Tournament(2)

"And that's all for today, Orario! Tomorrow, we'll see our competitors face off against each other, and the finalists will have the chance to challenge a member of the Loki Familia. Their victory will mark their entry into the Familia! Goodnight! HAHAHAHA! GANESHAAAA!"

"Stop stealing my spotlight!"

As the goddess Loki scolded Ganesha, the stands began to empty, and Zoe and her Familia also left.

"Hmmpf, it was more interesting than I expected." -Hestia said while stretching.

"I'd say more chaotic." -Lili countered.

"I'm more curious about how the duels will go tomorrow!" -Bell said excitedly, and Welf nodded in agreement.

While the others talked, Zoe was more focused on looking for Mark in the crowd. When she finally spotted him, she waved her arms and called out to him.

"Mark! Over here!"

Hearing his name, Mark turned his head toward the voice and saw Zoe frantically waving her arms, trying to get his attention.

Mark returned the gesture by raising his hand and made his way through the crowd, finally reaching them.

"Looks like you're all here." -Mark said once he arrived.

"We couldn't miss a show like this." -Zoe smiled.

"Congratulations on making it to the top ten, Mark." -Bell and the others congratulated him cheerfully.

"Thank you, and thank you too, goddess Hestia. The gear I bought is more than satisfactory." -Mark said with a note of formality, as he still wasn't sure how to interact with the gods.

Since his arrival, he had interacted with only three gods: Morpheus, the god of Citadel 13; Astrea, Zoe's adoptive mother; and finally, Hestia. All three had distinct personalities, and although their presence felt special, Mark couldn't bring himself to feel any reverence toward them.

"What can I do? I'm the best seller." -Hestia said, puffing out her chest with pride.

'Is that something a god should be proud of?' -Mark thought, and the others seemed to think the same.

"Would you like to have dinner with us, Mr. Mark?" -Lili asked.

"Yeah, we were thinking of going to the Hostess of Fertility." -Welf joined in.

"This..."

"Do you have something to do?" -Zoe asked, noticing Mark's hesitation.

Mark had initially planned to head toward the Dungeon, but seeing how the sky had darkened, he changed his mind. If he wanted to explore deeper floors, he would have to give up a night of rest, and although it wasn't a problem physically, he didn't see the point since he would be exploring for little or no gain.

"On second thought, I have nothing to do." -Mark replied.

"Perfect, then we should go now before it gets crowded." -Bell said.

"Finally, I was starving." -Said Hestia.

Seeing her expression, the group laughed, and they headed toward their destination.

While walking and chatting among themselves, Mark approached Zoe and whispered. -"Did the thing work?"

Understanding what he meant, Zoe nodded. -"It was hard to see anything, but it worked."

Indeed, she hadn't been able to see much in her dream, but even so, she wasn't sad, because she had someone to talk about it with besides her mother, Al... and Hestia.

"Do we have to do it again today?" -Mark asked.

"Do you really want to hold my hand this much?" -Zoe teased, finding the perfect opportunity.

Mark looked at her for a moment without words, before shaking his head. -"This time you won big."

Hearing him, Zoe's eyes sparkled with satisfaction, but she gave a more serious response.

"That's enough for today. Even though I want to know about my past, I don't want to be a slave of this feeling. I don't want to lose what I have now." -As she said this, she looked at her Familia, when she felt a hand on her head.

"You're doing the right thing. Don't try to give value to your life by living in the past. Trust me, it's more painful and lonely than you can imagine."

Zoe could see deep suffering and loneliness in Mark's eyes as he said those words, something she had sensed the first time they met. She couldn't bear to see him like this; she preferred it when he teased or joked with her. At that moment, she only felt her heart tighten.

"Will you ever tell me?" -Zoe whispered.

That phrase referred to many things. About him, his concerns, and the reasons for his suffering.

Mark looked at her before sighing. -"I don't know..."

"...I see."

It was strange, even though they were so close, Zoe had never felt him farther away.

****

The next morning, the Colosseum was once again filled with spectators, with excitement in the air. The audience settled into their seats, animatedly talking about the previous day's battles and speculating on who would prevail in the upcoming duels. The Loki Familia's flags waved proudly on the main pillars, while Loki strutted around with a satisfied smile, watching the arena from her reserved seat.

"I can't wait to see those kids get to work." -Loki said, munching on a 

snack carelessly. -"Let's see if they have what it takes."

On the other side of the Colosseum, Hestia and her group were already in their seats, with Zoe closely watching the arena, still thinking about the last night. Bell seemed equally excited, his eyes shining with curiosity and anticipation.

"I wonder who Mark will fight today." -Bell said, tilting his head. 

"Yesterday was impressive, but the duels are a whole different story."

"We'll find out soon." -Zoe replied, clasping her hands in her lap.

Meanwhile, in the participants' area, Mark was finishing adjusting his armor. The tension was palpable among the competitors, but he seemed strangely calm. He observed the others with his usual measured gaze, trying to assess his potential opponents.

"You're incredibly relaxed for someone about to jump into battle." -A guy next to him, one of the qualifiers, commented.

Mark smiled and shrugged slightly. -"Does it help to be nervous? Anyway, good luck out there."

The guy nodded, a bit surprised by the response, as the sound of horns filled the Colosseum. It was the official announcement for the start of the duels.

"Welcome, spectators!" - Ganesha's voice echoed through the arena, vibrant and energetic as always. - "Today we will see who among these contestants has the heart of a true adventurer! The duels will decide who will advance, and in the end, only one will have the chance to face a member of the Loki Familia! Let's get started with the first match!"

Due to the reduced number of participants, all the matches would be concluded that day. Only the finalist would have the privilege of facing a member of the Loki Familia the following day, further increasing the tension and excitement in the air.

The crowd erupted in applause as the gates of the arena slowly opened, revealing the first two level 1 challengers. One was a pallum, a short but muscular fighter armed with a heavy war hammer; his opponent was an elf with a slender figure, holding a beautifully carved bow. On her side, she carried a small quiver filled with well-balanced arrows.

"There they are!" -Shouted Ganesha, raising his arms to the sky. -"Brute force against lethal precision! Let the battle begin!"

The crowd exploded in cheers, and the two challengers studied each other for a moment before acting. The pallum charged with his hammer ready to strike, but the elf leaped backward, maintaining distance and shooting an arrow that hit the ground in front of her opponent. Not a mistake, but a warning: the elf wanted to gauge the pallum's speed.

"Interesting." -Finn commented from the Loki Familia's stand. - "She's testing the waters, trying to find her opponent's rhythm. But she can't keep this up for long."

"That bow won't be enough." - Gareth added, shaking his head. - "If the pallum closes the distance, it's over."

But that didn't happen, and in the end, the elf claimed victory.

Next, the remaining level 1 duels took place, marking the five who would face off in the third round, but since there was an odd number, one would automatically advance to the semifinals.

"What a magnificent show, right?! But now, it's the moment we've all been waiting for: the level 2 duels! Warriors, prepare yourselves because the real fun is about to begin!"

The crowd cheered, and the gates of the arena opened from both sides.

From one gate, a massive man emerged with a pair of axes on his back, while from the other, Mark appeared carefree.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the next duel: Davion, a warrior from the North against the young Mark Tormeto, from Citadel 12!" - Ganesha shouted, but his words were drowned out by the excited shouts of the female crowd.

"KYAAAA! So handsome!"

"Please marry me!"

"I want to be the mother of your children!"

The shouts of the female crowd echoed through the arena, overwhelming Ganesha's voice, who tried in vain to regain control of the situation.

"...They're crazy." - Zoe said, speechless, seeing the reactions of some women.

"One can't deny that Mr. Mark is charming." - Lili said.

Even in the Loki Familia section, many had strange expressions, especially Loki. - "What is this, a fashion show? Knock his face off!"

At Loki's cry, the male crowd joined in, seeing Mark as a common enemy.

"So superficial." - Grumbled the warrior from the North, his voice rough and deep. - "Prepare yourself, young one. Your journey here ends today."

"Haaah, you're really unlucky, you know?" - Mark sighed.

"Begin!"

At Ganesha's command, Davion tried to use his immense strength to overpower Mark, but the young man responded with agility. With a fluid movement, Mark dodged the axe's impact, letting it pass just inches from his head, then counterattacked with a quick punch to the opponent's abdomen.

Davion bent in pain and quickly retreated.

"Why don't you draw your weapon!" - He shouted angrily.

"I wouldn't want to accidentally split you in half, and my scabbard is all dented from yesterday's fights. I'd prefer not to make things worse. These should be enough." - Mark said, raising his fists.

Furious, Davion lunged forward with a snarl, trying to strike Mark with his axe, but the young man dodged the blow again with a swift sidestep. The axe sank into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. Mark made his way through the confusion and, with a quick spin, landed another punch to Davion's face, who roared in rage as he staggered backward.

He then tried to assault him with continuous swings, but none of them hit Mark.

"ROOAAAR!"

Seeing he couldn't land a hit, Davion roared at the sky, and Mark could see the warrior's body swelling.

'A skill?' - Mark wondered.

[Yes. It's said that warriors from the North have an ability called 'War Cry' that increases attack power.] - The Guide responded.

Davion, with his body now larger and muscles taut as violin strings, charged into a furious attack, his axe raised above his head like a primitive fury. Every strike seemed more powerful, with the ground shaking with each impact. The increase in power was evident, and the crowd in the stands erupted in a roar of excitement.

"Impressive." -Mark murmured, observing his opponent closely. -"But it's not enough to stop me."

With a nearly amused smile, Mark focused and prepared to move. Davion wasn't giving him a chance to breathe, and Mark had to stay agile to avoid being finally hit. The axe's swings were impressive, but Mark dodged them with incredible grace.

"You can't win!"

'Well, he's put on quite a show, so if he wants to join another Familia, he shouldn't have a problem.'

With that thought, Mark activated Overdrive for a moment, moving in the blink of an eye beneath Davion, landing a punch on his chin that sent him flying into the air, then crashing to the ground with a thud, his eyes rolling back.

"Wow... WOW! What a deadly punch! Who expected a twist like that?! Mark Tormeto knocks out his opponent with a couple of punches, without even drawing his weapon!"

The crowd cheered, calling his name, which Mark responded to with a simple wave of his hand.

'Let's wrap this up quickly, I have a Dungeon to conquer.'