Next day.
Everyone was teleported into the venue for the Premium Age Royale. The noise and clamour instantly filled the stadium as the witnesses chattered endlessly, wondering what they were in for this time.
At any event one could think of, there were always the excited types, who would literally enjoy anything that tore them away from the boring reality that they were suffocated by every other day. These were the most common.
There were also those who enjoyed specific segments of said event that tended to their niche desires while giving a critical analysis of everything else. These were fewer in number.
"Hmm. Is it only me or does it seem like these Preliminaries are flowing in quite a strange pattern?"
"I feel the same way. There have been a few battles of note but the rest are pretty much, boring."
"I can see that but I feel like whoever is matching up opponents isn't making an effort to create stimulating battles. It's either a battle ends in one strike or it's just a brief clash that ends with the other dead. There's barely been opponents to even reach the two hour limit that a single fight is allowed to last."
"That's true. It is indeed strange. Almost as if..."
"Like someone wants more people to die?"
"No, that's not what I had in mind. More like someone wants the Preliminaries to end quickly so as to begin the actual royale."
"Oh. That makes a lot of sense. Unfortunately, we still have another round of Preliminaries after this one. Hopefully it passes fast. I can already tell who the main contenders will be for the royale and that's what I want to see."
As the speculations whirled around the subject of the Preliminaries and how they weren't captivating some of the witnesses, an aggressive tension was brimming several rows up the convex shaped rows of seats for witnesses.
Stylla did her best to hold in her rage.
As did everyone even remotely concerned with the internal Family matter.
Setkh.
He was seated beside Stylla, consistently bearing the piercing glare she gave him.
The male red head could only breathe out a faint sigh.
He glanced at Stylla's furious visage and wore a cheesy, pained smile.
"You can't kill me here," he said.
"Oh, yeah? Try me," Stylla threatened through her teeth, her blazing mana catching the attention of distinguished and otherwise persons sitting near them. "Your little rat isn't here to save you."
The bloodlust Stylla exuded was transparent, clearly shrieking of the intent she had to kill Setkh right now.
The recipient of this intent didn't flinch physically, but his heart was hurt. To see the person he loved the most want to kill him was heart-breaking, especially considering the trials he had to go through for her and the Family. They were mostly trials of his own making but still...
Couldn't he be rewarded just a little?
"I was going to have you spared you know? If the Family really fell after father was... I was going to flee with you and start anew. We'd cut blood ties and start our family in a quiet place. It would have been nice," Setkh said with a longing gaze directed at Stylla.
She couldn't believe what she was hearing.
What the heck was wrong with this man?
Was this what he was thinking all that time when she had actually contemplated forgiving him and convincing everyone else in the Family to do the same?
That to err was human and to forgive divine...
Stylla hand nearly caught fire as she swore, she would kill this bastard right here!
"Stylla, please don't," Silrat intervened, gripping the woman's hand firmly.
He sat a seat away from Stylla, between him and her being where Daggs sat.
The man had felt that it wasn't his place to intervene and rightfully so. He couldn't stop Stylla or provide a convincing enough 'voice' for something like that, thus he let someone else handle it.
"You'll tarnish the little you are trying to keep of the Bryne Family by making a scene like this. No one knows what's happening between you two. All they will see is an internal conflict that lessens your image," Silrat advised, hoping dearly that this woman wouldn't attract big fish to them with this stunt.
After all, predators loved to see collective weak prey.
Stylla pulled her hand away from his grasp, her lips twitching as she continued to glare into Setkh's face.
"Dammit!" Stylla cursed as she stood, gripped Silrat by the corner and forced him to swap seats with her.
The former Association Branch Head sighed as he plopped into the comfortable seat.
He had intended to separate the two so that an unplanned conflict wouldn't happen but... Stylla took care of that herself.
"I wouldn't mind having her stare me down with that fiery gaze, you know?" Setkh said, his heart calming down a bit.
"I'm sure you wouldn't," Silrat replied apathetically.
He couldn't be bothered with the drama.
He'd rather focus on the matches that...
"Hmmm?"
Silrat looked a seat away from Setkh and found a figure covering their face with a cloth.
The mystery of their identity was exposed by something exclusive only to them probably in the entire Genhuis city though.
Lime green hair.
"Yuyui?" Silrat voiced with a brow raised.
The girl yelped and turned to side hurriedly.
Operation 'Don't draw attention' had failed dismally.
*
The Game Master sat on a large glass plane once more as he welcomed everyone and announced the commencement of the day's matches.
'Where does he go after facilitating the matches? Does anyone even know who he really is among the Families and all?' Skullius seated within the long tent wondered.
All that he and Silrat done to try and figure out a connection, or at the very least the slimmest reason behind the Premium Age Royale had turned out to be limited by speculations.
None of it was solid.
'To think this sockethole was once a prisoner in our grasp...' Skullius thought.
The ever smiling Guissepo brought the first contestants to the stage and a thrilling battle that lasted for nearly 25 minutes ensued, proving itself a magnificent start to the day!
It got everyone pumped for the next matches but sadly, they weren't what everyone expected.
In the second match, one of the opponents withdrew without even making an effort to fight his opponent.
In the third, both opponents fought half-heartedly until they reached the two hour limit of the match!
According to the rules, a draw like this would result in both contenders getting disqualified from the Royale entirely, which the two opponents seemed to accept without issue!
When the fourth match ended, some within the crowd started to see a pattern.
The latest contenders had both withdrawn at the same time, the Game Master judging them to be disqualified as well, as the result wasn't much different a draw.
Strangely, these participants didn't seem bothered by this at all. They welcomed it with nods and calm dispositions.
What was going on?!
This wasn't random, was it?
High up the stadium, Rearren EverSword narrowed his eyes, a smile blossoming on his face.
"Interesting. It's that woman isn't it? She's openly sabotaging the event by winning over small Families and having them withdraw from their fights," he said. "Perhaps instinct works better than I thought."
"She's a selfish manipulator with a decent amount of power. That is all. Her actions are not from instinct. I believe she is just insecure," Rias responded to his father's views.
"Oh?" Rearren voiced in surprise at his son's objection.
Insecure? An interesting take.
Following the uproar of dissatisfaction, the contenders for the next match were met with apprehension and a relatively silent crowd.
Were these two going to quit as well?