Morning, before the opening ceremony.
Although the chaos in the city was quickly quelled, the Church continued to work with the Sky Tower to weed out any remaining troublemakers.
Morning passed as countless people slowly found their way to the center of the city. Unbeknownst to most, the Church of Light had secretly been "protecting" the city from the shadows, quietly erasing the remaining demons that had snuck in under the shadow of night.
Soon, it was time to begin.
-
[Day 1]
At the same time as the church was hard at work, preparations for the Grand Gathering had already reached their peak.
The Grand Gathering covered the entire city, but the main competition venue was a massive arena built directly in the center of the city. This arena used advanced spatial technology that transformed it from a large structure into a small stadium realm that had been split into many smaller spatial bubbles. There were hundreds of competition stages and thousands of waiting rooms. The entire system was managed by a multitude of artifact spirits, each responsible for organizing different parts of the event and maintaining the arena's stability.
As for the spectator stands, they were divided by rank and influence. Vast open areas where thousands could sit, and private skyboxes for the leaders of the differing powers and great sects.
Every seat was fitted with screens showing multiple angles of the competition.
After hours of adjustment, the crowds finally arrived in full.
It was time to begin.
-
Roar!
The entire arena trembled with excitement.
Appearing in the center of the massive stage was a young man in light armor. He had white hair and white eyes, with two sets of artificial, golem-like arms crossed over his chest and thighs.
He spun around, glowing faintly with light, and greeted the countless guests.
His six arms rose into the air as he introduced himself, Jovit, the Nine Star Pillar of the Sky Tower, and your long-awaited host for today's ceremony!
"Helloooo! And welcome! I'm happy to announce the beginning of the Grand Gathering!"
Woooooo!
"First, let me start by welcoming all of you!"
Woooo!
"I understand it's been a long journey, one that many of you risked your lives for! So I won't talk too long! Today, we're not only celebrating the survival of the First Calamity, but also preparing for the next!"
Wooooo!
"Now then! Let me explain! Aside from the small events scattered all around Imai, there are six main competitions being held right here in this arena!"
"First! The Combat Tournament! The combat tournament will bring together the strongest warriors from across the continent! The winner will receive a legendary sword that once belonged to the First Hero!"
"Second! The Magic Tournament! A grand display of the continent's best mages! Not just combat, but creativity and ingenuity will be tested! The winner will receive a legendary tome written by an Arcanist!"
"But don't worry! Even if you're not first place, there are still thousands of prizes to win!"
Wooooo!
"Next! The Forging Competition! This will test your crafting, forging, and runesmithing skills! The winner will be granted a block of divine metal!"
"Fourth! The Alchemy Competition! This will test focus, precision, and ability! The winner will receive an ancient cauldron!"
Woooo!
"Alright! A few more, these are the special ones!"
"First, we're hosting a Beast Master Competition! This grand event features beast tamers fighting alongside their contracted beasts! The winner will receive two treasures, one of which is a secret! And every Beast Master who reaches the top 100 will receive a special pill capable of permanently increasing their beast's strength - the Beast King Pill!"
Wooooooo!
"Last but not least! We're officially hosting the Grand Poison Master Competition! This contest will test the best poison users across the continent! The Second Calamity is said to be heavily related to poison, so this is your chance to prepare! Step out of the shadows and become famous!"
WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
"Haha! Thank you for your voices! Those are the main competitions! Only a few more announcements, and I'll let you go enjoy yourselves. Although the official tournaments don't start today, the sub-events are open, and the Grand Market officially begins now! Come take a visit, it'll be one of the biggest markets in history!"
"Ooookay, everybody! I hope you all enjoy the Grand Gathering and everything we've prepared! Remember, at the end of the tournament, there will be a massive announcement about the Second Calamity and everything we've learned so far! Don't miss out and have a good day!"
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
The stadium practically shook.
-
Although the main competition didn't start until the second day, the first day was still filled with exhibition matches and legendary performances from old masters.
In a private room, Elena sat with Rotell, Arthur, and the Hellion Empire's entourage. Rotell had invited her over a few days ago so that they could grow closer.
They talked about many things, but the main topic was Petra.
Rotell explained that she had met Petra and shared the information she'd quietly gathered. Elena took the small folder and looked through it.
Rotell watched as a series of emotions flickered across Elena's face, all ending in helplessness.
Elena sighed. "What a little troublemaker. I need to teach her a lesson next time I see her."
Rotell laughed. "You probably won't see her for a while. Unless she's living under a rock, she already knows she's in danger. You should worry about yourself. She's good at hiding, but you don't want someone using you as bait, right?"
Arthur looked over and nodded.
Elena smiled faintly. "She's a very clever child. I don't know much about her real background, but she's always been durable."
-
Meanwhile, back at the Tower Spider, Wind was buried in paperwork.
She had no idea when Petra's obsession with turning her into a secretary began, but ever since leaving home, Wind had been drowning in documents.
At first, she thought it was all nonsense Petra had made up. But as she read through it, she realized Petra wasn't as childish as she seemed.
What a naughty little master.
One of the upstairs rooms had been converted into a study, and Wind spent too much time there filling out papers that 'couldn't be ignored.'
Putting her pen down, she stretched. Her short silver hair shifted as her pointed ears twitched from the cold.
She opened the door and stepped outside.
Downstairs, Petra was causing havoc, skipping around like a child, tugging at skirts, teasing the busty bunnies, and occasionally earning a heavy kick for all her troubles.
Wind sighed, walking to the counter to check today's sales records.
As she reviewed the numbers, she overheard Petra praising the new market street that had opened today.
Wind felt a headache coming on.
She knew they wouldn't get many customers, not with the barrier still unstable. That meant little money. Unfortunately, all the girls were spendthrifts… even her, especially when Soryn was around.
The bell over the door chimed.
Wind looked up.
Because she was already behind the counter, she decided to serve the customer herself.
Petra waved at her, then whispered that she was going upstairs to continue experimenting on that strange lady from before.
Wind just nodded and reminded her to move in groups if she went outside, but she wasn't sure Petra was listening.
She just shook her head.
-
Later that day, the girls decided to visit the massive street market that had opened for the festival.
Wind took the lead, followed by Soryn, Petra, and the twins. Petra wrapped them all in a powerful illusion before leaving.
They rented a small carriage and headed for the market.
The moment they arrived, they were overwhelmed by the dense crowd and the intoxicating smell of food.
Wind's ears twitched. She tried not to show it, but Soryn noticed her slowing down and poked her arm.
Wind's cheeks turned slightly red.
Although she would never admit it, she had a bit of a shopping addiction…
They parked the carriage and entered together. Petra grabbed Wind's hand and pulled her along with a grin.
-
The Market Street was a sprawling maze of interconnecting roads, sectioned off for the festival. Waves of pedestrians flowed endlessly, shoulder to shoulder at times, calm and relaxed at others.
Banners hung between poles, lanterns covered the streets, and temporary stages were set up for performers.
Market stalls were everywhere, filled with food, tools, magic trinkets, and games. Jugglers, musicians, dancers, puppet shows, magic tricks, and fortune tellers filled every corner of the road.
The shouts of vendors, the smell of food, and the rhythm of drums filled the air.
Despite the chaos earlier that morning, the Grand Market brought an almost unreal joy to the city.
-
While Petra and the girls explored, Elena walked through another part of the festival with Rotell and Arthur.
They sampled food, tried games, and laughed together.
Elena remembered this place from her past life.
Although it carried a heavy weight of fate, the Grand Gathering was still one of the most beautiful festivals in history, at least before the calamities that followed.
While eating a chicken skewer, Elena glanced at Rotell and Arthur.
The two were engaged.
Elena actually found it funny.
It was obvious Rotell didn't like Arthur much. As for Arthur, he seemed to have feelings for her, but his ability to see the future kept him from acting on them.
It was different from her past life. Back then, Rotell had fallen for a young boy with a humble background, still Arthur, but not yet a hero.
Back then, she had run away with him, enraging her father, the emperor, and causing Arthur's family to be slaughtered.
After centuries of hardships, love had prevailed in the end.
But in this life, everything was reversed. They were forced together and chose to stay apart.
Elena chuckled quietly.
Her experience told her that fate always found a way. Maybe those two would find their past selves again, hopefully, not too late.
Rotell noticed Elena chuckling and tilted her head.
"What's so funny?"
Elena smiled. "Nothing. I was just thinking… you and Arthur are actually a really good couple, don't you think?"
"Ha! This tomboy?"
"The gearhead? You're crazy!"
They answered in perfect sync.
Elena burst out laughing.