‘Think nothing of it…think nothing of the consequence behind my sword…all are prey to my blade…all are prey to the arcane arts.’

“Arcane Sword Arts: 1^st Blooming Sword .”

By his first form, he had incorporated the nature of what a sword was.

Filled with a calm sense in his gaze, behind it was an overwhelming power that could easily topple a tower of fears and nightmares.

His sword, despite being branded as the standard of what a sword was, it was fully reaching the peak of its sharpness. To a point that it could easily tore away a simple metal sheet and armor. And to it, Jason was filled with th essence of magic that blended perfectly with a swordsmanship that could easily take over any other form of dance with a blade.

The Arcane Sword Arts was a form of technique that symbolizes both the true nature of a man blessed with mana and a man honed with the honesty of a sword, to this logic, the Arcane sword arts was a form of technique developed simply to compliment both magic and swordsmanship in the embodiment of a true magic swordsman.

Once a man learns this rare sword art, it is already guaranteed by the common logic of all sword arts that the one who learns this sword art, will undoubtedly be a man who will come to truly be one with magic and sword.

He will be a sword master.

The First form,the 1^st blooming sword. The kind of skill that initiates the very will of a sword and the understanding of magic . To it, it awakens the mind of the swordsman and tempers it to the ability where it creates the skill to manifest the combination of both a sword and mana in one fusion. This skill creates the ability to create a powerful sword where one strike is capable of tearing away with force in ease and it increases the talent of one’s ability in swordsmanship.

Already, this skill on its own was very powerful. One would be extremely envious if they were to hold such an arts.

In Conner’s first step to protect his own selfish ego, he dashed forward, not thinking of the consequence behind his reckless march.

“…!?”

But to his arrogance, he met the blade’s slash to his chest, without him ever noticing that Jason had already took the advancement, Jason was able to predict Conner’s simple action and he took this as a simple task with a simple move…through his great enhancement in swordsmanship, his body moved on its own and came to the conclusion of slashing him in where he stands.

The blade ran through his skin like butter, and with it, the mana that flowed within Jason’s blade ultimately did additional damage to Conner. This damage caused him to shudder in shock and fear and pain in just over a quick second…maybe less.

As if he was being ripped open by a unknown energy filled with power, he was easily thrown out of his place off the ground and he was launched on quite the distance.

In a slow motioned scene, one could see that Conner’s chest bone’s were already bare to the naked eye, and to it, it could have been a reason to stop the match, but Conner didn’t let it end that easily.

Instead, while he was being thrown almost out of the stage, he clung with all his will and he instantly charged himself with mana reinforcement all over his body.

“GahhH!!!!”

With it, he manifested his second skill.

‘Claws of the Iron King of the Forest!’

In this activation of skill, he was able to bring out a manifested item that was completely made of his mana. It was the form of an Iron Gauntlet mixed and molded with both fur and the claws of an Iron beast. The claws were able to extend a meter’s length and the gauntlet was also able to manifest a special element. The shock element, capable of stunning and immobilizing an opponent once the claws touch its target and the shock turns on by the will of the user.

In this skill, he was able to increase the range of his attacks and cause quite a problem for someone who was wielding an iron sword since it also conducts to the metals with its shock element.

Now as he was able to manifest these claws, he quickly was able to extend the claws and pierce them to the floor, to act as brakes. To this quick decision, he was able to stop himself from flying out of the stage and lose against Jason.

“Haaa….haaa–Fuck, to think that I was that fucking careless…Y-you really got me with that one. Hehehe” with his heavy breathing, he felt the pain surge on his chest wound.

“…” Jason stood his distance from Conner, he stayed quiet as he was observing what Conner would do next since he wasn’t able to finish him off, then and there.

“Just…just give me a second, you look all so serious with that fucking face of yours…”

“…”

The whole crowd was shocked by what happened. The explosion coming from Jason’s slash took their breaths away. For this was the first time that Jason had used this skill on a human outside the dungeon, it wasn’t easy to take your eyes away from the scene.

One of the students who were as shock as the others was Jessica Young who was watching on the edge of a the railings around the training center.

“Damn…those two are strong…they make it look so flawless on how they move. Their completely different from the rest of the first years.” she couldn’t help but compliment the two despite their reputation. To it, she saw the gap between them and her…

Knowing that Conner was fifth overall on the rankings and she was sixth, it made her doubt herself a little bit since their strengths were very different. He was fast, strong and very adaptive to the situation, just like how he was able to stop himself midair using his skill.

If she was in that situation, she would have already lost, then and there.

To it, her insecurities grew a little while she watched the fight…

And to that growing insecurity, she wondered if a certain someone else would have been able to block that attack as well or at least handled it…

“…Hmm, I wonder where he is right now? His missing the fight.” she said to herself as she looked worried since Soril was nowhere to be found during lunchtime.

“Rahh!!!” in his scream, Conner was rushed on again with his claws out and about. Like a wild animal who was filled with adrenaline, he could not stop himself from moving at his own pace.

If he stopped, he would worry about his injury and if he didn’t, he would eventually lose time and he would lose based of his condition.

Rushing at a speed similar to that of a flying arrow, he extended his claws to reach jason, but to Jason’s skill, he deflected those claws, but the moment he did, Conner activated the shock element and he was stunned with a great amount of volts.

“!!GGZzhh!!” being immobilized in just under the seconds that the shock element was working, Conner smirked and saw his chance to attack. So using his other claw, he extended it and aimed at Jason’s face.

*Kli-khick!-!* the claw extended and to it, it pierced itself at an impeccable speed. Like that of a bullet, it came rushing to Jason at point blank.

But to Conner’ surprise attack, he felt something was wrong…

As the claw extended itself to Jason’s face, he felt an ominous feeling from Jason’s direction.

But he didn’t falter one bit. He continued onward with his attack and to it, he expressed quite the rae as he peirced through.

“Ghahh!!

The Claw was able to peirce…or so he thought.

The moment he felt that his claws has pierced, he saw the blood-lusted gaze coming from Jason’s eyes.

And to it, he saw that his claws didn’t pierced through, instead, they were blocked by a barrier made from Jason’s increased understanding of his magic sense.

He tried to activate the shock element while he was there, but even when the shock was activated, Jason’s expression didn’t changed one bit.

“!!”

Instead, the next thing he knew, he was yet again sent flying back to the ends of the stage.

And this time, Jason followed him as he was flying midair.

Jason’s grip tightened so much so, that before Conner would fly off the bounds of the stage, he slammed down on Conner’s head using the pommel of his sword.

“Gugh!!”

Conner was slammed down so hard, the floor cracked and the clouds of dust then started to surround them.

“Khk!” Conner tried to stand up, but Jason Simply pushed him down further by continuesly pummeling him down with his sword’s blunt end.

As he continue to pummel down on Conner, the dust continues to rise into the air.

‘Fuck!! This is embarrassing..How!? How is it possible that he’s dominating me!? It shouldn’t…it shouldn’t be!!’ he was screaming in his thoughts as the pain continued to pile on his body…

And in this show of domination, He felt his ego break and his rage pile on one another…one against the other…

It piled on…and on…and on…until finally, he cracked…

[Birth Skill Activated: Raging Skin and Bones]

“..?!” To Jason’s continues pummeling, he felt an ominous change in Conner…

In the quick moment he did, he wanted to jump away from Conner’s body, but to his action, he was not fast enough.

*Swing—-!*

In the sound of air being cut, Jason was pushed away at quite the speed and range of about 50 meters up into the air.

“!!?” up there, he could be seen holding his sword with a defensive position…but despite this block he made against that sudden attack, the sword breaks in midair and he felt a sudden surge of pain as well as the color red appear before.

He was bleeding…on his chest.

Just like Conner was with his injury, Conner made the payback to input the same injury unto Jason.

While he was in midair, he tried to handle his injury as he fell, but to his decision, he did not notice that above him already, the sight of an overwhelming gathered force of mana was being made. Conner with the same attack as before, using a single point of reinforced mana was being applied to his arm yet again, but this time he was wearing the claws.

In it, he applied the Shock element into the power in his hand, multiplying the damage of his attack.

“…?” the moment Jason noticed a shadow above him, he was already late to do anything. In just a second later, he met the fist of the iron beast straight to his back, and in this quick attack, Conner slammed Jason down so hard that it caused the entire stage to break in pieces.

**BOOM!!!**

A shockwave of force was made, and in this attack, the crowd were either afraid of were cheering in the awesomeness of what just happened.

““Ohhhhhh!!!!””

In the center of the stage, Jason could be seen laid on his front and on his back was the claws, piercing through him like a pole…

“Khk!…Kugh!” he coughed up blood as he tried to stand up, but Conner was simply there to put him in his place.

In the dust clouds surrounding them, he could feel an intense heat coming from Conner and to it, he tried to lean over to see what was happening.

“!?”

There, he saw Conner as red as that of a beet…and to his complexion, he was steaming out like a boiling water…heat was radiating off of him like he was an engine. And his eyes, they were as bloodshot as that of a hungry beast…Jason could barely tell if Conner was the same person as before

“.…” he was silent, but his intentions were clear to Jason.

“…W-what is that?*Cough*” Said Jason, as he tried to free himself from the claws stabbing through him like a kebab.

Birth Skill.

An ability blessed unto a child the moment he is born. It is a rare blessing made unto his birth that only he and he alone possesses. It cannot be taught, nor it can be passed down through a bloodline. It is simply the owner’s unique skill. Unlike any other skill that requires practice to be controlled….this skill is one that is hard to master and hard to activate.

It is unknown to how a person is able activate such a skill, but once they do, it is said that the power that comes from their birth skill ultimately reflects their very personality. Mastering the activation of this skill is said to be one of the hardest accomplishments made by man. Until now, only a rare number of people could activate it by will…

Conner’s activation to this skill was purely by the conditions met by his situation. But still, even to this activation, he is not conscious of how it was done.

Raging Skin and Bones: the Skill that brings out the ability to turn one’s entire body into an engine of pure power and rage. It increases his power by 100%. Once Conner is able to activate this skill, it will dry him up from the inside like a boiling water due to the heat emitting from his body…and once he is dried up, he will ultimately die.

‘Is…is that his Birth Skill? I’ve never heard of Conner O’neil even using such a skill before…so it must be true…his potential is one to look out for.’ Thought Professor Morrison as he watches from a distance.

Beside him, Sgt. O’riley was leaning against the pillar with a rather smirking expression.

“So, what would you expect from the upcoming match? Especially from your daughter?” asked the Sergeant.

“Hmm, I don’t have a lot to go on with the Boy’s data…but I have seen his talents in the magic aspect…one could say the he is even as talented as her.”

“Really? Hmm, now this has just gotten more interesting.” said the sergeant.

“Still, in the current fight, how do you expect for that boy over there to overcome his endeavor?” asked the Professor.

“Jason Emory…hmm, I’ve seen what he can do in the training center as well as his records in the Entrance exam…its impressive enough already to see that before the birth skill was even activated, he had already dominated Conner O’neil with no hardships at all. If he tried his best in this moment, I’m sure the tides might turn.” he said.

And to his comment, something did happen in the field.

For the next thing they knew, Conner was already seen struggling yet again against a blade’s tip.

“Arcane Sword Arts: Slashing Fault of the External Divine .”

In that chant, Conner was thrown out of the ring and he was seen unconscious and unable to move.

“Winner! Jason Emory!” said the Referee.