Chapter 13

Lewis and the unknown assailant had a brief stare down before Lewis launched himself at the boy, only to be met with a fist that flew faster than he could perceive, connecting with his right shoulder as Lewis managed to dodge at the last second. He felt his shoulder shatter from the impact and he spun around and faced the opponent with more caution, jumping back a few feet while holding his now useless right arm.

"Awe, you couldn't dodge that? That's disappointing, Lewis. I don't know how you managed to beat me in the preliminary, but I'm here to solidify my first place spot. Coming in second is just not permitted." The boy held his arms out like a cliche villain explaining his back story while smiling maniacally.

"What are you, some basic background villain in a comic book? Your voice is annoying, just fight if we're fighting." Lewis stated as he jumped back towards the boy with his black ant activated. Lewis swung at the boy's face with a left cross, but the boy dodged easily and laughed.

"How is someone so weak, in first place?" The boy asked incredulously with the same manic smile he continued to display.

"I'm guessing, but are you Joshua?" Lewis didn't need to ask, he already could see it.

[Joshua Hemmings

Age: 15

Rating: 109.3(2229.3)

STR: 108(2700)  CHA: 126

DEX: 102(2550)  MAG: 110(2750)

INT: 103(2575)  CON: 107(2675)]

"That's so fucking broken!" Lewis blurted.

"Something tells me you already know. Though I'm now curious as to what you see that's broken." Joshua looked at Lewis with intense intrigue.

"What blessing do you have?" Lewis was trying to back away, none of his abilities could touch the demon in front of him.

"Hmm? The Kraken. As long as I have a source of water within five feet of me, my power is multiplied by twenty-five." Joshua happily gave away the information. Lewis looked around and at the boy, but saw no such source.

"Uh, are you carrying it in your ass? There's no water anywhere." Lewis replied, his shoulder had fully mended itself so he was swinging it around to test its mobility.

"Haha! I like your quips! But, no, look closer Lewis! There's water being spilt all around us! On me, on you, on the ground. Seeping into the earth in liters! There's over three hundred people, they've been spilling water this whole time!" Joshua laughed creepily as he motioned to the battlefield around them. Realization dawned on Lewis, and his disgust for the boy grew further.

"Blood." Lewis spat.

"Yes! And spit, vomit, piss! It's all a source of water! Making me the most powerful person on any battlefield!" Joshua pointed out all the disgusting parts, Lewis couldn't help but look disgusted in reply.

"Oh, don't look so repulsed! Even you know the desire for power! The need to do anything and everything to win! Look around us, the fighting has stopped, our battle intrigues the people more than the desire to win. You and I, we're alike. You still seek out the answer to victory, despite knowing the vast gap in power between us. You can't lose, it's not an option for you!" Joshua spoke as if he knew Lewis, sadly he was right. Failure wasn't an option for Lewis, the difference was that Lewis wasn't searching for a win, but survival. Escape. 

"You're fucking psychotic. Count me out of that shit." Lewis's body began crackling lightly with static, streaks of white in his hair. He was going to make a mad dash to the lock-in platform. Lewis took the opportunity and dashed forward, the ground exploded from the force behind him, but Joshua was faster, he materialized in Lewis's path and grabbed his arm, swung him, and threw him to the ground. Lewis bounced three times and skidded to a stop, halfway across the colosseum. A few kids got taken out in the process, causing the rest to back away from the two entirely on either side of the two. Lewis's right arm was mangled in various and horrific angles.

"Are your parents fucking gods?" Lewis groaned as he tried to stand up, only to find out his legs were also busted.

"Perhaps. I definitely deserve nothing less than a godly lineage." Joshua was standing above Lewis, smiling cheerfully down at him.

"Great, a complex to add to the insanity, aren't you just a catch." Lewis stared up helplessly.

"I'll wait. I know you regenerate. It wouldn't be fun if it ended this early." Joshua crossed his arms and waited. Lewis began to laugh.

"Maybe you're right. We may be more similar than I thought… I hate it." Lewis stood up, the bones in his legs healed faster than his arm, but at least he was mobile.

"Why hate what you are? We are better than these bugs around us right? They're mere stepping stones for us, leverage to push us higher! You mentioned gods, but we are gods! We are gods to these children, we are more powerful than they could ever wish to be right now, and we can go even further! Limitless growth, wealth, fame! That's our future!... Well, it's my future, yours will unfortunately end here today. You'll be my biggest help, pushing me higher than you will ever see again! For that, I thank you." Joshua continued to smile gruesomely with a wild and feverish look in his golden eyes.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm no one's stepping stone. Giving up over a loss isn't my style either. If not here, then I suppose I'll settle elsewhere. But, that won't happen, I will persevere one way or another, just like the bugs you see around you, as you say." Lewis stretched, finally healed.

"No, I don't think you will. See, you bleed for me, they bleed for me. Their blood, their bodies, provide the source for my power, even away from the oceans and lakes. So why wouldn't you be my stepping stone? Why would you choose to persevere? Everything has a mental breaking point, and I will find yours!" Joshua exclaimed with joy as he lunged forward, Lewis took that brief window to step to the side and throw his own punch, only to meet Joshua's other hand. The shockwave blasted the grass away underneath the two. Lewis wrenched his hand away and kicked outwards towards Joshua's chest, once again only to be caught. Lewis used the leverage to lift his body up and spin, using his other leg to land a clean hit against the side of Joshua's head, and successfully jumping back.

"Not bad!" Joshua smiled, a small trickle of blood dripped down the side he was hit on. He shot forward and began throwing a series of punches, practiced and professional. It was like Lewis was facing off against a pro boxer, while Lewis could only be considered an adept martial artist. Lewis avoided the major impacts on his vitals, but sacrificed a few ribs, an arm and hand, as well as his nose. The nose he quickly reset with his good hand, and readied himself again.

"Hey, you know something funny? I'm not seeing a breaking point yet." Lewis smiled, blood had stained his teeth from the broken nose, it still dripped, staining the front of his shirt.

"So it appears!  I'm having even more fun! Let's take it up a notch, shall we?" Joshua stated, the blood surrounding him and Lewis began to rise up around Joshua, turning into blood tentacles, which grossed Lewis out in many ways, but his vines rose up to meet the challenge. The two clashed again, using their fists and skills, the interaction was like two supernovas fighting to consume the other. The ground and air around them ripped and crumbled continuously. But there was a clear difference between the two, Joshua was overwhelmingly more powerful. Lewis was left in a bloody mess after each clash and dash. Joshua was merely bruised, covered in Lewis's blood, his fists dripping with it. Lewis was breathing hard, he saw no possible positive outcome, only an endless battle, until he was fully broken.

"Hah, Lewis… I grow tired of this game. How about I make it more interesting." Joshua snapped his finger and a group of students wearing black and white badges stepped out, bringing Bianca, Ben, and Damien out to the center.

"You seemed to be pretty good friends with these ones. Let's see what personality type you are. Are you a hero who thinks he has the power to save those around him? Or are you the merciless villain with a stone heart towards all but yourself? Well, not that it matters, but let's make a choice! Which one of these three will you save, and which two will you forsake? Ooh! I'm getting goosebumps! The anticipation! Which two will I be crushing?" Joshua held up Bianca's face and faced her towards Lewis while licking the side of her face like the typical psycho creep he was.

"Coward. I take back my… earlier statement. We are nothing alike… You use things unrelated, they've had nothing to do with this. This is between me and you, so leave them out of it." Lewis's regeneration had slowed to barely anything, as his mana had drained to near bottom. He began limping forward, he had a way out, but he didn't want to use it cowardly.

"Ah, but that's wrong, oh so very incorrect! They have everything to do with this. They're friends of yours, they were fighting alongside you, with smiles and laughter. Hope, trust, and loyalty towards your leadership and guidance. All these things, make them oh so very much a part-"

"Joshua! You have two choices! Either-" Joshua slammed his fist deep into Lewis's abdomen, crushing every organ along the way, a look of absolute anger and terror had replaced his usual carefree psycho look. Lewis shot away like a bullet across the arena, into a wall, the blood in his body flooded forth from his mouth, nose, eyes, the new hole below his chest and the ruptured skin on his back. Lewis fell limply to the ground, looking like a burst blood sack. Somehow, the pain kept Lewis from losing consciousness, but his vision was tunneled. He attempted to move, but nothing so much as twitched. His regeneration was at a snail's pace, and his vines could hardly find the pieces to put together.

"Oh, well oopsie. Hah, I don't know what that was, but it felt very dangerous there Lewis. I mean, it's not like you can hear me now, you're probably no more than a vegetable now. I bet not even your regeneration can fix that trauma. Whew, I totally didn't hold back with that one, a total 'lol' moment right there am I right?" Joshua turned to the group of kids holding Damien and the other two hostage. A series of nods followed in response to his question.

"Well, to the victor go the spoils Lewis! I'll be taking those badges, and your futures now, thank you very much!" Joshua skipped over towards the three. Lewis laid, his head finally turning towards the group. Was there nothing he could do? Where did a bastard like that come from? Why was he still so weak despite the work he put in? Where was the system when he needed it? Why! Why! Why!

[Warning!!!! Unknown ski-]

Something interrupted the system, glitching it out before it could show its message, not that Lewis noticed it.

[Skill- Wrath Activated. Until the object of hate is removed from sight, wrath will not deactivate. After deactivation, all stats will be decreased by seventy percent for two weeks. While activated, all stats will be multiplied Thirtyfold. Embrace the darkness, for the darkness has embraced you.]

Lewis was unsure of what was going on, but a sudden surgance in power overwhelmed him, intoxicated him, and embraced him. His body mended instantly, darkness seemed to envelope him. His thoughts were now purely filled with hatred. Hatred for his inferiority, hatred for his lack of power, hatred for that which stood in his way, and all that hatred was directed at the one that made him feel this way. The crave for blood burst forth from Lewis like a tidal wave, causing the entire colosseum and beyond to fall into disarray as the people felt a sudden fear, as if death was about to befall them. Joshua looked back at Lewis with a shiver. The creature that stood up from where Lewis had fallen, was encased in a void. Half of Lewis's face could be seen, his eye glowed pure red with absolute hatred. The void shimmered around him like water and lightning, giving him an abyssal appearance.

"Oh! Lewis! Ah! You truly don't disappoint! Ahn! I want you for myself now, it'd be such a waste to destroy you entirely! Come to me! Let me witness this unnatural power!" Joshua walked towards Lewis while giving his usual creep smile. Lewis took a step forward, and vanished entirely without a sound. Only to appear in front of Joshua, holding a spear of darkness. Lewis stabbed the spear forward, only to be blocked by a tentacle of blood.

"Now, is that fair?" Joshua looked at Lewis in the same way one would look at a puppy that did something silly. Lewis spun and kicked towards Joshua, at a speed that was laughable for how slow it was. Joshua simply stepped to the side with a laugh, until he was suddenly in a wall with blood spewing from his mouth. Though it was faster than the eye could see and process, Joshua was able to catch it in slow motion in his head, only being able to comprehend it now. As soon as Joshua had stepped to the side, letting his guard down, Lewis spun back to his feet, using that force to transfer into his fist, which struck Joshua cleanly in the side, shattering his ribs and right arm. Lewis was once again standing before Joshua, his fist flying forward at hyperspeeds. Joshua quickly dropped and rolled away, the sound of thunder and the shake of an earthquake could be felt as Lewis obliterated the wall Joshua had impacted.

"Whoa. That's impressive." Joshua was at a loss for words. The more he witnessed, the less he felt he was actually fighting Lewis. Rather, a broken fragment of something else, something more sinister.

"Hey, why aren't you talking? Did you lose sentience or something? You're acting more and more like a bug now Lewis!" Joshua, not caring for the minor details, chose to jump back into the fight. The series of blows exchanged was like a raging tempest, blowing away everything around them. Each of them landing decent hits on the other. Lewis, being capable of regeneration at lightning speeds at the moment, didn't even bother blocking. Joshua, just being psychotic, laughed and enjoyed the fight. It wasn't until Lewis sped up, that Joshua realized the entire exchange was Lewis holding back.

"Who's a bug now? I now know why I hate you…. It's like looking at a pathetic version of myself. A bit of advice, When you use something against someone, never give a choice or chance for retaliation." Lewis spoke as if he were at the other end of a long dark hallway. It echoed with several other voices mixed in, and hints of the whispered screams of rage, born from spectres of past regrets. 

"I'll remember that. So, shall we give this final attack our all?" Joshua grinned. The two launched towards each other, the thunderous movements combined and rattled the very foundations of the colosseum. The two were about to connect, their fists hurling towards each other with the force of falling meteors, but a threadlike substance shot out and grabbed both of the boys' hands, changing the direction. The force behind the sudden stop, blasted two craters into the earth on either side of the boys. Another thread shot out and grabbed both the other hands and crossed them across their chests. More shot out and entangled Lewis until he was in a position that looked like he was kneeling. His head was pulled down, staring at the dirt. As soon as Joshua was no longer in sight, the power surge left him, and he felt physically weakened. While he stared down, someone sat on top of him, the only thing he saw was a pair of red heels that were attached to slender, dark skinned legs. The legs crossed, and he heard a woman sigh.

"I was wondering what all the damn racket was about, and here I find two brats destroying the school's property as if they owned it themselves. I have half a mind to simply disqualify the both of you… but that would just be a total loss for me, by just looking at this level of chaos. Joshua, it's obvious that using the kraken's ability is good to get ahead, but you also need to remember there are repercussions. Look at how pale you are, using up your own blood to satisfy the blood tentacles requirement. Lewis… why, you're just an absolute mess! It's like you're simply just testing your blessings out. Where do you think you'll be able to reach with such a poor mindset? This exam is officially over. Those who haven't been eliminated, it's time to lock in your or your team's points. Clear out of my colosseum and wait until next week to hear back. As for you two, you'll be coming with me… to get tools to repair this damage." The dean explained and announced, all while using Lewis like her own personal chair. With that, the exams ended, leaving Lewis to wonder what he had scored.