After returning last night, Yumiko seemed strange. Though Ryuji thought she might complain a little about the time. Instead, she greeted them with a smile, even preparing some light snacks and refreshments before they enjoyed a bath and went to bed early for the tournament.

''I felt a strange feeling of danger in her gaze, though.''

Ryuji thought to himself as they sat underground, waiting to be called into the arena. He felt the slight flicker of red in Yumiko''s eyes seemed dangerous. It became worse when he said only Erika would join him for their first match.

Alicia sat opposite them because a knight''s presence was required in the main rounds.

As they waited for their turn in the arena, Ryuji could feel the tension mounting within him. His heart throbbed with anticipation, and the desire to fight surged through him, fueling his adrenaline.

"Ryuji, are you feeling alright?" Alicia''s concern was evident in her voice, but her usual composure was back. Today, she was dressed in a dark leather tunic and skirt with thigh-length black tights. A practical yet elegant choice that suited her usual cute self. Her warm smile and the way she tilted her head, allowing her dark green bangs to sway, added to her charm.

"Hmm, oh, I am alright. I just felt a little excited and wanted to calm myself." He responded while opening his eyes slightly.

"Are you sure, Ryu?" Erika wore a lovely black leather dress over her chain mail shirt cloth tunic and tight latex-like shorts to hide her thighs and lower body from other people''s gazes.

He looked beside him, and Erika sat close enough that their bodies stuck together. She gave a lovely smile the moment Ryuji paid attention to her. He reached out, patting her soft, silky blonde hair. "I''m fine, don''t worry. It''s almost our time to go. Listen clearly."

***

Meanwhile, above them, the arena showed an extraordinary atmosphere compared to the qualification matches.

A beautiful female with a wonderful body and charm stood wearing a pink and white maid-style outfit while holding a long black item. Near the tip placed at her mouth was a glowing white magic circle. This tool seemed to work like a microphone as the lovely girls began to bounce up and down, causing the crowds to scream.

Especially the males.

"Welcome, everyone! Are you excited for Grigor''s Annual Chosen tournament?!" She asked in a cheerful tone, her voice carrying through the entire arena.

The crowds replied with screams and shouts of excitement. Even some women stood with the men, shouting their passion, while some young boys jumped up and down with excitement.

"Alright! I''m so happy for your loud voices~ I''m Maki! The singing maid! I hope you have heard my songs!"

"MAKI!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!" A chant followed as she twirled her short skirt, not a real maid outfit, as it revealed a small glimpse of her perky buttocks, driving the hot-blooded men insane.

"Well then, without further ado, let''s welcome today''s most important visitors! OUR VERY OWN KING! Avandar Grigor the Second! WOOH!" She cheered while the crowds followed her lead.

The cheering continued as the entire arena shook.

"Our beloved king, please Welcome our first batch of fighters!" She spoke with a melodic voice, and the arena lights moved toward the King''s royal box, showing a handsome, middle-aged man.

He looked a little more worn out than a few months ago, but his dignified smile and sharp features while sitting beside Alan made the females in the stands swoon while the men covered their chests. A lot of kingdom-loving commoners attend these tournaments.

Erika''s large hips swayed naturally as she showed as much grace as possible, her eyes glowing beneath her mask as she approached Ryuji.

"OOOOOH!!!" A lot of young men shouted.

"And joining him in this battle, another heroine! Her name is Erika Tendo! Both his beautiful knight and a competent Chosen with a brand new name! ''Dancing Blade!'' A first appearance for her, as she looked stunning in that beautiful black dress!"

The crowds continued to roar with excitement while Ryuji reached out his right hand, causing Erika to smile and walk up to him. She placed her left hand on top of his.

"Now, finally! Their knight companion, a lovely princess from the everlasting forest! The recently promoted C-Rank knight, Alicia!"

As Alicia appeared, cheers and roars of excitement continued while the crowds began to yell even louder.

"Princess! Alicia! Princess! Alicia!" A group of beautiful female knights wearing the Grigor Plate chanted her name, causing the entire arena to join in. What was amusing for Ryuji was that he saw Simon and Paul swaying an enormous flag with her name on it... "Haha..." He couldn''t help but laugh at the bald Paul wearing normal clothes and being so frantic.

"Now, as you all might be aware! This battle has great stakes! One is the conflict between our noble chosen, to choose the strongest amongst them! The other is a desperate chance for young knights to earn recognition from the nobles and royalty watching from above and a chance to increase their rank!"

Ryuji now understood that it didn''t just mean they would be upgraded a rank with nothing. The kingdom would add them to a high-ranked knight group, and they would be trained and helped to level up to reach the power of their upgrade. So the Rank-A knight would train with knights like Velvet until they reached close to the S-Rank level.

"Now! As always! A friendly warning to everyone! These chosen are powerful, and this battle might seem a little extreme. The kingdom will provide a barrier to protect the audiences, so please, sit back and enjoy the match~ okay?"

Maki winked while her maid-style skirt lifted and, this time, protected herself from flashing as she vanished from the arena, and a puff of smoke appeared on the stone pillars away from the battle.

"Now! With me, Everyone!"

"LET THE BATTLE COMMENCE!"

Alan and King Avandar yelled at the same time as a magic circle formed above Ryuji''s team, causing a barrier to cover the audience.

"BEGIN!!!"

As the King yelled, Ryuji and the others began to spread out, and Albert''s shield lit up, causing a golden barrier to appear around his team.

"Let''s begin slowly," Ryuji whispered while Erika took her stance and followed Alicia as if to protect her from attacks.

Ryuji dashed forward. His speed caused Albert''s team to move backwards as their feet dug into the ground, creating a trail behind them.

"Wallace, Aria, focus on defence and attack," Albert spoke while Wallace charged forward, his armour glowing with a blue light.

Ryuji lifted his right hand into the air before his massive black axe appeared, the weight causing him to sink into the sand slightly before two arrows shot past his ears with a loud whistle.

Both aimed towards Aria, shot from the longbow of Alicia.