302 → 19,510)
MP: 352,600 (35,140 → 352,600)
DEX: 1,320 (940 → 1,320)
STR: 1,502 (933 → 1,502)
VIT: 16,770 (11,006 → 16,770)
DEF: 821 (500 → 821)
RES: 790 (485 → 790)
LUCK: 380 (239 → 380)
SPD: 6,140 (1,599 → 6,140)
INT: 600 (260 → 600)
Common Skills
Divine Analysis / Level 1 NEW!
Charm / Level 6 ↑ LEVEL UP!
Cooking / Level 9
Enhance Mind / Level 7 ↑ LEVEL UP!
Hunting / Level 10 - MAX LEVEL!
Riding / Level 8 ↑ LEVEL UP!
Stealth / Level 9
Superior Focus / Level 5
Divine Smite / Level 1
Harmonious Mind / Level 1
Combat
Sniper / Level 3 ↑ LEVEL UP!
Armed Combat: Daggers / Level 8
Armed Combat: Scythes / Level 6 ↑ LEVEL UP!
Superior Fighting Spirit / Level 4 ↑ LEVEL UP!
Bond with Weapon: Blood Pact / Level 3 ↑ LEVEL UP!
Spearmanship / Level 7
Masterful Swordsmanship / Level 5
Throwing Weapons: Chakrams / Level 6
Throwing Weapons: Knives / Level 7
Superior Unarmed Combat / Level 10 - MAX LEVEL!
Magic
Ether Manipulation / Level 1 NEW!
Ether Perception / Level 1 NEW!
Magic Dominion: All Elements / Level 1 NEW!
Spatial Magic / Level 5
Spirit Sight / Level 3
Spirit Magic / Level 10 - MAX LEVEL!
Spirit Magic: Spirit Command / Level 1 NEW!
Resistances
Charm Resist / Level 8
Elemental Resistance: Earth / Level 5
Elemental Resistance: Fire / Level 7
Elemental Resistance: Wind / Level 9
Elemental Resistance: Water / Level 8
Elemental Resistance: Light / Level 7
Elemental Resistance: Dark / Level 6
Pain Resist / Level 9
Paralysis Resist / Level 5
Poison Resist / Level 2
Mental Corruption Immunity / Level 1 NEW!
Magical Immunity: Lightning / Level 10 - NEW! - MAX LEVEL!
Crafting
Accessory Making / Level 6
Alchemy / Level 5
Construction / Level 6
Magic Tool Creation / Level 2
Smithing / Level 1
Masterful Soap Making / Level 1
Tailoring / Level 2
Woodworking / Level 3
Unique Skills
Lightning Magic / Level 10 - NEW! - MAX LEVEL!
Demon Eyes of Analysis (All-Seeing Eye) / No Level - NEW!
Parallel Processing / Level 1 NEW!
Thought Acceleration / Level 1 NEW!
Spirit King: Spirit Assimilation / No Level - NEW!
Demonic Bloodline: Partial Awakening / No Level - NEW!
Glad with the no nonsense finish.. tbh I was expecting you to milk his edgelord mode a bit more but this is just right.. Show the danger but don't drown in it just like how the MC didn't drown in the anger.. Very nice..
Thank you for your kind words. To be honest, I could have milked the edgelord thing a little bit more, yes, but I was starting to become one myself the more I wrote Julius in that state. I cringed so hard while recreating these scenes in my head lol.
Not gonna lie. When Julius said he was going to let Albris attack to let him know despair, I really, like really really, wanted Julius to bull an Aizen and stop his sword with two fingers.
Damn... Now you're making me regret not coming up with such a great idea. What a waste that it didn't come to my mind when I was writing this chapter.
Only one level for mental corruption immunity? Either that skill is a bit*h to level or that wasnt considered bad lol
Also, an upcoming timeskip means julius gets a growth spurt soon
Well, not a lot of people experience as much trauma as our homeboy did. So, pretty certain that the skill is a pain in the ass to level up. So basically the skill: Woosh! You are now depressed.
Yep! Big time skip! Really excited to be more flexible and do more things with his romantic life. I really want to write a wholesome date chapter before or after killing some monsters in the most gruesome ways possible. Who says romance is dead?
@GodlyKamui this mans dating life is not wholesome...
@Sneakv Not with that attitude.
Glad you finished this fight this chapter.
Me too, brother.
With him being half Succubus I hope he doesn't become a futa.