Chapter 8
Ash: My next match is… ah, it's against Leon. He seems strong. Could finally be an entertaining match.
Leon: Hey, Ash! I'm assuming you saw the next set of matches.
Ash: Yeah, I have. Looks like we'll be facing each other in the quarter finals.
Leon: Yeah! Make sure to give it your all, and I'll be giving my all as well! I'm looking forward to fighting with you, Ash!
Ash: Right.
Ash gave a slight smile to Leon. But then a giant explosion happened behind Ash. This caused both Leon and Ash to go flying a bit far, Leon quickly used his strength to implant himself into the ground, and when Ash tried to use his katana to get a grip on the ground, it just went flying out. Leon grabbed Ash and held him down so he wouldn't go too much further. Ash got up and wiped his face.
Ash: Thinking, Shit, my back hurts like hell and I feel blood trickling down my forehead…
Leon: Ash, are you okay!?
Leon sustained zero injury from the blast besides a few scratches due to Ash being in front of him, blocking most of the impact.
Ash: I'll live.
Ash coughed up a tiny bit of blood before standing up and looking at the giant blast. Leon, Ash, and 4 other examinees were the only survivors.
Ash: Today is just… not my day.
Ash proceeded to sheathe his katana and immediately run to where the blast seemed to originate from. At the center of the crater the explosion had created, Ash found the dead body of the main army instructor.
Ash: How is this body even intact… maybe a mana shield? He has no wounds from the explosion…
Ash looked at the body more and found a stab wound through the instructor's heart.
Ash: Someone killed him..? They couldn't have gone far it hasn't even been a full minute since the explosion happened-
Ash then noticed a mark on the forehead of the instructor. It was a simple zero with a slash through it.
Ash: I've… seen this symbol before. Shit, I have to get a hold of Law right now.
Ash immediately pulled out his phone and texted Law, but the text wouldn't even go through.
Ash: He really blocked me? Sigh. He wasn't kidding when he said he was erasing all contact between me and him, huh?
Leon ran up to where Ash and saw him over the dead body of the instructor.
Leon: Ash did you-
Ash: He was like this when I got here, all I can do is tell you that and hope you'll believe me.
Leon stared at Ash for a few moments before just nodding his head.
Ash: Help me carry this body into the general's office. I need to talk to him.
Leon helped Ash do what he had asked, and they made it to the general's office. Ash knocked on the door and from the other side came the voice of a lady he recognized immediately. Ash walked in the door and saw Layla sitting on the desk.
Ash: You have a weird obsession with me, you know that?
Layla: I just simply asked to be stationed here for no particular reason except there is a reason and that's to watch over you!
Leon: That is kind of a creepy obsession…
Layla: No matter! I just got here, so what happened?
Ash: Don't know much besides the fact that there was an explosion set off from this guy. Probably a mana bomb considering the destruction, and there was a mana shield around this guy as the explosion went off, so no damage was done to his body. All I know is someone killed him themselves, and I think I might have known who did it.
Ash pointed out the symbol on the instructor's forehead.
Layla: You mean..
Ash: Zero is back.