The last challenger under the illusion of the spell was ripped in three different pieces by an orc, and they were thrown out of the illusion, foaming at the mouth.

At that moment, the spell was completely lifted and the veil that had been placed over the eyes of all present was whisked away.

Many of those in the audience struggled to hold in a stream of regurgitation while others seemed less affected, almost expecting this sort of development.

The noble lady from earlier let out a quiet sigh of relief as she fanned the heat away. "I-Indeed, I had expected as much. It was obvious, really," she said with an awkward smirk.

Even so, dozens of challengers now lay unconscious or trembling across the arena floor. Obvious or not, few had passed.

The Trial Overseer, a woman wearing long fuchsia colored mage robes, smirked as she sat at the highest point in the stands. "That concludes the first trial! Fantastic work, everyone!"

Beside her were two figures, both wearing incredibly exquisite and intricate clothing, their faces covered by thin opaque clothes to hide their features.

Still, anyone with half a brain could tell who they might have been.

Verity glanced up. 'They've got to be royalty, right?'

The Trial Overseer stood up and clapped, the sound echoing throughout the entire arena. "Congratulations to those who have passed the first trial of the soul! Now I shall explain its purpose, and the virtue we meant to test through it!"

She flew into the air using a simple air attribute spell and she amplified her voice for all to hear.

"Do you know of this saying, 'Only when faced with death is the heart truly revealed'?"

Verity remembered hearing something similar back on Earth, and from those words alone, he immediately understood what exactly had been the purpose of this test.

The Trial Overseer continued. "This trial was based on these very words! As soon as you entered, a large magical array was activated, using my own, and the power of dozens of mages! It placed you all under two spells of the Illusion attribute. One which made you see the invincible orcs, and another that made you afraid, deeply, deeply afraid!"

She threw her arms in the air, her smile growing wider. "At Colosseo, we believe that cowards are lower than even dirt, and so we asked: When there is no logic, no reason, no escape, how will you act in the face of certain death!?"

Her smile turned almost ecstatic, not something one would ever see on a mage. "To be afraid is no sin, but to let that fear consume you is the greatest sin of all!! Cry! Claw! Scream! Tremble! But do not turn your back, for that, and only that, is what a coward does!"

Noticing the expression she was making, she crossed her arms behind her back and cleared her throat. "Ahem, anyway. Congratulations to those who have passed, you may move to the next area and rest before tomorrow's trial."

For a moment, the crowd was silent, but in the next, they all erupted into thunderous cheers.

"WOOAHH!! THAT WAS GREAT!!"

"IF THEY HAD TOLD ME THE RISING STARS TOURNAMENT WAS LIKE THIS, I'D HAVE COME SOONER!!"

The spectators looked at each other with glee, glad to have come. This tournament occurred every five years, and it was never once the same as its previous iteration. No one knew what it had in store, nor what those who emerged from it would look like.

Verity, influenced by the roaring crowd, clapped his hands as well. "...Yeah, that actually wasn't bad at all. A good way to weed out those who aren't fit to be here yet."

The young archer beside him smiled as he looked at Verity. "That's exactly right, sir. Getting rid of trash early on is always praiseworthy."

Verity glanced at the boy from the corner of his eye. 'That's… not exactly what I said… but sure.'

The first trial came to an end in all of the arenas, eliminating approximately two thirds of the challengers.

Soon, Verity had left the trial grounds, entering the fifth zone of Colosseo. A buzz came from his wrist and he brought it to his ear.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

[Ah, come join us if you're not doing anything important. Just walk straight until you see a large fountain, there's some sort of show happening here.] said Felicia through the Whispering Band.

As Verity walked through the streets, he quickly realized that the fifth area was not much different from the sixth. Besides restaurants, and few shops here and there, there wasn't much to do.

He briefly looked at smithies and spell shops, but he could not find equipment that caught his eye nor spell scrolls for which the usefulness warranted the ridiculous mana cost.

He soon reached a fountain where water was flowing from the mouth of a goat-like animal with two pairs of eyes and jagged teeth.

He noticed Felicia beside it, standing in front of a eccentrically dressed individual.

He also noticed a man next to her, speaking to her with a hardened expression on his face. When the man, Elio, noticed Verity, he clicked his tongue, bowed, and left Felicia.

Felicia turned to see Verity approaching, and a smile formed on her lips.

"Pretty relentless, that guy, huh. What did he want this time?" Verity asked.

Felicia sighed. "He asked me out on a date."

Verity's eyes widened. "...Seriously?"

Felicia shook her head. "Seriously, seriously. Well, he didn't say it was a date, but he invited me to dinner so that we could become 'better acquainted'." She scoffed. "The way he speaks is pretty old fashioned now that I think about it."

Verity scratched the back of his neck, forcing the next words out. "I-I see…" A faint knot tightened in his stomach. "So uh… what did you say?"

The answer should have been obvious, but he asked regardless.

Felicia's expression darkened. "He had the gall to point his sword toward you while exuding killing intent." Her fists clenched. "He should be glad his head is still on his shoulders, that idiot."

A chill ran down Verity's spine. This was an expression he didn't even know Felicia was capable of making. She was usually rather easy-going and except from fighting, she didn't appear to care much about anything.

But this, it seemed she cared.

Verity felt somewhat…pleased? Yes, pleased was the word. He laughed awkwardly and turned his attention to the front.

"Where are the others?" Verity asked, attempting to change the subject.

Felicia let out a hollow laugh. "Well, Hoshino heard about a dessert place in this zone, so she had to try it, and Marco tagged along because he didn't trust her not to cause trouble for herself or others, haha…" A mischievous smile then formed on her lips. "These two get along quite well… wouldn't you say, Verity?"

Verity looked at, somewhat confused. "Yeah? Why wouldn't they?"

Felicia's smile fell, and she sighed, before turning away. "You're no fun sometimes."

Verity raised an eyebrow. 'Are they not supposed to get along?'

He then shrugged. "In any case, you told me there would be a show here, no?"

The sun had already set, and a few candles were lit all around the fountain. The breeze was soft enough not to extinguish them, and the sight itself would have made for beautiful pictures had this been back on Earth, not that Verity ever took any.

Felicia pointed to a man standing right beside the candles, his back turned.

"Oh, is he—"

With one swift movement of the man's hand, the candles were extinguished, and he turned around.

He wore a flowery mask that obstructed his facial features. Without saying a word, his figure blurred, and now a dozen men wearing flowery masks were before the audience.

"Hmm, not magic, then it must be a skill. Fascinating." A mage said beside Verity and Felicia.

All of the man's copies raised their arms, and without saying a word, and with no introduction, no opening words, they began dancing. The audience's mouths sealed shut in an instant, as if entranced by the performance.

The men moved with grace, with elegance, yet with ungodly precision. Their limbs seemed to caress the air, each motion slicing through it with unwavering conviction. Even the surrounding candles flickered in rhythm, flaring and dimming as if bewitched by their dance.

But most captivating of all was the choreography, not merely because it dazzled the eye. No, it spoke. Its intent was so clear that even someone as poorly artistically inclined as Verity could understand. Every arc of the arm, every tilt of the head, every shifting stance wove together a story, one that went beyond words.

A great war between good and evil.

A decaying world.

A cataclysmic clash.

Two sides crippled beyond recovery

A bargain, a deal.

A prisoner, betrayal.

And… Hatred. The last part of the dance. It spoke of hatred so true Verity felt his heart race faster. Though he knew that could not be true, Verity felt that during those last moments, the man with a flowery mask looked toward him. It was as though that part had specifically been meant for him and him alone.

Verity scoffed. 'Yeah right.'

With that, the performance ended, and the audience clapped, awe and cheers mixed through the crowd.

Elegantly, the man's copies disappeared, and he bowed, saluting the audience.

Verity clapped as well. "That was amazing."

Felicia clapped beside him as well. "It was…That man, that intent… I've learned something today…!"

Verity scoffed. It seemed Felicia had gained some sort of enlightenment from that. Of course, Verity hadn't gained anything significant, but that look the dancer had given him toward the end lingered in his mind, so much he thought of approaching to–

[Your sponsor expresses deep displeasure.]

'Hm?'

[Your support wishes for you to leave this place at once.]

'That's… interesting, she almost never asks anything of me…'

[Your sponsor expresses deep displeasure.]

[Your sponsor expresses deep displeasure.]

[Your sponsor expresses deep displeasure.]

[Your sponsor expresses deep displeasure.]

'Alright, alright!'

Verity did not understand why she was pestering him so much, but she had looked out for him more than once before, so he could at least do this for her.

He tapped Felicia on the shoulder. "Hey, it's getting late. I think I'm going to train a bit before tomorrow's trial."

Verity needed practically no sleep at all, about two or three hours every week,, so when night fell, he usually trained in the spear somewhere quiet.

Felicia looked at him, an unreadable expression on her face. She paused shortly before answering, and then she smiled. "Okay. I'll see you later, Verity. Be safe."

Verity nodded, and he glanced one last time toward the masked man, a faint unease curling in his chest. Then, he turned away, not daring to ignore his sponsor any further.

The two of them parted ways at that moment, and at the same time, Felicia could not help but recall what Elio had really told her.

You must believe me, Felica. That man is not who he seems. The last thing I want is to be in conflict with you, but I am certain about this. Think hard. Have you not noticed anything strange about him at all? Has there never been something that felt wrong, or events that you could not explain?

Felicia twirled her fingers behind her back as she watched Verity walk away. "I'm glad the other two weren't here to hear that. "She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "I wonder… just how much you're hiding, Verity." She mumbled to herself before walking in the opposite direction

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