The Spectacle

It was a chilly night, but the radiant lights glowed all around the hall in which the King's Banquet continued on with a blast.

The Sixth ranked King, Sebastian Dunford, had challenged the Fifth ranked King, Leo Kadz.

Even though Sebastian had recently become an E- ranked individual, it couldn't hold a candle to Leo, who had just achieved E Rank.

"You sure you wanna do this?"

Leo asked. His expression was that of a predator asking its prey for its last wish.

"Of course, King of Bravery."

A response came instantly, fanning the flames of Leo's rage. He activated berserker immediately, causing crimson veins to erupt from his body.

His expression was that of pure hatred, and fists were clenched as tightly as humanly possible for an E ranked individual.

He took a stance similar to that of a bull about to charge into his prey as an intense aura was exuded from his body like a raging storm.

On the other hand, Sebastian was oddly calm and composed, even going as far as to not prepare a move beforehand even though Leo had the advantage in speed.

He stroked his crimson hair with a thoughtful look on his face, clearly wondering what strategy he should use to end the duel as fast as possible.

This was because Leo was a physical fighter, and he would be able to fight for longer on average compared to a mage.

The teachers watched in a daze as none showed any signs of interfering with the students' internal conflicts.

Felix Edwards' gaze looked complicated and uneasy, while Ace had a leisurely smile on his face, not caring a bit about the dispute.

Since he was acquainted with Leo, and could influence his decisions to a certain extent, he had no trouble letting the two duke it out.

"So, shall we begin?"

Sebastian asked, indifference written all over his face. Leo nodded wordlessly, not bothering to speak to a dead man.

Immediately, the two disappeared from their spot.

Leo used [Body Augmentation] to attempt to close the distance between his opponent, while Sebastian used his flames like jets to widen the gap between the two.

Immediately, Sebastian put his hand forward, compressing his flames to create a different color, blue.

The azure blue flames spinned inside Sebastian's hand as they looked menacing to the spectators.

'It looks like he's been working on his control over flames. Impressive.'

Ace raised an eyebrow while evaluating the strength of the fire mage using his endless knowledge and wisdom.

His conclusion was that Sebastian actually had a chance of putting Leo in a defensive position if he used the flame correctly.

To Ace's surprise, Sebastian did exactly what the former expected.

The spinning ball of azure flames floated towards Sebastian's right shoulder as he compressed another one, dodging Leo's physical attacks using his flames as boosters.

'He's going to run out of mana soon, but it's worth it.'

Ace stroked his chin, expecting Leo to use his brain for once and maintain a distance from his opponent, even if it puts him at a disadvantage.

Sebastian looked majestic as four compressed spinning balls of azure flames floated over his shoulders, two on each side.

He used the orange and crimson flames to attack normally while preserving his trump-cards for later use.

Leo backed away, just like Ace had expected.

'That damned animal!'

Leo commented inside his head as he activated his newest skill, [Horned Bull Footwork - S].

His stance changed drastically as he dragged his right foot along the floor, giving the image of a bull about to stick his horn into his prey's skin.

'He finally got that skill.'

Ace remarked as he leisurely witnessed the battle between two legends in his previous life.

However, in this life, they were no more than petty memes.

Leo was considered a brave warrior, but Sebastian, on the other hand, was just a guy with excessive hair on his body.

'His crimson hair does look pretty cool, though.'

Leo charged in for the kill, using his footwork to close the distance between his opponent in less than a second, not giving him a chance to use the azure balls of flames floating behind his shoulders.

Before Sebastian could realize, he was being suppressed by the enemy he thought to have gained the upper-hand on.

Finally realizing the severity of the situation, he shot the azure balls of flames at Leo, who fluently avoided them all using his skill, closing the gap instantly.

Krrr!

Boom!

Whoosh!

A heavy punch landed on the King of Flames' face as he flew back at the speed of a Boeing 747. Ace heard the noise of cracking bones as he finally witnessed Sebastian's face.

His face had been pushed inwards and was nigh-unrecognizable as it lay near a pool of blood which had emerged from the same entity.

Some flesh was in places it shouldn't be, and bones could be seen using the naked-eye at this moment.

His entire face had been completely deformed, to the point where it would disgust even the calmest and most indifferent of people.

Immediately, Ace activated [Indifference] in order to not show his disgusted expression at the corpse of his colleague.

The teachers stared at the boy with crimson hair in a daze, not knowing what to do.

The only person in the crowd who wasn't stunned at all was Mr. Crimson.

Even the principal, Felix Edwards had a complicated expression on his face as he gazed at the living corpse of his student.

The medics soon arrived as they placed Sebastian's body on top of a stretcher, using it to bring it out of the hall.

Only then did the spectators sigh in relief. No one cared that he had become a cripple. All they cared about was that the disgusting-faced monster was now gone.

No one showed even a tinge of regret or sympathy for the boy, not even Ace.

He knew how cruel the world could be, and being in his second life, he had already adapted to the sensation.

"King of Indifference, I challenge you to a duel."

Leo announced, causing many to fall into a stupor. He hadn't even mentioned the cripplement of his previous enemy, and had already moved on.

"Are you sure you want a third defeat?"

Ace asked, chuckling. Even though he wasn't affected by Sebastian's condition, he still showed a bitter-smile.

"It won't be a defeat this time. I'm one minor rank higher than you, and have another skill which is valued at S Rank."

"I see. Sure, why not?"

Ace replied as he stepped towards the lanky-armed individual who had reached out with his hand.

Shaking Leo's hand, Ace stepped away from the former, positioning himself like a samurai.

His hand was on his scabbard, and his spine was bent forward.

Leo, on the other hand, had the same stance as he had with Sebastian. Similar to a bull.

The gazes of the teachers and students locked on to their battle which would soon begin.

Some Kings wagered on who might win. 52% of students bet on Ace, while the other 48% put their hopes on Leo.

This was, of course, the result of ruling while harnessing the power of fear. One wrong move, such as the time when he decimated the bullies who tried to steal his Dormitory room, had decimated his reputation.

"Shall we begin?"

"Of course, King of Idiocy."

Crimson-colored veins popped up on Leo's body once again, while Ace's body exuded an aura of dominance and sheer strength.

After his gruesome training with the fragment of Khaos, he was ready to take down the lanky-armed individual that stood before him, daring to defy his rule.

Gripping the hilt of his blade, he unsheathed it, bringing forth dozens of strong winds.

Leo smashed his fists together, causing a shockwave to erupt due to the impact of the blow.

Several students gasped, as the teachers were stunned by the fact that mere E Rank students could produce such a dominant show of power.

Suddenly, they both disappeared from the spot they previously stood in.

Ace activated [Flurry Steps], while Leo activated [Horned Bull Footwork].

Despite the difference in ranks, since Ace was the creator of the former skill, he naturally had a higher mastery over it, causing him to be equally matched with Leo in terms of speed.

Having trained with Akash, Ace had figured out how to use Beginner Level Mastery of [Sword Saint] as a transformation, instead of it being activated at all times.

Using the transformation of Beginner Level Mastery allows Ace to reach the rank of A+ purely in dexterity.

Ace lunged forward towards Leo while keeping in mind his surroundings which were about to change any second.

Whoosh!

The air around Ace suddenly turned crimson as he witnessed the devilish expression on Leo's face.

Contrary to the latter's expectations, however, the former quickly halted his footsteps, letting the crimson air steady around his body.

"Do you wanna die!?"

Leo yelled, much to the spectators' dismay. Leo's tone was filled to the brim with worry, contrary to what had happened with Sebastian.

Leo halted his footsteps as well, threatening to enter the crimson forcefield.

"Get.Out!"

He yelled once again.

However, Ace just let out a casual smile as he stayed put, not bothering to walk out of the forcefield.

The forcefield was a result of [Berserker] mixing with the wind created using [Horned Bull Footwork] and the mana circulation of the caster, Leo.

It meant that the forcefield would soon erupt as the mana needed to maintain it had stopped circulating.

This combination of attacks could even kill a D Rank, let alone a puny E- Rank like Ace.

Despite that, Ace just stood there.

'This should give them a sense of power once again. I can't think of a way of ruling others without fear… so what if I add some more fear into the equation?'

He believed that surviving an explosion worthy of pulverizing a D Rank would allow him to climb higher along the ranks.

He knew it wouldn't land him in first place since he hadn't defeated Lily, but it would make people worship him.

The fact that people would worship him… that was what he needed for the latter parts of the school year.

Suddenly, the atmosphere inside the forcefield started to get worse. The isolated mana began disseminating, causing the pressure to lighten.

A smirk soon emerged on Ace's face. Leo's expression was distorted while the spectators were grimacing.

They couldn't lose two Kings on the same night, could they?

As the mana condensed at a higher rate, the concentration of the element increased rapidly, causing a bubble of mana to form.

The bubble had a ton of mana condensed into it, which was much higher than the amount Leo had provided it with.

The reason?

The forcefield was surrounding the nearby atmosphere, and when it began disseminating, it merged with the surrounding mana.

Since it did, the condensation of that same mana would rake up a higher amount than the one provided to it because it absorbed the surrounding mana.

It was simple mana theory, which every single teacher, Mr. Edwards, and Ace understood.

The others, however, were unbeknownst to the phenomenon currently occurring inside the forcefield.

'3'

'2'

'1'

Boom!

The mana suddenly erupted.

This caused shockwaves the size of humans to burst out of the forcefield, prompting the injuries of many.

However, this wasn't Ace's fault, since Leo had used the forcefield, but then disconnected with the mana, which meant it wasn't his field to control anymore.

Ace quickly gripped the hilt of his blade tighter as his pupils suddenly turned white. Now, his entire eyeballs were pure white.

Checking his status window, he confirmed one thing.

[Dexterity - A+ (B+)]

His dexterity had temporarily increased to A+, causing a humongous change in his swordsmanship skills.

Even though Ace's figure wasn't visible in the eruption of the mana, Felix noticed the slight change in his demeanor, appearance, and strength.

Ace quickly held his blade to his right and then lunged forward.

Whatever happened next ended in less than a second.

Whoosh!

It was a dull sound of wind, but that 'sound' had neutralized the entire mana eruption in mere milliseconds.

Ace had swung his blade more than 250 times in mere milliseconds.

Deathly silence.

Even though the spectators had their mouths gaping open, none dared to speak during this spectacle.

Even Leo was visibly shaken as he fell on his butt.

'I thought… I had closed the gap between us.'

Leo knew that Ace was only at the E- Rank, so how did the latter defeat the former, who had just achieved E Rank?

With extensive proficiency.

Even Felix Edwards, who was known to be indifferent, was staring at the spectacle with wide eyes.

However, Ace wasn't as unfathomable as some thought.

Inwardly, he was exhausted to the point of near-death after using Beginner Level Mastery.

This was because he had achieved the transformation through skill, and hadn't met the bodily requirements to use it unconditionally.

He stood like a statue, but on the inside, he was visibly shaken up and on the verge of fainting.

"Is that a win for me, then?"

He asked with a toothy grin, barely maintaining his consciousness.

"I–uh, I–I guess s–so?"

Leo stuttered, causing the spectators to finally realize what had happened. They were previously absent-minded because of the unrealistic spectacle, but now…

"King of Indifference!"

"King of Indifference!"

There were chants everywhere. And, although his expression wasn't currently indifferent, it didn't change the fact that he was stronger than all of them… combined, maybe.

Suddenly, one of the Kings shouted.

"#1 King, King of Indifference!"

The room turned silent again, as the spectators processed what he had said.

Suddenly, the chants resumed.

"#1 King, King of Indifference!"

"#1 King, King of Indifference!"

The entire crowd was screaming their lungs out, while some teachers were smiling proudly.

Many of the teachers were scared of how much potential Ace had, and only the minority were truly proud of the child.

The spectators believed that Ace would give a speech about how he won spectacularly, but contrary to their expectations…

Thud!

The sound resounded across the entire hall as everyone widened their eyes. Soon, they retained their calmness as they stared at the body of the #1 King, King of Indifference.

They all sighed inwardly, as they thought…

'Maybe he isn't a monster. Maybe he's just a really strong human who we should admire.'

Leo, however, had different thoughts.

'He fainted! He's not as strong as I thought! I still have a chance at defeating him!'

Following the incident, the other Kings returned to their chatter while the medic team put Ace on a stretcher.

He was carried to the infirmary while Leo clicked his tongue.

'You were the reason I came here…'

Having lost any reason to continue being at the Banquet, he bid his farewell to the teachers in a haughty tone before turning around to leave.

Exiting the Banquet, he was met by the countless students and cameramen who were waiting for any information.

Leo was walking down to his car when one of reporters asked…

"What happened to the King of Indifference, Ace Ambrosia? Didn't he come with you?"

Leo turned his head ever so slightly towards the person who asked, and answered…

"I lost to him for the third time, but he used too much energy. The medics carried him to the infirmary."

Despite lowering his head in public, he didn't feel humiliated. Maybe it was because he acknowledged Ace.

"But, sources tell that you recently achieved E Rank! How could you lose to someone who entered E- Rank not too long ago?"

The reporter asked once again.

"Actually, I accidentally unleashed a move that would put people at the D- Rank to shame. However, he neutralized it in a matter of a second."

Those were the last words he said. And frankly, he didn't need to say any more, since the information stunned everyone there.

All of them had one thought in their mind.

'A person at the E- rank deflected an attack worthy of putting people at the D- rank to shame?'

Moreover, his words were credible, since none of the spectators who left alongside him said anything to rebuke his words.

Opening the car door, Leo slid into his black limo as he held back the rage boiling inside him.

He felt considerably less humiliated when he praised someone other than him. However, it didn't remove all feelings of inferiority from his mind.

"Let's go."

He voiced to his chauffeur, who immediately drove back to the school.

'Next time, it'll be different.'

*

*

*

In a dim room lit up by just one candle sat a girl.

She fiddled with her blonde hair violently as she stared at a screen before her.

It was a news article about the rise of the new #1 King, King of Indifference.

Moreover, her spy had seen what had happened at the King's Banquet, and could confirm that the article was true.

[Ace Ambrosia takes the spot of #1 King in Academy 07! What will Lily Yearning do in this situation?]

Her clenched fist leaked blood as her expression became more and more distorted over time.

'That damned… If only principal Felix hadn't been there! I would have ordered the assassination of that insect right then and there!'

She knew she couldn't assassinate him on school grounds. She had kept an eye on him when he went to Mount Othrys, but she didn't hold a grudge back then.

Now, however, he had stolen her spotlight. Her reputation had been damaged because of him.

She gritted her teeth as she swore…

"I'll kill you."

This was Lily Yearning, the previous #1 King at Academy 07, the King of Wisdom.

*

*

*

Watching the television, Ace's family couldn't be more surprised. Their jaws dropped to the floor when they heard Leo's message to the others.

Leo Kadz, the heir of the Kadz Family who was known to be prideful, had praised someone other than himself.

Moreover, the person he praised was Amanda and Adam's own blood.

Tears welled up in Amanda's eyes as Adam stood absent-mindedly.

Alice was jumping up and down, celebrating her brother's victory.

They didn't know how to react.

Their son was the best in his school.

Academy 07 had been very expensive, considering the 4 year fees was more than C10,000,000.

However, despite the price, Ace's parents paid for it because of their son's future.

Now, their sacrifice had paid off.

*

*

*

Pow!

Pow!

Pow!

A middle-aged man could be seen punching a boy with smooth blonde hair.

The middle-aged man, who was also known as George Kadz, the head of the Kadz family and Leo's father.

The boy with the smooth blonde hair was Leo, the heir to the Kadz Family.

The Kadz family was known to be the largest importer of drugs which could forcefully boost ranks and stats.

"You lost again!"

George sneered as he spat on his own son, who was clutching his stomach tightly.

Leo's eyes were black and blue while his entire body was bruised.

"Moreover, you told everyone about your loss! You even praised that little boy! Yo humiliated the name of your family!"

George kicked Leo in the stomach once again as if to make him listen.

"You lose to that kid, or anyone ever again, you will not have a place in this family! Moreover, I will kill you myself!"

Leo groaned, much to George's dissatisfaction. The latter punched the former in the face once again.

"You understand?"

Still, not a single word was heard from the boy.

"You understand that or not!?"

George screamed his lungs out, as he repeatedly kicked Leo in the stomach again… and again… and again.

"Y–ye!"

"What did you say? I didn't hear you!"

"Y–Yes, father."