Zeek's knuckles whitened as he clenched his fists, resting his elbows on the hard, cold table.

His gaze was fixed on the blue transport crystal that lay just in front of him.

Tera, Angela, and the Twins, Lora, and Ariel occupied the other seats around the table, where the white projector crystal sat in the middle.

His mind raced with the possibilities of the upcoming fight with Anissa; no matter how hard he tried, all paths led to killing her.

Zeek let out a deep sigh as he leaned back in the leather chair. He considered the idea of getting Anissa to forfeit but dismissed it as soon as it came to mind.

He knew there was no way she would ever shame herself with such a cowardly act. Then, his mind wandered to the thought of killing every Monarch in the world and ending the tournament altogether.

A smirk crept onto his face at the thought, and he shook his head. In an attempt to calm his mind, Zeek looked up at the ceiling.

His gaze shifted to Lydia, who stood behind him and had a distant, hollow look in her eyes. He could tell by the way she clenched her teeth she was reliving the terrible scene of his broken and bleeding body in the bathhouse.

He could sympathize with her worry, having seen someone he loved mangled and wounded, and knew he had to reassure her.

Reaching out, he gently placed his hand on her cheek, and her eyes lit up with a spark. Don'te.

"I'll be fine, Lydia. Don't make that face," he said with a tender smile, hoping his words would bring her some comfort.

Zeek then shifted his gaze to the other girls in the room, who all had gloomy expressions.

He chuckled lightly and said, "That goes for all of you too. You guys are probably more worried about this match than I am."

Angela, her thumb hovering close to her mouth, her nail bed almost visible as she dropped her hand with a sigh.
Her anxiety, while not as overwhelming as it was for the first match, still lingered.

She forced a smile, a desperate attempt to reassure Zeek and trick her mind into believing it would all be okay. "Of course," she murmured.

Tera glanced up at Zeek, trying her best to conceal the worry in her eyes. Her lips tightened, and she hmffed as if to convince herself that everything was alright.

But the memory of what Anissa had done to him was still fresh in her mind, making her heart race with fear for his safety.

Lora and Ariel, the twins, seemed the most composed. Although they both wore worried expressions, they did their best to lighten the mood by discussing the potential candidates for the new positions: Master of the Treasury, Master of Agriculture, and Keeper of the People.

"What do you think of them, Zeek?" Ariel asked.

That morning, the candidates had gathered in the ballroom to meet with the King, but he never showed up. So the three princesses and Zeek had the meeting instead. But Zeek's mind was focused on the match, so he hadn't paid attention to the details.

Zeek scratched his head, and his confusion was evident, "Sorry, I wasn't completely there this morning. What were their names again?"

Lora smiled sympathetically, "I figured you'd be preoccupied, so let me give you a quick review."

She paused to collect her thoughts and then gestured excitedly with her hands as if she were showcasing the perfect candidates.

"The master of treasury candidate is Henry Bradford. He comes from a family of mathematicians, and he's served as a freelance accountant for some of the top merchants on this side of the continent. He was actually the first to volunteer for the position when we posted the opening."

Zeek nodded, a glimmer of understanding dawning on his features. "Sounds like a reliable guy."

Ariel took the topic from there, her voice sounding almost as if she were speaking for Lora. "And The master of agriculture was easy to fill. We chose Grandal Norfod, one of the elders of the Experts we had received from Jordan. His great-grandfather actually owned one of the largest plots of farmland in Estaria before he left for Jordan. Grandal was more than willing to take the position in honor of his great grandfather's legacy."

Lora finished the story, her tone soft and reverent. "As for the Keeper of the People, we chose Elizabeth Granger. Everyone in the city knows and loves her since she runs the orphanage and many of the shelters in the capital. But she only agreed to aid us if we assisted the orphanage and shelters financially, so we agreed to do so – it was already in our plans, after all."

Zeek jokingly exclaimed, "Oh, perfect, another beautiful woman in the palace!"

Unfortunately, the joke went over everyone's heads, and he was met with contemptuous stares.

Lydia stepped forward, her cold hands sending a chill down his spine, his strength slipping away bit by bit until she released him.

He quickly cleared his throat, "I was just joking! Please continue, Lora."

Lora giggled, "We had planned on filling other spots like Master of Trade, Master of War, and Master of Law, but we need a bit more time and resources to fill those positions."

Zeek nodded in agreement, his crossed arms a silent show of approval.

"Well, being able to do what you did in the last two weeks was way more than I had expected. So keep doing what you're doing, ladies," he said with a nod.

Unbeknownst to him, the four girls had already started to view him as the King's proxy in his absence.

The projection crystal on the table began to tremble, its faint vibrations echoing throughout the room and grabbing everyone's attention.

Suddenly, the crystal burst into a brilliant light, and a widescreen appeared in the air.

On the screen, the emperor sat on his throne, a cheerful smile plastered on his face.

"Greetings, heroes!" he said. "The last match was quite the spectacle, and I'm excited to see what you have in store for us today. As you know, in a few moments, your crystals will glow and transport you to the arena. If you haven't already, I suggest you put on the suits that were provided the last match."

He clapped his hands, and the blue transport crystal glowed.

"Now, let's get things started. Please don't disappoint."

Zeek rose to his feet, and Lydia brought over the suit he had worn in the last match, along with an unfamiliar white one. Her face was full of worry.

"I don't know if you should wear this suit, Zeek. Whenever it touches my skin, I feel like it's sucking out my mana or something. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I know it's bad."

Zeek's eyebrow rose. He hadn't noticed anything when he fought in the last match.

"Maybe I couldn't feel anything before because I wasn't familiar with mana," he thought to himself.

Angela left her seat, stepped up, and took the suit from Lydia to examine it herself.

Her eyes glowed as she ran her hands and eyes over the fabric.

"I don't see any runes on it, but it does have an ominous feel to it. Almost like it's alive," she said.

Then her eyes widened. "Didn't this have a burn hole in it before?"

Zeek's face lit up in realization, "Oh right, it did!" he exclaimed, recalling the time when Homelander had blasted him in the chest with his eye lasers. “Maybe it repaired itself?”

Tera chimed in, her eyes narrowing in suspicion, "I don't think it would be a good idea to wear it. I didn't have to wear anything like that in the tournament I fought, and the heroes of the last tournament weren't required to use it either."

Lydia's face became stern, her green eyes glowing brightly. She yanked the suit from Angela's hands before her words echoed in the room. She began chanting a spell, and the suit burst into flames, writhing and squirming in the air before finally turning into a pile of ash.

She puffed her chest up with pride, "I knew it was something fishy. That's why I had this suit made for you to wear instead."

Zeek released a chuckle, his eyes twinkling with amusement, "Well, let's hope I didn't need that."

Lydia carefully unfolded the white spandex-like material she held in her hand.

As Zeek reached out to take it from her, he could feel the craftsmanship of the suit in his hands. He held it up, inspecting every detail of the intricate design.

On the chest was a black crest in the shape of a fox, with black lines that trailed along the arm and legs, connecting to the center emblem in a pattern that had clearly taken hours of precise work to create.

Zeek's eyes widened in admiration, and he couldn't help but declare, "Wow, this is really well-made!"

Angela gave a bright, content smile.

Lydia's cheeks flushed pink as she spoke, "I did most of the sewing, and Angela used her enchanting skills to make sure it wouldn't get destroyed in the fight and added a few modifications."

Tera's tone was tinged with pride as she added, "The twins sourced the materials, and I chose the fox in the middle - I thought it suited your personality perfectly."

Lydia nodded. "We all worked on it in our free time and finished it just the other day."

Zeek surveyed the suit with a newfound admiration, his eyes savoring the tailored craftsmanship.

It was specifically designed for him, lovingly woven by the people who cared for him in this new world.

Without a second thought, Zeek placed the transport crystal on the table, stripped down to his underwear, and stepped into the body suit, feeling the enchantments tingle through his skin. 

The fabric fit him like a glove, a reminder of the love and effort that had gone into making it.

The moment he had it fully on, a white ethereal cape unfurled from the back of the suit, billowing as if a breeze had been blown on it.

At the same time, Zeek felt the souls of his feet harden, forming shoes.

He couldn't help but smile in amazement, the energy of the suit flowing through him.

Having the handmade suit gave him a new sense of confidence as he walked to the side of the table, his gaze stern and determined.

Grasping the Blue glowing transport crystal in his palm, he looked each of the women in the eye.

"I should reward you all for your efforts. Come here, all of you." He commanded with a booming voice, his lips curling into a slight smirk.

The girls gathered around him with expectant gazes on their faces, a noticeable tension in the air.

Wasting no time, he kissed the twins on their foreheads, the gesture full of love and appreciation.

He hadn't grown close enough to them to kiss them on the lips, but he still considered them as part of his family in this new world.

Next, he moved to his three lovers, pressing his lips to Angela's tenderly, taking her in a passionate embrace that seemed to last an eternity.

She reciprocated his passionate embrace, squeezing him with all her might as if she were scared he would disappear at any moment.

Her eyes twinkled with delight as she said, "Thank you," grateful that she was the first to receive his kiss.

His appreciation for her feelings made her feel like her concerns had been acknowledged, and her heart filled with a warmth that radiated throughout her body.

Zeek then moved closer to Tera, his heart pounding with anticipation, having never kissed her before.

He could feel the heat of her breath on his skin, and the look of longing in her eyes was unmistakable.

Without hesitation, Zeek leaned in and pressed his lips to hers.

Tera responded eagerly, her soft lips caressing his as her hands encircled his neck and pulled him closer. The sensation of her breath on his skin, the sweetness of her lips, and the tenderness of her embrace was almost overwhelming.

They both lingered in the moment, savoring the passionate feelings that pulsed between them. Eventually, Zeek reluctantly pulled away, and Tera gently bit down on his lower lip as he left, letting go and licking her lips as if to savor his taste a moment longer.

Saving the best for last, Zeek turned to Lydia, who patiently waited with a beaming smile that lit up her entire face.

When their eyes met, Words of love and compassion were exchanged without any being spoken.

Zeek wiped his lips with his hand and pulled her into his embrace, their hearts beating in time with the intensity of their love.

With a passionate kiss, the two embraced each other, their burning love for each other evident in the way their lips moved in perfect harmony.

His rough hands tenderly cupped her cheeks, her gaze locked on his as their hearts beat faster in anticipation of their next move. The world around them melted away as they stayed locked in this moment, where nothing else mattered.

"Aheem!" Angela broke them from the intense moment, her voice reverberating around the room.

She gestured urgently to the blue crystal in Zeek's hand, her eyes wide and her brows furrowed.

"Oh right.", Zeek said, rubbing the back of his head, " Well, I guess I'll see you all in a bit."

He raised the crystal in his hand and slowly tightened his grip as he muttered the words, "Transport."

An eerie light engulfed his body, and he began to vanish before their eyes.