Rajiv stood firm, staring at the blonde noble who had interrupted his confrontation with Anil.
The young man looked at him with curiosity. "You must be new here," he said. "I'm William Hawthorne. And you are?"
Rajiv hesitated for a moment before answering. "Rajiv."
William nodded. "Well, Rajiv, if you're entering this competition, you should know—it's not just about strength. You need strategy, endurance, and the will to survive."
Rajiv narrowed his eyes. "I can handle it."
William smirked. "We'll see." With that, he walked away, disappearing into the crowd.
Anil scoffed. "Tch. Even nobles don't take you seriously. Just wait—I'll make sure you don't get past the first round." He turned and left.
Rajiv clenched his fists but took a deep breath, calming himself. This wasn't about proving anything to Anil. This was bigger than that.
The Competition Rules
After registering, Rajiv met up with Jiro and Yokudo. They sat outside near a marketplace, looking over the competition details.
"The competition has three rounds," Jiro explained. "The first is a qualifier—we have to prove we're strong enough to compete."
Yokudo nodded. "After that, the second round is a team battle. Groups will fight against each other in elimination matches."
Rajiv frowned. "And the final round?"
Jiro's face darkened. "A one-on-one match… against the strongest warriors."
Rajiv's grip tightened around his sword. "So, we need to survive the first two rounds and win the last one."
Yokudo sighed. "Easier said than done."
Jiro smirked. "Well, no one ever said revenge would be easy."
Rajiv looked at his sword. It was old, worn, and probably weaker than most weapons here. But it was his. And he'd use it to carve his path forward.
No matter what.
The first round was about to begin.