章 291: Mystical Steel

"Crap...what the hell was that all about?"

Rubbing his head as he looked up at the pitch-black ceiling that he fell from, Macheo grumbled to himself before brushing the dirt from his relatively well-maintained leather garments of sable and crimson color. 

Where did the others end up?...Not a good start--shit, he thought. 

Letting out another disgruntled sigh, he looked around, taking in the sight of the enigmatic domain set for the preliminary round--watching as the verdant and purple lights were manifested along all sides of the far-stretching walls. 

"I guess the round's already begun…" 

Adjusting the dark-colored gloves over his hands, he set his glistening, crimson eyes forward as a small gust swept his light-golden bangs across his forehead. 

Aiko...where are you? He thought. 

Despite telling himself to focus and prioritize the preliminary, he couldn't shake the girl from his mind no matter how hard he tried to concentrate.