There were two versions of Alric Klein, and both of them were real. One would go back to Earth and the other would… die? Disappear? Rot in a dungeon for eternity? The teen did not know exactly, but none of these scenarios were acceptable.

Besides, who was to say that going through this tournament would result in a better person than the one stuck in that cell? Unfortunately, only one thing was certain: ‘Accepting that invitation was a mistake.’

“Dear contestants.” Amon Grigori ignored to teen’s complicated expression and continued his speech. “I bet you’re wondering how you can win this competition.

Well, it’s quite simple. The tournament will be separated in a series of rounds. There may be few; there may be many. You will not know their number.

The purpose of each round is to pass and to hopefully obtain a certain token. There was a token even in the preliminaries won by the life form which first completed the challenge without resorting to violence. Unfortunately, you were a bit late,” he said towards the troubled Alric.

“When the time comes, I, as your host, will announce the final round. That is when the tournament will conclude, when one species gathers all the tokens and wins.

However, do be warned. Once you obtain a token, you may not give it to another. If you do or if it is stolen, you will be immediately disqualified. Any questions?”

While sorting through the million thoughts which raced through his mind, the youth couldn’t help but raise a hand.

“What is the prize for winning?”

“Prize, young Alric?” Amon furrowed his brows. “Isn’t the challenge of our tournament a prize in itself?

All of you were promised endless time and resources to improve yourselves,” he continued, this time addressing the crowd. “We will keep our word, so just focus on winning. With these being said, let the first round of the Species Tournament begin!”

As if to cut the conversation short, plastic blocks reminiscent of books appeared in each contestant’s hands. The one’s given to the humans were around twice as large as Alric’s palm. The dwarves’ blocks were similar, while the elves got larger pieces and the pixies received miniature versions.

“Isolation is a terrible thing,” explained Amon. “During your trials, you’ll need a partner, a friend, maybe even a lover who’s willing to put its life on the line just like you would for it!”

The demon paused for effect. The fact that he talked about people like they were animals flew over everyone’s head.

“Today, your task is to find this partner. Among the sea of contestants gathered here, find one who complements you and unite your rectangles into a square.” Two pieces appeared in the host’s hands, and he put them together. The colorless blocks glowed before merging into a green one.

“If the result of your bond is green, that means you and your partner are complementary, and you will both pass. If it’s yellow, your bond is average, and you’ll likely not see the end of this tournament. Nonetheless, you’ll still pass.”

Those less apt at acting started glaring at him. Fortunately, at least for now, Amon did not seem to care.

“If the color of the completed block is red, then you both fail and you’ll be eliminated immediately. Pretty simple, right?” he asked Alric.

“Brilliantly explained, Lord Amon,” the boy responded with a flushed expression. “Thank you for giving us this opportunity to team up. It will boost our morale and make us fight harder.”

Fortunately, while the host was rambling, Alric had plenty of time to recover and think. If Amon could kill people on a whim, then who knew what favors he could grant if someone got on his good side. Of course, the thought of befriending this monster was disgusting to say the least, but he owed it to his alter to at least try.

“Not just smart, but also good mannered,” Amon appreciated. “Boy, creatures like you don’t make it far in these tournaments, but I sincerely hope you overcome the odds.”

………………………………………………………………

That last statement made the youth’s blood drain from his face.

“Are you ready?” the demon host asked. The round was about to begin, and Alric was not only unprepared, but scared to the point where Timofey was drowning in his sweat.

“Lord Amon, if it’s not too rude, may I ask if there’re any details you can give us about the token in this round?”

It was not a good move to ask more questions when the first one had already annoyed him. The youth knew this, but he couldn’t stop himself. Fortunately, Amon was amused by his panicked expression.

“Sorry boy. No can do.” The demon twirled his finger and Alric was sent flying towards the human statue. ‘However, since you’ve been a better sport than most, remember this,’ said Amon directly into his brain. ‘Rules and friendships are meant to be broken. Make these words your mantra and you might see the end of this tournament.’

Not wanting to expose himself, Alric thanked the demon in his mind and bowed slightly. A few seconds later, he landed near the upper left corner of the platform.

“Contestants and beloved spectators, are you ready?” Amon shouted with enthusiasm. “May the first round of the Species Tournament begin!”

Immediately, a huge ruckus overtook the platform. Shouting, yelling, and movement occurred everywhere. Not even a minute in, and around Alric, some people were declaring victory while others were bursting into smoke.

“In the name of the Great Oracle, you’re one sweaty bastard,” grumbled Timofey after leaving the blouse and shaking his wings. The mayhem all around him did not bother the pixie. In fact, he seemed to enjoy it. “Feels like home… What now, partner?”

Annoyingly, the youth didn't respond. Alric ignored the abandoned red blocks as well as everyone around him and focused solely on his thoughts. ‘The reckless will not make it far,’ he decided.

There were Amon’s words to consider, not just his final advice but how he explained the challenge as well. ‘By complementary, he must mean personality, temperament, physique, sex, or species.’ The host’s description was too vague to come up with a proper conclusion. However, when comparing the teams that had already formed, personality and temperament seemed to be the most likely factors.

“Is the host still controlling you?” Timofey asked while tapping the unmoving teen’s forehead.

‘But, why did he send me here?’ Alric’s original spot was somewhere near the middle of the platform. So, why did Amon send his favorite contestant to the human statue’s corner?

“Get out of the way!” someone shouted while smashing into him.

“Watch your step!” Timofey growled before slicing a chunk out of the man’s ear.

The human panicked at the sight of smoke, but he continued running nonetheless. As for Alric, after hitting the ground, the youth had no choice but re-check his surroundings.

Gone were those who failed, yet the winners were still around. There was now more room for movement, so those still searching tried to use it to the fullest.

To Alric’s left, half a dozen men were trying to sweet-talk a chest endowed woman in her twenties. To his right, a large circle of humans were conducting interviews with each other while one formed of pixies was doing the same above their heads.

“Are you ok?” asked Timofey after flying in front of his face.

“Yes.”

“You need to snap out of it. I’m not going to stick around if you continue standing like a stone.”

“Stop!” Someone shrieked from nearby. Timofey and Alric looked just in time to see a dwarf get thrown off the platform.

“So, it begins,” the pixie muttered with a complicated smile.

It seemed like the extra room wasn’t just due to those who got expelled after their blocks turned red. In a few places along the platform’s edge, humans and dwarves were pushing each other off. Pixies were cheering them on from above, while the elves were getting more and more irritated.

“Everyone, join us!” A human dressed in orange prison clothes shouted from the front. “If we don’t thin out their numbers, we’ll have to fight them later.”

Amon didn’t interfere, so it was fair game. However, since Alric wasn’t the fighting type and Timofey was the size of his palm, he wisely decided to step in the opposite direction.

“Agreed.” Suddenly, a strange voice was heard from behind them. It was neither rough nor high pitched, but it nonetheless echoed throughout the surroundings.

“Brothers and sisters, the human is right! We cannot afford to be merciful!”

In a panic, Alric dropped to his knees pushing Timofey down with him. Milliseconds later, a large hand swiped above his head.

“Run!” yelled Timofey while flying ahead. Behind the two, a nine feet tall elf grabbed one of the busty girl’s fan-club members and catapulted him towards the edge.

Fortunately, the distance was too great for him to drop off the platform. But, after flying 20 feet through the air, enough bones cracked inside his body that it didn’t really matter.

“Head towards the center,” said Alric. While he was catching up to his friend, at an increasingly worrying pace, the once balanced squabbles were turning into one-sided massacres.