Right outside the capital city, there was a huge line of people trying to enter.
The mood inside the city was filled with excitement as though they were preparing a huge celebration. The people were cheering at each other, showing their enthusiasm.
The heart of this festive mood came from a huge stadium inside the city. This stadium was used only for a huge celebration where they gathered a huge number of people to witness.
And this time, it wasn't that different.
The people were filling up the stadium to the brim.
"We can't miss this!"
"That's right. I would never think that I could witness something like this."
"Look!"
In the middle of the stadium was built a huge arena. But it would be dangerous for the people if the arena wasn't protected. That was why there were a total of twenty pillars that circled the arena.
On top of each pillar stood a powerful man, releasing their Spiritual Energy to form a barrier. However, there were four pillars that had yet to be filled.
One of the people suddenly pointed at the northern pillar. A man suddenly stepped on the pillar, causing the cheers to erupt.
"Woah!"
"Isn't that…"
The one who stepped forth was a middle-aged man. He had a muscular body and sharp eyes. There was a claw scar that ran through his right eyebrows to the right cheeks.
Everyone seemed to recognize him as they began shouting his identity.
"Count Zeryn!"
"Uooohhhh!"
"The Fire Arbiter is here!"
"Count Zeryn!"
"Fire Arbiter!"
That was right. He was one of the twelve Arbiters of the kingdom, Hawk Zeryn, known as Fire Arbiter.
However, the cheers soon swept the arena once again as another person appeared on the west pillar.
The people couldn't help but stop for a moment as if they were getting entranced by her beauty. The woman looked like she was in her late twenties. She had long red hair and an expression devoid of emotion. But that was exactly her charm. She looked aloof and cool, like a flower that could only be admired from afar.
"As expected, she is also coming."
"Well, it can't be helped. She is after all a teacher!"
"That's right. The Void Arbiter, Josephine Brown!"
That was right. The person who just appeared was none other than Anna's teacher, Josephine. As her teacher, it would be weird if she wasn't here.
However, the people didn't know that their relationship wasn't like what they were thinking. Josephine had been brainwashing Anna while the latter actually had figured out her trick and acted like she was a good student.
It only took a moment before the cheers changed once again. This time, the person who came was an old man.
At first glance, there was nothing special about this man. However, the more they looked at him, the more they felt the difference. When they made eye contact, they felt like they were being cut by numerous swords.
He was the most senior Arbiter and known to be the strongest.
"Uooooohhhhhh!"
"The Sword Arbiter has taken the stage!"
"Duke Lorelei!"
"I'm glad that I'm attending this fight. I can see all these famous figures by myself."
"But there is one more spot that hasn't been filled yet."
"But the Sword Arbiter has taken the stage first. So, the last one should be someone more famous than him, right?"
"Is it the Marshall?"
"You idiot. You shouldn't forget about the fighter this time."
"That's right. If it's her, then her father must be going."
As people said those words, the last figure landed on the pillar. As everyone had expected, since the challenger was his daughter, there was no way he wouldn't come.
"Ooh!"
"Marquis Stargaze!"
"The Fleeting Arbiter has taken the stage!"
"As expected, he is going to watch his daughter!"
"Who do you think will win?"
"Count Heirden might win this time. After all, he has been an Arbiter for two decades."
"Meanwhile, his opponent is someone who hasn't lived for two decades."
"You idiot. That's exactly the reason why Count Heirden can't let his guard down. The fact that his challenger is that talented means she has a trump card that can defeat him."
"That's possible."
While they were discussing the match, a loud voice suddenly swept the arena.
"Ladies and Gentlemen. I'm sure that you can't wait for this match, so I'll spare you from a long opening speech.
"Let me introduce you to the people who will protect you and become the witness of this amazing fight."
"The first one is Count Zeryn, known as the Fire Arbiter. I'm sure you've known him by his nickname, Fire Demon. It came from the fight where he pushed back an army of ten thousand demons with the knights from his territories."
"The second person is none other than our challenger's teacher. Her Space Element is unmatched in this kingdom. You can't escape when she has set her eyes on you, the Void Arbiter, Josephine Brown."
"You might already know the third person as he is the oldest Arbiter and the one with the longest career as an Arbiter. In this world, there is nothing he can't cut, the Sword Arbiter, Duke Lorelei."
"Last but not least, as a father and as an Arbiter, there is no way he will pass this fight… The Arbiter who has defeated more bandits than anyone else, the protector of the kingdom, holding the title of Fleeting, Marquis Stargaze!"
"Uoooohhhh!" The people cheered while clapping their hands.
"Without further ado, I will be introducing you to the two people that will fight today. For our challenger, we have someone extremely special."
"She is recognized as the most talented person in the Muivell Kingdom. She is the student of the Void Arbiter as well as the daughter of the Fleeting Arbiter."
"In her early career, she joined the Demon Banner Army and graduated earlier than all her comrades. She has broken the record as the strongest person to graduate from the training camp."
"In the kingdom, she has surpassed everyone's record. She is only nineteen years old, but she has become a Spirit Grandmaster. No one can surpass this record anytime soon!"
"In order to get the right to challenge an Arbiter, she had to complete three missions. The first one was to gain recognition from at least six Arbiters. The second one was to eliminate a hundred Peak Level Demons, which she completed pretty easily. The last one was… to defeat a Superior Demon by herself. It seemed that the Sword Arbiter, the Fleeting Arbiter, and the Fire Arbiter were there as her witness."
"I'm sure that you can't wait anymore. After all, she is known to be one of the most beautiful women in the kingdom. Without further ado, let's invite Anna Stargaze!"
The cheers erupted once again as a figure walked into the arena. Just like with Josephine, the people were stunned.
Her blond hair had been tied into a ponytail, creating a gallant aura around her. Her sharp eyes could freeze anyone on the spot. She was wearing a white-colored military uniform, complimenting her bright hair.
Her expression was calm and collected as if she wasn't afraid of the person that would fight her.
When she stepped on the stage, another wave of cheers burst.
"Uooohhh!"
"Anna Stargaze!"
"She is so beautiful!"
"To think that she is that strong already."
"Who would actually be her match?"
The announcer shifted their attention again by introducing her opponent.
"On the opposite side, I think everyone has known him. He has been an Arbiter for twenty years. His achievements are so many that I can't list all of them for you."
"He is the Earth Arbiter, Count Heirden!"
An old man walked to the stage. Just like Anna, he was wearing a similar uniform. While he was keeping a calm expression, the Count had fully understood why he was chosen.
On the surface, it looked like revenge from Anna. But the royal family definitely knew that he had been cooperating with the Supreme Devil Organization to cripple the Demon Banner Army.
To avoid any further problems, the royal family was planning to use this fight to replace his position. After that, they could simply frame them with anything before subjugating his family.
That was why Count Heirden knew that he couldn't lose in this fight if he wanted his family to be safe.
When he reached the stage, his eyes made contact with Anna's. He couldn't help but furrow his eyebrows, thinking, 'She is far different from back then.'
But they couldn't intimidate their opponents any longer as both of them had to turn their bodies around, facing a small balcony that was isolated from the rest.
Even the Arbiters on the pillar faced the balcony. They all suddenly dropped to one knee as the announcer shouted, "His Majesty, Oliver Ve Lenferth, is entering the arena!"
"!!!"
From their action to the announcement, the other people also followed suit.
The king of the Muivell Kingdom had just entered his spot, standing on his balcony while looking at the arena. He was accompanied by the Marshall, who would protect him from all kinds of threats.
He announced, "This is a battle between the young talent and the old reliable Arbiter. I'll spare you with the speech. The rule is simple. Do your best to defeat your opponent without killing them. I don't wish for the talent of my kingdom to be destroyed right before my eyes. The True Spirit Body is forbidden. The four Arbiters will protect the people so you can fight to the best of your abilities. I wish you good luck."
As he finished his speech, he sat down while squinting his eyes, watching Anna closely. This was the piece he wanted to get the most.
Unfortunately, he couldn't state it openly. He waved his hand, as if signaling the announcer to begin the match.
Everyone began to stand up, fully knowing what would happen next. They couldn't contain their excitement anymore.
With an energetic tone, the announcer finally said, "With His Majesty's permission, let me announce it to everyone. The battle between Count Heirden and Anna Stargaze… officially starts!"
