The two hours before the opening ceremony came in a flash. We were given another rundown on what was going to happen and how it was to be done a total of five times. It left little to the imagination as all of us, the competitors, were to simply walk forward in straight lines, stand in the center of the stadium, bow for the royalty, and wait for Queen Maxwell to finish her rousing speech.

With all that confirmed, we waited in a new area, one much larger than the one used for the preliminaries. The room was connected to the stadium floor via massive metal gates. The stadium was abuzz with life. The entire structure vibrated from the countless voices and movements of the thousands of people waiting in anticipation.

An attendant walked around the line of students handing out bundles of cotton to the races with more sensitive hearing or anyone that wanted them in general. I hated shoving something into my ears, even soft cotton. It was uncomfortable to an extreme degree. I felt my skin crawl, and I wanted to cringe out of my body, but it was twenty times better than going deaf from the roar of the stadium.

I have no idea how it will be during the actual fights, though. I can’t wear earplugs during a battle. I imagine it’s going to be a very…rough experience.

Sylvia nudged me from the side and asked me to help her with her ears. If there was one thing a person should not do lightly, it’s mistreating an Elf's ears. It was also hardly the time to be horsing around.

I gently and carefully packed Syliva’s ears. At first, she seemed to like it, but that was washed away after a few moments of pressing. Her face twisted in discomfort, but I moved quickly and made sure I did the job right the first time.

She looked into my eyes and smiled brightly. I took that as a job well done and let her adjust the cotton in mine, but before she could move to the other side, Cerila was already helping. I was expecting them to start something, but they both worked carefully and quietly, and neither acknowledged the other.

This is…well…it feels good, but it really doesn’t at the same time…I…yeah, I don’t really know how to feel about this.

I forced those conflicting thoughts into the back of my mind as the attendant loudly called out over the room to prepare to move. The drums from the outside banged loudly, and the metal gate slowly rose, allowing us passage. We waited for it to reach a little less than halfway, and the front of the line started moving.

Three rows of people, one from each nation, walked onto the ground floor of the arena. Sandervile was wearing their bright orange, all of them Human. Tel’an’duth Elves and half-Elves were wearing mixtures of silver, turquoise, and blue. Then there was us, Forward University, a true mixing pot of races sporting our black and red, Elves, Humans, Dwarves, and Beastmen.

The full brunt of the noise washed over us like a wave as the light from the afternoon sun shined down at us. The moment my eyes readjusted, I was greeted by an unbelievable sight I hadn’t seen in a long time.

Unlike the preliminaries, every square inch of the stadium was covered by a body. As one gazed up the lowest level all the way to the private boxes, there wasn’t a single space between the people who stood shoulder to shoulder. Everyone was hollering, yelling, and clapping at us.

On either side of the stadium, larger box seats sat at the top, looking down from the highest vantage point. Each was a private setting area for various nations, some not even participating in the actual tournament. Flags from Krunbar, Luminar, The City States, and Tel’an’duth all flapped in the wind. It was a gathering of nearly every major nation on this continent besides Syn’nari.

Naturally, at the head of the stadium, seated ever slightly higher than the other private seats, was the royal family of Luminar. Queen Maxwell sat tall and upright, her outfit a mirror to her husband; however, the small bump on her stomach was prominent enough to draw the attention of the more curious and eagle-eyed. Even though she wasn’t the most regal of individuals I knew in a place like this with so many people cheering, she managed to exude an aura of royalty even from all the way upon her perch.

As for the king…well, he was just being himself… grinning like a fool, and I swore he was waving directly at me. Aren’t you supposed to show a little less favoritism?

Lauren was also with her parents, wearing a formal white dress with speckled gold that made her literally shine with the sun’s light. She looked dazzling, like a…well, like a princess. She also had a small leaf tiara on her head.

I hadn’t seen her wear one before, so I assumed it was new, or perhaps this was just a notable enough event to whip it out. I wondered why I didn’t see it for my ceremony, but it wasn’t important. Even Prince Xander joined his family, standing with his red hair slicked back with enough product to make it a fire hazard. His gaudy red and black military uniform looked as it always did, over the top. Prince Xander looked out over the crowd with a look of superiority, his arms crossed over his chest.

The platforms for preliminaries had been removed, and now the arena floor was a single grapenormous gray stone slab covering almost the entire grounds. It made knocking someone off for a win tough unless your opponent purposely moved around the edges. Of course, someone could just force it to happen, but it was twice as hard now than it was in the preliminaries.

The rows of students finished their march into the center of attention. The crowd was allowed a few more moments for cheering and yelling, but it was quickly silenced as the royal family stood from their chairs. It was awe-inspiring to see thousands of people bow their heads in such an orderly fashion. I hadn’t seen a spectacle like that in many years. It couldn't even be compared to the parade in the capital.

Queen Maxwell took a few steps forward from her chair and scanned the stadium, her gaze demanding attention and silence. “Welcome everyone from the furthest reaches of the mountains to the beautiful city of Flumare,” the queen said, her voice seemingly coming from every direction.

A dungeon item? It must be. There is no way her voice would sound so clear and close. I suppose if dungeon items can do “almost anything,” a piece of voice-amplifying equipment isn’t out of the realm of possibilities.

“Today, we are gathered in this splendid stadium not only as mere spectators but as witnesses to something special. Here, standing before you, are a group of young men and women, elite students from our three great nations of Luminar, Tel’an’duth, and Sandervile. These individuals represent this generation’s finest, and they shall embark upon a difficult challenge.”

“I stand before you as your queen and ask that you humbly extend your unwavering loyalty and support to these brave students. These young men and women, our pride and hope for the future, have trained tirelessly for this very moment. They are here today with their chins held high and their hearts filled with determination.”

“In this very arena, we will witness not only mere battles of swords and magic but dreams coming true. Will heroes emerge amongst those standing before us? Will years of hard work and dedication to their craft finally come to fruition? Regardless of whether these things come to pass, let us remember that it is not victory alone that defines greatness.”

“Let us cheer for those who not only triumph over their peers but for those who have worked tirelessly in honing themselves as individuals. Let us remember that no matter the outcome, the generation that is here right now will continue to forge a legacy that will be remembered for all of eternity. Let us all celebrate in the triumph, courage, and honor together!”

“Now, let the tournament begin!”

A resounding deafening chorus of applause echoed through the stadium, much to the pain of my poor hearing. The queen’s speech was relatively simple, but it still managed to rouse the masses as people whistled, yelled, and clapped as loud as their bodies would allow. But…there was something else.

“FIGHT!”

A single voice managed to carry over the rest. People looked at each other, second-guessing themselves if they heard correctly. Even I had to readjust my earplugs.

“FIGHT!!”

This time the voice was easier to pinpoint. Everyone looked confused, turning their attention to the royal seats once more. King Maxwell cupped his massive hand over his mouth and yelled once more.

“FIGHT!!!”

It was genuinely baffling that a single man’s voice could be so loud. He wasn’t using the dungeon item. His natural voice bounced around the stadium and carried to the furthest seats. King Maxwell repeated the process once more as he cupped his hand over his mouth. People were ready for their king.

“FIGHT!!!!”

“FIGHT!!!!!!”

The stadium roared back at the king as thousands of voices screamed in unison. The king, not letting up, continued to yell fight, and the stadium would respond. The floor shook as people stomped and yelled in perfect sync. The atmosphere was as electric as it was deafening.

And all it took was a single voice and word…

King Maxwell nodded in satisfaction. “Good, now let us have some fun! Even though our wonderful daughter is down below, the five of us up here will be rooting for you, our dear!” he yelled, his voice as strong as ever.

“Five?”

“Can the king count?”

“Wait, aren’t there five royals in the family in total? But the princess is down below…”

These things were initially muttered amongst the crowd and even the students. But the dots were connected quickly, and the realization soon hit everyone. It spread through the crowd like wildfire.

“A baby?!”

“The queen is having another child! Look at her!”

“Long live the king!”

“Long live the queen!”

“LU-MI-NAR! LU-MI-NAR! LU-MI-NAR!”

A wonderful entrance of highly capable and accomplished students, a calm and well thought out speech from the queen, followed by an electric chant and bombshell announcement from the king…what a way to start the tournament.

—

“I’m sort of bummed it’s you going against him and not me,” Varnir said with a little bit of a pout.

I tightened my shoelaces and checked over my gear once more. “I could throw the match.”

Varnir snorted. “That’s like asking for snow in summer. It’s just not possible.”

“Well, that depends on the region and some other factors…but sure, I get it,” I chuckled.

Varnir grinned and shook his head. “You better beat that prince,” he said as he extended his hand.

I shook it and smiled. “Do you think I would lose to him?”

“No, he doesn’t stand a chance.

I thanked Varnir for his confidence and turned to the people standing behind him. Sylvia, Cerila, Ren, and Adria waited for me. Only contestants who qualified for the main tournament would be allowed underneath the stadium now, so Padraic, Lin, and the others would be sitting in the stands. I would be the day's first match, followed by another group from Sandervile and Tel’an’duth. Then it would be Sylvia and Varnir, an unfortunate outcome.

Cerila signed.

Adria looked like she wanted to say something, but she apparently still felt awkward from the other day. I walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Thanks for seeing me out.”

Adria smiled weakly but nodded her head enthusiastically. “Yes…good luck, Kali.”

Kali…that’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time.

I chuckled but stopped as I caught Sylvia glaring at me with a raised eyebrow. But the moment our eyes met completely, she turned away like a kid who had been caught red-handed and was trying to get away by pretending not to be seen. I just smiled at that and thanked her for coming as well.

I would wish Sylvia good luck before her fight…but that would feel like I was ignoring Varnir. It was awful that the two of them were matched up right off the bat.

“Kaladin Shadowheart, please report to the front,” a voice echoed in the empty hall.

I let out a deep breath and waved my companions goodbye. It was time to fight a prince.

Let’s just hope he doesn’t hold a grudge like his sister.

—

The metal gate rose slowly with the clanking of gears and cogs. The stadium was already roaring after the announcement of Prince Leopold’s entrance, and I was up next.

“Leopold Ten’an’duth’s first opponent will be someone we are very familiar with. A knight of Luminar! The savior of the continent! The man, the myth, the legend himself! The Dragonslayer, Kaladin Shadowheart!” the male announcer shouted into the voice-amplifying dungeon artifact.

The stadium reacted to my arrival with thunderous applause. I made sure to do my duty as a knight of a Princess and wave to the crowd with a smile on my face. It may not correlate with my plans for this tournament, but there was no reason to come off as a cold person.

Not yet, anyway.

Once I was on top of the platform like we were told, Prince Leopold and I met in the middle to exchange greetings with each other and the referee. Even though the referee wouldn’t be able to stop the fight on their own whim, they were still needed to determine out of bounds or when an opponent had been rendered unconscious.

The two of us exchanged quick pleasantries with the referee and faced each other. Prince Leopold stared directly into my eyes with an apathetic look. He seemed unbothered by my presence as if I was simply another opponent for him to face. His pure meritocratic ideology was intact. It appeared even slaying a Dragon wasn’t enough to impress him.

I put my hand out to shake it, but he just looked at it with a blank expression, and I took it back. He showed no signs of shaking my hand at all.

“I have to wonder something. What do you think of someone who is superior to you in almost every way?” I mused.

“If you are asking me if I believe those people exist, then the answer is yes. There is no such thing as a perfect person, and there never will be. It is an impossible standard despite having the goal to achieve such. And recognizing that I do not believe I am perfect,” he stated in an almost annoyed voice.

That is not what I asked, but alright. Did my subtle disrespect sail right over his high and mighty head? I shouldn’t have expected an answer from him anyway or for him to crumble under such an insignificant tactic.

The referee watched us awkwardly, but after our conversation ended abruptly, he motioned for us to take our positions on opposite sides of the field. This would be the opposite of the close-quarters nature of the preliminaries that favor fighters over mages. Even if I ran full speed with all my might, I wouldn’t be able to reach my opponent if they were to stand still and cast a spell.

Not that it mattered to me. I could cast magic and sprint at full speed even if my opponent sent spells my way. I also wouldn’t be toying with anyone. I planned on winning.

“Now, let the match begin!”

The moment the announcer finished his sentence, I was already mid-stride. I fed mana to my Dragon eye and watched as Prince Leopold utilized his dungeon item to send blades of wind at me. I didn’t pay the ones that wouldn’t hit me any mind and effortlessly sliced down the others with my spear.

A slight amount of discomfort formed on Leopold’s face as I hit the halfway point of the arena. The band around his wrist glowed brightly with mana in my Dragon eye, and the intensity and frequency of his spells increased to the point my spear wouldn’t be enough alone.

I intercepted a large gust of wind with a stone wall and sent a boulder the size of someone’s head straight toward him. Leopold waved his arm, and the boulder was bisected, rolling in two pieces on the ground. Three different slashes of wind approached from odd angles, and I dispatched two and used a shield of earth to block the last one.

I was forced to stop via the sheer power of the wind, but I was within striking distance of Leopold now. I was half tempted to use lightning magic or fire, but it wouldn’t be necessary. Showing those off this early would be detrimental in the long run.

I didn’t need it to beat him.

Leopold sent the invisible sphere of wind toward me at a low arc this time. It was easy to miss hovering just above the ground and kicking up a minimal amount of dust. With the roar of the ground reacting to every spell, it would have been impossible to notice it before it smashed into my legs, crippling me.

So, I pivoted on my right leg and cut it in half.

Leopold’s face morphed into genuine shock. His invisible spell that had rendered Varnir unable to move had been dispatched as quickly as the rest of them. I sent a flurry of tiny stone shards at him and continued my push forward. I would strike Leopold down soon enough if he didn’t do something else.

But it seemed the prince had more under his sleeve as the mana around his bracelet skyrocketed. The spheres of wind floating behind him gathered into one large ball and were immediately tossed toward me. It flew through the air with an arc, and instead of directly impacting me, it landed a few feet in front.

The corresponding shockwave was enormous, leaving a sizable crater in the ground. The wind kicked up at all angles, even from beneath me, and judging by the blast radius, even Leopold should have been caught in the spell. I was lifted off the ground and sent flying high up in the air.

I caught a glimpse of Leopold being anchored down with a stream of water around his legs. The blue tendrils of magic were embedded into the ground like stakes, and he fought against the wind threatening to force him into the sky. I was seemingly helpless, flying through the air without any protection.

Any mage with even a minuscule amount of combat potential should be salivating at the opportunity. I was entirely at the whim of Leopold and what would be his next round of magic. Even if I managed to swing my body frantically and cut down his spells, I was at a dangerous height. Falling from here would easily break bones.

Well, that’s what it looks like anyway. Too bad I don’t really care about gravity much these days. I wonder if he is ready for this.