(A/N: Bonus Chapter).


    Next day.


    A burst of cheer exploded in the stadium as the masses were once again gathered, eagerly awaiting themencement of the real matches.


    Some of the empty seats, thousands in number, had had been filled with new witnesses invited by friends, family and even foes.


    The emotion was palpable.


    The trays of food had appeared for all who were present, the hungry already feasting while thanking the Deities for being alive in this age.


    "We get to watch seven matches, right?"


    "Yef I finkh fo. Imfo efuffuf. I fan harfly fait," one chump with his cheeks overflowing with bread and meat eagerly answered the witness at his side who had asked the question.


    "Ugh, you''re allowed to chew and swallow before answering, you know?"


    At the very top, where the more distinguished figures were seated, Rearren could be seen along with Millisa and Rias. However, another individual with what could only be described as weirdly artistic dressing with a tens of colours smashing against each other to almost form an ugly colour singrity could be seen.


    He constantly whispered something to Rias who didn''t entertain hispany but that didn''t stop him at all.


    In the tent below, Skullius sat in his seat while looking ahead with a nk but annoyed gaze.


    It was all for naught.


    He still couldn''t find Red Rage.


    The Apostle was still atrge, which gave him no peace of mind at all. The Hybrid Luman had not entertained the heavy drowsiness from his cosmetic body that sought to make him sleep as he continued his search into the morning yet he was rewarded with empty hands.


    ''Is it so bad to just tell me ''Hey bro. I''m going out!'' ?. I''m suddenly starting to feel that this bastard hasn''t changed at all,'' Skullius thought.


    He tried to quell his once more anxious heart by wondering if he would get to fight today but that barely helped. In fact, it didn''t help at all, especially when a certain dangerous individual was floating right before him and everyone else.


    The Game Master was already present, waiting for a set amount of time to pass before he announced the beginning of the day''s matchups.


    This set amount of time just so happened to pass right now.


    "My extravagant audience! Wee back to the epitome of thrill and entertainment. Are you ready to witness our contenders battle it out with everything they have?!"


    "YEAAAAAH!"


    A wave of pure noise baptised with adrenaline and sweat cascaded down towards Guissepo who wore his enthusiastic smile and spread his arms out.


    Once again, it was the witnesses that were truly hyped about the event while the Contenders were more reserved.


    They had much to think about after all.


    As Guissepo floated over the tes of ss that a variety of functions, he garnered the attention of the crowds once again as he raised his hand.


    "Now, let the first match begin!"


    With a snap of his fingers, two bright silver lights shed on the tform before him within the thin, see-through barriers around it.


    A man with well kempt dark golden brown hair appeared on one side, his close set, almond coloured eyes with a serene blue vour of colouration carefully focusing on the opponent opposite him.


    His frame was what most women would call average but how he whipped up a bnced stance with his two fists before his torso immediately after appearing on stage spoke volumes about his capacity as an elite.


    A bright blue armour with golden butterfly designs on its gauntlets and greaves sat over his body steadily, assuming his stance along with him.


    ''Just my luck,'' this young man thought with a dark smile.


    Before him stood a man with a thick, golden white robe.


    He had short, leather ck hair and nut brown eyes that did not possess a shred of concern over the fight he was about to partake in at all. In fact, both his hands were hidden in his sleeves, a slight, dissatisfied frown spotting his round face, contorting his uneven lips and button nose.


    "Seriously?" the man asked. It was evident that he felt insulted. The moment he had appeared, his refined senses had already told him much about his opponent, save for his technique and he had to say...


    "Are these matchups really random?"


    In the eyes of the witnesses and contenders, information about these particr individuals showed above their heads in glowing text.


    ---


    Name : Nekst Dodj


    Stage : First Phase Master


    Core : Blue


    Family : Dodj


    --


    Name : Tallo Rashen Jill


    Stage : First Phase Master


    Core : Blue


    Family : Jill


    ---


    Nekst was the man with blue armour. He was a First Phase Master but he was still confident in his chances because of his Technique and ss.<novelnext></novelnext>


    An Advanced ss.


    He was an Elemental Warrior, though the name was quite misleading.


    Advanced sses always spotted an extension to the original ss, which gave them a specific focus. In this way, they were easy to recognise over normal sses.


    Nekst narrowed his eyes, lowered his centre of gravity, whipped out a fineyer of mana around his body and shot forward!


    ''When fighting a Mage, strike first before they cast a spell!'' he thought, reassuring himself that he could win this fight.


    The Elemental Warrior''s steps were unbelievably quick as therge distance between himself and his opponent, Tallo, was crossed in a few breaths.


    No.


    That wasn''t it.


    ...!


    Nekst''s eyes bulged as before his eyes, the figure of the robed Tallo met with his sixty percent of the way to his target!


    ''What?!''


    Nekst was shocked to see Tallo, a Mage, react seamlessly to his speed and not just that!


    The air cracked as if pped by a whip, a blurring fist shooting from Tallo''s robe as it snaked its way towards Nekst''s face!


    ''Damn it! Is hebat Mage?!'' Nekst gritted his teeth as he responded with both arms shing over to his face in a guard.


    The crisp impact with his sheltered limbs that he expected didn''t happen as instead, a turbulent, blunt force sted against his chest a millisecond after he had used his arms to guard his face!


    "Urgh!" Nekst grunted. A mana reinforced fist had knocked hard into his armour, cracking it!


    This...!


    This was embarrassing.


    To be beaten by a Mage in close quartersbat was... demeaning!


    Nekst, without shifting the position of his arms, suddenlyunched a fierce kick towards his opponent''s neck. Tallo, his eyes showing no urgency at all, sent his hand to block casually, however...


    Nekst leapt up, spinning in the air as he raised his other leg, switching his attack to a drop kick with a heavy burden of mana supporting it!


    Tallo scoffed and responded by churning out more mana from his body and bringing both hands up to guard his head.


    The impact was staggering. The sound effect which was amplified by the barriers around the tform caused a vibration throughout the entire stadium and fortunately, for the weaker witnesses...


    They had seen the entirety of this very short exchange with extreme rity!


    "OOOOOOOOOHHHHH!" a burst of cheer cascaded down the concave arrangement of seats. This was incredible!


    Just this bit was better than the exhibition match from yesterday!


    To Nekst though, these cheers served to worsen his mood. The Elemental Warrior quickly retracted his leg and did a series of backward flips as he created distance between himself and the Mage. But...


    "Hey, where do you think you''re going?" a shockingly close voice forced the Warrior to guard randomly while he was in mid-air!


    Unfortunately, It was a reflex that did not serve him well when a deadly hook dressed with mana that spun in a vortex motion around Tallo''s fist sted against his side!


    Nekst flew a distance away with a sharp velocity, his body spinning as he then crashed onto the ground, rolling around for a moment before picking himself up.


    The Warrior looked before him with a disgruntled expression and spat out blood onto the tform.


    "Hmmm?" Tallo raised a brow.


    Around Nekst was a covering of mana with a fence-like design, sticking close to his entire body. The Warrior had manifested this peculiar shaping of mana at the same time he had the beauty knocked out of him.


    "A defensive auxiliary technique?" the Mage thought with a mocking smile. ''A rather weak one. My attack still got through.''


    Amongbatants from Families, there were two types of recognisable techniques – Family techniques and Auxiliary techniques.


    Family techniques were the main practise exclusive to individuals within a Family while Auxiliary techniques were shared skills with basic utilities that Families and Houses knew. These were mainly developed during warring times and disseminated to give just the slightest bit of an edge to even the weakest of characters.


    The peculiar mana shape around Nekst vanished and he took a deep breath.


    ''I thought Fencing Gate would block much of the damage since it was just basic mana application but...'' Nekst thought and looked to his side where his armour was cracked, blood oozing out slowly.


    Nekst''s armour was a Unique grade treasure. For it to be broken through by a measly punch...


    ''I have to go all out,'' Nekst thought as he spread his legs to ensure he had more stability while preparing to end this fight by revealing his Family technique.


    "You''re probably thinking its time to take me seriously. Almost makes it seem like you haven''t been defending with your dear life all this time," Tallo said with a smirk.


    "I can''t me you though."


    The Mage raised his hand as he finally assumed the role he had spent decades trying to master. Mana bubbled from him while Nekst, who furrowed his brow ground his teeth, a vibrant red neon beam of energy bursting from his body and soaring through the air!


    The witnesses all grew silent.


    Not from fear, but from paralysing excitement.


    Somehow, everyone could tell that this battle was about to end even though it had just started.