A hologram of a gigantic man appeared before them.
His muscles looked carved from living stone, every vein pulsing with incandescent red light. Runes engraved across his chest glowed like embers inside an open furnace. His hair was wild and unkempt, like a black mane wrapped in fire.
His eyes… had no whites.
They were two spheres of liquid fury.
And when he spoke, it felt as if the very air fled from his voice.
— I hear that outsiders have been asking… about me.
The silence that fell over the city was so absolute that even the campfires seemed to dim for a moment.
Ethan swallowed hard, but kept his posture steady.
— We're after the fragment.
The man laughed. A low, heavy laugh that made stomachs churn.
— Of course you are. Every coward who steps foot here wants it.
But here…
He spread his arms, displaying the titanic structure behind him.
An entire coliseum made of black stone, twisted iron, and torn red banners, flapping like demonic wings.
— …the fragment belongs only to the strongest.
The warriors behind him slammed weapons against shields.
TUM.
TUM.
TUM.
He pointed directly at the coliseum.
— You want the fragment?
Then prove you deserve it.
Jay gripped his new shield tightly.
Sienna, even sweating under the crushing pressure of the aura, still found room for sarcasm.
— Oh, perfect. On top of being gigantic and angry… he's theatrical too.
The man stepped closer to Ethan.
— Enter the tournament.
And survive everything I throw at you.
He raised a finger, pointing at the colossal gates of the coliseum.
— If you reach the final arena…
I'll personally make sure to crush every last one of you.
He turned and began walking away, leaving deep marks in the ground with each step.
Before disappearing into the coliseum's shadow, he added:
— You have one hour to register.
Or I'll come fetch you myself.
The gates slammed shut with a metallic crash that echoed throughout the city.
Ethan exhaled deeply.
— The fragment is in there.
Jay raised his shield, which vibrated faintly, reacting to the hostile environment.
— Then that's where we're going.
Sienna smacked his shoulder.
— And if anyone starts losing their temper…
we're already in the right place.
The side entrance of the coliseum was a narrow corridor of dark stone. Screams, clashing weapons, and the roar of the crowd seeped through the walls like the beating of a colossal heart.
An improvised counter — a thick plank resting on barrels — served as the registration area.
Behind it, a tattooed man with a crooked nose and a ledger in hand wrote names while chewing something that looked like rock.
He didn't even look up when the group approached.
— Registration? — he growled.
— Yes — Ethan replied.
The man flipped the book open, revealing a page filled only with numbers. No rules. No names. Just group markings.
— Simple format. Forty competitors. Ten groups of four.
Everyone enters the arena at the same time. Battle Royale.
Jay took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the arena even before stepping inside.
Marcus clenched his fists, his body already adapting to the chaos to come.
Sienna smiled — a dangerous smile, mixing genuine excitement with an almost childlike urge to burn everything down.
Emanueru swallowed hard.
Battle Royale…?
— The surviving group goes to the final against Lord Valdred — the man continued. — Choose four. Only four enter.
If you die, you die.
If you win, you fight him.
If you lose… you won't have to worry about anything else.
He snapped the pen, impatient.
The group stepped aside a few paces.
— I'm in — Marcus said. — I'm better in chaos.
Jay nodded.
— Me too. I want to test the new shield… and the fragment's in there.
— Obviously I'm going — Sienna raised her hand. — I'm not letting you have fun without me.
Emanueru hesitated for only a second.
— I'm in as well. With that many people in the arena, someone's going to get hurt. I need to be there to heal you.
Ethan watched the coliseum, feeling Wrath pulse in the air.
— Then Elenya and I stay out.
— Wrath's influence may intensify inside — Elenya added. — If something goes wrong, someone needs to stay clear-headed.
And if Lord Valdred tries anything outside the arena… you'll need backup.
Sienna clapped her hands, excited.
— Deal. Four in the arena. Two in the rear. Solid strategy.
Ethan returned to the counter.
— Marcus, Jay, Sienna, and Emanueru.
The man wrote without emotion.
— Group nine. East gate when the siren sounds.
If you make it past the first round… the whole city will know.
He shut the book with a dull thud.
The group stepped away.
Tension thickened in the air like hot smoke.
Jay stared at the coliseum, eyes steady.
— So that's it. Thirty-six people trying to kill us.
Sienna smacked his shoulder again.
— Relax. You're full of fuel now.
And if it runs out… we'll add more fire.
Marcus smiled.
Emanueru gripped his grimoire, trying to hide the tremor in his hands.