Lanthanor: 9
Black Raven Kingdom:6
Kingdom of Arafell:19
Axelor:14
Eldinor: 2
By the end of the first stage of the wrestling competition, the 50 people who would be moving onto the next were displayed by these numbers.
It had already been expected that Axelor would put up another smashing performance, but they had been completely overshadowed by the strength of the giants who were now loved by the crowds mainly because of the helplessness of their competitors which had become more and more fun to see.
One more thing which reinforced this love was the fact that the Giants also had simple smiles on their faces that made them very endearing, which was very similar to the effect that children had on adults. Every time someone cheered them on, they would wave with pure happiness, as if they didn't have a worry in the world.
Of course, this only made more and more anger and frustration appear on the faces of the soldiers of the other kingdoms, with some even starting to cry out that this wasn't fair.
And with no one's surprise, their complaints fell on deaf ears and they were only looked down upon by the others.
Next up was the first stage of the duel, with the crowd once again being riled up more than they had been for the wrestling competition mainly because magic and mage competitions were so much more exciting to see.
This was the case most observed in the spectators outside the stadium, whose number had apparently risen over the past three days to reach a staggering amount that hadn't been expected by even Daneel.
He had already given the order for more display trinkets to be made so that those sitting outside could watch things better, and he had also taken the extra step of opening up the airspace outside the stadium for those who had been sending him many requests to open their own business of setting up common booths from where those who had no tickets but still had money could watch the proceedings.
Daneel had initially disagreed to this as he did not want it to be too crowded, but the incoming reports that stated that the current rate of growth of people might even result in the space around the stadium being completely occupied had changed his mind.
Of course, he made it a point that the permission would cost money, and a commission would also be taken for each and every ticket that was sold.
This was his event, and he wasn't prepared to give up even a bronze Lan unless there was some reason behind it.
Even though some of those who had wanted to get into this business felt that the King of Lanthanor was being a bit stingy, the kept their opinions to themselves as they knew that they were lucky enough to get this opportunity in the first place.
It had taken time to prepare the mages and the many private booths which would be floating in the air, and it just so happened that the moment they became ready was the one when the first stage of the duel competition began.
Hence, when the competitors of the duel walked into the ground, they were surprised to see large floating rooms in the distance which had previously been occupied by just empty space.
As for the wave of shouts from the excited crowds who were clamouring to see more amazing magic, they threatened to sweep away the soldiers who stood in the middle of it all.
"People, I think this is the first time that I'm having to say as the announcer that it's not so bad if you decrease your volume! We don't want you all losing your ears due to your own shouts. I mean, come on, that would be pathetic. Okay, jokes aside, it's time for the duel! I'm telling you, I would be lying if I said that I haven't been looking forward to this for the entire day. The rules, once again, are simple, and if you are noticing, this is a common trend that will be present in all the events, which is something really refreshing and welcome, if I may say so myself. Two mages will stand 20 m apart from each other on a designated spot, and their job is to knock the other off their feet or move them from their position. First, let me say that it isn't as simple as making the ground into clay below the opponent. All the competitors are allowed to hover a certain distance in the air, and the main challenge is to make the opponent completely move out of the designated area that they have been assigned. To make it clear for you all, some mages who are proficient in light magic will make a box of light appear around each competitor. The moment the entire body leaves that box, they're considered to have lost. Again, no lives must be lost, so there are Exalted Human Mages on standby who will act to save contestants when they see that the situation is life-threatening. Also, contestants will be given standard barrier trinkets that have been provided by the Kingdom of Eldinor which would protect their lives as a backup. Of course, these trinkets will not protect from impact, so it will still hurt a lot. Alright alright, I know that you're getting tired listening to my voice! Let the dueeeeeeeel begin!"
With Sylvesto being as long-winded as always, the first batch of contestants who were chosen by random walked up to the ballot box to pick their opponents.
This competition had a similar structure as the wrestling stage, where teams of 20 would have three fights each against opponents from other kingdoms. At the end of the first stage, those with the least victories would be eliminated.
Both the betting odds and the analysis suggested that Axelor and Eldinor would be the ones taking the top spots, with Lanthanor being projected to be third without fail as teamwork could no longer be used.
Yet, what was strange about today was that the entire team of the Lanthanor Kingdom all wore special clothes that hadn't been seen before.
Masks protected their faces, so no one could guess their entity by using their facial features.
The usual garb of the soldiers of Lanthanor had so far been red robes with golden dragons that highlighted their insignia. The ones worn by these 20 mages were black, and they had no adornments, being rather plain and unremarkable.
This was identified by the announcers, who all wondered what the significance behind these clothes were.
As for the crowds, although they were also puzzled, they were looking forward more to an awesome show.
While the blades on her earlobes shook with anticipation, Kendra, who was one of the participants under Eldinor, looked at these 20 with dislike in her eyes.
As an elf who had been brought up with teachings which highlighted their dominance over other species, she had a natural arrogance which was actually justified by the fact that she was an Exalted Human level mage.
Although she had just broken through recently, she had elected to participate in this event as she wanted to spread the glory of the Kingdom of the Elves to the entire continent.
If everything had gone as predicted, her level alone would have been enough to ensure her victory in each and every part of the event.
Yet, they had already been surprised twice: once when Axelor had somehow managed to pull 15 highly talented peak Amateur Human level mages from somewhere, and the second time when Lanthanor had used teamwork for their victory.
Hence, so far, the elves had actually accomplished nothing that would showcase their dominance in magic.
They all knew that this was their chance, and the entire team was ready to show their worth and clinch the top spot for sure in this competition.
In fact, they had also been asked to try and make it so that the distance between the first and second place would be large.
This basically meant that as many elves as possible had to get into the top 50, as it was no longer an option to tuck their tails behind their legs and walk around with their pride lowered.
However, along with the dislike, Kends shook with shock as she suddenly felt a hint of danger from this team of 20.
She had been born with an innate sense of intuition that had saved her on the field multiple times before, and as she was just about to tell the others about this, the bell rang, making her walk forward to begin the competition.
Hers was the first match, and it just so happened that the opponent was from Lanthanor.
Deciding to uncover the reason behind her feeling, she prepared herself mentally while the glowing box of light appeared around her.