"And who might you be?"
Rai laid Ren gently on the ground, his body battered and bruised, with no doubt he had already lost a great deal of blood.
"Tsk." He clenched his fist in anger and rose slowly to his feet, blaming himself for letting it drag on this long. He thought like before, that Ren still had something left up his sleeve, but he was wrong.
He turned around and face Theron, and with a soft voice, he said. "Rai Voltia — D-rank Soul-Hunter."
"Rai Voltia? D-rank?" Theron became more intrigued than angry that he dared intervene in his battle. "I heard the stories about a commoner who couldn't activate a Soul-Core and branded as a D-rank Soul-Hunter, so that's you?"
He looked him from head to toe, and he refused to believe it, Rai slipped past him with Ren in his hands, and he didn't notice it till after he got to a safe distance. "But your movement says otherwise."
"That's Rai..." One of the participants who was also this world's Rai school mate muttered under his breath. He was amongst those who went through the first phase of the second selection, so he was definitely shocked.
But no one was more shocked than Xander. He was already on his feet, and his eyes wavered as he glanced at the chair Rai sat on, then glanced back at him on the sparring grounds.
"I-Impossible... He was just there a minute ago... How the hell did he get there?" Then it came to him, the first encounter he had with Elene, and the advice she gave him.
Do not assume that Rai Voltia was the same person you knew him as.
He thought he was error, an unforseen event not even the goddess of fate planned. But now, for some reason, he wasn't the same weak, talentless Soul-Hunter he knew.
"Ahem." The 5th's Vice captain cleared his throat. "Interference in another participants match is strictly prohibited and has severe consequences. For interfering in another participant's match, Rai Voltia, you are hereby disquallifi-"
"Wait." A loud voice rang out, deep and commanding, echoing through the room. It even stopped the 5th captain just as he was about to deliver his final verdict.
All eyes shifted to the door, and there he stood, dressed in a sharp black suit, his white hair shining under the light, his neatly trimmed beard adding to his commanding presence. It was none other than the head commander of the 14th Soul-Squads — Arthur Daemar.
"Head Commander!"
All the Soul-Hunters immediately rose to their feet, offering a salute in unison. From the first to the four seats, to the lieutenants, then the vice captains, and lastly, the two captains who had chosen to spectate this year's Soul-Hunter examination, each paid their respects in order.
"It's the Head Commander..."
"Impossible... The head commander isn't known to appear in the Soul-Hunter's examinations, is the interference of a commoner really that important?"
Whispers flew around the room, but it didn't change the fact.
"Head commander, what brings you to the Soul-Hunter's examination?" Alaric asked with respect for his superior, and in response, the head commander turned around and faced Rai.
The reason he was allowed to take part in the second selection was to measure the true extent of his power and properly evaluate him as an X-rank Soul-Hunter. So from the camera footage in his office, the head commander watched the match closely.
But now that the 5th's vice captain sought to disqualify him, the head commander had no choice but to step in and settle the matter.
"A breach in the rules will never be tolerated in this association, however..." He hate to admit it, but this was the best and the most accurate way they had for now to measure the true extent of his Soul-Energy.
"But since it has already happened, why don't you set a match between Theron Veylir and Rai Voltia?"
"Head Captain!" The 5th's vice captain shouted.
Kaira shot up to her feet in disbelief, she thought her father came all the way down here from his duties to watch her match, but what he truly came for, was the D-rank Soul-Hunter?
Even Hiro was against the idea.
"But captain, Theron Veylir is a Soul-Hunter with almost complete mastery over his Soul-Energy, no matter the circumstances, Rai is still a D-rank Soul-Hunter." He tried to reason with Arthur, not even him could guess the outcome of such a pair.
"It's fine, I'm sure Theron wouldn't mind, after all his match was interfered with and he was on the verge on winning. To compensate for that, if he wins, both Rai and his opponent are disqualified. But if Rai wins, both Therom's opponent and him moves on to the next stage, is that fair?"
"Yes Head commander." Theron replied with a bow to show his respect.
"There you have it." The head commander said, and turned to the 5th's Vice captain.
He sighed, and with no other choice left, he declared their match. "The next round of this phase, Theron Veylir vs Rai Voltia."
Ren was carried off to the association's infirmary, and as soon as he was gone, the two Soul-Hunters stepped onto the sparring grounds. At once, the protective dome rose up and enclosed them.
"Begin!"
"I assume that one heading to the infirmary is your friend? Your kind has a tendency of always sticking with each other, but no matter. Unlike your friend, I assure you, you won't lay a finger on m-"
"What!?" The moment Theron blinked and opened his eyes, Rai was in front of him, throwing a punch. His eyes went wide in shock, and without thinking, Theron's fist moved on its own and crashed into Rai's with a loud thud.
The clash sent out a shockwave that pushed Theron backward a bit, but he managed to stay on his feet. His boots scraped across the floor with force, kicking up small clouds of dust as he slid to a stop.
He had no time to rest, and when he looked up, Rai was gone. In the next instant, Rai appeared behind him and struck with a roundhouse kick, sending Theron crashing through the floor and slamming into the dome.
"H-He's fast!!"
"Holy shit... Is he really D-rank!?"
"You idiot, there's no way a D-rank Soul-Hunter can move like that!"
Kaira's eyes shaked like a leaf. She couldn't believe that this was the same person she looked down on. To make matters worse, he made her father gain interest in him more than his own daughter.
'With his gravity manipulation, attacking first is my only advantage, it's a good start so far.' Rai thought as he stood tall.
"You're faster than I thought." With a grin, Theron stood to his feet. He wasn't exactly unharmed, but Rai didn't do nearly enough damage to weaken him. "There's no way you're a D-rank Soul-Hunter, who the hell are you?"
"Just someone who only wishes to survive, so I'm sorry to say, but you won't be winning this match."
Theron laughed. He had quite a mouth on him. "To survive huh? Such a noble ambition, however, those words are only reserved for those strong enough to do so. You're stronger than your pathetic friend, but your luck ends here."
Theron took a deep breath, then glanced at Rai with a cold gaze. "Gravitational Soul-Technique: Conqueror's Domain."
In an instant, Rai felt a heavy pressure pressing down on him as the gravity around him intensified. But it didn't slow him the way Theron had intended, his strength and endurance surpassed his imaginations.
"Oh? You're still standing even in this immense gravitational force. Impressive, however." He cloaked his body with his Soul-Energy, and applied the effects of the Conquerors Domain, making his body more compact and stronger.
"You might be faster than me, but in this domain, your speed will be decided by my authority."
BOOM!
The ground beneath him shattered, leaving a crater a meter deep as he launched into the air. The sparring grounds couldn't withstand the sheer force he was putting down.
Rai's eyes twitched as Theron closed the distance between them.
'By increasing the density of his Soul-Energy with the effects of conquerors domain, the limitations of the domain no longer applies to him. Truly a Soul-Hunter who has mastered the use of his abilities.' Rai thought.
Rai and Theron's fists met in rapid successions, sending a light breeze swirling across the ring as they traded a flurry of punches and kicks.
Thanks to the system errors and his recent level ups, he attained a level of strength and endurance that allowed him to withstand the increased gravitational force.
Rai crouched swiftly, dodging Theron's roundhouse kick. Seeing his reaction, Theron quickly brought his leg down, aiming for Rai's head with full momentum.
Rai rolled forward in a flash, then he planted his hands on the ground and thrusted both legs straight up toward Theron's jaw.
Theron grunted as Rai's swift legs slammed into his jaw the moment he turned to face him. The force of the kick sent him flying backward, flipping several times before he finally came to a stop.
The crowd erupted in a loud applause as Rai landed a solid blow on Theron, sending him stumbling backward. Kaira watched in disbelief, unable to follow his swift movements and unpredictable fighting style.
"He actually drove someone of the Veylir family back?" She mumbled softly.
"He landed a hit on him!?" A participant shouted where he seated.
"Alright!" Another participant shouted, raising his fist to his face in support. It was high time these damned nobles learn there were consequences for looking down at those beneath them.
"Just who is this guy!?"
Alaric mouth was left hanging, the Veylirs was one of the six great noble families blessed with great Soul-Energy, most especially the Veylirs, so this wasn't supposed to be possible, but yet it was.
"That's it! You can't hope to defeat me if you can't hold your own against a member of the great Veylir family! Show me what you're truly made of kid!" A loud voice roared behind Hiro, and everyone's attention turned to the source.
"It's the second seat of the 11th Soul-Squad, Zarek Veyl..."
He had one of his legs rested on the back of Hiro's chair as he shouted with passion. "Come on!"
"Do you want me to vaporise you Zarek!? Get off my chair!" Hiro retaliated as Zarek was literally screaming in his ears.
"Captain? Kekeke, sorry about that." He sat back on his seat, then focused his attention back at the battle.
"I didn't know you were here, you've been quiet, that's not your style."
"Of course captain, talking through battle is my style. But you're here for the same reason aren't you? That kid."
"Yeah..."
Blood trickled from Theron's mouth as Rai's strike sent a tooth flying, fueling his rage.
"You bastard!" He surrounded his fists with his Soul-Energy. He wasn't planning on using any Soul-Technique besides Conquerors Domain, but now that it came to this, he had no choice.
He surged forward at incredible speed, catching Rai off guard, and he appeared right behind him.
"He's faster than before!?"
"Soul-Technique: Black hole fist!"
Theron's fists glowed dark, and with a sudden strike, a small gravitational pull formed around his fists, yanking at Rai as the punch landed. The force hit hard, throwing Rai off balance and crashing hard into the ground.
"AAARGHHH!" The crack of his back snapping echoed through the room, and everyone jumped to their feet, eyes wide in shock.
"Kid!" Zarek shouted, the fight had escalated the moment Theron decided he wasn't going for the win.
He was going for the kill. By landing a hit on him, Rai stomped on the pride of the Veylirs, and Theron wanted to make a statement of him so they would all witness the might of the six great noble families.
"His back..."
One of the participants vomited, she couldn't handle the brutality of what happened.
With his back most likely dislocated, he couldn't move easily, not anymore.
"That's what you get for trampling on the pride of the Veylirs, it's over." Theron said as he called off the Conquerors domain, undoubtedly, he had won the battle.
They all knew that he wasn't able to continue anymore.
The 5th's Vice captain sighed heavily, deep within, he wished that the end of the battle had a less life altering results. "Contestant Rai Voltia is no longer fit to continue. Thus by the rules, Theron has advanced to the nex-"
"Over?" Rai's voice stopped the 5th's vice captain. "Who said it was over?"
"Shadow Recovery." He muttered under his breath.
A dark energy engulfed him, and steam escaped his back. In response, his bones banded back together by a mysterious force, and his back healed completely.
Then he got up to his feet like nothing ever happened.
"I-Impossible."