[Central Continent]
[Imperial Colosseum]
Time once again passed in the blink of an eye, and the day of the tournament soon came
The Imperial Colosseum was not an ordinary stadium; rather, it was a mountain of white stone carved into a bowl, capable of holding 100,000 screaming citizens.
And today, just like everyone would have guessed, it was full.
The roar of the crowd was a physical force, shaking the banners of the ten Great Noble Houses that hung from the spires.
Magitech screens the size of buildings floated in the air, broadcasting the arena floor to the nosebleed seats.
High above the chaos, in a private box reserved for "Distinguished Guests," the air was cool and quiet.
Damien sat in a velvet chair, sipping a cup of Earl Grey tea.
He wore his Mozart mask, his black coat pressed to perfection.
He looked completely at ease, even though he was about to gamble the fate of his entire organisation.
The door to the box opened.
A woman entered.
