After Krul read the rules everyone readied themselves for battle.

There was still a 15 minute interval before they would begin, so this time was suppose to be used wisely.

It should, but not the Primus branch.

First of all, Miko wasn’t on the field. He was in the standings laying down using his mother’s lap as a pillow.

This shocked the members of the other branch.

Instead of using the time given to brainstorm, the branch representative was being spoiled by his mother.

“Hah~. It’s been so long since I’ve felt this relaxed.”

Miko said as he made himself even more comfortable in her lap.

“As expected, I can only truly feel secured when I’m with you, Mama.”

He said as he stretched his body.

Sasha smiled while she rubbed his head.

“Aren’t you a bit too old to be babied like this, Miko?”

Momo asked while looking at him weirdly.

“All men turn into newborns in front of their mothers.”

He answered while keeping his eyes closed.

“Are you two fine with this?”

Momo asked Chika and Verde.

“Ah, we don’t mind. It’s always best to let yourself relax before a huge battle.”

Chika answered.

“That’s true, but getting too relax isn’t good.”

Momo replied.

“It’s fine.”

She stood up and whispered in Momo’s ear.

“Earlier I sensed a great confusion dwelling in Miko. I think this is his attempt to forget everything and recollect himself.”

Momo was surprised to hear that.

She looked at Miko and saw him have a relaxed smile on his face, which he barely showed.

“I see.”

She couldn’t help but to smile as well.

Chika was right.

Miko was still a bit confused about the “movie” he saw earlier. He tried his best to think about something else, but it felt so real that it would occupy his mind every time he tried to relax.

To prevent himself from getting distracted in the midst of battle, he sought his mother’s comfort.

Strangely enough, this was the sole thing that could rejuvenate him at times like this.

Miko spent the entire 15 minutes laying on his mother’s lap, completely relaxed.

That’s when he heard a buzzer sound indicating the beginning of the competition.

When he heard the buzzer, Miko flew up and landed on his feet.

“Mhmm!”

He stretched his body and turned to his mother and smiled at her.

“Thanks, mother. I feel great now.”

“Is it over already? It’s been so long since I’ve spoiled you, I wanted it to last a little longer.”

Sasha said with a disappointed tone.

“Well, how about this? Once I’m finished with the problems with the five branches, I’ll come to you and let you spoil me once a day.”

He turned to Momo.

“Is that alright?”

Momo nodded

“Ensuring that your mental health is at its best is one of the responsibilities of a master.”

She smiled at him.

“Now go prove who’s number one.”

Miko nodded and jumped from the stands and landed on the field.

“Sorry for the wait.”

He said with a refresh smile.

Alec nodded.

“Okay, with all contestants ready….”

Alec lifted his hand in the air.

“Begin!”

He swung it down and jumped back and landed in the stands.

A moment later the field changed into a land filled with huge rocks everywhere.

Miko looked around and noticed that they were alone with their ten soldiers.

“Looks like everyone else was teleported to random areas.”

Said Chika.

Miko nodded.

“Looks like it. We can sit and wait for them to attack or go in for the hunt. Which do you prefer?”

“Either one is fine, but if I had to pick then I prefer doing the hunting rather than being hunted.”

“Hm?”

Miko looked to his east.

“Looks like you won’t have the choice anymore.”

He smiled.

“We’ve been hunted.”

*Boom!*

He saw someone burst through a boulder holding a trident in their hand.

It was Yaya from the Quartus Branch.

She thrust her trident towards Miko.

Miko leaped back and avoid her trident which hit a boulder and reduced it to dust.

*Boom!*

Yaya immediately chased after Miko with three soldiers behind her.

Miko clenched his fists.

“Wait, Miko.”

He was going to take Yaya on but was stopped by Chika who appeared between them.

Yaya didn’t stop and thrust her trident.

Chika didn’t turned around and spoke to Miko.

“If we want to win this, we can’t afford to take on every fight.”

A wall of stone appeared and blocked Yaya’s trident from touching Chika.

“Wha?!”

This greatly surprised her, since her attack should’ve been able to easily destroy any boulder here.

“In order to not burn out too quickly, lets rotate who gets to fight.”

Chika said ignoring Yaya.

“You’ll fight the representatives from each branch, while Verde and I will handle the rest.”

The three soldiers accompanying Yaya rushed over the wall and attack the two of them.

Miko jumped past Chika and covered his fists in flames.

*Boom!*

He punched one of the soldiers so hard he broke through Chika’s stone wall and crashed through dozens of boulders.

“Impressive. So this is a soldier that’s a fraction of Krul’s strength.”

Miko said while avoiding the attacks of the remaining soldiers.

“If they only have 10 soldiers then I can handle him on my own without Qi. But if it’s more than 10 and they have this much power, this might be a problem.”

He said while clenching his fist.

“Using the soldiers to gauge your opponent’s power huh? This kid knows how to fight.”

Said Sophia who was watching from the Quartus stands.

“It’s too bad that he has no chance against our Krul.”

Sylphy said with a smile.

Yaya once again chased after Miko.

“Looks like she’s really on your own.”

Miko said while he leaped behind Chika.

“Are you going to handle her?”

He asked.

Chika shook her head.

“Verde, you’re up. But remember not to kill her.”

She turned to her brother and said.

Verde nodded and walked towards Yaya.

Miko spoke while he watched Verde dig into his pocket.

“Question. Why does he take orders from you when he’s stronger than you?”

“Oh? You could tell.”

Chika smiled slyly.

“When he was younger Verde had a destructive personality, that would cause him to go on random rampages that not only harm others but himself. To help him out, our father visited the goddess of witchcraft, Hecate to cast a spell on him. Because of that spell he lost his aggressiveness and became very aloof without a care.”

Miko saw Verde take out a medicine bottle.

“However, there’s a way for him to return to his true self.”

Verde took a pill and threw it into his mouth.

Chika smile when she saw him swallow it.

“He just needs to take his medicine.”

*Boom!*

A burst of magic was suddenly released from Verde’s body which cause the stadium to shake.

“Here it is! Here it is!”

Verde suddenly started shouting for the first time.

Miko could see a crazy look appear in his eyes.

“It’s here!”

*Boom!*

A second burst of magic, at least three times stronger than before was released from his body.

A maniacal laughter echoed out.

“Hahahahaha! I’m back in business, baby!”

Verde shouted.

“What’s going on? That boy is suddenly giving of a Beastly aura.”

Said Kirika.

Yaya sensed a dangerous change in verde and stopped in her tracks along with her soldiers.

Verde looked at her like a mad scientist looking at his experimental materials.

“So you’re today’s victim?”

He started walking towards her.

“Heads up from now….”

A darkish green aura started leaking from his body. It was Beastly Qi.

“I believe in equality. Men, women, children, adults, young, or old…..”

He licked his lips.

“I destroy them equally.”

*Boom!*

He kicked off the ground and rushed towards her.

Yaya jumped back and turned her trident horizontal in front of her.

*Boom!*

Verde punched it and caused the ground under them to crack open.

“Ugh?!”

Yaya’s hands ached from the vibration that was caused by Verde’s punch.

Verde grinned and spun around with a kick.

Yaya bended backwards and avoid it.

However, Verde’s leg didn’t pass over her. It stopped directly over her face.

He swung his leg down.

Yaya rolled out of the way and punch the ground to cause a smokescreen.

“Impressive. That girl has amazing reflexes.”

Chika praised.

“However, she’s going to need more than that to avoid Verde.”

Yaya quickly got to her feet and saw Verde emerge from the smoke with a wild grin.

Yaya prepared her trident to take him on.

“?!”

However, she was grabbed from behind.

Verde appeared out of nowhere gripping the back of her head.

“The front was a fake?!”

Yaya shouted in surprise.

“Face plant!”

*Boom!*

Verde yelled and slammed her head on the rocky ground.

“Hm?”

However, he felt something sticking in his stomach.

He looked down and saw Yaya’s trident handle stabbing into his stomach.

*Boom!*

He was hit by a shockwave and was sent flying back with his feet skidding on the ground.

Yaya sprung to her feet with her face bloody.

“I’m gonna kill you!”

She tapped the ground with the handle of her trident.

Purple lightning started dancing on the ground and quickly surrounded Verde.

She leaned forward with her weapon in her hand.

*Boom!*

With a clap of thunder she disappeared.

*Boom!*

Verde was hit with a lightning bolt and was sent flying back.

*Boom!*

He was hit with another one and was blown away to the side.

*Boom!*

He was hit again and was forced into the air.

*Boom!*

He then started getting hit from all angles without being able to touch the ground again.

People could see a five point purple star appear under him.

“Thunder Star Assault!”

*Boom!*

A giant bolt of lightning then fell from the heavens and hit Verde.

When the smoke cleared, Verde was seen laying in a crater.

Yaya appeared out of purple statics condensing together.

She looked down on Verde and then turned and glared at Miko and Chika.

“You’re next.”

“Is that so?”

Miko moved to approach her but Chika stopped him.

“Isn’t it too earlier to say that?”

She said.

“Hahahaha!”

Yaya flinched when she heard laughing behind her.

She quickly turned around and saw Verde standing up covered with thick Beastly Qi.

“That one actually hurt. Just a bit though.”

His figure then flickered.

*Boom!*

“Ugh?!”

Yaya was hit in the side with a powerful punch.

*Boom!*

Verde tried to follow up with an uppercut, but Yaya blocked it with her trident.

“Hahahaha! This is great! Defend more! Attack more! Bleed more!”

*Boom!* *Boom!* *Boom!*

Verde began to rain down punches on Yaya, which she skillfully blocked with her trident.

“Ugh!”

Yaya groaned as every punch Verde threw was heavier than the last.

She jumped back to create some distance.

“No you don’t!”

However, Verde grabbed her by the leg and slammed her on the ground.

*Boom!*

All the air escaped her lungs when she was slammed into the ground.

Verde stooped over her and thrust his fist at her head.

“Fuck off!”

Yaya lifted her head and clashed with Verde’s fist with her forehead.

*Boom!*

An explosive sound rang out as they clashed.

She grabbed her trident and it suddenly dragged her away from Verde and up into the air.

She dangled in the air while holding onto her trident.

She snapped her fingers and her soldiers retreated, while she glared at Verde.

“I swear if this wasn’t just a recon mission, I would’ve showed you the true terror of a trident made from the stars.”

After glaring a little longer, she turned into a lightning bolt and disappeared in the distance.

“A trident made from the stars?”

Miko smiled.

“This battle is gonna be truly interesting. I just know it.”