Teras Teras Teras
A name often chanted inside the castle and a name Icarus came to dislike, being a part of the Ruw family and after putting in an amazing performance against the Jack of Hearts expected his name to be discussed more but sadly he was overshadowed by Teras, and his victorious fight against the Jack
Searching for an answer Icarus tried to question Enyo once again but he came but someone got to her quicker than him
It was the king of Hearts
"Enyo can we have a talk about the boy?" Max asked politely as he tried to look as small as he can
"Can I finish my food first?" Enyo asked in a goofy way as she ate her steak
"This is an order Enyo..." Max said with a now more intimidating look on his face
"Ahh man! And I was about to reach the bone..." Enyo said as she gave in
Icarus suppressed his mana as much as he could and tailed them
"How is it possible for him to win? Even though Balor isn't a ranker it makes no sense for him to lose to a gold-ranked adventurer"
"He is silver actually" Enyo quickly interrupted him to correct him
"That detail doesn't matter the Jack of Hearts lost to a single kid adventurer! Who is really this person?" Max demanded an answer while pinning Enyo to the wall
"I will answer you if you answer me something first... How did this idiot of a Jack get this strong? You could tell that his mana usage and fighting technique was off, it was like seeing a kid with a shit ton of power just throwing attacks left and right, that's why Teras and Icarus were winning in the first place" Enyo glared into the king's eyes making him fall back
"He trained of course! What do you mean how?"
"Don't play dumb Max I know it can't be just that! His power was odd, it was like he was using mana crystals to buff his mana output, he looked unfamiliar with his power" Enyo continued to demand an answer but Max denied any suspicions Enyo had which annoyed Enyo
"Eh, whatever I know you are lying but I guess you answered my question! Now my turn to answer, Teras is just a mana anomaly, he is too good for his own good! There you go! Satisfied with your answer?" Enyo said as she started to walk away
"Stop right now! I can't believe that!" Max said as he tried to grab Enyo
BLINK
"And I don't believe you! Boo hoo, that's the way things work with us apparently so don't force me to tell you what you think the truth is when you are lying to me!" Enyo said as she continued to walk without a care
"Oh, and boy suppressing your mana is not your strong point!" Enyo said as he passed by Icarus's hiding spot
Icarus quickly used his mana to dash away from the scene, Max never got to see or realize Icarus was there
…
Dreams must mean something right?
Teras didn't believe that they meant something so after witnessing a dream he didn't pay any attention
It's just your brain pocking at old memories or random events
That's what Teras thought but his mind changed every time he stood across his dead party members
"You never allowed us to have any dreams Teras so why do they get extra treatment?" Lia asked
"You robbed us of our life Teras, you robbed us of our future" Har continued
"And for what? A desire to see your past? Or rather a dream to unravel how great you might have been, maybe you would have found someone worth standing near Tokkou or Enyo!" Cara told him while staring at his eyes
Everyone had a grey shade all over their body
"Who are you? The person who is talking to me I mean!" Teras said as he glared at his dead party members
"We are your mistakes"
"I said YOU the person my dreams refers to, every time they speak to me I can't tell the name they call me so it must be you, it's the same you that told me I'm wasting time and I should be looking for something or someone"
"You are not so clever as they make you to be Teras, I mean why would your inner voice be something else?"
"Who the hell are you! And why did you tell me to open the door in the basement!" Teras demanded
"I'm your Alpha and your Omega!"
"What are you-"
Before Teras could complete his sentence he woke up to the starry night above his head
He had taken a nap some hours ago after talking with Maximus and Lola
"Lately you have been slacking off with my training Teras" Lola said as she climbed from her window to the roof
"I'm sorry about before, I'm not that good with people and I'm twice as bad with teaching things, that's the reason I wanted to decline training you in the first place but I have to find party members"
Teras's words were oddly saddening to Lola
"You mustn't worry! I understood what you wanted to tell me and Maximus, oh, and thank you, you must have realized my dream and took me out isn't that right?" Lola asked as she smiled
"Tomorrow the tournament will begin and fights will start taking place in this castle! Are you okay with Icarus winning?" Teras asked as he avoided eye contact
"Of course not! I want you to win! Maximus is fine too but he is kind of creepy..."
"Are you saying this because of what he said back there? That's most boys but we care about other stuff too not just a woman's body" Teras explained before becoming completely silent
After the two didn't break the silence for a long time Teras spoke up
"Lola I promise you Icarus won't win" Teras said with D E T E R M I N A T I O N
"But you said he is stronger than you"
"And I said I won't let it happen, come on! Have I ever told you a lie?" Teras said with a silly smile
…
"Hey Ruw what are you looking at?" Enyo said as she passed by him in the castle halls
At that time Icarus was staring at the rising sun
The Ruw family was widely known for being closely related to the sun thus most of their powers are also somehow related to the sun, it was the only thing passed down the family
"What are you doing this early in the morning goddess of war?" Icarus asked as he kept staring at the sun
"I'm not that anymore, anyway, it seems like that ritual thing where you Ruws look at the sun is actually real! Why do you even do that? Do you study the sun or..."
"Shut up!" Icarus yelled angrily "Why do you even bother with me? Are you trying to mock me? I told you that I'm looking for my grandpa and you tell me you have no idea where he is so why do you keep following me?" Icarus told her as he took his eyes off the sun and stated at Enyo
"I just find you fascinating that's all! I'm sorry if I offended you in any way!" Enyo said with an awkward smile
"Teras did something I didn't and that's winning against the Jack of Hearts so naturally I feel like he will be my only real threat in this tournament considering everyone is gold-ranked"
For some reason Icarus felt comfortable expressing himself to Enyo, maybe it's because she knows his grandpa
"You can tell huh? I think Teras is somebody you would like to be around considering you are the same age and pretty much at the same level of understanding things"
"He and I are on the same level? He just rushes in without knowing anything about the enemy and expects to win! How do we have the same understanding of things?" Icarus thought
"Well, you are right! Teras is probably more understanding than you after what you said! It sounds weird saying this out loud"
"This Teras is only using mana, right? I have never imagined someone to be this strong with just mana..." Icarus said in a silent voice
"Mana is mandatory Icarus, well yes most people like Tokkou or the Grand King are strong because of their crazy abilities but what the two of them have in common that helps them overcome everyone else is an excellent understanding and use of their mana that's also why they can use their ability at their max capacity!" Enyo explained to Icarus
…
Dreams. Most dreams contain random memories of an individual or something the individual has heard or seen
So why did the dark figure ask Teras a question about a memory he never had?
"When you woke up you heard a trumpet didn't you?"
"What trumpet?" Teras wondered as he tried to remember
"The trumpet Teras! The trumpet that announced you're coming to this world, like a king making an appearance! You opened your eyes to this cursed world!" The figure said with a smile
"What are you?" Teras asked once again the figure while he could
"What am I? You always seem to ask me that but do you ask yourself "What are you?" every time you look yourself in the mirror?"
"You are still not answering my question! And I'm not accepting anything like before where you spurted out nonsense " Teras replied angrily
"Then if I told you my name would you be satisfied?" The dark figure asked Teras
Teras remained silent
"I will not tell you my name but you can call me D E T E R M I N A T I O N, this is the correct way to address me, and your name is Teras the primal hunter, the apex predator! That's who you are! And I'm the one to guide you to this path! For I am your creator, the well-known savior!"
The figure fully opened its eyes to reveal the horrifying red eyes it has, the same eyes Teras has
Shortly after the dream was over and the night had become day
This particular day meant the start of the highly anticipated tournament which would announce the next Jack of Hearts
Many didn't know why the need for such a tournament was necessary but after witnessing Icarus almost beating the Jack and Teras actually winning against him the whole kingdom was a bit worried about their security so naturally this tournament was something that interested everyone around the kingdom
"Don't be nervous, don't be nervous, don't..." Maximus said again and again as he was waiting for the doors to open to reveal them to the world
Everyone waited in a shared room
"You don't have to be so nervous!" Teras told me
The others didn't say a thing because if they were to do something to Maximus it would more likely be to break his teeth rather than calm him down
"Quit it, you two idiots!" Icarus told them
The fact that Icarus spoke was crazy for the other participants which they have never listened to Icarus's voice
"Looks like there is one easy target for us!" A guy said while looking at the state Maximus was in
Suddenly the doors opened and light flooded the room
Shortly after trumpets started to play...
…
A loud trumpet played and the world lost its color
More specifically the night did, no stars or the moon shined like they used to
They didn't shine at all
A fact that saddened me...
Who did this fact sadden?
The dark figure was staring at Teras's eyes from afar like it was a reflection, it was waiting for him to understand
He did not...
…
"What's wrong Teras? Aren't you going to walk out like everyone?" Maximus asked Teras after seeing him frozen and apparently deeply staring at a wall
"Y-Yeah I'm coming..." Teras mumbled as he quickly walked outside with Maximus
A loud cheering was heard when everyone was finally outside the waiting room
A crowd of people waiting for their new Jack to be announced cheered as they looked at their future pride
A Jack is considered a role that was designed for the people, a Jack always must put his people first then the king/queen and lastly him
"Ladies and gentlemen I welcome you all to the Jack-pot! A place where our brand new Jack will emerge and plenty of impressive and out-of-the-ordinary fights will occur! Are your eyes ready to feast upon some delicious combat?" The announcer said with a ringing voice
Teras was confused as to why everyone seemed so excited after hearing his voice, and after taking a look at Maximus he was even more confused
"Hey, what's the big idea with the announcer?" Teras whispered in Maximus's ear
"What! You don't know? He is the same announcer who commentates on the fights happening inside Tokkou's arena! He is very popular!" Maximus explained
'I guess people like him can also be well-known even after adding nothing to the fight... I guess he is entertaining...' Teras thought after hearing his ear-scratching voice again
"Sadly our Grand Jack isn't here to spectate this even but don't worry people! He is out there saving people in the Spade kingdom! Oops! Did I say people? I meant demons! Yeah, that's right our Jack also saves demons! Sometimes he can be very pure-hearted!"
'Why is everyone laughing at this? I know demons are wildly hated but to laugh at something like this is inhumane' Teras thought after hearing everyone's laughter
Icarus didn't laugh nor did Teras
"Now let us begin with our random fights-inator!" The announcer said as he pulled out a machine that span
He then placed 16 pieces of paper, the same number as the participant, and then started to violently spin the machine
"Let's see, let's see! What exciting fights is the machine cooking for us!"
After stopping spinning the machine the announcer placed his hand in and pulled two papers
"TERAS AND ORFEAS! Those two will initiate this tournament with their fight!"
The crowd cheered loudly and the announcer did this another seven times resulting in this bracket
Teras vs Orfeas, Tony vs Ant, Icarus vs Hol, and Kiko vs Albion for the first bracket
Maximus vs John, Harley vs Kon, Illo vs Geg, and Gaiji vs Cis for the second bracket
"I guess the only way for us to fight is in the finale!" Maximus said after the results
"I know! I guess see you at the top" Teras said as he extended his fist for a fist bump
Maximus smiled with excitement and fist-bumped Teras
"Then don't lose to Icarus!"
"I won't I will never lose to him!"
After overhearing their talk Icarus walked in front of Teras
"So you think you are going to win?" Icarus asked with a smirk on his face
"It's not that I think, I know it" Teras replied with a cocky smile
"Just so you know because you have been around special people doesn't make you special!"
"And just because your granddaddy is special doesn't make your family special either!"
Icarus grabbed Teras by his collar after Teras told him that
"I would like to see you say shit like that in the arena!" Icarus told him while glaring at his eyes
"Don't worry! I have plenty of jokes saved up!" Teras said as he started laughing
Icarus then threw Teras on the ground and spat on him
"You are a jester! Everything you accomplish is based on your luck so you shouldn't raise your head over an ant's head" Icarus told him before leaving
"A-Are you okay?" Maximus asked him while Teras was getting up
"NO, I'M NOT! THIS GUY DOESN'T BRUSH HIS TEETH! HIS SALIVA SMEELS LIKE SHIT!"
Teras tried to clean his clothes as fast as he could
'This fucker! I will show him why I'm better! Based on what everyone has been saying he is a total fool! This tournament doesn't restrict killing so if I get the chance to fight with him...'
"I will definitely kill Teras!" Icarus said with complete dedication to what he was about to do
…
The same trumpets that welcomed the participants, waved them goodbye as the final preparations were being completed
The tournament has started!