I arrived at the arena with plenty of time to spare. I wanted to go about the ritual I did the previous day, where I focused on my internal energy before my fight. After they again checked my robot's identity chip, I was let in and told to go to the same area.

Once in the locker room, I saw that I was either the first contestant to arrive or everyone had left. Only a couple of attendants stood by a board right next to the door leading out into the arena. On the board was a list displaying the order of everyone's fight. I looked through the list and immediately wished I knew everyone's name. It appeared that I had the first fight on the list, and it was against someone named Tug Abercrombie.

I looked through the rest of the list. The only person I could be sure about was the female fighter. She was in the third place in the bracket, which meant she would have the second fight. I knew it was her because of the name. Her listed name was Ethel Winterbane. Now that was a name to live with.

Not having anything else to do, I sat on one of the benches and cultivated my internal energies. Eventually, everyone trickled in and milled about, even one of the clerks who worked for the tournament organizers. He wasn't doing anything but waiting, though, and the paperwork said to be here and wait for further instruction.

One of the final people to arrive was the spear fighter I didn't want to face. I was deep into focusing on my cultivation when he arrived. So, when he came in, I noticed a light candle's flame of cultivation energy coming into the room. I was curious about who it was because I couldn't pinpoint it before. However, I wasn't surprised once I saw it was that specific fighter.

His robot was walking next to him as he arrived. It was a Fighter Class, with four legs and a sleek body that went up to his knee. He didn't bother to look at anyone when he walked in, nor did he bother to sit. The man walked to the center of the room, turned to the board and waited with his arms crossed.

About fifteen minutes later, another door opened. The official who had been directing us the day before walked in. He strode up next to the other official before addressing us as a whole.

The tournament official went over the basic rules and fight structure. It wasn't anything not covered in the packet, but he said they had to cover it anyway. Afterward, to my delight, they took us to separate locker rooms where we could wait and prepare for our fights. We were told that when it was our turn, an official would come and retrieve us.

The room I was placed in was significantly smaller than the others, but it was nice to meditate alone. Since my fight was the first of the intermediate class, I didn't have to wait long before I was summoned. I entered Symbiotic Mode and followed the official out.

Before walking out to the field, we stopped by a small room where I was instructed to place my weapon inside a large tray.

"What's this for?"

"It's to scan your weapon into the Augmented Reality program, sir," the official stated.

"Augmented Reality?" I said. I wasn't expecting they had that ability.

"Yes, sir. It was covered in your packet. It is how we ensure the safety of our participants."

"I must have missed that part while reading,"

I read the packet for the most part. Although, other than how the fight brackets were and basic rules, I figured the rest was just filler. It all just seemed so dull. I don't have the patience to read boring things.

"So, how long is this going to take?" I asked.

"Just a few minutes."

"Then can you give me a quick rundown on this Augmented Reality program?" I tried to plaster my best and the most pleading smile for sympathy. Thank goodness it wasn't the same official as the day before. He still seemed a little upset, though.

"Certainly," he said a little begrudgingly. "We just received the system this year, but it is a technology that has been tested and used in the capital and some other cities for a few years. While inside the ring, your weapons will be digitally produced for your use. The augmented reality system uses De constructs to manifest realistic weapons for you to use. It also works to shut down limbs and robot parts if damaged by your opponent's attack."

"Wait, so if my limb gets hit, the program will lock it up."

"If the hit is hard enough, yes."

"How does it know that?"

"I'm afraid I don't know the exact answer. It is a very complex system."

"Crap," I said, rubbing my forehead. "What else can you tell me?"

The official was nice enough to give me a quick breakdown while we waited for my weapon. Once it was through, it was set off to the side until after the match. Leaving it felt weird, but I would come back through the same door whether I won or lost.

When I walked out to the arena, it was a completely different experience than the day prior. As soon as the metal doors opened, and cacophony of noise blasted inward. It only increased as I walked out and was assaulted by the sounds from every angle.

I longed for the familiar weight of my spear. I felt exposed being around so many people, but at least I wasn't receiving a lot of attention. Inside the ring, the tournament's first match was already in progress, and it appeared to almost be over.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

One opponent, a man with a shield on one arm and a glowing red short sword on the other, was kneeling down. His leg was glowing red, as well as his arm holding the shield. Still, he was putting forth a valiant effort to block and parry his opponent's sword strikes that were falling in a flurry. I assumed the red glow around his sword was due to it being a construct of the Augmented Reality system since it was also around his opponent's sword.

I was brought to a small waiting area at the side of the stage to wait for my turn. Apparently, they didn't want to waste any time between matches. While waiting, I noticed that the arena looked a lot different than the day prior.

The fighting stage didn't look any different, it was still a raised stone platform with the exact dimensions it had prior. However, at each corner were tall metal triangular lattice towers. They were all connected by a large dome of similar lattice poles. At the center was a large black dome. From my position, I could see that an immense light glowed red in the center of the dome's underside.

I figured that must be the mechanism to run the augmented reality across the stage. Watching the fighter, it was amazing how it worked. If that was possible with the power of De, I wondered what I could accomplish with my goggles. I was happy with my skills, but I needed to know what I really could do with them. I didn't have any slots for more skills, but I would eventually, and I needed to make sure I chose the best one.

The match ended with the standing swordsman finally landing the finishing blow. His sword sunk into the kneeling opponent's chest with a crackle of visible energy. The kneeling opponent screamed in pain. He managed to grasp the ethereal blade protruding from his chest before the shock caused his body to lock up in spasms.

The whole fight was visible on the giant screen of the arena, so everyone could see the gruesome detail. Just as the loser fell, the screen changed to show the face of the winner. Simultaneously, an announcer declared the winner.

The winner waved to the crowd as the arena burst into riotous applause. After a moment more of waving, the winner exited the arena, and shortly after, the loser left as well. While the winner was waving and giving a quick interview with one of the announcers, some medic went up on stage to check on the loser.

Before I knew it, my face flashed across the screen. It was actually my mask, and when I looked at it, I noticed that it wasn't a picture but a live feed. It was a surreal experience moving my body and seeing myself do the same on screen. I had to pull my eyes off it to focus on the moment.

One of the officials was waving me forward. I left my seat and walked up the steps. The official held up his hand for me to wait a moment.

"Please welcome to the ring, our first opponent for the Intermediate Division, Matt Gearwon."

I suddenly felt extra sick, but it was far too late to do anything about it. The official waved me up the stairs, and I numbly stepped forward. There was a light red haze surrounding the ring and I hesitantly walked through it.

-Warning

-Second Augmented Reality system detected.

-Launching Emergency Symbiotic Connect Wizard-

-Would you like to integrate systems? Y/N?

"No," I said. However, I was very unsure and wished I could find out more.

The system messages disappeared, and nothing changed. I walked to the center of the stage as I was instructed. There was a small square in the middle. I held out my hand with my palm facing up, and I could see as a glowing spear appeared in my hand. It looked just like my spear, and I even thought I could feel it.

-Error-

-Augmented Reality Construct Detected-

-Deleting construct…

Suddenly the spear vanished. I looked around in panic. And that was when I caught sight of the large screen above the stadium. It was still showing a picture of me, and on the screen, I was still holding the spear.

I was frozen, unsure of what to do. After a moment, I remembered that I was supposed to step out of the circle so my opponent could manifest his own weapon. I decided to try and fix it off to the side. If the large viewer was displaying the spear, that meant that others could see it, and I could hopefully still use it. I needed to make it visible again.

I walked quickly to my spot to wait for the fight to start. "CoreLink, integrate Augmented Reality systems.

-Error-

"Damn," I cursed. I checked to log quickly. "CoreLink, launch Emergency Symbiotic Connect Wizard."

-Error-

-User unable to launch emergency connect services-

My opponent had his hand out, and a large two-handed sword appeared. He had to hold out two hands to wield, and it seemed to have the same weight when the man moved it.

-Error-

-Augmented Reality Construct Detected-

-Deleting construct…

It disappeared just as he lifted it up to heft it on his shoulder. At least, that was what I assumed he was doing. Suddenly the screen, which was displaying the whole stage, changed to start a five-second countdown.

I looked at the giant screen. I couldn't see anything, but I remembered how I was holding the spear. It was perfect for what I was going to do.

The fight started, and I decided to take a chance. I raised my arm and hurled it in the direction of my opponent. I couldn't see if it was a good throw, but my opponent's eyes raised alarmingly. He struggled to move his sword in time, but its weight was so great it made it difficult.

My opponent's arms suddenly flew back, and he dropped to his knees. His body shook slightly for a few seconds before he slumped to the side. I looked at the stadium's screen to see what had happened.

On the screen, his whole torso was covered in a red sheen. The occasional crackle of energy zipped around, but since he was unconscious, it no longer caused the convulsions. My De constructed spear hadn't dissolved yet, and I could see it protruding from his chest. It had struck him just below his collarbone.

"Winner!" the announcer bellowed excitedly. "Matt Gearwon, the unknown spear user, just delivered a massive upset. He ended the fight in record time with a move that will surely be remembered for years."

I saw medics come up on stage and begin administering treatment to my defeated opponent. I didn't know what to do next, so I turned and started to head off the stage. Before I could arrive, another man came up and ushered me toward him.

His robot was in Companion Mode. When I glanced at the stadium screen, I realized it was transmitting what it saw. His robot must have been a unique Labor Class.

It had three legs like a normal Guard Subclass, but it wasn't the same as theirs. The upper portion of the robot was a cube with a clear glass front. On top of the cube were two antennae pointed in a V.

It looked like an old DV I had seen a few times as a kid. The city had a few shops that sold DVs, but they didn't look like that any longer. Most newer DVs were broader and thinner than the man's robot.

The man who ushered me toward him turned me toward his robot. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

"That was an amazing move, Matt. Tell me, what made you decide to go with that attack? It could have gone horribly wrong." He looked at me and waited for a response.

Suddenly, I felt highly exposed.