"Well, there's plenty of fun to be had for the oldies too, with the senior division. Them rich folks and higher ups doesn't have as much interest, 'cause most of the senior participants already had their positions elsewhere, and rarely in the lookout for a new job.

For us though? 'tis just more good fights to enjoy!" - Emil Minaev, resident of Sabaya and loyal fan of the tournament.

After a day's break to reconfigure the arena and draw the lots, the tournament for the senior division took place as well. Cal naturally came to watch, as she had not planned to return to Paradise for another two weeks anyway.

The young therian that manned the official gambling booth that day happened to be the same one as on the day she had placed a large sum on Willa winning the championship. He visibly winced when he saw her approach, and went to the back, as he apparently called his superior.

By the time she reached the booth, an older therian man had taken the young one's place, and after checking her credentials, quickly settled the bet she placed and counted out twenty-five platinum coins to her with a pained look on his face.

Cal heard the people in the booth sigh in relief after she left without placing another bet this time. She had placed a bet of ten platinum back when Willa still had her odds of ten for twenty-five, and back then the massive sum being wagered had caused quite a few eyebrows to be raised in surprise.

Of course, by now most everyone had heard of who Willa was, and by correlation figured out her identity as well. Nobody even tried to accost her for the princely sum she had on her as she walked towards the seats her group already booked.

When she reached there, Cal saw Elaina and Sidonie chatting animatedly with Vitali, asking about the technique he used to push his reaction speed to the limits. Willa and Ognar were chatting with Ursus like old friends as well, while Ashani had joined them - along with her grandmother - and talked with Fheeri and Giselle.

Kino, Lazlo, and Kyara were chatting with each other when she seated herself next to them. Both of Lazlo's younger sisters were absent, as they were participating in the senior tournament. Both Zira and Azturia were firm favorites, even, as both had won the tournament multiple times in the past couple of centuries.

Due to the age limit, practically all the contestants of the senior division tournament were either elves, dwarves, those descended from elves or dwarves, a few long-lived therians breeds or unliving. There was even a merfolk contestant amongst the throng.

Out of the sisters, Zira got on stage first, and Cal saw what weapon the woman used for the first time. The unliving woman used a three-pointed double-edged glaive with a sharp spike on its other end, and the way she used her weapon reminded Cal a lot of the girl's father. It was obvious who taught her to use the weapon.

Azturia came on stage later in the day. Where her younger sister clearly learned from their father, she was clearly taught by their mother. She wielded a pair of morning stars on her hands, the weapons enchanted to discharge an electric shock on impact. A third morning star was attached to a metal loop by a chain, and Azturia held the loop by her tail, using the third weapon in ingenious and unexpected ways.

Both sisters ravaged through the competition, their skills - honed through centuries - and sheer physicality often overwhelming their opponents rapidly. If nothing unexpected happened, Azturia and Zira would face each other in the final match.

Whenever they fought on stages that were near where Cal was seated, Cal tried to sense their usage of magic. Over a few days of observation, she noticed that both sisters constantly used their magic as they fight, despite showing no outward signs of magic use.

The way they used their magic was far more subtle. Both of them were of the nature affinity, and were skilled shapeshifters. They used that skill to partially shapeshift their bodies, especially their organs and musculature. That gave them the strength, speed, and endurance of wild beasts, while they kept the flexibility afforded by their natural form.

Since they showed no outward signs of magic use, it often caught their opponents off guard. More than one dwarf had their weapons struck out of their grip by a blow far more powerful than they expected. Similarly, some elves were baffled when the sisters easily matched them in agility.

Not unexpectedly, both sisters met each other in the final match, where they fought for a good half hour before Zira made a slight mistake Azturia immediately capitalized on. A few strikes later, Zira's glaive was wrenched out from her grip and she yielded the match with a sigh.

The senior division tournament took the better part of a week before they concluded, during which time Cal's students and nieces deepened their friendship with the locals.

Sidonie had already gotten the gist of how Vitali's technique worked. He basically flooded his own nerves with lightning, which forced his reflexes and reaction speed to their utmost limits. It was quite painful to do so, but Sidonie persisted, as it also helped her build more tolerance towards lightning as well.

Elaina on the other hand had far less success with it. She even injured herself a couple times while attempting the feat, which gave Dan some work to do. The girl persisted even so, her sense of competition driven by her little sister already performing the technique nearly flawlessly.

Cal just smiled at the sight. Despite their advanced ages by human standards, her nieces were still considered teenagers as half-elves still under a hundred. They still possessed plenty of chances to grow, and to learn, in their long lives to come.

Time enough for them to experience it all themselves.