The university spared no expense on preparations for the competition. Their main auditorium had been converted into an enormous arena fit for thousands of spectators. Although the seating was limited, the event would be broadcasted to millions of viewers all over the alliance. Kinson felt a little overwhelmed by the scale of the competition. Fortunately, they had arrived a few hours early, so seating was still available.
"Quite the production," Griffon whistled.
"Yeah, I had no idea," Kinson ran his hand through his hair.
As they navigated the extensive bleacher system, he constantly looked around, looking for Celeste. His gaze brightened when he saw her waving to him. He immediately turned, forgetting Griffon until he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"I told you I hate being a third wheel," he said seriously.
"It's not a date. We're just good friends," Kinson said uncomfortably.
"Sure, sure. I'll allow it this time." Griffon said amiably.
Celeste was seated right in front of the field, in the premium seats. As they joined her, Kinson was able to get a good look at the field.
True to Trevor's description, the majority of the field had been converted into one large water feature. Large fountains and waterfalls cascaded from various angles of the arena, streaming into a large pool. Parge platforms floated in the air twenty feet above the surface of the water, and at eye level with the lowermost seats. It seemed there was no designated platform for the users, and it seemed they were free to jump from platform to platform as they desired. The ceiling stretched hundreds of feet above them, proving they were in the lowest levels of the Colony. Bright lights descended from the ceiling and bathed the arena in a harsh whiteness.
"Some place they've got here," Griffon commented as he found a seat a bit away from where Celeste watched them. "Go on, I won't ruin your date."
"It's not a date," Kinson protested, exasperated. Still, he reluctantly left Griffon's side and joined Celeste, who was watching him curiously.
"Whose that?" she peered over at Griffon.
"Griffon. He's someone that I work with at the BPI. Originally, he's from the AAF, but he retired to work on our project." Kinson explained as he settled into his seat.
"He's a deathdreamer? Oh, is he that super-powerful one you were talking about?" Celeste spoke quickly in excitement.
"Haha, no. He's the one who saved us from those pirates, actually."
"What?" Her eyes widened and she turned to stare at Griffon. "Hey, Mr. Griffon, I saved you a seat here!"
Kinson chuckled as Griffon looked down at him with a condescending look. "If it pleases you, miss," the man smiled at Celeste.
Celeste shifted impatiently as he crossed the rows of benches and sat beside Kinson.
"Thank you so much for saving us! I told Kinson to tell you, but I always wanted the chance to thank you myself," she said sincerely.
"Think nothing of it. To protect the daughter of the president is an honor. Besides, I signed on to take care of this idiot here, so my hands were tied," Griffon explained earnestly.
Celeste's lips tightened into a frown. "He's not that much of an idiot, is he?" she asked worriedly.
"I'm afraid so," Griffon nodded remorsefully.
"Hey, I'm right here you know," Kinson interjected.
Griffon's face broke into a smirk. "Didn't ask."
Celeste tried to conceal her giggle with a hand as Kinson's face reddened in embarrassment. Still, she took mercy and changed the topic. "So what abilities do you have? I remember some fire and lightning, but that's about it."
Griffon immediately sobered up. "Now young lady, asking a professional about their abilities is a pretty big taboo. He sighed, then continued reluctantly, "But since it's you, I'll make an exception. I'm a class 8 superhuman and elemental manipulation. My abilities are pretty much restricted to destruction, so I'm glad you and Kinson were able to work out a solution in that ship."
Celeste gasped and stared at Griffon as though he were a monster. "No way! You're actually class 8?"
"Of course! I take private lessons from him, too," Kinson added smugly.
"Freeloader," Celeste muttered.
Griffon coughed, and Kinson turned to see him hiding a smile.
Time passed quickly, and the swell of incoming audience members swelled into a flood, before closing off in a trickle. As the seats filled up, Kinson glanced down and saw the caller was Trevor, so he stood up and went into an open aisle.
"What's up?" he answered quickly.
"I just figured out that my team's up first. However, I thought a lot about what we talked about, and I'm a bit concerned. It seems they are planning on using Psionic enhancers during the competition. I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling about this," Trevor spoke quickly and quietly, as though afraid of being overheard.
"Yeah, you might get in big trouble," Kinson lowered his voice so Celeste wouldn't hear them.
"No, it's more than that. There's this sense of dread in my chest, but I can't explain it. It appeared when they gave me an enhancer. I've never seen it before, but maybe it's a lot stronger. That's what they said, at least." Trevor sounded really worried now.
"It's not too late… oh wait, the principal just appeared in the middle of the stage," Kinson looked up to see the stadium, which had quieted, focused on the center platform.
"I've got to go. Just keep an eye on me, and no matter what, report us after the competition," Trevor told him before he hung up abruptly.
Kinson frowned, and went back to his seat. Kael must have noticed his expression because she looked at him with concern.
"Everything alright?" she asked softly.
"It's Trevor. He's just feeling a little nervous about the competition." Kinson felt a little bad lying but didn't want to worry her too much.
She nodded and returned to watching the host introduce the course. Kinson put his thoughts away and took a closer look at the arena. The outside ring had a few ladders extending into the water, which led to a pathway around the outside ring. Two entrances stood on either side, lit with colorful light strings. They opened up to a semicircle that extended over the water, probably the starting platform for the contenders. His gaze snapped onto the host standing on the center platform as the man waved his hands for silence.
"And for our first match of the day, we'll be inviting a first-time team composed of some students in their first year, who have called themselves the Thunderbrands!" The host cried dramatically.
Three youths, Trevor among them, walked out of the southern entrance, eliciting cheers from the crowd. While his companions smiled brightly and waved to the crowd, Trevor sulked near the back. Although he was smiling, Kinson could tell it was rather forced.
"There he is. Go Trevor!" Celeste cheered excitedly.
Ignoring the enthusiasm of the crowd, the Host turned to the northern entrance before announcing: "And against them is Team Firebird! This team is well known and beloved by all, a true regular in the competition. Their team captain, a fifth-year student, has stated that the first place, which has long evaded them, will be theirs!"
Kinson felt Griffon shift beside him and turned to see the man peering intently at the Firebirds.
"Something up?" Kinson asked quickly.
"That kid's at least a level 5, maybe higher. It seems the new generation truly has some talent after all," Griffon sat back again, but the sharp look in his eye didn't fade away.
"Contenders, take your positions!"
Kinson forgot his momentary curiosity as the host signaled for the audience's silence once more. The two teams moved onto the semicircular islands of their respective sides. They both wore some sort of uniform, red for the Firebirds and yellow for the Thunderbrands. The host waved his hand, and two blobs of unknown material descended from the ceiling, color-coded to match the team they hovered above. They looked like they were made of some spongy material, perhaps clay. When they reached just a few feet above the students, the blobs split off into three pieces each and fell into the waiting hands of the contenders.
The host began a countdown, and Trevor, who had been scanning the stadium, finally saw Kinson and his group. Celeste waved while Kinson gave a reassuring nod. Trevor nodded back and straightened his back. The worry slid off his face, replaced by his typical confident smile.