The crowd roared, their voices echoing through the vast arena as Riko walked onto the battlefield. The evening sky was painted in shades of orange and pink, and a soft breeze brushed against his hair. Riko swallowed hard; a bead of sweat slid down his cheek.
Kimura approached from behind, his calm presence grounding the moment.
"Riko, I suppose it's time for you to show your true strength to the people," he said, placing a hand on Riko's shoulder. "They'll be watching closely. As I observe this fight, I'll determine your potential… and your current power. So, Don't hold back."
Riko nodded slowly. "Okay," he replied, voice slightly shaky.
I guess it's time…
Across the arena, a woman entered through the opposite gate—her long blonde hair gleaming under the sunset, her golden eyes calm yet fierce. She wore elegant silver armor that reflected the light like a mirror. When her gaze met Riko's, he froze for a moment.
The crowd erupted even louder.
"HALEY GREYFOR! HAYLEY GREYFOR!" they chanted in unison, shaking the arena to its core.
Up in the balcony, Hikari, Takashi, Miraku, and Daigon sat alongside Kimura, watching eagerly.
Takashi leaned forward, smirking. "Oh my god…! Heheh, there she is! She's such a hottie!" he said, eyes sparkling.
Miraku stared at Takashi with a deadpan, "Pervert."
Hikari groaned, clearly annoyed. "Ugh, can they just start already?"
"Patience," Kimura said, smirking faintly as he looked down at the two fighters. "It'll start soon enough."
Riko took a deep breath and forced himself to step forward. "My name is Riko Takamo," he said, voice firm despite the tension. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
The woman smiled slightly, her tone soft yet confident. "My name is Hayley Greyfor. It's an honor to meet you as well, Riko."
My god… Takashi was right. She is a hottie! Riko thought, eyes widening slightly as looked toward her chest. And those… they're way too dangerous…
Both Riko and Hayley backed away, taking their positions.
"Hayley, are you ready?" the armored announcer asked, his voice trembling as he looked her way.
She nodded, drawing her sword. "Yes, I am."
The man then turned to Riko. "Riko, are you ready?"
Riko hesitated, his hands shaking slightly. He took a deep breath, forcing himself into a battle stance. "Yes… I am," he replied.
NO, I'M NOT! he screamed internally.
The tension rose. The crowd's roar grew deafening as Riko and Hayley stared each other down, eyes locked.
The announcer raised his hand high and shouted, "THE DUEL MAY BEGIN—NOW!"
In an instant, both Riko and Hayley vanished, the ground beneath them shattering from the sheer force of their movements. The announcer yelped and dove for cover as dust and debris erupted into the air.
They clashed, and the shockwave from their collision exploded through the arena—dust and debris swirling everywhere.
"I must say, you're not bad, Riko…" Hayley said, her tone amused, golden eyes gleaming.
Riko smirked back, a bead of sweat rolling down his cheek. "I was going to say the same thing." He pushed her away with a burst of strength.
Hayley slid back across the dirt but immediately dashed forward again. Riko's eyes widened as she closed the distance.
"GUH—!"
Hayley drew her sword and swung in a blinding arc. Riko narrowly dodged, the blade grazing his hair.
"Ashton Vigario!" Riko shouted.
A massive beam of light erupted from the heavens, descending. Hayley's eyes widened—but before it hit, she vanished.
Then—
FWOOM!
The beam struck the ground with explosive force, shattering the arena floor.
FWISHBOOM!
As smoke filled the air, Riko summoned his sword from thin air, his aura flickering around him. Spotting Hayley's silhouette through the haze, he dashed forward—then broke into an even faster sprint.
"HRAAAAH!" Riko roared, leaping into the air. He spun in a full 360 rotation before bringing his sword down toward her.
But Hayley raised her sword and blocked Riko's attack. Sparks flew as steel met steel.
"Really…?" she said coolly, unfazed. "Maybe, I was wrong about you… you fight like an amatuer."
Before Riko could react, she unleashed a flurry of blows to his abdomen in the span of a heartbeat.
Riko's eyes shot wide open. "GUH—PUAHA!" Blood sprayed from his mouth as the final strike connected.
Then—
WHAM!
Hayley spun and delivered a roundhouse kick directly to his face. The impact exploded with a deafening shockwave.
Riko's body flew across the arena and slammed into the wall. "GUAHAA!" he screamed, the stone cracking behind him.
"Whoa! Hayley is on fire right now! That's the blessed child of our lord—the Being Above All—for ya!" the announcer shouted, voice trembling with excitement.
Hayley reappeared in front of the battered Riko in a blink. She grabbed him by the hair and, with an enraged roar, hurled him across the arena.
"HYAAA!" she screamed, sending Riko across the arena, crashing from one wall to another.
"GYAAAH!" he screamed in agony as his body hit the ground hard.
This woman, who even is she because she hits like a truck! I can't even land a hit on her! Riko thought, his mind spinning in panic as his body trembled.
Hayley darted toward him with blinding speed. She lunged, landing a relentless barrage of punches straight into Riko's face. Each strike echoed like thunder.
Blood splattered across the arena floor. Riko's nose bled, his vision blurred, and time itself seemed to slow.
"PUAHA!" he screamed as another punch connected.
I can't do anything… I CAN'T! SHE'S NOT LETTING ME BREAK FREE FROM HER ATTACKS!
Hayley grabbed Riko by the throat and slammed him into the ground with brutal force.
"GAHA!" Riko coughed violently, blood pouring from his mouth.
Hayley extended her arm, and her sword flew back into her hand like a magnet. Closing her eyes, her aura began to shimmer—golden sparks dancing around her like radiant fireflies. Her sword ignited in golden light as her energy flowed into it.
"Riko," she said softly, her tone filled with disappointment. "I was quite disappointed… so disappointed that this match ended so quickly. Farewell."
She raised her glowing blade above her head.
I'M DEAD! I'M DEAD! NOOO, I CAN'T LOSE LIKE THIS—NOT AT ALL!!
"Veno Lukmura…" her voice echoed through the air as she swung down her sword.
Time seemed to crawl to a halt. The crowd gasped.
No… I CAN'T LOSE… NOT LIKE THIS!!! He screamed with rage internally.
In that instant—Riko's eyes flared with blinding light, his aura erupting outward in a violent explosion that shook the arena.
"GRAAAAH!!!" he roared, his right eye glowing with a brilliant silver light.
The ground beneath him shattered like glass as shockwaves burst outward, pushing Hayley back.
Kimura narrowed his eyes, a grin forming on his face. "Oh?" he muttered. "I have a feeling this might get interesting…"
Riko's aura outburst began to calm, his expression shifted completely—his usual nervousness gone. His eye glowed as his face turned cold and emotionless.
"Who decided it was over…?" he said in a low, chilling tone. His aura flared violently. "No one."
In the blink of an eye—he vanished.
FWOOM!
Before Hayley could even react, Riko appeared right in front of her, his fist already crashing into her abdomen.
CRACK!
Her armor shattered like glass under the sheer force of the blow. Hayley's eyes widened in shock as blood burst from her mouth.
"GAHH—!" she screamed as her body was sent flying across the arena, slamming hard into the wall.
Riko raised his hand without hesitation. Two radiant beams of silver energy fired from his palm.
BOOM! BOOM!
The explosions erupted across the arena, the shockwaves rattling the stands as smoke and dust filled the air.
The crowd gasped in disbelief.
"WOAH! RIKO LANDED A BRUTAL BLOW DIRECTLY TO HAYLEY GREYFOR!!" The announcer's voice echoed across the coliseum, his tone filled with disbelief.
Hikari, Takashi, and Miraku froze in shock.
"Eh…?" Takashi says in confusion.
Daigon, meanwhile, leaned back with a smirk tugging at his lips.
"Hmm? He activated it again?" he muttered under his breath, eyes gleaming with intrigue. He leaned forward, a grin spreading. "Alright, Riko… let's see what you can do with the Eye of Ashton."
In the center of the arena, Riko walked forward slowly. His gaze was cold, unwavering. His right eye left faint trails of silver light as he moved, his aura swirling violently around him like a storm of moonlight. His hair flowed upward from the sheer force of his mana.
He stopped before Hayley, who was on the wall, dazed from the last blow. He picked up her fallen sword, twirled it once in his hand, then tossed it back toward her.
"Pick it up," he said calmly. "Our fight didn't end yet… The real fight begins now."
His tone carried weight—calm but cold.
Hayley gritted her teeth, fury burning through her eyes. "So you were holding back all this time, huh? You dare mock me—YOU BASTARD!"
Her aura erupted violently, golden light spiraling around her like a burning sun.
Riko's eyes narrowed slightly, his silver glow flickering brighter. "So you were holding back too, huh…"
The ground between them cracked under the clash of their rising energies. Hayley raised her blade, her golden aura flaring higher.
Riko lifted both hands—two ethereal daggers forming out of his aura, their blades flickering like silver flame. He spun them once, lowering into stance. His voice dropped low and resolute:
"...This time, I'll be taking you seriously."
Kimura's eyes widened slightly, his calm composure faltering for the first time.
"Did he just… create two daggers out of pure mana?" he muttered under his breath.
Hikari shot up from her seat, her eyes gleaming in excitement.
"See! That's what I'm talking about! That outburst of mana—it like changed him as if he was a different person!" she shouted.
Before anyone could blink—
FWISH!
Riko and Hayley vanished from sight. The air between them imploded as their weapons clashed midair. Sparks of gold and silver illuminated the coliseum.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Their strikes collided faster than the eye could follow, a dance of light and steel.
Hayley gritted her teeth, sweat sliding down her cheek as she barely kept up with Riko's rapid attacks. Her sword arm trembled, the pressure suffocating.
"What's wrong?" Riko's voice whispered dangerously close to her ear. "Are you overwhelmed by my power? Because it seems so."
Hayley's eyes widened in fury. "YOU—SHUT UP!"
She swung with full force—but her blade sliced through nothing but air. "Wha—?"
Before she could react, Riko was already behind her—his body leaning casually against her back, one dagger spinning lazily between his fingers.
His voice and expression are calm yet mocking. "Who are you lunging at… a ghost?"
Hayley spun on instinct, swinging her blade behind her. SHING!
Riko tilted his head just enough — the sword narrowly missed as wind burst past his cheek.
Then Riko froze—his eyes narrowing.
Her left hand glowed. A golden sigil spun into existence, pulsing with divine energy. "You fell for it…"
Hayley smirked, her voice echoing through the arena. "Veno Hashtenkai!"
The ground beneath Riko cracked, light enveloping him—
—but in that instant, Riko's right eye flared open, shining with blinding silver light.
FWOOM!
The spell shattered into fragments midair like glass. Hayley's pupils shrank in disbelief. "You—! You canceled out my magic?!"
Riko blinked, slightly surprised himself. Damn… I didn't even know I could do that. Wait—Daigon did use his eye to nullify my magic when we first met…
His eyes widened. So that's what it was… that was The Eye of Ashton's doings—the eye can nullify any magic.
Hayley's expression turned from shock to fury. Her aura burst outward. "Don't you dare underestimate me!" she shouted, dashing toward him.
Riko snapped back to reality, he then notices Hayley dashing towards him. Their blades clashed again, sparks flying with every impact—CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Each blow heavier than the last, their movements blurring as shockwaves tore through the arena.
Then Riko ducked low—spinning in front of her. Before Hayley could react, his hand snapped forward, gripping her by the hair.
Her eyes widened. "Wha—!?"
Riko twisted and slammed her into the ground with brutal force.
BOOM!
"GUH—!!" Hayley coughed, blood splattering across the cracked stone.
The crowd fell silent. Even the air trembled from the impact. Riko looked down at her coldly, his glowing eye still burning with a silver glow.
His voice echoed, calm and merciless. "Get up…"
He took a step forward, his aura flickered. "I'm not finished with you yet."
Riko then extended out his hand, healing her with a soft silver glow. "I told you to get up… now," he said coldly, his tone calm yet commanding.
Her eyes widened in confusion as her wounds began to close. "Why would you do that?!" she shouted.
Riko then transferred a bit of his mana to her, his gaze unchanging. "Don't worry… consider this my kindness. Now, shall we continue? I'm getting bored here."
The crowd gasped.
Hikari, Takashi, Miraku, and Daigon all watched from the balcony, frozen in disbelief.
Kimura suddenly laughed, leaning forward in excitement. "Your not wrong about him! His power is what we need! He's a rare find—a true fortune for our guild!"
Hayley picked up her sword, glaring at him with fury. "You healed me… just to entertain yourself?!"
Riko shrugged, smirking faintly. "Sure. You could say that."
Her expression twisted with rage. "THEN LET'S GO FULL POWER! I'M NOT HOLDING BACK ANY LONGER! YOU ASKED FOR THIS, RIKO TAKAMO! I AM THE BLESSED CHILD!"
Her speed suddenly spiked—blinding fast. Riko's eyes widened as he barely managed to block the incoming strike.
She got even stronger?! he thought, gritting his teeth as the impact of each clash rattled through his arms. Maybe—I shouldn't have gotten too cocky!
Hayley swung her sword again and again, each strike bursting with golden sparks as their blades collided like fireworks.
"GRAAAAH!" Riko roared, throwing one of his daggers to the ground. He clenched his fist and lunged forward.
Hayley smirked. "Hand-to-hand?! Then I shall do the same!"
They both dashed toward each other, fists flying. The air cracked from every blow. Riko blocked, countered, and twisted—only for Hayley to retaliate with a roundhouse kick. Riko barely ducked under it.
Then—he noticed it.
Her palm glowed with radiant light.
"VENO RITUGARU!!" she shouted.
Riko's eyes widened. Too fast! He flicked his hand in desperation, trying to redirect the spell—
BOOM!
The magic detonated, shattering the entire arena floor. Smoke and debris erupted everywhere.
"GRAAAAH!" Riko roared through the chaos, his aura flaring. In a blur, he appeared behind her.
THUD!
His fist slammed into her abdomen with crushing force.
"GUAH!" Hayley coughed blood, her eyes going wide—before Riko unleashed a flurry of blows to her head and body, each hit sending shockwaves through the air. The final strike kept her midair, suspended in the force of his blows.
Riko then clashed his hands together in a unique pattern, his eyes glowing brighter with each motion.
CLAP! CLAP! CLASH!
Time itself seemed to slow after the final strike of his palms. The air warped, the ground trembling beneath his feet.
He flicked his hand upward.
"Ashton Contorie…" his voice echoed.
A colossal silvery beam erupted from the shattered ground, ripping through the air.
FWOOM!
Hayley's eyes widened. "Huh?!" she gasped, her expression twisted in fear as the light consumed everything around her.
Riko then sees Hayley vanish from his sight.
The beam shot skyward, tearing through clouds and shaking the entire arena.
Riko's eyes widened as realization hit—he quickly canceled out his spell before it could destroy everything in sight.
In the next instant, a flash of light appeared behind him. Kimura stood there, holding Hayley in his arms—her body trembling, eyes half-shut.
"That's enough…" Kimura said calmly, though his tone carried weight. "You've convinced me enough. The match has concluded."
The crowd fell silent, the dust settling around Riko as he stood there, breathing heavily—his silver aura fading like mist in the wind.
"Woohoo! Yeah! Riko won!" Hikari shouted, clapping as she smiled brightly.
Miraku also clapped but lazily cheered, "Good job, Riko you won."
"YEAH! RIKO, I KNEW YOU WERE GOING TO WIN!" Takashi shouted, violently shaking Miraku.
"LET ME GO!" Miraku then punched Takashi.
"GAH!"
The crowd remained silent, still processing the intense clash, while Hikari, Takashi, and Miraku were the only ones cheering.
Daigon simply shrugged. "Eh, I guess it was a good fight. I'm gonna go grab something to eat—I'm starving."
Kimura gently set Hayley down. "Riko, meet me by my office," he said, his tone unusually serious.
Eh… what did I do? Did I mess something up? Riko wondered, puzzled by the sudden expression.
He turned to Hayley as his Eye of Ashton dimmed and his aura slowly dissipated. "Hey, Hayley… are you okay? I have to say, you're an incredible warrior," he said, extending his hand to her.
Her expression was unreadable. "Riko…" she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Just… who are you exactly?"
Riko blinked, surprised, then cleared his throat and sighed nervously. "I'm… just a guy who likes magic and, uh… stuff," he said, scratching the back of his head.
Before he could react, Hayley suddenly shot up and grabbed him by the shirt.
And then… she kissed him directly on the lips.
Hikari, Miraku, and Takashi froze.
"HUH?!" The crowd collectively gasped, shocked at the sudden display.
Daigon returned with a plate of food in hand, mid-bite. "What happened?—" His eyes widened as he saw Riko and Hayley, and his jaw almost dropped. "HYAAA!!" he shouted, dropping his plate in sheer surprise.
Takashi began crying dramatically. "AW COME ON! HOW COME HE GETS A KISS FROM HER?!" he whined, flailing his arms.
Riko's face turned crimson, utterly overwhelmed by the sudden kiss.
She kissed me… she kissed me… SHE KISSED MEEEE! AAAH!! he panicked internally.
He hastily pushed her away and wiped his lips. "WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?—" He froze mid-sentence as he noticed her face—deep red, flushed, and almost gleaming with intensity. It was as if she actually liked it.
"I've never had someone beat me before! As soon as you defeated me, my heart… my body… felt so hot!" she exclaimed, practically vibrating with emotion.
Riko's eyes went wide in terror. "WHAT?! ALL BECAUSE I BEAT YOU, YOU FELL FOR ME?!"
She started closing the distance, a mischievous grin on her face. "Oh, don't be like that! Just come here and have fun with me…" she teased, chasing him across the arena.
"GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU MANIAC!" Riko shouted, sprinting for his life.
Hikari, Miraku, and Takashi arrived on the scene just in time. Takashi lunged at Hayley. "GET IT TOGETHER—"
His focus wavered, and he got distracted by her chest. "Good god… one little touch won't hurt, hehe…"
Before he could act, she elbowed him with lightning speed, sending him crashing into the ground.
"GAHA!" he cried, clutching himself in pain.
Riko, panicking and traumatized, leapt onto Hikari. She caught him by the hand, effortlessly holding him like a princess.
"HIKARI, GET HER AWAY FROM ME!" he screamed.
Hikari sighed, unimpressed, and dropped him. "Get off of me," she muttered, clearly annoyed.
"OOF!"
Riko rubbed his head and turned to look at Hayley. She was staring at him with an intense, affectionate gaze. Terrified, he ducked behind Hikari. "EEK! She… she scares me!" he whimpered like a scared child.
The announcer cautiously approached Hikari. "Hey… you guys can't be here. Only combatants or authorized personnel are allowed—"
"I DON'T CARE WHO OR WHAT IS ALLOWED HERE!" Hikari shouted, cutting him off, her hand raised in fury. "THIS IS MY FRIEND, AND WE CAN BE HERE ALL WE WANT! GOT THAT?!"
The announcer flinched at her outburst and stumbled back. "O-Okay, okay… just… please don't hurt me."
Hikari then turned to Riko. "Don't you have to go to Master Kimura's office?" she asked.
Oh crap! I forgot!
"Oh… uh, yeah. I'll meet you guys back at the guild later," Riko said, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.
Daigon tugged on his pants. "Hey, I gotta say, you did well out there. But later, we need to have a word, alright?"
Riko nodded. "Oh… okay."
In the background, Takashi was still struggling to grab Hayley, only to be repeatedly thrown to the ground.
Riko arrived at the office, nervously sliding into a chair. "So… what is it?" he asked.
Kimura stood by the window, both hands behind his back. "Ah, yes. Riko… you won, but far too easily. I wasn't expecting such skill from you. I have to admit, I'm impressed." He turned to face Riko fully. "Tell me… I saw you use Ashton-based magic. How did you manage to handle such magic? Especially, creating weapons out of pure mana." His tone was serious.
Ah, crap how do I answer this?
Riko's sweat beaded on his forehead as he scrambled for an answer. "Uh… practice?" he shrugged weakly.
"Riko, don't lie to me," Kimura said, his gaze sharp and piercing.
Terrified, Riko waved his hands frantically. "I'm telling the truth! That's all!"
Dammit… he's got me cornered. I can't just tell him that I have the Eye of Ashton that Ritumara gave me.
Kimura finally sat down in his chair, spinning his fountain pen idly. "Riko… Ashton-based magic isn't something an ordinary person can casually cast. It's considered a legend. Not something one simply wields at will."
I didn't even know it was considered a legend here.
Well… he isn't wrong. The first time I tried to cast it, I completely failed. But ever since I got the Eye of Ashton, I've been able to use it without issues.
Kimura leaned back slightly, continuing, "Veno means destruction. Sugrio means life. And Ashton… means divine or sacred."
"Really? I never knew that," Riko replied, surprise evident in his voice.
Kimura set his pen down on the desk. "Riko… by 'divine,' I mean you were either blessed by The Being Above All, or you are part of what we call The Talented."
"Riko, I ask you this. Have you ever heard of this group… The Talented?" he asked.
Riko shook his head, puzzled. "Well… no."
The Talented? What does that mean?
Kimura stood and walked toward Riko, his gaze serious. "The Talented are a rare group of people born with natural and divine abilities. They possess overwhelming mana, magical skill, and combat prowess from birth. Their talent is unmatched by ordinary humans."
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. "During the era of the Primordial Anathema, the Talented fought valiantly against him. But since then… they disapeared. Most were discovered and slaughtered."
"And you, Riko. You might not be aware but… your father is one of them. You also might be one of the last standing members. It isn't confirmed, but I have a gut feeling you are one, no doubt." Kimura said, staring down at him.
Ruther was one too? Well, it does make sense for him to be one, his mana was something else when I first trained with him. Riko thought. Well, I guess you could say that I am one… but truly, I was blessed by none other than Ritumara himself.
Kimura smirked. "Don't get all tense. I mean, it's a good thing. Consider it a sign of potential," he said, smiling innocently.
"Oh… uh, okay then. Was that all you were going to tell me?" Riko asked.
"Oh, I almost forgot… starting tomorrow, I'll be training you. From now on, you can call me Master Kimura, okay?" he said, smirking down at Riko.
Training with you? Riko thought, excitement rising. Well, that's fine by me. After all, my goal was to get stronger and use that to my advantage to get money from the guild.
"So, Riko. Are you willing to do it?" Kimura asked.
Riko stood up, determination in his eyes. "Yes, and for now on… I'll call you by Master Kimura."