Legacy of the Dark Sage

"Tsk," Kairo spread his arms. Red magic arrays circled his forearms. A red translucent arc-shaped barrier appeared, shielding his sides and front. He crossed his arms across his head and braced himself. The red translucent barrier blocked the incoming bouche shields.

An explosion occurred upon contact, the force of which sent Kairo crashing down to the ground. Before hitting the ground, he summoned small red magic arrays that appeared on his palms. He aimed his palms downward, shooting off whirling flames to break his fall.

The moment Kairo regained his balance, he changed direction and flew toward Styx. He sped at an unbelievable speed with the help of the flames shooting off from his palms.

Styx was not idle either, as soon as his shields got blocked, he summoned a fifty-meter wide dark brown magic array on the ground. He spread his arms as soon as Kairo changed direction and went after him.

The arena's ground rumbled as numerous solid earth emerged from the magic array.

Sweats trickled down Styx's face. Such a large array and continuous summoning of earth magic were way out of his capacity. However, if he did not push his limits, there was no way he could compete properly with a Transmuter.

Kairo waved his hand toward the earth that emerged, blocking his path.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

With each wave of his hand, the earth exploded, sending rubbles all over the ground.

Styx dashed toward Kairo. Making use of the rubbles that now litter the arena's floor, he either picked them up and punched or kicked them in Kairo's direction.

Kairo stopped in midair and waved his right hand, sending the flames shooting off from his palms toward the incoming rubbles.

Another series of explosions occurred, filling the surrounding with dust and smoke.

Taking advantage of the smoke, Kairo hid back and took this chance to summon his flaming long sword.

"Like hell, I'd let you do that!" Styx growled as he suddenly appeared at Kairo's left, with a bouche shield before him.

"Humph," Kairo sneered. Ignoring Styx's advance, he pulled out the flaming long sword's hilt from the center of the magic array.

However, just like what happened at the start, the magic array flickered and the hilt distorted.

"You!" Kairo glowered at Styx. "What did you do?"

Styx only sneered. "Why should I tell you? Dumbass!" He retorted before slamming the bouche shield at him.

Kairo, however, easily dodged to the side.

Styx gritted his teeth. He initially thought Kairo would not be able to dodge while in midair. Who would have thought he could still dodge? And annoyingly easily too.

As Kairo stepped to the side, he grabbed Styx's outstretched arm, where the bouche shield was attached, using his right hand. With his left, he hooked his hand at Styx's belt.

"Without a proper offensive magic attack, what can you even accomplish? You can never defeat me!" Kairo shouted before lifting Styx.

"Such skinny arms, dared to lift me? Don't make me laugh!" Styx snorted as Kairo's attempt to lift him failed.

"What--?" Kairo's eyes widened.

Styx was huge, true, but Kairo had experienced lifting others who were far larger than him and even take them down in one hit. However, the feeling Styx gave him when he tried to lift him was an unmovable mountain!

Styx hooked his arm under Kairo's armpit before twisting his body to lift the latter using his shoulder.

"This is how you lift someone! ORA!" Styx shouted and slammed Kairo to the ground.

"Argh!" Kairo winced as his back hit the uneven ground.

"I don't have a good offensive attack, but my defense are superb. Don't look down on me!" Styx pulled back his right arm, his muscles contracting, and then he brought down his fist straight at Kairo's face.

BAM!

The spot where Styx's fist landed, cracked and even exploded.

But Kairo was not there. A second before Styx's fist landed, he rolled to the side.

Styx turned his head to the side where Kairo had rolled until he was up on his knees.

While still crouching, Styx sprang toward Kairo.

But it was then that Kairo's eyes glowed. It did not change color, but turned into an almost amber shade.

Kairo's magic aura exploded, sending out ripples of an almost palpable shockwave and forcing Styx to stop in his advance. As a matter of fact, the shockwave was too powerful that Styx was forced back a few meters.

"The f*ck!" Styx blurted, sensing Kairo's rising magic energy.

Even the audience could not help but held their breaths in shock.

At the moment, the magic energy Kairo gave off was not that of a High Master. It was not even that of a mere Grand Master!

"Half-step to Exalted!"

It was unknown who said it, but the moment everyone heard it, they were all sent into an uproar.

The participants' mage level in the Joint Military Exercise was supposed to be between Master to new Grand Masters only, right? Why was there a half-step Exalted in the mix?

The male announcer frowned at this realization. With Kairo's mage level, he was already disqualified from the whole exercise. However, the timer above the arena had not stopped.

Others were not aware of it, but as a member of the Courtenay Family, he knew how the timer was made. It had a set of rules that needed to be followed. If one of these rules were broken, then the timer would stop. The rules were also not limited to the ongoing competition. It also included clauses that the head committee and the leader representatives of all factions participating in the exercise agreed upon.

If the timer was still moving, it meant Kairo did not break any of these unspoken rules. Did it mean his Grand Master level magic energy rivalled that of a half-step Exalted? Then, if he actually became an Exalted, just how powerful would his magic energy be?

Rivka, who always seemed to be staring into space, suddenly looked at Kairo with profound clear eyes. It was unknown what he was thinking. But one thing was for sure. It was not pleasant.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the hall, as soon as Kairo's magic energy erupted, all of them stopped what they were doing and turned toward the Solo Competition's side.

Owen, who was still talking to Six, suddenly looked worried. Hamish's expression also turned grim.

On the other hand, Kyran looked at the other side with an indifferent expression.

At the start of the Solo Competition, he could not gauge Kairo and the other's mage level. But after Osman's outburst, he more or less guessed, all of them were at least Grand Masters. Now that Kyran could clearly sense Kairo's magic energy, not only did he realize the latter's real mage level, but also the fact that there were two types of magic energies coming out of his body.

That was right.

The reason why Kairo could levitate and even change the nature of his flames, was because he was one of those very rare mages who managed to 'attract' two types of magic energy!

Kairo only had one magic core, but somehow, the fire magic energy and the other magic energy managed to coexist. Kyran guessed that the cause of it was that Kairo's second magic complimented his fire magic.

And what magic could compliment fire, other than wind?

When Kairo also spoke to Kyran, the former used the wind and let his voice travel at such a distance with only the latter as the recipient.

If no one knew the trick, others would think it was Kairo's innate ability. Not to mention, Kairo's levitation 'ability.'

It was such an impossible feat.

Kyran turned his attention back to the materials scattered around him. With a sigh, he knew Styx would not be able to continue. Alas, the latter's wish to fight him would not happen.

Just as Kyran was thinking this, Stella already spoke from the Conclave's executive booth.

"Please stop the match. This match is Leader Styx's defeat."

Back at the arena, as soon as Stella had declared Styx's forfeiture, the timer had stopped.

Styx, however, grunted in dissatisfaction and looked at the Conclave's booth.

"I can still fight!" He shouted in anger.

"Styx."

This time the voice that spoke from within the booth was a male.

In an instant, the audience, who had yet to recover from Kairo's display of power, shivered in fear.

It was only one word, and though the owner of that voice sounded calm, it carried such power that could stifle any grown-up man.

Styx also recognized the voice. With a slight frown, he lowered his head and replied, "Chairman Hugh."

The gallery erupted in hushed discussions. It had been a while since Chairman Hugh had appeared in public most already believed the rumor of him falling ill and was close to death's door. However, with the power Hugh projected through his voice, it seemed the rumor was just that, a rumor.

Kairo's brow furrowed too. Unlike the rumor the public heard about Hugh, most high-ranking officers in the Royal Army knew the latter was indeed ill. For Hugh to possess such power just by speaking, could it be Malia already found a cure to his illness?

"You have done enough," Hugh told Styx. "Winning is not important. The experience is."

"Yes, Chairman," Styx lowered his head.

There were few people whom Styx would lower his head in respect and Hugh was one of them. Though he was still feeling dissatisfied, he also understood why the Conclave Council Members would rather have them forfeit than continue fighting.

Even if there was a small chance Styx could win this match, he would likely end up in very bad condition.

If Styx forfeits now and fights Rivka later, he might have a better chance of winning. After that... Wait, if he won against Rivka, and Kyran won against Kairo, wouldn't that mean he would have another chance to fight Kairo?

This... how should he put it. Would it be like what those superstitious people used to say? The third time's the charm?

Somehow, the thought did not make Styx feel any better.

"With the Conclave admitting defeat, Styx of the Conclave and Major General Rivka of the Royal Army will fight later for another chance to participate in the finals," the male announcer said.