CEO in a Fantasy World 4 Read online

  Akari barely had enough time to raise her wooden sword in retaliation before she was sent flying from the collision, barely being able to stay within the ring. She stood there, at the edge of the ring, dazed beyond belief.

  She had just finished gaining the upper hand, and only a few seconds later, she was at the edge of the arena. Akari raised her eyes and inspected the man in front of her, he had long, flowing white hair, perfect facial features, however, his most discernible feature were his eyes that looked at her with no emotion.

  Akari was used to being looked at with a pitiful gaze, even if she won, her opponent would lie to his friends, saying, 'ah, I was just playing around because she's a girl.' She never gained recognition, nor did she ever receive the respect that she deserved. No matter how hard she tried, it was never enough. Even her own family instructed her just to find a suitable husband and stay at home like a 'normal' woman.

  This, however, was the first time she was stared at like this, it felt weird, but it excited her. She felt as if every cell in her body was kicked into second gear. She had never fought to death before, nor had she ever fought outside the stronghold. "Perhaps this is what a real fight feels like," she whispered while raising her sword.

  The changes in her expression were all captured by Caesar's keen sight, "You had given me time to adjust after attacking me, so I repaid the favor… prepare yourself. It won't happen again," he spoke with a calm voice that almost brought shivers to those that heard it.

  "Hmph, I won't be caught off guard this tim-" before her words even finished, Caesar's piercing red eyes were only a few inches away from hers. His scythe, once again, slashing down with unparalleled speed.

  Akari utilized the wind and coated her wooden sword with it, and as quickly as she could, she raised her sword in an attempt to parry Caesar's long scythe; however, the difference in their strength was apparent.

  Both of their weapons entered into a deadlock, alas, Akari's feet were continually being pushed back. Large beads of sweat trickled down her face as she gritted her teeth and tried to push forward, but to no avail, she just could not surpass Caesar.

  Soon, as the back of her feet touched the edge of the arena, she mustered every last bit of strength in her body and pushed back… surprisingly, it succeeded; she pushed Caesar's scythe back. She then took a step forward, a shocked and gleeful smile playing on her lips.

  Her happiness, however, was short-lived, as a knee smashed into her abdomen, sending her flying out of the ring and knocking her unconscious. Caesar made sure to hold back. He didn't want to break any bones or cause internal damage.

  Caesar stored the scythe back in his storage ring and walked towards the unconscious lass, her eyes still fluttering as if she refused to rest, like she still wanted to fight. He chuckled dryly and shifted his attention to Musashi,

  "I want her to be taken to my room," he said curtly, but after noticing the weird stares and Renee's deep frown, he cleared his throat. "I want to recruit her as a subordinate," he rephrased.

  Musashi squinted his eyes and nodded his head, "very well, that is, only if you can, at the very least, reach the top 13," He explained while stroking his beard, but even a fool would know that Caesar would make the top 13.

  Hearing his reply, Caesar nodded with gratification and sat down on the ground, awaiting his next match. His abdomen still ached; however, the anger he felt previous, had vanished. Even he didn't understand why he had gotten so aggravated after being struck.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  At Caesar's request, Akari, who was still in an unconscious state, was carefully brought to his room by a few maids. Once Caesar made sure everything went smoothly, and the maids were trustworthy, he returned to the arena where he awaited his next opponent.

  His bout with Akari was relatively swift. Thus, many of the other fights were still ongoing. This gave Caesar time to recuperate and observe the other fighters, which would give him an advantage in the long run.

  He swept his gaze across the training grounds and could see many bloody fights taking place. Although Musashi did, indeed, prohibit fatal blows, making the opposition bleed was, by no means, against the rules.

  This fact, coupled with the strong desire to win, resulted in many fighters refusing to back down, no matter how injured they got. Caesar, however, didn't pay much attention to these gruesome battles, but instead, spectated those that were winning with ease.

  His gaze landed on a figure with relatively average stature. He had neck length black hair, two foxlike ears resting atop his head, an aquiline nose, defined jawline, and sword-like eyebrows. He was quite handsome and was dressed in a navy-blue kimono with a black sash. His most discernible feature being his closed eyes and short katana.

  His opponent was a huge man, his muscles protruded out of his clothes, and he stood at the very least, six feet and five inches. He wielded a tall halberd, and his expression showcased his unmatched arrogance. Caesar could see the tall man open his lips a few times while smiling smugly, alas. He was too far to hear his words.

  The more Caesar observed the man with closed eyes, the more he felt as though he resembled Akari, the lass he had just fought. As if answering Caesar's inner turmoil, the man with closed eyes turned his head in Caesar's direction.

  Caesar could see the man's faint smile with his keen eyesight. However, it was, by no means, a kind smile. In fact, Caesar would even go as far as to say that the smile was more bloodthirsty than anything. While Caesar was frowning with a tilted head, the man with closed eyes lightly hopped off the ground and arrived behind his gigantic opponent.

  His speed was fast, but more notably, silent. The man's movements were similar to a coursing river, elegant, fluid, and containing a great force. The behemoth of a man didn't even have time to react before his ankles were struck, resulting in him tumbling to the ground.

  The unknown man didn't even open his eyes once while striking at his opponent, he aimed for his foe's weak point and dealt with him effectively. Even Caesar admired how ruthless the man was. He didn't hesitate to use his opponent's height against him.

  After dealing with his opponent, the man once again looked in Caesar's direction, as if challenging him. This caused Caesar to chuckle and wink at him in response, the unwarranted animosity the man directed toward him, made him believe he was related to Akari, in some way, or another.

  Seeing that the man had no reaction, which was to be expected, as his eyes were still closed. Caesar spectated the other matches, but to his dismay, all of the exciting fights had already ended. Only the hard-working and average fighters remained, their fights gruesome and bloody. Even the referees had to call a few matches early, in case of serious injury.

  Caesar sighed and shifted his attention to the pedestrians and other spectators. He had told Soka to relay his orders to Rakan, which was to bring the two traitors they had captured, alas, even Caesar couldn't pinpoint their location through the large masses.

  He not only wanted to use this tournament to garner respect, power, and recognition but also to strike fear into the other spies. There wouldn't be another time where the entire fox-kin clan is present, after all. That is, not including the guards still stationed at the gates.

  As Caesar thought to here, he was rudely interrupted by the referee to his side. "Sir, the next battle is going to place soon, please prepare," he said respectfully while half-bowing.

  Caesar nodded in response and prepared for the next fight by dusting off his clothes and stretching his limbs. His abdomen still hurt; however, his vampiric physique was genuinely marvelous; his bodies regeneration capabilities were not to be underestimated.

  While Caesar was stretching, his opponent entered into the ring. He was an older man with streaks of white running through his hair. His clothes were in tatters, and he had extensive scarring on his face, showing his experience in battle.

  After noticing Caesar's scrutinization, the older man smiled and clasped his hands together while bowing, similar to a Buddhist monk
in Caesar's past life, "it's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, sir strategist" he said respectfully.

  Caesar bowed in response, "the pleasure's all mine," he replied. Caesar was quite taken aback at how respectful the man was. Something not very common in the fox-kin stronghold, Caesar mused.

  Thinking to here, Caesar raised his fists and prepared for the upcoming battle. He didn't want to insult the older man. Nonetheless, once again, he still wasn't willing to use his weapon. He only utilized his scythe against Akari in a moment of blindless rage, and even then, he finished the fight by using his knee.

  Thankfully, the old man didn't seem to be angered in the slightest at Caesar's raised hands, and he too raised his bare hands. "Let us have an honorable and valiant fight, young one," his voice barely audible, almost withered.

  Caesar wanted to reply. However, the referee's roar interrupted his train of thought.

  "BEGIN!" he roared.

  Green energy suddenly started to appear around the older man's fists, and the ground beneath him cracked. Small rocks floated in the air and attached to his fists, forming rock-like gloves.

  Seeing this strange phenomenon, Caesar couldn't help but feel that the old man who had once looked frail, now looked sturdy. In response, the temperature in the arena cooled down, and small ice crystals appeared at his feet.

  "Shall we begin?" Caesar asked with a slight smile.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  The ends of Caesar's long and white hair floated in the air as a cold mist permeated from his body. He raised his right arm and pointed his slender hand forward. In response, a few crude-looking arrows made out of ice formed around him. They floated just above his shoulders with their tips pointing towards the older man.

  Though this form of magic could be considered a form of 'sharp' weapon, the referee at the side didn't stop Caesar. In fact, no one seemed to bat an eye at the use of his ice magic as his opponent was also using powerful magic.

  Once Caesar formed the arrows that looked similar to spikes, he rotated them at a quick velocity, as to obtain more penetrating power. He didn't underestimate the old man in front of him, but more so treated him as an opponent equal to himself. The reason for this being, when Caesar gazed upon him with his eyes, the number of weaknesses he could see were trifling.

  The rotating arrows made an aggressive sound as they started moving faster and faster, and soon, Caesar once against gestured with his hand. The few arrows that were floating above his shoulder shot forward at an incredible speed and pierced through the air.

  pierced

  The old man's eyes abruptly flashed open from their squinted state. He then moved his hands in a seemingly slow and calm manner, as if he were practicing Tai chi. However, his actual speed was by no means slow, and in the blink of an eye, the only thing that spectators could see was shattered ice falling to the ground.

  The old man's body was perfectly intact, and his expression was serene. His now fully opened eyes radiated an emerald green. They showed more vibrancy and life than his outer appearance, which was withered beyond belief.

  Caesar didn't have much of a reaction after seeing that his attack was futile; it was merely a test to see if the older man was as dangerous as he instinctively thought. There appeared to be many crouching tigers within the fox-kin stronghold Caesar mused while forming a few dozen more 'arrows.'

  Not only was Caesar's control over his magic affinity better, but he also learned how to utilize it more effectively. Running out of mana within a mere hour would no longer be a problem. Thinking to here, Caesar once again rotated each and every 'arrow' until they made a threatening sound.

  He didn't understand why the old man wasn't moving. However, he wasn't one to complain; instead, he would continue attacking until he was forced to retaliate. With this in mind, Caesar didn't hesitate to unleash his onslaught upon the old man.

  The arrows stabbed through the air and it looked as though they blotted out the sky, the cold temperature even affecting the referee and other nearby spectators. In response, the older man took a step forward and stomped the ground.

  Large fissures appeared in the small arena and many small rocks seemed to combine together to form a barrier around him. All of this happened in a measly second, and soon, both elements collided with each other, creating a plume of smoke.

  Caesar squinted his eyes, and a cold mist escaped from his right foot, he utilized the mana within his body and froze the entire arena ground. Though this technique would not be effective in war, within a small arena, it was powerful.

  Caesar assumed the man in front of him utilized earth magic of some sort. Thus, if he froze the ground, he wouldn't be able to use his magic as effectively. Thinking to here, without even waiting for the smoke to subside, he once again created a few arrows of ice.

  As the ice congealed just above Caesar's head, it was apparent that their width and length were a few times greater than the arrows he created prior. It would be more accurate to now call them spears. Under Caesar's command, the spears started madly rotating and whistled through the air.

  If Caesar's assumption was correct, the old man within the smoke was quite strong, stronger than maybe even Faust. This speculation was based on a few observations, the first one being that Musashi seemed to know this particular man, the second reason being that he didn't show shock, fear, or any emotions when he witnessed his ice magic.

  It was due to these two facts that Caesar didn't show any mercy, and without hesitating, attacked the man. Though, if he showed any sign of being injured, or his life force seemed to fall, Caesar would immediately stop his onslaught.

  This, however, was not the case. The old man within the smoke quickly swept most of the ice away with a wide kick and pushed the smoke aside. Revealing a slightly dirty outer appearance with no injuries visible. He had a goofy smile plastered on his face as he approached Caesar.

  "Whew, you're a dangerous lad… who would've thought that someone with an ice affinity would once again appear in this world" he said slyly, his words containing a mysterious undertone.

  Caesar's furrowed his brows as he took his scythe from his storage ring, which made the older man's smile curl even further. Seeing that his magic wasn't having much of an effect, Caesar didn't have the luxury of holding back any longer.

  This made the old man laugh maniacally, "I've waited so long for this day… so long," He said melancholically with a strand of insanity in his eyes.

  Caesar wanted to ask the elderly a few questions such as who he was; however, he didn't get a chance too, as the man suddenly kicked off the ground and darted towards him. His speed wasn't very fast, but the muscles on his body seemed to expand two-fold as he approached.

  Without a single contort in Caesar's expression, he rotated the scythe on his palms and slashed forward. While slashing, Caesar drained a bit of his overflowing mana into the scythe, making it appear to have a bluish aura.

  The older man, who also remained calm, didn't dare face Caesar's hefty scythe dead on. He rotated his body in an attempt to dodge, alas. He underestimated Caesar's control. The scythe changed direction while amid movement and struck toward the old man's chest, which was only a few inches away.

  In response, the rocks covering the man's fists seemed to crack and conform around his chest, effectively blocking the strike and making him get blasted back a few meters. His ragged sandals streaked across the ground, showing the force contained in Caesar's strike.

  As Caesar was about to charge forward, the old man raised his hands in the air with a wide smile, "I concede," he thundered, making sure the referee and spectators heard him.

  Everyone couldn't help but open their mouths wide in surprise at the sudden surrender. It looked as though the man held even ground against Caesar; none of them could understand why he would abruptly yield.

  Even Caesar scratched his head in puzzlement, alas, who was he to complain. He stored his scythe back in his storage ring and observed the older man.

  "Haha, I
'll meet you after this tournament's done…" He said while glancing in Musashi's direction for a moment.

  Afterword, he turned around and walked away from the arena, not giving anyone a chance to question him. The referee smiled wryly and announced Caesar as the winner, resulting in booing and discontent onlookers.

  "My plans are starting to go more and more awry…" Caesar said with an exasperated sigh.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  .

  Hearing the booing crowds, Caesar could only smile wryly in response. Two of his four matches had ended in the same manner, which was bound to raise some suspicion. This was naturally not Caesar's intention. However, things didn't always seem to play out the way Caesar predicted. If things did happen to go as planned, then he would've had four thrilling matches that garnered the attention and support of the crowd.

  Thinking to here, he swept his gaze past the many citizens, warriors, and other spectators, only to see their disappointed expressions. This caused Caesar to sigh in a self-deprecating manner while sitting down at the edge of the arena.