★83
THIRD POV
Later in the evening, everyone was seated, ready to witness who would make it to the finals and face off against Raiden.
Eto was in charge, and his favourite student will be participating. For some reason, Asteri didn't change the arena to how it was. It reconstructed but the size and additional barriers were in place.
Eto flew in, circulating the vast arena, waving at the spectators.
"What the hell is this thing doing?"
"What the hell is that child doing?"
Asteri and Shinn asked, respectively.
"Heheh, it's time to see who's worthy of facing Raiden in the finals tomorrow. Will it be Scarlet King, the Demon Lord's Butler or Tokito, the Transcendent Demi Human?"
As he called their names, they each appeared in the arena.
Scarlet still has his regular pose and regular outfit while Tokito holds his sword.
"Ok."
Eager to see how it'll unfold, Eto prepared to commence the match.
Tokito tightened his grip on his katana. He'd seen Scarlet destroy far more seasoned fighters without even using a fraction of his full power. But Tokito wasn't just a swordsman or a fire mage. He's a transcendent now.
"Are you ready?"
Eto asked Tokito, knowing Scarlet is always ready to go.
'If I hesitate, I lose. Start up with all I have.'
Tokito closed his eyes and invoked the inner breath.
'Way of the Wind.'
The air around him shifted, but nothing physical could be detected. He nodded.
"Begin!"
Tokito made the first move, dashing forward in a blur of wind. He moves as one with the wind. But this feat isn't comparable to Masashi's Wind Step. It was superior.
His katana was imbued with searing white flames as he closed the distance. Each strike was guided by the air itself, flawless in precision.
But Scarlet King didn't even dodge. He tilted slightly, slipping past each blade without effort. Then he moved, throwing a punch at close range, ready to end the match.
Tokito couldn't dodge, not at this tight moment. He barely and successfully parried the punch, the impact sent him flying across the arena. He landed on his feet, eyes glued at his enemy.
'Had it been for the Way of the Wind heightening my reaction speed, I'd have taken that punch head-on.'
He leapt forward and encountered Scarlet, who was approaching him mid-air. They clashed briefly, and Tokito was able to escape unscathed.
He landed on one knee, gritting his teeth.
Scarlet advanced, silent, merciless.
'Increased agility and dodge rate, synchronised movement with the wind. I've seen this before. But there's only one way to fully confirm.'
Another strike and Tokito's body became semi-intangible flowing with the wind as he escaped. Scarlet's punch was unable to touch him.
"I see. The Way of the Wind, huh?"
He noted.
Tokito's eyes widened at Scarlet's declaration.
"H—how did you know?"
"I've lived for thousands of years. I've seen more than enough."
'What else did he know?'
He shook his head, dismissing his thoughts.
'I can't let him dictate this fight.'
A burning aura engulfed his entire body.
'Way of the Fire. I'll keep my mouth shut not to break his spirit.'
Every flame that surrounded him now pulsed with determination.
'Burning Will.'
"H—he's a fire mage, but how's he able to use more than one Way?"
One of the young kijin spectator asked, and an elderly kijin gave the youngster his reply.
"It's not entirely possible. See, most of our ancestors were wind or fire mages. That's why, with the help of the spirits, they were able to design these skills.
Naturally, dual mages are hard to find even among humans, but that boy was different from day one. He's not a wind mage, but he was able to grasp the technique not to identify as a dual mage but to unlock all three current Ways."
"Current? I thought there were only three of them?"
"Hehehe."
He chuckled.
"You're still a breastfeeder aren't ya? It's natural for you to know what's only available in the modern age. There were more than three Ways due to what happened in the past, our ancestors left along with the knowledge."
(The old civilisation was caught up in Milim and Guy's rampage.)
He chanted before charging towards Scarlet. With Way of the Wind deactivated, his temporary boost of speed and reaction was replaced by a temporary boost in strength and aggression. Each strike was heavier, and his red flames only grew brighter and hotter thanks to Burning Will converting the user's damage to fuel their flames.
Every clash of their blades now sent shockwaves into the arena.
'Crescent Fang!'
As if performing a White Flames Breathing Technique, fire surged from his mouth with every measured breath. A blazing arc of flame shot toward Scarlet—but he didn't falter.
In one fluid motion, he caught both the fire and his ladle bare-handed. His skin sizzled, yet he didn't flinch. A single step and he within Tokito's reach.
"Tch."
A punch slammed into the gut. Tokito coughed up blood, but retaliated instantly. The burning aura vanished in an instant. With his free hand, a dull, rusty sword materialised.
White flames licked its blade as he swung upward. The edge caught Scarlet's cheek, carving a shallow gash and drawing blood. Scarlet, caught off guard, dropped the sword. Tokito seized the opening, creating distance to recover.
The crowd gasped. Demonic blood had been spilt for the first time.
"It's been a while since I've seen my crimson fluid."
Scarlet muttered, wiping the blood away.
Unfazed, he summoned his weapon. A portal blinked open, and he drew a thin, black blade.
"Let's use this—for now."
He stepped forward with calm precision, each movement deliberate, eyes locked on Tokito.
Their swords collided in a storm of steel and flame, sparks flying like captured stars. White fire danced along Tokito's blade, licking the edges of Scarlet's black steel, each strike a violent punctuation in the rhythm of their duel.
The clang of metal against metal rang across the arena, a harsh symphony of skill and power. Scarlet's sword chipped under the repeated impacts, fragments of black steel falling like ash, yet his resolve remained unshaken.
Tokito moved with uncanny precision. Every swing, parry, and thrust flowed seamlessly, a deadly choreography honed by the Way of the Sword.
His style was fluid, controlled, and precise, each motion reading Scarlet's movements before they fully materialised.
Scarlet's attacks were raw power given form, monstrous in strength and speed, yet lacking the finesse that Tokito wielded like a conductor commanding the wind. Despite the fury of their battle, neither landed a clean cut.
'He's good. The way he swings, the way he parries and thrusts—I haven't landed a hit. But I'm not surprised why."
Tokito's eyes glinted beneath the hood of concentration.
'As long as his attacks slice through the air, I can feel them. Wind is my guide. This is why I mastered wind magic even as a fire mage. The Way of the Sword cannot exist without the flow of air to complement it.'
With each strike Tokito absorbed, his white flames flared brighter, crackling along the edge of his blade. Sparks morphed into miniature gusts of wind, each impact resonating through his arms and chest, syncing his spirit to the rhythm of the sword.
His attacks began to push Scarlet back, forcing him to react rather than dictate, the fire in his veins now responding to the sword as if it were an extension of his very being.
Every movement became more than technique—it was synchronisation of body, mind, wind, flame and sword. Tokito's spirit resonated through the blade, amplifying the fire, controlling the air, and guiding the sword like a living extension of his will.
The duel had shifted; Scarlet's raw power met a wall of discipline, foresight, and elemental harmony, and slowly, inexorably, Tokito's advantage began to manifest.
"He's been training how to wield a sword at a young age. It shouldn't be impossible how he's reach this level."
The elderly kijin murmured.
"What level?"
"To be able to communicate with the sword as if sentient. Once the user is fully able to assimilate with it, they'll reach the highest level of the Way of the Sword."
In the final clash, Tokito's sword broke Scarlet's. The latter was waiting for this the whole time. With little effort, Scarlet destroyed the blade with a barehanded strike, shattering it into white-hot fragments.
However, he had to pay the price. The flesh on his palm was burned off, leaving only a dull black skeleton. Despite the damage, he didn't even blink or pay attention to his wound.
'As expected of a demon. No concern at all.'
Scarlet didn't regenerate. He didn't need to. One arm will be enough to defeat Tokito.
'I didn't waste my strength in calling forth you at full strength, but now I do. Come and be my blade, Zeref.'
'Let's teach this demon a lesson.'
The sword answered. Tokito exhaled and raised a new blade, a manifestation of his spirit.
"Regenerate."
He urge.
"I don't need to."
Scarlet dismissed his kindness with a demonic pride.
"Have it your way."
They approached each other, and a new Way was triggered.
Scarlet now fought with one arm, each punch was still devastating enough to kill a an A-Rank man or beast in a single hit. Tokito relied on Way of the Wind and his full sensory connection with the air to evade.
He danced, weaved, turned to mist and flame. The semi-intangible Zephyr Form, allowed him to take impossible risks, and the wind whispered of each danger. But even so, he could feel the difference in strength. Scarlet was holding back. Even with one arm, even without demonic magic, Scarlet King is the real thing.
'I need to end this. Before he decides to take this seriously.'
Wind and Fire mixed to shape his new aura. It was fire, yet it appears transparent. Tokito did the impossible and left the elders shocked.
"Combining two Ways? That.."
One of the elders was complaining when..
"Here comes the boom."
The moment he said it, the white flames erupted from his body like a pressurised core, unable to contain its power. It was blazing hot, hotter than Natsu's Divine Pyra. This is the apex of the element called fire. Only its corrupted version (void) can compete against.
'Hmm, approaching a million degrees. Nice.'
Eto thought, a proud smile on his lips.
Tokito leapt high, flames gathering in a spiral above him. Scarlet watched with narrowed eyes.
'Let's see if your will is worth my surrender.'
Tokito raised his sword skyward, white flames roaring to life.
"Incarnate Flame: Dragon Ascension!"
A massive dragon of white fire erupted into existence, shrieking toward Scarlet with godlike intensity. The very barrier of the coliseum quaked under its presence.
Scarlet met the oncoming inferno with a steely gaze—and then, in the heart of the blazing storm, Tokito vanished, a blur slicing behind the dragon, moving faster than the eye could follow..
'Second Step—Draconic Dive!'
He plummeted like a comet, every ounce of the dragon's power coursing through him, culminating in a blazing kick aimed straight at Scarlet.
"Bring it on."
Scarlet, without magic, raised his injured arm to block. Absurd, but yes.
The arena exploded in fire and shockwaves. Smoke filled the barrier, which is now reading at over a million degrees. The earth turned into molten magma, each breath enough to burn one's lungs and kill them instantly.
'This will be enough. Just stand down, please.'
Tokito pleaded.. When the smoke cleared, Scarlet was standing completely unscathed. Except for the fact that one of his arms was completely incinerated.
The crowd and everyone grasp. Eto might have predicted the outcome because his expression didn't change.
"This is the end of the line for Tokito."
"Looks like we have a winner."
The ladies discussed.
"The match isn't over yet. We don't know what will happen."
Asteri, who's supporting Scarlet, made that statement. It's unnatural for him to do so, yet he said so with a smile on his face.
Tokito was down on one knee, holding his sword. Then Scarlet began advancing with slow, predatory steps towards his prey. Each one radiates a killing intent. Tokito knew it was over, but he didn't give up. He stood still with his sword, ready to strike at any moment.
"Oh oh, it's time."
Eto smirks.
The Demon Lord's Butler stopped ten steps from his opponent, lifting his injured arms with deliberate slowness. As it moved, bone materialised from thin air, layered next by flesh, vessels pulsing with life, skin sealing it all, and finally, his sleeve reforming as if nothing had ever happened."
Scarlet smiled faintly, not mockingly, but respectfully. He turned toward the Eto and spoke.
"I forfeit."
The entire coliseum grew silent, not expecting this to happen.
"Heh?"
"What?"
"You quit, why?"
Gasps rippled across the coliseum. The ladies complained, caught off guard by Scarlet's self-elimination.
Flashback. Asteri's conversation with Scarlet King.
"They say practice makes perfect. Here it is. That aside, I have something important to tell you."
"Anything for you, my lord."
Scarlet bowed, a single, deliberate motion that carried both respect and concealed calculation. Almost immediately, Asteri's voice cut through the tension, strict and unyielding.
"You heal, you quit. You use magic, and you get disqualified. You defeat him quickly, I'll send you back to the Underworld. You prolong the fight, I'll lock you up. And if you somehow… accidentally win, I'll make your life miserable. Got it?"
Scarlet's form flickered, shadows and faint heat rippling across him. He straightened, voice steady but threaded with a wry, almost mischievous edge.
"Rest assured—I'll let Tokito win."
The words carried weight far beyond their tone, a subtle declaration that the battle's outcome was no longer a matter of strength, but strategy, and an unseen intent. The was pure manipulation on Asteri's end but he has his reasons.
"Good. How are the subjects?"
"Specimen A subjects will be approaching 100% the night before finals. One of the wyvern who assimilated phase two will be awakened for tests."
"Good news. Keep me updated."
He said as he strode away.
'The Supreme Monarch knows how to put someone in a tight position.'
Tokito's eyes widened, unsure whether to feel honoured or insulted. But then Scarlet nodded once and walked off the arena without a word.
'Well, it's not like I'm bothered by the tournament. All I need is his magicule. Staying by his side all day should allow me to harvest something.'
"Tokito wins."
Scarlet King exits the tournament undefeated. Finding no reason to stay, Tokito left also, his flames still burning on his sword.
"The final is due. Who'll win? Tokito, the Transcendent Being or Raiden, the Demi-god of Lightning. The battle will unfold tomorrow in the afternoon, 4 pm, to be precise. That's all for today, see you all tomorrow. Have a blessed day."
Eto announced as he circled the ring.
What's a Way?
It's simply an act of gaining a deeper understanding of an element. Just like to master
A Way is a personal path of attunement and mastery over an element or combat skill.
It is more than raw power, it is about understanding the essence of the element, synchronizing one's body, mind, and Spirit with it.
Each Way is unique to the practitioner; two people cannot reach the exact same level using the same element unless they share similar Spirit (not element) affinity and technique.
Depending on the Spirit and capacity of the mage, Elemental Mutation is also possible without access to otherworldly artifacts or magical energy.
A practitioner must bond with a Spirit or Fairy of that element. Example: A water mage cannot master the Way of Water without a water spirit; a fire spirit won't help. Think of it like a symbiotic relationship.
It has five stages.
Observation – Sensing the element's properties. Basic stage, any mage goes through this with or without a Fairy.
Integration – Infusing oneself with the element, learning to move and act as one with it.
Expression – Manifesting attacks, defenses, or techniques through the element (e.g., Tokito's Way of Wind or Fire).
Synthesis – Rarely, a practitioner may combine multiple Ways if they are attuned to more than one element (Tokito being an example).
In short, any mage can follow the path.
To be continued...