Strong hands gripped Kai's shoulder as a forehead shielded with mana slammed into his own.
He saw stars, the past few months rushing through his head, his parents… his village… Sylvia– and Arthur.
His head was swimming, another punch to his gut left him rattled.
He was barely reacting now, a leg lifting to block a kick, a kick that cracked his bone.
A fist to his face,
-ssshhh-
The lack of effect mana neglection was having on his body…
A kick to the gut once more.
Kai flew away, rolling across the ground,
It hurt.
But it was respite from the relentless attacks.
His parents… would they have been proud?
He didn't know, and perhaps he never would.
Something warm and wet ran down his face, whether it was tears or blood, he could not tell.
His village… he had spent his life there, all those people, he had known most of them, he liked people.
He felt like a part of him had been missing, empty, he had Sylvia, and Arthur for a while.. But Arthur had left, and he had left Sylvia.
Another trickle, his gut heaving, as he threw up on the pavement.
A kick to his ribs, and he shot off again, the hard stone grinding against his body.
Why was he thinking about this… he should win, he needed to win… needed to get into the academy–
"You don't need to lose all your personality. Even if the training is brutal, even if the people suck, even if everything you go through pushes you to stop caring. Do not turn into someone you'd hate."
The soothing voice of his teacher rang in his head.
What she said was true, but at the time Kai hadn't realised that the thing she was talking about…
He had already lost it.
Himself.
Another trickled, ragged breath, this time he knew it for sure, he was crying.
He had done so much, trained so hard.
Was it not enough…
'Why… Why- WHY?'
His body curled into itself.
'Why can't I do anything right… ever.'
'Im useless, a wretch.'
'I can't protect anything.'
'I'm a coward.'
'I didn't stop Arthur.'
'Didn't say the things for Sylvia that she couldn't voice herself.'
Useless…
He loved people, talking, and joy.
But all Kai had done since that fated day was train–
Wreck his body for power.
The sobbing boy coughed up blood, wondering why Vaelric hadn't finished the job.
-
He hovered in silence, fan hanging limp in his hand, as if watching something unravel he had no interest in stopping.
His silver eyes closed, he felt pity for the young man,
Knew what trauma felt like.
So before anyone in the stands realised Kai's state…
Vaelric spoke a single word.
Summoning a shield between them and the audience, blocking the young man from their sight.
-
His parents…
Kai loved them,
they had been good to him.
Absent, sure,
but they had worked hard.
His father had built their farm up with his own hands,
His mother worked tirelessly to solve conflicts in the village.
The one who hadn't done enough… was Kai.
And for that,
He wept
Retched tears,
The cries of a broken child.
He was no strong man,
Nor a valiant hero.
He thought power would fix him.
That if he trained hard enough,
Bled long enough,
He'd finally be someone worth keeping.
He was just a boy.
And he was alone.
-
Loneliness, depression, and sorrow.
The three emotions Kai had suppressed for so long.
With how heavily Keldreth affected his mental state, he should have realized.
In fact, he had.
But he ignored it.
Unwilling to face it, to come to terms with the things that had happened.
Even on the night everything happened, he couldn't accept the death of everyone he once knew.
So he had left himself behind,
In the ashes.
That beloved, gentle boy.
Shedding in defense, his emotions– trying to make everything okay.
Hard work turned into his drive.
He was chasing power, not to protect, but to destroy.
Destroy his past self, the weak, useless thing that failed to protect the people he cared about.
But this Kai had failed too,
He couldn't stop Arthur, because he realised that he would have traveled the same path as the older man given the chance.
Not only in protecting Sylvia, but himself as well.
So he shoved that down too, more power would help.
Throwing himself into training even harder, mastering Keldreth.
It was like he was trying to fill the gaping– bleeding hole in his chest by drinking blood.
Filling himself with emptiness to try and satisfy a gnawing void.
He had run away.
'Cowardice.'
He grit his teeth.
He was weak,
But power was not what he needed.
Power would not fill that growing hole.
The hole that day by day threatened to consume him.
"Don't lose yourself Kai…"
Again the voice of his mentor echoed in his head.
He had already lost who he was…
But now it was time to bring it back.
'Mom… Dad… thank you, I… I'm sorry for not getting to your room in time… I know it's stupid, but… I know you wouldn't want me to remain broken like this…'
His body was shattered, every single bone cracked and splintered, but his fist clenched.
'I will find who did this… who caused me to change so much.'
'I will grow, I will seek power, but I will do it for myself. For you, for Arthur, and For Sylv.'
The tears on his face had long dried up.
This was no longer a broken boy.
This was a new man.
-
There was a shift in the dense shell that Black Dragon Vaelric had summoned.
The wrecked boy on the floor had moved his hand, clenching it, even as the blood flowed out of his body.
-ssshhh-
Reactively Vaelric tried to disperse the healing wave…
'Pitiful… Just give up already… you've done enough…'
However, he found that his grip on the mana could no longer pull it from Kai.
The boy's will had become something tangible.
Something Vaelric had only read about in books, stories about general's with dire stakes learning how to bend the world to their will.
Fate breakers-
Kai had unlocked The Will of the World
-
He felt new, refreshed.
The healing pulse seemed faster.
His bones knitted back together, the vessels in his eyes contracted as his blood pressure returned to normal.
His aching body mended… scars from the wounds closing up and fading.
Amber eyes met silver…
"It's your win… I have no will to fight today, I have already won the hardest battle."
Vaelric nodded in understanding.
"You did… well."
Kai smiled, really smiled for the first time in months.
He felt free,
The wind around him howled as the Black Dragon let the magical cage fall.
He felt in tune with it.
The wind was change,
He had changed.
The wind was freedom.
He was free.
-
The audience saw two young men staring at each other, respectfully.
They saw Kai, bloodied, but fully whole.
And Vaelric, who looked exhausted.
Both boys raised their hands at the same time,
"I concede."
And Kai looked over at the man with dark curls, the crystalized mana had dimmed now, but it was still there.
He wouldn't argue, it was his choice to make.
Kai could respect that.
-
And like that, the tournament had ended, hundreds had failed, but hundreds had made it.
More different than the rest however stood Vaelric and Kai.
After Vaelric's stunt, his deceit, pretending to be a Caster while hiding a much more terrifying ability— his nickname had changed.
Kai had gained one as well.
Both first-year students gained immense popularity from their battle.
The Oroborus of Elytrior.
The Jade Eagle,
And the Onyx Serpent.