Scanning the area revealed nothing amiss to my senses, and Absolute Authority remained dormant. I only caught the tail-end of the mages guild repairing what damage the slabs have suffered, and then saw Yvonne sweep through the broken cogs of the enchantments and fix the frayed mana. When she finished, her eyes roamed toward our booth, earning a few sighs from those inside.

"You need to stop attracting stalkers. We can't handle another weirdo. What if she's a scion? The last thing we need is another god taking interest in you," Isaac groaned.

"Just how many have you dealt with?" Khrem asked, a tinge of worry coloring his voice.

"More than a lifetime's worth."

"Don't worry," Eodyne said.

Isaac turned, head cocked. "Why's that?"

"She's not a scion."

The serious tone Eodyne whispered the sentence brought an awkward tension to the air. I shifted a glance to Teddy but he shook his head and repeated it when Isaac did the same.

Thankfully, Khrem cut through the flash of tension by pulling out a notebook of his own. I snuck a glance and saw my name highlighted in bold, red ink.

"So how many gods should I be worried about?" Khrem asked.

"Calstrax, is probably the worst. Followed by the Ysanna and Zolnja, then there's Eraztis and potentially Aurelion," Sereza hummed. She counted with her fingers and flexed her thumb. "And apparently another one, from this Zog. Have you figured out who's his god?"

"Mulshagaragura. One of four orucan gods, but not much is known about them. I could probably just ask him about his deity. He seems like the honest sort."

"Really…"

"Addendum. More like the straightforward sort. Punch the idiot, slay the beast, ignore the bureaucracy."

"How much of this is you projecting what you hope he is like and from what you know because of Galarion?" Igas asked.

I beamed at him in hopes of conveying my full confidence. Nobody bought it and I wilted.

"One can hope," I said under my breath.

We settled in, watching the first of the combatants take their places.

One by one, the fighters made their way throughout the arena. The slabs nearest to the wall were filled first. Those who scrambled were usually the casters or rogue fighters but a few warriors secured themselves a place, keeping their armored forms against solid stone. Surprisingly it wasn't the second layer near the wall that filled up next, rather the middle. Five confident people strode forward, each of a different build. Two I recognized, the others were little more than blips of recognition.

"Why is the idiot going to the middle?" Isaac asked, exasperated.

Vincent the young would-be vigilante of justice strode confidently with a determined face as he followed the three men to the center ring. Following behind at a casual pace was none other than Zog. It was hard to see with his hood drawn over his head but I caught the wide grin before he turned his back to whatever magical camera the booth connected to.

Vincent looked shiny. It was hard to describe him as anything else with his white armor catching the sunlight with its mirror polish. His sword shined with the same unnatural gleam that matched his entire persona.

"He certainly looks happier today. Now that I think about it, I don't remember watching his second match," I commented.

"You were focused on something else, and was acting bored if I recall," Teddy offered.

"Makes sense. So the wax on his armor?"

"More than likely his family is proud. As someone not a commoner by blood it's expected for the fighters to do well in the tournament. But that's with a reminder that nobles will be fighting other nobles. Any victory is a mark of pride, an addition to their status."

I studied the young man as he settled on his slab and drew his sword. I said young man, but honestly he could have been the same age as me. Like most adventurers, they tended to be younger looking than most, especially around tier one. Only a few of the fighters had more wrinkles than the rest signifying a late ascension. And the ones whose faces I couldn't see were impossible to tell with their cowls and masks securing their privacy.

"He's either an actual idiot and thinks himself a better fighter than he really is or his family pushed him to be bold," Celenae said.

"But if he fails, that means he can no longer proceed. Wouldn't it be smarter to get as far into the tournament as possible?" I said.

She shrugged. "Or they expect him to not reach much further and would rather he displays himself boldly to capitalize on the situation. From what I know of the house head, he's a shrewd one. Constantly clawing out what political power they can maintain without disturbing the bigger houses."

"If I had to guess," Teddy said, scratching his beard. "They are jockeying for a contract with one of the official noble houses. Vincent displaying aptitude and prowess is good while also showing that they understand their place."

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

I made a disgusted face and stuck out my tongue. "Gross."

"Agreed, but it's far better curtailed in Solunaria than other kingdoms. From Uncle Brelten's stories, all six kingdoms on the southern continent are in constant chaos with political assassinations and the like."

"Being better than Luneterra is a low bar to satisfy," Sereza scoffed.

"Also true," Teddy chuckled. "But the point is, that our politicking is considered tame by most."

"Still don't like it," I said.

"Few adventurers do. It's why we find an excuse to dive into dungeons and rifts."

"Anyway, should I know anything about the other three? One is obviously a noble, but I don't know the other two."

Teddy adjusted the enchantment in the booth and zoomed closer on a guy with dark brown hair with a green tint. He appeared relatively normal and even managed to keep his eyes inside the natural eye-color territory. But the expensive metal staff in his hands combined with the expensive threads hinted at his lineage.

"He's a Phyltomen. Fifth major house. Nature and light based caster who focuses on control. Culzac is his name." Teddy adjusted the enchantment again, splitting the view between the man and woman flanking him. "Earth-based warrior, and water controller-archer."

I pointed to the man with dark brown leather and a staff. "He's an archer?"

"Caster based. Not the best efficiency, especially at tier one, but not entirely uncommon."

"It's not like Eodyne uses a physical bow anymore," Isaac added. "Not all rogues have physical blades. Which is stupid, but still a true fact."

I guess it made sense. Magic created magic shenanigans. Not everything needed to have fully grounded logic to work. Hells, even the woman's sword wasn't standard. Instead of a sharp blade, it was rounded and thick looking more suited for chopping things than slashing.

Besides, from how Zog kept flexing his fingers, I imagined it wouldn't matter much in the end.

"Ten gold on the fanatic ending them in one punch," I stated.

"Twenty that he requires more than one," Isaac countered.

We glared at each other but Celenae was already pulling out the board. Igas and Sereza joined me on the one hit bet, while Eodyne, Celenae and Teddy agreed with Isaac. That left Khrem who hesitantly went with my bet.

"From what I've seen so far, every match has ended with one punch. It would be impressive if he continues his streak," Khrem offered.

"I suppose we should pay extra attention to the guy. If he's going to stalk you, its better to know what he can do," Sereza said.

By the time the last of the fighters took their place, the crowd looked hungry. Banners flew and people cheered to those below. A range of emotions danced across the fighter's faces, with most looking grimly determined and cautious.

Only the occasional fool, usually those well dressed or sporting a higher calibre of equipment dared to smile openly while being surrounded by so many enemies.

Zog continued to face the noble and his cronies while ignoring Vincent to his left. For the human's part, he had his sword ready and shield positioned before him. How he would fare against the nobles and Zog, I had no idea, but I was excited to find out.

As the fighters started to get antsy, the announcer floated into view. His voice boomed across the arena as he motioned to those below him.

"Another thirty fighters have entered, and only ten will emerge victorious. An explosive finish and deliciously turbulent mana brought the first match to a close. Will there be another upset? Will we see another tyrant dominate the battlefield? Let's find out!"

The crowd erupted and I adjusted the sound enchantments to lower the cheering, tuning out most of the extra noise except for the announcer and that of the fighters near the center.

"The rules are the same and remain unchanged. Those who cripple, murder and intentionally maim a fighter beyond what is allowed will see them disqualified and swiftly arrested. When a fighter is out, any attack aimed their way will also disqualify the attacker. Remember the rules and bring the violence! Fighters, are you ready?!"

People nodded and the arena changed lights. The announcer clapped and people tensed.

Culzac and his henchman couldn't have made it more obvious who they were targeting. Culzac extended his staff and aimed it at Zog. Warrior lady and water archer drew closer, with their weapons following the leader.

Weirdly, the archer kept his staff pointed upward, and his free hand moved behind his back.

At the second clap more started to find their targets.

The announcer held his hands close and extended his chin, mana building around his mouth.

"And let the second free-for-all… BEGIN!"

Chaos exploded across the field and in the first second, a fighter went down. Culzac swung his staff forward and a wave of green moss bloomed in front of him. The earth warrior rushed ahead with their sword swung low. Stone emerged from the sand and coalesced along the bronze-colored blade forming jagged teeth.

Like I thought, a barrier of water appeared behind them, forming a triangle that rotated and intercepted a stray projectile. Another blob of water formed atop the staff and formed a wispy slingshot. He grabbed the watery band and pulled back before releasing.

A bead of water turned into an arrow wedge that zipped across the ground and toward Zog.

Even Vincent dashed forward, his blade ready but I noticed something odd. Instead of swinging his sword at the orucan, his shield slammed into place and took the arrow across its front.

"Oh? I was sure that he was helping the Phyltomen. Must be another house," Teddy mused.

The noble snarled and vines grew around Culzac's staff. A single blue flower blossomed atop the end, mana building at the tip of its petals.

"Out of the way. This is not your fight to meddle in!" he snapped.

Vincent ignored him, much to the noble's growing fury and shifted to block the incoming warrior. Then, Zog's hand landed on his shoulder and pulled him back.

"I appreciate your help, but I will not be robbed of a fight!" Zog bellowed.

Zog unceremoniously shoved Vincent back and flames pushed him forward. The warrior lady's sword had grown an extra foot in length with seven jagged teeth along its spine. Her skill hadn't stopped at just the blade, rugged stone and sand had formed plates along her thighs and upper body, creating a second layer of protection.

Bulging yellow mana flared along the metal of her swords and she stomped, halting her momentum while swinging forward. Zog jumped, throwing himself into the attack.

I leaned in, watching the mana surrounding his fist.

"Ouch," Sereza winced.

I shook my head but there wasn't time to tell her why I thought she was wrong.

As the blade reached within a foot of Zog's chest, his fist flew forward backed by a jet of flames from his elbow. The sword flashed and all seven spines flowed along a belt of flattened stone.

Her skill's a fucking a chainsaw?!

The first tooth cut into his robe, drawing a line across the fabric, but Zog kept smiling. The second tooth sliced into his skin, and the woman leaned forward.

That was a mistake.

In a burst of flames, Zog's fist smashed into her face and he leaned into the punch. His arm twisted, and the woman managed to keep her footing for about half a second. Then she went flying as Zog pulled back.

That was impressive, but he wasn't done.

Zog caught her arm and swung her up. He spun, carrying her limp form into the air before leaping in a flame-filled burst. Culzac's mouth dropped open and dropped even further when Zog flung his unconscious henchman their way.

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