Clash of Energy

Boom!

The entire shelter exploded, causing debris to fall from the sky as if it were rain.

The mixtures of several colors exploding were quickly dissolved into the darkness, creating an even bigger explosion right after the smaller one.

The weather changed as it suddenly began raining.

Smoke emerged from the shelter as if it were completely natural.

Flames encompassed the entire building as it was covered in an orange-red hue.

Heat that could burn even the strongest of Rankers radiated off of the surface, giving a sense of security to those who were afar.

The darkness was quickly neutralized due to the lack of power and energy given to it.

There wasn't a single word that would describe the tragedy that had occurred due to the assassins' attack.

It was ironic, really.

Assassins, who were trained to be discreet, had produced an attack filled with such destructiveness towards another assassin, who had used a defensive skill.

Many might label it as 'badass' or 'cool', but it was torture for those who lived near that area.

Of course, there were no casualties. However, the number of buildings destroyed due to that attack was multitudinous.

Looking at the abandoned dog shelter that had fallen to the ground, two assassins lay naked, blood gushing out of countless wounds covering their bare body.

Beside them was a person with a minimal amount of injuries.

Phantom.

His clothes were tattered, and his breathing was rough.

However, he stood tall, maintaining [Soteria's Protection] with the meager amount of mana remaining inside his body.

His hair was disheveled, and several wounds had been inflicted on his body.

However, he was alive, unlike the two assassins sprawled on the floor.

The assassins had been hit a fraction of the attack due to the SSS Rank skill, [Soteria's Protection].

The skill had reflected a minor amount of mana towards the caster, causing the current situation.

"Ugh."

He groaned as he lay down, massaging his temples due to the intense pain coursing through them.

He coughed up blood as it trickled down his chin afterwards.

"I–I guess I've won, suckers."

A light chuckle escaped his mouth as excruciating pain bombarded his senses.

Immediately, he used [Heal], a C Rank skill, to close his wounds.

Fortunately, he was successful in doing so, as the bleeding was temporarily neutralized.

The pain lightened as his consciousness cleared up.

Despite the nearly unrecognizable corpse of a human he had become, he had won in the end.

That was what mattered.

No one would know of this incident in the future since dead men can't spread rumors. Only the victors can.

"Phantom…"

"Phantom!"

Two voices that differentiated in tones resounded throughout the area as the two figures finally appeared before Phantom.

A teenager with a wolf cut and a middle-aged/old man.

The middle-aged man carried an expression akin to that of betrayal or disappointment.

The teenager carried an expression akin to that of anger, hatred, or resentment.

Immediately, Phantom stood up and began running towards the place he had left Ace's parents at.

The place was far from the shelter, and he hoped they hadn't died yet so he could use them as hostages.

While he did that, Ace carried a bewildered expression while staring at the corpses of the two men that had fought Phantom.

The two corpses couldn't even be recognized, and the corpses' shape wasn't human anymore.

The head was disconnected from the body, and the waist had been torn in half, revealing burnt bones, tendons, and dark blood.

The fresh blood had already dried due to the heat produced by their attack, and even their daggers had been burnt to a crisp.

Scrunching his eyebrows, he spoke…

"Are these the assassins sent after Phantom?"

Nodding solemnly, Felix confirmed the inference.

"Pathetic. If two S Rankers can't match up to one person at the same level, the former have no right to be called S Ranked Individuals."

Ace scrutinized the corpses with eyes like an eagle, processing everything he could view inside his brain.

Unbeknownst to him, this was an extraordinary power of the SS Rank skill, [Indifference].

"If my evaluation is correct, such a wound can only be called using a taboo skill related to the element of darkness. By the amount of mana remaining on their bodies, and considering the elements Phantom tends to use, Phantom must've deflected the attack using a barrier skill."

Felix nodded, agreeing with Ace's interpretation.

He had also seen the scars, and by his knowledge and experience from the past ten years as a member of the OTF, as well as thirty years of combat experience, he also came to the same conclusion.

The part he was perplexed about was…

How did a boy who he previously considered wet behind the ears manage to analyze a corpse so well?

Moreover, his reaction was so calm… like he experienced such a thing every single day.

Or, he had seen many corpses in one place and suffered an enormous amount of trauma.

"Now, should we follow the rogue member?"

"Indeed."

They slowly walked over to Phantom, not paying any mind to what he could have done in the time they spent analyzing the corpses.

The worth thing Phantom could do was take Ace's family hostage.

He knew that if he killed them, he would suffer consequences unimaginable to him or his body.

Therefore, he felt it was better to use them as hostages since the most the OTF or Ace could do even if they caught him, was execution.

As the two figures with expressionless eyes walked towards the building where Ace's family was being held, they passed through several areas where the oxygen level was low, and a squalid scent roamed the air.

"Seems like a little too many toilets exploded."

Felix was shocked that Ace could afford to joke in such a situation but interpreted it as a form of confidence.

However, what he was unbeknownst to was the latter's skill, which did something even Demigod-level skills couldn't do.

It changed the user's personality until deactivated at will.

"Now, look who we have here."

Ace said with a casual expression and tone, directing an irritated stare towards the man holding his family hostage.

Phantom's face was filled with various emotions, such as relief, ecstasy, malice, exasperation, regret, etcetera.

None could tell how he felt, but Ace could tell he truly had the intention of murdering his family if he wanted to.

Now, he had no restraints.

He was going to die either way and preferred to commit suicide right after murdering a sixteen-year-old child's family.

"Phantom… leave them."

Felix tried to reason with Phantom but to no avail, as his words entered through one ear and exited through the other.

Ace's family was blindfolded and were seated in front of Phantom, who was holding a dagger to their throats.

"I'll say this once, Phantom. I've never wronged you…"

Ace slowly approached Phantom with an indifferent expression on his face.

"All I wanted for myself to enroll in the academy…"

As his voice reached the ears of the hostages, their voices drowned out the hesitation on Phantom's face.

His face was now free of any uncertainties as his last wish was to kill the noisy humans sitting before him and avenge his career's loss.

He lifted his dagger upwards with an expression that seemed to scream, I'm psychotic!

A small layer of mana formed on the blade as it became the sunshine during dawn.

Ace's family, unbeknownst to the current situation, kept screaming.

"Phantom!"

Felix screamed, seemingly too far away to reach his dear old friend.

Suddenly, before he could react, a colored blur passed by him at speeds he couldn't even deduce.

Kang!

Night's Accessory, Shadow, had successfully deflected Phantom's attack and even cut the dagger in half, akin to a knife cutting tofu.

The end of his dagger flew towards Phantom's face at frightening speeds but was easily blocked due to tremendous reflexes.

Ace stood near Phantom, aiming Shadow at him with a face that screamed, You don't wanna mess with me.

"You're very fast,"

Phantom remarked with a bitter expression, either in self-mockery or annoyance.

He extended his arm towards the fragment of the dagger that still possessed a hilt but didn't bother encompassing it with mana.

"That blade is stronger than it looks."

As carefree as he looked, inwardly, he was terrified of the blade the child possessed, which could cut his mana in half cleanly.

'If I get hit by that blade, I'm done for.'

With eyes containing a glint of murderous intent, Ace spoke with a soothing but cold voice…

"Felix, take my family away from here. I believe we're going to have to have a proper duel."

"Ace–"

"Go."

"You can't take him on alone. He's at the S Rank, and can take on 2 S Ranks with that particular skill he possessed."

"And I'm a B- Rank that possesses a blade easily able to cut through his defenses."

With hesitation written all over his face, he eventually agreed to comply with Ace's wishes.

'Moreover, he's practically half-dead.'

He muttered inwardly before motioning for Felix to retrieve his family.

"No, you cannot take his family away yet. Ace, let's do a wager. Felix protects your family, and whoever wins gets your family as a reward."

His words pierced through Amanda, Adam, and Alice's hearts, causing them to shudder uncontrollably.

Giving it some thought, Ace eventually agreed.

"Ace, are you going to bet your family over something so stupid?"

"No. However, I wish to settle my affairs by myself. Moreover, by my calculations, you guys are almost at equal strength when at peak, so my family could be swept up as collateral if you guys fight. My fighting style is one based on speed, as Phantom should have already seen. That is why I wish to fight him alone, and since he has set such conditions, I have no choice but to comply."

Although still uncertain, Felix sighed in defeat before taking Ace's family farther away from the battle ground while constructing a barrier before them.

He then removed their blindfolds.

"W–What happened?"

Taking a deep breath, Felix explained the situation.

"One of my colleagues had kidnapped you because of Ace, who he thought had stolen his position. Two S Rank assassins were sent after Phantom, but they failed. Now, he is fighting going to have a battle with Phantom alone."

After giving a basic explanation, he turned towards the battle ground, in awe due to what could either be Ace's bravery or stupidity.

He genuinely hoped it was the former.

As Ace stood a few feet away from his current opponent, which, happened to be one of the servants of a Co-Council member of the OTF, he could feel the tense atmosphere and the bewildered cries of his family.

Truth be told, he had arrived to the battlefield prepared to take on anything, and he was confident in his strength.

However, even while facing a half-dead S Rank Individual, he couldn't help but shudder.

Mana filled the air immediately.

However, there was a substance that differed slightly from mana present in the atmosphere that suffocated Ace.

'It's Shakti.'

Shakti was one of the few different forms of energies present on Earth, like mana and Qi.

Aether was also considered a form of energy, but it was a lot more power than something like Shakti.

However, Shakti's power was amplified due to Phantom's mana level.

Mana had always blended well with other energies to amplify their power, and since Phantom was at the S Rank, his Shakti was a lot more potent than Ace's aether.

Ace released a fraction of his aether into the atmosphere, which struggled in order to maintain power.

Soon, the green energy, Shakti, and the purple energy, aether, were battling each other outside of Phantom and Ace's direct command.

Although Phantom and Ace had released them into the air, the energies were fighting on their own for supremacy.

As the energies clashed, several shockwaves were produced that flew towards Felix and Ace's family.

Felix easily blocked them, and he created countless more barriers to protect Ace's family.

'That mysterious energy is stronger than I first thought.'

Phantom analyzed Ace's capabilities while lightly scrunching his eyebrows.

Crash!

The aether suddenly shattered, letting most of the Shakti approach Ace at rapid speeds.

However, Ace's body, which was coated in mana, flames, darkness, aether, and aura, couldn't be damaged so easily.

As the Shakti came into contact with Ace's body, most of it was repelled instantly.

Some of it infiltrated Ace's body, causing excruciating pain to the person in question.

However, maybe in an attempt to show bravery, his expression didn't falter one bit, staying indifferent throughout the process.

"Is that it? Not much from an S Rank individual, is it?"

Although he knew that if Phantom wasn't injured, he could have swatted Ace away with a glance, he still felt the need to mock his opponent.

Clicking his tongue in disappointed due to his weakened state, Phantom quickly drew flames by converting his mana into flame properties using [Self Fire-Affinity].

As the flames encompassed most of his body, it crackled loudly, as if possessing a will of its own.

"Today will be the day you fall, Ace Ambrosia."

He said with a tone colder than all of Antarctica combined, extending his arm towards the boy with fierce eyes.

Soon, darkness was created using his mana, which blended with the flames, causing them to turn into a dark shade of orange.

His eyes emanated blue flames while his body was covered in dark-orange ones.

Quickly, a white, tangible staff was created solely using mana that could extend to a certain degree.

Having practiced the art of magic and weaponry to the best of his abilities, Phantom was well-versed in almost all times of combat.

For Ace, close combat involving a destructive power would be best to counter his attack preferences based on speed.

Whoosh!

The cold breeze during dawn swept past as Phantom's figure disappeared.

As Phantom suddenly appeared before Ace, they both swung their weapons.

However, instead of engaging in a sword lock, Phantom sidestepped before swinging his staff down on the flat part of Ace's blade, causing it to stick to the ground.

Kang!

The blade pierced the ground like tofu, entering the hard soil, which now seemed as soft as melted butter.

Whoosh!

As Ace dodged a strike to his face by bending down, he kicked his left leg upwards, causing Phantom to falter in his sense of direction.

Taking advantage of such an opportunity, he gathered aether in his hand before lunging towards his opponent with his palm infused with the purple energy.

As his palm neared his opponent's chest, Phantom suddenly disappeared, perplexing Ace.

A cold glint appeared in Ace's eyes as he stepped backwards, barely avoiding the strike.

Phantom's staff had extended to a certain extent, causing wariness to appear in Ace's eyes.

He jumped backwards, using [Body Augmentation] to strengthen his feet as his face contorted into a devilish grin.

He hadn't used [Sword Saint] in a long time, and a fight with an S Rank individual was the perfect way to begin using it once again.

Combining Vertical Tear and Horizontal Horizon, he created the third move of [Sword Saint]...

Diagonal Devastation.

A ringing sound entered the ears of those watching as reality itself was supposedly sliced in half like cheese.

His arms lost strength for a split second but were recovered by Ace soon.

His eyes turned lifeless but were ignited once again due to his resistance against the pain caused by such an attack.

Despite not being able to sustain such a powerful attack with his body yet, he was still able not to faint.

When the smoke subsided, his eyes suddenly threatened to bulge as he witnessed the scene before him.

Phantom stood up as he dusted his clothes, blood trickling down most of his body.

Although he was injured severely, his expression stayed casual as he spoke…

"Is that all you got, 'prodigy'?"

Biting his lip in frustration, Ace began pondering ideas of how to take the opponent that stood before him down.

However, before he could finish his train of thought, he sensed something dangerous.

It was something that could tear him apart if it were to hit.

Whoosh!

Phantom's half-broken dagger was avoided barely by Ace, who bent his torso backwards until he couldn't anymore.

Enveloping his weapon with mana, he sought to counter or parry his next move, but before he could think, another attack struck…

Ace did a backflip as he avoided another strike. However, another one was waiting for him.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

He kept on avoiding fatal strikes, not having enough time to think of any ideas.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

He quickly used [Blitz Step] to increase the distance between him and his opponent, his eyes narrowing to slits.

'I might not be able to make it in time for today's events, but….'

He glanced at his opponent, who licked his blade, drenched in blood…

'I also don't wanna lose my life to a person suffering from psychosis.'

He nodded inwardly, preparing a stance.

The mana around him began flowing in the opposite direction as Phantom's eyes widened slightly.

The power Ace was currently controlling was at least three times higher than before.

Moreover, the mana was as dense as it could be, with some of his leaking out due to the sheer concentration of it.

Ace's pupils turned. green, while the mana he controlled turned black.

It was the Intermediate Level Mastery of [Sword Saint], also known as the second out of the four levels.

Currently, he had mastered three moves and two levels of the skill, and was on track to mastering the skill itself in a few years.

As the mana became denser and denser, it began spreading to different locations, dominating the atmosphere.

Soon, the entire area was controlled by Ace, who acted as the supreme ruler of his nation.

A blinding light appeared as the ringing sound resounded throughout the area once again, causing reality to be sliced in half diagonally.

Diagonal Devastation.

Despite the move causing tremendous backlash, he had used twice within a meager amount of time.

His arms lost strength immediately after using the attack as his pupils turned lifeless.

Thud!