At the entrance, multiple high-ranking people were entering.

Yuki Himura, head of the Moonlit Shrine Guild, approached the doors. The guards noticed her fox ears and tail - it was definitely her.

"Ahem, leave all weapons at the entrance," one of the guards said.

"You..." One of her people was about to act out, but she raised her hand, causing him to go silent instantly. They dropped all their weapons into a container brought by another guard, and the guard at the front gave a small bow and showed them in.

The moment she stepped in, her expression changed. "My magic, it's gone," she thought. She looked around. Those around her didn't seem to have noticed yet. She then noticed someone else a few meters away entering from another entrance. It was Jin-Woo Park, leader of the Celestial Dragon Guild, who had the same expression as her.

She looked down at her hands. "Looks like it doesn't disable intrinsic traits," she thought as long nails emerged from her hand before receding. "Is this the association's latest technology?" She clicked her tongue and continued moving.

A few minutes later, everyone was settled in the arena. An announcer stepped forward, raising his hands to quiet the crowd. The murmuring gradually died down.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I know you're surprised to notice that you can't use your magic here," he said.

The moment he said this, those who hadn't noticed it tried using their magic and failed. Panic began to spread through the crowd - people shouting, some standing up from their seats.

"Please, calm down!" the announcer called out, his voice amplified. "This is just a safety precaution. You don't have to worry. You can use magic just fine in the arena. The restriction is only on the area outside the arena to avoid causing problems."

The people calmed down somewhat, but some were still causing trouble, their voices rising in complaint. The guild masters stood and gestured to their people, reassuring them that the association wouldn't do something as stupid as harming the other guilds.

They were probably just showing off their technology.

At this, people calmed down completely. The tension in the air eased, replaced by curious murmurs.

After everyone was calm, the announcer spoke again. "And now, to commence this event, please welcome the Chairman of the Association and also the strongest human alive!"

The crowd erupted in cheers as the Chairman stepped onto the stage. He raised a hand, and silence fell once more.

"Thank you all for coming today," he began, his voice steady and commanding. "I won't waste your time with long speeches, so I'll be direct. With recent events - the appearance of dangerous individuals like the Immortal King, and the troubling developments in certain gates that some of you high-ranking guilds have already received information on - it's clear that our world is changing."

He paused, letting his words sink in.

"We need to be ready for that change. For too long, we've remained stagnant, comfortable in our positions. But comfort breeds weakness, and we can no longer afford weakness. Today marks the beginning of a new era. We push forward into a new future, and we start by dethroning the old strongest and revealing a new one to guide us through what's coming."

The crowd was silent, processing his every word.

"Let this tournament be the first step toward that future!" he declared, his voice rising. "Let the matches begin!"

The arena erupted in deafening cheers and shouts.

…

The announcer stepped forward again, a wide smile on his face.

"Now, let me explain how today's matches will be carried out!" he said, his voice booming across the arena. "We'll start with our showcase battles to set the atmosphere. These will feature F-rank to E-rank parties fighting it out in elimination rounds until we crown our newbie party champion!"

The crowd cheered, though not as loudly as before - they were clearly much more interested in the main event.

"After that, we move on to our veteran parties - D-rank to C-rank - in similar party-versus-party elimination rounds. And then..." He paused for dramatic effect. "Then we get to the real deal."

The crowd's energy intensified.

"We call this bracket the Battle for the Strongest! This will include everyone from B-rank and up, with no upper limits. For anyone in this bracket, the title of strongest is up for grabs!" He swept his arm across the arena. "Since we treat everyone in this bracket the same, the battles will be randomized knockout rounds. You move on as long as your opponent gives up or is unable to continue the fight."

He let that sink in before continuing, his tone becoming more serious.

"Now, I must make something clear. Accidents can happen in battle - we understand that. But intentional killing will not be tolerated and will lead to instant disqualification. We're here to find the strongest, not the most ruthless."

The crowd murmured in agreement.

"With that said, let the battles begin!"

…

The newbie bracket commenced with enthusiastic but clumsy fights. Young parties clashed against each other. While their techniques were unrefined and their inexperience showed, their determination was still there. The crowd cheered them on, though the atmosphere remained light - more entertainment than anything really.

After several rounds of elimination, a scrappy F-rank party emerged victorious, their faces flushed with pride as they accepted their trophy.

Next came the veteran bracket. The fights here were notably sharper, with coordinated tactics and polished skills on display. D-rank and C-rank parties battled it out with impressive teamwork, drawing genuine excitement from the crowd. After intense elimination rounds, a well-established C-rank party claimed victory.

Then the energy in the arena shifted entirely.

The announcer's smile returned, wider than before. "And now, what you've all been waiting for! For our first match in the Battle for the Strongest bracket..." He gestured dramatically toward the screens displaying the matchups. "We have Yuki Himura versus Dante!"

The crowd erupted in surprised gasps and excited shouts. Yuki Himura - a guild master - matched against an unknown name in the very first round.

From his designated seat, Cipher facepalmed. "What bad luck," he thought. Although they were random, Cipher had expected the association to tweak it a bit so matchups like this didn't happen so soon. But it seemed they were really going in raw.

Maya, who sat beside him, turned to look at him with concern. "Brother Cipher, will Dante be okay?" she asked.

Cipher sighed. "He should be fine as long as he surrenders."

"But he won't do that, will he?" Maya asked.

Cipher shook his head. Still, there were rules against killing, so he should be fine - just with some beating and a hit to his pride. Still, for a major figure like Yuki to be fighting this early, it would definitely be interesting. It was a good time for him to gauge the abilities of the other major guilds.

At the moment, the only major guild leader he'd seen fight was Amélie, but she wasn't really a fighter type.

...

A/N: wanna place bets?

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