Charles Blois had been the brightest child of the now non-existent Blois Family. He had had been different since his childhood and everyone had known about it. Blessed with talent in Magic, his parents had incorporated it to his genius.
They hadn't been wrong, sadly they hadn't been right either. Twelve years ago, the eighteen years old Charles Blois who had just advanced to the Fourth Circle found something about himself.
He had been puzzled about it for a quite long time and he couldn't let it off of his mind. He had always wondered why was he different. He had always wondered why people could believe others. He had always wondered how people could feel emotion.
The incredibly intelligent Charles Blois had researched about that since he had been twelve, yet no results had come out. Seeing is believing. Charles Blois had decided to do an experiment rather than more observation.
His subject had been, of course, his family. His family had loved him. His family had adored him. If he asked something, his family would give him. His family had been so proud of him that they had overly doted him.
This had made him question himself, "What if I was not born a prodigy? What if I was born a retard? Will my family still love me? What will happen if I betray their expectations?" The thoughts had continued until a very dangerous thought came up.
How will my family see me if I take their lives?
At that thought, his heart had beaten faster. He had never felt a thrill so much until that day. A determination had strangely budded in his heart.
"I will conduct the experiment."
Not long after he had got the determination, the fateful day had finally come. With his usual fabricated smile, he had faced his family like usual. None of them had been aware he had poisoned their beverages and foods alike.
His family couldn't move their bodies, however their minds were awake right after the dinner. At this point, they had already had an inkling as to what had happened. However, none of them had known who had been the culprit.
It hadn't been until Charles had stood from his seat and approached his motionless father that his family's heart had run cold. They could see his sickening grin plainly. It hadn't been a fabricated smile like the one he had worn for a very long time.
It had been a genuine smile. However, not even Charles had been aware of that. In his mind, all he could think of had been conducting the experiment.
He had stabbed his father in the chest to destroy the Mana Circles his father had had. Right after that had been a literal soundless murder. He had killed his family for his satisfaction and he had even the audacity to kill them slowly.
That night, Charles had killed his father, mother, younger sister, and younger brother who had sincerely loved him. He had got the result of his experiment, and it had been satisfaction like he had had expected.
That day, Charles had realized he had been cursed.
Surely, it was the rumour that the people told others. No one exactly knew what had exactly happened that night. However, people like to speculate. Therefore, the already gruesome tragedy had become even more gruesome due to people's mouth.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Blood was dripping down from the wall which Jackson's blood had painted. Basil who was in his white clothing was clean and bereft of any bloodstains. Flicking Kusanagi to the side, the blood that tainted it was removed to the ground.
Turning his back to look at the referee, he quirked one of his eyebrows as if to say, "Well? Do your job, idiot sandwich!" As expected, the referee understood Basil's gesture as he quickly cleared his throat.
"Kuhum. Victor, Basil Pacifer!"
The arena was silent for a moment. They couldn't help it. Death was pretty much a normal thing in the tournament. However, that kind of gruesome death wasn't an everyday occurrence! At that moment, six people broke the silence.
"As expected of my Brother, you are really the strongest!"
"Woo! Senior, even though you didn't wipe the floor with your opponent, you managed to paint the wall with him! Amazing!"
"I knew you could do it, Brother!"
"My son, that was the most artistic way to finish the match!"
"Young Master, no one can beat you!"
"Basil, my beloved student! You are our academy's pride!"
Basil's supporters, namely, Shirley, Julia, Clarissa, Danzel, Irene, and Chester paid no thought toward their surrounding. Scratch that, they didn't even know what they had just shouted! All they thought was the need to cheer on Basil.
Especially, Danzel who had called the gruesome match as an artistic end! He was cringing while clapping his hands. Luckily, the other audiences didn't remain silent forever. One by one the clapped their hands and sent their appreciation toward Basil.
Death is imminent. No matter how one dies, death is death.
With that thought in their minds. They quickly forgot the gruesome scene they had witnessed earlier. Time is not stagnant, we have to move on. Just like that, the rowdiness returned to the whole arena.
In the participant seats, most of participants were looking at Basil complicatedly. They had thought they could give a shot at him. However, upon witnessing that display, dare they did that? They didn't. Not anymore!
This tournament was pretty much life and death. They had two chances of challenging the other participants, however they had only one life. They doubted whether they could utter the word "Forfeit" even before Basil finished them.
[The next challenge is to be proceeded.]
Basil returned to his seat with pretty much every eyes on him. With the same grace and disinterest, he sat himself down. Leaning his cheek to his knuckle, he gazed at his front. He was looking at his family who was there to cheer on him.
A soft smile adorned his face. Unfortunately, in the other participant's perspectives, it was interpreted as a look of threat. They sucked a cold breath before subsequently turning their heads away from him.
"Look! Basil is looking at us! Wave your hands!"
"Really?! Oh, Senior! What a good painting!"
"Oh, my son! Can you see me! That was really an artistic way to end an opponent!"
While Chester — who had just arrived in the middle of Basil's match — Julia, and Danzel sent their nonsensical two cents at Basil, the other three of the group opted to remain silent. The only indication they belonged to the same group was Clarissa who did a facepalm due to the secondhand embarrassment.
"Father..." Clarissa muttered softly, but audible enough for Danzel to hear. "Yes, my dear? What is..." Danzel didn't dare to continue his words. Clarissa was giving him the 'look' after all!
"One more time I hear you say that horribly nonsensical sentence, I WILL end you in an ARTISTIC way too. Understood?" Danzel could only nod timidly. His fear stricken face indicated how afraid he was toward his daughter.
Not only him, the teacher and student duo had been also instantly silenced. Together, all three of them sat quietly on their seat.
'Woah... Clarissa is at it again! Demonic Clarissa has emerged!'
'Blimey, I didn't know Basil has a stepmother as his sister!'
'What kind of a daughter would treat her father like that?! Well, my daughter!'
Their thoughts were tightly sealed in their minds. They couldn't afford to let their thoughts leaked from their minds. Once it happened, it would be their doom. They were sure of it!
"I know you are thinking about stupid things. Just behave yourselves, and everything is good." Clarissa muttered audibly to the three people. In unison, they responded, "Yes, Ma'am!" The surrounding people could only shake their heads in amazement.
What a unique bunch!
Surely, that thought was erased completely out of the surrounding people's minds when they saw Clarissa's absolute zero gaze. Her gaze didn't chill their spine, it froze them instantly!
Luckily, Clarissa didn't pay them much attention as she removed her gaze from them in the next moment. Surely, it was still traumatizing. In the end, the surrounding people vowed in their hearts to not mind the 'unique bunch' in the future.
Basil who had seen the entire happening from afar could only shook his head in faint amusement. His family was a unique bunch indeed.
Not long after, another announcement was made.
[Rank 18 challenges Rank 7, will you accept the challenge?]
"I will."
[Very well. May Wei Xiu Li and Fairfax Stafford stepped into the arena.]
"Understood!"
Both people entered the Arena swiftly right after the instruction. The challenger and the challenged. Both of them looked at each other right in the eyes. One had a determined look while the other had a disdainful look.
"When you feel it is unbearable, you have to forfeit. I will give you the time to."
"Huh? I am amused. You, a mere foreigner, think you can beat me? Haha! Even my humorless Butler makes a better joke than you."
"At least, I have made my intention clear."
"Just do your best to survive, Mr. Foreigner."
Xiu Li kept his mouth shut. Glancing at Basil through the corner of his eyes, he could see Basil's eyes were on him. There was a faint smirk on Basil's face, and it pumped him even more. He would show Basil what he was truly capable of.
"You are free to attack with anything. Like the previous match, I have no obligation to stop the match, unless you forfeit. Understood?"
The two people merely nodded their heads as a confirmation. The referee brought his hand upward, then sent it down before saying the sacred word, "Begin!"
Whoosh!
Both of the two people made a distance with each other. Both of them were Spellcaster, therefore they would fight in long range.
"I have heard that Easterners practice Daoism, not Magic. Are you going to fight me with that?" Fairfax asked Xiu Li mockingly from afar. In response, Xiu Li merely shook his head, "I have no talent in that regard."
"Hmph! Really? My Kingdom has just imported another trash? Unbelievable!"
Fairfax's voice was reverberated through the whole arena. While most of the audiences were frowning in disagreement, only a few Nobles didn't have an affirmative smile on their faces.
"Well, you do talk a lot."
"Watch your mouth, Foreigner."
Fairfax frowned his forehead and didn't utter anything right after that. He merely showcased his Magic Circles for the world to admire.
Boom!
Three Magic Circles floated behind his back. All of them were Major Circles. Looking tauntingly at Xiu Li, he uttered one Spell.
"[Earthen Drill]!"
Countless of drills made from earth rose to the air. They floated behind his back while pointing squarely at Xiu Li.
"Spin!"
Wind surrounded the drill and spun them in unison. From the display, anyone could deduce Fairfax was a Duo Elementalist. He was a Spellcaster who focused himself on mastering two Elemental Magic.
"Let's start the Battle with this, Foreigner!"
Fairfax waved his hand forward and the drills were sent at Xiu Li. The drills were even faster than bullets as some of the audiences couldn't see their trajectories well. Still, Xiu Li was unfazed. He merely raised his hand and chanted softly.
"[Earthen Blockade]!"
The name of the Spell was uttered. In the next moment, the soil beneath him rose and a blockade out of earth was made.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The drills crashed on the blockade of earth and nothing could pierce it. Xiu Li was perfectly protected from the drills. Fairfax looked at this from afar and merely swept his hand forward.
"Petty tricks won't work on me. [Earthen Tide]!"
The ground beneath him trembled before it surged upward. The ground looked as soft as water as it surged like a wave toward Xiu Li. This time, Xiu Li merely smiled, and this smile was noticed by Fairfax.
He was puzzled to say the least. However, he mostly felt insulted by the smile. Therefore, he infused more Mana into the attack he sent at Xiu Li.
"You know.. I am absolutely talentless at Daoism." Xiu Li muttered audibly while opening his Grimoire. The page stopped turning and three Magic Circles appeared behind him. "However, in Magic..." At this point, Fairfax's face contorted.
Two of the Magic Circles Xiu Li showed were Major Circles while the other one which was the Fundamental Circle was a Grand Circle. Gasps of admiration resounded from the audiences. Paying no mind toward the audiences and the irritated Fairfax, Xiu Li muttered, "[Interference]!"
Boom!
The incoming [Earthen Tide] was split in two and dispersed as if a lie. Xiu Li didn't send any attack to the tide. He had merely extended his hand forward and the tide dispersed.
"Do you know what people say about me?" Smiling amiably, Xiu Li resumed, "I am a prodigy in Magic."
Surely, Fairfax's face couldn't be any uglier.