The two stared at each other as everyone else silently watched. Raja Kint was curious about how strong this person was. As such, he concentrated ki into his eyes to see the boy’s cultivation stage. But, when he looked he realized the boy was doing the same.
When the Fenix boy noticed Raja Kint checking his stage he smiled. “You must have been pretty lowkey to not get an invite. Care to tell me your name?”
“Raja Kint, yours?”
“Josho Fenix.” His smile faded as he motioned toward the groggy left guard. “Was this necessary?”
“How else could I have entered?”
Josho Fenix pondered for a moment. “Indeed, if I was in your position. I would’ve done the same. Maybe even worse.”
A girl spoke, “You could’ve had someone enter on your behalf. Josho Fenix is worth respect amongst our generation. Where you’re a nobody.”
Raja Kint calmly stared at Josho Fenix as if the girl never existed. The girl frowned upon seeing this but kept quiet. Josho Fenix began walking toward Raja Kint.
“This is a slight against me. Therefore, I have to protect my name.” Josho Fenix's eyebrows were slightly raised. Giving him an earnest temperament.
Raja Kint says, “Do what you will. I’ll still be the party crasher of tonight.”
Josho Fenix smiled as thin tendrils of red ki began floating out from his right wrist. Raja Kint narrowed his eyes. Let’s see why he gives me such a sense of danger. Raja Kint took a step forward. He didn’t intend to attack. He took this step to position himself for a strong defense. His arms crossed over his chest as he waited.
“Don’t disappoint me.” Josho Fenix quickly moves. The red tendrils length-wise wrapping around his fingers.
Raja Kint was shocked to see this speed. His ki control is also high. The punch reached Raja Kint as his eyes twitched from the pain. “Ugh.” Raja Kint was forced to step back multiple times before recentering himself. His arms were lightly pulsating in pain. I thought my body would be unbeatable beneath the limbo realm. This pain means one of two things. My body isn’t unbeatable beneath the limbo realm. Or, as an outer ki realm. He can contend with a limbo realm. This also means he would be able to contend with the Shizen Tribe’s old man before the breakthrough.
“Hoh, truly not bad.” Josho Fenix turned his attention to Calanthe Cardinal. “I was wondering if you’d show.”
“Why would you care whether I’m here or not?”
“It’s not every day I can meet such an important person. Especially someone using an alias as strong as yours.”
Everyone looked toward Calanthe Cardinal with interest. Calanthe Cardinal knitted her brows as her heart sped up.
“Curious how I know? Well, why not follow me into the party?”
Calanthe Cardinal harrumphs. “Seems you haven’t noticed. The sole reason I came here is because of Raja Kint. Otherwise, I never would’ve come to this boring party.”
Josho Fenix glances at Raja Kint. “That’s fine. As long as you enjoy yourself tonight. Friends can’t be forced but maybe we can be acquaintances or at least on good terms.”
Calanthe Cardinal responds, “That’s yet to be seen.”
Josho Fenix turns around returning to his party. Raja Kint, Exochos Kint and Calanthe Cardinal enter the party. Multiple kids came up to Calanthe Cardinal. As she was beginning to get drowned by everyone wanting to know her.
She roared, “Only talk to me if you win the competition!”
Everyone walked away with multiple people sending glances toward Raja Kint and Exochos Kint. A boy walked over and began talking to Exochos Kint. Raja Kint overheard some of the initial talk. Seems he’s one of the people he fought over the years.
A boy walked up to Raja Kint. “That was an impressive showing.”
“I didn’t come here to mingle with random people.”
The boy scoffed, “Why else would you come to a party?”
Raja Kint smirked. “To see my competition.”
The boy stared Raja Kint down as he visibly shook from anger. “You don’t think I’m strong enough?”
Raja Kint walked off to the food as he got a plate. The boy left fuming at Raja Kint’s dismissiveness of him. Raja Kint happily filled his plate with delicacies as he sat down. The table already had three people talking with one chair open. He sat down and began savoring the food. This is pretty good!
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The other three glanced at Raja Kint before continuing their conversation. Raja Kint didn’t care for any conversations around him.
“This is where you ran off to?”
Raja Kint turned his head to see Calanthe Cardinal. She held a plate of food while dragging over a chair. She placed the chair down and the two casually ate. The three talking glanced over but ignored the two of them.
Raja Kint says, “He would be a strong ally for you.”
Calanthe Cardinal side-eyes Raja Kint. “But, not for you?”
“He doesn’t have the ability to help me.”
“What do you need help with?”
Raja Kint finished chewing. “Nothing.”
“I can tell you one thing is being a better liar. It’s fine if you won’t say anyhow. I’m not in a position to ask when I’m the same.”
“Are you participating in the competition?”
“No, came because I was curious about the winner. Josho Fenix is quite strong. I can see why he’s the symbol of a generation in the empire.”
Raja Kint shook his head. “He’s the symbol for those not born with a strong backing. He may very well be outclassed by others our age.”
“True, I wouldn’t lose to him myself.”
“If we were at the same stage then he wouldn’t even be an opponent.”
Calanthe Cardinal slightly narrows her eyes. “You couldn’t possibly be competing with me could you. I could easily crush you ya know.”
“Why would I compete with you? I’ll surpass everyone stronger than me.”
“Such bold claims for someone younger than me.” She looks at her food deciding what to try next. “How about we have a little contest.” She sees Raja Kint is disinterested and so she continues. “We’ll have a race to sea devourer. So then we can have a fight at the peak to decide who’s stronger.”
Raja Kint’s eyes slightly widen as he looks at her. A smirk hanging on the edge of her lips.
“It would seem you truly do know more than you should.”
Raja Kint’s face returns to normal. “That’s too low.”
Calanthe Cardinal’s eyes flickered as she chuckled. “It seems I’ve truly found someone interesting. Don’t go dying after the competition on me. I still have much more traveling to do.”
The party lasted a few more hours before the three met up. When they met up a familiar voice sounded. “So it’s the little devil who caused a commotion. I should’ve known.”
Raja Kint turns his head to see the righteous girl from the stage fights looking at him. “It’s the Heartless Blue Eyes. Jeez, you could’ve at least gotten the name right.”
She narrowed her eyes. “A devil once is a devil for life. I’ll get rid of the devils somehow.”
Raja Kint turned his head away leaving the scene. He soon reached his room and sat down with knitted brows. “I heard he was strong but that wasn’t just strong for an outer ki realm. He might be comparable to a limbo realm. If that’s the case. Could there be someone else comparable to a limbo realm?” Raja Kint frowned. “My current strength isn’t enough, There’s still time to hone myself anyhow.”
Raja Kint took the days leading up to the competition silently training. During this small window everyone was taking any improvements they could get. As even the smallest improvement could mean getting picked by a higher power.
“Chirp, chirp!”
Raja Kint opened his eyes with a orange horizon staring back. “It’s finally the day.” He jumped out of bed and walked outside, sat down on the cool grass and fell backward. The morning dew wetting his sprawled hair. His fingers twirling with the grass.
With a clear mind a foreign sensation crept in. Raja Kint felt like the earth was trying to reach out to him. Reaching closer, closer and closer. Until suddenly it stopped short of a closer connection with him. In this moment of clarity, Raja Kint reached out to help the earth reach him.
He softly spoke, “What is it?” His crystal clear blue eyes, ten year old face showed a rare innocent temperament since the event. The earth seemed to send feelings of fealty. Raja Kint could feel that to the earth. He was its lord. No, to be more accurate he was the earth’s.
“King.” Softly spoke Raja Kint as his eyes opened. He saw Empros Kint not far from him. When Raja Kint opened his eyes Empros Kint turned as well.
“Seems you’ve reached the step that blocks many limbo realms from the next realm. Not a bad young man,” Empros Kint said. “Your eyes exude such innocence. You should hold onto that bit of innocence still within you. Innocence toward the world helps with understanding the laws.” Empros Kint walked toward Raja Kint, sat next to him and said, “use your law, get a feel for it.”
Empros Kint held out his right hand as a small ball of water appeared. Raja Kint could feel a connection between Empros Kint and the water like he had with the earth. Holding out his right hand he attempted to make a ball to no avail.
“Don’t copy me. You are the king of your laws, not me. Create what you want to create. Close your eyes and see what you want the earth to do.”
Raja Kint closed his eyes. Darkness existed as nothing materialized. Raja Kint furrowed his brows.
“Don’t think so hard. Lower your hand, stop anticipating and simply do nothing.”
Raja Kint looked at Empros Kint then turned his gaze toward the orange horizon. When I entered that state just now I completely lost myself. Raja Kint’s eyes closed, slightly slouching forward.
Empros Kint's curious eyes stayed on Raja Kint. Waiting to see if he could understand the Manifest Realm. Before his eyes earth began forming in front of Raja Kint. A starry shape appeared. Empros Kint was quite impressed but the star continued to refine. Dirt was continuously rearranging itself as the star became clearer and clearer.
Empros Kint felt his heart rate speed up, his eyes widening in amazement. “This, this, what a prodigy!”
The star fell apart before it finished as Raja Kint opened his weary eyes. “I did it.”
Empros Kint handed him a pill. “Go to your room and rest. Also, just use your earth law as you have been so far. Don’t attempt anything new.”
Raja Kint nodded his head as he left.