Chalés, from the city of Balia, had always been considered a genius. Since he was little, his father, Kurt, had always said that his talent was great enough to allow the Maide family to surpass the Solcren family. His progress in Circle Zero had already reached 98%, and there was only one month left until he turned fifteen, the age at which the Circles began to form. His family lived happily, believing that the future would be even brighter, until that day, three months earlier. Chalés had just been accepted into Astrong Academy and was returning home full of expectations.
"I-I can't wait to make you proud..."
The words died in his throat when he saw his house completely engulfed in flames. His eyes widened, and he sprinted toward the residence. As soon as he arrived, he saw his entire family kneeling on the ground, surrounded by guards, while a man with black hair, golden eyes, and pale skin stood before them. Chalés recognized that face immediately. Matteo Solcren Ferreira, the patriarch of the Solcren family.
Without thinking, he ran toward his father, but several guards seized him before he could reach him and violently threw him to the ground.
"Did you really think I would let your family surpass mine?"
Matteo looked at Kurt, who was trembling, unable to hide his despair.
"Please... let my son go."
Without replying, Matteo raised one of his hands. One of the mages standing beside him handed him a dark stone, and the instant Kurt saw it, his face was consumed by horror.
"No... please, don't do that to him. That stone is only used on criminals."
"How innocent of you. Do you really think that's all it's is used for?"
Fear overwhelmed Chalés. When Matteo pressed the stone against his chest, unbearable pain spread throughout his entire body, as though every bone inside him were breaking at the same time. Something within him seemed to be forcibly sealed away. As he screamed in agony, he heard his father's voice filled with rage.
"Aaaaaah!"
"You bastard!"
"With this, his Circle will never evolve again."
Chalés collapsed onto the ground, coughing up blood as he struggled to endure the pain, while he watched Matteo slowly walk toward the rest of his family.
"What happened here was that Chalés Maide murdered his entire family and was arrested afterward. Understood?"
The guards nodded without hesitation. A moment later, Kurt let out one final cry of defiance. Matteo drew his sword, and before Chalés' eyes, beheaded every member of the Maide family. The only one left alive was him.
"F-father..."
After that day, Chalés was taken to prison, chained up like a criminal, spending days staring at the ceiling with completely empty eyes. One month later, however, fate offered him an opportunity. A man broke into the prison to free someone else, and amid the chaos, Chalés managed to escape. From that moment on, he spent all that time gathering information about the Solcren family. He would kill every last one of them. No matter how long it took, no one would be spared.
Matteo had four children. The eldest, the family's direct heir, was already eighteen years old and had graduated from Astrong Academy, making him impossible to reach at that moment. The second daughter was seventeen and studied in the academy's third year. The third son would enter the institution in a month and a half. As for the youngest daughter, she was only thirteen years old and constantly surrounded by guards. That left only one: Enrico Solcren Ferreira.
Besides being almost exactly the same age as Chalés, he was also the most accessible target.
"Besides, he's the same age as me."
Consumed by hatred, Chalés crushed the letter containing the information about the Solcren family and put his plan into motion. For days, he remained hidden near Astrong Academy, waiting for the perfect opportunity. He observed Enrico's routine from the beginning of classes, following his every movement without being noticed. He waited patiently until that Saturday.
"That was faster than I expected. Excellent."
He followed Enrico into the forest, watching him hunt animals. That hardly mattered. While Enrico was distracted, Chalés prepared a trap to prevent any attempt at escape. Once everything was ready, he returned to his position and launched a fatal attack, but to his surprise, Enrico barely managed to dodge.
'He dodged?'
'It doesn't matter... he's going to die.'
"Your death will be very slow."
"Wood Magic: Form Thorns."
Several wooden thorns burst from the ground at incredible speed. One of them pierced Enrico's arm before he could completely escape. Ignoring the pain, Enrico raised his hand and launched a fireball, but the spell was much weaker than usual because of the wound and ended up being blocked by a wooden shield created by Chalés.
Enrico immediately ran behind a tree, but he had to leave that spot the very next instant when a thorn pierced straight through the trunk where he had been hiding, passing just inches from his nose.
'Damn... I almost forgot. Even while still at Circle Zero, he can already control ordinary wood.'
Normally, manipulating an element that already existed in the environment would only become possible starting at Circle Two. However, Chalés possessed a unique ability related to wood, allowing him to develop that type of control far earlier than expected.
In that world, around twenty percent of people awakened unique abilities, powers that went beyond ordinary magic.
'And the protagonist has five... Luckily, none of them have awakened yet.'
Enrico crouched behind a large rock and fired two fireballs at a nearby tree. The flames slowly began consuming the trunk while he shifted his gaze toward the lake several meters away.
\[This is dangerous. You've already spent twenty-five of the seventy-six mana points you have.\]
"Can you sense other people's mana? Because... never mind. Damn, I already knew he'd have much more mana than I do. Normal academy students have at least one hundred mana points. Only Tolen has forty-seven, but he's an extremely rare case."
Enrico had only managed to reach rank one hundred and twenty-five because he had used absolutely all of his mana during the first practical exam, earning a high score. Afterward, he secretly used a mana stone to recover his strength and pretended that he still had magical reserves. Many students did that during the first few weeks, but the strategy stopped working as the tests became more demanding.
While analyzing the surroundings, a thorn passed just a few centimeters from his face.
"Hey, you're Chalés, right? I know why you're so angry. It's because of my family."
Chalés appeared above him without saying a word. Wood quickly wrapped around Enrico's body, lifting him off the ground before hurling him against a tree. Even with one of his arms pinned, Enrico managed to raise the other and launched a much larger fireball. The explosion completely destroyed the tree behind him.
"I don't want to hear anything coming from you."
"I can help you with your revenge..."
Another attack came immediately. Enrico barely dodged while Chalés stared at him with hatred that seemed endless.
"I don't care. Your entire family is going to die."
Without replying, Enrico fired a fireball at the surface of the lake. The water partially evaporated, forming a dense curtain of steam that blocked Chalés' vision. Anticipating a surprise attack, he raised a massive wooden dome to defend himself.
The attack never came. By the time the steam began to dissipate, Enrico had already disappeared.
Enrico ran through the forest as fast as he could and only stopped when he found a massive boulder, using it to hide his presence while catching his breath.
[This is bad. You only have thirty-five mana points left now. Is he really your fifth favorite character?]
"I know... At the beginning of the story, he even fought the protagonist, but later he underwent an unbelievable growth..."
Enrico placed a hand on his head as he tried to think of a way out.
"The best option right now is to run..."
The sentence died before he could finish it. Right in front of him stood a gigantic wooden wall, as tall as several trees combined.
"Damn... that bastard used a spell that consumes eighty percent of his own mana."
[Can't you break it?]
"With the mana I have left? No way. And even if I could, he'd notice immediately the moment the barrier was damaged."
[Why not try jumping over it?]
"Do you think he's an idiot? Precisely so I wouldn't notice the barrier, he created it far away from here and even placed an invisible dome above it. If I try to jump, I'll hit it and reveal my position. It's a trap."
The system remained silent for a few moments.
[Then the best option is to kill him.]
"Are you an idiot? This world is already going to become much harder to survive in because of the changes. Even though he died in the future, he still managed to kill one of the evil gods. In total, only eight were defeated. Five by the protagonist, two by the strongest mage in the world... and one by him. If I kill Chalés now..."
[I don't think he's going to let you live.]
"I know, damn it. My plan was to slowly get close to the protagonist and help him from the shadows."
Enrico took a deep breath as he looked at the backpack lying beside him.
"In fact, I need to gather as many powerful allies as possible. I don't think we'll be able to win even if I help the protagonist, because the eight evil gods who were defeated were precisely the weakest among the forty-three."
[You need to choose.]
Enrico let out a long sigh before turning his attention back to the backpack.
"I'll try one more time."
[Did you bring any weapons?]
"Weapons are forbidden by the academy outside its grounds without permission. So I bought something else to help me once my mana runs out. Besides, with you here, I can easily keep track of his position. I also need time to recover my mana, and since he still doesn't have a spell capable of locating people through the trees, I can use that time to recover."
"He may have the advantage fighting in the forest... but so do I. Elementally."
Enrico maintained an extremely serious expression. Meanwhile, the system reflected in silence:
[Should I tell him about the pact? No... I'd better observe a little longer.]
Hours later, Chalés walked cautiously through the forest. Two hours had already passed since Enrico had disappeared. During all that time, he had found no direct sign of his opponent, only the silence of the forest and the barrier that remained active around the area.
"He didn't try to cross the barrier. He must be recovering his mana. The worst part is that, while the barrier remains active, part of the mana I recover is drained to maintain it."
Even so, Chalés did not lower his guard. His eyes constantly scanned the surrounding trees, alert for any unusual movement.
Then a flicker of fire caught his attention between the trunks.
"He thinks I'm an idiot? That's obviously a trap."
Instead of approaching directly, Chalés climbed a tree and created a wooden clone, sending it to investigate the source of the flames. While the clone moved forward, he completely changed his route and advanced through another part of the forest.
"I'd better..."
The instant he stepped onto the branch of the next tree, a crack echoed through the area. Flames raced up the trunk at an alarming speed.
Chalés' eyes widened, and he immediately jumped to the ground. The moment he landed, he realized it wasn't just that tree. The fire was spreading rapidly from one tree to another, forming a ring of flames around him.
"What? He doesn't have enough mana to do this... wait..."
He took a deep breath.
"...that smell..."
It was oil. Before he could react, a shadow silently cut through the smoke. Hidden by the blaze, Enrico had already approached unnoticed and appeared behind him with his fist raised.
[Oil?]
Two hours earlier...
"Yes. That way the fire will spread much faster. Tell me something... what's the maximum distance you can stay away from me?"
[At most five meters.]
"I see. Then I'll climb a tree and spread the oil over every one I can reach. I didn't bring much, but it's enough to cover several of them. After that, I just have to use fire magic to set everything ablaze quickly. As for you, I want you to keep watch and let me know if he gets close."
The magic of that world always produced flames that were far more intense than ordinary fire. Because of that, even a small amount of oil would be enough to make the blaze spread much faster than it naturally would.
[But how do you intend to get his attention?]
"With a campfire."
[Will that work? It seems too obvious.]
"That's exactly why. It's just bait. Chalés may be impulsive, but he also thinks before acting. So he'll become suspicious of the campfire and choose to take the other route. Since I'm going to light it near the barrier on the right, where he'd only have two possible paths..."
[...he'll only have the left path to follow. Hey... you're actually smart.]
As they talked, Enrico was already climbing through the trees, carefully spreading the oil over the trunks and branches he judged sufficient to block the path. After finishing, he returned to the ground and remained hidden, patiently waiting until Chalés entered the exact area he had prepared.
Back to the battle: The moment Chalés realized, too late, that he had fallen into the trap, Enrico seized the instant of distraction. He lowered his fist to attack.
'If I use the same principle as the fireball... concentrate all the magic into a single point in my hand... then continuously spread it to my fingers while I keep feeding the center... and finally, use the weight of this body...'
Enrico's hand burst into flames, and he threw a punch straight into Chalés' face, sending him flying. Chalés immediately raised his hand, causing a wooden thorn to erupt from the ground. Enrico managed to dodge, but he still suffered a cut across his abdomen and coughed up blood.
"Damn... this cursed body."
[Your mana has dropped to forty.]
Enrico cautiously faced Chalés again, preparing himself for whatever attack might come next.
"Hey, bastard... now you can't use the trees anymore. And I still have a little oil left."
Ignoring his words, Chalés charged forward once more while simultaneously making two wooden thorns burst from the ground, one on each side of Enrico, attempting to trap him. Enrico stepped back and barely dodged both of them. Taking advantage of the opening, he rushed straight at Chalés. As the distance between them closed, he kicked a large amount of sand directly into his face.
Instinctively, Chalés shut his eyes to protect them, but he still threw a punch toward where he sensed Enrico was. The blow struck Enrico in the chest and sent him flying several meters backward. Before Chalés could fully open his eyes or confirm whether the hit had landed cleanly, Enrico had already regained his balance, circled behind him, and locked his neck in a chokehold.
"Now you can listen to me."
Chalés turned his head with a terrible expression.
"N-never."
He reached one hand behind his own back and caused several wooden spears to appear all at once. Instinctively, Enrico raised his arm to protect his face, but Chalés did not hesitate for even a moment. Without caring that they would pierce his own body, he launched every spear backward just to hit Enrico. The wood pierced both of them at the same time. Enrico felt intense pain as the spearheads pierced his left chest, thigh, and torso. With no other choice, he was forced to release the chokehold, while Chalés remained suspended by the very spears embedded in his own body.
Enrico staggered backward, breathing heavily as blood flowed from his wounds.
"Damn... I need to finish this before he..."
"I asked... why won't you accept me?"
A new voice echoed through the area. Beside Chalés, a demonic shadow silently appeared, as though it had been waiting for that very moment all along. Enrico's eyes widened slightly when he saw it.
'He won't.'
Still hanging from the spears, Chalés slowly raised his head and answered between heavy breaths,
"I don't care... as long as it's for my revenge."
Enrico grabbed the remaining oil and poured it over Chalés' body. Then he raised his hand and began concentrating all the mana he had recovered during that time. His arm trembled from both the effort and his injuries, but he continued feeding the spell without stopping. Little by little, an enormous fireball, roughly one meter in diameter, took shape before his palm. His hand trembled with excitement, but he had no choice.
'I'm sorry...'
Chalés' eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen. The instant the sphere of fire struck the oil spread across his body, an explosion of flames completely engulfed him.
"Aaaaaah!"
Chalés was only a single moment away from forming a demonic pact. That was precisely why Enrico had to kill him before it could happen.
Enrico fell to his knees, completely exhausted. His entire body ached from his wounds, and his breathing was heavy. Even so, he slowly raised his head and saw Chalés still crawling across the ground. His body was completely burned, while tears of blood streamed down his face.
"I curse your family... Solcren... I hate all of you..."
His voice grew weaker and weaker until it disappeared completely. A few seconds later, the light vanished entirely from his eyes, and the demon turned its attention toward Enrico.
"Interesting... too bad I can't speak with you."
At that moment, the wooden barrier slowly began to disappear. The demon raised its head for a brief instant, as if it had sensed someone watching from above. Soon afterward, it looked forward again and vanished without leaving a single trace.
Enrico remained silent, staring at Chalés' body.
[You liked him.]
'Yes... I was happy when he smiled for the first time... and I almost cried when he died.'
[You've killed before, haven't you? How do you feel?]
He brought both hands to his face, and a bitter smile appeared.
'It's different... I hated those two.'
[Two?]
The system waited for a few seconds, but received no reply. Enrico simply continued looking at Chalés' body before beginning to dig a grave with his bare hands.
[Answer me...]
Enrico paused for a moment and raised his head. His eyes were completely empty as he looked at the system.
[...]
After some time, he finished digging the grave, carefully placed Chalés' body inside it, and covered it with earth. Then he improvised a small wooden gravestone and carved only Chalés' name into it. Afterward, he picked up his backpack, which had been left near the fire, and noticed the completely destroyed wooden clone lying on the ground. He stared at it for a few moments before simply turning his back and walking away, moving with difficulty because of his injuries.
High above in the sky, someone silently watched the entire scene. It was Angela.
"He's clean. No demonic manifestations, other than the one that appeared before the person he was fighting."
"Understood. Continue observing."
"Yes, ma'am."
On the other side of the communication was Virelle, who had watched the entire battle through a magic stone.
"Stronger than I thought..."
A faint smile appeared on her face, showing genuine interest in the boy she had just watched fight.
"If he continues showing this level of intelligence... He might be a more interesting student than I thought.."