Chapter 7: Chapter 6: Arena (2)
Whooosshhh!!
A strong wind blew as if a storm had suddenly formed in that space. The green-haired man closed his eyes for a moment, his long hair wildly swaying in the gusts. He slowly opened his eyes and looked around.
He found himself in a vast arena, surrounded by towering black stone walls. The faint light of torches on the walls made the atmosphere feel oppressive and full of mystery.
"Where am I...?" the man whispered softly.
But he quickly realized he wasn't alone. All around him, more and more figures appeared, each one falling from the same glowing magic circle.
Thud!!
A body fell not far from him. A long-haired silver elf, his pointed ears clearly visible, stood up slowly while brushing dust from his green robe. The elf's dimly glowing eyes were full of suspicion.
"Arena?" the elf muttered, frowning.
"Who dares summon me to this place?"
Not long after, a loud crash echoed.
Bamm!!
A stout dwarf with a thick, brick-red beard landed heavily on the ground. He groaned loudly, grinding his teeth.
"Damn it! What kind of cursed place is this?!" he growled in a deep voice, slamming his small axe against the floor.
Clang!!
The metallic echo rang throughout the space.
Then, a sharp scream followed.
"Ahhhh!!"
A female beastman with wolf ears dropped down, quickly getting to her feet as her tail flicked sharply. Her sharp eyes gleamed, and fine gray fur covered her arms. She scanned her surroundings cautiously, looking ready to strike at anyone who came close.
"How dare they! Who dares toy with me like this?!" she snarled.
One by one, more figures appeared. A noble-looking human in fine clothes, a burly man with scars across his body, a raggedly dressed young girl, even an old man leaning on a worn wooden staff. They were clearly from different lands and races, all forced into the same place.
The green-haired man remained silent, carefully watching them. He knew this place was not an ordinary world. Its flow was different, with no sense of time moving as it normally should. Everything felt… detached.
Brakk!!
A loud crash drew his attention. From above, a young boy fell rather roughly, slamming into the ground. A small tin can rolled not far from him.
"Ughhh..." the boy groaned in pain, his face pale and weary. His messy blond hair looked unkempt, and his dark eye bags revealed severe lack of sleep. He curled up, hugging his knees, trembling with visible fear.
The green-haired man's gaze instinctively stopped on the boy.
"Hm?" He raised an eyebrow, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Inside, a faint whisper echoed in his thoughts.
"There's something inside him... Well... forget it for now. Think about it later."
The boy glanced up, as if sensing he was being watched, but quickly looked away. He seemed far too frightened to speak.
Meanwhile, arguments began to break out among the gathered crowd.
"Hey! Who the hell did this?!" roared the red-bearded dwarf.
"Isn't it obvious? We've all been forced here. Whether human, elf, or dwarf, we're nothing but pawns on someone else's board." The silver-haired elf replied cooly, though with a trace of mockery.
The female beastman scoffed.
"Hah! If that's true, then I'll tear apart whoever dared to abduct me!"
The tension grew hotter, with voices raised in anger and fear.
But suddenly...
Dumm!! Dumm!!
The sound of drums thundered from atop the walls. Everyone fell silent, their eyes turning toward a high platform that slowly emerged on one side of the arena.
On that platform stood a row of figures in black robes and white masks. They were completely motionless, like living statues. A chilling aura radiated from them, making the hair on everyone's neck stand on end.
One of them stepped forward, his voice echoing loudly from behind the mask.
"Welcome, everyone. You have been chosen to fight... before becoming a feast for our 'Lord.'"
The air fell deathly still.
The blond boy's jaw dropped, his face growing even paler.
"F–feast...?" he whispered hoarsely.
The green-haired man only narrowed his eyes, his thoughts racing. This situation reminded him of something... something from his past that felt like déjà vu. But he quickly shook it off.
"Not important now," he thought.
*Better to focus on what comes next."
Dumm!! Dumm!!
The drums resounded again, signaling the start of something far more dangerous.
*****
The arena fell silent after the heavy iron door slammed shut. The echo lingered in the vast chamber, pressing heavily on everyone's chest.
A young man dressed in fine garments stepped forward. His blond hair was neatly combed, and his robe glittered with gemstones. He raised his chin high, looking down on the others with disdain.
"Hmph. Very well, I shall begin. My name is Lord Albrecht von Reingard, rightful heir to the Reingard Family of the Northern Empire, Kingdom of Ezelhart. Remember this well! Your chances of survival will be far greater if you follow my lead."
His voice was sharp and filled with confidence. Yet many sneered.
"Tch. A pampered noble thinks he can lead us?" a harsh voice growled from the back.
A tall man with a scarred face strode forward. His steps were heavy, his presence commanding.
"I'm Garreth Stonefang," he declared.
"Once a Swordmaster of the Iron Legion from the Kingdom of Drakensport. Don't think I'll bow to some boy who hides behind his family's name."
The tension thickened.
Then, a man in a long black robe stepped forward. His long gray hair draped over his shoulders, and his eyes glimmered with a strange light. The staff he carried was carved with runes, and an unusual aura seeped into the air.
"Valtherion, Archmage of the Grand Council of Arkana," he said calmly, yet arrogantly. "
This bickering is meaningless. Without my magic, none of you would last long in this place."
The air itself seemed to tremble faintly, making a few ordinary people swallow nervously.
A beastman, broad and muscular with the head of a lion, marched forth with a deep roar. His claws scraped against the stone floor, leaving trails of sparks.
"Enough chatter!" she bellowed.
"I am Raigun, warrior of the Great Targoth Tribe. Any human who tries to command me, I'll tear his throat out!"
Not long after, a tall woman with long silver hair walked forward. Her bright green eyes were cold, her expression devoid of emotion. She looked at the humans with clear disgust.
"I'm Elenya of the Moonlit Forest. Don't delude yourselves into thinking you are equal to the elves," she said icily.
A dwarf slammed his heavy axe onto the floor, sending shards of stone scattering.
"Hah! Name's Thrain Stonehammer, of the Clan of Iron Pride. Stand in my way, and I'll split your skull open!"
The air grew hotter as nobles, warriors, mages, beastmen, elves, and dwarves all displayed their pride and strength.
Amidst them, a young man with messy brown hair hesitantly stepped forward. His hands trembled, his voice quivered.
"M-my name is… Darrel. From the Kingdom of Solmere. I-I may not have much, but I'll try-"
But his words faded into nothing. No one listened. Some coughed, others raised their voices to speak over him. Darrel lowered his head in shame and retreated to the back.
"Wow... This feels just like a scene from a story."
The green-haired man only watched as the others introduced themselves one by one, his eyes sparkling as he thought that the current situation resembled something straight out of a drama, novel, comic, or cartoon.
"Hmm... Should I tell them my name?" the man wondered.
He glanced around. The others were also introducing themselves, even though they weren't really being acknowledged.
"Well... I guess I should say my name too... Huh? Wait, what's the name of this body's original owner? Eh? Damn! I forgot to check. Wouldn't it be weird if people saw me spacing out in front of everyone like this?"
He pondered hard for a moment before an idea struck him.
"Ah! I'll just use the nickname from my first life."
After several others suffered the same fate, a green-haired youth simply stood still. His eyes were calm, his expression faint. He made no effort to stand out. But when the noise finally settled, he spoke quietly.
"…Kai."
His voice was clear, yet plain.
No one replied. It was as if his name was swallowed by the air itself. A few glanced his way, then looked elsewhere as though he didn't exist. Kai himself remained unbothered, standing silently without adding more.
At last, from the back of the group, a thin boy with messy blond hair slowly stood. His face was pale, his eyes weary, as though recovering from a long illness.
His name came out in a shaky voice.
"I-I… am Renn."
All eyes turned to him because of his voice.
Kai gazed at the boy a moment longer than the others.
'Hm… This boy… there's something about him.'
But he shook his head slightly.
'Not important now. What matters is finding a way to survive this place.'
The introductions came to an end. Each person now had a name, yet trust and unity were still far beyond reach.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Nivyy
Nivyy Hi everyone, thanks for checking out my story! I’m still a new writer here on WebNovel, so please bear with me. Honestly, I feel like the plot is moving a little too fast, and maybe some parts are still confusing, right? Don’t worry, everything will be revealed little by little as the story goes on.
But here’s the thing! I actually planned this novel to be a comedy, yet I still have no idea what kind of comedy to write… So, if you see sudden POV switches to random characters, don’t be too surprised, okay? Hehe.
That’s all for now. Thank you so much for spending your time reading my story and my little rambling!
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