[Countdown: 5:43...]
''Ayako!'' Leia ran inside the Kurogami Residence and ran towards the couch where Ayako was sitting with Azumi and Eiji.
''Leia!'' Ayako waved her frail-looking arm.
Leia sat next to Ayako, their legs were touching, but their eyes were glued to the screen.
Iris and Luke entered the building with wry smiles.
Lucas arrived after them.
''Lucas? Long time no see.'' He heard a voice behind him.
He turned his head and saw a black-haired girl smiling. She had a beautiful, youthful face, slick eyebrows, a cute pointed nose, and beautiful blue-colored eyes.
''Amanda?'' Lucas raised an eyebrow, ''What are you doing here?''
''Our family was invited for this small meeting as well,'' Amanda said with a smile and looked around the house, which was very crowded.
Lucas nodded, ''How have you been?''
''Fine.'' Amanda simply replied, ''Even though we are in the same school, I haven't had time to meet you. You must be busy being the so-called Ace.''
Lucas shrugged, ''I feel like everything I do isn't enough. Ichiro is already a superstar, while I am stuck here.''
Amanda sighed and looked at the TV with countless emotions.
She heard Ichiro being the son-in-law of the Nightside family.
It hurt her a lot.
Even though she had already given up, she still couldn't help but feel her heart being crushed.
There were still the memories she had with Ichiro, but now those memories only made the pain worse.
She remembered Ichiro's face during their lovemaking, and she knew that he still loved her.
He looked at her with the face of love, but there was also some sadness in his eyes.
She wanted that look to be only aimed at her, but now someone else is receiving the same look, which made her angry and sad.
''You alright?'' Lucas asked after seeing Amanda's face turn sad.
Amanda shakily nodded, ''I am fine... I hope that Ichiro's team will win.''
Lucas nodded and rubbed his chin.
He looked at the screen, and it showed [Countdown: 2:59...]
Only 3 minutes remaining.
...
Avron and the rest of the elders of Moonstar were watching the tournament from their private mansion in Snowland.
It wasn't actually theirs, but no one was complaining about them being here because there were three corpses in the basement rotting.
''Has Abyss contacted yet?'' Avron asked the elder behind him.
The elder shook his head, ''Not yet.''
Avron snorted, ''Does he not care about that brat? He will die at this rate.''
''Maybe he knows that we are using him to do our bidding until he becomes too weak?'' One of the elders asked.
''Doesn't matter if he knows or not. He doesn't have any other choice because his daughter will be marrying to our family, not other way around. He has to do what we tell him, or his daughter won't have a happy ending.'' Avron said with a vicious grin.
''His daughter won't have a happy ending even if Abyss does everything we say.'' One of the elders said with a grinning face.
Avron chuckled and nodded, ''That's true... My son isn't very gentle with pure girls like her.''
''How long it will take until she breaks?'' One of the Elders started betting.
''I bet 1 week.''
''I bet 1 month, she is Nightside brat, after all, so she should have some willpower in her.''
''Meh, 3 weeks.''
Avron chuckled, ''1 day.''
''Ohh, 1 day? Avery must like her then.'' One of the Elders chuckled.
''Nah, he doesn't like her. He enjoys breaking the girls from influential families... And there are few in Marq as well who will become Avery's target.''
''That brat from Sunlove family?''
Avron nodded, ''Avery would want to do the deed in front of her whole family to humiliate her.''
''Damn, what did she do to him?''
Avron grinned, ''She rejected his confession.''
The Elders grimaced.
''Rejecting Young Master's confession? Fool!''
*Ding*
Everyone's heads turned to the TV, and it showed [Countdown: 00:59...]
1 minute left.
...
In Marq
In the Sunlove Palace.
*Bam*
One of the doors was slammed shut.
A young woman entered her spacious room with tearstains covering her face.
She had beautiful long blue hair and a delicate-looking face with rose-colored lips. Her body was petite, but there were some hidden muscles in her tiny-looking arms.
She returned from the Garden after talking with her mother, aunt, and grandfather.
Her body was trembling, and she started considering ending her life.
It would be a better fate than becoming Avery's toy.
She shakily went to her bed— she grabbed a TV remote from the desk and opened the TV.
There were thousands of channels, and she had to go all the way to Channel 887 to watch the tournament she wanted to watch.
It was the Winterlight's Battle of Cities.
She looked at the countdown with a rapid heartbeat. She made a promise that if Avery won, she would end her life.
If Avery doesn't win, there are bigger consequences than Abyss thinks.
If Avery loses, he won't be allowed to return to the Capital City of Marq.
The city where Moonstar and Sunlove family is located.
But why?
Because Avron had to pull some connections to join the tournament in Arya.
It is against the rules to join other Continent's tournaments, and it could lead to war.
That's why... Avron had to talk with the Emperor of Marq, and he managed to talk with Arya's Government, and they allowed it.
But it wasn't cheap.
It was costly.
The Emperor of Marq also said that if Avery loses, he isn't allowed to come back here, ever again.
Because Avery is from Marq, it would be humiliating if he went to some random Battle of Cities and lost!
Marq's Royal Family would lose all respect in the eyes of Arya's Government.
Avron simply agreed to the terms.
Because he didn't even think that Avery might lose.
He is the legendary monster genius of the Moonstar family, after all!
That's why this young woman made this promise.
Her name is Luna Sunlove, and she is the Young Princess of Sunlove family.
She put her hands on the praying gesture, ''P-Please... C-Coldland, win.'' Tears trickled down her soft-looking cheeks and stained the bed's blanket in her tears.
[Countdown: 00:00]
