Emperor Arkan concluded his speech, then sat quietly in his seat.
The arena erupted in applause, and cheers rose from every direction.
Zir leaped into the air, waved his arms enthusiastically, then shouted in a loud, blazing voice:
«And now… I officially declare the challenge begun!»
The cheers grew more excited, and people began standing in their seats.
Zir took a deep breath, then continued in a resounding voice:
«First! We have the princes of the Earth Empire!
Crown Prince Tarkan!
Princess Diana!
And Prince Nile!»
Strong cheers rose, and the Earth crowds waved their banners.
Then Zir turned slightly and continued:
«And opposing them… the princes of the Ice Empire!
Princess Selena!
Prince Nain!
And Princess Mischa!»
Applause thundered, and vapor from cold breaths scattered in the air.
Zir continued without pause:
«And the princes of the Water Empire!
Prince Oscar!
Prince Koja!
Prince Tomban!
And Princess Elit!»
The crowds swayed in admiration, and warm applause followed.
«And opposing them… the Plant Empire!
Prince Lloyd!
And Princess Sylvia!»
Then he gestured with his hand to the other side:
«And beside them… the Light Empire!
Prince Elias!
And Princess Kira!»
He gave them no pause, but raised his voice further:
«And beside them… the Wind Empire!
Prince Rizev!
Princess Agnes!
And Prince Agenor!»
The people cheered, though the applause was slightly less, yet still clear.
Then Zir paused a moment, his smile widening, and shouted in a voice blazing like fire:
«And finally… last but not least!
The one and only prince of the Fire Empire!
Prince Laaaacis!»
Suddenly…
Silence fell.
The cheers stopped, the applause faded, and nothing was heard but scattered whispers.
Lacis froze in place, staring around him in bewilderment.
«…Huh?» he said, confused.
Then he frowned angrily:
«Where are the cheers?»
Voices wavered from among the crowd:
«This prince?»
«I hate him…»
«He's frightening.»
Lacis's face blazed with anger, and he shouted at the top of his voice:
«You vermin! Cheer now! Or I'll burn this entire arena to the ground!»
But no one paid any attention.
And in the midst of the silence, a loud laugh erupted.
Lacis turned sharply, searching for its source.
The laughter rose wildly from the seats of the former Emperors.
Cilion said, laughing until he nearly choked:
«You poor thing! Hahahaha!»
Lacis shouted with blind rage:
«You old man! I'll show you! I'll crush your princes and make them taste the most humiliating defeat!»
On the other side, Agnes laughed lightly without meaning to, while Diana and Lloyd were clutching their stomachs from laughing so hard, tears of joy shining in their eyes.
Above, Emperor Luminas said with a calm smile:
«It seems Lacis is unpopular, isn't he, Ranius?»
Ranius answered quietly:
«He angers quickly… and that is what made him so.»
After a few moments, calm gradually began to return.
The princes stood in their places, looking at one another;
some with cold, wary gazes,
some with eyes blazing with excitement.
As for Agnes, she was looking at Lacis with shimmering eyes, her features softening slightly.
"He seems… lonely."
She quickly shook her head, as if banishing the thought, then turned toward the Ice princes' side.
Her eyes met Nain's.
She lightly raised her hand and gave a small gesture, meaning: Hello.
Nain paused for a moment, then smiled at her with a gentle, warm smile, without saying anything.
And for an instant, Agnes felt as if the noise of the arena had disappeared around her.
Zir raised his hands high, waved them vigorously, and called out:
«Quiet! Quiet, people!»
The noise gradually faded, and gazes turned toward him again.
Zir said in a loud voice, but more serious this time:
«However, before the challenge begins, I must explain some rules to you.»
The princes exchanged bewildered glances; some furrowed their brows, others smiled sarcastically.
Suddenly, Zir shouted:
«Brost! Come here!»
Everyone turned toward the corridor.
Moments later, Brost entered.
He was a goblin, short in stature, his skin leaning green, his ears long and pointed. He held a wooden staff slightly taller than himself and dragged something strange behind him.
It was a large circle made of wood and metal, engraved with the names of all the princes and princesses, with a sharp metal arrow mounted atop it, gleaming under the light.
Brost reached Zir's side, lifted the staff slightly, and said in a hoarse voice:
«Here you are.»
Zir smiled and took the circle from him enthusiastically:
«Thanks, buddy!»
Zir turned toward the audience and raised the circle high for all to see.
«As you see, ladies and gentlemen, by means of this game…»
He pointed to the circle and arrow.
«Each prince will face their opponent! When I spin this circle bearing the names of all the princes and princesses, and when it stops at the arrow…»
He paused briefly to heighten the tension.
«That will be the first opponent. Then I spin it a second time, revealing the other opponent. And thus… they will fight each other!»
Whispers rose, and tension tightened in the stands.
Zir continued, his tone growing more serious:
«But… under certain conditions.»
A charged silence fell over the arena.
Zir raised one finger:
«First: The use of weapons is permitted.»
Some eyes widened.
«Swords, spears, bows, and everything the prince carries with them.»
He raised a second finger:
«Second: Severed hands, scratched eyes, and any other wounds…»
He paused a moment, then said coolly:
«All are permitted here.»
Whispers increased, and the princes clenched their fists.
Agnes felt her breath tighten. She began to sweat, her fingers trembling slightly.
"These conditions…
are so harsh…"
She raised her gaze toward the Emperors' seats, her heart pounding fiercely.
"How can they allow something like this?"
But Zir suddenly smiled and raised his hand, saying:
«However…»
Breaths stopped.
«Killing… is forbidden!»
He laughed lightly, as if it were a simple matter:
«We aren't savages, after all.»
Some breathed in relief, while tension still lingered.
Zir rubbed his hands together enthusiastically and said in a loud voice:
«And now, princes and princesses… prepare yourselves!»
Hearts rose to throats.
«I will begin the spin!»
He raised his hand and firmly grasped the circle.
«One…»
Everyone held their breath.
«Two…»
Agnes looked at the ground, her heart pounding wildly.
«Three!»
Zir spun the circle with force.
The names began spinning rapidly, the arrow emitted a rapid clicking sound, and all eyes were fixed upon it.
And the silence… was heavier than any scream.
Zir spun the circle, everyone's eyes locked on the arrow, breaths held.
The repetitive sound of the arrow striking the edges heightened the tension.
Then…
The circle stopped.
Zir stared at the name, then his smile widened and he shouted enthusiastically:
«Ooh! Princess Sylvia of the Plant Empire will be the first to enter the challenge!»
Whispers rose, and gazes turned toward Sylvia.
He gave them no time, but grasped the circle again and said:
«And now… let's see who her opponent will be!»
He spun it a second time.
The names spun swiftly, then slowed…
Until they stopped.
Zir read the name in a loud voice:
«Prince Koja! Prince of the Water Empire!»
The arena exploded with cheers.
«Plant against Water!»
«Who will win?!»
Sylvia descended into the arena with quiet steps, her features steady, her black hair flowing behind her like tree branches.
On the opposing side, Koja leaped lightly into the arena, then stood upright.
Zir and Brost quickly retreated backwards.
The two stood facing each other.
Koja's features were utterly calm. He was tall, slender of body, his indigo hair interspersed with black strands, his wide, Nile-colored eyes resembling the deep sea.
Sylvia, meanwhile, was much shorter than him, yet she showed no discomfort.
She looked at him calmly and said in a steady tone:
«You're taller than I expected, Prince.»
Koja did not reply; he merely looked at her in silence.
Sylvia paid no heed to his silence and added:
«Let it be a fair fight.»
She stepped back a pace and raised her hand slightly.
And in the next moment…
The battle began.
Koja struck his foot against the ground, and a wave of water burst forth from beneath him, rushing toward Sylvia with speed.
Her eyes widened slightly, but she immediately plunged her hand into the earth.
«Rise.»
Thick roots rose from the soil, intertwining before her, forcefully blocking the water, its droplets scattering in the air.
The crowd leaped in admiration.
Koja moved swiftly, waved his hand, forming a sharp water blade, and charged toward her.
One of the female spectators shouted:
«Watch out!»
Sylvia stepped back and waved her other hand; green vines shot forth from the ground, coiled around the blade, and absorbed the water until it vanished.
She said calmly, steadying her feet:
«Your attack is strong… but direct.»
Koja did not reply, but suddenly lunged forward, water appearing beneath his feet as if propelling him.
In an instant, he was before her.
Sylvia was startled, her eyes widening, but she quickly raised her arm.
His fist collided with a shield of hard leaves that formed in an instant.
«Retreat!» she said firmly.
The vines pushed Koja backward; he retreated several steps, his feet slipping slightly.
He smiled a faint, barely perceptible smile and spoke for the first time in a quiet voice:
«You're quick…»
He clenched his fist, and water rose around him like a small vortex.
In response, Sylvia knelt on one knee and struck the ground with both hands.
The arena trembled, and a giant flower emerged from the earth, its petals opening swiftly, releasing green dust into the air.
Koja coughed slightly as he retreated:
«…Poison?»
Sylvia said steadily:
«A mild sedative.»
His steps began to grow heavy, but he gritted his teeth and waved his hand forcefully, showering Sylvia with cold water, forcing her back.
The battle was balanced, every movement met with another.
In the stands, everyone watched with bated breath.
One said:
«Neither has the advantage yet…»
While Agnes clenched her hands anxiously and whispered:
«Both are strong…»
The two stood facing each other once more, breathing deeply, dust and water surrounding them.
And it was clear…
That this battle had not yet reached its end.