As they approached the event, Caitrin asked, "Why has everyone gathered around? What's so interesting about this event?"

Yuma began to explain with a happy tone, "Oh! Right! I forgot to tell you. It's not something that strangers here know much about, so it's natural that you don't."

He continued, "This event you see in front of you is a yearly ceremony that awards medals to Creature Hunters who have made the most significant contributions."

"So that's what it's about," Caitrin said.

A man approached, towering over others at six and a half feet tall. He wore a jacket with fur on the back and shoulders, and even though only one button was fastened, his upper body muscles were clearly visible. He also wore black pants.

He had bright red eyes, spiky black hair, and a wide grin that revealed his sharp, vampire-like teeth. He walked with his hands in his pockets, and his sinister grin made some people uneasy.

A few people began to gossip about him, "He's so scary, who is he?"

"He's Mr. Valdis Ryuko. He looks scary, but did you know his power comes from Dark Magic?"

"Eeek! Are you serious?"

"Yes, I'm sure. That's why everyone is so scared of him."

"I didn't know that."

Caitrin asked, "Who is this? He looks like a bad person."

Yuma replied with a smile, "No, actually, he's on our side. He's ranked fifth on the Creature Hunter list."

"Really? And wait a second. What is the ranking on the Creature Hunter list?" Caitrin asked.

Yuma explained, "As eras change, so do people and kingdoms. About ten or twenty years ago, there were people like Sigfried, but now everything has changed, and the world needs different Creature Hunters. That's what the list is about. But the problem is, he uses Dark Magic as a Creature Hunter."

"Wait, but you said that Dark Magic steals the life of the person who uses it. Why is he using Dark Magic then?" Caitrin asked.

Yuma replied, "I don't have a definitive answer for that, but everyone knows he's power-hungry and will do anything to be the best. He might save people, but I can't deny he has a scary aura."

As the man walked along the red carpet, he paused, looked around, and said, "I spent all my time coming here, and no one's here? *Sigh* Really boring."

Suddenly, a blinding purple light flashed behind him, startling the crowd.

Caitrin asked fearfully, "Hey! What's happening? What was that?"

Yuma replied, squinting to see through the crowd, "I think it's that person."

Valdis remained calm, slowly turning around to face the source of the light.

A woman landed behind him. She was five feet tall, had short blonde hair that reached her shoulders, and possessed striking purple eyes. She wore a white jacket, long black socks, and black shoes. A white bag was slung over her shoulder, and she carried two long swords at her waist.

Without turning around, she slowly stood up, turned her head towards him, and gave him a menacing look.

Yuma said, "Nijimura Rai. She's the third-ranked Creature Hunter. She's the only woman in the top three, and her speed is incredible."

Caitrin looked at her in shock, "She really is. I couldn't even see where she came from."

As the crowd watched them, Valdis said, "So you're the second one to arrive?"

People began to gossip, "Is this Nijimura Rai, the fastest Creature Hunter?"

"She looks so rebellious but cool at the same time!"

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"I know, right!"

As she walked towards him, Valdis said, "So a shorty like you beat them to it, huh?"

She seemed annoyed but smiled and replied, "Watch what you say, Valdis. Or you might die faster than you think."

He grinned widely and said, "Oh, are you sure you can kill me, Miss shorty?"

Just then, another person arrived at the ceremony.

Both Valdis and Nijimura looked at him, and she said, "And here comes our Respectful Prince."

The man approaching was also six feet tall. He had short silver hair that reached his neck and piercing blue eyes. He wore a long, black patterned coat, unbuttoned and tied around his waist with a thick blue rope. His well-built physique was visible through the open coat, and he wore gray pants and black shoes. He also had protective gear on his hands and ankles and carried a spear with an ax-like tip.

He appeared to be a very serious person, not cracking a smile.

As he approached, Caitrin noticed another man standing in the corner, watching the event. He was six feet tall, had brown eyes, and long brown hair that reached his shoulders. He wore a long, hooded red dress that covered his body, dark brown pants, and boots. A silver sword hung from his belt.

At first, it seemed like he was watching the ceremony, but after a few seconds, he disappeared.

Caitrin looked at him and asked Yuma, "Yuma, do you know this person? He looks very mysterious."

Yuma looked around, confused. "Who? I can't see anyone," he replied.

The man had vanished without a trace.

Caitrin said to herself in shock, "Who was he? And how did he disappear?"

She was bewildered but brushed it off, saying, "Nothing. I think it was just my imagination."

At this sentence, all eyes turned back to the ceremony.

The crowd continued to gossip about the newly arrived Creature Hunter, whispering to each other, "Is that Mr. Neresu Poteus?"

"Yes, he is. He looks so confident and cool at the same time," someone replied.

"I really like him. He's so respectful towards everyone," another said. "I wish we saw him more often here."

Yuma explained, "This person here is Neresu Poteus, the king of the Fourth Kingdom. He admires water and its powers. That's why, aside from the witches, sea creatures are very famous there. And Poteus is the King's only heir and one of the people who can control one of the legendary creatures."

As Poteus approached, Valdis grinned and said, "Are you bored sitting in your house like a cowardly baby, Poteus?"

"I'm not here to listen to your annoying voice, Valdis. Get out of my way," Poteus replied.

"Oooh, I guess our respectful prince is exceeding the limits of respect, huh?" Valdis said sarcastically.

His sarcastic tone quickly turned angry, and he said menacingly, "I guess if I shut you up here, you wouldn't hear me anymore, would you?"

At that moment, a large snake and a dragon-like creature emerged from behind Valdis, seemingly conjured by a spell.

The crowd and Caitrin were frightened again. Caitrin asked, "What happened this time? Aren't we here to watch the ceremony? Why are they acting like this?"

Yuma replied nervously, "I'm sorry, but their rivalry started many years ago. Everyone was able to stop them before, but they keep fighting with each other."

He then added with a nervous smile, "I guess they just enjoy messing with each other."

Valdis's snake resembled the one Orano and Caitrin had seen before, with its dark black skin and now glowing red eyes.

In contrast, Poteus's creature was more dragon-like. It was as large as Valdis's snake but had a dark blue color and glowing blue eyes. Its gray mane extended from its back to its tail, and its sharp teeth seemed to be an integral part of its jaw.

As the two creatures prepared to attack, the Creature Hunters on stage readied themselves to intervene. However, another person arrived just in time to stop them.

She cast a spell, releasing a beam of light from her sword that decapitated both creatures. Valdis's snake transformed into a dark cloud and returned to his body, while Poteus's creature turned into water and entered his body from behind.

The woman who intervened stood up and slowly sheathed her sword, which was intricately crafted with various patterns and adorned with a special crystal.

She was six feet tall, had long blonde hair, and green eyes. She wore knight's armor emblazoned with the logo of the Kingdom of Faye and a long blue cape.

She looked at Valdis and Poteus with a stern expression, "What do you think you're doing? You're in front of Flora Castle. Do you want to be expelled from the Creature Hunter society or lose your access to Faye?"

Caitrin finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Finally, someone stopped them," she said.

She looked at the woman and asked, "But who is she?"

Yuma explained, "That is Haruhi Eliza. She is the number one knight of the Kingdom of Faye and the fourth-ranked Creature Hunter."

"Really!? How can she do both at the same time?" Caitrin asked, surprised.

Yuma smiled and said, "She's a very hardworking person. She always wanted to help people and never stopped training to become stronger. She never shies away from a mission, and the thing she hates most is not being able to help someone. She's a woman who has proven her determination to everyone, time and time again."

Caitrin looked at her with admiration, "Besides her beauty, she seems so noble and proud. There are so many different kinds of Creature Hunters here."

Even the crowd couldn't help but gossip about her, "She's truly beautiful!"

"And she's so strong too!"

"I really admire her!"

Rai said sarcastically, "Here comes our prescriptive Princess. I was sure we'd have a headache sooner or later."

The woman looked annoyed by her words, "I'm just doing what I have to do. If we allow such chaos here, we could lose our comfortable and joyful lives."

Rai replied sarcastically, "Or if you'd left your prescriptive mood behind, we could have watched these two knuckleheads fight."

Just as she was about to say something, they heard someone shouting from a distance, "Hey! Move! Get away from there! Quick! I can't stop it!"

A man was riding a dragon towards the ceremony at full speed.

Caitrin looked at it with fear, "Are you serious?"