Once the group made it out of the hallway, they were met with an incredible sight. There were four square fighting arenas, with each one being seven by seven meters. They surrounded a larger stage, which was ten by ten meters. Each ring had a reinforced glass wall that went around it so that the fighters inside would not be disturbed by an arrow or a skill that accidentally came their way.  

Four sets of bleachers, all able to sit hundreds of people, encircled the five fighting rings, but it wasn’t a complete circle of seats. The seating arrangements were plopped down in a formation that promoted safety. In short, that meant there were four gaps wide enough for four 3-meter Kobolds to walk side by side.

If one followed the gaps, they would find numerous amount of stalls behind the bleachers. Each one had a variety of different food and drinks to purchase.  Even as early in the morning as it was, most had their grills fired up and began preparation for the long day ahead, which was sure to be filled with hungry and thirsty customers.

Above one of the bleachers sat a 25 square meter room.  Suspended from the ceiling by a single, sturdy rope, it was almost a technological marvel.  The words ‘Announcer’s Room’ were written on the side of its white walls in black, blocky letters.  

“Incredible…” Momo couldn’t believe what she saw. They came out on the east side of the arena, where one of the four gaps was. From here, they could see the bleachers, and they were being filled fast. To their left stood a drink stall that sold alcohol, and the right was a chicken stall. The Singi behind the food stall began to sweat as he started to fry his goods.

“Where do we go?” Dineria had the same look of amazement on her face as Momo.

“Aye, I know where I’m going,” said Riki. He sauntered off towards a stall that sold alcohol but was stopped by a callused hand grabbing his armor.

“Nope,” replied his cousin. “Alcohol will slow you down. And that goes for you too, Desperado,” the Koena in question was in the process of sneaking off.  

“Desperado, we can drink later,” said Silverado. “The tournament comes first.” 

“Fine, but you’re buying the first round!” Desperado replied.  

“Agreed. Bahaha!!” Riki laughed.   

"Fine. The first round of drinks is on me!" Rakkire chuckled, letting loose a trademarked Dwarven laugh.

Fisher scanned the horizon and saw a sign suspended by ropes. “I’m sure we go there. The sign said ‘Competitors and mentors here!’" he finally answered Dineria's question.

“Wait, so there are five rings? So all four group stages are going to happen at once?” Servi asked.

“Most likely. If not, then with a double-elimination format, it’ll take a day or two to get through all of the matches,” Fisher replied when they reached the hanging sign. It was above a long white tent. A similar-looking tent was on the other side. Behind the two tents were two sets of bleachers, and due to the way they were positioned, those watching from the bleachers would be able to see all five rings without any obstructions.  

It seemed that Blasé had placed a lot of thought and effort into the design of the warehouse-turned-arena. Of course, it also had to be expensive, no doubt using what little bit of money that Parrel, the previous governor, had leftover. If it was a success, and it looked like it would be based on the turnout, then that meant the governor could charge ahead with his other plans he had laid out. His true goal was to transform Canary into a thriving city, though one could argue it already was when under Parrel's governance. But Blasé had machinations that dwarfed whatever Parrel had planned. He only needed a little bit of capital and time to see it through to completion.

Inside the leftmost white tent, which was the one that Fisher, Dineria, and their mentees went into, sat two white tables.  

“Alright, groups 1 and 2 check-in here. Groups 3 and 4 go to the other tent. Once you get checked in, you’re welcome to take a seat under either tent," said an Elf. She had on a grey shirt with the word ‘Employee’ written on it. Following her instructions, the group separated into four smaller groups and stood in their respective lines. 

“We’ll be over here sitting down, okay?” Dineria said before they diverged. They all nodded.  

Servi didn’t have to wait for too long, maybe about three minutes or so before it was her turn. All she had to was give her badge number and ID to the Singi employee sitting behind the wooden table, who wrote her name down on a sheet of paper that had a 32 person bracket.

"When it is time for you to fight, the announcer will say so.  He’ll also say which ring to go to and who your opponent will be. Each ring has a big number painted on it, so even a Kobold would be able to find the right one. Do you understand that?” she asked with a smile. 

“I do. Thank you,” replied Servi. She was a bit weirded out the Singi would say an untasteful joke about a Kobold, but she didn’t want to cause a scene. 

“You’re welcome! Next, please!” Servi went to go sit with Fisher and Dineria. A few minutes later, everyone else was back, and they had nothing to do but wait.   

 “Can you see your wife?” Dineria broke the growing silence with a simple enough question.

“I do not. If we were closer, maybe, but--” 

“Found her. She’s right there,” Servi pointed. “Five rows up and six seats across. Claire and Jony are right next to her and the kids,” with her enhanced eyesight from absorbing an incredible amount of souls, Servi could see even better than an Elf.  

“Jony came? I bet you’re happy, huh? But wait, what about your mom and dad?” Momo turned to the girl sitting beside her.

“I am. I wished my mother and father would have come, but mother hasn’t been feeling well. It’s probably morning sickness since she’s pregnant. And father had to go on a business trip. But yes, I’m happy Jony's here!” 

“I’m sorry she’s sick, and I hope she gets better!” replied Momo. Srassa gave her a sweet smile and thanked her.  

“It’s a good idea she’s sitting on that side, right?” Riki added.  

“It is. If not, then I would have asked you all to move to the other tent with us,” said Fisher, who waved at his wife. It took her a bit to notice, but she smiled when she saw a man in black armor waving.  

“Look, there’s your father! Wave to him, okay?” she told her daughters. They were sitting to the left and right of her.

“Okay!” Mari and Meri said at the same time. Raising both of their hands, they waved.

“Daddy, I see you!” 

“Me too!”   

The next moment, Claire and Jony started waving, and Servi, Momo, and Srassa waved back. 

“Feral, what about your aunt?” Silverado asked. Desperado was going over his shield and club. Riki and Rakkire started doing the same with their bucklers and axes.  They all wanted to make sure their gear was in tip-top shape.

“She’s here with a stall, though I don’t know where it is.  This warehouse is bigger than I thought it would be,” Feral replied, adjusting his grip on his iron wall-like shield.  

“You know, you can set it down. The Kobold tournament doesn’t start until the group stages are complete,” said a passing employee. She was a Koena with yellow and red scales and black hair.  

“Thank you,” he said, growling lightly. After gently setting it down, he sat on it and crossed his arms.

Fifteen minutes later, Fisher checked his watch and realized it was going on 8:50. The stands and bleachers were full, and some people had to stand and watch from the four gaps.

 “Maybe things are running a bit late? It is the first tournament that Canary has hosted, so there’s probably a few kinks to work out." As if to prove Fisher wrong, a voice coming from the ceiling chose that moment to speak.

“Umm… Yes, hello? Can everyone hear me? Dave, is it on? Is it? It is... Good!  Okay, let’s start it again!” said a man’s voice, though Servi didn’t know if it belonged to a Human, an Elf, a Singi, or a Koena. A Dwarf’s voice was a bit deeper than the mysterious speaker's high-pitched squeal, and a Kobold’s voice was even deeper than that.  

“My name’s Toni, and I’ll be your announcer for the day! We have quite a show for you! Oops, I mean a tournament for you all to witness. 128 of Warden's very own Rank 10s have worked endlessly for the past month! As you know, our city of Canary was ransacked by vile criminals almost two months ago. I tell ya folks, I can still hear that lightning when I sleep! But enough about that. Because of that incident, our Governor Blasé decided to institute this mentoring program. Yay!!!” 

Servi thought the voice was completely obnoxious, but she powered through it.  

“On behalf of our dear Governor, who unfortunately couldn’t be here with us today because of an important meeting, allow me to thank you all for coming!” the voice said to an eruption of cheering.  

“Now then, I know you’re ready to get to the fights, and I am too! But I gotta lay down some rules for both our audience and our fighters. One! There shall be no going for lethal blows. We do have some wonderful licensed healers at the ready, as well as a healthy supply of health potions, but killing your opponent is a no-no! Two! This is for the audience in the stands. Do not throw your trash down at the tents, and do not throw them at the arenas. If you do so, you will be escorted out and banned from attending or competing in any upcoming Canary or Warden-focused event. Keep the trash to yourself and dispose of it in one of the trashcans that are lying around.” 

I mean, that makes sense...but I don’t like this guy’s voice. Itarr said. He’s kind of irritating. Servi just nodded as she listened to the rest of the rules. She didn’t know how, but if his voice came from the announcer’s room, then how was it getting to her? 

“Rule number three! Mentors, you cannot help your mentees once they are in the ring. That includes rushing into the ring, using skills to help turn the tide of battle, or coaching from the sideline. That leads us to rule four! Abilities can only be used inside the arenas.  In other words, skills like Protection cannot be used beforehand. But if you use Protection and win, and you have to fight again before it wears off, you can keep it. And now for rule five!! There shall be no outside help from the audience. If any assistance is discovered, there will be a lifetime ban for the helper and the one they assisted. It also goes without saying, but that person will be immediately disqualified from the tournament.

“Whoops, let me clarify rule one! We are expecting that there will be some injuries. If you happen to cut your opponent's arm or you somehow break it, you will not be disqualified. It will only apply to circumstances where you needed and wanted to kill your opponent. For example, if your opponent is down and out on the floor and you stab them with your weapon, that would be a clear-cut rule violation. I have four excellent judges up here with me in the announcer’s room, and each one will have their eyes glued to the arenas!!! 

“Now then, let me answer something you might be wondering about. ‘Toni, how is your voice reaching us?’ The answer might surprise you! I’m speaking into a voice loudner from up here, and it is connected to twenty more voice loudners positioned in the right spots around the building. My beautiful, soothing voice can reach the entire building, so no matter where you go, you will be able to hear it when I call your name for your match.  

“And that brings us into matches! For the group stage, which there are four of them, all will be happening concurrently in the four arenas you see in front of you. The final one, in the middle, is reserved for the Kobold tournament and the finals. So folks! I hope you all can watch multiple things at once! And I do hope I have the ability to commentate four matches at once. Cause I tell ya, it’s going to be hard! 

“And one more thing! Since this is the first tournament to be held in Canary, then let’s take it easy! Only Rank 10 skills are allowed, so I don’t wanna see any Fire Wall or Earth Wall! And that is all, folks! Wait, I lied!!! Let me just reiterate this point if I haven’t said it already!! If your opponent taps out or gives up, do not attack them. Doing so will disqualify you!! That’s is all, I promise!!! Give us a few more minutes to set things up, and we’ll be ready for the first four matches!!!” 

“He’s uhh... talkative?" Srassa felt a warmness in her cheeks from second-hand embarrassment. 

“He is. I think he likes to hear the sound of his own voice,” replied Riki. And a bit annoying. Hope I’m not distracted.  

“But I can't help but get fired up!” Momo made a fist and squeezed it tight. 

“Yeah, but speaking of that, Momo?” 

“Hmm?” the Singi turned to look at her best friend. 

“Are you going to fight with your grandpa’s bag?” 

She looked down and held the black bag close to her chest. “I want to, but it’s probably not a good idea. I don’t want it to get hurt.” 

“Momo, I can watch your bag if you want me to. I swear nothing will happen to it,” Dineria said as she tied her long green hair up in a ponytail. Momo looked at her, then back to the bag before she took it off. 

“Okay. Thanks, Dineria.”  

“You are most welcome. I shall hug it close, and I won’t it get out of my sight. So you just focus on doing your best, okay?” the Elven mentor grabbed it, put it on, and hugged it like she said she was going to do. 

“Right!” Momo's hand went to the sword hanging from her hip. It was thin and silver, a gift a grandfather gave to his granddaughter, and it was her second most prized possession. “I gotta do my best, but I can’t do that if I’m worried the bag will get hurt.” 

But what about me? Servi momentarily lost herself to the depths of her mind.  If I want to do my best, I need that skill... But I can’t keep relying on Soul Essence of Primal Combat. It’s just not fair for the others. Maybe I should turn it off and only use it when necessary? But if I have it off, my body can’t read the combat memories of the souls, and my mind can’t show the afterimages. I don’t even know how to fight…. Dammit, Servi, you should’ve paid attention to Fisher! 

It was a hard decision for Servi. Soul Essence of Primal Combat was something she had relied on for the longest time. It told her how the enemy was going to attack, and it told her how to dodge. It was the perfect shield and sword, all packed into one neat little skill. As far as she knew, it was exclusive to her and her alone.  All she had to do was think about attacking, and her mind would produce a set of red afterimages. If she followed them, then her opponent would end up dead.  

It made her into the perfect warrior. As long as she had the souls, Servi would not lose. However, if against opponents who had a clear and deep understanding of combat, even her Soul Essence of Primal Combat would not be enough to assure her the win. It was almost an unbeatable advantage, yes, but someone else could be even more knowledgeable than her. That’s why she knew she could not defeat Albert in physical combat.

“Servi?” Momo quietly murmured. She turned to her best friend and saw a strained and painful look on her face.  

“Yeah?” replied Servi, who found it extremely difficult to turn off her crutch.  

“Are you okay? Is your stomach hurting?” 

Servi shook her head. “I’m probably just nervous.” 

“I’m nervous too. Hey, do you remember our promise?” the two pink cat ears on Momo's head cutely twitched.

“I do,” Servi replied.  

“Good. I want to add one more thing to it if I can. I promise I’ll cheer loudly for you when you’re out there. So even if you’re nervous, just remember that I believe in you!” 

“And I promise I’ll cheer for you, too. Thanks, Momo, I needed that,” Servi smiled at her best friend and almost reached out to take her hand, but she stopped herself.  

Why do I feel an urge to hold her hand? She asked herself.  

As Servi was having a conversation with herself, Toni began speaking again. “Alright now, let’s get this started!! I need Servi and Jooe to go to arena 1, Libby and Loren head to arena 2, Silverado and Beky go to arena 3, and Quie and Hraisa to go to arena 4. Note, each arena is surrounded by a thick glass wall nearly invisible to the naked eye! That means, folks, that we can see everything, and they, the fighters, are protected from runaway arrows or skills. Now then, the names I have called are to go to their respective arenas in the next two minutes!!” 

“What are the chances I’d be the first one called?” Servi said as she stood up. Her ominous shield on her arm almost looked like it wanted to fight even though it was an inanimate object. Drawing her sword from the shield sheath, Servi smiled at her friends, who wished her and Silverado good luck.  

Together, they walked out of the white tent and towards their respective arenas.  

“Ready?” Servi asked Silverado, who banged his kite shield and club together.  

“I am. Good luck to you, friend.” 

“Same to you.”