Crimson Eternal - Book 6 - Chapter 5

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Don't mind this fluff. It's so that free readers can't click on the link.
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Table of Contents and Weekly Schedule

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Click on the following link for the 1394 word chapter 5:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dmXnUkPaaxLt2ZpnBgRklQyqKZET2oUsX_s_3il8pNA/edit?usp=sharing

Or you can read the unformatted version below:

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Aria

The junior branch of the tournament gradually goes by one duel after another. With very few of the duels being of any real interest to me.

Mostly just Ryan’s, Ruby’s, and a few other people who I remember the two mentioning the last time we spoke. People who are quite powerful in their own right.

War never gets bored of watching them fight. And stealing the fighting styles of the better fighters no doubt.

And Shirogane seems to be using this as a chance to get a vacation without it being an official vacation. All because he’s expected to watch the duels as the crown prince.

That said, the further the tournament progresses, the more viewers there are.

At this point, there’s already trillions upon trillions of concurrent viewers at any time watching. And the number of duels going on at once is decreasing as well.

More importantly, one of the battle royale rounds is about to start. Which are the most interesting to me.

I watch as the arena is set up in the form of a large forest surrounding an equally large lake with a clearing around said lake. Where all of the participants of this round – which amount to around five hundred participants in this particular battle royale – are scattered around the lake standing on starting pedestals with barriers around them.

The rules of the battle royale are rather simple. The competitors fight to eliminate each other, and to pass to the next round they have to eliminate at least one participant each.

Which means that at least half of the five hundred competitors in this round will be eliminated in said round.

Of course, being eliminated in the round just means that the medallion the competitor is wearing detects that the wearer has taken a blow strong enough to be fatal to them. It then protects them from the blow and teleports them out of the arena while marking the medallion of the one that eliminated them.

The round itself will last for one hour. And both Ruby and Ryan are competitors in this round.

So I’m very interested in seeing this round.

War seems interested as well.

I lean forward in my throne the moment the round begins with the five hundred competitors arrayed around the lake. And the moment the countdown high above their heads reaches zero, they’re all released.

But since there’s a no-combat rule for the first minute after the round begins, instead of attacking each other, they rush to different locations for better positions to fight in.

The competitors who specialize in water combat rush into the lake while the ones who specialize in wide open combat stay on the plains. And the ones who want more cramped conditions go into the forest and the caves within the forest.

Then, when the minute ends, everyone immediately sets out to attack each other. Sending attacks, skills, spells, swords, and even arrows flying all over the place. All while barriers appear everywhere to block attacks.

Which makes for quite a sight.

I watch Ruby and Ryan in particular as they work together in their werewolf forms to attack the others. With death magic barriers appearing around them to protect themselves from the surrounding attacks.

Despite all of the attacks flying everywhere though, all of the people left in the tournament at this point are elites from all across the universe. So none of them are killed so easily.

Even by Ruby and Ryan.

After all, Ruby and Ryan are only in the few hundred levels range. Meanwhile the highest level competitors in that battle royale are almost level one thousand.

Apparently a lot of competitors in the tournament specifically try to limit their level to make sure they don’t cross into the next branch. Making for a lot of people at the peak of the tournament branch’s level range.

Of course, there are people who do the opposite as well. Level up specifically to reach the next branch.

It mostly depends on how confident they are in their own power.

If they’re confident they can win or do well in the lower branch, and know that they can level up to reach the required level for the next branch by the time the branch starts, then they’ll limit their level. Since they either believe they’ll win the branch and be allowed to participate in the next one, or they’ll level up and be allowed to participate in the next branch even without winning.

On the other hand, the people who don’t have as much confidence in either of those – reaching level one thousand by the end of the branch or winning the lower branch in general – will rush to raise their level above level one thousand before the branch. Making them the lowest level in the next branch instead of the highest level in the prior branch.

All because each higher branch gets more viewership than the branches before them. Which gives more opportunities and fame to those who enter them.

Anyway, it takes about ten or so minutes before the first competitors begin to get eliminated. Specifically the weaker ones amongst them that end up being targeted for that very reason. And the glass cannons who are targeted because they’re easier to kill even if they’re powerful.

All in the hopes that the other competitors can get a free elimination and pass the round.

Because the competitors are allowed to leave the arena when they get their elimination marked. Making them safe from others attacking them.

It’s honestly kind of interesting to see the various different strategies amongst the five hundred competitors.

Some of them tried going all out at the start in the hopes of getting lucky and taking someone out right away. Meanwhile others are conserving their strength and focusing on defense to wait for their opponents to exhaust themselves.

Lastly, there are the confident ones at the top of the food chain down there who are doing a mix of the two. They’re both acting defensive and are on the assault at the same time.

As for Ruby and Ryan? They’re a mix.

They’re more on the defensive than the offensive, but they are still partially on the offensive despite being lower in level than the average competitor out there.

And thanks to that, they manage to both pass the round after taking out different opponents. Then leaving the arena together without any hesitation.

I feel more than a little pride at the sight before focusing on the other competitors. Many of whom are royalty from all across the universe.

That said, royalty doesn’t mean much to me nowadays. Not when I’ve seen so many different royals in my life.

There are just too many royals.

The only royals that really matter are the ones from the bigger nations. Like my royal family from the Crimson Empire, and Shirogane’s.

Maybe some of the non-Grand nations too.

There are billions of royals across the universe after all. And the chances of someone interacting with a random planet across the universe that happens to be ruled by one particular royal is very low.

The universe is just too large.

Although in my case I’ll probably interact with each one eventually. Simply because I’ll live forever.

And I’m never going to stop exploring the universe.

Anyway, most of the elites of the universe are all of high standing. Whether they’re royals, nobles, family members of powerful mages, or whatever.

So I’m kind of numbed to the idea of royalty at this point.

I yawn as I continue watching the rest of the battle royale. All the way until the last of the competitors leaves the arena and the battle royale ends before the time limit draws to a close.

Leaving about two hundred and twenty-eight of the five hundred having passed.

A few extras beyond the expected number of competitors failed because a couple of the competitors stayed behind after passing to eliminate a few more. No doubt in an attempt to shake things up.

All in all though, it was pretty interesting to watch the battle royale. And I’m proud of Ryan and Ruby’s performance.

So with that thought, I pull my book back out and continue reading.

Just waiting for the next round one of the twins participates in to start.