Before Kazudain could answer, Maldur revealed his fangs growled. One would think the cat-beast would roar but the growl was enough, Hisana,the elf manning the tent and those outside would feel in their bones. She would see his now tense posture, hackles raised, daring the woman to come further. A soft sigh came from behind.

"I'm afraid not at this time. Maldur can be very picky on who he allows to pet him." He stood behind the woman now. "You'll have to work hard at getting him to trust you first before even considering petting him." As much as Kazudain liked seeing a persons reaction to Maldur's threat displays, it always grabbed more attention then he liked at times. The cat-beasts growls could heard for quite a distance, not even speaking of his roars.

Thessir

Standing by he simply witnessed the scene as it transpired. He was smiling but not a happy smile. Rather, it was a confused smile. His eyebrows were up with mild surprise as the lady quickly stole the stage out from under the meek tall fellow with thunder aplenty.

As quickly as she set her fury upon what was apparently her son she turned back to Thessir, apologetic and most certainly chatty. She bombarded the poor confused elf with many questions. It took him a moment to come out of the shock at which point he started into a confused chuckle. It was strange, like laughter framed in the form of a question but without any expectation of an answer as he followed off of it with a response.

"Ah, heheh, er, A good to meet you Miss Iona... Or is it Misses?" He looked up, folding one arm under his elbow while he tapped his chin in
deep thought.

"It escapes me." The classic phrase of his people which represents the speaker's acceptance that fate has taken matters out of their hands, translated from his native tongue. He simply shrugged and continued on.

"I am Thessir. I do not come from here."

_
He hadn't much more to say than that. He just sort of looked about, feeling kind of put on the spot at the moment. He had no clue who this Varjan fellow was but hopefully his mother hadn't turned him into the centerpiece of another scene. Standing quite still he scratched the back of his head in uncertainty, smiling nervously.

Luckily for him in the distance some guy had leapt from one of the tents, running and screaming obscenities.
Oh good! This might be a suitable distraction. The thought crossed his mind. Eyes shiftily darting left and right to see if anyone was paying any real attention to him he started discretely shuffling towards the shadow cast by a tent standing diagonally from him. It was relatively close by but not close enough for him to slip in without an obvious dash so for now he was taking it slow so he didn't draw any unwanted attention with any sudden or obvious movements.

_
@PaulHaynek

"I expected as much, indeed he is very skilled."

Mira's smile faltered a bit at that line but she quickly wiped it away and replaced with a bit of a forced smile.

"We'll have to tread carefully this year. We'll be up against people we've never even seen before, not to mention we haven't a clue what their combat strategies are."

"Couldn't agree more, Princess." Mira sighed with defeat. "Hey don't tell anybody but I actually prayed to the Twins that the outsiders all get knocked out of the tournament before I get to any of them." She whispered her dirty little secret. It was doubtful that the goddesses would answer that prayer though.

"Anyway, you know how to register, right Princess? You just enter the purple tent and write your name and any additional instructions." Mira clarified the registration process. "Not many people are signing up, are they? Probably because of Varjan. Not to mention you." She added a remark. "But that's not stopping me! I hope you'll give me all you got if we face each other, Princess."

After entering the purple tent and registering for the Grand Academy Tournament, the male Scaled One on the desk then said. "Before you leave Princess, can I ask? What kind of arena are you expecting to fight in?" The Scaled One asked. "Large or small? With obstacles scattered or completely flat? That kind of stuff."

"Hmph, of course I have ideas. I wouldn't be me if I just laid down and accepted defeat, hah!"

"That's our Seleth! Never backing down from a fight!" Alicia cheered for the Dark Elf. "I hope you'll knock the wind out of Varjan with those ideas. Oratleastgivehimasurprise."

"Well at least she has ideas. I got nothing. I'll make one up on the spot. I always do."

"Hey at least Varjan won't know what to expect of you, Rav." Alicia replied. "Although, Varjan's no slouch in fast thinking either."

"Well, let's not waste time. Come on!" Alicia, Seleth and Raviel then entered a purple tent where there was a Human girl with a desk in front of her. She explained that the three only needed to write their names on some papers and they were officially registered.

But before they could leave the tent, the girl stopped them. "Ah before you three leave, I have a question to ask. What kind of arena are you guys expecting to fight in?" She asked the three. "Do you think you'll be fighting in a spacious area? Do you think there'll be obstacles or do you think it's just a flat arena?"

Alicia's face contorted as she thought about it. It was taking her a while so it was up to Seleth and Raviel to go first.

"I don't know who you're on about. Give me a description and I might be able to point him out but otherwise, can't help."

"Huh?" The girl was a bit surprised at your reply. "O-Oh, you're an outsider. I-- Forgive me, sir. I have mistaken you for a student from Seraph Academy." She bowed, still with her eyes closed. "I'm sorry for wasting your time."

The girl then left in search of this 'Varjan' fellow. Despite her eyes being closed, she navigated through the place well. But that was not your business, you had a tournament to register in. You entered one of the purple tents and followed the registration process as instructed to you by a Human male. Namely, to write your name on one of the papers.

But before you left, the Human stopped you. "Sir, one more thing. What kind of arena are you expecting to fight in?" He asked you. "Large or small? With or without obstacles? Things like that."

"I am Thessir. I do not come from here."

"Oh, it's a pleasure to meet you, Sir Thessir." Iona replied. "And you are an outsider? I can guess from your clothing. I've been to Elven lands, you know? I have seen how the Elves dress themselves and..." The woman droned on but her gaze shifted from you, allowing you to quickly blend into the darkness before she noticed you.

Iona was surprised and annoyed that you disappeared on her but then moved on when Varjan returned to her. They then left the area but that was not your concern, you had a tournament to join. After you emerged from the darkness, you entered one of the purple tents and followed the registration process as instructed to you by a Human female. Namely, to write your name on one of the papers.

"Oh sir, one more thing." The Human female added. "May I ask what kind of arena are you expecting to fight in? Do you think it'll be a spacious one or not? What about any obstacles?"





The female Elf behind the desk cleared her throat. "Lady and Gentleman, please don't have idle conversation within the registration tent." She reprimanded them. "There may not be a line waiting outside but still, this behavior is heavily discouraged."

"Anyway, if you are here to register for the Grand Academy Tournament, please write your names here." The Elf pointed to a piece of paper. There were several names on it already but not many, including a 'Keith North' whom, in all likelihood, may not show up to his match.

"Oh, may I also ask you two?" The Elf said as Kazudain and Hisana wrote. "What kind of arena do you expect to be fighting in? Do you think it'll be large or small? Filled with obstacles or not? Maybe other environmental factors?"

---

"But believe you me, due to the nature of the culprit, a stolen wallet gonna be the least of your worries if we don't stop her..."

"Hmmm..." The Feathered One's face was still dead serious. You feel that she did not completely buy your story despite it being true.

"Let's say your story is true, sir, and she is as dangerous as you say she is." She began. "How do you plan on catching this... public menace?" The Feathered One asked. "I don't know if you know but Zauberheim is in the middle of a... festival of sorts. Do you think we will have to interrupt it to keep the people safe?"

"May I also ask who you are?" She added and not saying anything more.

Thessir

Another successful escape. Thessir certainly patted himself on the back for slipping out of sight from that one woman, metaphorically speaking. Now that he was no longer occupied he entered a tent and registered.

"May I ask what kind of arena are you expecting to fight in? Do you think it'll be a spacious one or not? What about any obstacles?" The friendly human registration woman approached the question of arena choice, something he'd not expected.

"Ooo, you mean we git a say in what arena we do combat in? Does our preferinces have sway? Is it truth?" Thessir was positively giddy with excitement. If it was true that what they preferred could influence the choice of arena setting for them then perhaps he might stand a chance yet. He wore a big grin, bouncing on the heels of his boots.

"Well firstly I'd love it if the arena had a roof. If the arena had nothing else a roof would be just fine. If you can I'd have no lights in there either! Or at least as few as possible. Will there be spectators? Also a small arena would be nice. Very small, very cramped, not a lot of space yes. Also, all the obstacles! Walls! Pillars! Narrow tunnels and traps too! If a section could be submerged in liquid that would be excellent. Really I'll take any obstacles, I love obstacles, well, non-glowing obstacles. Like I said, no lights. No fire stuff is preferred. The best arena would be narrow, cramped and immersed in darkness most pure! Is there any like that? I'm flexible, I would just like a dark arena, something dark with plenty of shadows and dark darkness. Rich inky blessed dark of the blackest caves! Mmmhmhmhmhm!"

He was getting excited just imagining an ideal arena for his battles ahead. He was humming and chuckling as he rocked back and forth, leaning onto the edge of the desk which came up to just a bit below his midsection. If even a margin of his preferences could be met he figured he might stand at least a small chance of making it ahead in the battles to come. It took considerable effort not to drool as he daydreamed of tenebrous passages that winded about, spangled in a maze where one could lose their sense of up and down like some sort of massive ant tunnel network. The dark called to him. It was safety.

It was home.

_
@PaulHaynek

Kazudain turned to the Elf and spoke with a nod. "Of course, my apologies." Approaching the desk the warrior quickly signed both his name along with Maldur's in the same space. If there was an issue with having Maldur participate with him then he would deal with it then.

"To your question about the arena, I expect it to be able to change to keep the competitors guessing as to what kind of conditions they will be fighting in. Battles could happen anywhere indoors and out, in any terrain at any time. An open roof in a field of sparse trees to provide a glade terrain, a home under disrepair to act as a thief's hideout or cave tunnels home to a group of bandits-" He gave an idle shrug. "-no two environments are the same, each will need a different strategy on how to best use it alongside how to face a given opponent." By now he stood beside Maldur, petting his head to quite his growls. The cat-beast got to its feet and moved behind the man, still keeping its gaze on Hisana.

"The arena I believe will be somewhat large in order to incorporate the ability to change the terrain, allowing use of obstacles to control the spacing for the competitors."

@PaulHaynek NORTH COURTYARD
-----------------------------------------
Lisanthus turned at the official's question. She then chuckled a bit before responding.

"I expect that it will be all of the above, good sir. The tournament isn't just about brute force, it must also test the resourcefulness and adaptability of its competitors. I'm sure a certain man I know will see through to that!" Replied the princess in a cheerful tone in order to brighten the mood.

"Everything will be fine Mira, I'm sure you'll do well the in the tournament. Although, if you and I end up facing off against each other - I'm afraid you'll have to expect the worst!" Lisas said with a confident wink.

Lisianthus did her best to hide her insecurities, in truth she was still figuring how she was going to pull off a win this year...

---

@Frozen0Titan SOUTH COURTYARD
------------------------------
Hisana's expression remained unchanged while the beast growled at her, seemingly ready to unleash all of it's predatory fury on the woman. As much fun as it would be to try the beast, she decided that she would back down for now. She wondered if the beast could somehow smell the blood on her; it wouldn't surprise her.

She gave the Elf a sour glance at her words, but simply giggled it off. "As you wish..." She calmly replied.

She listened inattentively to the reception's question regarding the arena. "Truthfully, it doesn't make any difference to me one way or the other. I'm sure it will be a joyful experience regardless."

Hisana then turned her attention back to Kazudain, still interested in the man. "To honor the Elf's request, would you like to continue our conversation at a local tavern perhaps?~ I still don't even know your name yet."

While her sights were transfixed on the hooded man, she began to think about what Enishi might be doing right now. Her Flimsy Lies must still be keeping him busy. I'm sure he's probably trying to convince some official that I'm a menace to the kingdom and that I need to be taken down or something. Teehee.~ She spoke to herself in her mind, giggling a little.

---

CITY SQUARE
-------------------------------------
Enishi thought for a moment as to what to say. He'd guessed that the higher ups wouldn't just cancel an event as renowned as the Grand Festival due to the words of some foreign stranger. Furthermore, the guard seem to be more suspicious of him rather than his target. He greeted his teeth as he was sure Hisana planned all this from the very beginning.

He supposed he'd start with his name. "My name is Enishi Fuyu. I'm what you would refer to as a bounty hunter-for-hire. He made a respectful bow as a sign of courtesy.

"I doubt you'd want to shut down the whole festival on my word alone, but hopefully it won't come to that. The culprit doesn't actually target normal people. Only people who are versed in combat - like the Seraph Academy students. By now she's probably already registered in the tournament, if she has her way it could get ugly. If I can just find her, I'll make it a point that she's not able to harm anyone ever again."

While Enishi's tone was benevolent, one could sense underlying malice in his words. Though the malice seemed only to be directed toward Hisana.

"I specialize in immobilizing targets dead in their tracks. Believe it or not I'm quite handy with ice magic." Said Enishi as he held out his hand. A light blue orb of energy began to form in his palm; frozen air began to envelop his hand. The winged official would feel a chilling breeze coming from the mercenary's palm.

"If you want more information regarding the woman, you're free to take a look at my bingo book. It's authentic, you can tell by the seal."

~~Seleth~~

@PaulHaynek
North Courtyard

---

Alicia was energetic as ever. If only she was as confident as she put on, that'd make everything a bit better. With a humph and a sideways glance at Raveil, Seleth followed Alicia to the tents. A human at a desk explained quickly to register all they'd need to do was write their name on a piece of paper. That easy? That was all? She was half expecting some sort of test of ability just to get into the thing. Not that she couldn't pass such a thing, obviously, but this was a welcome occurrence.

"Well that was easy." She said handing over the paper with her name on it. Before she could leave though, she was asked a very odd question. What kind of terrain would they be fighting in? Seleth frowned, furrowing her eyebrows at the girl. What sort of question was that? Optimally, she could find in a more narrow space that had enough room for her to use her illusions effectively, but did it matter? "Does it matter?" She replied with a smug grin. "I can adapt to anything."

Rav followed the girls inside the registration tent, his hands inside his pockets as he waited for his turn to put his name down on registration. When he was handed the paper, he quickly scribbled on his name and then handed it over to her. It was the usual routine, nothing too special. The only reason why the wait would have been long before was because of the sheer amount of competitors signing up. But obviously, that had dwindled down. His tail swished behind him and he was ready to go once he had handed back the papers but then the question of their ideal terrain popped up.

That was odd. Didn't they usually just decide it amongst themselves instead of giving the player an edge by taking their input? But he guessed it was the same reason as to why they decided to let outsiders join this time - they wnated it to be different. Seleth answered as expected, confidently stating that she had no preference as she could do well in all areas. Rav, however, wasn't as confident as his dark elf companion. "I prefer places with lots of obstacles. So something... forest-like?" He replied with a small shrug. He excelled in using the area around him, and when there were no obstacles, there was nothing to use. Or maybe that's just because he grew up in the wilderness. Who knows.

Vuldur paused to consider the question,he had assumed he would be fighting in a dull,open arena with a sandy floor. Now that the guard asked however he considered his options. A small arena would allow him to close the distance with his opponent and deal with them in close quarters, that did not feel in the spirit of the tournament however so he said to the human "A large area would be preferred, flammable obstacles would make it ideal.
Ideally they would place him in a woodland like arena, he'd feel right at home battling in the trees albeit probably burning most of them to the ground. Vuldur gave the guard a nod after he gave his response and made to leave the tent.

@AzureKnight

"Oh, you'll learn of me soon enough my dear. And the same goes to you as well when it comes to a lack of introductions." If she could see it, Hisana would find a smile almost coy under the man's hood. The cat-beast had calmed for now, ears a-twitch and tail swishing about slowly. Still, it kept the woman in its peripheral.

Kazudain made his way out of the tent, holding the tent flap open after he and Maldur had stepped through. He looked to Hisana, tilting his head to the side.

"Well, shall we? I caught sight of a tavern that looked quite inviting on my way here. It's close to the City Square."

@Frozen0Titan

"Lovely, let us be off then.~" Hisana made her way out of the tent, following Kazudain as they began to make their way out of the academy courtyard. She must admit, she had taken quite a liking to the man in front of her. There was something about the hooded figure that stirred up her insides. It was something...ancient, and powerful.

"I imagine you'll forgive my lack of manners. My name is Hisana, I'm a fighter-for-hire of sorts. I especially enjoy jobs that are high-risk, high-reward.~"

She looked at the man's feline companion as they walked, "May I have the name of your little friend here as well? Quite the presence it gives off."

"My, for a young beauty such as yourself to deal in such things is quite rare indeed. Perhaps I'll get to see how far your skills can take you in this tournament." Hearing a faint snort from his cat-beast companion, Kazudain could tell Maldur was not amused. He shook his head.

"As for my companion here, I call him by the name Maldur. Journey with him long enough and you'll get used to his presence." Maldur merely gave a louder snort and a shake of his head; a small smirk grew on the mans face before he turned to glance at Hisana.

"To myself you may call me Dain, the Blue Pilgrim."

You were called to your assigned hall for your first match in the tournament. Arriving there, you see that there were many people on the stands. Doubtlessly eager to see the Crown Princess on her first match. One of them was your brother Lutz in his usual clothes. He watched silently but with a smile. You could tell he was also looking forward to seeing his sister in action.

You then see on the other end your approaching opponent. A man in purple robes slowly took his position. Since he was fully covered and with no weapons visible, it was hard to judge what kind of fighter he would be.

"Fighters!" Your attention was called by a female Scaled One, a Seraph Academy staff. The match's referee likely. "This is your first match for the Grand Academy Tournament. However, lose this one and you are out of the tournament." The referee explained. "Both fighters will duel until one of them is incapacitated. All spells are permitted in the fight but! Fighters must not have augmented themselves before the match. Any blessings that needs to be cast will be cast during the match itself."

"Now then, on this side we have Seraph Academy student and Crown Princess of Razelia, Princess Lisianthus von Zauberheim.." The referee introduced you. The audience cheered loudly for you. "And on the other side, we have Zev'jul. A sorcerer from a faraway land and an invited fighter." The Beastkin then cleared her throat. "Without further ado... Begin!"

Zev'jul assumed a fighting stance as he stared you down. "I hope you don't expect me to pull my punches just because you're the princess, Princess." The sorcerer told you as he waited for your move.



You were called to your assigned hall for your first match in the tournament. Arriving there, you see that there was not much people on the stands, only several Seraph Academy students.

The person who stood on the other side was an Elf and a Wood Elf from how she appeared. She had green hair and wore clothes that befits a hunter in a forest. She was armed with a bow and several arrows so you know how she will probably fight. Probably.

"Fighters!" Your attention was called by a Feathered One, a Seraph Academy student and the match's referee. "This is your first match for the Grand Academy Tournament but it will be as important as the others for if you lose this match, you are out of the tournament for good. Yup yup!" The referee explained. "Both fighters will duel until one of them is incapacitated. All spells are permitted in the fight but! Fighters must not have augmented themselves before the match. Any blessings that needs to be cast will be cast during the match itself."

"Now then, on this side we have Hisana, an outside competitor invited to participate." The referee introduced you. "And on the other side, we have Seraph Academy student Primera Concierto." The Harpy then cleared her throat. "Alright girls... Begin!"

Primera wasted no time nocking an arrow to her bow and shooting it at you.



You were called to your assigned hall for your first match in the tournament. Arriving there, you see that there were only several people on the stands and most of them were all fully armored like knights. Their armor, however, was not Razelian in design nor did they sport any emblems that belonged to the country so they were surely foreigners.

The person who stood on the other side facing you was an armored knight. A fat armored knight. He wielded a single axe that rested on his shoulders. You have no idea how this knight was going to move with his size and armor but perhaps there was more than meets the eye.

"Fighters!" Your attention was called by a female Elf, a Seraph Academy student and the match's referee. "This is your first match for the Grand Academy Tournament but not your least important one for if you lose this match, you are out of the tournament." The referee explained. "Both fighters will duel until one of them is incapacitated. All spells are permitted in the fight but! Fighters must not have augmented themselves before the match. Any blessings that needs to be cast will be cast during the match itself."

"Now then, on this side we have Seraph Academy student, Seleth Thenri." The referee introduced you. "And on the other side, we have Sir Eats-A-Lot. A knight from the esteemed Lot Order of Ortus." The knights in the audience all cheered loudly, lacking the manner and decor of usual knights. The Elf then cleared her throat. "Well then... Begin!"

The Lot Knight brought his axe to the ready, waiting for your move.



You were called to your assigned hall for your first match in the tournament. Arriving there, you see that there was not much people on the stands. Only a couple of Beastkin whom you knew.

The person who stood on the other side was large, tall man dressed in brown robes. His head was covered with a hood and he stood there quietly as you took your position. With his choice in clothing and without any visible weapons, it was hard for you to assess what kind of warrior he is.

"Fighters!" Your attention was called by a female Elf, a Seraph Academy student. Likely the match's referee. "This is most likely your first match for the Grand Academy Tournament. However, it's still very important because if you lose, you are out of the tournament." The referee explained. "Both fighters will duel until one of them is incapacitated. All spells are permitted in the fight but! Fighters must not have augmented themselves before the match. Any blessings that needs to be cast will be cast during the match itself."

"Now then, on this side we have Seraph Academy student, Raviel Husk. A longtime participant of the Grand Academy Tournament." The referee introduced you. "And on the other side, we have Galmore. A sorcerer from a faraway land and an invited fighter." The Elf then cleared her throat. "Let the match... Begin!"

At the signal, Galmore shed his robes to reveal a heavily muscular body unbefitting a sorcerer. He looked more like a wrestler than a sorcerer. However, he kept his hood on and after a few stretches with his head, he began advancing towards you in a slow walk.



You were called to your assigned hall for your first match in the tournament. Arriving there, you see that there were several people in the stands. Most of them appear to be farmers and peasants from outside Zauberheim. They were all cheering for a person named Ecthel.

On the other side, you see a boy with a bow on his hands and wore light armor and clothing. He waved happily at the audience who waved back. This appeared to be the Ecthel they were cheering about.

"Fighters!" Your attention was called by an adult Human female, a Seraph Academy staff and the match's referee no doubt. "This is your first match for the Grand Academy Tournament. However, losing this match means you are out of the tournament so keep that in mind." The referee explained. "Both fighters will duel until one of them is incapacitated. All spells are permitted in the fight but! Fighters must not have augmented themselves before the match. Any blessings that needs to be cast will be cast during the match itself."

"Now then, on this side we have outside competitor Vuldur." The referee introduced you. "And on the other side, we have Seraph Academy student Ecthel Leda." She then cleared her throat. "Without further ado... Begin!"

"Alright, what'choo gonna do, Mister Wolfman?" Ecthel taunted.



You were called to your assigned hall for your first match in the tournament. Arriving there, you see that there were a few people on the stands as audience. Seraph Academy students from the looks of it.

You then see on the other end your approaching opponent. A girl of red hair and barbaric armor and garb. On her hands was a long halberd weapon. She looked at you with cold and serious eyes, not at all disturbed by your appearance.

"Fighters!" Your attention was called by a Human boy, a Seraph Academy student and match's referee. "This is likely your first match for the Grand Academy Tournament. However, losing this match will mean you are out of the tournament." The referee explained. "Both fighters will duel until one of them is incapacitated. All spells are permitted in the fight but! Fighters must not have augmented themselves before the match. Any blessings that needs to be cast will be cast during the match itself."

"Now then, on this side we have Thessir. A Rogue Elf guest fighter." The referee introduced you. "And on the other side, we have Hellia Devaron. A Seraph Academy student specializing in aggressive combat." The Human boy then cleared his throat. "Without further ado... Begin!"

Hellia, with a loud war cry, immediately charged at you.



You were called to your assigned hall for your first match in the tournament. Arriving there, you see that there were only several people on the stands and most of them were all clothed in Eastern garb. They appear to be foreigners and not at all from Zauberheim or even Razelia though you soon find out why they were there.

The person who stood on the other side facing you was a warrior in golden-colored armor of Eastern design. He wielded a single katana which was sheathed in his waist and stood quietly as you took your place. He was probably your opponent this match.

"Fighters!" Your attention was called by a male Elf, a Seraph Academy student. The match's referee likely. "This is probably your first match for the Grand Academy Tournament. However, that does not diminish its importance for if you lose this one, you are out of the tournament." The referee explained. "Both fighters will duel until one of them is incapacitated. All spells are permitted in the fight but! Fighters must not have augmented themselves before the match. Any blessings that needs to be cast will be cast during the match itself."

"Now then, on this side we have a fighter named Kazudain who will be joined by his animal companion, Maldur." The referee introduced you. "And on the other side, we have General Tozen of the Dawn Isles. Currently off-duty to participate in the Grand Academy Tournament." The Elf then cleared his throat. "Without further ado, let the match... Begin!"

"Two against one? I do not favor such odds." Tozen told you before throwing a smoke bomb in the middle of the rectangular arena. When the smoke cleared, Tozen appeared with his blade unsheathed. And another. And another.

They waited for your move.



You were a bit late in registering for the tournament but you made it at the last moment, just before it closed. But you made it and that was what mattered. Soon you were called to your assigned hall for your first match in the tournament. Arriving there, you see that there were only a few people at the stands. Some students from Seraph Academy.

On the other side facing you was a woman in white clothes with a blue silk fabric under them and sported a small top hat. She had a confident pose on and looked ready to get started.

"Fighters!" Your attention was called by an adult human male. Probably a Seraph Academy staff and the match's referee. "This is your first match for the Grand Academy Tournament. However, lose this one and you are out of the tournament." The referee explained. "Both fighters will duel until one of them is incapacitated. All spells are permitted in the fight but! Fighters must not have augmented themselves before the match. Any blessings that needs to be cast will be cast during the match itself."

"Now then, on this side we have Seraph Academy student Vincent Carlisle." The referee introduced you. "And on the other side, we have Rielle Leonardo. A magician from a faraway land and invited to participate in this tournament." The referee then cleared his throat. "Now then... Begin!"

Rielle immediately made a quick motion with her hands and whispered a spell which created a circle of green energy around her. With a smirk on her face, she motioned at you to come at her.

---

In the Luminous Citadel, a discreet meeting was called that invited certain individuals. One who was summoned was Tibrus Heatherman, the head architect of the kingdom. Another was Faye Nisval, a Beastkin graduate from Seraph Academy and recalled back to Zauberheim. And an outsider, Enishi Fuyu, who was taken in by authorities after saying that he was after a dangerous person who had allegedly joined the Grand Academy Tournament, dashing any hopes he has in joining it.

The room was spacious with a long table that had a dozen or so wooden seats. There were three large windows that provided a wonderful view of the city of Zauberheim. Banners with Razelian colors were hung in between the windows. In the room were the aforementioned three joined by an old man with hair white with age and wisdom. This was Athos, the royalty's court mage but his meager-sounding title betrays the fact that he was a most accomplished sage and did a whole lot more than being a court mage. Teaching in Seraph Academy for one.

"Everyone, I'm not going to mince words. You are all here by orders of the King for an important mission." The court mage told everyone present. "You are chosen for your skills and knowledge although one of us, I hear, was an unexpected addition." He remarked, probably referring to Enishi.

"But... onto the business at hand." Athos continued. "You are all called here to investigate a very important matter: corruption and malpractice within this year's Grand Academy Tournament." The court mage revealed. "Most of the Arcknights have voiced their suspicions of cheating and other shady tactics in the tournament and so the King wants an investigation into this matter."

"However, the King respects your freedom and you are free to walk away from this if you wish." Athos continued. "Oh, are there... any questions, by the way?"

---

---

Vincent had hoped for a larger crowd, something to really spur the enthusiasm, though he had heard the princess was fighting this year and the buzz was likely there. The opponent that stood before him was a young woman, oddly dressed for a fight, though this was where mages gathered and not all mages fought the same. Vincent took a small bow as the fight began.

"I wish you the best of luck, fight with honor." Vincent leaned forward and set himself into a lighter stance, he prepared to dodge long range attacks, many of the mages that he had met had all used some form of projectile magic, be it throwing a fireball, or hurling lighting, the best plan was to not be hit, and to be fast as he closed the gap.

His body tensed as he felt the magic pulse through him, a sensation he had long since begun to understand, he called to mind his training, all the months spent alongside his mentor, as his foot pressed into the ground, it was as if he broke through a pane of glass, the magic scattered over his body, revealing the shift from his normal street clothes, to a suit of darkened leather armor and in each of his hands was a short blade, just longer than a dagger. If Vincent could manage to close the distance between them, a quick finish was ideal, but just being within melee was better than the opponent holding him at range.

@PaulHaynek

---Meeting Room---

Eyes narrowed as they surveyed the room, watching as some personel left though not many. They paused for a moment on the outsider, the bounty hunter Enishi, before refocusing on the court mage and fellow teacher, Athos.

Athos was a mentor of sorts to Tibrus when he was younger, helping the now Head Architect find his place in the academy while juggling his responcibilities to his family and kingdom. As a teacher himself he would at times share tea with the older man when time permitted, disscusing magical theories, new testing formats and small talk of their daily lives outside the halls of the Academy. He held a great respect for the elder teacher and knew that he would help in any way he could.

"To what or who are these allegations directed towards Professor Athos? Is there any form of time frame from when the Arcknights first voice their suspicions to now?"

---Practice Halls---

"Hm. General Tozen. I have heard of your exploits-" Kazudain offered a quick bow. "-Fight well my adversary." Without warning Maldur's eyes glowed before the cat-beast released a terrifying roar, one that bombarded both the walls and the audience as it blew away the last of the smoke. It would be heard by the fighters in the other halls, sending chills down their spines. As one, Kazudain and Maldur charged forward, the man drawing his sword as he ran.

Suddenly there was a loud crack of thunder, and Kazudain stood behind the left Tozen, sword outstretched. He swiftly turned then lept back, sword at the ready. Maldur ran around the edge, coming to meet with his master with great swiftness.

@PaulHaynek

Raviel bid farewell to both Alicia and Seleth after their registration to prepare. Well, "prepare" might be too strong of a word. It was more psyching himself up for the fight because he didn't know what to expect. All his matches before were things he had studied up for by watching others during their academy time. Now, he didn't know if he would be faced with an outsider so there was a whole heap of uncertainty that was in his heart that he felt only once - which was his first time participating. Though, at the same time, he was excited. New people to fight with and learn from!

When he was summoned, he quickly leapt to his feet and headed for the arena. He saw some familiar faces there, some friends from back at the academy. Well, he didn't mind. Whether there was someone out there cheering for him or not, he wanted to have fun during the tournaments. His opponent was robed and hooded and he didn't see anything there - no weapon, no nothing. Guess he was just magically inclined.

"Hi there!" He greeted with a wave. He didn't care if that guy was out for blood or out for his skin, this was just a friendly competition. No need to get so serious.

His ears twitched as the referee began speaking. Same old rules, same old story. At least that much didn't change. He made sure to dispel any blessings on him before the match... which he had to reapply during it. A shame right? But nevertheless, he listened well. Galmore and... invited fighter? Oh... Oh boy this will be interesting. As the match begun, Raviel's hands were already at work. He began to write his runic blessings one by one.

Enhanced Durability. Check.

Galmore was buff. It was definitely not what he was expecting. So this'll be a physical fight? Well, he still wasn't sure. No telling with these outsiders. He'll just have to wait and see. He began writing the next rune as Galmore began to proceed forward.

Protection against magic. Check.

He kept his eyes on Galmore, waiting for him to do something while also slowly moving back as he continued to write his blessings. It was both a distraction, a bait and a foolish decision all rolled in one. But it never failed him. He still didn't know which third blessing he should put on him though. After all, he did't know what to counter against. Raviel waited for Galmore to make his first move.


Faye knew that there was something interesting brewing in Zauberheim when she got there, but the festivities of the outside made her chipper. She mingled with the people there before she went to Luminous Citadel. They were all excited to watch what would happen. They had an interesting lineup this year, after all, and they were just bystanders. They wouldn't be harmed. Faye couldn't deny that, at the very least. It was exciting when you're watching. But when you're there fighting to the top... let's just say it wasn't as fun as they made it out to be.

She soon entered Luminous Citadel and headed to the meeting room. She will visit Radiant Cathedral - her foster home - later. She wasn't sure if she was prepared to face her old comrades, her caretakers... or to face the possibility that they may have already passed on to Aylama's or Amalya's arms. The thought was depressing, but she coulnd't do anything about the nature of life. She dare not do anything to counter it. Playing God did not help anyone, after all.

Faye took a seat when she arrived and made one passing glance to everyone in the room. Tibrus Heathermann - she at least knew who Zauberheim's Head Architect was even if he had taken the name after she left Zauberheim. She'd be a fool to not be caught up in the affairs of her hometown even if she was hesitant to come back. There was this other person who she didn't know or hear about. Interesting.

Athos came to them and joined them on the table. Faye remembered when he was... younger. But of course that was the case, she had been gone for a long time now. He'd been a professor at Seraph Academy so she knew him well. As a professor at least. But she didn't care about that now. It looks like there is some sort of problem if they called her back here. And there it was. She had no intentions of letting King Reindhart down.

"I would also like to question these Arcknights. Surely, for them to have suspicions, there are people they actually suspect of doing so. Or at least some clues." Faye said with a raise of her hand. She caught her habit and placed it back down on the table, hoping no one noticed that or would give attention to that. Being in the presence of her previous teacher sure did ease her back into being a student. "And can we enter any place in the tournament area?"

Thessir

Well, this was certainly looking to be an uphill battle for the poor little elf.

He was a bit confused from the introductions given by the announcer. Guest fighter? But I'm no less a student thin the other. Must be some sort of clerical error. He pondered. Turning his thoughts back to his opponent he sized her up as she stood stoically before him.

Hmm... Perhaps a buff oriented melee fighter? I'll have to find out what's up her sleeves before I decide just how hard I need to fight back. Hopefully I'll learn before I lose my head, heheheh. Deep in thought he stood there, grinning in amusement for some unseen reason.

He was standing close up to the wall in the hall. He moved shiftily, eyes furtively darting about. He was watching where he stepped with great caution, largely avoiding the beams of light which illuminated said hall. From the looks of things this was going to be one of those fights where every second spent using his magic was going to have to be spent wisely.

"Without further ado... Begin!"

As the announcer proclaimed this match's commencement his foe bellowed her war cry and charged right for him. Thessir himself assumed a stance though it wasn't a particularly aggressive stance. He simply stood somewhat lurched forward, arms hanging in front of him as he gently swayed from side to side. His motion was not unlike that of a drunkard struggling to keep his balance but with a strange smoothness akin to a snake's wavelike motion as it slithers.

Muttering low he incanted his spell, arcane words uttered in a language only he understood. His gestures were subtle, hand motions hidden beneath his long sleeves as he cast his spell. As the spell took hold he could feel his bones, from his arms to his ribcage and partways up his spine, begin to soften. The changes that were underway would not be visible to the observer for he was only turning his arms and upper torso into what could only be described as darkness made material. His head remained unchanged as did the rest of his body from the hip down.

Just as his foe began to approach the slashing range of her halberd in one smooth motion he produced a throwing knife from his coat sleeve and hurled it right for the middle of her throat with keen precision. To those observing while all seemed ordinary the observant could see his hands were now pitch black, the details of his digits and palm no longer clear. Leaping back to buy distance he kept his other knife in hand, both hand and blade hidden beneath his sleeve just in case the first knife couldn't meet it's mark for whatever reason.

While it would be charming if this quick shot with a blade were to finish the fight right there he suspected it wouldn't be that easy. His main aim was to goad her into showing off her magic so he could retaliate accordingly. His secondary aim was to finish the fight with little to no demonstration of his magic. He wanted to save his magic's full potential for the big matches, to keep his surprises for the bigger names in the field. He had heard that the princess was competing this year and that she was something of a big deal amidst his fellow students. He knew of her though mostly through second hand information as his studies kept him well too busy for gossip. Still he toyed with the notion of the possibility that they might fight.

One fight at a time though. He still had this one to win first.

~~Seleth~~

@PaulHaynek

---

Seleth had been impatiently awaiting her first match with both apprehension and excitement. She could finally show off! Show the world how good she really was! But...what if she failed? What if she made a fool of herself like so many times before? She spent most of her pre-match days at the church, simply meditating and trying to calm her ensuing nerves. When the day of the event finally came...she couldn't believe it.

What was this? A stadium full of knights? They were totally underestimating her. It almost infuriated her! What was an armored knight going to do against her? Her magic? Bah, he was going to find out just exactly how terribly prepared he was for fighting her. At least the Arena was nice and simple - though a bit too open for her liking. Well, either way, time to get this fight started. Her opponent? Some sort of foreign armored knight. Large and Bulky. Fat or muscle? She couldn't tell, but if he was wearing such heavy looking armor she was betting on the latter. He'd have to be, or he'd be laughably ineffective.

She hefted her spear, waving a hand dismissively at the Knight.

"Well, quite the cheer sir stuffs-his-face," Sel replied with an all too smug smirk. "I hope that big armor of yours isn't just for show...so try not to loose too badly, hmm?" In a rather flashy display, Seleth spun her spear above her head, taking an offensive stance as several shadowy javelins appeared around her, ready to reactively defend herself from any threat that got within range - before rushing towards the knight, intending to thrust the spear towards his helmet, but it was just a feint - she was fully prepared to dodge. She was just testing the waters, one could say.

Vuldur examined the crowd watching the battle Must be families and friends of the whelp he felt a drop of sadness in his soul for a moment at the lack of his own kin present in the crowd, but they were all in the North far from here. The feeling was quickly swallowed up by the sea of excitement and anticipation for the battle to commence.

The beastkin grinned at his opponent "See for yourself" he replied as he pulled his left arm back summoning forth an orb of fire before quickly molding it with a quick fluid gesture in his other hand before throwing the firebolt directly at his opponent. After the blast left Vuldur's hand it's form shifted writhed with magical energy and before eventually forming into the head of a wolf, smoke spewing from it's eyes and nose by the time it was several meters from it's target. As soon as he unleashed his first spell the beastkin began sprinting towards Ecthel, trying to close the distance between the two.

--Practice Halls (Princess Lisianthus)--

Lisianthus wanted to smile back at her little brother who was watching from the stands, but she knew that during battle one should only be focused on the opponent in front of them. She began to clear her mind and channel her magical energy into her body and blade. The princess came to win this year and she wasn't going to let some sorcerer from a 'far away land' rob her of that!

She thought it'd be best to start with fortification magic and basic projectiles against her opponent. She guessed that because he was a magic he would also specialize in ranged attacks. Best to play it safe and learn her foe's in's & out's first. She increased her defenses and then make her first move.

"Very well, Sir Zev'jul. Let's see how you handle this!" Exclaimed Lisia as she fired a shockwave from her sword at the fellow magic user.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

--Practice Halls (Hisana)--

Hisana stared down her opponent with a warm smile whilst the referee announced the start of the match. Primera, huh? What a cute sounding name.~` She thought to herself. I wonder how much fun I'll have beating her senseless?

Seeing her foe waste no time, Hisana readied one of her poker cards to intercept the arrow, making sure the card was as sharp as steel. She also began transmuting her favorite technique, Elastic Love, in her other hand. Her hope was that during the brief time the card tore through the arrow, she could catch Primera off guard and snag her with the transmuted sticky substance. She couldn't wait to pull the student toward her and deliver a painful punch to the young bow user.

Of course, she'd have a backup hand in case things didn't go as planned...

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

--Meeting Room, Luminous Citadel (Enishi)--

The bounty hunter Enishi, still trying to recover from the bitterness at not having yet caught Hisana (and not being able to participate in the tournament), sat among a few unfamiliar faces after being summoned to one of the Citadel's briefing rooms. He listened with a raised brow as the old mage detailed to them the nature of the supposed mission the King asked of them.

The middle-aged man was the first to speak after the briefing. Enishi wasn't sure who he was, apparently word of mouth states him to be the head architect for the kingdom. After, a female fox beast-kin voiced her concerns about the job, though she wanted to know what areas everyone will have access to as well - something that also interested the mercenary. Apparently both wanted to know about where such allegations have come from.

"I can think of one person who fits the bill perfectly..." Enishi directed his statement at both the architect and the fox beast-kin. "One of the competitors in your tournament happens to be a professional thief and a sociopathic killer. And she was able to lie and sneak her way in without a hitch."

Enishi leaned back in his chair while folding his arms. "Although, perhaps you finally see the truth in my words, and you've realized that someone was able to bypass your records with falsified documents?" Said the bounty hunter.

"I don't mind helping out, since I was already hunting her to begin with. But for this talk about others who are corrupting the event, I might charge extra for my troubles." He added, still annoyed at being detained in the first place.

@PaulHaynek