Prologue

A frail-looking kid with black hair and eyes the color of spilled blood

"Shit... I'm gonna die like this?" he cursed, the influence of the rough slum environment clear in his choice of words.

Balor, who was only 8 years old, held his head with pressure due to the bleeding from a wound in his head. This wound was caused by a man who had hit him with a broken glass bottle.

"My head was bleeding because of that man," he whispered, his body wriggling left and right with a strained expression. The fatigue and pain from moving made his face contort in discomfort.

Balor caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror of a nearby building. His reflection showed him looking exhausted, his face marked by dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep. His ragged clothes were torn and dirty, adding to his battered appearance. Despite it all, he stopped to look at himself in the mirror, sighing at the sight of his sorry state. Then, he continued his solitary walk down the deserted streets of the Kingdom of De Gracia

On the quiet and dark streets of the kingdom, rumors of a "kidnapping" incident were circulating. It was said that kids between the ages of 8 to 10 were being taken, and no one had seen any of them again. These rumors had remained just that - rumors - until now. But as Balor shivered under the cold night air, he suddenly found himself being stared at by a large figure in a black cloak and hat, the unknown person's gaze sending chills down his spine.

*Blink!

The huge figure suddenly disappeared like a light, reappearing behind Balor. His movements were like light or teleportation, but it was clear that this person was simply faster than the naked eye could catch. Balor's heart was pounding so hard that he couldn't calm it on his own.

In that moment, the cloaked figure wasted no time. With a swift, brutal punch to Balor's stomach, the air was forced from his lungs, and a spray of saliva erupted from his mouth. The pain was overwhelming, and Balor crumpled to his knees before collapsing face-first onto the dirty ground.

His vision blurred and darkened as the harsh reality of his situation sank in. He lay there, helpless and vulnerable, the cold, unyielding ground the last thing he felt before consciousness began to slip away.

***

After a few hours of unconsciousness, Balor slowly opened his eyes. He felt an unexpected comfort and looked around, taking in the white and red surroundings. His gaze then fell on an enormous, lifeless body lying nearby. The person wasn't moving or breathing—they were dead.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Balor's eyes widened, and he quickly stood up. The torn clothes he had worn earlier were gone, leaving him naked, which explained the comfort he felt. Looking around, he noticed others in the same state-naked and engaged in brutal combat.

Boy and girl attacked each other mercilessly, punching, kicking, and biting with a savage ferocity, like wild animals driven solely by the urge to kill. The scene was chaotic and primal, a terrifying display of raw violence and survival instinct. Balor's heart pounded as he tried to comprehend the madness unfolding around him.

"Are they... killing each other?" Balor muttered to himself, the answer glaringly obvious as he surveyed the chaos around him. The dead bodies and the frenzied fighting left no room for doubt.

As he stared at a lifeless body nearby, he felt a sudden, violent movement behind him. Someone had leaped at him, driven by an unstoppable urge to kill. Balor barely had time to react as the attacker closed in, the ferocity of the assault evident in their wild eyes and savage expression.

*Slash!

The wild attacker slashed at Balor with claw-like fingers. Balor managed to dodge to the right, but not entirely unscathed—the claws grazed his left shoulder, leaving a painful scratch. He stumbled, feeling the sting of the wound, his heart racing as he faced the savage foe. Balor knew he had to act quickly if he was to survive this relentless assault.

"Argh!!!!!!" The wild attacker charged at Balor again, intent on killing him.

In a panic, Balor glanced down and saw a severed arm lying on the ground. Desperate, he picked it up and wielded it like a makeshift weapon. As the attacker closed in, Balor swung the arm with all his strength.

*Whack!!

The attacker was struck hard, falling back onto their butt. Balor didn't waste a moment. He leaped onto the attacker, using the detached arm to choke them. He tightened his grip, adrenaline and fear fueling his actions, until the attacker's struggles ceased and they lay lifeless beneath him.

"This... is Hell," a calm voice spoke behind Balor.

Turning, Balor saw a man clad in a pristine white coat.

"Oya... I haven't introduced myself. I'm Genovia Germina, the head and the one who put you here," the man declared with a sinister grin.

Balor's blood boiled at the sight of Genovia, the mastermind behind the gruesome scenario where children were forced to kill each other to survive. With a burst of rage, Balor lunged at Genovia, but a shimmering blue force field deflected his attack, sending him stumbling backward.

"Tch... Tch... This is a magic barrier. You can't attack or even kill me. If you want to live, you must kill those, and I'll grant you anything you want," Genovia reiterated with a smirk.

Without hesitation, Balor sprinted towards the others locked in brutal combat, driven by the primal urge to survive.

"Doctor, are you sure about this experimentation?" A stern voice interrupted as a frigid doctor approached Genovia.

"If someone manages to escape from this 'Hell,' will they truly be able to surpass their limits? And if so, can we harness them as Irregular Magicians to dominate this kingdom?" Genovia's frustration was evident as he surveyed the chaos of children fighting to the death.

A cruel smile played on Genovia's lips as he responded, "Yes, I'm sure. Those who emerge from this trial will possess unparalleled strength. And with that strength, they'll become our tools to rule over this kingdom."

He extended his both arm and laugh like crazy.

[Prologue End]