An hour had passed since the end of his battle against Alexander, and the pool of blood from his untimely end had already been cleaned, allowing for no delays in the tournament. He hadn't been called for a fight for a while. He was seated in the front line of the viewing area; all challengers got the finest seats in the arena as long as they won a single battle.
He was completely alone in his seating area; no one even dared to take a seat in close proximity to him. It was completely devoid of people; the fear revolving around him swayed their emotions into caution and terror.
"I look like a loner. Why can't someone just sit next to me?" whispered Ratella to himself, a small sadness overcoming him at his isolation, even if it was self-induced.
"Olivia Lifebloom vs Violet Singer!"
Eventually, the two challengers appeared in the arena. Violet tightened her grip on her blade pommels, watching Olivia's every move and positioning herself to react the moment the signal was given.
"Olivia Lifebloom: Zero wins and Zero losses. Violet Singer: Three wins and four losses."
"This is the first match of the Women's Tournament! Let's hope it'll start with a bang!"
"One, Two -"
The announcer suddenly stopped her countdown, inviting grumbles and annoyed shouts to rise into the air amid the ruined tension.
"I'm sorry, beloved audience. But I've just received some key intelligence that will pique all of your interest. You've all heard the tales of the Lord and Lady of Death slaughtering all Sins or Aspects of Shadow that come their way, right?"
Her question was greeted with cheers and blatant admiration for the legend circling around the ears of Kathoros' warriors. The soldiers' love for the two was shocking to both Olivia and Ratella; the Lord and Lady of Death were seen as beacons of hope and light in the darkness.
"Well, don't I have a shocking plot twist for you all. The Lord and Lady of Death are in this very arena," declared the announcer, pausing for a moment to add to the building tension and suspense. "Ratella Evergarden and Olivia Lifeblossom are the heralds you admire so deeply!"
"If Olivia is anything like Ratella, it's not looking good for Violet Singer. Will she be able to defeat the Lady of Death and take her title?"
"Lady of Death is the most fitting name Kathoros could have ever come up with. They have no idea what she really is. The irony is laughable, really," muttered Ratella, even after the announcer's declaration, no one dared to come near him, most likely dismissing the announcement as speculation.
His earlier fight displayed nothing resembling heroism, making his identity hard to believe.
It had only been a week since rumours had started flying about their presence on the battlefield, and they had already become heroes of the war despite their minor accomplishments.
"You may begin your battle!" shouted the announcer. Cheers and applause rippled through the air at the long-awaited battle's beginning.
Olivia immediately disappeared from the audience's view, morphing into particles traveling at a speed inconceivable to the crowd, littered with weakness. Olivia's form reappeared behind Violet, the rapier, once firmly secured in its scabbard, painted scarlet. After a few agonizing moments of anticipation, Violet's head fell from her body, thudding to the ground.
Violet had been killed within seconds. Olivia's power went beyond what anyone expected from a wingless angel, and her swift, lethal attack immediately drew suspicion from more perceptive crowd goers.
"Olivia Lifebloom has secured the victory in a matter of seconds, snuffing out the spark of life from Violet's body with a flick of the wrist. With her victory, her score increased to one win and zero losses."
A rupture of laughter and cheers echoed around the stadium at Olivia's impressive display of might that shouldn't exist. The anomaly known as Olivia would become a household name from that point on, a mysterious woman cloaked in darkness able to strike at the speed of light.
"Why do they like her so much but not me?" pouted Ratella, jealous of Olivia's success in the ring, seeing no reason for her popularity. "Sexist crowd."