Beginning of The 8th Finals

***

Ayla's eyes fluttered open. She felt the warmth of the sun, shining onto her face through a small gap between the cloth covering the door and the frame.

"Ah, too bright." She instinctively covered her eyes, shielding them from the rays of the sun.

Sitting up, she noticed a woman kneeling on one knee next to the bed. The woman wore a pitch-black kimono with long black hair that seemed like the void that cascaded down her back. Her purple eyes were as beautiful as an amethyst crystal.

Wiping her eyes a few times, Ayla looked at the woman. "Good morning, Kiera. I assume you changed my clothes again."

Glancing down, she saw herself in a beautiful black yakuta with grayish-white embroidery.

"I did indeed, mistress. I can't have that lewd goddess touching your flawless body." She answered, flashing a look of disgust.

"Thanks, I suppose."

"There is no need to thank a loyal servant such as me. I would do anything to please you." Even though she said this, she had a small smile on her face.

Ayla nodded and stood up. "Can you assist me in changing?"

She extended her arms, making it easier to take off.

"Of course, mistress." Kiera walked over to her mistress and started taking the yakuta off. After taking it off, she put the black kimono she cleaned on, along with her katana.

"That'll be all. Thanks for the assistance." Ayla smiled happily.

"Yes, mistress." She faded away into Ayla's shadow, disappearing entirely from her view.

After Kiera entered her shadow, Ayla headed to the public resting area as the 8th finals of the Warrior tournament were about to begin.

Within Ayla's shadow was Kiera. She had fallen into her semi-hibernation state, where her body was in a temporal stasis while her mind stayed active. This state also passively strengthened her over time due to her being in the dark for extended periods of time.

"Mistress is very kind. I'm very grateful I get to serve such a mistress." A blush formed on Kiera's face; she had inexplicably fallen in love with her mistress.

She wanted to confess her feelings, but she believed that a servant should always serve their master and should never be on equal footing. This alone held her back.

***

Arriving at the public resting area, Ayla saw that two other competitors were already there. One was Teijo, who meditated in the corner, and the other was an unfamiliar girl that Ayla assumed fought after she had left.

The girl had a petite figure with fair skin and wore a red kimono with white and pink floral patterns. She had long, dark violet hair and magenta-colored eyes. On her waist were two swords, one was a white katana and the other was a black wakizashi held on her back.

After reaching her spot, Ayla sat down and leaned her head against the wall with her eyes closed. Time flew by as the 8th finals of the tournament came closer.

Soon, over half of the competitors had arrived at the public resting area. Outside, the stands were nearly filled with spectators, seeming to grow fuller by the second. The judges and officials were in their seats, waiting patiently for it to begin.

***

The stands were now full, as the atmosphere of the ring grew more wild the closer it got to the beginning of the 8th finals.

The judge stood up from his seat, as many in the crowd turned silent—they knew that the tournament was about to begin.

"Everyone—silence!" He uttered, pausing for them to turn silent. Once they were silent, he continued, "The Warrior Tournament's 8th Finals... officially begins!"

The crowd's atmosphere turned eager with excitement. They were eager and excited to see the geniuses of this region fight. It wasn't common for them to ever see a fight between geniuses, but this tournament allowed that.

Not wasting any more time, the judge announced the competitors fighting in the first match. "The first match, Tetsu Hayabusa versus Ayla!"

'I didn't expect I'd go first.' Ayla stood up; her eyes fluttered open. She left the resting area and stepped up onto the ring.

Tetsu followed suit and stopped on the opposite side of the ring.

"This'll be a good fight. All I ask you is to use your full strength." Tetsu said, keeping his calm.

'What a dilemma. If I say that he will be easily defeated if I use my full strength, then he'll consider me someone who's arrogant, which will be annoying. This'll also happens if I stay silent.'

After pondering, she decided to answer, "That's fine."

She couldn't speak the truth, nor could she stay silent. This led to her saying something that is simple but means she agreed. As for the battle to come, she would have to conceal the fact that she wasn't using anywhere close to her true strength.

Seeing that they were ready, the judge announced, "Match—begin!"