Chapter 230: General Rankings
"Next match!"
Heff was soon wheeled out of the stage on a stretcher while Leon left, giving the Freedom Party its first commander contender.
The crowd's noise barely dipped before the next group climbed onto the stage, ushered in under the gaze of the nobles above.
To become a commander in this tournament, one needed to beat at least two contestants, proving their worth. For this particular round, the fights were just getting started.
"Kappa 8."
The Dawn Sword sent out a lady veiled from head to toe in a white, semi transparent robe.
Kappa 8 was one of the Dawn Sword's generals, but more than that, she was a member of the Hunters Association, a mysterious entity within the Federation of Humanity.
Few knew much about the Hunters Association beyond its name. Even fewer trusted it.
Taking out two blades, she immediately moved forward, cutting down her opponent with absolute precision.
—slash
—slash
From beginning to end, she did not use any of her abilities. Not once. Just the blades.
And then it was over.
The opponent dropped before the spectators even registered what had happened.
Murmurs of approval rippled through the crowd.
The fights went on, several individuals standing out.
Leon, from the count's household, seemingly tied to the Lokian faction.
Kappa, the Hunters Association prodigy and general under the Dawn Sword.
Levi, one of the sons of the Prince of the Right, a wielder of blood magic.
Heavy Yan, from the Prince of the Left.
And last but not least, Zeke Burn. The Sky Talent.
In his battle, he charred the entire stage, severely burning his opponent to a crisp, causing a divine to step in and stop him.
Boom!!!
The flames had erupted out of nowhere, swallowing the entire platform in an instant.
By the time anyone could react, it was already too late.
Smoke still curled off the stage long after the flames had died down.
"That's unfortunate. I wanted to see what kind of blood flows through you so called royals," Zeke muttered, looking at the divine with what seemed to be contempt.
Leon's voyage had been a historical one, thoroughly engraving hatred in the hearts of those who listened to the tale.
He had lived through the massacre of the Lokian faction and had explained it to the rest. For someone like Zeke, holding a grudge from a mere story was extremely easy.
He didn't even need to think twice about it.
"Your majesty, the Freedom Party is going too far," the divine bowed his head toward the High God, seeking justice.
There had been deaths in this tournament so far, but never a royal.
Who in their right mind would try to kill a royal?
The arena had gone quiet, waiting for some kind of response.
"Sit down before I break you."
One particular person standing beside the High God barked, sending a chill down the spine of the royal divine.
The man hadn't even raised his voice. Just said it, plain as anything.
Royal guard!!
During the Hunter Games, all the royal guards were made to be present in the arena, ready to curb any disturbances like these.
After all, the factions were insanely powerful.
One wrong move and things could spiral fast.
"Hmp!!"
Annoyed, the divine stepped aside, leaving the stage as the next round commenced.
The murmurs from the noble boxes didn't stop, but nobody else spoke up.
Match after match followed, the platform reset each time, the crowd's energy never quite settling.
Some fights ended in seconds, others dragged on, but the result was always the same.
At the end, the Freedom Party secured a whopping four commander roles, with the royals splitting the remaining four amongst themselves. A stark difference from the first regent battle.
Some of the older nobles exchanged glances at the final tally, clearly unhappy with the numbers but unwilling to say so out loud.
A few of them whispered amongst themselves, heads leaning close together.
Behind the glass.
Both Enzo and Raven still stood side by side, a smile on their faces.
Neither of them had said much through the last few matches, content to just watch.
Zeke, on the other hand, kept glancing between the two of them and the stage, clearly itching for his turn.
"You guys are no fun," he said, crossing his arms.
Raven just shrugged, her gaze still on the stage below.
Nibbleskin, sitting on Raven's shoulder, let out a small yawn, clearly unimpressed by the whole affair.
"You're one to talk," Raven muttered, glancing down at the cat.
Nibbleskin only stretched and curled back up, completely unbothered.
As Minister Fin frowned, he realized something.
Till now, Enzo had not had a battle.
Not one.
He glanced over the roster again, just to be sure.
Nothing.
He checked it a second time.
Still nothing.
He even ran a finger down the list, just in case he'd missed a name.
"Strange," he muttered under his breath, more to himself than anyone else.
The Marquis John raised an eyebrow but said nothing, his eyes drifting back toward the stage.
Whatever it meant, it wasn't his place to ask.
Not yet, anyway.
Minister Fin tapped his fingers against the glass, thinking it over.
He glanced sideways at the Marquis, but the man's expression gave away nothing.
For now, he let it go, turning his attention back to the stage staring blankly as a thought formed and disappeared.
But the thought stayed with him, nagging at the back of his mind.
Something about it didn't sit right.
Next was the general rankings
Here, the top talents like their lady Raven would have to fight. This stage was particularly important however because only those who participated at this level had the right to have said they won the hunter games.
The responsibility of which bared on their shoulders like heavy boulders pressed against their very will.
Only the winner could truly rule over the political situation of Gaia becoming the hier for the next 100 years.