Gradually, the Ascendants in the waiting room began to thin out as the first day of the tournament progressed. Both Kanna and Raul came back to check on Sero and cheer him on for his upcoming match before they ventured into a different waiting area for the victors. Sero kept watching the matches on screen, studying and memorizing each of the victor's moves and skills as best he could without his Perfect Analysis and Copy.
Before he knew it, there were eight people in the room. Including himself, the remaining Ascendants were the four suspects, a tanned muscular bald man, Liam, and Elena.
"Elena Hale, Melissa Holden, you guys are up next."
Melissa stood up, giving Sero the chance to analyze her. She had short, blonde hair, a petite frame, and black, small-rimmed glasses over her green eyes. Wearing a brown cloth robe tied at the waist, she reminded Sero of a monk.
The two women entered their respective doors, Melissa visibly nervous to face the S-rank. Sero sympathized with her, considering he had trained with Enzo, but even that was just training.
"Pierce Roy, Liam, please enter now."
The second suspect, Pierce, was a lanky man, with his long brown hair pulled back into a man bun and a goatee that hugged his chin. He wore a navy blue windbreaker and khaki shorts, causing Sero to wonder just what kind of outfits the Ascendants here thought were combat-appropriate.
If Melissa was anxious, Pierce looked absolutely terrified as he trailed behind Liam, reluctant to enter his door as his blue eyes shifted back and forth from the arena entrance and the exit.
As the contestants came onto the arena, Sero discreetly used his Perfect Analysis to check on the remaining competitors in the room. Minnie Stout, the A-rank Sharpshooter, seemed relaxed, probably because the two biggest threats were out of the room. She was short and stocky, with fiery red curly hair and dark green eyes. She had freckles, and wore black leather leggings and a pullover shawl.
The A-rank Raider, Ester Pines, seemed equally as relaxed, boldly taking a seat on the couches after the S-ranks departed. She had cropped brown hair, dark brown eyes, and a chiseled jawline, wearing a gray tank top and blue biker shorts that showed off her well-defined muscles.
Sero finally focused his attention on the bald man, who was sitting in his row near the front, right next to the arena doors. He was huge, about the same size as Gregor, and his outfit consisted of dark blue jeans and a fitted white t-shirt that seemed to stretch against his bulging muscles. His arms were folded and eyes were closed, as if deep in thought. Or resting. Considering the rest of the competition, Sero could understand if the man felt confident about the last two matches.
As he directed his gaze back to the screens, Sero felt very conflicted. On one hand, he was reluctant to fight either of the two women, since they were pretty cute. On the other hand, he didn't want to face the giant man either.
He shook his head, deciding that he'd worry about that later. For now, the matches were about to begin.
On one of the screens, the crowd cheered loudly as Elena stepped into the crescent arena with an air of confidence. Melissa quivered as she watched the Scaletamer approach. Sero briefly took out his phone to research Melissa's Exorcist class, which was a pure-line advancement of the Mage. Sero looked back up at the other screen and was met with surprise as he saw Liam standing alone, his hands in his hoodie pockets.
"Due to Pierce Roy's forfeit, Liam wins by default! He will move on to the next round!" The announcer declared, adding fuel to the cries of the audience. Liam's bored expression never changed as he turned and walked off the arena. "The next match will be moved up to accommodate the empty half! Minnie Stout versus Ester Pines!"
"Fuck." Sero thought to himself as he watched the two women get up and enter the arena doors. Although he would rather fight either of the two women, he had to admit that the bald man was still a better alternative to fighting Liam.
On the other side, Elena stood patiently, her sharp gaze bearing down on the fidgeting Melissa. As Minnie and Ester finally took their places on the other side of the mana wall, the announcer began a countdown.
"Ascendants, get ready! The matches will begin in 5, 4, 3, 2..."
As he finished the countdown, Minnie and Ester immediately engaged in battle. Minnie's Sharpshooter class was a pure-line advancement of the Archer, while Ester's Raider class was a hybrid advancement of the Warrior and Thief.
Minnie conjured two silver pistols, running around and raining gunfire at her opponent. Ester quickly created two single-bladed short axes and casted what seemed like a similar skill to Sero's Iron Skin. The Sharpshooter's shots glanced off Ester's skin and axe blades, though it seemed like they stung regardless.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Elena calmly stood with her arms folded, as if waiting for Melissa to make the first move. Melissa was clearly intimidated by the Scaletamer's presence and stature. She was breathing heavily, her eyes darting around the arena nervously.
Finally, the Exorcist seemed to crack under the pressure, dashing back to create some distance between them. Melissa pressed her palms together as if in prayer, and a swirling blue light began to envelope her. Elena remained motionless, watching her gather her mana.
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As Melissa completed the ritual, a blue aura surrounded her, and she let out a triumphant shout. She pointed her hands at the ground, and a blue portal appeared nearby. With a final flourish, she sent a gust of wind towards Elena, knocking her back several steps. The wind dissipated, revealing that Melissa had teleported through the portal, appearing behind the Scaletamer.
Elena was unfazed, regaining her balance and performing a quick pirouette to face Melissa. The Exorcist had a moment of surprise, but recovered as she sent a tangling mass of blue chains towards the Scaletamer. With a smile, Elena snapped her fingers, opening a jade portal behind her.
Seconds later, a massive olive reptile roared forth from the rift, smacking the chains away with a slap of its hulking tail. Sero got a clearer view of the creature as it landed with a deep and resonating thud, almost drowning out the cheers of the audience.
"That is... one massive alligator." Sero figured the reptile was slightly larger than a school bus, considering how dwarfish the two women were compared to it.
Elena's familiar roared, causing Melissa to freeze in fear. The gargantuan beast stomped towards the Exorcist, who immediately raised her hands in surrender. As the announcer declared Elena the victor, Sero turned his attention back to the other screen to see how Minnie and Ester's match was going.
The two women were now engaged in close-quarters combat, their weapons clashing and sparks flying. Minnie's pistols had a clear advantage in range, but Ester's axe allowed her to counterattack with devastating force. After several minutes of back-and-forth, the match came to an abrupt end when Minnie stumbled backwards, tripping over her own feet. Ester quickly took advantage of the opportunity, delivering a powerful overhead swing to the head that caused the Sharpshooter to crumple to the ground, unconscious.
The audience erupted in cheers as the Raider stood triumphant over her fallen opponent. Even Sero couldn't help but admire the skill and cunning Ester had shown in the match. As the announcer declared Ester the winner, she bowed gracefully to the crowd.
"Get ready, you two." One of the officials nodded to Sero and the bald man.
Sero realized his leg had been bouncing up and down for a while. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, feeling the tension slip away from his body. His Rationality went into effect, clearing his mind of his worries and doubts. Sero glanced at his phone once more, looking at his texts.
Amaya had wished him luck while Nala had sent him a photo of a baby turtle. He still wasn’t exactly sure why the Shadereaper continued to send him random photos, but in that moment, it was comforting.
"Sero Kassel, Sal Tones, you guys are up."
Steeling himself, Sero got up and followed the bald man up to the arena doors, making sure to store his valuables in his Shadow Shift pocket. His opponent gave him a single glance before entering the door on the right, a hint of pity in his beige eyes. Sero fought the urge to scowl as he entered the door on the left.
As the door clanged shut behind him, there was an official waiting for him in the corridor. She was a young woman, shorter than Sero, wearing the same cap, polo, and khakis as the officials inside. Her blonde ponytail was strung through the hole on the back of her cap as she turned to face Sero.
"Ready?"
"Yeah," he lied, trying to look cool in front of her.
With a nod, the blonde turned on her heel and briskly ventured deeper into the fluorescent lit hallway. The sounds of their steps echoed ominously, as if taunting Sero.
"So… you uh, do this often?" He asked, trying to make conversation.
"Oh, I've been here for a while now," the blonde replied, not looking back. "Since the very first tournament last year."
"You like working at these events?"
Sero saw the blonde shrug. "It's not like it's fun or anything, but the pay is pretty good. Especially for non-Ascendants like me."
"Flirting before the match, huh? My little bookworm can't be stopped."
Sero yelped and turned his head to see Kit walking alongside him with a mischievous grin. She was wearing the same outfit as the officials, which Sero had to admit, looked really good on her.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" He hissed, keeping an eye on the woman in front of them.
"Huh?" Kit tilted her head as she stared at him with her mismatched eyes. "I can’t just pop in to say ‘good luck’?" She pursed her lips together in a pout that made Sero blush.
"Not that I don’t appreciate it, but are you even allowed to be here right now?" Sero couldn’t understand why Kit wasn’t as cautious as he was.
"Are you worried about that girl in front of us?" Kit gave him a reassuring smile. "Don’t worry, I’ve altered her perception a bit, so she currently thinks it’s still just you and her."
Sero stared at Kit blankly. "H-how?"
"Cat Paradox."
"That doesn’t explain anything. In fact, I have more questions."
"Well, that’s all you need to know for now," The Paradox stuck out her tongue playfully. "I’m just here to wish you luck! Oh, and to pass along a message from your teacher."
"He’s not my- Ugh, what’d he say?"
"Umm…" Kit tapped her chin with a finger. "He said something like, ‘If you lose, I will beat your ass even worse than training’, to paraphrase."
Sero could feel the pressure on him grow heavier, but the threat of getting pummeled by the Demonic Judge was strangely motivating for all the wrong reasons.
"Oh, and he also said that if you won, he’d introduce you to the other members in his branch so you could copy their skills."
Sero nearly tripped over his feet. Now that was a good incentive.
"I’m a little jealous," Kit smiled wryly at Sero’s reaction. "It’s not like me to get in the way of a teacher and student, but I want to reward you, too."
"Huh?" Sero wiped the drool from his mouth.
The corners of her mouth teased a smile. "Let’s see… make it to the semi-finals and I’ll finally show you the Cat Paradox. How’s that?"
"Deal." Sero was already imagining all the juicy skills he’d be able to copy.
Kit giggled and winked at him. "Then, do your best, my little bookworm. Make sure you thank your guide too."
"Huh?" Sero faced forward to find himself already at the arena entrance. He turned back to Kit to find her gone. The Paradox had tricked him again.
"I hate when she does that." Sero scowled.
"What was that?" The blonde woman asked him as she gripped the door handle.
"Nothing," Sero sighed, stretching his body and gathering himself to enter the arena. "Thanks for the escort."