Cassius The Enigma, a well-renowned High Ranker in Arthur's former life. The latter was not certain about his origins during his past life, but as he gazed into his abyss-like eyes, he immediately understood.
'This is not going to be as easy as I expected,' thought the crimson-eyed man. However, he felt no rush. His heart was tranquil, like a pond on a windless day. Although it'd be difficult to refrain from killing such a foe, Arthur was almost certain it was possible.
Difficult did not mean impossible.
Although the line was thin, one could still distinguish one from the other.
"Cassius."
"Avalon."
As the two introduced each other, they exchanged glances. They didn't spare any time, awaiting the announcer's word with the utmost patience. However, as soon as the word "Begin" entered their ears, an urge overtook them.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Disappearing from their locations, the two rushed forward. Usually, in such a situation, the person who'd climbed a higher floor would dominate. However, utilizing Cassius's naivety due to his nurturing within the Lijkao Village and the fact that he hadn't settled into his former agenda, Arthur could maintain an even battle.
But that was not enough.
Victory could not be achieved by being equally-matched with one's foe. Surpassing their enemy was the definition of victory.
As two strong gusts of wind collided, the shockwaves produced were massive and destructive. The ground beneath was ripped asunder solely due to the collision, although the damage was not deep.
Oftentimes, a battle was not defined by the amount of destruction caused, but the amount of destruction prevented. Arthur was aware of Cassius's powers, and he knew better than to offer up his field advantage.
Cassius's eyes released a spark of purple energy, following an influx in his speed. His figure practically turned invisible, following his arrival only a few feet away from Arthur, who seemed to be caught off-guard.
But that was far from the truth.
With a swift motion, the crimson-eyed man awakened Skofnung, enduring its sighs as the Demonic Blade conveyed its sheer hunger to its wielder. Arthur swung the sword in an arc, approaching Cassius's neck with breakneck speed.
"You're fast," Cassius muttered under his breath, masking his words under the explosion that rang due to the collision of his and Arthur's swords. As the crimson and amethyst aura collided, the two competitors gritted their teeth.
A clash occurred, hurling both energies in opposite directions.
Arthur quickly backed away, risking the possibility of a persistence attack. He and Cassius were engaging in a sword-lock, and the basics of swordsmanship advised one not to back away in any situation.
Unfortunately, this was not a normal situation.
Arthur was not only well-versed in swordsmanship, but also in magic. His sole advantage was not close-combat, but also long-range. Since Cassius was a swordsman, he did not have such a luxury, and was forced to remain on his heels, desperately trying to close the gap.
But he didn't.
Even as Arthur widened the gap between him and Cassius, the latter did not react. He simply stood still.
'Inferno Vortex,' Arthur said internally, willing his mana to interact with the property of fire, transforming into flames. His mana stone pumped continuous mana to his body, rejuvenating his mana circuits.
But they were not free from strain.
Suddenly, a massive quantity of flames spilled from Arthur's body, dying a twenty-meter radius of orange-red. The temperature of the atmosphere rose at terrifying speeds, following close behind the heat of Arthur's flames.
Then, the flames began spinning clockwise, assuming a liquid-like consistency as they formed what modern scientists regarded as a "vortex." The deafening noises of crackles encompassed the battlefield.
Cassius's eyes widened slightly, but he was not surprised.
Gargo Village was not inferior to Lijkao Village; it never had been. However, it was only the former's naivety and their tendency to avoid exploiting things that allowed the latter to dominate in this competition.
Even then, if a war broke out, Lijkao Village was not guaranteed victory.
Cassius–as someone who had stepped into the tower–was not unbeknownst to its wonder. He did not blindly trust his village like others of his age. Elder Gabrel was indeed stronger than Elder Feyright.
'But it all depends on this competition,' thought Cassius, letting out a defeated sigh as he shook his head. 'The man before me… he is not weak, but he is also not overly powerful. He is unlike others… Has he also stepped into the tower?'
Perhaps…
Cassius didn't waste any time, establishing protective measures as the vortex of flames headed his way. Suddenly, however, an arrow raked in flames emerged, ripping the vortex asunder for a split second.
Cassius's eyes widened, and his irises narrowed. A sense of urgency overtook him, forcing forth a move he never would have attempted, had he not been in danger.
Three claws emerged from the ground beneath. The arms connected to the claws were encompassed in what seemed like fur, while the claws were stark black with the sharpness to slice rock like butter.
One gripped Cassius's head, while the other two gripped his arms. His eyes widened, and his pupils rolled up.
Elder Feyright displayed a mixed expression.
The spectacle before him was a forbidden ritual that involved sacrificing one's life force for power. Although not many knew of this ritual, they could somewhat speculate that it was not virtuous in the slightest.
It was Demonic.
Arthur's eyes widened slightly, and he increased the speed at which the vortex neared Cassius. The fire arrow was also moving at terrifying speeds.
However, with a swift motion of his hand, Cassius crushed the arrow in his palm, allowing its remnants to fall to the ground. Aside from disconnected claws gripping his head and arms, there was no physical change in Cassius's appearance.
However, it was quite obvious to most that the man's vitality was decreasing at a terrifying pace. Although Cassius did not blindly trust his village, the residents of his hometown were incredibly important to him.
He couldn't let them be slaughtered–provided that he lost.
Thus, he opted to use a forbidden ritual.
