Ever since I signed up for the tournament, some time has passed, and finally, the much-anticipated day arrived. The entire town of Anima was in a festive mood, with various food stalls scattered along the streets. Of course, we took the opportunity to try all kinds of delicacies, from the most common to the most exotic. Overall, it was a very enjoyable experience.

Ana, in particular, displayed an apparently insatiable appetite. I even wondered if she might be the true apostle of gluttony. After indulging almost to the point of a food coma, we started walking towards the coliseum. As we approached, the atmosphere slowly changed. When we reached a corridor that split to the right and left, I turned to the girls.

"The seating for spectators is to the right, and your seats are already reserved"

I said, pulling out some papers from my storage and handing them to the girls. In general, their seats were next to each other. As I handed over the papers with the seat numbers, I noticed a slight widening of their eyes in their expressions.

"Where did you manage to get seats for the VIP section?"

Aoi asked, looking at me with confusion. Well, to be honest, it wasn't me who got them, it was Leona, but they really didn't need to know that.

"A friend gave me a hand. Anyway, I need to go. Hope to see you cheering for me"

I said, giving a quick kiss to each of the girls, except Ana, who received a kiss on the forehead. Fujiwara, Aoi, and Saemi blushed since there were other people around, especially Demi-humans heading to the waiting room or the audience seats.

After that, I headed towards the waiting room, where I would meet the other tournament participants. Upon arrival, I opened the door and entered. Inside, I saw a mix of Demi-humans and some humans. Although I didn't know the reason, there were also some demons, although they were a minority.

I didn't know why the demons were here, but I considered that various races living in different realms might be common. Setting aside that thought, I walked to an empty seat, sat down, and began to wait.

(My king, do you need my assistance?)

While sitting in silence, Shade's voice echoed in my mind. Her words had an undeniable temptation... but even so.

"Thanks for your willingness to help, Shade, but I intend to handle this on my own. However, I still rely on you in case of unusual events"

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If I were to conquer Leona, it would be with my own strength. Although Shade is also part of my strength, I don't deny that I see her help as temporary support. Anyway, I still have my passive abilities. I doubt I'll be blamed for having something I can't control.

(I understand, my king... I'll do my best to assist you)

said Shade, who, for some reason, seemed excited.

(The king is counting on me, the king needs me, which also means we'll be husband and wife)

I decided to ignore Shade's last comment. Well, to be honest, how did she come up with that line of thinking? Sometimes, I really wonder about her thought process.

Anyway, I continued waiting until the start of the tournament. The participants with me in the room also seemed quite excited. While some did push-ups, others did sit-ups, and some trained in their own way.

"Hey, kid"

While keeping my eyes closed, I heard a voice that caught my attention. Opening my eyes, I observed the man in front of me. He was big, really big, probably around two meters or even more, his body was quite muscular, and above his head, two bear ears were visible.

"Can I help you with something?"

I asked, raising an eyebrow. Upon hearing my words, the man looked at my face and then scanned his gaze over my body.

"Are you going to participate in the tournament, huh? I wouldn't recommend it. We don't want to hurt anyone unnecessarily, you know?"

I was a bit confused by his words, but quickly realized he was referring to my physical build, which was noticeably different from the other men in the place. Honestly, next to them, I'd probably be mistaken for a skeleton.

"Thanks for the words"

As I said this, I put a smile on my lips, making the man look at me curiously.

"But don't worry, I'm pretty strong, you know"

As he heard my words, the man blinked rapidly and then started laughing.

"Ahahahahaha... is that so? Then I guess we'll see each other in the ring soon"

Leaving these words behind, the man turned and went to some corner of the room, still laughing. Seriously, what kind of interaction just happened? For a moment, I thought he might try to attack me, but actually, he just left after hearing my response.

Well, putting that aside, there was something that made me curious. Of course, Leona wouldn't be able to answer my question, but I knew someone who probably could.

(Aurora-sama, are you there?)

As I asked mentally, Aurora-sama's sweet voice echoed in my mind.

"Ah, hello Makoto. It's been a while since we last talked. Anyway, do you need me for something?"

Aurora-sama responded with her usual cheerful tone.

(Yes, it's been quite a while. To be honest, I was wondering if Felrotha-sama will really be watching this battle through Leona's eyes)

As I asked the question, Aurora-sama's response came promptly.

"Hmm... the answer to your question is yes, she will be. To be honest, this is the time when Felrotha is most excited. You know, she really loves fights and such"

Aurora-sama chuckled a little as she said that, quite charming, if you ask me. Anyway, my conversation with Aurora-sama ended this way. After that, I waited for some more time in the waiting room until the tournament finally began. As I mentioned earlier, I was second on the list, so my fight would be the first, along with my opponent who got the number one.