The arena was already full before dawn. The sound of footsteps, voices, and bets mixed with the smell of metal, dust, and active mana. The first official day of the tournament would begin there, and no one seemed willing to miss a single second.
We arrived early. The light was still soft when we entered through the human guild gate. The stands were already filled with people of every race. Merchants shouted prices, bards improvised songs about battles that hadn't even happened yet, and the tension hung in the air like a string pulled too tight.
"They're all staring," Elara murmured, adjusting her cloak.
"Let them stare," Vespera replied. "Today, someone is going to fall."
Scarlet sat in silence, arms resting on her knees, eyes fixed on the center of the arena. Unlike the previous night, she didn't seem provocative or distant. She seemed focused.
The announcement echoed again, louder than the day before.
"I declare open the Annual Guild Tournament. First round. Individual confrontations. Representatives, proceed to the designated areas."
Runes lit up on the ground, forming corridors of light that guided the fighters. The main field took on a bluish tone, indicating that the magical boundary was active.
The first fight of the day wasn't ours, but it immediately drew attention. A demi-human warrior against a heavily armored dwarf. The clash was direct, brutal, and over within minutes. The crowd roared.
"This is just the beginning," Liriel commented. "The fights are going to get more dangerous."
It didn't take long before we heard Rai'kanna's name being announced.
She walked to the arena with firm steps, hair tied back, serious expression. On the other side, the elf chosen by the elven guild advanced with excessive calm.
"His name?" I asked.
"Eldrin Faelar," Scarlet replied. "Rank S. Specialist in hybrid combat. Don't underestimate him."
The signal sounded.
Eldrin started with wind magic, invisible blades slicing through the air. Rai'kanna dodged, advanced, spun her body, and responded with a direct strike, breaking the elf's rhythm. The impact echoed.
The fight dragged on. Eldrin tried to keep his distance, Rai'kanna pressed relentlessly. The crowd followed in tense silence.
When Eldrin tried to elevate the field with stronger magic, Rai'kanna planted her feet on the ground and released everything at once. The clash of forces created a wave that swept across the arena.
The elf fell to his knees.
Silence.
Then, an explosion of cheers.
"Victory for Rai'kanna, representative of the human guild."
She was breathing heavily, but she was smiling. As she left the field, her eyes passed over Scarlet for a brief second. No words were exchanged, but the tension was clear.
"She's grown," Scarlet commented. "But still not enough."
The comment did not go unnoticed by Liriel, who frowned but chose not to respond.
The arena barely had time to calm down before the next important confrontation. Vespera was called.
Her opponent was a fairy with translucent wings, a bright aura, and an overly confident expression.
"This won't be easy," Elara murmured.
The fight began at absurd speed. The fairy attacked from impossible angles, light slicing through space. Vespera retreated, narrowly dodging, waiting for the right moment.
When the fairy tried to finish with a direct dive, Vespera fully opened her black wings. The pressure changed.
She caught the blow, slid to the side, and counterattacked with a concentrated blast of dark energy. The impact hurled the fairy away.
Both stood up again. The fight continued for minutes that felt like hours.
In the end, Vespera won by a narrow margin. She dropped to her knees right after the victory was announced.
The stands were in shock.
"A succubus defeating a fairy," someone shouted.
Vespera walked out exhausted, but with her head held high.
"I said someone would fall," she murmured, smiling tiredly.
Elara was next. Her fight was different. Less movement, more focus. Her opponent, a high-ranking dwarf, advanced with brute force.
Elara raised her staff and murmured a single enchantment.
The spell fell like a seal.
The dwarf was thrown out of the magical circle in an instant.
Victory.
But Elara almost collapsed right after, held up by Liriel.
"You overdid it," Liriel said.
"It worked," Elara replied, taking a deep breath.
The day went on, and the group's reputation grew with each fight. Murmurs turned into cautious respect.
When they announced my name, the noise ceased.
I stepped onto the field feeling the weight of thousands of eyes. My opponent was another Rank S elf, stern expression, perfect posture.
The fight was hard. Every move required total attention. There was no room for mistakes.
In the end, I won by a narrow margin.
When I left the arena, Scarlet was watching me differently.
"You're not just lucky," she said. "Are you starting to understand that?"
I didn't respond.
The day ended with the sky dyed red. The fights had ceased, but the tension had not.
As we left the arena, I felt that presence watching again.
This time, it didn't disappear immediately.
Whoever it was, they were waiting.
And I was sure of one thing.
The tournament still hadn't revealed everything it was hiding.