Prologue: Invitation to Battle

Two fighters stand in the middle of the arena. His hands raised up to his face, with sheer confidence on his face. A smile across his face hidden behind his guard.

Across him a sorcerer. A gallant figure, though her figure is less muscular she emanate a powerful aura from her poise alone. It is obvious she is extremely experienced, fitting for her position. Like the man before her, she doesn't wield anything but her mastery over her element, lightning.

Nothing seems obvious on her opponent. The sorceress scans the man for any information. He has a built body, that much can say that he is not lacking in physical prowess. She doesn't feel anything inside him.

"No magical energy at his disposal yet that confidence of his must be backed up by something.", The sorceress swiftly sweeps her hand in front of her, then forms lightning spears, maintaining its energy till it is fired. In one split second, the lightning spears were gone from her sight and have hit the ground with such impact. The whole arena shook from the strikes, as if a storm is brewing in the middle of the venue. However the thundering crash of the her strikes were soon overwhelmed with applause from the audience.

The dust settles, and the sorceress takes up her guard seeing the figure still standing. Slowly it clears up, showing that her opponent has withstood the attack yet wasn't do lucky to come out unscathed from her strikes.

"Chii...that definitely reached through my bones.", The man says holding onto his arm burned by the strike. It seems that he used his left arm to take the hits and avoid being fully paralyzed.

"So you really are devoid of magical energy. I'm surprised you managed to get this far.", The sorceress though has her chance to end the match attempts to talk with the man first. "I recommend you to forfeit if you wish to keep yourself from any more pain."

"He's not fast enough to dodge my spells. I should take advantage of my range.", She thought to herself. Backing away, she jumps to a platform made from condensed energy. The wind starts to pick up from that height and her blonde hair starts to sway with it.

"It'll be too hard to see where her attacks will come from when it's this bright. Tsk, I can't even stare at her properly with the sun in the way.", a moment later he starts to move. Using a pebble from the debris of the strike earlier, the man attempts to reach the sorceress with a stone throw.

"He must've enough strength to throw it this far?!", she panics and attempts to jump farther to dodge the incoming missile but as soon as the rock got closer it has only minimally struck her stomach. "It's not that strong...no he must've been simply measuring the force needed.", And as soon as she mumbled those words, the man was already in front of her. As if he had teleported to her place, ready to make a punch.

"Thundering Vessel technique — sonic wall!"

Outreaching her hands, she envelops it with lightning and forced two charges to hit, making a tremendous blow to the air and a wave of sound that forces the opponent be pushed back. The sheer force of such defensive technique was enough to push him back and start falling. Using this opportunity she calls upon one of her stronger spell.

"Stormbringer Technique, First Strike - Omen"

In combination with her sonic wall, the lightning sorceress calls upon her ally and weapon to strike down her enemy. As sudden as his fall, a lightning struck his body and burned through his abdomen. "I apologize, but I can't leave any chances.", the sorceress whispers in the wind before calling upon another strike.

"--Second. --Third...--Sixth", successful she may be in hitting her opponent, though it is just massacre at that point. The crowd was speechless at the horror in front of them, an unparalleled power of a mage. Each strike quakes the stadium with such force, and the audience must've gone deaf with the thunder it brings along. The multiple strikes did indeed hit, though unclear where it hit. But one thing is clear, the match would have immediately stopped once one fighter was incapacitated, yet it didn't.

A person's body is naturally imbued with magical energy alongside its soul. At first it is colorless, if properly controlled it can manifest into an element the user is attuned to. Even more, magical energy can be used to strengthen the body and allow it to absorb more of it. Which in turn helps the body sustain more damage from such energy before collapsing. The ultimate defense of a mage is its energy. Yet how can a man with no magical energy absorb the onslaught of lightning?

He can't. Instead, his body rejects it. Normally a body is used in taking magical energy that it will naturally accept an attack from it, causing further damage when it reaches a person's soul. But since he has no magical energy, he will reject it.

In the first place, magical attacks often hurts the soul the most, than it would for the body. In basic terms, his body is the perfect armor for his soul against all manner of magic.

There he is, still standing from all those lightning strikes. His body mostly bruised but not fatal, though his clothes are not so invincible. The man's shirt was tattered and burnt, thankfully the pants have not received any damage other than a few burns.

The man stretches his arms, attempting to loosen up his shoulders. "Tsk...I feel so numb. Hey lady! Isn't that going overboard?!", Once again he takes up a stance. "But I suppose for a master this isn't much, right?"

"Untethered, Void Arts — Void Step"

Suddenly he's in front of her, and just like earlier is ready to strike with his fists. Though unlike earlier, the sorceress is prepared and had already prepared a spell to counter his attack. A protective spell where she is enveloped by a ring of arrows made of electricity. Once it detects an enemy it will automatically launch itself on the its direction.

The arrows flew in an instant, and in this point blank range the fighter once again will fall down. However, he will not be so lucky to be spared from another strike from the heavens. "--Void step"

Just like that, the man emerges from behind her and proceeds to hug her back. He proceeds to charge himself towards her, attempting to push her down the platform she conjured. "There's this much force to his movements?!", she was surprised from the weight he is putting on her. At the direction he came from, if he simply jumped from the ground then at that height he would have been suspended in the air. Yet not only was he able to change his position, he also had enough strength to force down his opponents as if he has a land to step on. "I'm sure of it, he has no magical energy. He's able to maneuver in the air with what?", the sorceress looks at her back and notices the ground getting closer. "No, more importantly I need to get away from his grip.", she calls upon her weapon, and attempts to strike him down with a flash. Though having sensed it, the man immediately lets go of his grip and warped away from her.

"You're quite a crazy lady.", lightning crushes down to the woman and instead of harming her, envelopes her body in electric charges, her hair slightly rising.

"If he can go anywhere then range is useless. Then I have no close but to go down here--", in thundering motion, the electric charges explode and formed a veil of electricity. The sorceress dons her armor, and takes up a stance of her own. She extend one foot forward, her fists away from each other, though ready to make any strikes.

————

Some time later passed.

"That was a great fight, Sorceress of Lightning."

"You've certainly endured well. Right...earlier I wasn't able to catch your name." The sorceress taps her foot to the ground, pondering the moment before their clash. "The host did announce it...Zerkes?"

"Haha...I suppose it wasn't worth remembering. It's Marcus, lady sorcerer Kurin.", he flips to the other side, facing the sky and beside is the figure of his opponent. Blindingly flawless with the bright luminescence of sparks. "But I suppose it isn't worth remembering the name of a person who couldn't damage you one bit. Well--", Marcus sits up and stretches his body. Visible scars are on his figure, yet none of it seems to come from their fight. Though some marks do leave a reddish hue, specifically parts where he was electrified "--that's that. I was hoping I'm at Master level ahaha."

"Amazing. He doesn't seem heavily injured despite my continuous attacks. I mean I did held back on him, but it should atleast injure a person with medium imbued body.", she thought to herself. An imbued body is an enhanced physique of a person using magical energy. It allows the body to redirect more energy, than simply let it penetrate the soul. Similar to Marcus' situation, though it requires concentration as it is similar to coating one's body with magical energy.

"I do remember the names I believe to have potential.", Kurin notices the incoming medical staff, healers for the most of it rushing to Marcus' side. "It seems like our talk would have to be for another time. Don't have me forget your name, Marcus."

"Yeesh, I rather she actually forget about me...well, there goes my ticket to a promotion."

In this world, power rules everything. The Empire's system of governance is run purely by magical prowess. Those in position are masters of sorcery, and this has always been the tradition since the empire was formed. This way disputes were solved through force, not in war but in contests of strength.

Which is why peace is spread around the kingdom, with mages focusing only on getting stronger to get better positions and those who cannot advance will have to be in the work force. Even if it may seem it will be hard to run an Empire that way, it has proven to be quite effective in keeping the hierarchy and order. The nobles with their vast resources and time are able to proceed with their training at an earlier point in life and conduct their practices effectively compared to the common people having to manage their life. Very few managed to get far and built their own nobility.

Like them, Marcus is attempting to change his standing. And just of earlier, he lost a fight against the Sorceress of Lightning, the Lord of the city of Marlek. An utter failure for his first attempt.

"--her attacks were really fast! I couldn't even blink or I'll let my guard down."

Into the middle of the night is when certain establishments brighten. One in particular, is a place where workers could get fed and drink their worries away, a tavern. It isn't particularly big, and some furnishings even do need a replacement, but even so they offer a hot meal and a clean drink.

"I swear I wouldn't get caught in that attack of hers if I just knew how actually fast she is!"

One of the tables do hold one of the rowdy customers they have. His shirt is still tattered, though the redness of his body has gone away thanks to the healers that aided him.

"Haha, but you wouldn't be able to do shit even if you knew how fast our Lord's spells are!", one drunkard laughs after chugging down on his second mug of beer. "Hah! That's true, all I can do was charge head on and take it!", Marcus then proceeds to drink all of the contents of his mug before making another chat with his drink mates.

The night starts to drift away and the other people has started to go home, ending the day. Having nothing to go home to, Marcus intends to stay outside the tavern. Though that outside will have to be its roof. Having said goodbyes he proceed to lift himself up to the rooftops to sleep on.

"Quite a bit rude to intrude on my sleep, don't you think?", Marcus sits up and scratches his head. A figure stands behind him and suddenly vanishes. From where it was before now sits a letter with the mark of the royal sigil. Marcus picks up the letter, a zap numbed his hands and it opened by itself.

"The proving grounds have been opened to you. You've received a recommendation from the council, and invites you to the Tarcaros Battle City."

Tarcaros, a city heavily funded by the emperor's coffers to serve as a training ground for talented sorcerers, an arena for entertainment, and to shackle the noble families. Most council members come from this very place, and each having succeeded the previous holder of the title they claimed.

It is also a city many known as the killer of future. Where possibilities for the future lie dead and those whom are powerful enough dominate the course of history.

Suddenly, the piece of parchment glows brightly. Enough to light the street. Enough to blind Marcus. Not just blind, but also deafen and weaken his senses. As if he's become nothing but a speck of dust. Soon, he recovers and opens his eyes to find himself standing on the roof of a building. Quite unlikely from where he was.

Marcus overlooks at the streets below, scanning the area.

Ignoring the sunlight in what was supposed to be nighttime, it seems the streets below is bustling as ever with people. Yet nobody is usual from the common folk of the streets. Their energy is high enough to be considered to be first class mages. Even the young ones that roam the street seem to be children of a rich family. It does seem as though where all heirs of the upper ranking gather.

"Sure enough, this seems to be the battle city. I imagined it to be rowdy.", having let down he sighs and sits on the edge of the roof. "Too boring, this all too boring."

In a second, before anyone notices his figure he vanishes.

"This can't be anything else other than an arena.", Marcus thought to himself, looking at the massive establishment from outside. It is a traditional coliseum, with an area big enough to essentially have space for a village. Large scale battles are common on a fight between sorcerers, which is why they needed a larger area for them to move on.

"Welcome! Are you looking to spectate? Or join in a random match?" The receptionist isn't bad either. Marcus can feel her magical energy on par with the people he encountered on the streets. Yet he wonders how come people of their level are posted simply as a clerk in this city. Though he couldn't care less and approached the receptionist and went through the procedure of registration.

"Well then, please wait until tomorrow for the schedule of the match.", the receptionist announced with her poker face still staring on Marcus emotionlessly. Though her gaze doesn't meet his eyes, only on his body as if she's able to see through him. "Don't you have any sorcerers ready?", Marcus places his hands on the desk and inches in to the woman. "I apologize sir, I will assume that you've only arrived. Here in Tarcaros, the battle arena commission must first notify the sorcerers for any request of a match. We believe this will help the participants prepare and focus on their battle."

"I suppose I can explore the city for a bit...maybe get into a figh--", Marcus mutters to himself, but the lady cuts him off mid sentence. "I do not recommend fighting outside of the arena as you would be labeled as a ruffian. Please do not underestimate Tarcaros enforcement."

Though her tone seem empty, her words are not little threat. If there is a city filled with walking weapons, yet not a single person causes trouble or abuse their power could mean there is a stronger law guarding the city. Marcus have encountered various strong people before, many he has lost and a few a draw, and to see so many of those people gathered up in a single file, orderly and behaved means there is a much greater power walking in the streets. Though of course he can't imagine them being on the same level as the lightning sorceress, she is after all a lord of her domain.

"Though in a fight, I would not lose easily. A number of them at the same time is just asking for a beating...", he thinks to himself while staring at the blank face of the receptionist. "She seems more of a puppet than person, uncanny..."

"I'll come back here tomorrow then for the schedule.", Marcus answers and head outs of the arena. Faintly he could her say her farewell.

The battle arena isn't what he exactly thinks it is. Though from childhood, he had heard stories of the city from his master and the grand imagination of his past self lingered and is now destroyed.

Though having his excitement gone down, he starts to feel the strain of sleeplessness. Marcus conditioned his body to last, and the wilderness isn't exactly a place one could sleep anytime, but his short time in the city has caught up to him and now he is in an even bigger field. One could see the stress in environment pile up and start straining his mental state, yet as for Marcus all he needs is a good sleep. The roof would be his usual place to sleep on, but he doesn't feel like bathing on sunlight.

"Tsk, I'm tired of people following me all around. Is this what city people always do?!", irritated, Marcus intentionally walks to an alley apart from the main street and confronts his stalker.

Turning around, he glimpses at a dark string-like material approaching his head, attempting to pierce the man. In fast motion, he grabs the substance and wrapped it around his forearm. "Got me like you wanted, now pull me."