"You here to tell me your story?"
Without even turning around to face the approaching footsteps, Aaron spoke quietly, the long night seemingly planning to stretch even further.
He had listened to so many stories already that whoever came to him might as well have come to tell him theirs.
"No. I don't think I will."
The boy's eyes immediately widened as he slowly rotated his head around, the face of Alex Lispentine coming into his view.
"I-I'm sorry my—"
He was hushed by the golden-haired man's voice, the guildmaster stepping toward the challenger who still sat on the same bench where he and Cam had spoken.
"Ms. Ayaka has been taken back to the Castle by Ms. Buckley. She said she wished to be alone after whatever occurred inside your artificially produced barrier."
He didn't ask Aaron any questions, not about their secret meeting nor about Cam's state afterwards, but behind that carefully chosen tone was a probing intent.
"I'm sorry, sir. I couldn't possibly understand how her mind works."
Poorly hiding the fact that something had indeed happened, he relaxed into the bench, the woes of the night fading away as he felt he would finally have a two-sided conversation.
T-That is what he wants, right? He isn't just going to say whatever he wants without letting me get a word in, right?
Pursing his lips, the guild president walked in front of where the boy sat and addressed him with the self-assurance of someone accustomed to their high position.
"I expect the most out of you, Mr. Grimstall. Perhaps if you exceed my expectations, then we could speak about the possibility of becoming a personal aide of mine…"
He trailed off, waiting for the boy's answer with a glinting but patient gaze.
Aaron himself could only stare blankly at yet another opportunity that had crossed his attention that night.
Taught by the Swordsman of the South, apprenticed to Camilla Buckley, and the aide of Alex Lispentine? I'd be public enemy number one of any aspiring recruits…
Shuddering slightly, he stood up, bowed his head to the guildmaster, and replied quietly.
"Sir, I am honored by your offer; however, I must decline even the theoretical position. There are other things requiring my attention, now and in the future."
The golden-haired man sighed at the boy's response, his hand reaching back behind his head to rub his neck lightly.
"I expected as much. Though I wish to let you know that the offer will always stand as long as you accomplish what I can foresee you will. As I've said before, your generation, including you specifically, will be the ones to reshape this world in the wake of the coming conflict."
He paused, straightening his tie.
"The first match of the Marshal bracket is early on the 3rd, while the first and second matches of the Hunters' Exam will be that night. Therefore, you won't compete until the 5th."
Aaron nodded calmly, noting the dates internally as he compared them to what he already knew.
The Marshals bracket starts on the 3rd and ends on the 7th, while ours starts on the 3rd and ends on the 10th… On the 12th, we can finally enter the Vault of Nautilus and claim our prizes.
Looking up at the president, he noticed a smile streaking across the man's face, the last words he spoke echoing through the empty balcony.
"It is with this that I wish you good luck, and let the tournament begin."
…
"Welcome one and all from around the world to the first global Hunters' Tournament!"
The crowd erupted in cheers as the midday sun streamed over the magnificent arena that housed a staggering twenty-eight thousand people.
After the greeting, the commentator proceeded with his opening remarks, explaining the tournament for those unaware and outlining the day's program before finally announcing the first match.
In the audience, various spectators of differing strengths, talents, and status watched with glee as the first two opponents stepped onto the sand.
"At the southern exit, we have the master of lightning himself, a man who has eliminated over ten High-level terrors in his hunts, and a monster among men, Havok Fenmir, the Marshal of Fallen Lightning!"
Explosive roars enveloped the stands as the elder walked from the darkness, his body crackling with blue electricity.
The bursts of energy shot into the air, but were stopped by the orange veil coating the main stage, a barrier enacted by the King of Mystery himself to prevent crowd injury.
The owner of the arena, along with Lepaie Quinn and Vaelmyr Droskyn, sat in the highest box of the arena, accompanied by Alex Lispentine himself.
"Now! In the northern wing of the arena, a woman so holy that the pontiff herself awarded the title of Sage upon her. Let's welcome none other than Beatrix Meredien!"
While the Kings should've been watching the introduction of the second competitor, they instead had turned their attention to a separate section of the audience.
Their piercing gazes poured downward on a certain blond boy, who was sweating profusely, his body trembling under the strain.
Aaron Grimstall fought with all his might to resist their eyes after activating every piece of defensive magic he had, including even more artifacts he had acquired the previous day.
T-Thank god they are just looking at me normally. Three at once is…
He gagged, nausea coursing through his body as he bent over, clutching his stomach.
Ahead of him, in the center of the crowd's attention, the two Marshals paced around each other in a steady circle.
Neither made the first move, simply observing every inch of their opponent's stance, posture, balance, and even their mana output.
It continued for nearly two minutes until Havok stopped, the electricity coating his form vanishing and his body going rigid.
The blue-haired woman facing him froze as well, the book inside her hand flipping open on its own, inching away from its wielder's hand.
Instead of stopping the escaping object, she allowed it to drop from her palms, but the book never hit the ground, floating fluidly beside her.
Slowly, she raised her finger towards the Marshal of Fallen Lightning.
『Harmonic Euphony』
Light erupted from the pages of the book, forming musical notes in the sky for a moment before they shot forward like bullets, bombarding the elder.
However, before they could strike, he had already moved aside, his sleeves ripping as he swung his arm, sending a hook towards the woman's hip.
She dodged, raising her leg to kick him, but his fingers had already clamped around her wrist.
Lightning coursed through his touch, shocking the woman who could only grit her teeth in pain, forcibly moving the trembling fingers of her other hand to snap.
A staff of liquid light formed within her grip, its point dulled but still dangerous enough to pierce through flesh.
Slicing downward, she dislodged herself from the man's grip, the momentary distance allowing her to throw out another chant.
『Holy Bullet』
It was a spell that every holy mage knew well, yet instead of a single ball of energy that should have appeared once the chant finished, the entire sky was filled with miniature balls of light.
As she moved her index finger, pointing it straight at Havok, all the shining projectiles rushed forward, assaulting the man all at once.
However, even before they could fully manifest, the man was already on the move, his feet tracing magnificent arcs, his agility so superb that he could seemingly phase through any strike.
Slamming his fists together, he shouted with such bloodlust that the crowd went mute for a moment.
『Lighting Barrage』
Beatrix couldn't react fast enough as the man's fist collided with her jaw, sending her spiraling backwards.
Right before she collided with the protective barrier that covered the field, her hands raked against the ground, blood dripping from her mouth and from her nails.
Without delay, she chanted a few words under her breath, and Havok watched as her wounds healed right away, her posture straightening and the pages in her book turning.
Reaching out her hand forward, she whispered a single chant that froze him in his footsteps, a deafening silence falling over the arena.
『Singularity』
Light itself bent inward, creating a solid mass of endless density within her grasp, its force unimaginably strong.
A black hole of liquid darkness swirled in her hand, a vortex of death exuding from the spherical shape whose edge bended reality itself.
Staring straight in Havok Femir's eyes, she snapped her fingers again, an infinite amount of force condensing and then exploding at once.
After that, the spectators all around the arena could only see an empty, dark space; however, behind the veil of the void, the two fought without mercy.
The singularity of the black hole swirled around the woman's body, devouring anything that came into contact with it; however, the Marshal of Fallen Lightning evaded it, striking where he saw openings.
One behind her spine, another right below her chest, a third to her abdomen, each with the impact strength of a large freighter.
The ground cracked, and the arena's barrier sizzled as the two opposing Marshals clashed without respite.
When the dark fog cleared, the audience screamed at the sheer insanity of their duel, their faces a blur as they moved at the speed of sound.
Sonic booms erupted at every strike, the noise suppressed by the shield yet still resounding in the spectators' ears.
Finally, after a clean strike behind the woman's neck, her eyelids swayed, the singularity around her body flickering, then fading away.
Not wasting the opportunity, the elderly Marshal knocked away the golden staff in her hand, tightening his other hand into a fist, and slammed his knuckles straight into her solar plexus.
She flew backwards, ten, no, twenty meters until she collided with the orange barrier, a gasp escaping her lips.
The barrie flashed brightly like a raging fire, a warning signal, which prompted the audience to start a countdown.
"Three…!"
The blue-haired woman gritted her teeth, attempting to stand.
"Two…!"
Havok did not relax, his piercing eyes cracking with electricity as he stared deadpan at the injured sage without a care in his mind for her well-being.
"One!"
She stood, stumbling, and began to murmur another healing spell under her breath, which would let her, once again, restore her physical form.
However, she never got the chance as a bolt of blue lightning struck her body, frying her flesh and knocking her out instantly.
The timer resumed again, but this time, when it ran out, the winner and the loser were decided clearly, and the loss of the Sage Marshal was recorded in the results.
Havok Femir looked pleased with himself, his mystical eyes gazing over the crowd in pride over his victory.
And the crowd responded with loud bursts of cheers that fueled the man's ambition.
In his mind, he would win this tournament if he could beat the next obstacle in his way, his eyes falling on the one he would face next.
The highest-ranked man working in the field, Marshal of the South, Masaru Kurogane, the first-seeded combatant of the Hunters' Tournament, and the next opponent of Havok Femir.