The Royal Magic Academy's Grand Tournament was supposed to be a celebration of unity, growth, and the bright future of the kingdom's finest youth.
Instead, it looked more like the prelude to a particularly bloody gladiator spectacle, with Rei as the unwilling centerpiece goat about to be sacrificed.
Banners of every noble house flapped proudly in the morning breeze. Magical fireworks burst above the colossal arena, exploding into shapes of doves and hearts—a glaring contradiction to the vibes radiating off the wives beside Rei.
Because while the announcers chirped things like:
"Let us welcome the new dawn of unity!"
And:
"This is a contest of friendship, skill, and mutual respect!"
…Rei sat at the front row dais, twitching, as his five fiancées sized each other up with the intensity of apex predators circling the last piece of meat in the world.
Correction: he was the meat.
