[A Few Days Later]
WHOOSH!
Rey darted all around as several bolts of lightning nearly struck him, his eyes fixed on the person casting the attacks.
—Amara!
Once again, she had shown up during his training.
This time, however, she didn't offer a spar. In fact, he had been the one to take the initiative.
'I asked her to help me with my training, but she's going overboard again…' Rey sighed, not particularly surprised by the girl's actions.
He already knew Amara's personality.
As such, he wasn't caught off guard by her lethal attacks and the many near-death experiences he had encountered in this brief period of training.
In fact, he counted on it.
'I can't effectively practice without my life being on the line. It would defeat the purpose otherwise…' He calmly reasoned.
Rey was a slave.
His place of business was the Coliseum.
His occupation largely involved life-or-death challenges, which meant he had to master his abilities with that in mind.
If he couldn't use his Techniques under the pressure of death, then he knew he hadn't properly learned them.
Besides, just like last time, it was during such critical moments that innovations and unique applications of his Techniques bloomed.
Finally…
'... I'm still trying to learn her Ether weaving method!'
Although Rey now possessed far more than before, he still greatly coveted Amara's efficient use of her energy.
If he could use it, then he reckoned his strength would greatly soar.
More lightning strikes circled around him, and this time they were extremely close to his body, many even flashing in his vicinity.
The probability of at least one strike hitting him was immensely high.
He couldn't get out of this.
Not normally.
But—
"Reversal Technique #8: Outcome Flip!"
—In an instant, probability shifted, and the chances of being struck drastically reduced.
He was able to evade all the strikes with no problem at all, weaving through the obstacles so he could close the distance between himself and Amara.
If it were others who were less skilled than him, merely reducing the probability didn't mean they would come out unscathed.
But Rey was a monster in his own right!
He had reincarnated.
He had a wealth of past experiences, and with his current skills thrusting him forward, he had better reaction speeds and timing than many his age.
For a slave who only started his career a few months ago, he was an absolute beast. No one his age, with his speculated level of experience could compare to him.
Only young Nobles or monstrous geniuses like Amara could give him problems.
Of course, among older people, there were many who were not only his match but were also much stronger than he was.
They didn't even have to be Nobles.
Commoners and even Slaves also had their metric of strength, and he wasn't yet at the top when compared to them.
'A long way…'Rey gritted his teeth while rapidly making his way to Amara. 'I still have a long way to go.'
"Eat this!"
Amara sent a massive surge of lightning at him, one that filled everything in his line of sight.
But he didn't stop moving.
He didn't dodge either.
Instead, he controlled his quickening heartbeat and even increased the tempo of his hurried movements.
Then, he whispered.
"Reversal Technique #7: Effect Betrayal…"
The lightning strike suddenly moved in the opposite directions and went straight for the grinning Amara.
Indeed!
The true nature of this move was to turn the effect of an attack against its originator.
It was the most complex Sequence he had to master within the Reversal Technique, and he had spent an especially long period trying to fully grasp it.
Just now… he succeeded.
Rey had executed it flawlessly.
"Impressive!" Amara used a slight of hand and easily commanded the lightning to shut down using Inverse Technique #6.
The entire lightning strike collapsed on itself.
She didn't even spare it a glance.
Her eyes were on Rey.
"Although you aren't very talented, there's just something about you that amazes me. You are more exceptional than you should be."
"Haha…" Rey laughed weakly, feeling sweat constantly fall from his trembling body.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"It's fact. If you were a little more talented and even went to the Academy, I see you eventually rising above other geniuses."
"Is that so?" Rey's eyes twinkled.
"Not above me, though…" She smugly responded, folding her arms and chuckling a little too obnoxiously. "I am miles ahead of you."
Rey could only roll his eyes in silence.
The girl's arrogance knew no bounds.
But it was justified arrogance.
After all, she was strong.
'When will I too…'
Right as he was thinking this, Amara approached him and even playfully chopped his head with her hand.
"O-ow…" He whimpered softly. "What was that for?"
"I should be asking you that. A pretty, talented, and noble lady like me is right in front of you, yet you are so lost in thought."
Despite saying such haughty words, Amara had a bright smile on her face.
A very cool and friendly one, even.
But despite receiving this warmth, Rey's heart remained unmoved and cold. In fact, he snorted coldly inside, though he had a more flustered exterior.
"I apologize…"
"No need to be so formal." She dismissed with a casual tone. "Tell me what's on your mind. Is it related to your arrangement with my brother?"
Rey smiled helplessly and nodded.
He decided to be honest with the girl, an action he rarely resorted to.
"Someone in the Coliseum challenged me to a duel. They call it a Supremacy Challenge, and it's usually a one-on-one battle between slaves."
"Oh?" Anara's emerald eyes glistened immediately, a tinge of excitement showing.
She had always heard stuff about the Coliseum and even wanted to attend on multiple occasions, but she was never permitted entry because of her age.
She had also begged her brother to take her on multiple occasions, even resorting to bribes so he would give in to the temptation.
However, although he was moved by her offers, he didn't want the trouble that came with such actions.
Even if he avoided the full brunt of the law, his family would punish him for sure.
Amara may or may not have realized this, but her every action was being watched by hidden guards of her family, and they weren't going to let her out of their sights for even a moment.
In fact, they were even spying on her now.
Her conversation with Rey.
Everything was being observed in close detail, and if Rey so much as tried to go a little too far he would be put down before he even realized what was happening.
How could someone like that be snuck into the Coliseum without the family being aware?
Thus, Augustus refused.
Because of this, Amara could only vicariously enjoy the Coliseum through talking to others about it.
However, compared to discussing with stiff adults who didn't understand the mentality of a child like her, someone her age was more appealing to talk to.
As a result, Rey's discourse involving the Coliseum fascinated her.
"I have heard he primarily uses the Pulse Technique, but he also knows the Inverse Technique, so I can't let my guard down."
"Pulse Technique? Is that why—?"
"Yes. That's why I had you use it too. By fighting you, I can somewhat simulate the duel I will have with the challenger."
"I see…" Amara muttered, though her gaze quickly turned sharp and irreverent "But how can you compare me to a mere slave in the Coliseum? Aren't you overrating him too much?"
The truth was, Amara was a little stunned by Rey's overly cautious attitude.
She knew just how skilled he was.
When compared to slaves, he wouldn't lose out in terms of quality. Even if others had better weapons and more Techniques at their disposal, Rey was simply an absolute monster on the battlefield.
A battle fiend!
If she and him had equal levels of talents and abilities at their disposal, Amara knew she would lose.
Even if he were slightly weaker than her, she wouldn't be assured of her victory.
'Slaves are of a much lower quality, so why is he using me as a benchmark? Why is he so worried?'
Amara felt insulted.
But more than that, she felt Rey didn't recognize his own abilities or how exceptional he really was.
However, Rey smiled and shook his head.
"I've rated him just fine."
"Really?"
He nodded.
Although the challenger was a slave, he wasn't just any random person.
"This is someone who has been in the Coliseum for five years. Not only does he have a wealth of experience, but he managed to survive that grueling place for so long. He certainly isn't an ordinary person…" Rey admitted, his expression turning grim.
Why would someone like that challenge him to a Supremacy Challenge?
It was obvious.
Rey's notoriety had risen to an absurd extent and his Master was benefitting too much.
The Coliseum was akin to a gambling den.
Players would gain their little victories here and there, but it was never meant to be constant.
It is only the House that always wins.
But Rey's existence had shaken that foundation, causing many to be dissatisfied.
This included this challenger's master.
"I'll be fighting for my life this time. If I make even the slightest error in judgement… I could die."
With such high stakes, how could Rey not take this Supremacy Challenge seriously?