The sun completed its eighth cycle across the arena's domed sky. Eight days of continuous matches. One hundred battles per fighter—standardized format ensuring everyone received equal opportunity to prove themselves.
Jade had maintained a perfect record throughout the second round battle royale.
At some point , the opponents had stopped cheering as his battles always ended in a predicted manner.
....
Around him in Section 14, other fighters were finishing their final matches. The air hummed with nervous energy as the hundredth battles concluded across all twenty stages. Everyone knew what came next. Jade sat in his seat and waited.
Thirty minutes passed. The last match across Stage 7 concluded. Then silence fell as every fighter simultaneously realized the battles were over.
Vmm. Vmm.
The contestants watches vibrated simultaneously, notifying them of the conclusion of the second round.
BATTLE ROUND CONCLUDED. FINAL RANKINGS CALCULATING.
Numbers scrolled rapidly across Jade's display as the system compiled results from both elimination and battle rounds combined. The formula weighted both phases—elimination performance established the foundation, battle performance determined how far you could climb from that base.
The scrolling stopped.
RANK 187: PARTICIPANT 847,392
ELIMINATION ROUND: RANK 1,404 | 109,285 POINTS
BATTLE ROUND: 100 WINS, 0 LOSSES
One hundred wins. Zero losses. His elimination round ranking had anchored him lower in combined standings despite the perfect battle record. Some fighters with worse records ranked higher because they'd dominated round one.
But rank 187 was sufficient for advancement, and that was all that mattered.
Majordomo Prime's projection appeared above the arena floor—massive enough to be visible from every section, the elderly butler's features composed with perfect dignity.
"The second round battle phase has concluded." The voice carried across the facility with absolute authority. "Of 921,847 participants who advanced from elimination round, 5,000 have qualified for round three based on combined ranking calculations."
Holographic displays erupted throughout the arena—golden text showing the complete top 5,000 rankings. Names scrolled past in descending order, each representing everyone who'd survived the culling.
The noise was immediate and overwhelming. Some sections exploded into celebration. Others fell into devastated silence. The contrast was jarring—pure joy and absolute grief existing within meters of each other, separated only by arbitrary mathematical lines.
Medical personnel moved through the sections with practiced efficiency. Emotional breakdowns were expected and some fighters might need sedation. Others just needed space to process.
"Round three will commence in forty-eight hours," Majordomo Prime continued. His gaze seemed to sweep across the entire crowd despite being artificial.
"Accommodations will be reassigned based on final rankings. Top one hundred receive luxury housing. Ranks 101-500 receive premium accommodations. Ranks 501-1000 receive enhanced facilities. All others receive standard quarters. Maps will be transmitted to your watches within the hour. All participants are advised to move orderly to newly assigned quarters."
A pause to let the information settle.
"To eliminated participants: thank you for your effort. Tournament completion certificates will be available at registration. Your performances have been recorded for recruitment consideration by interested organizations."
Professional dismissal that meant nothing to people whose dreams had just ended.
"To advancing participants: congratulations. You represent the top 0.5% of all competitors. Round three will test your limits. Prepare accordingly."
The projection vanished.
Jade's watch vibrated immediately—new map data downloading. His accommodations had upgraded from the previous housing block to premium district placement. Rank 187 qualified him for second-tier facilities.
He stood and moved toward the exit. Niamh and Lio would be waiting in the spectator departure area.
Behind him, Section 14 continued its breakdown. Victors gravitating toward each other. The defeated moving in opposite directions. The natural separation that came with success and failure.
Jade walked through it all without looking back.
....
....
In the spectator areas, the reaction was equally chaotic. Thousands of family members and retainers processing the same information their fighters had just received.
Niamh and Lio stood at the designated meeting point, watching the crowd flow past with varying expressions of joy and devastation.
"Rank 187," Lio said quietly, staring at his datapad. "One hundred wins. Zero losses. Perfect record."
"I can see the display," Niamh replied with gentle amusement.
"Do you know what this means for the betting odds?" Lio's hands were shaking slightly as he pulled up projections.
"Don't spend money you haven't earned yet."
"I'm not! I'm just—" He looked up, grin breaking across his face despite the surrounding chaos. "The odds are going to shift so fast. If he makes top hundred—"
"One round at a time, Lio."
"I know. I know. But still—" His attention shifted as a hooded figure appeared through the crowd. "There he is."
Jade approached with his characteristic unhurried pace, hood pulled low despite the chaos around him.
"Ready?" Niamh asked.
He nodded.
"Premium accommodations this time. Top 500 placement. Should be better than the last housing block." She pulled up the map on her own device. "Forty-eight hours until next round."
They moved toward the exit together, joining the flow of advancing fighters and their retainers heading back toward housing to prepare for relocation.
------------------------------------
Aurelien reviewed the final rankings with disciplined focus.
Rank 187. Perfect battle record of one hundred wins and zero losses. The elimination round performance had weighted the combined score lower, but that perfect record suggested capabilities worth observing.
"My lord," Octavia said from the doorway. "The tournament transitions to round three in forty-eight hours."
"I'm aware." Aurelien didn't look up from the display. "Status on the western border situation?"
"Stable. Commander Thress reports successful patrol rotations with no incidents."
"Good. Inform him I'll review his full report tomorrow evening." Aurelien finally glanced up. "Anything else requiring immediate attention?"
"No, my lord. Your schedule remains clear as previously arranged."
He nodded dismissal and she withdrew.
Aurelien reclined slightly in his seat, his majestic hair falling back as his gaze shifted to the ceiling. His mind conjuring continuous images of a particular hooded figure.
"Sigh.. what is wrong with me ". He muttered to himself.
....
...
The premium district's accommodations were impressive enough to rival noble estates. Jade's quarters came with full room service—just a simple communication crystal away from ordering anything he wanted.
He'd just finished a simple breakfast when someone knocked on his door. Before he could respond, it burst open.
Niamh and Lio tumbled in, both talking over each other with excitement.
"...did you see the commercial district? There's this vendor selling grilled musckets from Varos Prime and it smells incredible..."
"...and the jewelry! Jade, there's this stall with the most beautiful craftsmanship I've ever seen..."
"...and there appears to be a celebration of carnival of some sort going on , to celebrate the top five thousand contestants..."
They stopped, noticing Jade sitting cross-legged on his bed in meditation pose.
"Let's go!" Lio announced, grinning widely. "You're coming with us."
Jade opened one eye. "No."
"Yes!" Lio was already moving toward him. "Come on, we found so many cool places and you need to see them."
"I'm fine here." He replied blandly while staring at Lio warily.
"You're sitting in a dark room by yourself." Niamh's tone was gently chiding. "Come on, It'll help you unwind. Clear your head before tomorrow."
"My head is clear."
"Then it won't hurt to come with us anyway." Lio grabbed Jade's arm and pulled. "Up. Now. We're going."
Jade resisted for exactly three seconds before Niamh joined Lio in physically hauling him off the bed. There was no winning against both of them when they'd decided something.
"Fine," he muttered, standing. "A few hours."
"Yes!" Lio immediately rummaged through his bag and pulled out something wrapped in cloth. "But first—you're wearing this."
He unwrapped a white kitsune mask with delicate red markings around the eyes.
Jade stared at it dubiously. "Why ?."
"Because that hood is way too gloomy." Lio held it up like an offering. "Makes you look like you're going to a funeral. This is way better."
"I like the hood."
"Well I don't. The hood stays here. The mask comes with us." Lio's tone brooked no argument. "Besides, masks are everywhere during tournament season. You'll blend right in."
Jade opened his mouth to argue further, but Niamh was already behind him, gathering his hair with gentle hands.
"Sit," she said. "Let me braid this properly or it'll be in your face all day."
Jade sat, recognizing defeat when he saw it.
Niamh's fingers worked through his hair gathering them into a thick braid that she secured at the base of his skull. The braid fell in a rope of pale shimmer down to his lower back, the waves still visible despite the containment.
"There," she said, satisfied. "Much better."
Lio tossed fresh clothes at him—simple trousers and a loose shirt in dark blues. "Change. We're going shopping."
"I don't need—"
"It's not about need man, It's about fun." Lio was already at the door. "Come on!"
And because they'd already physically dragged him this far, Jade found himself changing clothes and accepting the kitsune mask with resignation.
"Fine. A few hours." He reminded them again.
Lio whooped so loud, was probably audible three floors down.
The facility's commercial district was massive—an entire sector dedicated to vendors and entertainment for the tournament crowds. Shops selling everything from awakener equipment to exotic foods from across the empire. Restaurants with cuisine from a hundred different worlds. Street performers demonstrating minor talents for tips. The air hummed with excited energy from thousands of visitors all gathered for the same event.
Jade walked between Niamh and Lio, his kitsune mask firmly in place, feeling distinctly uncomfortable with the ridiculous thing. But Lio had been right—masks were everywhere. Festival atmosphere brought out all kinds of costumes. Nobody gave him a second glance.
Well. Almost nobody.
His hair caught attention despite the braid. The way it caught light and seemed to shimmer with an almost ethereal quality made people look twice. But unusual hair colors were common enough among awakeners that nobody questioned it beyond appreciative stares.
They wandered through the stalls, Lio pulling them toward anything that caught his interest. The grilled meat vendor offered samples and Lio bought enough for all three of them, the spiced flavors rich and complex. Niamh found a stall selling jewelry and spent twenty minutes examining intricate pieces while Jade stood patiently nearby.
"You should get something," she suggested, holding up a silver chain with a small crystal pendant. "For good luck."
"I don't believe in luck." Jade said , a little smile playing at the corner of his lips .
"Humor me." Niamh replied laughing.
Jade accepted the necklace because arguing seemed more exhausting than compliance. Niamh paid before he could protest and fastened it around his neck herself, the crystal settling just below his collarbone.
They continued wandering. A bookshop drew Niamh's attention—she disappeared inside and emerged twenty minutes later with three new volumes. A weapons stall caught Lio's eye and he spent far too long examining practice swords he had no intention of buying.
Jade found himself relaxing despite his initial resistance. The mask helped, as wearing it felt less restrictive than the hood, more like a choice than a necessity. And watching Niamh and Lio enjoy themselves with such simple enthusiasm was... pleasant. In a way he'd almost forgotten to appreciate.
"Try this!" Lio shoved something into his hand—a pastry from a nearby stall, still warm, filled with something sweet and unfamiliar.
Jade lifted the mask just enough to take a bite. The flavor exploded across his tongue—honey and fruit and spices he had never tasted before. Rich and indulgent and completely unnecessary.
"Good, right?" Lio was already buying three more.
"It's acceptable."
"He loves it," Lio translated for the vendor, grinning widely.
They found a fountain in a quieter section and sat on the edge, eating their pastries while watching the crowd flow past. Street performers juggled fire nearby, the flames dancing in complex patterns that drew appreciative applause from gathered watchers.
"This is nice," Niamh said quietly, leaning back with contentment. "When was the last time we did something like this? Just the three of us?"
Jade considered. "Selene's birthday, eight months ago."
"Too long." Lio stretched, already eyeing another food stall. "We should do this more often."
"After the tournament," Niamh said. "Win or lose, we'll make time for this."
Jade wanted to point out that after the tournament he'd be busy with academy enrollment and whatever obligations came with championship—assuming he won. But the peaceful moment felt too fragile to disrupt with pragmatism.
"After the tournament," he agreed instead.
Lio's grin was bright enough to rival the fountain's reflecting pool. "You're actually relaxing. I knew we could corrupt you."
"I'm not—" Jade started, but Niamh was laughing and Lio was already dragging him toward another stall, and somehow his protest dissolved into resigned acceptance.
They spent hours wandering. Tried foods from a dozen different worlds. Watched street performers demonstrate talents ranging from impressive to absurd. Lio bought a ridiculous hat that he insisted Jade wear for exactly thirty seconds before Jade handed it back with a flat stare that made Niamh laugh until she cried.
The sun moved across the sky, artificial climate keeping the temperature perfect, and for a few hours Jade wasn't a tournament participant or a hidden omega or a reincarnated gangster. He was just... himself. Walking with family. Enjoying their company.
It felt strange. Foreign. Like wearing clothes that didn't quite fit.
But not unpleasant.
As evening approached, they made their way back toward the facility, Lio carrying various purchases and still chattering about everything they'd seen. Niamh walked beside Jade in comfortable silence, occasionally bumping his shoulder with affection.
"Thank you," she said quietly as they neared the premium district entrance. "For indulging us."
"You forced me."
"You could have said no." Her smile was knowing. "But you didn't."
Jade adjusted his mask, suddenly aware of how exposed he'd felt all day—and how little it had bothered him by the end. "It was... acceptable."
"High praise from you." Lio slung an arm around Jade's shoulders. "Same time tomorrow? There's an entire section we didn't explore yet."
"I need to prepare—"
"You've been preparing for three years," Niamh interrupted gently. "A few more hours won't hurt. Besides—" She reached up and adjusted his braid, which had loosened slightly during their wandering. "—you fight better when you're relaxed."
Jade wanted to argue. But looking at their faces—Lio's hopeful grin, Niamh's gentle insistence—he found himself nodding instead.
"A few hours. Tomorrow evening."
"Yes!" Lio punched the air. "We're definitely hitting that dessert district. I saw a place selling frozen cream from Celestis and I need to try it before we leave."
They parted ways at the premium district—Lio and Niamh heading back to spectator accommodations, Jade returning to his quarters. He removed the mask once inside, set it carefully on the dresser, and caught his reflection in the mirror.
The braid was coming loose. The necklace Niamh had bought him glinted at his throat. He looked... different. Too..... Ughh.
Jade undid the braid, letting his hair fall in loose waves, and settled into meditation.
Thirty-eight hours until round three.
But for the first time in months, his mind felt clearer and calmer.
.....
The next day passed in similar fashion. Jade slept through the morning, then allowed Niamh and Lio to drag him out again in the evening. More exploring. More food. More of Lio's terrible jokes and Niamh's quiet contentment.
And somewhere during those hours of wandering, Jade found himself genuinely enjoying the experience rather than just tolerating it.
They returned as artificial sunset painted the facility in amber and gold.
"Last day of freedom," Lio said, stretching dramatically. "Tomorrow morning, the real tournament begins."
Jade nodded.
"Kick their asses," Lio said with a grin. "All of them."
"That's the plan."
They lingered at the entrance to the premium district, none of them quite ready to end the moment. Finally, Niamh reached up and pulled Jade into a brief hug—rare physical affection that he allowed without protest.
"We're proud of you," she whispered. "No matter what happens tomorrow."
"Nothing's going to happen. I'll win."
"We know." She pulled back, smiling. "But we're still proud."
Lio hugged him next—briefer, more casual, but no less genuine. "Go get some sleep. Tomorrow, you show the empire what Nexarion's capable of."
Jade returned to his quarters alone, removed the mask and undid his hair.
He settled into his final meditation of the night and let everything else fade away.
...
To be continued..