In the castle, everyone was eating dinner. King Akio was the first to speak, "Congratulations on you all making it to the second round. But I have a question. Weren''t you all heading for Silverwald Country about four months ago? Why did you suddenly backtrack?"


    "We''re here to train by competing in the tournament," Sato answered him.


    Akio nodded, "I see. Well, good luck to all of you. But remember only one of you can win." Akio set down his glass of wine. "Now, I have something I''d like to share with you all. Since I am a Magic Bakemono, I have seen all of your futures. I hope you don''t mind me peeking in, but I was curious. Well, would you like to know?"


    Everyone nodded their heads intrigued.


    The King smiled "Very well. Ai, my baby, I''ll begin with you. You may play a small role in the group right now. However, in time, you will be the one who impacts Sato the most."


    He turned his head towards Sakura, "Sakura. You have a hard road ahead of you, but you''ll persevere and become a woman of greatness. Arashi, you have a dark past and an even darker and bitter future. I''d suggest you do well to remember and enjoy these days. Sato, work hard, prove to the world what you''re capable of. And only then shall your future be clear. Mark my words, your journey doesn''t end with Niji."


    Hikaru frowned, "What about me?"


    King Akio''s expression darkened, "I''d rather not say."


    "Oh. I see, well that''s fine then," Hikaru laughed.


    Akio got up from his chair. "Well, I''m going to go prepare. The next round of the Sihalia Battle Royale begins in an hour." Akio exited the room.


    Sato got up as well, "Later guys. I''m going for a walk." He needed to calm his nerves since he would be fighting Nori soon. So he thought a walk would be a good idea.


    Sato walked out the door. "My journey doesn''t end with Niji." He thought to himself. "What did King Akio mean by that? Will I still be stuck in this book, even if I do get the Heiwa no Jigen?"


    A couple of hours later at the stadium, the second round of the tournament was starting. Sakura tapped her foot, "Ugh! Sato needs to hurry his ass up! If he doesn''t get here before his match starts, he''ll be disqualified!"


    "It''s okay, Sakura," Ai started. "Big brother is the last match. So he has lots of time."


    Down in the stadium was the spiky blue-haired Wolf Bakemono. On the other side was an Earth-Bat Bakemono with silver hair. He locked his gray eyes on the Wolf Bakemono. "Hey, Ren! How long do you want this fight to last, huh?"


    Ren rubbed his neck, "Let''s just have fun, okay Ben?"


    "Wait, those two know each other?" Sakura asked in curiosity.


    "Yeah," Ai answered. "It''s common for all the peasants to know each other here in Sihalia."


    Hikaru got up from his seat. "I''m going to go to the gym for a bit. I''ll be back soon." Hikaru walked off.


    Ren launched off his feet, running towards Ben. Ren pulled his fist back. He shot out his arm, his fist making contact with a stone wall.


    Ben smirked, "Ha! Is that all you got, Wolfie?"


    "Not a chance!" Blue sparks of power surrounded Ren''s fist pushing its way through the stone wall.


    Ben quickly leaped back, "Phew! Now that was a close one. But now it''s time for me to get serious." Sand swirled around Ben. "Go on. Come at me. I dare you."


    Ren accepted his dare charging for Ben head-on. Ren was swept away by the powerful sand. He hit the ground hard.


    Blood gushed out of Ren''s mouth. Ben coated himself in sandy armor dashing straight towards Ren. Their distance quickly minimized.


    "Now take this!" Ben shouted swinging his sandy leg at Ren''s mid-section. He''s caught off guard when Ren catches his leg in mid-air.


    He swung Ben by his legs launching him into the sidewalls of the stadium.


    "Ren is the winner!" King Akio declared.


    Sato was still walking around the corners of Sihalia when he noticed the silver sun had set. "Oh no I almost forgot, I have to get back for the tournament! I hope I''m not too late." Sato started running until he bumped into a man decked out in black armor, complete with a black metallic mask that only revealed his mouth. "Who are you?" He stared at the man trying not to bust out into laughter at how ridiculous he looked walking around in some sort of Halloween costume.


    The man gave a maniacal laugh that sent chills down Sato''s spine. I am the famous Niji, the Warrior Bakemono."


    "So then, you''re Niji," Sato said looking up at the man he''s been searching for. "Where''s the Heiwa no Jigen?! I want out of this crazy book!"


    "Patience," Niji replied. "As you are now. You cannot defeat me. I am here for other matters."This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Oh yeah? Like what?" Sato questioned.


    Niji frowned, "It doesn''t concern you. Now move aside before it does." Niji unsheathed his thick pitch-black sword. Its blade was sharpened to the tip. He slickly sliced the blade through the tree he stood next to. A baby bird Bakemono fell limp out of the tree. Niji''s blade came down on the Bird Bakemono slicing through it''s back.


    Sato couldn''t believe this man. He just killed a poor little baby Bakemono for no reason. He couldn''t let him get away with that. Sato clenched his fists, "How can I move aside? When you just killed an innocent Bakemono?!"


    Niji scowled, "So be it. I tried to warn you, but you''re just too stubborn. It saves me time in the long run anyway. Prepare to die, Yamagata Satoshi!"


    Sato extended his arm, preparing to Illustrate a weapon but Niji closed in on him too quickly grabbing his arm.


    "Damn it! Let me go!" Sato exclaimed.


    Niji grinned, "Sure. I''ll let you go. Go into the afterlife." He tightened his grip on Sato''s arm, slowly bringing his sword around.


    Meanwhile back at the Sihalia Battle Royale, Arashi was fighting a woman with long black hair. The lightning surrounding her body sparked. She shot out a blast of lightning from her hand. Arashi backflipped away.


    "You know this is getting pretty fun." Her fox tail wagged.


    "Yeah? Don''t get used to it." Arashi ran for the Lightning Fox Bakemono, swinging his claws at her, blazing with orange fire. She fell hard on her face. Blood came seeping out from her back.


    "Arashi is the winner!" King Akio announced. "Next is Sakura versus Gorou." The king spoke to a young man sitting next to him. "Hibiki, take over for me. I have some things to attend to."


    Hibiki flipped his long silky black hair, "You can count on me, old man."


    "Watch it. You''re the heir to the throne. Act like it please." Akio got up from his seat and left the stadium.


    A giant man with long red braided hair came stomping into the stadium. Sakura cracked her knuckles. "A Giant Bakemono, huh? Now this should be fun."


    Gorou kneeled down staring at Sakura with his green beady eyes. "Drop out now. There''s no way a puny pretty little thing like you could beat a big strong man like me."


    Sakura spit in his face, "I''ll make you regret those words, punk."


    "Very well. It''s your death wish." The giant smashed his fist on her. Everyone grew silent. Gorou squished his fist around. "Well, that was over quicker than I expected."


    Sakura laughed from underneath the Giant Bakemono''s fist. "Don''t be so sure." She stood up raising Gorou''s fist over her head. The veins on her arms became visible as she chucked Gorou into the sky.


    Gorou came crashing down from the sky. He slammed into the stadium floor. A big clog of dust blew up from the impact. "Ha! So you wanna keep going?"


    Gorou rose up, towering over Sakura with a scowl. "Of course I do."


    The full blue and orange moons shone direct moonlight upon the area where Sato and Niji were fighting. Niji thrust the black blade towards Sato.


    Sato quickly blocked taking out his bronze sword. Sparks lit up when the two blades met.


    Niji grinned, "Ah. Very clever. I see you have a backup plan."


    Sato smirked, "I sure do. And FYI, it''s a little too early for Halloween." Sato swung his sword at Niji''s side. Niji swiftly dashed to his right.


    Niji swung his blade at Sato cutting his right shoulder. Dark red liquid seeped out of the wound. Sato screamed out in pain falling to his knees. Niji lowered his sword to the side of his waist. "Now move aside. I have some things to discuss with the king."


    "What kind of things?" King Akio stepped out from the shadows and into the moonlight. "Well?"


    Niji grinned, "Your death for instance." The Warrior Bakemono lunged at Akio his sword overhead. He swung it down for Akio''s head. A green magical shield appeared around Akio.


    Akio frowned, "Come on. You didn''t think it would be that easy, did you?"


    "Of course not. I was just warming up, that''s all. I know it''ll take a lot more than one simple strike to take out the King of Sihalia. Now, I''ll show you what I can really do!" Niji radiated a black aura. The earth began shaking, stones floating up from the ground. Niji gripped his sword tight.


    Akio surrounded himself in a green veil of magical energy. "Sato. Run."


    "No way!" Sato objected "I''m not gonna leave you here to die!"


    "I said run! If you stay here, you''ll be killed by Niji''s technique!" The king yelled.


    "But…"


    Akio smiled, "Listen, I don''t plan on dying today or anytime soon. But if you stay, you''ll be killed. And you can''t forget your promise. You have to protect Ai. Not me."


    "Yeah." Sato struggled to get up. "But if you were to die here. Ai would be very upset. So by staying here with you, I am protecting Ai!"


    Akio gave a halfhearted smile, "You''re a very stubborn boy. Very well then. Come! Let us fight together!"


    A green magical veil surrounded Sato. "Sweet!" He extended his right arm, imagining the anatomy of his sword, "Illustrate!" The gleaming silver sword he had imagined materialized in his hand. "Alright, now let''s take this sorry excuse of a cosplayer down."


    King Akio nodded making a pure white sphere in the palm of his hand. He hurled it towards Niji who didn''t move a muscle, his black aura around him deflecting the sphere.


    Sato came at Niji holding his silver blade over his shoulder. He swung the sword down at Niji, who''s aura protected him once more.


    Niji smirked, "My turn." The black aura changed shape into a horde of spikes stretching out.


    Sato leaped back, "Damn, that was too close for comfort."


    "Stay clam, Sato," Akio commanded.


    Sato nodded, "Right. Sorry, Your Majesty."


    The king released a blast of pure white energy. Niji''s aura quickly reverted to its original shape to shield him. Akio grimaced, "I see. There''s only one thing left to do then."


    King Akio rushed Niji leaving green magical flames in his trail. "For the pride of Sihalia!" He collided into the black aura which extended in Sato''s direction. Multiple of the black aura spikes impaled the king.


    "King Akio!" Sato shouted.


    Sato ran up to the King who managed to choke out some words, "Sato, are you okay?"


    "You sacrificed yourself for me? Why?" Sato kneeled over the king''s dying body. He barely knew him, so why? Why did he have to go and sacrifice himself?


    Akio smiled as the drizzle turned to heavy rain, "I told you earlier today. Your journey doesn''t end with Niji. If you died here, the world would never get to see all of the great things a human like you is capable of."


    Sato remembered how Hikaru said all Warrior Bakemono carry at least one weapon with them at all times. He didn''t do that the first time he entered Sihalia. Tears fell from Sato''s eyes, "You knew? All this time you knew I was a human, and you never killed me. Or even brought it up." He could''ve made him a wanted criminal and sent the whole kingdom after him. He could''ve killed him on the spot. But for some reason, he didn''t.


    Akio smiled, "Yes. You see, I have a dream that one day humans and Bakemono will live in peace together again. Sato, would you do me another favor? Carry out this dream for me, please?" The King took his final breath and collapsed to the ground.


    Niji sheathed his sword, "My work here is done." He disappeared into the black aura.


    Sato fell to his knees, tears and rain streaming down his face. "King Akio…I promise. I Yamagata Satoshi hereby swear on my life. That one day I will prove to everyone that humans and Bakemono can live together in peace."


    "Sato!" Sakura ran up to him. Ai, Arashi and Hikaru all followed close behind.


    "What happened to my Daddy?" Ai asked with watery eyes.