The selection tournament, ranked by points, had reached the final sixteen participants in the arena showdown.
After extensive buildup and hype, Dispute Fortress was once again teeming with outsiders, and it was clear that this iteration of the tournament had reached unprecedented levels of excitement.
Of course, discerning individuals knew exactly how much of this fervor was due to Faust, who, for reasons unknown, remained in Dispute Fortress.
Some even began to suspect that this seemingly legitimate Faust was merely a gimmick orchestrated by the money-minded Duke of Azuregold. Betting activities had reached fever pitch, with wagers on whether any contestant would challenge Faust, whether Faust would accept, how long the fight would last... there were even bets on whether Faust would end up fighting the Duke of Azuregold himself.
In addition to these, another hotly contested wager involved someone unrelated to Faust:
The Wicked Wolf…Fenrir.
