- Outside Arena -

(Xuan Kun's Perspective)

"Maledictum - Segnis! Infirmis! Enervis!" I chanted, launching curse after curse at the so-called Solo Devil. I had to admit, his title wasn't there just for show. He was dodging my attacks at an inhuman speed, but with my Void Element to escape, he couldn't get close to me either. Put simply, we were at a stalemate.

My allies were all preoccupied with The Solo Devil's team members, though he himself didn't seem to care about his teammates at all. Fortunately for them, though, the four students on his team seemed to be holding up fine. I swear, my allies are all so useless. First, that bastard Li Mu Shen. All he knows what to do is flirt with that bitch Lan Gui Ying. The only reason I accepted this playboy into my team was because my father ordered me to.

I don't really get it, but apparently my father was trying to get the Li family's support. No matter how Li Mu Shen acted, he was still an heir to the Li family. His older brother, Li Yi Fei, was utterly crushed by my younger brother, Xuan Kai, so Li Mu Shen was the most likely candidate for the next patriarch of the Li family.

I can understand my father's motive, but from how I see it, the entire Li family is full of trash, especially the next generation. If a woman-loving man like Li Mu Shen became the next patriarch of the Li family, it would cease to be one of the Four Great Families real quick. That's why I find currying their favor utterly pointless. If they decide to stand in our way, just crush them together with the others. That's my philosophy, but my father denied it. As I am right now, I still can't fight back against my father. But soon...heh.

As for Lan Gui Ying...Li Mu Shen insisted she join the team as well, or he wasn't joining either. I inwardly cursed at the time. Both of them were weak as hell, and just one baggage was enough. Now I have to carry two? Shit. If my teammates were actually competent students that deserved being in Class A, this battle would've been over a long time ago. But no, instead, I got these two idiots who were only in Class A because of the Li family. Well, screw it. I'll just have to use the power of three people combined then...

"Xuan Kun, you're not bad!" Liao Fen yelled, now back in his original spot when the duel began. "But just sitting there and defending like a pussy won't win ya this fight, y'know?"

I haven't moved a single step from where I was since the duel began, and had been mainly focusing on the defensive to adapt to Liao Fen's overly aggressive fighting style. Since he was a close range fighter that never used ranged attacks, he possessed the Blessing and Demon elements. Both, he only used for enhancing his own body and stats. The best strategy to use against a brute like him is maintaing your distance and poking him down. I admit, this was a pretty cowardly tactic, but it was necessary. I've always been someone who doesn't give two shits about what others think of me, and so...such a taunt won't do anything to me.

"Heh, you're talking big, but you still haven't landed a single damn hit on me," Xuan Kun said condescendingly. "I still have plenty of tricks up my sleeve, how about you?"

"Don't underestimate me, ahaha! Level Two Demon Magic..." Liao Fen's eyes took a dangerous scarlet hue as he yelled towards the sky. "BLOOD BREAK!"

Blood Break - a Level Two Demon Element spell that enhanced physical abilities and senses greatly. It was a three-tier spell that had more powerful effects the higher the tier was. The Level One version of this spell was Blood Veil, while the Level Three version was Blood Shatter. Together, they are collectively known as the Blood Enhancement Spell Family.

"Tch...to think you could raise your abilities even further," I muttered. This posed quite the problem. Liao Fen was already fast enough as it was, but with the demonic enhancements of Blood Break, his physical abilities would evolve beyond 'inhuman'. It would be more accurate to call him a true monster now.

"I said...not to underestimate me," Liao Fen murmured, slowly looking up. His eyes, if they had a shred of humanity before, were devoid of any now. Instead, he had a mad grin plastered over his face, and was staring straight at me.

I gulped out of instinct, and could feel cold sweat sliding down my back.

"H-Heh...you think just doing that can defeat me?" I said, putting up a false bravado. I had a plan in mind. But in order for it to succeed I needed to stall as much time as possible here...damn it, to think I would have to resort using this...

"What, are ya going to use your trump card as well?" Liao Fen smirked devilishly. "Hmph, fine. Go ahead, I'm waiting."

I stared at him, dumbfounded, still putting up my front. "You're just going to let me prepare my trump card?"

"Yeah," Liao Fen said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "It wouldn't be a fair fight if I came at ya right now. I fuckin' hate sneak attacks like that."

I laughed deep down at how splendidly he is falling for my plan. Yes...that's right. Keep talking, idiot.

"I must say, your respect for your opponents is worth noting," I continued, dragging the conversation on longer than needed.

"Respect for my opponents? Nah, that's not what it is," Liao Fen muttered.

"Then what is it?"

"Who the hell would feel satisfied winning an easy fight?" he scoffed.

Well..everyone except for you, I would say. But that doesn't matter...what's important is the time. I have stalled enough...heheh.

"Hey, Liao Fen," I hollered intentionally. "My trump card...you want to see it, right?"

"Hmph. Give me all ya got."

I cackled evilly. "You asked for it."

I closed my eyes and took the same stance Liao Fen had just moments ago.

"What the hell?! That is-"

"Level Two Demon Magic - Blood Break."

*****

- Within the Chaotic Tranquility's Waiting Room -

(Xuan Kai's Perspective)

Our team was currently sitting on the coach, watching the battle between The Cursed Warlocks and Death's Door on the TV in the room. Xuan Kun had just taken the exact same stance as Liao Fen had when he had cast Blood Break.

"That is..." Feng Mian began, but trailed off, unable to say another word. More accurately, no more words were needed. We all knew what she was going to say.

"Yeah...Blood Break," I muttered. "He used the same spell as Liao Fen."

"B-But isn't that a Demon Element spell?!" Yu An Yan asked, shocked at what had just happened on screen.

"It is," Qing Yue confirmed. "But this just means that that guy has the Demon Element as well."

"Didn't his profile on the Magus Ranking app say Curse and Void Element though?" Yu An Yan flipped out her phone to check once more. "Yeah, it says here..."

I shook my head. "The information on the app is not complete. And it was probably done on purpose."

Feng Mian made a thinking gesture. "In other words, that guy intentionally hid that he in fact has the Demon Element as well?"

"Mm...that makes sense..." Yu An Xue murmured quietly.

I turned back towards the screen. "Chances are, this was his ultimate trump card, the one he was originally planning to use against me. But unfortunately, he never expected Liao Fen to be this strong, and ended up having to use this here."

"Well...I guess this is good for us then?" Yu An Yan shrugged. Then, in a lower tone, "But Liao Fen is not so lucky..."

"Whatever," I said nonchalantly. "I've already figured out his plan here."

"Wait, what?! But you've only been watching for a minute or so!" Feng Mian exclaimed in shock. "I don't even have any guesses as to what that guy's motives might be, how have you figured it out already?!"

I looked at her with a deadpan expression. "The question should be, how have you not?"

"Wha-"

"Look, it's simple. Have you not realized? Xuan Kun's talk with Liao Fen earlier - it was to stall time," I explained.

"Stall time...? For what?" Yu An Yan cut in.

I sighed. "All physical enhancement spells have a duration limit, and Blood Break, from what I know, is no different. And since Liao Fen activated his before Xuan Kun..."

"...Liao Fen's Blood Break will run out first, of course," Qing Yue finished for me. I looked at her with a smile, and she gave me a wink back. I could always count on her to understand what I was thinking inside my head...though sometimes that isn't exactly a good thing, like this morning when she called out my night with Mei Gui as if looking inside my head. For the most part though, this was an advantage...I think. Despite us not being a real pair of siblings, we certainly had the tacit understanding of one.

The two of us then turned towards Feng Mian together. "So? You get it?" we said in unison.

"Y-Yeah..." Feng Mian averted her gaze, embarrassed at how she wasn't able to figure out such a simple thing.

I took a deep breath. "In any case, these kinds of spells never last too long, especially only a Level Two one, so Liao Fen's should run out anytime n- well, actually, there it is."

Indeed, on the screen, Liao Fen appeared to be exhausted, and was suffering the backlash from going over the time limit. He knelt on the ground, sweating profusely. Xuan Kun, on the other hand, appeared to be just fine, not strained or tired in any way.

Then, swiftly, Xuan Kun formed a Void Element attack, and launched it at the defeated Liao Fen. He had no way of dodging, completely immobilized by the overuse of Blood Break. A nasty explosion ensued, and...

These two students had been the spotlights of this fight. And the one to emerge victorious was - Xuan Kun.