Thundering shouts. Booming beats. Earth shaking marches.
The ground of the grand coliseum shook with so much force that many feared it would collapse.
As the airships approached, people roared at the top of their lungs, stomping their feet on the ground.
The Concord Games were such that none had expected, yet many cheered when it came. The people expected intense fights, tension ridden battles, and a show of absolute dominance!
"Ladies and gentlemen!" a loud booming voice echoed, and eyes turned towards a Stellaris hovering above the stage.
"I welcome you to the Concord Games! Are you ready to meet the participants that’ll shake your mind to its core?"
"YESSSS!"
"Alright! First on the list... they’re strict, they’re disciplined, they’re strong! I give you the champions of Surnix Hold!"
As the first airships landed in the middle of the coliseum and a group of men and women disembarked, the cheers intensified.
They were led by a figure Atticus would recognize at a glance, Neresa. She had been one of the participants of the Virelenna and had stood beside the High Marshal Dronvet.
Like their warriors, they were clad in militaristic uniforms and moved with the discipline of soldiers. They maintained a tight formation with Neresa at the head, showing barely any change in expression as the crowd roared around them.
"Next! They’re wild, they’re primal, they’re lawless! I give you the champions of Khelzar!"
The next airship landed, and multiple people with large frames stepped out.
Each one carried a large, crude weapon hung on their backs or waists, and had distinct bestial features, horns, claws, fangs.
They were led by an imposing man with crimson eyes and a large broadsword strapped behind him.
The crowd roared, but none of them basked in the cheers. Their eyes were cold and predatory, their forms leaking a heavy bloodlust.
The next introductions came right after, the champions of Somnera, led by an aloof yet graceful woman with purple hair. The others beside her emanated the chill of the dead.
After them, the champions of Velmirath landed next, led by a man with crazed eyes and scattered hair. They looked more like scientists than warriors.
After they were introduced, the host’s voice echoed once more.
"Lastly!"
Suddenly, the coliseum went dead silent and all eyes turned to the descending airship.
"They’re monsters... unrivaled and unstoppable! I give you the champions of Novereth... the Ravenstein!"
The crowd rose to their feet in booming cheers. People roared, clapped, beat the seats, and stomped on the ground. The entire coliseum shook as the hatch opened and figures stepped out.
They were led by a man of imposing build and intense pressure. A blade rested at his waist as he descended the ramp with calm, unshakable confidence.
Sirius Ravenstein.
The others followed behind, Aurora, Kael, Ember, Caldor, Nate.
Their eyes were steady, heads raised high. They met the thunderous cheers of the crowd with unwavering calm, and dominance.
"RAVENSTEINS! RAVENSTEINS! RAVENSTEINS!"
The chant echoed across all of Novereth. People flooding the city roared the name; others on balconies or watching from home joined in. With the introduction of the Ravensteins, the excitement had peaked!
Back in the coliseum, Aurora and the others fixed their eyes toward the other teams.
"Damn," Caldor whispered, "they look like they want to murder us."
As soon as they stepped out, the other teams had directed their attention toward them. The hostility in their eyes was clear.
Coming here, Sirius had warned them about this. However, growing up with Atticus, Aurora had learned from experience that accepting bullshit from anyone was always a mistake. She shared the same rule of thumb with Atticus...
Nip the bud. Never allow anything fester.
With a thought, the temperature around Aurora spiked. As she moved, a heavy pressure bled from her and turned the air heavy.
As though reading her mind, the others also followed.
Frost rose from Ember’s body, chilling the air.
Kael’s steps were heavy with bloodlust. His weapons trembled, battle intent drenching the space.
The gravity around Nate had spiked, the ground groaning as he walked.
Even Caldor’s eyes had turned cold, and he met every glare with indifference. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺
Of the group, only Zoey appeared unmoved by the situation. She walked by Aurora’s side with hollow eyes.
The eyes of the other teams narrowed. They had expected many reactions to their hostility, but a blatant challenge had something they never thought possible.
The hall fell silent as the group made their way through the hall, with only the sounds of whispers echoing from the other teams.
They soon reached the end of the hall where they took drinks and began conversing with themselves.
"It’s insane. You’d think we murdered their families," Caldor said with a chuckle, though no one laughed.
There was a distinct feature that amongst the other team Aurora had noticed, though.
’They’re all older.’
For the competition, they had settled for participants in the grandmaster rank. With enough power for a show, but not too much that’ll destroy the city in the process.

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