Theodore stepped back several paces, his breathing becoming labored. He had used quite a lot of mana for his previous attacks, while Marcus still appeared fresh and calm. Theodore's pride as the family genius began to crack.
"It's impossible for me to lose to trash like you!" Theodore roared, his eyes blazing with anger and desperation. "If that's the case, I'll use the forbidden technique!"
The supervising elder's facial expression turned serious. "Theodore, don't be reckless! That technique is too dangerous to use in a family examination!"
However, Theodore was already desperate. He bit the tip of his tongue, drawing blood which he then smeared on both palms. This ritual was "Blood Enhancement" - a technique that temporarily increased magical power by sacrificing bodily vitality.
Theodore's aura increased drastically, from the third level of wizard apprentice almost touching the fourth level. The blue fire around him turned crimson purple, indicating a significant power increase.
"Marcus!" Theodore shouted, his voice echoing throughout the arena. "Now feel this! Crimson Hell Blast!"
A giant fireball the size of an adult human body formed above his head. The heat it radiated was so intense that the grass around the arena began to wither and the ground cracked.
The spectators began to retreat, sensing real danger from this technique. Some weak family members even fainted because they couldn't withstand the pressure of the released energy.
Marcus felt a serious threat for the first time in this battle. But instead of fear, a cold smile spread across his face. His eyes began to glow with dangerous golden light as his Ten Thousand Spells Body awakened fully.
In his mind, knowledge from the Codex of Ten Thousand Spells surged forward. Ancient fire magic that had been used to burn entire armies, techniques that had reduced castles to ash. He remembered the legendary "Rainbow Fire Annihilation" a magic so destructive that different colored flames could completely erase their targets from existence.
"You want to show me your strongest attack?" Marcus said, his voice carrying a chilling undertone. "Then let me show you what real fire magic looks like."
Marcus raised both hands toward the sky. Suddenly, flames of different colors burst forth around him. Red, orange, yellow, green, and blue flames danced with controlled intensity.
Red flames crackled with explosive heat, orange flames burned hotter than normal fire, yellow flames sparked with electrical energy, green flames released toxic smoke, and blue flames burned cold yet destructive. Each represented a different temperature and combustion method that Marcus could now control.
"Take this!" Theodore hurled the Crimson Hell Blast with all his strength.
The giant fireball shot forward at terrifying speed, but as it approached Marcus's rainbow fire barrier, something horrifying happened. The crimson flames were instantly devoured and transformed into fuel for the rainbow inferno.
"Rainbow Fire Magic: Multi-Color Burst!" Marcus declared, his voice carrying newfound confidence.
The five colored flames converged into his palms, forming a swirling ball of multi-colored fire. Unlike Theodore's single massive fireball, this attack combined different types of combustion. Explosive red flames for impact, intense orange flames for penetration, electrical yellow flames for disruption, toxic green flames for lasting damage, and cold blue flames to prevent healing.
The heat radiating from this technique was so intense that the stone arena began to crack and melt. The protective barriers around the spectator stands activated automatically, but even they began to strain under the overwhelming magical pressure.
Theodore's face went pale as he realized the true gap between them. "Wait, Marcus! This is just a family exam!"
"Too late," Marcus said coldly. "You wanted to use a forbidden technique to kill me. Now experience the consequences."
Marcus hurled the Multi-Color Burst directly at Theodore. The attack struck with devastating precision, the red flames exploded on impact, the orange flames burned through Theodore's magical defenses, the yellow flames disrupted his mana circulation, the green flames poisoned his magical channels, and the blue flames prevented his body from naturally healing from magical exhaustion.
Theodore screamed as the combined effects tore through his body. The explosion sent him flying backwards, his clothes burned away, his skin covered in severe burns of different colors where each flame type had struck.
"NOOOOOO!" Theodore screamed as the attack engulfed him.
The explosion that followed shook the entire family compound. A pillar of rainbow fire shot into the sky, visible for miles around. The arena floor where Theodore had stood was completely obliterated, leaving nothing but a perfectly smooth crater of glass formed from melted stone.
When the flames finally died down, Theodore lay motionless in a crater, his body severely burned and his magical circuits damaged. He was still breathing, but barely the combined assault of different flame types had pushed his body far beyond its limits. His mana was completely depleted, his magical channels were corrupted by the green flame's toxins, and his natural healing was suppressed by the blue flame's lingering effects.
Silence filled the arena. Even the insects had stopped making noise.
Marcus lowered his hands slowly, the golden light in his eyes gradually fading. His expression returned to its usual calm, as if he had just swatted a bothersome fly rather than completely annihilated another human being.
"The power of multi-colored fire magic," Marcus said coldly, looking down at Theodore's broken form. "Each flame type attacks differently. Red for explosive damage, orange for deep burning, yellow for magical disruption, green for poisoning the mana channels, and blue for preventing recovery. Combined properly, they can completely overwhelm an opponent's defenses and healing capabilities."
The elders on the platform rushed down to check Theodore's condition. One of the medical elders quickly assessed his injuries. "He's alive, but in critical condition. Multiple severe burns, magical channel damage, and mana poisoning. He'll need months of treatment to recover fully... if he can recover at all."
Marcus turned to face the elders, his eyes still carrying traces of golden light. "He chose to use a forbidden technique with lethal intent. I responded with appropriate force. This is what happens when you escalate beyond your capabilities."
"But this was supposed to be an examination, not a death match!" the supervising elder protested.
"An examination?" Marcus smiled coldly. "The moment he used Blood Enhancement and launched that Crimson Hell Blast, it stopped being an examination. It became a battle for survival. And in such battles, there is only one rule - the winner lives, the loser dies."
The spectators began to murmur among themselves, torn between awe at Marcus's incredible power and horror at the complete annihilation of Theodore. Some looked at Marcus with newfound respect, others with fear.
The family head finally spoke from the platform, his voice heavy with complex emotions. "Marcus wins... by total victory."
As Marcus walked away from the crater that had once held his opponent, rainbow flames still flickered faintly around his feet, leaving small marks of different colored fire on the ground. Each step reminded everyone present that they had just witnessed the birth of a true prodigy. One who possessed not just incredible power, but also the cold determination to use it decisively when necessary.
The Ten Thousand Spells Body had awakened fully, and with it, Marcus had inherited not just knowledge and power, but also the ancient mindset of those legendary mages who had once dominated through absolute magical superiority.
This was no longer the Marcus they had known. This was something far more dangerous. A being who understood that in the world of magic, hesitation could mean death.