Knock. Knock.
I stared at the ceiling.
"COME ON IN! NOT LIKE I WANTED TO SLEEP!"
The door opened and someone walked in..
It was a man I had never seen in my life wearing a spiffy looking uniform. He radiated the kind energy of a person who had a specific job and did it without asking questions. He just stood there in the middle of the room and was holding a sealed letter tightly with both hands like it was something fragile.
He looked at me.
I looked at him.
"Rymur Kaito?" he said.
"Yes?,"
"Vagrant Grade Zero. Registration number 23 on the current Gauntlet candidate list."
"Thats me, I guess..?"
He cleared his throat and took a a deep breathe.
"I am here representing the collective decision of all seven crowns of Aethenveil, This is regarding your continued participation in the Royal Gauntlet."
I sat up slowly.
He opened the letter slowly.
His eyes widened.
"Following the events of Phase Two. A significant amount of back and forth between all seven ruling kingdoms has occurred. It has come to a conslusion that candidate Rymur Kaito will advance to Phase Three of the Royal Gauntlet."
I said nothing.
"However," he said. "This comes with one condition attached."
He looked up quickly from the letter briefly. Then back down.
"That skill that you used during your Phase Two fight is NOT PERMITTED in Phase Three under any circumstances. Any activation the skill will result in immediate disqualification.
He folded the letter.
"Do you understand and accept these terms?"
I looked at him.
"Yes....." I said.
He then folded the letter neatly and put it back in his coat. Then he took one large step backwards and placed both hands flat against his thighs kneeled down infront of me like I was one of the kings and stayed like that for like around three seconds.
Which felt like forever.
Then he got up, turned on his heel like some robot and walked out closing the door quietly behind him.
I was lost for words.
I just sat there trying to figure out what just happened.
"Oracle." I said.
"Yes."
"Was all that necessary?"
"Apparently,"
I sat there in the silence.
Seven kings.
One decision.
I was so confused.
Someone must have told them.
Someone in that arena.
Someone must have already known what it was called before the fight even ended.
I lay back down slowly.
Stared at the ceiling.
"Oracle," I said.
"Yes."
"How many people do you think know what Magic Shot is?"
He paused .
"Based on available records," Oracle said quietly. "Alot"
I stared at the ceiling for a long time after that.
Then I stopped.
I thought about sitting up all night to think about it.
Or I could go to sleep.
I pulled the blanket up.
"Oracle,"
"Yes."
"Wake me up if something tries to kill me."
"Oracle will do its best,!"
I then finally closed my eyes.
and passed the hell out.
[A couple hours later]
"ATTENTION ALL PHASE THREE CANDIDATES!"
I opened my eyes hoping I had been sleeping for more than a couple seconds.
"PHASE THREE OF THE ROYAL GAUNTLET WILL COMMENCE IN ROUGHLY TEN MINUTES! ALL CANDIDATES ARE TO MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE CENTER OF THE AREA IMMEDIATELY! I REPEAT! TEN MINUTES!"
I lay there for a second.
I thought about what Seph said. I thought about all the fights I completely missed because I almost killed myself.
Then I sat up.
Looked at the cup.
Picked it up.
"Oracle,"
"Yes."
"Lets fucking do this!"