Chapter 73: The first match (1)
Grindeston's Arena had five thousand seats, which often were empty throughout the year. But today those five thousand seats were falling short.
Inhabitants and visitors fought to enter the Arena even before it was noon. No one wished to miss the opening of the second round of the tournament.
By the time Hex entered the hidden passage toward the waiting area, he could hear the cheers through layers of walls and floors, making them tremble.
He was accompanied by Althea. She seemed eager to start fighting. As a trained soldier she had no qualms about killing people.
Hex didn't mind killing either. If the six years had honed his survival skills, the past few weeks had removed his resistance against taking lives.
'It's not different from Crevice Hunting. We clean up so no plague or hidden danger is fostered in those dark places. In this case, we will remove humans who could disrupt the lives of those weak to defend themselves.'
They soon reached the waiting area. The top twenty were gathered here.
As soon as Hex entered the area, he felt a cold gaze land on him. Looking up, he met Clannad's eyes.
"I hope your luck continues till we meet," Clannad said with a dangerous glint in his eyes. The others in the room remained silent.
The top twenty consisted mostly of members belonging to Clannad and the twins from the Viscount family. The only people who didn't belong to them were Hex, Althea, Sterling, and Ella.
Hex looked at his old rival with a worried look. For some reason, he felt that Clannad seemed less…human.
"And here I am hoping that my luck continues even after meeting you," Hex replied with a bright smile.
Clannad narrowed his eyes. Hex felt the temperature of the area drop. It wasn't just his imagination. It really became colder.
'What technique is he using? This isn't something everyone can do.'
Tempering with natural elements was something only Knights and a select few Squires could do.
Hex learned from Althea that those Squires were born with a certain constitution. She for example was born with a constitution enabling her to tap into the thunder domain.
'I have known Clannad for a long time. I was there when he awakened his Blessing. It was related to scaled skins. I have never heard anything else about him.'
While Hex thought all these things, he remained calm and kept looking at Clannad with a smile on his face.
His calmness seemed to infuriate Clannad even more. Hex saw his eyes almost turn into slits. His expressions were beastlike.
Just as Hex thought Clannad would attack, a loud gong sounded above them, reverberating loudly downward to the waiting area.
"Clannad, calm down," the female twin from the Viscount team said, as she put her hand on Clannad's shoulder.
"Ericka is right," her brother said. "You will have a chance to break that vile smile off that peasant's face."
Hex didn't mind the noble's remark. Words didn't mean much to him. Everyone was free to praise and curse as they liked.
He was more surprised by the effect the twins had on Clannad. His anger was gone and he looked even apologetic towards the twins.
In all the years Hex had known Clannad, the boy had never apologized to any person.
But before he could give it more thought, he heard the host of the event start her speech.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the second and final round of the tournament."
The crowd in the stand seemed to have quietened down, as no other sound could be heard. The Squires down in the waiting area were also quiet and focused.
"The rules are simple. Win and progress," the hostess shouted excitedly. "The top ten will fight the bottom ten in the first phase. Directly after the winners are determined, we will proceed to the next matches. But what about the matches after that?"
The hostess paused for dramatic effect at the most crucial bit.
'After the top ten have fought, we will have five contenders. Are they going to give someone a free pass?' Like everyone else, Hex was interested in this part. Everything else was within expectation.
"I can see everyone is eager to know what we will do with the top five. Well, we will do the simplest but most exciting thing possible…they will RUMBLE," the hostess shouted. "A fight till the last man is standing!"
Ear-deafening cheers erupted above them. The sounds shook the floors and made the walls rattle. The simple but direct way sent the crowd into a frenzy.
'Simple but effective,' Hex said with a nod. He didn't fear being ganged up against. He didn't see anyone capable of defeating Althea before the rumble. And with her beside him, he knew even a fight of two versus three would be doable.
The people around him were less pleased. They might be a part of someone's team but they still hoped to come far into the rankings so they could have a chance at rewards that could change their lives.
It took a while for the crowd to calm down. The hostess continued after finally getting a chance to speak again.
"I will start to call the names of the people who will face each other. As I said, the first ten ranks will fight the last ten. So let's see our number one and number twenty on the stage!"
The crowd erupted in cheers. Hex knew they weren't cheering for him. They just wanted the matches to start. And he happened to be in the opening match.
Led by arena personnel, Hex entered the gangway as the number one ranked person. He saw the number twenty enter the opposing gangway.
After walking through a dark tunnel, he reached a door. Bright light blinded him for a moment, as he walked out on the platform.
The cheers of the crowd hurt his ear. Hex looked around him at the densely packed seats. Even with his sharp eyes, he had difficulty keeping the people apart.
When he looked at his opponent, Hex noticed the middle-aged Squire trembling. Even before the match started, the man was scared. Not of Hex. No, having so many eyes on him was a pressure he had difficulty to handle.
Hex didn't feel the pressure as much. When he was thrown out or when he entered the slums, even more eyes were on him.
"The first match between Hex Darkenmane and Leroy Axen starts NOW!"
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone