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Chapter 6 - Rank Difference

With the plans already set and Thaddeus included in the Legacy Clash.

With the Legacy Clash roster set, there was no room for debate.

The Ashbournes didn't like the Patriarch's decision, but they hold no power to complain.

None of them had the power to overturn their father's will...

Now that the decision was set and the plans were in place, the names of those who would represent the Ashbournes.

The roster participating in the Legacy Clash will be:

[ Round 1 ] Kledon Ashbourne — S-Rank "Ignition Burst"

[ Round 2 ] Senna Ashbourne — S-Rank "Gravity Manipulation"

[ Round 3 ] Devon Ashbourne — S-Rank "Umbral Chains"

[ Round 4 ] Cindy Ashbourne — SS-Rank "Render Twilight"

[ Round 5 ] Thaddeus Ashbourne — C-Rank "Martial Prowess"

The five Ashbourne's remained in the room while the others left.

[ Devon Ashbourne ]: "The roster has been sent and has been validated as of now... We only have a day to prepare for tomorrow's Legacy Clash..."

Devon spoke, leaning back slightly, his arms folded and expression unreadable.

[ Senna Ashbourne ]: "So are we just gonna ignore this bad blood with us here?"

Senna tilts her head slightly as she mocks Thaddeus.

[ Cindy Ashbourne ]: "You're so immature, Senna..."

Cindy exhaled, pushing back her chair as she rose to her feet and walked out of the room, the sound of her heels clicking against the marble.

[ Senna Ashbourne ]: "You candy-haired bitch! Who do you thi—"

Senna shot up from her seat, her voice rising, but her outburst was cut short as Kledon's firm voice sliced through the tension.

[ Kledon Ashbourne ]: "Senna! We don't have time to be doing this!"

Kledon exclaimed at Senna, his eyes narrowing as his palm slammed against the table.

The tension between the two thickened with each of their words clashing in a quick heated exchange for two minutes. 

It wasn't until Devon finally stopped them, his calm but unyielding tone cutting across their quarrel.

[ Devon Ashbourne ]: "Now... Now everyone... The meeting has come to an end since it has now become useless."

Devon rose from his seat, his movements deliberate and unhurried, that the argument faltered.

Without a word, he stepped towards the exit.

Thaddeus followed soon after, slipping past the two quickly, not wanting to join the quarrel.

.....

——[ Somewhere in the Vermillion's Estate ]——

[ ??? ]: "Are they mocking us?"

A deep voice of a guy, his head tilting just slightly as his eyes narrowed to slits, watching the tablet with the roster round.

[ ??? ]: "So I'm supposed to fight their weakest one? That C-rank guy?"

Her tone rose with disbelief, a faint twitch pulling at the corner of her mouth as she crossed her arms tight across her chest while watching Thaddeus's profile.

[ ??? ]: "Yep! The Ashbournes are mocking us!"

The woman's voice flared hot with anger.

[ ??? ]: "Let's just pay this humiliation back twofold in the Legacy Clash instead of talking about it right now."

The man's reply came quick and eager, his lips curling into a half-grin as he leaned forward.

[ ??? ]: "This legacy clash is suchhh a painnn..."

Another guy replied in a lazy voice seemingly lacking any energy whatsoever.

.....

——[ Back to the Ashbourne's Estate]——

Thaddeus can be seen at the far end of the Ashbourne estate, which is the guest house, and at the end of it, a hidden overgrown backyard that Thaddeus uses to train and hone his skills.

The air there was heavy, due to this place experiencing years of his strikes and the slow rhythm of his breathing.

Thaddeus stood in a low, balanced stance, his gaze locked on the battered metal dummy before him.

Its surface was pitted with deep dents, the faded paint flaking around the clustered fist and kick marks that told the story of countless hours of training spent here.

Thaddeus went into a stance...

As he flexed his hand, loosening it and tighening it again, before settling into stillness, the faint scrape of his boots against the dirt was the only sound in the secluded yard.

His Sigil glows...

Then suddenly Thaddeus moved at a quick speed—

[ Water Crushing Fist: First Form ]

His blow landed quickly with a deep, resonant crack, and in the next second, the worn metal dummy erupted into a spray of twisted shards, scattering across the dirt.

[ Thaddeus ]: "Tsk... This is just a simple flashy quick punch... How can martial arts have fallen so low..."

His words came out in a low, disdainful mutter, lips curling slightly as he flicked the dust from his knuckles.

As Thaddeus let out a slow weary sigh, his gaze lingered on the scattered shards of the metal dummy with a quiet disappointment of someone who had expected far more from his Sigil.

[ Thaddeus ]: "Martial prowess? What a pathetic Sigil... It just makes you learn flashy fighting techniques disguised as martial arts and strengthens your body..."

He brushed a damp lock of hair from his forehead as he smelled the sharp scent of rain in the air.

A cool drop struck his cheek, followed by another, and another until the sky gave way in a steady downpour.

Thaddeus tilted his head upward, letting the rain run over his face for a moment, his expression unreadable— caught somewhere between scorn and quiet contemplation.

Then without another word, he turned around and went inside to rest for the upcoming tomorrow's Legacy Clash.

.....

Finally, the Legacy Clash came...

——[8:48 A.M ]—[ Sigil Battle Arena: Funded by Vermillion ]——

The stands were already filling with spectators, their voices a low tide of buzzing anticipation.

As the banners, each bearing house crests from the houses of Ashbourne and Vermillion, swayed in the morning breeze, the air carried the faint scent of polished steel.

The anticipation continues as each house heir prepared for the battle...

In the waiting chambers beneath the arena, the air was taut with silence broken only by the muted clang of weapons, the soft crackle of awakened Sigils, and the steady rhythm of measured breaths.

Some heirs stretched, warming up, drawing their focus, while some just relaxed in their rooms.

Above them, the crowd's restless murmur continues, eager for the moment the gates would open.

Then it started...

[ Round 1 ]——[ Legacy Clash ]

[ Kledon Ashbourne : S-Rank "Ignition Burst" ]

VS

[ Asher Vermillion : SS-Rank "Holy Greatsword" ] 

From opposite ends of the arena, each fighter advanced, their footsteps echoing against the stone as the crowd's roar rose like a tide.

There stood Kledon Ashbourne, his frame tall and sharpened by years of disciplined training. He wore the Ashbourne battle suit in deep crimson and black plates of sigil-forged alloy, its surfaces etched with faint, glimmering patterns.

From the opposite end stood Asher Vermillion, his sharp blue eyes locked on Kledon, observing him.

Lean yet broad-shouldered, he cut a figure of disciplined elegance. His battle suit— a pristine weave of silver and white, traced with pale gold, while his snow-white hair seemed almost to glow beneath the open sky.

The Vermillion crest gleamed across his chestplate, and faint threads of light traced the seams of his armor, converging at the gauntlets.

[ Kledon Ashbourne ]: "Wow, an SS-Rank already? Talk about my luck!"

Kledon smiles as he goes into a stance, smiling, his Sigil glowing faintly at the side of his neck.

His hand pulses with power, and with a slight explosion coming out, the ground seems to reverberate at his feet.

[ Asher Vermillion ]: "Ahh... I almost forgot something..."

Asher muttered, raising his right arm, his Sigil flared to life, casting a faint golden shimmer along his arm.

From far above, a distant whistling can be heard, a sharp, growing howl that splits the air at immense speed.

Then suddenly, a massive greatsword crashed into the ground before him, the impact shattered stones and sent cracks across the floor.

A black blade gleaming with razor edge can be seen, it is scribed in intricate gold patterns, the craftsmanship so precise it seemed unreal.

At the hilt sat a deep yellow gemstone, glowing faintly, each pulse like the slow, steady beat of a living heart.

Asher lifted the weapon in one smooth motion, lifting it like it weighed nothing, and pointed it towards Kledon.

The crowd roared, their cheers rolling like thunder.

[ Kledon Ashbourne ]: "INTERESTING!"

Kledon smiled like a menace, looking at Asher.

[ Asher Vermillion ]: "Let's begin, shall we..."

For 15 seconds, both stayed idle, staring at one.

Then suddenly both charged at each other...

Kledon used his explosion to propel himself towards Asher, as swirling smoke balls that are exploding inside, forms around him, spinning at an insane rate.

While Asher charged at full force, the ground cracked beneath his feet. The sound of steel filled the air as his blade swung forward, unleashing a flurry of yellow light slashes that tore toward Kledon.

Kledon spun at an insane rate, the swirling explosive smoke balls orbiting him at an insane speed.

Asher's yellow light slashes tore through the air, but Kledon twisted with the spin, dropping low under one, then bursting sideways with an explosive kick on his feet, propelling him to avoid another, each dodge so close the heat grazed his coat.

All the while, he kept hurling the roaring smoke bombs toward Asher, their detonations punctuating the clash like thunder.

Each explosive sphere came at Asher. He swung his blade in sharp, angled cuts, the steel ringing as it met the force of each impact.

His greatsword met the explosive spheres' energy, and Asher felt each explosive vibration around his greatsword, pushing him back step by step, his boots grinding against the floor stone.

He swung quickly and made quick arcs that caught the bombs at just the right moment, slicing through the pressure before the blasts could swallow him whole.

Smoke thickened around them from Kledon's relentless explosions. Asher's focus narrowed, but the dense smoke masked Kledon's approach.

Suddenly, the smoke reveals Kledon smiling while closing the distance to Asher. Kledon's hand ignited with explosive energy, a fierce glow cutting through the mist.

He launched a powerful right palm strike filled with swirling explosive energy.

Asher reacted just in time, his jaw clenched, raising his greatsword to block the blast. The force exploded against his blade, sending him back to the end of the arena.

Just before crashing into the end of the arena wall, Asher twisted his body and slammed his feet horizontally against the wall.

As Asher's feet collided with the wall, he propelled himself back quickly.

The wall cracked and splintered under the pressure as debris cracked and flew as he launched himself back into Kledon. 

A sonic boom tore through the air as Asher propelled himself while he swung his greatsword again, the blade slicing toward Kledon at blinding speed.

The force of the attack nearly caught Kledon off guard, but with a sharp grunt, Kledon twisted half of his body, his hands almost in the ground, narrowly avoiding the full force of the swing.

Asher's swing sliced past Kledon, the air crackling with the force of the near-miss.

Both of them are now looking at each other, eyes locked...

Without hesitation, they shifted into fresh stances.

.....

——[ Somewhere Inside the Sigil Battle Arena ]—[ Individual Waiting Chambers ]——

Thaddeus sat alone, eyes fixed on the streaming feed of the battle unfolding below—the fierce clash between Kledon Ashbourne and Asher Vermillion.

[ Thaddeus ]: "So... This... is the power of an S-Rank and SS-Rank?"

He exhaled slowly as he looked down at his hands. Feeling the heavy weight of the power gap in his chest that the heirs showed. Which is the Rank Difference.

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