Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in an absolutely massive stadium for the joint demonstration of the three major sects. A strange platform was erected in the center, three squares connected at the corners with the middle triangle raised into a dais of some sort. Each of the three sects gathered around one of the squares as Jocelyn, Constantine, and Holice stepped onto the triangle together, each taking a side as they turned to address the crowd. “Welcome ladies and gentlemen!” Jocelyn began. “The Hidden Blades have some wonderful performances prepared for you all!”

“Performances that will be completely overshadowed by the Champions of Battle's.” Constantine smirked.

“As if any of you can compare to what Wisdom's Curse can produce.” Holice snorted.

“Oh, I think my Hidden Blades can pull off a few tricks.” Jocelyn grinned, winking at the crowd as they clapped and laughed at the Elders’ banter. “As always, our first event is the Battle of the Spheres! Disciples, take your positions!” Three disciples from each sect stepped onto the squares, each holding two flags. They all began channeling energy into their flags, each group forming a sphere and sending it up to the dais. “Ready? Begin!” Jocelyn announced as the Elders stepped off the platform.

Immediately the disciples sent their spheres charging at each other. The Champions of Battle's sphere began glowing red hot, while Wisdom's Curse's sphere turned an icy blue and the Hidden Blades sphere turned a sickly green as all three crashed together, grinding against each other. The Hidden Blades sphere froze at the touch of the Wisdom's Curse sphere while its poison infected the Champions of Battle sphere, which melted the Wisdom's Curse sphere. The clash only lasted a moment before the spheres separated and began to dance around the dais, chasing the one they countered while avoiding the one that countered them in a battle of skill and strategy. It wasn't enough to just avoid the sphere that countered them and kill the one they countered, since the moment the sphere they countered was gone they'd be helpless against the one that countered them. They needed to get the sphere they countered to take out the one that countered them before they could get rid of it. The idea behind it was rather simple, but it resulted in an intense competition that had the entire crowd on the edge of their seats as they rooted for their favorite sect. The battle was finally decided when Wisdom's Curse managed to smash the Hidden Blades sphere into the Champions of Battle sphere, finishing them both off in one fell swoop.

The crowd erupted into cheers, clapping and roaring in celebration of the victor. The clapping slowly petered off until only one person was still clapping, everyone turning as a flying platform with four thrones on it descended into the stadium. “Man, that was great!” Greg exclaimed, still clapping. “Wasn't that great guys?”

Chris shrugged. “It was alright, I guess.”

“It needs a better ring.” Victoria muttered. “Barriers, traps, maybe different zones where one sphere is weakened, another is strengthened, and the other is unaffected. Something beyond bash one and don't bash the other, you know?”

Greg nodded thoughtfully. “That could make things a little more interesting… or too complicated. I don't know, what do you think Andrew?”

“I think everyone is looking at us.” Andrew grumbled, slouching in his throne and covering his face, wondering why he ever agreed to do this.

“Oh my, they are.” Greg chuckled, waving dismissively at them all. “Don't mind us! We're just here to watch!”

“You dare to show your faces here!?!” Jocelyn growled, rising into the air to meet them, along with Constantine and Holice. She kept switching between glaring at Greg and Victoria, unable to decide which one infuriated her more.

“Why wouldn't we dare?” Greg retorted, cocking his head. “Have we done anything wrong? If anything, I think we've been quite helpful, cleaning up the mess you so-called ‘top sects’ hadn't managed to do anything about. At least, I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt that the reason these monsters were still running around is because you were incapable of preventing their indiscretions, and not because you condone such behavior.”

“You-!” Jocelyn snarled.

“Has a girl named Daphne Justice joined your sect?” Constantine cut her off, staring at Greg intently. “She's my daughter.”

Greg blinked. “Justice? Your- your last name is Justice?” He asked, giving Constantine a weird look. “Like, your full name is Constantine Justice… as in, constant justice. Your parents named you that. Really?”

“It's worse. He named himself.” Holice commented with a smirk.

“Ha!” Greg barked out a laugh.

“There's nothing wrong with- stop talking about my name!” Constantine growled. “Do you have my daughter!?!”

Greg turned to Chris. “Chris?”

“No, we haven't recruited anyone named Daphne Justice.” Chris replied, not technically lying. Greg had convinced Daphne to get connected to his world, for safety, and obviously she accepted the system, but she hadn't actually joined the sect. Not that there was much of a difference between her and someone who had. “That doesn't mean she didn't join under a different name though.”

Constantine gritted his teeth, pulling out a scroll with a picture of Daphne on it and handing it to Chris. “Has this girl joined your sect?!?”

Chris looked it over. “No. Sorry.”

Constantine grimaced, not sure whether to be happy about that or not. The Eternals were unfathomable, so it was probably good she wasn't with them, or he'd have no idea how to get her back, but he still had no idea where she actually was. Of course, they could be lying, but he had no way to confirm that either. He let out a groan. What could have possibly convinced Daphne to run away like this?!?

“So… you guys going to get back to the show or what?” Greg asked. “You're kinda holding things up.”

“We're holding things up!?!” Jocelyn snapped.

Greg raised an eyebrow. “Aren't you? I mean, we're just sitting here, watching. You're the ones not moving things along.”

“You're floating in the middle of the stadium on fucking thrones!” Jocelyn retorted.

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“We're above the stadium. We aren't in the way at all.” Chris countered.

“Jocelyn, you may be overreacting.” Holice commented. “They are simply observing.”

“Nothing these people do is simple!” Jocelyn growled. “They only appear to cause trouble! If they just wanted to observe, they'd be in the stands like everyone else!”

“Are you saying that removing literal criminals is causing trouble?” Greg smirked.

Jocelyn scowled. “I think you have repeatedly attacked people vital to the functioning of this city!”

“Oh, so certain people are just above the law, huh?” Greg turned to Constantine. “What do you think mister constant justice?”

Constantine froze slightly. “I- think justice can be… complicated.”

Victoria snorted. “By which you mean that justice is great as long as it doesn't affect your benefits. Typical.”

“There is something to be said for making concessions for the greater good.” Holice interjected. “Allowing a few to suffer so many can prosper is an acceptable cost.”

Andrew sighed. “Forcing other people to pay the price for your good is just… evil. Selfish. Wrong. If you aren't willing to pay the price yourself, then why should anyone else have to pay the price for you?”

“You don't expect other people to buy things for you, right?” Victoria nodded along. “It's the same principle. If you want something, earn it yourself. Don't force others to do it for you.”

Holice frowned. “But society-”

“Hey, we really didn't come here for a philosophical debate, and the crowd is starting to get a bit antsy.” Greg cut her off. “Can you guys just get on with it? Here, I'll even make you some seats so we can talk during.” He waved his hand, making three chairs in the spaces between the four thrones. Jocelyn glared at him for a moment, before signaling one of her people below and taking the seat between Greg and Victoria. Constantine and Holice signaled their own people and the demonstration continued as they took their own seats, Constantine sitting between Chris and Victoria while Holice sat between Greg and Andrew.

“Weren't they supposed to fight us?” Chris commented after they all got settled, causing the three Elders to freeze. “I remember that was supposed to be a part of raising our prestige.”

“Hey, I was annoying as balls.” Greg shrugged. “Guess they knew it would be pointless. Besides, do our plans ever go the way we want them to?”

“Fair.” Chris agreed with a grunt.

“I knew you were looking for trouble!” Jocelyn growled.

“And I never said we weren't.” Greg smirked. “But hey, congrats! You foiled our plan! Happy?”

Jocelyn gave him an eviscerating glare as Holice giggled. “You four are such interesting specimens! You should visit Wisdom's Curse sometime. I'm sure there's much we could learn from each other.”

“Do you have books?” Greg asked.

Holice raised an eyebrow at him. “We have the largest library in the region.”

“Yeah, but is it just knowledge or do you collect fiction as well?” Greg elaborated.

Holice frowned. “Why would you be interested in texts with no factual relevance?”

“Because they're fun!” Greg exclaimed. “Nothing beats getting drawn in by a killer story!”

Holice gave him a weird look. “I see… unfortunately Wisdom's Curse does not find it necessary to collect such things.”

Greg clicked his tongue. “Useless.”

“What are they doing down there?” Victoria muttered, drawing everyone's attention back to the platform where another event had started, each sect taking turns sending someone to the middle dais to show off. What had caught Victoria's eye was a girl performing tricks with braided ‘baskets’ of Spirit filled with colored sand, creating colorful explosions as they burst.

“Ah, I see you've noticed Kara.” Holice grinned. “One of our more talented recruits from the previous exams. Her talent for Spirit weaving is the best I've seen in decades.”

Constantine snorted. “Unfortunately she's a Spirit-Qi Cultivator. If she was Spirit-Essence, that talent might actually be worth something.”

Holice rolled her eyes. “Combat isn't everything, Constantine. If it were, your sect would already dominate the region, instead of sharing it with ‘thieves and scholars’.” She paused, turning to Andrew. “What is it your sect focuses on?”

Andrew froze. Why was she asking him!?! Greg was right there! He looked at Greg for help, only to get a smirk back. Victoria just shook her head at him and Chris just stared back. “I- guess you could say we focus on survival?” Andrew finally answered.

“I wouldn't say we focus on survival.” Greg muttered. “It's just kind of what we do, considering everyone who joins us is just plain immortal.”

Holice blinked. “Excuse me?”

“Everyone in the Eternal Sect is immortal.” Greg shrugged. “Haven't you guys figured that out yet? We aren't exactly keeping it secret.”

“How can we figure anything out when anyone we send to you never returns?!?” Jocelyn snapped. “Stop killing everyone we send and maybe we'd know something!”

Greg frowned, turning to Chris. “Are we killing people?”

“Technically I kill everyone who comes, but it's in my world, so they aren't dead.” Chris replied.

“Wait, you kill everyone?!?” Andrew asked incredulously.

“I need to prove that what the pamphlet says is true.” Chris shrugged.

“Then show them the fucking city!” Andrew exclaimed.

“Shooting them is faster and more effective.” Chris retorted.

“It's also traumatizing!” Andrew growled.

“Eh?” Chris wiggled his hand. “They seem alright. For the most part.”

Andrew groaned, burying his face in his hands. “Damn it, Chris.”

Jocelyn looked between the two of them, confused. “Are you saying my people aren't dead?”

“No, they might be, but if they are, it isn't because of us.” Chris replied. “Though, considering we do make them immortal, and I make that pretty clear, they may have just stayed.”

“Who- what are you people?!?” Constantine asked incredulously.

“Basically gods.” Greg grinned. “Demonic gods.”

Jocelyn blinked, putting that together with everything she knew about Victoria and this smirking smoke creature, and coming to the conclusion that it was a perfectly valid claim, as well as a rather problematic situation for her and the Hidden Blades. Given the abilities she already knew these people possessed, even if they couldn't stop them now, in a few decades, they would be able to crush everyone in the region! And to a Cultivator, a few decades was nothing! A switch flipped in Jocelyn's mind as she leaned closer to Greg, placing a hand on his arm. “I apologize for my previous behavior. I was under the impression you were purposefully eliminating my people, and that left me… irritated.”

Greg raised an eyebrow at her. “No problem.” He chuckled slightly. “Everyone makes mistakes, right? Just try not to keep making mistakes, hm?” He added, giving her a look.

Jocelyn gave him a tight smile. “Of course. Mistakes are to be corrected.”