Scarlet

“Starting at the highest leveled Competitor, we have the Blood Calamity, also known as the Blood Lord, Leonidas Val Art de Archeron!!! The Royal Prince of the Demons of Tartarus and the second highest level being on Tartarus and Earth!” King Oberon declares right as all of the light in the stadium vanishes before Leonidas’s tower begins to rise into the air a bit, a crimson light shining from the top of the tower where Leonidas is. And the demons in the stadium immediately go wild at the sight of him calmly waving back at them. “And we have his partner, the First Princess of the Fae, Elara, floating next to him!”

Now that he mentions it, I find Leonidas’s fae floating next to him.

That aside though, I can’t help but send an odd look towards King Oberon. Then I turn that odd look onto Tar.

“He may be quiet and stoic most of the time, but he really does like dramatics,” Tar answers my unasked question. “And he’s been waiting for this tournament for over a century.”

Wait, is he in that big a rush to abdicate the throne?

Tar nods, “Yeah, apparently the throne takes a toll after centuries of being King.”

Interesting

I turn my gaze back up as King Oberon introduces the next one.

“Up next we have the newly reached third highest level individual within the System, the Lord of Hellfire who has just recently awoken from his little rampage on Tartarus, Vorgrim Blackthorn of the Black Flame!!” King Oberon declares, making me blink for a moment before I realize that he probably shot up in levels thanks to his rampage. And right as the King is announcing Vorgrim, the light around Leonidas and his tower dim down while he lowers back to our level again with Vorgrim’s tower replacing his own in height and brightness. “And we have his partner, the Second Princess of the Fae, Ruby, floating by him!”

I turn around to look for Xyvandra, only for him to begin announcing the next one, surprising me in the process with who is the fourth highest level. Them having skipped the second highest level since The Reaper isn’t here.

“Our fourth highest level individual within the System, the most powerful human being in existence also known by the Titles of the White Knight of Humanity and the Bane of Magic, we have Amelia Asger!!!” The King shouts with excitement, making all of the humans in the crowd go wild. Which is interesting since I had actually forgotten that she’d surpassed one of the Demon Lords in level. “And welcome her fae partner, the Third Prince of the Fae, Sylvanus, floating next to her!”

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I glance at Tar, but he just shakes his head, apparently not having known about Amelia’s rise in level either.

Interesting.

That along with her second Title-Bearing Mythic skill is a major boon for her battling capabilities.

I can’t help but wonder if her and Leonidas might end up clashing at some point in the tournament.

“That would be a sight to see,” Tar comments, making me nod my head in agreement.

Also, I know you said a while back, but what exactly can someone do with a fae’s name? I’m kind of curious since your father isn’t saying any of your full names in his introductions. Just your first names.

Tar lands on my shoulder again as he answers, “Since we’re entirely spiritual beings, bordering on informational beings, our name is our life. If we tell someone our full name, we’re basically telling them that we’ll be with them forever. Because if they wanted, they could use that name to force a contract of any type they wish with the fae.”

I turn to stare at Tar as if he’d grown two heads.

And yet you told me your full name when we first met.

He doesn’t say anything in response as his father keeps introducing people, including Xyvandra and the other Knights followed by some Class V demons. Almost all of whom have fae princesses contracted to them, reminding me about the fact that there are only eight princess amongst the forty-eight siblings.

After several announcements of time, I eventually smile and begin petting Tar while messing with my Red Plague armor, shifting it around a bit to something else. Something that is made a lot better than some complicated set of armor, making it a lot easier for me to make.

Let’s go back to my origins a bit.

Tar glances at me while sending inquisitive thoughts my way. But those thoughts turn amused when he sees what I turn my armor into.

As if on cue, my tower begins to rise and a crimson light shines on me, revealing my new outfit.

One that matches the original clothes that I was wearing when I first became a Guardian.

A black and red jacket over a black shirt and black pants.

Although the clothes have a slightly crimson tint to them since it’s, well, made of blood.

I put one of my hands in my jacket pocket, smirk, and raise the other hand while shapeshifting my arm into that of a beast. And as soon as I do that, the crowd goes absolutely wild. Both the humans and the demons, making me the only one to get applause from both sides.

“And the one I know many of you have been waiting for, the eleventh highest level being out of those competing in this competition, the one who has skyrocketed through the levels over the years from a basic mortal all the way to her current position in just a few years,” King Oberon goes on amongst the roaring crowd as Gramps grins at his side. And I see Leonidas and Amelia smiling with pride as well, along with, after some difficult searching, my adoptive family in the stadium grinning broadly and cheering. “The Apex Predator of the beasts, the Bane of Corruption who successfully ended the multi-century curse on the demons, and the Warden of the Red Plague, the most dangerous corruption in existence, I welcome Scarlet Art Asger de Archeron to the Fae Crown’s Tournament! And I welcome her fae partner, the Eleventh Prince of the Fae, Tarankar, alongside her!”

The roaring in the crowd grows even louder, and even after my tower begins to lower again, the crowd just won’t stop.

And neither will the smile on my face.

It really has been a long road, hasn’t it?

“That it has,” Tar mutters. “That it has.”