Roland saw the flickering in the corner of his eyes. He let the anger grow and grow. It felt good to let it grow until…nothing. All emotion and feeling entered a black hole and drained away from him. His mind calmed alarmingly down to ice. He looked to the side and saw Maid looking at him with concern for some reason.

Doesn’t matter. It’s time for the fights. If anyone gets in my way, I’ll gladly show them what their insides look like.

“I’ll be back you two. Count on it.” He gently told the two girls and smiled. Slowly, the smile faded from his eyes and only ice remained.

No time like the present.

He left through the door, moving like an entirely different person. Maid watched this in sorrow, unable to help the poor boy. She looked at the two girls.

“You better wake up soon you two…or you may lose him forever.” She mused then sighed, resuming her billow work.

Had she kept looking at them, she would have noticed their hands twitch.

***

Roland walked through the busy streets, looking at the coliseum in the center of the city before arriving at the Granite City Guild. He opened the door and was greeted with curious gazes. He ignored all looks and walked right up to the counter.

“Old man, I’m here for the tournament.” The guild master narrowed his eyes. Something was different about this kid.

His eyes…they’re so cold. What the hell happened to him? He was smiling three days ago…

He made a mental note to keep an eye on Roland and slid a registration form. Roland quickly filled it out and handed it back.

The guild master went over the sheet for a moment before pausing.

“You are opting for no weapons?”

“Don’t need them.”

“You seemed to need them when we last fought.”

“Those are for self-defense. I’ll actually be attacking from now on. So when is my fight?”

The guild master felt more and more unnerved. This was totally different than expected of the boy. Previously, the boy seemed almost nervous to fight. Something definitely happened.

“Over there in the octagon. Remember, you need to be undefeated.”

“Rules?”

“None, cept no killing.”

“So maiming is fine?”

“…Yeah. Stop if they surrender.”

“Only if they do so in time.”

With that, Roland walked off to the ring. The guild master had a sinking feeling that something was very wrong. He didn’t know what was about to happen but he felt the dread.

He watched as Roland walked up to the ring where a thinner man stood. In his hands were a large sabre and shield.

“You challenging me?” The thin man asked simply. “I’d recommend against it lad. I wouldn’t want your motha to cry before I shoot ‘tweens her legs tonight.”

The crowd descended into silence. Everyone present knew what the boy was capable of…besides this guy. He joined two days ago, bragging about his B rank status.

Roland looked at him emotionlessly and raised his hands. He turned them around to look at his palms. He could feel the faint energies within him start to rotate and collide in his hands. Oddly, the pain felt far away…

“Yes. Ready?”

The man scoffed and swung his sabre at the boy, inches away.

“Wow, not even I would admit my motha’s a whore. HAHA! Ya pissing yer pants yet kid? Tell you what, you can just leave now if you aren’t ready-”

The man cut his words short and dodged.

“WHAT THE FUCK KID! That woulda’ killed me!”

The man narrowly dodged a palm strike filled with mana. He leaned to the side and backpedaled hard when the concussive shock rattled his head from the small explosion.

“You swung first and said ready.”

One retort and another palm strike answered him. The man tried to grab the boy’s arm to grapple, but simply touching the man’s hand with mana coated fingers caused the man’s left hand to slowly erode.

“OW FUCK!” The man looked in fear. “What the hell are you?! Fine I’ll get serious.”

The man started to use his sabre. He lunged at Roland but had a feeling of incongruity. The boy just stood there as the sabre got closer and closer almost as if in slow motion…before his sabre tilted down. Then his left leg gave out at the hip, causing him to fall.

How did the world turn upside down? What is that ringing in my left ear? He thought to himself as small black and blue tendrils creeped over from the left side of his vision, turning everything to black. He lost his left sight...then his sense of taste…his sense of smell…the ringing finally stopped…then his mind faded away, unaware of what happened.

“”…””

The crowd looked on in horror as the B rank adventurer slowly dissolved from his left hand across his arm and onto the whole body in moments.

“He didn’t surrender in time.” Roland spoke out. “Does anyone want to challenge me?”

Silence answered him.

“You killed him lad. That’s against the rules.” The guild master spoke grimly.

“He didn’t surrender in time and no one warned him.” Roland replied emotionlessly.

Bullshit, no one warned him because they were too shocked to see a man dissolving in front of their eyes…

“You also gave a sneak attack.”

“I asked if he was ready. He said the word ready.” Roland replied once again.

Technicalities… The guild master felt a headache coming on.

“You still killed him.”

“His sabre is coated in poison. He also swung first with it. That counts as making the first killing move.”

“…”

The guild master walked over to the sabre, walking over the…paste...to confirm. Sure enough, it was coated with a trace of poison…not enough to be lethal however.

“You’re right, it is coated in poison.” He sighed. "Does anyone wish to challenge him, WITHOUT killing moves?”

Silence answered him as the crowd suddenly found the walls and ceiling very interesting.

Some contest this turned out to be. Kid’s got them scared shitless. No one would want to fight knowing they could end up like that paste-

He looked at the ground, only to see the floor completely clean leaving only his clothes and armor.

Fucking hell…not even a corpse. Now that is terrifying. Even I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of that.

“Alright. Lad you got yerself the slots, but keep in mind killing will NOT be tolerated again. Especially at the coliseum. Watch it kid.” The guildmaster warned him while handing the three bronze medals over. They were the size of a palm each.

Roland nodded, took the three medals, and walked towards the arena, ignoring the eyes following him out the door.

Good riddance. I hope he leaves soon. He looked at the crowd and saw their terrified gazes. Even the two receptionists’ eyes were narrowed at Roland as he left. Clearly they were worried about something.

***

Roland walked toward the coliseum slowly, he felt something on his left hand and saw it was covered in black spots. He flipped it over and the top of his hand had open sores with tiny black and blue tendril hairs on them.

The feeling still feels so far away. Everything feels so far away. What was wrong with killing him? He wanted to harm me first. Why were they looking at me like that?

Roland thought to himself as he walked, the answers to his questions seemingly forever in the distance of his mind along with all other feeling. He walked in a daze until he reached the coliseum. He walked towards the guards instead of the long line waiting in front.

“For audience seats, go to that line.” The guard spoke. Surprisingly, it was a woman.

“I’m a competitor.” Roland showed his medals.

She looked at the medals for a moment, confirming the authenticity with surprise. The guild usually splits their invitations across three people. She looked back up to give the directions but she looked at his eyes and flinched. Quickly, she recollected herself.

“Alright you can go in. Third room on the right is the waiting area and the roster.”

Roland left without a word.

The guard looked at the boy thoughtfully.

First time I’ve seen someone using aura that young. He must have been training harshly for it to cover his eyes like that…gave me the chills. Also why the hell is it fluctuating so much? Wait, that’s not normal…better tell the chief. We may have a Turned on our hands…and if so, we’re in for one hell of a fight.

She ran off to her superiors after having her guard relieve her.

Just in case…

***

Roland walked into the waiting room, registered with the receptionist and sat down. His number was thirty-two. He looked at his hand strangely. The strange far away feeling was now up to his wrist. Something was wrong, but he didn’t know what it was. He focused on that feeling and instinctively surrounded his hand with it. Eventually, the tendrils coated his hands like gloves and the feeling faded away.

That’s better. No feeling is the best feeling. I don’t like having something nagging in the back of my head.

Roland sat perfectly still and stared at the wall vacantly while other people whispered around him. They could feel his mana fluctuations when he turned the tendrils into gloves. They all looked at the boy in wonder until a young woman walked up to him. Her green hair swayed gently behind her, accentuating her swaying hips and slight curves. She wasn’t a curvy woman exactly but rather a beautiful petite one. However, her mouth ruined that image entirely.

“What are you doing making mana fluctuations like that?” She chided. “Are you trying to show off for me? Well too bad you aren’t my type. I prefer bigger men with muscles. Maybe if you win, I’ll let you into my harem." She pondered a moment. "You can carry my things for me, be grateful.”

Roland sat there staring at the wall with no expression.

“Hello? Are you listening to me?” She put her hands on her hips and glared at the oblivious Roland.

She touched Roland and he slowly turned his head to look at the…intrusion.

“Can…I…hel..p youuu?” Roland said as if slurring his words.

She looked at him. “Listen when your betters are talking to you, boy. Do you even know who I am?” She grinned.

“Why…would…I?” He asked somewhat slurred and slow.

“YOU!” She calmed herself a little. “I am Lynn Maestro. Daughter of the House Maestro. Feeling scared yet?”

“Nooo?”

“Well you should be!”

“Oh…okay.” Roland responded and resumed staring at the wall.

Lynn felt herself shaking with fury. This was not how she imagined it would go. She was supposed to walk over here due to the huge fluctuation, get him to like her so he would reveal his secrets and then dump him for a better pretty boy later.

Why isn’t it working?! All the boys react like dogs when I give them even a bit of attention, so why is this one different?

“Look here peasant, you will kneel before me! I won’t stand for your disrespect any longer.”

I’ll make him kneel and spill his secrets. I need to get strong to chase after the duke’s son.

Roland continued to stare at the wall.

“FINE. We will settle this in battle. I will make you kneel and kiss my feet!” She turned and stomped away.

“Participants thirty-one and thirty-two, come to the arena!”

Roland got up and started walking over to the door, only to be cut off by Lynn.

“That was sooner than expected. No matter, you will beg for mercy when I’m done with you. Maybe if you kiss my feet in front of everyone, I’ll let you off with a whipping.” She smiled and walked out onto the arena.

Had she stayed, she would see his eyes turn from being entirely blue and black…to a pure piercing silver briefly, before changing back.

Unknowingly a voice whispered behind him.

All will be changed before chaos and kneel before the madness.

I will guide you, my dear Roland~