Steampunk Era: Mad Abield

Malin turned around and nodded, spreading his arms. Lorrin and Fio, as World Tree Saplings, emerged between them, burrowing into the ground before Malin and ultimately forming a beautiful wooden greatsword.

The waiter turned his head to glance at the judges, who clearly recognized the quality and nodded. The waiter then nodded at Malin, "Your Sequence and staircase."

"Staircase Ten, Apprentice, accepting challenges from Staircase Six and below." After watching the old men from the Quaiser family compete, Malin chickened out. Originally, he wanted to say anyone below Staircase Four was welcome, but considering that the two displayed both Positive and Negative Energy in their swordplay, Malin truly feared encountering a fierce man whose every strike was a blaze of fire.

So it was better to be modest and set his sights on Staircase Six.

Malin had already chickened out, but the waiter didn’t quite grasp his reasoning. After thinking it over and looking somewhat puzzled at Malin, the waiter once again sought the judges’ guidance. Someone stood up and nodded, so the waiter posted Malin’s challenge request.

And then a hand plucked it off.

The owner of the hand tossed the request back to the waiter and then strode toward Malin.

"That little maid of yours isn’t bad, though she’s highly deviant. However, I quite like her uniqueness," the youth said while pointing at Clovis sitting on the railing, then taking the greatsword handed to him by his servant, "I come from the Eastern Kingdom. You don’t need to know my name, and I don’t need to know your identity, but when I defeat you, you can offer her to save your pathetic life."

Looking at the young man with grey hair, Malin turned his head to look at the waiter, "Is killing allowed here?"

"Intentional killing is not allowed," the waiter responded seriously to the two of them.