As the day of the tournament arrived, the match-up had been decided a day before. There was a list of matches on the first day and every single one of Kira's agency members was one of them.The first match was a bout between Morioka Saeko of the Red Trackers and Midari Sengen of the Viper's Venom. All the contestants were asked to stay in the colosseum's underground mass accommodation rooms to avoid the unfair search for information about their opponents after the announcement. Before the fights would happen, this will be the first day where the contestant's abilities would be revealed. Because of this, contestants are forced to think for themselves 24 hours before they fight in the shapeshifting arena.A rule that made it so that the tournament will always be fair and avoid tricks and underhanded tactics among the participants. ***“Weeeeeeeeelcome back! It's been a few weeks since the last elimination stage and I hope that every participant who survived that had recovered fully
[24 hours earlier]“Ahem. We're with the Tournament's Managing Staff. All of the participants would have to go and spend the next day in isolated rooms in the colosseum while we announce the match-ups. To make the first match-ups balanced and well sought out, we are going to match up people by the level of their combat prowess.”Right at the doorstep of the most poorly maintained agency building of the Red Trackers, there would be a dead-ish face man wearing a certain blue military-style uniform that arrived. “Err... I see. I'll inform the others.”Sabrine had accommodated them after they rang the service bell at the abandoned lobby on the first floor.She was unsure if they were for real or not at first, but seeing as they had ID cards outlined in black, a higher authority than them they were as red, she would quickly go back and inform the others. The rule about being isolated on the day of the match-up announcement had been going on since the second event of the Mixed Magic Arts
“In the ring, we have the supposedly clueless red-hair on the right side, Cian Magicroft from the Red Trackers! But look! He looks different and emits a different feeling than his naive self from before! Will he fight for real now?!”Drowning out the loud cheers of the crowd that craved action and violence from the tournament, the host would shout out to the mic as he described Cian. Cian had made a negative impression on the audience in the last stage of the tournament where he had to be saved from two children. “On the left side, we have Louis Zweist from the Vipers! Right now, he has the biggest smile out between them, is he confident that he can beat Cian in this round?”The host would turn and hover toward Louis who was showered with cheers, responding to it kindly with waves and a big smile.“Would you look at that, the people love me. Don't you think it's a bit embarrassing to be the good guy but be booed off the stage?”Turning to Cian, Louis would stand right at the edge of
“You did something, didn't you?”“Hmm? I wonder what you are saying. Weren't you uninterested in this kind of stuff?”Above the arena that had begun to be covered amid Louis' ability, Ruriko and Mia began to continue their conversation. Ruriko poorly tried to dismiss Mia's assertions, fending it back with few words. “I am, but this is fairly about how you had anything to do about that man's sudden growth. You aren't perhaps favoring them just because they are loyal to your system. Isn't that quite unfair for everyone you forced to sit under your system?”Mia would push further with it, broadening the conversation from some involvement with a contestant into a political imbalance.Ruriko only giggled at her futile attempts to seek an answer from her, and despite that Mia had tried to sound threatening, her whims were just as cute. But maybe this would only warrant one answer, to make her gears going.“What do you think?”Ruriko would leave such a vague answer that led to Mia's inter
——Reality Manipulation. “So it was something one can get from a Unique Magic Acquisition.”Amongst the crowd, a woman flared her emerald eyes across the arena. She had a pen and paper that she listened upon, and with only two matches, there was not much to write from the first. “Sabrine. Cian looks a bit different. He still fights aggressively but... there's this feeling that I am getting.”Narrowly closing her right eye, Teresa would look at Cian's personality. Right now, he was being pinned down by such an ability yet he seemed to be calm.“It could be because he is fighting assertively, instead of being aggressive. It's indeed a change.”Knowing the exact reason for that change, Sabrine left out the details of how it was possible for Cian.Teresa was once again with Sabrine as they both observed the fights that started. The first match had nothing to be observed as it ended within a second by forfeiting.“...You said that they could be using magic that they were granted through u
At the headquarters of the Red Trackers, Vincent was left alone to look over the building.Sabrine had left to gather data for the Red Tracker's fights and the rest had been made to stay in their holding rooms until their matches happen.“It sounds lonely in here.”Without the noise of either Kira being her usual self or Kurumi's usual training routine, the building was practically empty without the members in it.He was being sentimental when he had all the time to rest.“...Huh?”Just as Vincent looked out of the window, he would see multiple men that wore what seems to be hooded. As far as he knows, they invited no one and had closed business temporarily. They were uninvited guests.It was his first idea to call the others about this so he pulled out his phone, however, just as he tried to call them, the call ends with a noise.“Give me a break...!”The call was intercepted.He was left alone to defend himself now.***“G-Good job out there.”“———”Arriving at the same mezzanine
“——Would you like to explain yourself...? Aspiring Champion?”With both hands on his back, Michael Hudson had inquired Cian. He had a smile that was hard to discern if fake or not, but he had done it so to show courtesy.His staff was grouped at the sides of the corridor as Cian and Michael faced each other.“Mr. Mayor! We meet again!”As Cian instantly recognized him, he rubbed the back of his head as he leaned and bowed, greeting the Mayor who appeared before him. It was a display of courtesy and gratitude, yet it was something unwarranted for someone who was causing the Mayor trouble. “Why aren't you following the staff's instructions? It was strictly advised for your stay in the mezzanine after winning. You are in luck that I like you a lot and I don't want you to get disqualified by something like this.”Michael confronted Cian, maintaining a smile of an affectionate mayor. Michael had seen how the staff were barely able to hold Cian back, but that was because he abstained fr
WHOOSH! The doors in Magi's room would slide open, finally letting him out. The tournament was continuing its course as he was the next one to fight, and this will be the revelation that his death was but a false rumor. “Stand up. Don't attempt to do anything funny. We've had enough trouble for one day.”A staff guide would enter the room and lead Magi out with the least courtesy. This kind of attitude words him was unwarranted and annoying for the Magi. “You don't have to worry about that unless your attitude changes.”Swiftly walking past them, his simple notion made them feel cold. Their hands shivered at the sudden drop in temperature. That alone distracted them all as they tried to lead Magi who had walked through the corridor alone, proceeding to the lift that would bring him to the arena. There was no need for them to tell him what to do. From the deep halls of the colosseum, the lift would rise as he saw light from above spilling out.The floor above slowly opened up as