[33] "Rise in the rankings of the best Awakened"

"Not bad, Ares, you're quite strong," Silvia said with a big smile. "It's a shame he escaped, but he paid a high price for confronting you."

Rebecca arrived just at that moment and joined the conversation. "Yes, it's a real pity he managed to escape," she said with a tone of disappointment.

"Escaped?" Rebecca repeated in surprise.

"Yes, he surely had it all planned," confirmed Ares with a disapproving look.

Ares looked towards where Gheorghe was and sighed. "At least he left with serious injuries," he said, pointing to an arm lying on the ground. "He lost a limb in the process."

Rebecca followed his gaze and felt a bit dizzy. "Oh my God," she said softly.

"People are approaching," Rebecca informed. "It seems we've attracted a lot of attention."

"We should leave," she suggested with concern. "You expend a lot of energy in combat, Ares. This isn't a good time to keep fighting."

"No," said Ares with a devilish smile. "Taking them out will be more entertaining."

"But..." Rebecca began, worried.

"Relax, Rebecca," Silvia intervened. "They're not very powerful. I can sense their energies, and Ares is more than enough to deal with them."

Dozens of figures surrounded them, all with hostile looks and threatening attitudes. Ares observed them with an arrogant smile on his face.

"Wow, it seems many more flies have gathered," Ares mocked. "Do you all want to die too?"

Everyone looked attentively at the young man with white hair who spoke. "Don't be so arrogant, kid. You're Ares, right?"

"You have a lot of enemies," the young man continued in a threatening tone. "Using your powers so carelessly makes things easier for us."

Ares burst into laughter. "HAHAHA, you should know the difference between us. Just because I fight doesn't mean you're fit to challenge me. You're idiots," Ares scorned his opponents.

Ares's right hand was covered in beams of light, and the next moment, his closed fist struck the ground, generating sharp shards of light that pierced through all the figures.

"Know your place, fools," Ares said, adjusting his clothes as he looked at the bodies with holes and blood falling to the ground.

Rebecca asked, "Shall we leave the bodies here?"

"Yes, don't worry. It won't be long before more Awakened arrive and clean up the mess," Ares said without looking back as he disappeared from the scene. Silvia jumped onto Ares's shoulder, and they vanished together.

Rebecca stayed behind, looking at the bodies before disappearing as well.

....

[A few minutes later]

Three figures appeared from different directions.

One of them was a woman in a black dress that emphasized her voluptuous figure, with long hair with green highlights, and a mask covering her mouth.

The man had light blue hair, tattoos on his face, neck, and hands, and formal attire.

The last individual was a handsome man with long brown hair who exuded nobility in his demeanor and luxurious clothing.

The three of them looked at each other for a moment before speaking.

"It seems we all have the same problem," said the person with light blue hair, licking his lips suggestively.

"Keep that filthy tongue of yours in check, John," the superior-looking man interrupted.

"HAHAHA... Oh, Butler, always so special," John Madden responded with a devilish smile, before turning his gaze to the woman. "Amy, as beautiful as ever..."

"Keep sticking that damn tongue out, and one day I'll cut it off, John," Amy Hicks retorted with a scowl.

"Well, let's talk about why we came here," John Madden said, trying to change the subject.

The three of them approached a gruesome scene, dozens of dead bodies scattered along the street.

"Are they members of our organizations?" Amy Hicks asked indifferently.

"Yes, I'll make sure to kill whoever did this..." Dale Butler said with determination.

"HAHAHA... Isn't it obvious who did it? Why are they here?" John Madden said with a sinister smile.

Amy Hicks and Dale Butler were momentarily taken aback before looking at John Madden.

"Ares Seo," the three of them said simultaneously.

"Don't you think this scene is like his trademark, the Emperor of Light? Many dead people," John Madden continued.

"Mmm... Yes, and besides, we felt the two great powers just now," Dale Butler said.

"Those two powers can't be from any awakened individual, and one of those auras feels familiar, Gheorghe Gisbert, the 39th ranked in the world," Amy Hicks said.

"That's true, although I've never fought against him, that aura did seem familiar to me. Now that you mention it, it's possible that it's Gheorghe Gisbert," Dale Butler said.

"Well, the other aura belongs to Ares Seo," John Madden said, surprising the others.

"Really?" Amy Hicks and Dale Butler asked.

"Yes, some time ago, by chance, I witnessed a confrontation involving Ares when Kayden was still with him," John Madden explained.

The other two looked at him in astonishment.

"It's a miracle you made it out of there alive," Amy Hicks said.

"That maniac would have found a way to fight you. I encountered him once, and it felt like he could explode at any moment," Dale Butler added.

"HAHAHA... Are you scared of him, Dale, the great noble?" John Madden said, showing a sadistic smile.

"Mmm... I just didn't want any trouble," Dale Butler replied indifferently.

"What are we going to do? Ares wiped out our members," Amy Hicks interrupted the discussion.

"We should take him down, now that we know where he is. I want to taste his blood, it must be delicious," John Madden said, licking his lips.

"I agree with him. It's rare to know his whereabouts. He's always in one country or another, challenging other awakened individuals," Dale Butler nodded in agreement.

"We'll have to find a way to make him appear."

"He loves battles, and it's said he's a masochist. He enjoys confrontations where he can endure damage. We could leak information about ourselves," Amy Hicks suggested.

"I heard a while ago that he's been facing multiple awakened individuals at once. With his arrogance, it's very likely he'll show up," Dale Butler said.

"We should give it a try. We have nothing to lose," Amy Hicks said.

Everyone nodded before starting to plan.

"First, let's take care of this mess he left us," Dale Butler said.

"Don't worry, they won't take long to clean it up," Amy Hicks said and left.

"HAHAHA, see you soon, Dale Butler," John Madden said with a devilish smile.

John Madden disappeared at an incredible speed.

"That speed is unnerving. I hope I never see you again, psychopath," Dale Butler said, tucking his hands into the pockets of his suit and walking away.

[One day later]

The news that Ares had reached the 39th position in the world rankings spread rapidly across the globe, and the reactions were varied.

In New York, a group of awakened individuals was engaged in a heated discussion in an office room when one of them burst in, speaking hurriedly.

"Boss!" the newcomer exclaimed, "The news is out that Ares has reached the 39th position in the world rankings after defeating Gheorghe."

The room fell silent as everyone processed the information. Ares was known for his ferocity and combat prowess, and his rise in the world rankings was a topic of great interest to them.

Meanwhile, in Japan, a group of formally dressed executives received the news on their mobile phones. The tranquil atmosphere in the room was shattered by the news, and everyone present trembled upon learning about the downfall of a powerful awakened individual.

In Australia, a family patriarch was left bewildered upon hearing the news. He called his son, who was practicing, and said, "Hey, come here! Have you heard about this kid? Study his face well and don't cause any trouble."

"Yes, father," the young man responded, not fully understanding the reason behind so much concern.

In Brazil, a group of people gathered at a luxurious café when they heard the news. "Oh my God!" one of them exclaimed, intrigued. "How is it possible that he has grown so quickly? A few years ago, he wasn't even known."

In different parts of the world, people were surprised and concerned upon hearing the news that Ares had reached the 39th position in the world rankings. Everyone wanted to know more about the new talent and was interested in knowing what his next move would be.

....

1404 words.

Next Chapter "Fight"