By Zephyria At the top and bottom of the arena, there were circular Gates that allowed external light to penetrate inside. There were a total of two Gates, maintaining an inclination of 23.4 degrees from the ground and facing each other in a perfectly parallel line.
Therefore, when looking at the center of the arena, a cylindrical beam of light descended from the sky, creating a sense of awe as if recreating the descent of an angel.
A huge shadow slowly penetrated into such a beam of light. The cheers of the surrounding audience surged fiercely.
Waaaaaaaah―
The shadows were not singular. Numerous Floating Stones fell into the center of the arena, creating a spectacle of meteorites raining down like a shower. The same was true from the other Gate located on the opposite side. The Floating Stones that passed through the entrance rose on the updraft like lions being summoned by the call of God.
The Floating Stone that Leonardo was riding on was one of them. He slightly frowned at the glaring sunlight, but while lowering his body to the sensation of defying gravity, he first surveyed the surrounding scenery.
The Floating Stones that rose up and down from both Gates met in the center of the arena like the creation of the world. They crossed and intertwined, and just before colliding, they stopped suspended in mid-air.
It was as if they were embodying the ‘Day of Reckoning’ that had once driven the lifeforms of this land to the brink of extinction.
The figures displayed amidst the beams of light struck a pose, unlike the ragtag bunch he had seen in the waiting area earlier. They generally had shadows under their eyes, which made them look even more so. Some, emboldened by the announcer’s voice, waved leisurely at the crowd.
The spectators roared at them, and the waves of sound were transmitted through the Ether, causing the Floating Stones to shake unstably.
The participants, who also flinched, lowered their bodies and leaned their heads over the edge of the Floating Stone. They all looked down to estimate the height and were horrified. Ero was no exception.
“W-we’re doing it here…?”
In his view, the open void stretched out beneath the sparsely floating Floating Stones.
Since the arena itself was built at a high altitude to give the sensation of flying in the sky, there were no safety devices underneath except for the five legs supporting the arena. The clouds were even slightly touching it, making it seem like falling would mean certain death.
“Come behind me.”
“Eek!”
Leonardo grabbed the back of Ero’s neck and pulled him back. Ero, who had been so tense, floundered like a newborn foal and stuck close to Leonardo’s side. The participants on the same Floating Stone saw this and chuckled, asking if they had come as a couple.
Leonardo lowered his voice and whispered only to Ero.
“Don’t do anything that makes you look weak. You’ll be targeted first.”
“Ah, u-understood! I’ll keep that in mind!”
“Don’t stand at the edge either. What if someone pushes you from behind?”
Ero, who had been cowering, sent a look of gratitude to his reliable savior and answered as bravely as he could.
The area of the Floating Stones varied from 10 to 20 meters in diameter, and the number of people standing on each as a foothold was uniformly 10. And there seemed to be dozens of Floating Stones carrying people like that. On the other hand, there were also Floating Stones that occasionally had no one on them.
Leonardo intuitively believed that today’s match would be related to these Floating Stones.
‘I saw the list up to the 400s earlier… Ero is number 499 and I’m number 500. With this many people, does that mean we’re almost the last ones?’
If there were only 500 participants who made it to the preliminaries, then these were definitely selected individuals. It meant that they were not opponents to be taken lightly. Perhaps that was why the people he had been watching in the previous two test matches gradually came into view.
The first to catch his eye was a corpse-like woman with long white hair. Her presence alone was considerable, but the other nine people on the Floating Stone with her seemed to be avoiding her, sticking to the edge, which made her even more noticeable.
‘First of all, avoid that one.’
Then, in the distance, a huge figure flickered. It was Gillian, sticking out from the participants, and Beatrice on his shoulder. Beatrice wiggled as if she was about to wave when she spotted him, but fortunately, Gillian quickly stopped her.
He had already heard the news of their passing at the residence. At the time, he had scolded them for doing useless things, but it was still nice to see them again in an unfamiliar place. Unlike the tests, the higher the competition went, the more helpers there were, as Ero had said, the better.
At that moment, a vast Amplification Magic Circle spread across the sky. It was a phenomenon that appeared when the announcement was made.
The participants all raised their heads at once.
Instead of restrictions, a more intense bloodbath was expected. It also sounded like they could directly aim guns at people. Leonardo and Ero unconsciously made eye contact.
Ero carefully held the pistol he had been carrying on his waist. At this moment, even the spectators became quiet. There would be no prospective supernova who would raise their hand to withdraw because they were afraid of getting injured in such a situation.
While everyone was just rolling their eyes, Leonardo glanced in the direction that had been bothering him since earlier. The area where the Council’s white uniforms were particularly concentrated. Honestly, it looked even smaller than before, and he couldn’t even distinguish people anymore. Nevertheless, it wasn’t difficult to guess the direction where that person was.
‘Crap… I’m suddenly getting nervous.’
Leonardo wiped his sweaty palms on the back pocket of his pants. He was going to win anyway, but for some reason, the thought that he was being watched made him feel like he had to do even better.
He was suddenly overcome with the urge to wave his hand like Beatrice to confirm, but this was a place where not only Agrizendro but also the Council’s upper command were all gathered. Knowing that, it didn’t lead to foolish actions.
‘I want to show them how I fly… but if I advertise who I am in front of other guys, that’s a problem in itself.’
Last time, we parted healthily when the flames subsided while I was still wiping my nosebleed. Apart from my heavy heart due to worries, it seemed Gira had no intention of showing me how he masturbated unless I overturned the stadium. At this rate… should I really flip it over just to show him I’m still capable?
‘Still, for now, let’s not act recklessly and just observe the situation moderately. If even small fry come at me hundreds at once, it’ll be tough. Plus, there’s luggage beside me.’
While Leonardo was steeling his resolve, no participant raised their hand. Judging there were no volunteers to withdraw, the organizers proceeded with the full competition explanation.
‘200? Survival?’
A number slightly less than half. Not exactly tight, but not exactly reassuring either.
Leonardo pulled his sleeve down to cover the glowing band on his wrist. Most others made similar movements.
Following the broadcast team’s lead, the audience who had been holding their breath began counting down.
Participants one by one gripped their weapons and took combat stances. Instead of drawing his Flame Sword, Leonardo grabbed Ero by the scruff of his neck and tapped his throat to signal him. Ero looked back at him.
Leonardo also made an eye signal. He wasn’t sure if Ero understood, but the general signal to do something probably got through.
<3, 2, 1!>
Right after the final count sounded, Leonardo leaped high from his position. At that moment, the two participants behind them simultaneously rushed forward, and dull explosive sounds echoed from all directions.