The final phase of the tournament was everything Logan hoped for.

Bloody swords.

Bloody hands.

Bloodied arena.

Things were so intense that Logan got to see A-ranks, in all their glory, lose a limb or two. The most intriguing thing was that they never learned. Each thought they were the strongest, and until they were proven wrong, they were full of confidence. They were undeterred even when they saw other A-ranks falling to their next opponent. They were at most wary, never fearful.

And that's where the fun is! Logan thought as he stuffed his mouth with something he borrowed from somewhere. He had no idea what it was, but it was pretty delicious, enough to make him regret not knowing it.

A sudden collective roar shook the Colossus, drawing his attention to the stage. One of the strongest contenders for the nine places stood there. On the ground before him, lying bloodied with a gaping wound in his belly, was his opponent, another strong contender.

Logan could not help chuckling as he remembered something. He contrasted the confident, smiling abnormal, who declared Spikes' journey had ended, with the one lying there with his tongue out. Logan shook his head. In all things, it was best to be humble.

Spikes was, again, declared the winner. He walked out in the same leisurely manner as he always did. He always looked bored, as though this tournament was barely a warm-up for him.

Fifteen seconds passed between rounds, at the end of which the next contenders would be announced, and the bets would be placed. Logan thought of Spikes for precisely that period of time because something far more enthralling came up.

"Our next contestants: Serene Swan of Evergreen Camp and Guillotine from the Renegades Camp. Please place your bets."

The pleasant voice rang out, just like all the other times, but the audience quieted down this time. Logan started and sat forward, throwing Logan out of his mind.

Serene Swan! It's Serene Swan again!

Logan was beside himself with excitement. Serene Swan was the most beautiful A-rank Logan had ever seen. If perfection were a creature, it would be Serene Swan. Logan sat on the edge of his seat, anxiously watching the archway from which she would appear.

He wasn't alone. Many kept discussing and feigning disinterest, but even they could not stop glancing at the archway now and then.

The seconds ticked away. The time to place bets was approaching its end. However, at this crucial moment, Logan's Seeker beeped with a message.

Logan refrained from cursing irritatedly. The message couldn't have come at a worse time. By the Revolution, if this isn't worth it, only Providence can help the person who sent me this message!

He struggled to yank his eyes from the archway, but he succeeded. He opened the message as fast as he could, ready to scream if it was unimportant. However, when he saw the message, he froze, his eyes widening until they looked like saucers.

"Heading to the gate!"

Logan shot to his feet. He rubbed his eyes. He stared at the text. The text stared back. Nothing changed.

Did they really do it? Logan still found it hard to believe it. But how?

He had already concluded there was no chance of them succeeding, but he was now proven wrong. As stilted as the message was, it was obvious exactly what it meant. Eldon had seen the S-rank.

Logan sprinted out, Serene Swan already forgotten. Observing beauty was good, but survival was much more paramount!

Tia first noticed the scent when she entered the room—musky, warm, and mixed with the fragrance of flowers, leather, and sandalwood. Then she saw the opulent decorations—the sumptuous bed, ornate furniture, and rich draperies.

Finally, she noticed the man on the bed. He was large and broad, his Bone-embroidered Robes draped over him casually, leaving his well-built chest to view. His hair was a deep golden color akin to a lion's mane, and a smile that showed his white teeth rested gently on his lips.

He was an S-rank, the stuff of legends, but he exuded no pressure. All Tia felt from this man was pure, untainted allure.

She sucked in a cold breath. He looks just like the renditions, yet different, she thought. The man looked like all the statues, images, and paintings Tia had seen. From the exquisitely sculpted nose to the perpetual half-smile, the artists had captured every detail of his appearance. Yet there was a subtle difference. As much as they tried, no artist perfectly captured an S-rank's essence. That essence alone created a disharmony between what appearance she expected and what she saw.

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The door swung shut, and the sudden noise made her cringe.

Jerrod Tickle opened his eyes. She looked into his golden irises, and her calm was shaken. The storm she had forcefully suppressed when she had been harshly interrupted had begun to break loose, letting out the chaos within.

She held his gaze, unable to look away. The more she stared, the more her energy went out of control again. She scampered, trying to gather it and suppress it, but it wasn't working. The harder she suppressed it, the harder it burst out. She was losing control.

She had no experience with this much chaotic energy, and she had never had something similar happen to her before. She could only stare into his eyes as her power ran rampant within her, threatening to injure her at any moment.

Jerrod Tickle's smile widened. Tia's vision blurred, and he appeared with a finger outstretched before her.

"So much lust... I almost feel sorry for you," he said. Her eyes found his again as he spoke, but his finger landed on her forehead, and it felt like everything slowed down. The tendrils of energy running rampant within her flowed back into her mind, docile as a mouse. The chaos rapidly subsided, clearing her mind as quickly as it had cluttered it.

He's controlling my energy. Tia shivered with realization. How is that even possible?

All sorts of abnormalities existed, and all sorts of energies fueled them. Each abnormality had its unique strengths, and finding someone with an energy similar to one's own was difficult. Finding similar energy was already difficult enough, but controlling someone's energy—the one flowing through them—Tia had never heard of such a thing.

"I cannot control other people's energies," Jerrod said to her unspoken question, "but I can control yours. Something taints your strength, something I am familiar with and have unnatural control over. That thing allows me to control your energy." He turned and went to a table, where he sat down. He gestured to the seat opposite him. "Please, sit."

Tia bowed. "Thank you, senior, for saving me."

He waved his hand dismissively. "It was nothing. Come, sit."

Tia obliged, and he poured them both cups of sparkling wine from an ornate jug adorned with floral patterns. Tia shifted in her seat, uncomfortable. She watched him throw the drink down his throat and sigh. "You have questions. I can hear them. But I won't answer until you speak them out loud."

Tia gathered her courage. "Senior Jerrod, is there a reason why she left so angrily?"

"Who left?"

"Lacy. The girl who was here before me. Did she not meet your requirements?"

Jerrod nodded thoughtfully. "She passed Sara's test. That alone could have guaranteed her a place on the team any other day—but not today. I need value. One who has no value is worthless. Redundant, yes, but true. She was good enough to get past Sara but, in truth, not enough to join my team.

"But I could have worked with that," he said, serving himself another cup. He held it up, pausing to speak. "It is not difficult for me to make B-ranks of C-ranks, or even D-ranks. With the right method and adequate compatibility, turning a D-rank into an A-rank is also not outside my capabilities."

It sounded like meaningless boasting, but Tia read no falsehood in the S-rank. Tia had always known that S-ranks were powerful, but exactly how powerful they were, she didn't know. Now, she was exposed to a glimpse of an S-rank's true strength. Jerrod Tickle claimed to be able to turn a D-rank into an A-rank. It made sense now why Sara and Keira were so strong.

"I didn't chase her away. I had no reason to. She left of her own accord because she didn't want to stay."

"What do you mean?" Tia asked in confusion. "She seemed like she was incredibly excited and nervous to meet you. Why wouldn't she want to stay?"

Jerrod laughed. "She wanted something from me I couldn't give. She left because she couldn't bear my refusal. That's not something I can control." He leaned forward and stared straight at Tia. "That is in the past. You are right here. What value do you claim to possess?"

Tia wasn't sure what to say. "Value?..."

"Yes."

He's referring to my abnormality, Tia thought. "I'm a C-rank with a Control-based abnormality. I can read... things. Information, intention, thoughts, meanings,... anything. I make deductions based on my observations, extrapolating as much as possible from limited information. There are limits to what I can read. I could discern one's thoughts from a number of things, but I'd most likely be wrong."

"So, an observation ability. Anything else?"

"I can make reasonable decisions and help the team decide the correct course of action. I can be the team's strategist, laying out all available data to help you make the best decisions."

"You claim this despite being C-rank?" Jerrod raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I'm impressed. Are you that sure of yourself?"

Tia made to speak, but her breath hitched in her throat. She didn't dare read the S-rank actively, but her passive reading and general instinct told her this question would decide her fate.

Should I say yes or no?

Both answers had cons. If she said yes, he might claim to dislike overconfident people and reject her. If she said no, he could say he preferred more confident teammates.

Tia knitted her brows in deep thought. She thought back and forth, deciding on one answer and then the other, but ultimately, she decided to go with the best answer.

The truth.

"No," she said, her head hanging low. "I am just a C-rank. I cannot claim to be of any use to the team. But if you give me this chance, I will do my best. I will do whatever is necessary to help the team."

"Anything?" The S-rank asked in a low voice. "You are ready to do anything for the team? Are you ready to die for the team?"

Tia's head hung lower. She could not answer. As much as she wanted to say yes, she could not bring herself to do it. She was joining his team because she wanted to survive. How could she easily claim to be ready to die for the team?

A heavy silence descended. Tia's head went lower and lower as the weight of the S-rank's decision rested on her shoulders. She couldn't raise her head, so she couldn't guess what he was thinking. She could only wait, sweat beading on her forehead.

"You can read minds because of your abnormality," Jerrod said, breaking the silence. "but your thoughts are clearer to me than they are to you. Your answer is not important; what is important is that you remain true to yourself. Regardless of what value you claim to have, you are worthless if you cannot remain true to yourself."

Tia didn't raise her head, but she could sense his smile. It was like the radiance of the sun, bathing her with warmth.

"Tia," he said, "Welcome to a team of predators in the Spire's game, Lion's Pride. You will be the team's strategist, responsible for gathering valuable intel and assisting the team in making decisions. You are barely capable as you are, but we have two days to make you into something useful. Return here at dawn. By the time the battle cry echoes through the city, you will be fit for war."