“Wha…?” I was dumbfounded. What in the world am I looking at?

“You alright?” The fox girl said, hearing my involuntary reaction. Do I look fine to her!? “Don't glare at me like that! Sorry!”

Did I look that scary? Whatever, at least she stopped asking.

“Let’s go in already. Mani, explain things to her alright?” The rabbit girl said, with the same callous tone.

“I hear ya.” She replied casually as everyone walked in, completely unfazed by the giant arena we’re walking into. This thing is like… the size of a village if not even more so. I have no idea how such a massive place is even made, or why is it even this big!

The first room alone is already massive. It looks like it could fit in a few buildings and still have more rooms. I can see a few people hanging around here, and it seems like this place has that cooling thing too…

“So where are we going first?” The fox girl asked as we walked towards some odd flooring and some sort of… metal lectern? It has a bright blue square over it. It’s hard to conceal my confusion with all of this foreign stuff, even the fox girl can clearly tell.

“Let’s go through some lobbies first, then we might go visit a few areas where some contestants should be right now.” The wolf girl said before touching the blue panel. Its color and pattern changed each time she touched it.

“Don’t worry about it right now.” The fox girl said, trying to calm me down. “Just stay near us.”

*Beep* *Shine*

What the hell was that!? That wolf girl pressed something and suddenly light surrounded us.

Also, it seems like the place has changed in a flash, what exactly happened?

“That device lets us teleport to different sections of the colosseum.” The fox girl explained without even having me ask anything. “As long as you stand in the area around it you’ll be teleported along. It’s the jade-colored floor around it just so you know.”

That sounds way too absurd to even think about, let alone say… It’s hard to deny since we are somewhere else entirely but…

“Oh! Look! It’s Revia and Yuuna!” The wolf girl pointed out after looking around for a while. Pointing at a pair, one of which has fox ears and tail, but with deeper red color than the one besides me has. The other girl has pink…

“Don’t just stand there!” The fox girl said suddenly. Before I realize it everyone has moved towards the pair while I haven’t moved at all. What’s wrong with me all of a sudden?

“How have you four been?” The other fox girl said. Doesn’t look like that pair has noticed me yet.

“Doing great as always!” The wolf girl replied. “What about you two? Didn’t quite expect you two to be here.”

“The heck does that mean?” The other fox girl, sounding overall more boisterous than the one I’m paired with, said, sounding a bit bemused.

“You texted them saying that you weren’t too interested…” The pink-haired girl said, her tone rather reserved.

“Huh?” She responded with confusion. “...Oh! That! I thought we were only talking about the main tournament.”

“You certainly didn’t worded it that way.” The rabbit girl said, not sparing her callous tone.

“A-Anyway…” The bull girl chimed in. “What were you two doing exactly?”

“Just looking around for the most part. Kinda just wanna know what people are saying about the upcoming tournament.” The other fox girl said. She was checking for gossip I guess…

“We’re sorta doing the same right now too.” The rabbit girl noted. “And planning on visiting a few contestants who should be using the training areas or the reserved rooms right now.”

“That’s neat. Can I come?” The other fox girl asked.

“Of course!” The wolf girl said in her group’s place.

“Cool! What do you think, Revia?” The other fox girl asked her companion, who I tried to not make eye-contact with.

“I have no problem with that.” She answered. Just add in more people why don’t you…

“Neat.” The other fox girl remarked. “So where are we going?”

“Well there’s a few people I like to check on, but nothing really concrete.” The wolf girl replied, before suddenly taking a glance at me. “I was just thinking about taking it slow for a moment since we have a newcomer here.”

“Newcomer?” The other fox girl repeated, as if finding that hard to believe. “Like… New new?”

Why do they keep using that term?

“Yep.” The fox girl replied. “Not a Lost or Gost either…”

“You mean a Kost?” The other fox girl said in surprise.

“Kinda… It’s an odd story, let’s leave that for later.” The fox girl said. I feel rather relieved she’s avoiding the issue. Don’t want her to say anything on the matter on my behalf if I could help it.

“Anyway!” The wolf girl suddenly chimed in. “Let’s get going! We can leave the heavy topics for later.”

“Right, right…” The other fox girl said before the group gets moving again.

How in the world do they know where they’re going inside this massive place? I’m at a loss just turning left and right. It’s a massive passageway that seems to have me walking around the outer layer of the building.

There are many people just walking or standing about, talking to each other casually in this massive and grandiose building like they were just walking down the streets. I can tell this is a sort of public space, but I can’t help but feel overwhelmed regardless.

“I know it’s a big place, but there are a few warp points to send you elsewhere if you feel like you can get lost.” The fox girl said before pointing out the few areas similar to the one they use to suddenly change location. I have no idea how those are supposed to work.

“I’m surprised you didn’t let her stay at your house instead of bringing her to this kind of place.” The other fox girl noted. Not that I want to be here, but she is quite insistent that I follow along. “By the way, Mani, what’s with the getup? Look way less fancy than your usual stuff.”

“Can’t I wear something else once in a while?” She said, sounding a bit exasperated.

Nothing else came out of the conversation as they kept moving, saying hello to a few people while I stayed out of it. Where do they even really intend to go? It just looks like they’re walking around in a circle.

“Nothing interesting that people here are talking about.” The wolf girl noted as we ended up back at where we started.

“So where do we go next?” The other fox girl asked.

“How about checking the arena itself? I think there should be a few people about.” The bull girl suggested.

“Guess we could do that.” The wolf girl said without putting any thought in it. “Alright then everyone, follow me!”

As if we weren’t already doing that. And now we’re back at one of these ‘warp points’.

*Beep* *Shine*

It’s confusing how it works and it definitely startled me. Whoever made this is no doubt a genius when it comes to magic. Maybe someone like that can… “Say, who made this contraption anyhow?”

“Oh. Well, I don’t know the specifics, but I think Teacher has a hand in it.” The fox girl casually said. Great, nevermind then…

Doesn’t look like I’ll get much to go off on, just have to follow them and try to remain inconspicuous.

They walked further in, and it’s definitely a long walk trying to reach the center. How big would this arena even be?

“Here we are.” The wolf girl said and then I noticed the massive empty field. It looks like it could easily fit an entire army in it. Then I realize we’re walking in said field, with the ground being nothing more than soft dirt.

With how large it is, some people I can see aside from this group are more like dots…

“Impressive view isn’t it?” The fox girl asked me as we walked around. “It looks even better from a higher view.”

There are probably enough seats for thousands of people, and maybe even that wouldn’t be enough…

“Think someone is raring for a fight here right now?” The wolf girl asked her companion with a grin on her.

“Please don’t try to make a mess a day before the tournament…” The rabbit girl said in exasperation. “Just use one of the training rooms.”

“But those places are so small!” She complained.

“It’s the size of a large house, you know it’s not small.” She argued back. “Also everyone is scared shitless of you to try fighting you anyway.”

“They’re weird for thinking I’m scary!” She replied, and just from how she looks I have to agree there. A girl with a shirt with a way too low neckline, though her wolf features definitely makes her odd… “In fact they’re more scared of you!”

“Is that what you’re going with?” She said, sounding bemused. “Anyway, it just looks like a few people inspecting the area, no one noteworthy from what I’m seeing.”

“Huh. Guess they didn’t want to start a fight early.” The other fox girl noted.

“It would be improper if they did…” Her companion pointed out. “It’s practically spoiling the result if you think about it…”

“And that’s why you don’t fight here out in the open.” The rabbit girl remarked, before looking at her wolf companion, whose ears were twitching a bit.

“...So I guess we will go to a training room or two? You have some people you wanna see, right?” The other fox girl asked.

“Just a few, though we really only know one who’s there for sure.” The wolf girl noted.

“I see. Should we go there now then?” The pink-haired girl asked.

“Might as well. But let’s hear it from Ragy.” The wolf girl said before looking at the one with horns.

“Well… I’m not in a rush to visit her, if that’s what you’re asking.” She said, sounding a bit awkward.

“Is that right?” The rabbit girl said in response. “I guess we can do a bit of a detour then.”

“Hm? You have something in mind?” The wolf girl asked, sounding a bit surprised.

“Nothing in particular, it just looks like we should move a bit more slowly to let her look around a bit more.” She said while looking straight at me. I didn’t even want to be here…

“Sounds good in my book.” The fox girl said, as if speaking for me. Meanwhile the rabbit girl seems to be gauging my expression…

“Alright then, guess we’ll do that.” She said before walking out of this battlefield and back inside the large corridors and hallways.

Now we’re back at this ‘warp point’ thing, where are they taking me this time?

*Beep* *Shine*

Now we’re in a large empty room, or something akin to it. There are a few panels about, and it’s divided into multiple sections with lines on the ground, a large main area and two to the side with about identical fixtures, as well as a line separating each area from the entrance. I have no idea what this place is for, but it’s massive, probably the size of a large house…

“Could be bigger…” The wolf girl mumbled to herself.

“Anyway…” The rabbit girl said, brushing off her friend’s complaint. “Haven’t had any exercise today actually.”

“Oh! So that’s why you brought us here.” The fox girl noted. So she actually is looking for a fight.

“You know you can just ask me to help with that, right?” The wolf girl said with a tone of confusion.

“I actually want something a bit different than us going at each other, and there’s a convenient pair right here.” She said before looking at the fox girl and I. What in the world is she trying to say?

“Ohhh… I see what you mean.” The wolf girl said with a grin before cracking her knuckles.

“What the hell are they saying?” I asked the fox girl next to me.

“Just get ready for a fight.” She said, sounding a bit concerned herself. One of them then walked to one of the panels.

“Alright then you three, go sit on the sideline. Let’s see what the new girl is about.” The rabbit girl said, pressing something on the panel. “What weapon would you like, girl?”

“She uses an axe.” The fox girl answered for me.

“Alright then.” She then pressed a few buttons on it, when suddenly a few weapons appeared out of thin air.

*Throw* *Grab*

She threw a double-headed axe at me and two odd looking swords at the fox girl. Are we seriously doing this?

“Alright then! Finally got some action!” The wolf girl asked, lacking a weapon unlike her partner, who is now wielding a massive broadsword.

“Don’t go too hard on them, especially the new girl.” The rabbit girl said. Does she think I’m that weak!?

As the rabbit walked back into the middle area where the rest of us are, the wall of light shines bright from the lines on the ground, as if separating the area from the upcoming battle. Even then the area left for us to fight is massive, should be more than enough to easily get cornered.

“Let’s see what this master and servant pair can do.” The rabbit girl said. The absolute nerve on her… “Guess I touched a nerve. Let’s see how you’ll do.”