"Alexia Alexia. If you keep dazing out like that, you're going to regret it!" Sang-jin Wi nudged at her, pulling her sky blue cloak back and forth.

"Ara? You may be right, but compared to the spectacular performances back at home. It isn't even a comparison." Awakening from her daze, she turned to her left and showered Sang-jin Wi with her hubristic demeanour. No longer did she appear melancholy. 

"That is true Alexia. If any of the elders from the Great Families came here, a performance like this would only taint them. Twenty of those commoners up there wouldn't even amount to one elder." Her eyes glinted with disdain but quickly widened.

"Ara did you find something that catches your eye?"

"Look look look!"

All eyes turned to find an accumulation of surging water on the balustrade. A well-shaped healthy man with straight, orange hair could be seen standing at the tip. Channelling his mana, it only took a matter of seconds for the surging water to unleash its built force. The audience gasped in awe as a waterspout was shot, jetting the man up. 

"MY DAUGHTER THIS IS FOR YOU!"

"Daddy you idiot! Watch out!" Alexia cried out in distress. 

Unfortunately, he was unable to hear his daughter's warning due to how far he was in the sky. 

"Elemental Master Harold! Around you! Around you!" Feerias and the other performers began to panic and shout.

"Eeeh? Oh Shit!" 

Because he wanted the most suitable location to show off, he was at the epicentre of the spectacles where everyone could view him. Sparks, flames, wind, holy light, there were so many types of spells and techniques surrounding him. It was an extremely hazardous situation. 

All of the performers began to promptly cease their activities, and those who were unable to were straining themselves to abate. 

Harold instinctively understood that he would certainly be dead, and thus immediately started to swiftly initiate hand gestures.  

"Hidden Technique: Water Serpent Ravishing Torrent!!!"

*ROOOOOARRRR*

The waterspout enlarged several times in width and encaged Harold, drenching his fair-skin and azure robe for the very first time. The air in the sky trembled from the turbulent energy as the water spun spun spun to form a torrent in the shape of a gigantic serpent. 

"Did I just hear a roar?!!" 

"Holy mother of Lord Caleyar! That Elemental Master was able to bring forth a phantom cry!

When one unleashes a powerful technique at a high level, it is said that one may be able to tap on the true strength of the technique. While the effects vary and it is unclear, for spells or techniques that embody a creature as a representative, a phantom may manifest of the respective creature. One legendary hero from long ago stated that this was just a glimpse into the secret laws. 

None of the techniques and spells around the typhoon was able to last at least five seconds upon colliding. Explosions boomed across the dome marking the end of the supposed spectacle. In the air, a torrent could be seen flushing down vigorously, and soon the man at the eye of the storm was visible in view. He carefully flowed down like a leaf travelling down a rocky waterfall.

As soon as his feet planted to the ground, there was only silence. 

Alexia stared at her father with a face filled with relief.

"Alexia! How did you like my performance?" Harold, drenched in water, colourfully shined visibly under the sunny sky like a rainbow being revealed after the rain. 

Inspecting the facts and connecting the dots, Alexia finally understood.

"DADDY YOU'RE AWESOME!" Jumping out of her seat without a care, she proudly commended him.

"BAHAHAHAHAHA!" a girl's laughter and claps echoed across the arena. The audience then realised this was truly part of the performance, and a great round of applause rumbled. Many exchanges of words were amidst the cheers. 

"What a lucky daughter. To think she would have such a great dad," sighed a middle-aged woman.

"As a father, I can't help but feel jealous of their relationship. He would go to such lengths to risk his life to make his daughter happy," a young knight lamented with praise. 

"I guess not all Feerias are snobbish." Tears began to moisten in the eyes of an old brute.

The King was quiet on the outside, but on the inside, he was groaning. (No wonder that snobby Feeria envoy was chortling as he sent the papers.)

Dalis did his best to maintain his poker face. Earlier, he had been in such a wistful mood. But now, he didn't know whether to be down or laugh. From what he had perceived, that man was unquestionably not part of the performance. In addition, that girl was bursting with laughter. She was not cheering. Did everyone not notice that?

Curious to see Melvin's reaction, Dalis sneakily peered over to Melvin. To others it may appear that he had no comment, however, just from capturing a side view Dalis could recognise how jittery he was inside. Now, what would happen if he went for a little poke?

Dalis attentively stared at Melvin until he was discerned. As though he detected a familiar ill omen, Melvin reflexively jutted his head out towards the horsefly. Imposingly, he returned the stare two-fold. 

"Go on." 

"My condolences." Dalis's shoulders drooped down, and he sank a little further down in his seat. Melvin could no longer see his expression. Instead, all he saw was his head sway side to side in solace. It was blatantly obvious he was taunting him. It certainly did the trick to tick him off. However, if he sets foot on the wagon, it would be playing right into the palm of his hand. 

"You seem to have an awful misunderstanding." Leaving an ambiguous line, Melvin no longer bothered with him. 

(How surprising. A nice counter.) Dalis's mood uplifted in spite of his forfeit.

"Big sister is happy that you guys are feeling better now." 

Simultaneously, the boys shifted their bodies to hear what she plans to say.

"A silly face you have there," Dalis commented.

"Silly~ Silly~" 

Melvin was struck flabbergasted.

"Melvin you look silly," Stilla chimed.

"I-I am puzzled as I'm unable to face the flow of this conversation."

Melvin's stutter and countenance caused Dalis to titter. Unexpectedly, Melvin was unoffended, rather he was strangely content.

"Fireworks. Do you two know what that is?" Dalis enquired, in monotone. 

"Fire—wwoorks?" Perplex was written on her face.

"I am unfamiliar with that term," Melvin doubted. 

"Get ready," Dalis nonchalantly uttered as he turned towards the arena. As a result, his black bangs hid his clouded over expression. 

*RUMBLE* *RUMBLE* *RUMBLE*

The earth trembled and quaked as lines appeared to be surfaced from the ground arena. Majority of the people present were unperturbed and observed the unintended extravaganza with excitement. The elliptical shaped floor of the arena was splitting, wheeling its gears, transforming the arena, and dissembling the eclipse to form nine square arenas. The lines were discrete, making it evident where each arena separated. It is said that within each arena, there is an invisible wall erected after participants enter an arena and agree to begin. There were many more features to the arena's mechanism, but for today's event, this was all that was necessary. 

"Unbelievable . . . Not even a trace of rubble or debris was left from the procedure," Melvin faltered. 

The 93rd Knights of Kingdom Tournament centred on emphasising “power”. To test “power” a single-elimination series of 1v1 duels are conducted. There is no time limit, but all matches must be finished before the end of the day. Otherwise, the whole bracket is disqualified. 

Ten thousand participants were filled to the quota for this event. They are divided into 10 groups, Group A- J: one thousand participants are in each group and scheduled to be tested on their respective day. Within the thousand for that particular day, they are divided into the ten arenas. This will form a 100 participant sub bracket of which one would at most need to win six duels, each one halving the number of participants to finish their sub bracket until there are only two participants left for one arena. 

In the case that a round has an odd number of participants, one participant will be chosen to skip the round as they do not have anyone to duel, meaning that some participants may complete the sub-bracket in less than six duels. Those who have skipped a round are unable to be skipped again unless all other participants have already skipped. A lottery is drawn to determine who is skipped.

By the end of each day, there would be twenty victorious participants. Hence, by the next ten days, there should be two hundred participants overall left remaining from groups A-J. 

From that point, these two hundred are now merged into one group. There, they are once again divided into the ten arenas, thus twenty in each arena.

At most one would need to duel three times, resulting in three left per sub bracket.

In total there would be thirty participants overall remaining to be sent to the final trial.