The scent of freshly spilled blood permeated the air as Reed made his way through the Tournament Grounds. The architecture had transformed overnight—the governance platforms replaced by sixteen combat arenas, each enclosed in transparent barriers that contained the violence within while allowing spectators an unobstructed view of the carnage.
"This is more what I expected," Reed muttered as he observed a Hero from the Fire Domain dismember his opponent, the severed limbs cauterizing instantly as they fell. The crowd roared its approval, nobles and commoners alike unified in their bloodlust.
Shia walked silently beside him, her face a mask of concentration. She had barely spoken since the previous night when Reed had approached her with an unexpected request.
"You want me to what?" she had asked, disbelief evident in her voice as Reed presented her with the mysterious vial given to him by the water-domain girl.
