"Damn it! What is this disturbance?"

I woke up to the sound of flapping wings of some birds as they moved between the trees here and there as if they were happy with the approach of spring and the end of the cold winter. And she was not alone, for I was also.

I was trying to keep my eyelids open while sleep was trying to get me again, but I finally overcame it and was able to get up from my place, and while I was shaking off the snow that was falling on my cloak, I was captivated by that scene. The ground was covered with a blanket of white that shone under the sun's rays, despite that I was the only flaw that defiled this beauty.

With the rise of steam from my nose and with heavy steps, I cut my way through this ice in the forest that I knew, and with every step, some flashes of events came to my memory that I had experienced previously near that place. Perhaps I no longer remember when it happened, but most likely it was a long time ago.

"The weather is very cold. If I had known it would snow, I would have searched for a better place."

I cannot say about myself that I am optimistic, but I am the opposite of that exactly. Anyway, I followed my way until I reached that city. It is the place where I started from, and despite the passage of all that time, I still remember some of that day.

"Who has the courage to duel the best fighters from all over Cital!"

"If you are an adventurer or a knight or even a farmer, you can participate!"

"Ten gold coins for the winner, don't miss the opportunity!"

That man kept calling those words with enthusiasm while a crowd of people gathered around him.

"Excuse me..., what is the reason for this gathering?"

I asked a man standing next to the person calling, who was holding a book and writing something in it.

That man stopped writing then looked at me "It seems that you are new in this city, sir, isn't it!"

"You can say that" I replied with a slight smile.

Silence fell for a moment while he turned his eyes from top to bottom as if he was examining me "Are you an adventurer?"

"How did you know?"

He laughed out loud while appearing on his face the features of pride "I have a keen eye."

He waited for me to praise him, but I did not achieve his desire "So what is the matter with this commotion?"

"It is a competition for the King of the Arena, which brings together the best fighters from the surrounding areas of Cital" he said this with frustration.

"So it is" I said aloud then I intended to leave.

"Wait!" he shouted so I stopped.

"What?"

"Aren't you interested in participating? The prize..."

I interrupted him by saying in a sharp voice "I am not interested, I was on my way to a place, I hope you don't disturb me."

A forced smile appeared on his face and he seemed a little confused "I understand, it seems that you are looking for more than money, perhaps it will arouse your curiosity to know the truth of this competition."

"What do you mean by that?" I felt some curiosity at that moment.

He approached me and then whispered "In fact, what I know is that it is a prelude to something bigger, but it has not been announced yet, but it seems that it is related to Prince Klaus."

(It doesn't sound like a bad idea, maybe watching some of the fights won't hurt. The recent period has been devoid of any excitement)

"How can I participate?"

"This is the morale" his face beamed a lot, perhaps because he got a valuable catch

"But isn't that a high amount for participating in a competition?" I said with sarcasm

"Remember that the prize is worth twice as much as what you paid" he said that with a cunning smile

"It doesn't matter" I gave him the amount despite my feeling that it was just a fraud, and then he opened his notebook and asked me "What is your name?"

I felt a slight shock and some dizziness, and I felt that this situation had happened to me before. Every time someone asked me my name, I would make up a new one because I no longer remembered the name that came before it. I don't know the reason for this or why it happens to me, but the one thing that is certain is that I have forgotten a lot of things about myself and I no longer know what they are.

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"My name..."

"My name is Black."

The man laughed out loud and said, "That's a strange name, but as long as you paid the entry fee, it doesn't matter."

He then guided me to a small room next to a nearby arena. The room was crowded with fighters of all ages and races. I walked to an empty corner and sat down with my back against the wall.

I didn't know what the people around me looked like because for a long time I had become absent-minded. Most of the time I was living in a separate reality. My body was here, but mentally in another world. It had been rare at first, but over time it had started to increase more and more. Despite this, I could feel the mana flowing through their bodies. Only one person had caught my attention, but I couldn't see him because the place was crowded.

The atmosphere was tense and cautious, with a little whispering between some people here and there. Everyone was trying to assess the others so they wouldn't be surprised in their fight.

"Stop!" I heard a scream along with a loud thud as many of the people gathered in one of the opposite corners.

"I didn't make it difficult for you. I just want what's best for you."

I raised my eyes and saw a muscular man with thick features and a bald head. He was holding a person who was lying on the ground. The person tried to free himself from his grip, but he was unsuccessful.

"Let me go!"

"You fool, didn't I tell you to withdraw?"

(It seems that this man is trying to reduce the number of participants. I have seen this before, where some people try to reduce the competition by eliminating others before the start of the fights.)

"He's right."

As soon as I heard those words coming from my side, I froze in place and felt a great deal of tension. No one had been near me for a moment, but then I turned my head slowly towards the sound.

"Ha!"

It was a face-to-face encounter with Silver, a young man with medium-length, flowing silver hair, blood-red eyes, a thin body, and a deceptive smile. He was smiling with all his heart.

"Hello."

I gripped the hilt of my sword and prepared to draw it, but Silver moved away from me slightly and said, "No need for that."

"Who are you, boy?" I said that in a threatening tone.

He placed his hands behind his head and rested them on the wall, then closed his eyes as if he were relaxing. "Don't worry, I just wanted to make sure."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

He threw his gaze towards the gathering in front of us, and the voices in the room began to rise. Then I heard a distinctive voice from the rest of the noise. "Please let him go!" The girl with red hair and serious features stood with that black shield and stood between the man who was receiving the beating and the others.

The man grabbed her by the shield, his face twisted in anger. "You stupid girl, you're no better than him! I'll force you to withdraw too! I'll do it to everyone here!" He shouted so loudly that the room fell silent, then after a moment, voices erupted from all over.

"Screw you! Who do you think you are!" "I'll be the one to force you to withdraw!" "I hope I meet you in my first fight!"

The man raised his fist in the air, a black aura gathering around it. "Shut up!"

He smiled broadly, revealing his teeth. Two other men stood beside him, who seemed to be his allies.

"Aren't you going to help that girl?" the boy asked, and I knew he was addressing me. I ignored him.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!"

He kept repeating that as he pulled on my sleeve.

(Oh, the annoyance!)

I grabbed him by the collar and tightened my grip. "What do you want from me?"

He continued to smile innocently. "I was asking if you were going to help the girl?"

I pushed him away and said, "Why would I intervene? She's trying to play the hero. Let her take a punch or two. It's clear that that man is stronger than everyone here."

"It's not about strength here," he said, his smile disappearing.

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Don't you find it strange that they would gather all the fighters in one room without any guards, even though they knew that this kind of commotion would happen?"

"Poor planning, nothing more," I said indifferently.

"Without any schedule or instructions? Not even one person has come after all that commotion?"

"Do you mean they want us to fight each other here to reduce the number? But what's the point of that?"

His smile returned to his face. He was very good at faking it. "Because these won't be ordinary fights. Or rather, it will be one fight."

"You mean..."

He pointed to the man and said, "Look, he's already chosen a team for himself from the start. He must have known them."

"They might be his friends."

"I was here before he came. He didn't know those two. He just met them a few minutes ago, which confirms my suspicions."

I was a little confused as I said, "If what you're saying is true, then this competition will be a mess."

"I'm not afraid. I've also chosen a team," he said, laughing proudly with his eyes closed.

"And where is this team of yours?" I said sarcastically.

He turned his finger from the man and pointed to me.

"Ha, this is a good..."

"What?!"

"How did you decide this on your own? I didn't..."

He interrupted me without paying any attention to what I said. "So, are you going to help her?"

"I told you I don't care!"

He turned his back and said seriously, "But I'll intervene because she'll be the third member of the team."

(Damn you!)