Chapter 120 - Central Palace (2/2)
However, this year there was something different that intensified this difference of feelings, the half-wolf. This outfit didn't let Luke hide his tail and ears, so his group drew even more attention. Since there were rumors that a half-wolf, who surpassed the strength of the previous edition's Champion, was hired by the Strogueher's, Luke's mere presence in the Central Palace was enough to boil up some competitors' fighting spirit.
As the sun reached precisely the top of the sky, marking noon, something began to appear over the Central Square, which was what the thousands of people were called.
The crowd shouted with excitement when they saw a large sphere over their heads, which expanded as the seconds passed.
”Look! It's going to start!” A green-haired woman, who came out of the lobby of the Central Palace to smoke, warned all the inattentive people.
The sphere was at the same height as the Central Palace, so the half-wolf group and the other members of noble families and powerful clans could see it easily.
Suddenly, the object pulsed and doubled in size, but this pulse didn't just serve to make it grow. If the participants looked to the horizon, they could see that six other spheres hovered over the sky from other vital places in the city.
Just below the sphere, Luke was looking at, a white flame appeared. Immediately, a serene voice reverberated throughout all directions of Oukiwa.
”Long ago... the native peoples of this continent deified fire, as if it were indeed a mythical being, an entity, a God... And that to this day makes me wonder: what if it actually was?”
Following the narration of the voice, the fire began to metamorphose, finally taking on a shape that resembled a human silhouette.
”It is a fact that... there are many things we do not understand about our history... The Dungeons, the monsters, life, fate, love... But if there is one thing we do know it is... we are strong. Although we have every reason to give up, we all keep moving forward... trying and trying.”
Just like that, weapons appeared in the silhouette's hand, both made of flames. A shield in his right arm and a spear in his left hand.
”And it's to prove your strength that you signed up for the Tournament of Legends, isn't it?”
At no time in history have warriors so different from each other agreed on the same sentence as they did in that instant. Without exception, all were there to show how strong they were or could become.
”I am Mikaela Åkerman, and I am here to help you achieve your goals... or hinder you.” said the woman who took the place of the burning figure under the colossal cubes.
Everyone could see her very clearly. Her hair was blonde and curly, but it was tied back. In addition, she wore black tiaras on her head that resembled the shape of two horns and accessories on her ears that resembled the shape of pointed ears, like those of an Elf.
”The first phase of the Tournament of Legends will be simple... There are just over six thousand people signed up, and literally all of you will be teleported to a distant, secret forest. In that forest, there will be 500 birds, and only those who kill at least one bird will move on to the second phase... Good luck.”
The seven spheres pulsed and disappeared at the same time as the thousands of people began to tense up at the announcement. In the end, Luke only had time to look at Nathalia and say:
”Look for me before you go after any of the birds.”
The Elf nodded, and then golden magic circles appeared beneath the feet of all the participants.. In the blink of an eye, they were all teleported away.