The arena was already so loud before we even walked in.
The kind of noise that hit you in the chest before you had fully registered just how loud it was.
We walked through the gate.
And it just kept getting louder.
Not gradually., but all at once. It was like someone just cranked the volume up too the max.
Everyone just reacting to one person walking through a gate holding a cup.
I stopped walking for a second.
But Sable kept walking like nothing was happening. Like forty thousand people losing their minds was just background noise that she tuned out.
I ran up a bit to catch up to her.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" The announcer's voice cut came out of nowhere. "BEFORE WE BEGIN PHASE THREE! I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT!"
The crowd started to hush up.
"I WANT TO PERSONALLY THANK THE SEVEN CROWNS OF AETHENVEIL FOR THEIR DECISION TODAY!"
He paused for way too long.
"BECAUSE IN MY NINETEEN YEARS OF DOING THIS JOB! I HAVE NEVER SEEN A ROYAL COUNCIL AGREE ON ANYTHING! AND YET HERE WE ARE! SEVEN KINGS! ONE DECISION! AND THAT DECISION WAS TO LET THE CUP GUY FIGHT AGAIN!"
The crowd completely lost their minds. Its like they were witnessing a God walk before there eyes.
"HE IS BACK! HE IS ALIVE! HE IS STANDING IN THIS ARENA WITH THAT SAME CUP! AND IT IS BECAUSE SEVEN KINGS LOOKED AT WHAT HAPPENED IN PHASE TWO AND SAID! YES! WE WANT MORE OF THAT. AND HONESTLY? SO DO I! THANK YOU YOUR MAJESTIES!
I slowly tilted my head up and looked at the royal viewing boxes.
Six of the seven kings looked like they had not been expecting to be thanked by an announce.
Aldric the Third had the same expression of someone who had just been handed something they did not ask for and had no idea where to put it.
Vord Ashenmere kinda looked like he was considering declaring war on the announcers booth.
Brenn was not looking at the announcer.
He was looking directly at me. Like I just insulted his family tree or something.
I quickly looked away.
"Oracle," I said.
"Yes."
"Is he going to keep doing this?"
"Oracle believes so."
That was when I saw the wall.
The one the dragon had hit. There was still a massive crack running from the floor all the way to the top.It was still wide enough to the point were you could see it clearly from where I was standing. You could tell they had something to try and stabilise it for now. It had these braces along the sides. Looked like some kind of reinforcements.
But the crack was still there.
I had done that.
I looked down at the cup in my hand.
"NOW!" The announcers voice came back at what felt like max volume, shaking the entire stadium. "LET US TALK ABOUT PHASE THREE PEOPLE! THE FORMAT IS VERY SIMPLE! SIX TEAMS! TWO CANDIDATES EACH! SEQUENTIAL ELIMINATION! THE FIRST TWO TEAMS WILL FIGHT! THE WINNING TEAM STAYS ON! THE LOSING TEAM GOES HOME! THE NEXT TEAM ENTERS! AND SO ON! UNTIL ONE TEAM REMAINS!"
The arena went quiet for just a second.
"THE WINNING TEAM WILL REPRESENT THEIR KINGDOM AT THE HOLLOWCROWN TOURNAMENT!"
The crowd erupted again.
I looked over at Sable.
"Sequential?" I said.
"Sequential!" she said.
"Winning team stays on?"
"Yes."
"So if we win the first fight, we immediately face a fresh team?"
"Yes," she said.
"And then another fresh team after that?"
"Yes..."
I looked at the cup.
"THATS SO STUPID!"
"WHY DO THEY DO IT LIKE THAT??"
Sable looked at me.
"Because it accurately reflects the situitaions in a real battle ," she said. "In an actual fight you do not get to rest between enemies. They want to make sure whoever makes it to the Hollowcrown Tournament has earned their spot. Not just got lucky in a one off match."
I stared at her for a good minute.
"Okay but...." I said.
"What.?"
"WHAT ABOUT THE TEAMS WHO GO LAST?"
I was furious.
Sable said nothing.
"SO..... they get to sit back and chill watching every single fight before they step in," I said. "They get free research class and see exactly what everyone can do. HOW IS THAT FAIR?"
Sable was quiet for a second.
"It is not...." she said.
"So it IS stupid!."
"It is also the format that has been used since the Demon Lord was sealed," she said.
"SO ITS BEEN STUPID SINCE THE START....isn't that wonderful....," I said.
"Yes," she said quietly.
The announcers mic chirped back on randomly.
"TO DETERMINE THE ORDER!" The announcer was enjoying himself way too much like he's pissing me off at this point. "WE WILL BE DRAWING NAMES! COMPLETELY RANDOM!
A huge wooden box got dragged out to the center of the arena by two officials.
Then the announcer appeared.
I had never actually seen him before. He kinda just popped up out of nowhere. He had a super tall and slim build with some nice dark black hair. And to be honest, he had great moustache, that you could clearly tell has been curled with the utmost precision . I respected it.
The moustache was excellent.
He eventually made his way to the centre with his slow ass walk were the box was and reached into it and pulled out the first slip.
He looked at it.
He looked up.
He looked back down at it.
"WELL THEN....." he said.
He cleared his throat and took a moment,.
"FIRST MATCH! TEAM SIX!"
The crowd was already jumping around like a bunch of maniacs.
"RYMUR KAITO! VAGRANT GRADE ZERO! NO CLASS! NO FORMAL TRAINING! AND SOMEHOW HE IS STILL HERE! ALONGSIDE SABLE VORN! KNIGHT ERRANT THIRD CLASS!"
I looked at Sable.
"Do not," she said.
"THEIR OPPONENTS! TEAM TWO! GARRET HALE! GRADE FIVE! DRENMARK AFFILIATED! CLOSE RANGE COMBAT SPECIALIST!
Garret cracked his knuckles.
"AND HIS PARTNER! MONA SYNN! GRADE FOUR! SOLHAVEN AFFILIATED! WATER MAGIC SPECIALIST! SHE FINISHED NINTH IN PHASE TWO AND DID NOT BREAK A SWEAT DOING IT! NOT ONCE! I WATCHED IT ALL LADIES AND GENTLEMAN! KEEP YOUR EYES PEALED!"
I looked at them both.
Grade Five and Grade Four.
I was Level 14 Vagrant Grade Zero with a C Rank skill and a cup.
Sable was Grade Three.
"Oracle," I said quietly.
"Yes."
"Are we completely screwed?"
I waited.
No response.
"Of course." I said quietly.
I looked at Sable.
She nodded once.
I looked at the center of the arena.
I also just noticed the crack in the floor from Phase Two was still there running from one wall to the other. Right through the middle of where we were about to stand.
I gripped my cup tigher.
We walked to the center.
Garret Hale and Mona Synn were already there. Waiting.
Garret was a big ass dude. Broad shoulders and all. He looked like the kind of person who had been fighting things since he was born.
Mona Synn was busy looking at my cup.
The crowd was still going.
"WHENEVER YOU ARE READY!" the announcer said with honour.
I looked at Garret.
I looked at Mona.
I looked at the cup.
Sable moved into some odd position beside me without a word.
"Oracle," I said quietly.
"Yes."
"Any advice."
"Dont die?" Oracle said.
"Thanks for the advice bastard," I said .
"Oracle will note your feedback for future interactions."
The arena held its breath.
[ GUTTER INTUITION: Mona Synn. Water magic user. Solhaven affiliated. ]
[ GUTTER INTUITION: The floor is cracked. ]
[ GUTTER INTUITION: There is water underneath this arena. ]
I looked down at the crack running through the center of the floor.
Then I looked up at Mona Synn.
She was already smiling.