Rufus Ros Vaise was one of the novel's early villains—the most frustrating one.
Unlike Raven, who despite being from the main branch, didn't have any backing since his mother was dead, and his father was... just not someone you could expect care from, Rufus had a powerful mother and a father who doted on him for being talented.
The Ros Vaise family favored Rufus so much that one of their beast knights, Vance Vaise, was ordered to retire so he could babysit Rufus.
Like other Ros Vaise, Rufus was competitive and saw the main branch as a hurdle he needed to overcome.
However, being as weak as he was, he couldn't try to target the other children of the main branch—that was if Raven wasn't there.
Raven, the boy who made a name on the day of his birth and was from the main branch, was a perfect target for him to let out his frustration.
The original Raven became a punching bag for him for that reason and until he passed the Cradle—which he did by pure luck—Raven had to survive the bullying of Rufus and his goons.
He was the one who instigated the insulting session when Raven and his team entered the ground, and he was also the one who made Vance match Darren's team with Raven's team.
Raven wasn't humiliating the guy without a reason.
His plans for this round, however, were starting.
A suffocating silence loomed over the Cradle as Rufus remained face-first on the ground, his entire body frozen in sheer humiliation.
The once arrogant Ros Vaise heir, who had stepped forward confidently, now lay sprawled like discarded trash.
Raven, standing in the ring with his hands in his pockets, stared at him for a long moment before sighing. He lazily tilted his head and spoke.
"Oi."
His voice was casual, yet it cut through the stillness like a blade.
"How long are you planning to stay like that?" Raven continued, his tone filled with boredom. "It's getting hard to watch. I'm starting to feel second-hand embarrassment for you."
A few stifled laughs rippled through the audience—too scared to laugh but finding it funny.
One voice in particular, however, didn't seem to care.
"So true, Raven. I was about to say the same thing!" Alex laughed, wanting to appear cooler by showing that he thought of the same thing, while Clara just giggled and Jake shook his head.
Rufus's entire body jerked.
His blood boiled.
With a sharp intake of breath, he pushed himself up, springing to his feet. His cheeks were red—not from the impact of Raven's fist but from the overwhelming humiliation crawling under his skin.
"You bas—"
SLAP!
The sound of impact echoed before Rufus could finish his curse. His head snapped to the side, his balance faltering as he stumbled back.
His widened eyes met Raven's sharp, indifferent gaze.
"Still don't get it?" Raven asked, tilting his head slightly.
Rufus grits his teeth, his fingers twitching at his sides, but something about Raven's expression makes his breath hitch.
It wasn't arrogance or amusement but pity.
The realization struck deeper than the slap itself.
Raven sighed. "You still think you're stronger, don't you?"
Rufus clenched his fists, his pride screaming at him to argue—but he couldn't.
Because he knew.
He knew.
Raven's attacks weren't flashy.
They weren't showy.
They were simple, precise, and devastating.
Rufus had spent his life believing in his family's strength and superiority as a Ros Vaise, yet here he was, humiliated not once, but twice, without even landing a hit.
Raven watched the emotions flicker across Rufus's face before continuing, "The only reason I let you have your badge..." His lips curled into a smirk. "...was because I wanted to give you a chance."
Rufus blinked. "What?"
Raven raised his hand, holding up a single finger.
"One fight."
His voice carried through the arena, making heads turn.
"I'll give you one chance." Raven's smirk deepened. "Bring as many people as you want. Fight me together."
Gasps erupted from the crowd.
"WHAT?!"
"Did he just—?"
"There's no way he's serious!"
Even the instructors exchanged glances, their expressions shifting.
"If I lose," Raven continued smoothly as if the chaos around him didn't exist, "I'll step out of the matches. I'll forfeit my right to the rest of the Rite of Challenge."
A deadly silence followed.
The implications were heavy.
If Raven didn't make this condition and simply fought more than one guy and lost, he would still have nine chances to recover since no matter how many people he fights, it would be counted as one match.
With his condition, however, things changed.
If Rufus took this deal and won, Raven would be eliminated without a chance to get up again.
It was a direct challenge to everyone standing in the shadows, waiting, watching.
Rufus's eyes widened, unable to process the sheer audacity of Raven's words.
The other participants, who had been hesitating before, now looked at each other with uncertain eyes.
Rufus turned toward Instructor Gale, who had been silently observing as if asking for his permission.
The older man narrowed his eyes at Raven, studying him carefully before finally speaking.
"Are you sure about this?" Gale asked. "You won't regret it?"
He asked this question because he was allowed to fight more than one person in a single match.
People had done it before.
The current patriarch of the Vaise family was one of the peak examples, who defeated four children in one match.
The record keeper, however, was the first ancestor of the Vaise family. He had defeated five people at once.
Raven seemed to be trying something similar, but what he was doing, giving Rufus a chance to invite as many people as he could, was reckless.
What if Rufus called out more than five people? Wouldn't he lose because of his overconfidence?
Raven, however, grinned. "Once I make a commitment, I don't even listen to myself."
Gale sighed, rubbing his temple. "Arrogant brat."
But there was something else in his gaze—curiosity.
He wanted to see if it was pure arrogance or if they were about to witness the birth of another legend.
It wasn't just him, many others were curious, but of course, not everyone was looking forward to it.
Finally, Gale nodded toward Rufus.
"Go."
Rufus, still slightly dazed, snapped back to reality before immediately jumping out of the ring. His lips stretched into a wild grin as he dashed toward the other participants.
This was it.
This was his chance.
Meanwhile, among the judges' was someone who didn't like Raven's arrogance.
"Hah! He's mad." Scoffed Vance, unable to hide his smile. "His actions are akin to stepping on a nail."
Damien, on the other hand, just kept frowning, unable to understand why Raven was doing it.
'Is he really that confident?' He wondered, recalling the words of the caretaker.
"Raven is a mystery. But one thing about him is clear: he doesn't move without a plan."
That was what the caretaker of Raven's team had said.
He exhaled sharply, leaning back against a railing as he watched Rufus rush toward the other competitors.
He didn't care.
If Raven did well, then it was a good thing; if not, he would just be disappointed. After all, he had grown numb to disappointments by now.
"It's a desperate move," Instructor Vance, however, continued, sneering from beside Damien. His voice oozed satisfaction. "It's obvious what's happening. He knows he can't last against the real elites, so he's trying to go out in a blaze of glory by doing something no one has tried before. Classic overcompensation."
Damien's brows furrowed slightly. "Don't you ever get tired of speaking, Vance?"
Vance's smirk vanished as he gritted his teeth, his voice dying down.
'Another arrogant bastard,' he cursed inwardly, knowing it was the best he could do while Damien remained silent, his blue eyes fixed on Raven.
Why did it feel like Raven wanted this?
.....................
A few moments later.
A shift in the air made the crowd stir.
Raven looked up.
Rufus was back.
And he wasn't alone.
One by one, ten participants stepped onto the stage, their expressions ranging from amused to serious.
They had accepted.
They were going to fight him together.
Rufus, now standing at the front, had his grin back, wider than ever.
He met Raven's gaze, eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"Surprised?" He mocked. "Regretting it now?"
Raven stared at him for a moment.
Then—he smiled.
Not a smirk.
Not a grin.
A slow, amused, genuine smile.
He stepped forward.
The air thickened as the crowd watched his every move, holding their breath.
"What's he doing?"
"He's walking toward them?"
Rufus's grin twitched slightly.
"What are you planning?" He asked warily.
No response.
Raven kept walking.
The other competitors tensed.
Rufus frowned, eyes narrowing as a thought struck him.
No—there was no way Raven was thinking of fighting them up close—
Then, a realization hit.
Rufus let out a bark of laughter.
"Ohh, I see!" He mocked, his grin stretching. "You're about to beg for forgiveness, aren't you? Hoping we'll go easy on y—"
WHOOSH!
The wind howled.
Faster than anyone could react—
SMASH!
Rufus's body twisted unnaturally as his face met Raven's fist.
A flash of déjà vu—
Then—
BOOM!
He was airborne.
Again.
The world spun.
Pain exploded in his jaw.
And then—
THUD!
Silence.
Rufus's body hit the ground outside the ring.
Everyone gawked.
"..."
"..."
"...Huh?"
"HUH?!"
"HE FELL FOR IT AGAIN?!"
"In the SAME WAY?!"
Rufus, his head pounding, pushed himself up with trembling arms.
Fury consumed him as he tried to rush back in—
"Enough."
Instructor Gale's voice stopped him in his tracks.
Rufus turned, wild-eyed. "I can still—!"
"You lost your badge," Gale cut in coldly. "You're out."
Rufus froze.
Something icy crawled down his spine.
Slowly, he looked down.
His hands clenched into fists as he found no badge on his chest.
It was gone.
Ripped out of his uniform.
His breath caught in his throat as his gaze shot back toward Raven, whose fingers twirled a familiar object.
Raven raised the badge slightly.
"Don't blame me," he said casually. "Your role is over."
There was a smile on his face as he muttered inwardly. 'Thank you for the hard work. You almost made me think of you as a good guy.'
Rufus's face burned.
A choked growl left his throat before he turned toward his remaining teammates.
"CRUSH HIM!" He roared.
And with that, the battle truly began.