After the preliminary round of matches for the Sprite God tournament had concluded, Sin returned to the large mansion where he was staying as the son of the Arch Duke. Upon entering, he encountered Niu, one of the maids who worked in the house caring for the needs of the Abrahams residing there. Sin had briefly met Niu when he first arrived at the house several days prior, but with the excitement and focus on preparing for his own matches, he admittedly had not given her much thought since their initial encounter.
Seeing her now, Sin suddenly recalled that Niu was also competing in the tournament. With the preliminary rounds now over, he realized he had no idea how she had fared in her early matches. Hoping to make up for his oversight by showing interest now, Sin politely asked Niu, "So how did your matches go in the preliminary round? Were you able to advance?"
Niu smiled modestly and replied, "Yes, I was able to win my matches without too much trouble and have moved on to compete in League 2."
Sin was happy to hear this news. While he had not been following Niu's progress, he knew from their brief prior interactions that she possessed strength and abilities far beyond most other competitors in the preliminary league. Though Niu carried herself with humility befitting her maid status in the house, Sin sensed she was exceptionally talented as a warrior. Her advancement came as no surprise to him.
"That's wonderful news," Sin said enthusiastically. "I'm sure you'll continue to excel going forward. Making it to League 2 is no small feat. You should feel proud of your accomplishments so far!"
Niu blushed slightly at the praise and bowed her head graciously. "You're too kind," she replied. "I'm just focusing on one match at a time. But thank you, sir. I appreciate your encouragement."
Though Niu remained modest about her skills, Sin could tell she was happy to have progressed further in the demanding tournament. As a fellow competitor, he knew she must have trained relentlessly for weeks or months to hone her abilities. He felt glad to see that work paying off now with victories in the preliminary league.
While some tournament participants might dismiss advancement from the preliminary round as inconsequential compared to reaching the higher leagues, Sin knew better. Battles between youth warrior demanded technical precision, mental focus, physical endurance, and more. Surviving the large preliminary field was an accomplishment in its own right.
Whether a competitor finished near the top of League 3 or reached the elite heights of main tournament, Sin believed each person's path in the tournament deserved recognition. The road ahead only grew more difficult, with tighter margins between victory and defeat. But Niu had taken the critical first step by confirming her skills against the preliminary competition. Her quiet poise left no doubt in Sin's mind that she could handle the stronger opponents waiting in League 2.
With a genuine smile, Sin told Niu, "Keep up the good work. I'll be cheering for you as you continue advancing in the tournament!" Niu bowed gracefully once more and thanked Sin for his kind words before they parted ways. Sin was glad he took a moment to acknowledge her efforts. He hoped his expression of confidence might bolster her motivation and self-belief moving into the next round.
After their brief but encouraging conversation, Sin and Niu returned to their respective focuses for the tournament - him on preparing for the upcoming problem in his hands, and her on what was next on her path through League 2. But Sin held onto the uplifting spirit of their exchange. In the midst of intense competition, it was important to recognize the small triumphs along the way.
Sin then had an important meeting with his mother and father, Lady Rubi and Sir Judge Abraham, after the shocking events that occurred during the fighting tournament. Sin sought out his parents in order to discuss the troubling appearance of a literal devil that had entered and competed in the tournament against Sin himself.
When Sin arrived to speak with his respected parents, he first asked them if everything had been taken care of regarding the devil that had fought against Sin, wanting to ensure the situation was under control. Sin's father, Sir Judge Abraham, reassured his concerned son that yes, he had already utilized his considerable powers and influence to erase the memories of all the spectators who had witnessed the devil battling Sin during the course of the tournament.
As soon as the fight had ended, Sin Abraham had dispatched Stephen, with his kamui, to immediately request that Sin's parents work their magic to make sure every single person who had seen even a glimpse of Sin's true strength while fighting the devil would have their memories of the event removed.
Sir Judge Abraham informed Sin that he had successfully taken this action in order to guarantee that such shocking, disturbing news of a devil appearing would not spread beyond those who had viewed the fight firsthand.
For the time being, until they better understood the full implications of a literal demon breaching into the human realm and crossing paths with Sin, this information needed to be contained fully. Sir Judge Abraham told Sin that he had seen to it that no one outside of themselves, few high authorities of the tournaments, Marlin and Stephen would recall or be able to share news about the unbelievable occurrence of Sin battling a evil entity.
Sin was grateful and relieved that his influential father had so swiftly ensured the demon's presence and Sin's own role in combatting it would remain secret. The last thing they wanted was for panic or chaos to erupt from the populace learning that otherworldly, dangerous devils could find a way to infiltrate their tournaments or communities. Sin understood that for now, all knowledge of this event needed to stay tightly under wraps among only their closest, trusted allies.
After discussing his father's successful efforts to erase all memories and evidence of the demon's appearance, Sin went on to ask his parents what their take was on _why_ such a powerful devil had suddenly emerged to fight him specifically. They deliberated on what the deeper meaning or motivation could be behind the devil targeting Sin among all others.
Together they theorized and analyzed what the implications of its sinister appearance could mean for the future. Sin valued his wise parents' perspectives as they tried to unravel the mystery of the demon's goals and discussed their plans to investigate the situation further. Their conversation was productive in strategizing how to handle the aftermath of this potentially threatening demonic encounter.