Klein walked onto the stage pocketing, a haughty expression on his face. His eyes didn't regard anyone, as if they were all insignificant and beneath him.
His opponent; Saya Merox, looked nervous even though he was also from a noble family. Although not a direct heir, he was affiliated with the family head and was accepted because of his talent.
'This guy… already Third Grade…?'
He gulped, feeling a sense of helplessness. He didn't know if he could withstand the attacks of someone ranking higher than him.
"What are you dawdling for? Come to me, peasant."
Klein called out in a taunting manner, wagging a single finger.
Saya's brows rose. "Peasant?!"
As a noble, he was annoyed at being called a commoner and rushed towards Klein.
"Wind blade."
Klein muttered calmly, his hands moving minimally. Several wind blades shot out from the circle, shooting towards the boy.
Saya's eyes widened in panic, momentarily frozen and unable to think.
'What do I do?'
He was scared, but instinctively remembered a defense spell he had learnt. The magic circle creation was fast, and a wall of water rose to block the blades.
Of course it couldn't block completely, but most wind blades were slowed until they dispersed. Still, Saya hot a few injuries on his body, before the attack stopped.
Klein snorted, then created four more magic circles which relentlessly shot wind blades at Saya.
The young boy could only run around, trying his best to dodge while accumulating injuries.
Soon, he bled so much that he fainted. The healers immediately carried him off the stage, while Klein was declared the winner.
The crowd cheered, their voice thunderous and echoing throughout the colosseum.
The battles continued, with noble kids now involved. Most of them were already Second Grade mages, with only a few being First Grade mages.
Their battles were always flashy, captivating the crowd with the efforts of the training displayed. Intense battles made the crowd cheer, their blood boiling.
From the waiting room, Kael watched everything. He didn't move a single step from his position, but his eyes read everything around him.
He kept recording information in his brain, marking each child according to their worth. He wasn't here just to participate, he was here to scout for competent subordinates.
"Next up, we have Kael Veyren—a… uh? A Fourth Grade mage… and Sofin Cole—a Second Grade mage."
The host stuttered, personally shocked by Kael's grade. The crowd was more astounded, unable to even say a word or cheer until both kids stepped onto the stage.
"Damn. It's that Veyren heir. I hear that he's a total monster."
"Fourth Grade at the age of twelve?! My god!"
"What can that Second Grade mage even do?"
"What do you guys know? Perhaps it's a fake thing."
"You're right, let's watch first."
As the crowd eventually went silent, the Host raised his hand, then brought it down.
"Begin!"
Sofin charged directly at Kael, her movements as swift and nimble as that of an assassin. Kael didn't retreat or create any spells. Instead, he stepped forward and met her punch with a palm.
He effortlessly clamped his palm around her first, then sent a pulse of raw mana through her arm.
"Argh!"
She yelped, her body shaking as she collapsed on the ground. The audience was stunned again, unable to understand what had just transpired.
"Did he electrocute her or something?" Someone asked, but got no answer.
"Crazy. Is that the power of Kael Veyren?" Another person whispered.
Doubts spread, and people began to wonder if Kael was actually an adult in disguise.
"Calm down, people! His bone age has been previously tested, and he's barely a few weeks past twelve."
The host explained, quenching any form of chaos. Then he turned back to the stage, and confidently declared.
"The winner is Kael Veyren!!!"
Kael returned to the waiting room, ignoring the attention he was receiving from the crowd and the noble families.
...…
In the special set of seats reserved for the Dalem family, their expressions were dark. They had come here excepting to win this competition smoothly.
This was one of the reasons why they had invested in Klein as much as they could, raising him to the Third Grade at the age of fifteen.
"We need to do something."
Klein's mother said, a large scowl on her face. She kept glaring at Kael until he returned to the waiting rooms, then shifted her glare to where the Veyren family were seated.
Both families had been at odds with each other for years, and now sparks were forming between them. Eleanor, Kael's mother, returned the glare with a mocking smile.
"That bitch…!"
Klein's mother growled, but couldn't go directly to fight.
"That's enough. Klein will handle it. I highly doubt Kael Veyren has solid foundation as a Fourth Grade mage."
The family head said, his expression sharp and focused. He believed that Kael's progress had also been forced just like he did Klein's own.
'He must be weak inside. I'm sure Klein can handle him.'
...…
The battle continued into the second round, with all the winners of the first round being pitted against each other.
The matches became explosive, with each one fighting to qualify for the quarter finals.
Several noble kids defeated their commoner opponents, while some were defeated by a commoner boy named Evans.
He was also a Second Grade mage, but was sharper and smarter than the rest of his mates. He dominated the round, defeating both nobles and commoners.
Of course he was disqualified in the semi-finals after getting his ass whooped by Klein. The young master was already serious, because he understood that fighting Kael would be very difficult.
Therefore, he immediately cleared off all obstacles without mercy. Likewise, Kael made his opponent in the semi finals surrender just from the pressure he exuded alone.
"Finally! The battle we all have been anticipating! The final battle of the Golden generation!!!"
The host yelled, his voice quivering with excitement.
Kael and Klein stepped onto the stage, their eyes locked with invisible sparks in the air between them.
"Let us have it! Kael Veyren—a Fourth Grade mage, versus Klein Dalem—a Third Grade mage… Begin!"