"Okay candidates, please pay attention to what I have to say…." The match official commanded, his voice cutting through the cordial discussion Leo and Jerome were having as he offered a warm, reassuring smile to Jerome before his gaze shifted, landing on Leo with a look of palpable distaste.
"Today's match will be fought within the revered confines of the Pillar Dome—a classic arena where legends have been made and dreams dashed. Here, victory will be claimed not through the death of your opponent, but by their incapacitation. Remember, killing is explicitly forbidden," he announced, his eyes narrowing as he directed his stern warning towards Leo.
"Contestant, did you hear me clearly? Killing… is… NOT… allowed," he reiterated, emphasizing each word as if carving them into stone, ensuring there was no room for misunderstanding.
"Got it, no killing," Leo replied nonchalantly, his voice steady despite the match official's barely contained fury, evident as he mumbled under his breath.
"Alright then," the official continued, regaining his composure. "Please make your way to the arena one at a time. However, before you proceed, let me outline the protocol for after the match…"
He paused, his expression softening as he detailed the post-match procedures. "Once a victor is declared and I raise the winner's hand, know that you will not receive your prize at the judge's desk. Instead, for your safety, you will be escorted by Royal Guards directly to the Royal Palace.
This measure is in place due to past incidents where top candidates faced harassment—or worse, fatal attacks—before their significant matches," he explained, his voice tinged with solemnity.
"At the palace, you may choose one person to accompany you. However, only the victorious candidate will have the honor of attending tonight's grand gala hosted by the Emperor for all quarter-finalists.
It is there, amidst the splendor of the gala, that you will receive your prize money and token for the next round, directly from the Emperor himself," he announced, his eyes twinkling with a blend of excitement and reverence for the upcoming event.
"After the gala, feel free to explore the Royal Palace at your leisure. There will be no matches tomorrow, providing you a day of respite before the quarter-finals commence the following day at the Grand Arena.
Is everything clear?" The official concluded, smiling affably at Jerome, who seemed every bit the part of a favored contender before shifting his eyes back to Leo, giving him the look of wary suspicion, as if questioning whether such a rough-edged fighter could properly conduct himself with the dignity required at an imperial gathering.
Though Leo remained silent, he could almost hear the official's thoughts and echoing doubts about whether a fighter of his raw, unpolished nature belonged in the refined setting of the Emperor's gala.
To many, simply reaching the quarter-finals was a milestone, as it presented a chance to mingle with the greatest warriors and the highest nobility, an opportunity that could redefine one's destiny.
Yet, the match official seemed unsure if Leo, who he perceived more as a brawler than a decent warrior, was suited for such illustrious company.
"Anyways, you can head out-" he said, shaking his head in dismay as he desperately hoped that Jerome won this match.
"Please allow me to head out first-" Jerome said as Leo gestured for him to go ahead as Jerome walked out to a thunderous reception.
Amongst all the Archdukes, the North and West Duke Family were very well received by the general masses as they were the ideal examples of nobles trying to create welfare states.
Neither were the Dukes leading these huge Duchies arrogant, nor did they ever belittle commoners and hence they were extremely popular amongst the masses, making Jerome one of the rare nobles that the commoners rooted for.
However, despite all the cheers that he got, the ovation that Leo received when he walked out was on a whole another level.
Word on the streets was spreading fast that there was a mad open qualified contestant that the whole swordsmanship academy tried taking down but failed.
Branded as a rebel and a Messiah of the poor, Leo was gaining unprecedented popularity as the commoners became idolizing him and what he stood for.
99% of the common population could not make it to the Royal Academies even if they tried their hardest, however, in their hearts they refused to believe that they were inferior to the rich borns who were tutored since childhood by private teachers.
For the past two decades, there had not been a single promising candidate from the open qualifiers that had a real shot at winning the grand tournament, making the general masses feel depressed about their existence, however, Leo's performance this year gave hope to many.
It was after decades that there were four open qualified candidates fighting in the round of 16, however, with Cervantez being the guildmaster of a major guild, Lin Mu not being a flamboyant fighter and the third candidate being an Elf, the only open candidate that the crowd rallied behind en-masse was Leo.
With the swordsmanship academy's attempt at disqualifying him and rumors of their greatest talent in over a decade being crushed by Leo in the round of 32 spreading, the crowd were now all-in in their support for Leo, as the second he walked out to the fight stage, the arena erupted like a god had just descended to mortal realm.
"Boss! Boss! Boss! Boss!"
The chants of the crowd were so strong that the entire North Park arena vibrated through their collective voice alone, giving Leo a surreal feeling that made his hair stand over his skin.
"WE LOVE YOU BOSS! SHOW THEM NOBLES WHAT US COMMONERS ARE MADE OF!"
"WE WON'T LET THEM DISQUALIFY YOU! I WILL BURN THIS CITY DOWN IF THEY DO"
Leo had no idea how, but judging by the crowd's reaction he felt as if they were ready to rebel against the Emperor himself if Leo asked them too, as for the first time ever, Leo truly felt as if he was creating a lasting legacy.
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/// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the GT Target, good job everyone! ///