Jeriko Sloss was sitting in a bar drinking a cup of mead, wondering what the hell his life had come to. After the Illecebrosus Clan took over his continent, he'd found less and less work as a mercenary. He was contemplating whether he should lose his sword and just give up on his dream of being a king, getting a harem of beauties, and not having to pay the ladies of the night. His biggest dream was having a harem of beautiful slave girls, and his mercenary bands commander had promised him that they'd get that so long as they worked hard, lived as safely as they could on the battlefield, and fought well. Sadly when the emperor took over 20 years ago, after the last Multiversal Tournament, he realized those dreams were for naught. The Illecebrosus Clan banned war in their territories, and the damn Spiritas Clan helped enforce it. Then, they got rid of their political rivals in their territories by using the authority of the emperor, and the fact that for the first year after the tournament meant that their clan could make rules for the entire multiverse. Now mercenaries were only hired to kill beasts, and ironically even they were on the decrease due to the soldiers of the Emperor's clan and his allies.

As he was about to order another round of drinks, he sighed and glanced up when the Bar's spell stone lit up, with an announcement from the emperor and the major clans, as well as the minor. The Emperor came onto the screen and said “PEOPLE OF THE MULTIVERSE, I HAVE WONDERFUL NEWS!!!!!!!! THE MULTIVERSAL TOURNAMENT, NOW NAMED THE ILLECEBROSUS PROELIUM TOURNAMENT IS REOPENING, AND THE QUALIFYING ROUNDS FOR THE CONTINENTAL TOURNAMENT ARE GOING TO BE OPENING OVER THE NEXT TWO MONTHS! THIS SAME ANNOUNCEMENT IS BEING BROADCAST TO OUR ALLIED AND ENEMY CLANS, WHO WILL BE PREPARING THEIR OWN WARRIORS FOR THEIR CONTINENTAL TOURNAMENTS!!!!!!!! “

He took a breath before asking “DO YOU, MY PEOPLE, THINK YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE THE NEXT EMPEROR, OR EVEN JUST A POWER IN THIS MULTIVERSE, IF SO JOIN YOUR LOCAL COUNTRY'S COMPETITION AND SAY YOUR AFFILIATION!!!!!!!! GOOD LUCK, AND I WILL SEE THE WINNER OF MY PERSONAL CONTINENT AT THE CONTINENTAL TOURNAMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Finally the emperor finished with “OH ONE LAST THING, AS OF THE CONTINENTAL TOURNAMENT, FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, THE ENTIRE TOURNAMENT WILL BE BROADCAST OVER ALL BROADCASTING SYSTEMS, AND YOU, THE PEOPLE, WILL BE ALLOWED TO BET ON THE MATCHES!!!!!!!!! With that all said, have a good day my people, and as always LET THE STRONGEST REIGN SUPREME!!!!”\

Jeriko blinked realizing this was his chance to obtain his dream, he knew from a buddy who'd talked to a former slave from a previous tournament, that as of the actual Continental Tournament's rounds he could possibly challenge his opponent, by offering up something of value, that was equal to their own worth in the eyes of the Spiritas Family, making it possible for him to win them as his slaves. He would just have to be wary about them trying to challenge him if he started slacking off. Ah well, he had A month before the local qualifiers opened, according to text being broadcast, and quickly paid for his drink, before leaving the bar and preparing tp start training his ass off. He knew he may have been 41, that was still near the prime of life for his species. You see Jeriko was a demi-human, to be precise he was a salamander kin, at least partially, it gave him fire resistance due to the magical nature of his race, and as a type of lizard kin, again partly, as it only showed in his reptilian eyes, red hair, and the scales hidden on his chest, back, arms, and legs, by his armor, he had a long life span, and more strength than a normal base human.

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While Jeriko was preparing to train, another person was watching the broadcast and realizing it was her chance for revenge. Her name was Amanda Bright, and her sister had been captured and enslaved by her enemy, Acheron Blaze, five years ago, then was paraded around like a slave. She knew Acheron would love to join the Tournament once it was announced, and decided she'd offer herself up against him, and any other pigheaded males who thought just cause she had a pretty face she couldn't fight. Acheron had made a show of debasing her sister in her hometown after winning a minor tournament against her. Amanda and her sister Solaria were Snow Leopard Felinis, though mostly human with snow leopard traits, while Acheron was a lion Felinis who had been feuding with them for years before winning against Solaria in the tournament. Afterward he'd offered to let Amanda fight him for her sister. However, it was in close combat which Amanda was not as talented in, she was more of an archer. She offered to face him using the multiversal tournament rules, which allowed competitors to fight with weapons of their choice, and knowing her skills as a ranged weapon user were top notch, he refused.

Realizing this was her chance, and the preliminaries were a month away, she started training in magic, close combat, and honing her archery even better, knowing you were allowed to injure, maim, or even kill your opponents. However, Amanda knew she was just going to neuter the bastard with a well placed arrow, unless he didn't submit after that.

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Ryuko HinoKiba of the Igneous clan was laughing with glee as she took out multiple training dummies. Deep inside, she was planning on how to make it to the final round of the tournament and throw the fight, while hoping one of her opponents could beat her while she was giving it her all. You see, Ryuko was a bit of a pervert, but only around men, or women, stronger than her. She wished to be turned into their baby making, cum addicted, slave, and have strong warrior children. She was from an amazon branch of the Igneous clan, but unlike most of her sworn sisters, she was actually a submissive deep inside, but no one in the tribe had ever made her submit to them, heart, mind, body and soul. So, while many were planning on how to win the tournament, she was planning on how to find the strongest partner to turn her into their personal toy. Let's move on from her, shall we?
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Kristoff Louis, a fox kin demi-human, was standing before his sword teacher as he was told that he wasn't ready for the tournament. His master knew he was naive, idealistic, and although skilled, believed in fair play too much for such a dangerous thing. His master had fought in the tournament, and was only freed because he'd managed to beat the one who'd enslaved him. This made him jittery, cause he was just like Kristoff when he first joined the tournament, an idealistic youth who believed with the strength of his sword arm, and a fair fight, he could beat anyone.

Kristoff wouldn't listen to his teachers words, and set off for the nearest Continental Tournament preliminary trials, to see if he'd even be worthy of entering the main tournament, promising his Mentor to return victorious, and show the world what both their school, and he himself were made of.
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Lara Mort was a necromancer, one exiled by the Spiritas Clan for messing with things that should not be messed with. She was a beauty, who'd enthralled many men in her time, and even some women. However, now she was told the only way she could redeem herself, was to enter the stupid tournament, that she'd nearly died in once before, and win. Her new masters were not being very patient with her, and she knew it. Sadly, she knew that summons, even undead summons, were not allowed in the preliminary rounds, or even the main tournament, and she was a summoner, so she figured she'd have to steal the power of a few of her lovers temporarily, but hey that's' what they were there for.

Ironically, what she didn't know, was that after the Continental Rounds this rule would be changed, but seeing as she didn't know, she was trying to find lovers with top class abilities. She had used her beauty many times, to woo the simpleminded brutish warriors in the towns she passed through, but all of them were too weak to truly put up a good fight in the tournament, so she had to turn to dark magic to find the perfect specimens from which to steal their power. While Lara is looking for the perfect candidates, time marches ever onward toward the preliminary qualifiers in her region.
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Lucas Rat, a squirrel beast kin who hated his last name, was preparing his thieves tools for the qualifying rounds to the preliminaries of the Continental Tournament, all while hoping his backers in the Toxicity clan, were right about him being allowed to use any tools he wished as the preliminaries supposedly followed the rules of the tournament, or at leas the old rules. Lucas was a well known assassin in his home town, but most people in the world wouldn't blink an eye at him, he was merely a low ranking member of the Toxicity clan, but one of those they chose to see if they could turn into the next emperor, as he was a rather useful pawn. If not, well they had a lot of more powerful, cunning, and dangerous members scattered throughout the multiverse.

That said, Lucas now stood before the entrance to the qualifiers arena, which would be a simple stone hall where he'd showcase his skills against his opponent, silently fretting and hoping that his benefactors were right and he wouldn't die. Lucas is a poor sight, isn't he? Let's move on to the next area, shall we?
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Chryosis Nox, an ice elemental of no mean talent, was sitting in a bar when he heard the news, and turned to glance at the hooded figure beside him before asking “Is our lord going to be participating in this?” The figure nodded and said so softly, that one couldn't tell what their voice sounded like “Yes, many of us are actually. However, he has us set up as a team, so he'll be in charge, meaning he's the only one who will be participating in the qualifier as per the hidden rules that most won't bother to ask about. The emperor and the Clans were rather sly in setting that up, where you could enter your entire clan if you were a small clan, or an unknown one, so long as you listed all members, and had a representative that would do the talking. I believe he thought we might lose before facing him, and while I'm angry that he didn't believe in us, I'm touched by the fact he cares so much about us. Even you guys, those who joined us after we came in, are under his banner now. I hope, Chryosis, you are grateful.”

Chryosis nodded and said “Of course, though the way you said that was a lot more menacing than you probably meant it to be, as we are all family according to our lord.” The figure nodded and apologized for their tone, saying they were rather angry at the leader of their group and it slipped out. Chryosis waved it off and said “It's not a problem, I was just saying some might have taken it the wrong way. That said, he does realize that we'll have to do a qualifying round of our own to prove wee are worthy of the actual world tournament, by going against several of the runners up of the continental, right?”

The hooded figure nodded and said “That is one reason I' m not as mad at him as I could be. He did trust in us, but I think he was trying to be considerate, and show his worry in his own way. The fact he got the Council to agree to the minor clans having a bigger shot, shows that even they don't like having only 13 clans on the council, and the fact the Spiritas Clan actually agreed, says more about him than his idea.” Chryosis nodded at that, knowing the Spiritas Clan were rather reclusive at times, and that their lord was an odd one to get along with them so well. Then again, so was the leader sitting next to him, who seemed to emanate a deeper frost aura than his own when upset, and a light flurry like breeze that would cool the hottest of tempers when happy. Honestly he wondered just what had led to the two meeting each other, when they were like fire and Ice, though their lord was more like a raging Hell-Storm of Fire, and his leader was more like a calm snow covered landscape, most of the time.

That could change at the drop of a hat though, one could be a warm comforting ember that protects from the cold, while the other could turn into an ice storm that would freeze the depths of the Infernal Realm in never ending ice. Chryosis shook these thoughts from his mind and said “So, if our lord wins his way into the world tournament, we can all participate and the same goes for all minor lords who are willing to take the risk? What did he have to bet to get that?”

The hooded figure sighed releasing an icy breath and said softly “The clan itself, and his position as the head of it, even if he wins. If he fails, he can pass the headship to his second in command, but he will be the servant of the one who beats him. As for the rest of us, if we fail, it goes onto his head, and we go with him if he loses. He literally tied us to him like summons or slaves are tied to others, though I doubt he'll fail, unless They interfere...” Chryosis nodded at that realizing that their lord was a lot stronger than most thought, especially if he had blood. It didn't help many that he knew the new rules from the emperor, and had an advantage in control of his body against any but his mates or a female releasing pheromones telling him to breed her. Though event he pheromones would have to get through his will of steal, and the female would have to be begging him, and even then he'd be sure to pleasure her first. The dichotomy in that man was strange to him, but he guessed it fit for a man who went from warlord, to champion, and back at the drop of a hat.

The figure stood up and said “I will visit you again in a few weeks Chryosis, until then keep a lookout, and enjoy the tournament's qualifying rounds, will you?” Chryosis nodded and bid them farewell, a single dark blue strand of hair escaping their hood as they looked at him with one purple eye that seemed to contain immense power, and the other a brilliant blue like a clear frosted lake. It was this person who'd tamed Chryosis, and had given him back his sanity after he'd lost it upon becoming an elemental, and it was them and his lord, who he would do all he could to support, for giving him a home to return to, while also allowing him to enjoy his freedom.
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The man in the black wolf mask, who'd written his name down but asked the announcers of the tournament to call him “Voice” for now, as he admitted he was the voice of his followers and their representative, stared across the vast arena watching his competitors. He could tell at a glance that most of them, just weren't very strong and it disappointed him. It felt like too many were here just to prove they could be. He'd been pushed several times by weaklings who couldn't feel his abilities, and avoided by those strong enough to put up a fight, so he was a little...hungry. Thinking this he pulled a bag full of a crimson liquid out of his cloak and sipped it to sate said hunger because the fear in the air was getting to him. It sucked being a predatory species that hunted anything and everything to grow. Honestly though, Voice wouldn't have it any other way. He'd given up who he was long ago, and in exchange he'd saved many, and had many more to save.

He was here because he'd been asked to by a figure that new of this world's fate should a certain group manage to alter the fate of the tournament. What was ironic was, none of these idiots realized that one way to avoid becoming a slave in the main tournament, was to forfeit the match before it began. He'd only found that out from the Spiritas Clan leader though, so maybe they weren't such idiots. It was a hidden thing that was to save the innocent who had yet to spill blood in one of the arenas from being placed in its chains until they next won. Honestly though, he didn't expect to forfeit at any point, and if he was stupid enough to do so, any of his family who lost a match, that hadn't forfeited, would be given to the enemy as payment for his loss. It was one of the agreements he made when he signed up for this stupid tournament, and man did it poor a bucket of water over the fire in his heart and turn it to coals. He sighed softly and muttered just loud enough for the young woman next to him to hear, without realizing it “If it weren't for my damn hero complex we wouldn't be in this mess. They're still pissed at me for bringing them here and getting involved in yet another mess as soon as we stepped out of the damn portal.”

The girl, who had long yellow fox ears, and fox tail studied him and asked “Uhm, can you stop talking to yourself mister mask it's kinda getting creepy.” Voice apologized and continued to watch the arena, while the girl slowly inched away from him, wondering why he was so strange. Voice mentally groaned realizing he'd made the Canis Vulpes girl wary of him because he literally had to think aloud. He swore he needed to fix that damn habit. Finally the announcer called his name and he entered the fight, sadly, for him, his opponent was a big brawny dude with very little true strength other than that in his muscles.

He could tell by looking at the way the man swung his giant cleaver, stood, and the look in his eyes, as if he couldn't even sense any power coming off of Voice. Voice sighed and said “Five seconds, it will take five seconds for me to beat you after your first move. So make that first move count.” The man glared at Voice believing the wolf masked freak was making fun of him. Voice's cloak ruffled as the announcer, called out for the two of them to start the fight. The large man rushed at him and swung in a way as to bisect the masked, man? Woman? Even the Canis Vulpes girl didn't have any clue cause of the distortion magic on his voice, even if he knew he was male, no one else did. Voice ducked under the man's swing, and by the time the count of five had passed, had blown his enemy into a wall with a single move. What no one realized, was that he'd compressed all his aura, power, and strength into the punch and it was more like a hundred punches at once.

The announcer declared Voice the winner, and the wolf masked man walked to the area for those who would continue into the rest of the preliminary matches, muttering “Huh I underestimated myself, was only 4.9 seconds...guess I'm in better shape than I thought, that or the blood was from one of the girls.”

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The last of the Elimination Rounds were over, and with them, the fact that the Arena's were locked was finally revealed. The continental arenas slowly started to open their doors, rise out of the ground, and activate their spacial transference magic. The Emperor appeared on a broadcast for all to see and said, rather than shouting like last time, “Denizens of our multiverse, I have wonderful news. The preliminary qualifiers are over, and over 2500 people have been chosen on each continent of each world. This means that each continent has enough people to prepare for the continental tournament, and the true qualifying rounds for the actual Multiversal Tournament have begun. Many of you have won through strength alone, and for that I applaud you, however I also respect those who won through cunning, manipulation of their environment, or just your own skills.

That said, with the continental arenas opening, that means the contracts will go into place once you enter the arena and draw first blood. If any deals are made in the arena zones, they are to be fulfilled by you or the arena will subtract its own price for failure to do so. So please fair challengers, do not offer anything you do not have the ability to pay, unless you wish to end up either belonging to the Spiritas Clan for eternity, or for at least a few hundred years to your opponent's family. That said, I have even more good news, as of the end of the Continental Tournaments, and the start of the World Tournaments, The Spiritas Clan will be opening up their item, slave, and auction markets. There will be two classes of these markets, One for competitors, and The Other for those making bets on the fights and spectating. This is a first in the Multiversal Tournament's history. Also another first, the Spiritas Clan is offering free Elixirs to make anyone who manages to arrive at the World Tournament Stage, hit the prime of their life. However, if you are too young, they will not be able to increase your age.

Finally, the last bit of news, The tournament will be allowing special rules for Clans that wish to compete as one, if your a clan head who made it to The continental Tournament, and your clan is not one of the top thirteen, you may name a champion to hold the people of your clan that enter the tournament under them, as well as a proxy clan-head should you lose. This is good news in that clans are now tied to their champions, bad in that even a clan head will have to sell themselves if they lost before their champion and didn't earn their spot back. Another spot of good news is that if the champion loses, and has no losses from his or her clan's members, only he or she will have to be traded to the winner, and the clan can remain intact, so long as it was not bet on the match. That said, the doors of the arenas are opening, The Spiritas Clan will explain the Contract system once you get inside, and with that as always SHOW YOUR TRUE STRENGTH COMPETITORS!!!!!!!! Farewell, and I will wait for those of you on my continent, at our arena.”

The competitors started heading to their arenas knowing that their fates are in the hands of both them, and their opponents. Among them were Lara Mort, Kristoff Louis, Amanda Bright, Acheron Blaze, The Emperor Maxim Colossus, Lucas Rat, and Ryuko HinoKiba, as for Jericho, he'd already entered the moment the arenas were unveiled. It is here, that these people's tales divert from their original path, and it is here, that so many other's tales will be made.

As the Emperor says, MAY THE STRONGEST REIGN SUPREME!!!!