The Assassin's Seven Principles of Manipulation

Chapter 157: Chapter 155 — Fucking Brat...

A flicker of silver passed through Kaelith’s eyes.

’I’ll stop holding back now.’

”Compress.”

The Metal Aura compressed tightly around his body. His weight intensified to such a terrifying degree that the ground beneath him caved. The surrounding air grew unbearably dense and heavy.

Kaelith swept an arm to the side. A blade rapidly condensed within his grasp, forming a thin silver sword. Even the air around it trembled faintly beneath its weight.

As Kaelith raised his head toward Zephyrion, a fierce light burned within his eyes.

”It’s time to end this.”

Suddenly, he dipped forward.

Fissures spread violently across the arena as it trembled beneath him.

He blasted forward and erased the distance almost instantly, leaving shattered earth and flying debris in his wake. His blade drove toward Zephyrion alongside roaring winds and crushing pressure.

Zephyrion tilted his head slightly.

The blade whizzed past him.

In the same breath, he stepped forward and drove a fist into Kaelith’s abdomen.

BOOM!

The punch bent Kaelith at the waist before sending him hurtling violently across the arena.

Kaelith gritted his teeth. Twisting sharply midair, he regained his balance. A sharp hum echoed as metal orbs materialized behind him, rapidly condensing before vanishing.

He shot forward again in the same breath.

”Shield.”

The orbs halted before reaching Zephyrion, but detonated almost instantly, unleashing another devastating barrage of shrapnel.

Yet nothing passed through the shield.

Whoosh.

Kaelith flashed behind Zephyrion. With narrowed eyes, he drove his blade toward Zephyrion’s unsuspecting back.

Zephyrion vanished.

The blade carved through empty air.

’Where!?’

’Above. Your right!’

Kaelith’s eyes snapped upward.

Zephyrion’s sweeping kick filled his vision.

’Shi—’

BOOM!

The kick crashed into his face with such force that his head snapped back violently. Kaelith shot across the arena, skipping repeatedly against the ground before skidding harshly to a stop near the edge.

Kaelith spat onto the ground, gritting his teeth at the broken tooth lodged within the bloody phlegm.

’This... fucking bastard.’

He glared at Zephyrion.

Compressing the Metal Aura around himself should’ve granted him speed and power equal to, or even surpassing, a Mark Six.

Yet not only was Zephyrion matching him effortlessly, the weight behind his attacks was so overwhelming that Kaelith’s defenses felt nonexistent.

’Student...’ the aged voice suddenly spoke grimly. ’I think you should forfeit this match.’

’What? No!’

’Listen to me, student. This child... he’s not simple. I can tell he could’ve ended this fight from the very first exchange, but he didn’t.’

’What the hell are you talking about?’

Shock flashed through Kaelith’s eyes before quickly giving way to rage.

’It’s the truth. Since this battle began, I’ve felt a strange sensation... like someone’s peeling my skin off with their eyes. He’s trying to determine my source. No... I know he is. Stay away from him. He’s dangerous.’

Kaelith’s gaze intensified.

After everything he had endured... he was supposed to surrender?

Over his dead body.

The panicked voice of the aged man echoed again.

’Student, wai—’

Kaelith sealed him.

A moment later, he lifted his head toward Zephyrion, his eyes blazing fiercely.

No matter what... he would win this.

Kaelith raised both arms. A hum louder than all the previous ones rippled out as a massive orb of metal materialized above him.

Then he slammed his palms together.

”Absolute Compression.”

The orb trembled violently before rapidly compressing until it became no larger than a grain of rice. The air around it warped and trembled, barely capable of containing the terrifying power condensed within.

Kaelith stared at Zephyrion.

He still wore that indifferent expression, yet there was now a strange light within his eyes. As though countless calculations were flowing through his mind.

Suddenly, Kaelith felt an indescribable sensation. As though his entire being had just been seen through completely.

He gritted his teeth.

”Let’s see how you deal with this.”

He released the grain.

The instant it touched the ground, it detonated.

A violent explosion erupted skyward, forming a towering mushroom cloud of force and destruction.

Numerous instructors immediately swung into action. Barrier after barrier formed before the audience, blocking the torrent of shrapnel surging toward the crowd.

As the entire coliseum became swallowed by rolling dust and suffocating haze, silence descended.

The City Lords leaned forward tensely in their seats, especially Darius.

Only Garrick’s smile remained unchanged.

Within the haze, Kaelith grinned heavily. His breathing had grown ragged from the strain of the attack, but he had succeeded.

Within that tiny grain rested millions of shrapnel fragments moving at speeds far beyond the previous barrage.

Mark Six or not... nobody was surviving that.

Finally...

He had won.

Step.

Step.

Another step.

The thought died instantly as a figure emerged from the haze.

Over six feet tall. Pitch-black hair tied neatly behind him. Piercing purple eyes radiating cold detachment.

His movements were calm. Almost casual.

There wasn’t a single scratch on him. Not even a bead of sweat.

Zephyrion Calderalth.

A deafening roar erupted throughout the coliseum and spread across the entirety of the South.

Above, Darius’ expression crumbled.

Kaelith, meanwhile, looked as though he were staring at a ghost.

”H-how is this possible?”

Zephyrion said nothing.

He slowly raised a hand. No hum echoed this time, yet an enormous metal orb materialized above him, one so massive it completely dwarfed Kaelith’s earlier attack.

”Absolute Compression.”

The orb rapidly shrank until it became something so tiny Kaelith had to strain his eyes just to see it.

Kaelith felt as though his entire world had collapsed.

”Y-you... you’re using my art?”

Zephyrion’s eyes remained calm and still.

”Yes.”

The orb fell.

For a brief moment, there was nothing but deafening silence. Nobody even saw when it touched the ground.

They only saw the blinding flash of light that ignited before Zephyrion’s feet.

Then whiteness swallowed everyone’s vision.

Eventually, the haze began to settle, revealing the aftermath.

The arena was gone.

In its place remained an enormous yawning crater. Countless metal fragments littered the coliseum like silver rain. Sunlight reflected brilliantly off them, illuminating the widened eyes of the thousands watching.

Yet somehow... the section of the arena Zephyrion stood upon remained completely untouched.

The crowd silently searched for Kaelith.

Soon, their eyes landed near the edge of the City Lords’ platform.

Garrick stood there holding the unconscious Kaelith by the collar, while the shaken Mark Seven overseer stood beside him.

Garrick’s eyes trembled faintly as he stared toward Zephyrion.

”This fucking brat...”