The Coliseum

So this is what it feels like to reach the top.

Three whole months of fighting.

All leading up to this.

I was only a handful of minutes away from partaking in the most monumental game of my life. Above my head, the ceiling rumbled under the crowd’s mass, their cheers vibrating my heart. Even after all the duels I’ve played, I was never accustomed to the feeling. It was as if someone jabbed a knife through my stomach.

“Verity, are you ok?” asked Eleanor, my aide.

“Yeah! Sorry, I’m just thinking about our opponent.”

“He’s quite the character, or so I’ve heard. Don’t let the pressure of facing him get to you.”

“Eleanor, you needn’t remind me.”

“Oh—come here, you!” Eleanor replied as she approached me. With both hands, she pinched my cheeks.

“Quit it; we aren’t children anymore!”

“Fineee. Go now and represent us out there. May Phoana’s fortune shine on us today. And don’t forget to enjoy yourself!”

Why does she keep bothering with the last part?

Before heading out, I checked myself in the mirror for the last time. It was the cutest outfit I had in my wardrobe. As a magician, now an entertainer, wearing something attractive helped garner recognition and gold.

Gold that I need for my village…

Gold that I promised to win…

Now in the open, the sun’s rays hugged me, lifting my spirit and adrenaline. Encircling the field were thousands of spectators from around the world.

Time to begin my charm offensive.

“Hello everyone! Long time no see! It’s your beloved sorceress, Verity, with another performance to knock the mana out of you!”

The coliseum’s audience was divided into two halves.

“Verity, we love you!” said the left.

“Go to hell! You suck!” screamed the right.

“Verity, you can win this!”

“Destroy her! Crush her!”

Great, another mixed bag…

Heading toward the center, I waved in all directions and posed with my staff.

“Take a good look, everyone! Today’s going to be a fantastic—”

“You Esmadian dogs are all disgusting! Start walking home already!”

“Pfft, please! By the time we’re finished here, you Ragosians will grovel at our feet!”

A fight broke out amidst the crowds. I readied my staff to cast a spell, only for a squad of knights to charge in to restore order.

“Lady Verity, is everything alright?” asked one of the knights.

“I’m fine. Thank you for the assistance, but no need to refer to me as ‘lady’.”

Lifting his helmet, he revealed a pair of blue eyes and golden hair. “Y—Yes ma’am! Sorry, ma’am! My younger brother looks up to you, so to meet you in person is a great honor! May I request a signature on this trinket for him?” Held between his fingers was a replica of my ace card.

“Promise me you won’t sell it.”

“I swear solemnly by my ancestors!”

Using my staff, I conjured a temporary quill and signed it.

“T—Thank you so much! You’re the best! Good luck on your match!”

“No problem. And thanks…”

He must have been no older than his twenties, judging from his face. Since when did the kingdom recruit such young men? Never mind that, my opponent was now directly across from me.

Clad in traditional Esmadian armor, Hubert was the poster child and prince of Esmad. Upon making eye contact with me, he brandished his ceremonial battle axe. It was at least twice my height.

“You’re fond of that axe, it seems,” I said, raising an eyebrow.

“Shut your mouth!”

Really!? For a noble, I imagined someone more—

“Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the finale of the 10th Fossilium World Championship!” declared Hawk, one of the announcers. “It’s a matchup for the history books! On the left, we have Variety, a native-born Ragosian from the village of Mirefield…”

Variety? How can you mispronounce my name!?

“…And on the right, the crown prince of Esmad, Hubert! Both have an undefeated record! Yet only one can emerge victorious! What do you think, Cobra?”

“You know what, I don’t know! I'm at a loss for words here! With how volatile their decks are, it’s going to be one phenomenal matchup! But before we begin, we have a word from King Jervis III.”

From the highest balcony, the king spoke via a mana crystal. “Good citizens of Ragos and all visiting today, I welcome each and every one of you with open arms to celebrate this momentous occasion! Now, I know many of you may be wondering about the security of today’s event given the recent attacks across Ragos, but I assure you that we are—”

“Liar! Liar! How can you truly reassure us?”

“What if those Esmadians are secretly here to kill everyone? How could you let them participate?”

One by one, the dissent grew until it covered half of the arena. Using the commotion as cover, the king was quietly escorted off the premises, with the focus redirected to the hosts.

An awkward, almost suffocating silence loomed over everyone. Even the act of clearing my throat was difficult.

“Well… with that over with, let’s continue on!” announced Hawk. “Back to what we were—aw, forget it, begin the opening ceremony!”

Right on cue, the show commenced, breaking the silence with a parade of animals, dancers, and singers, succeeded by a display of flags from each participating nation. By order of knockout, the flags were taken down, leaving only two nations standing at the end: Ragos and Esmad.

Following the conclusion of the ceremony, our decks were checked one last time by tournament judges.

“Faster!” Hubert yelled at his judge while clenching his fists.

“Y—Yes sir!”

“Hubert, leave him out of it. This is between you and me.”

“Oh, is that so? Fine then, let’s begin! This ends now!”

To the delight of the crowd, we began dueling immediately before the announcers could even finish our introductions.

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous.

Still, I couldn’t show any fear.

After all, entertainers don’t know fear.