Jun took a horse along with the others who escorted him, and only then did he realize that the other selected participant was Cheng, the boy he had met during the trial who had come in second place.

"I wish you the best of luck."

"Same to you..." Jun felt a bit uncomfortable with this boy; he couldn't imagine killing someone who was just trying to get through a trial dreamed of by many.

The journey was long; it took five days to arrive.

But when they reached the site where the blood ceremony would be held, they found numerous men accompanied by their representatives.

"That is the Tryce village; they all specialize in the sword just like us, with the only difference being that their style is even more meticulous in its movements," Trevor accompanied Jun at all times.

Astaroth went to meet with the village leaders to discuss the smartest approach for this new ceremony.

What Jun noticed upon arrival was that no one spoke; no one was interested in learning anything more about anyone else.

But from an objective point of view, this was fine; after all, they would soon try to kill each other in the ceremony.

This place had special cabins for the selected ones, where there was a hot water tub so they could bathe and rest sufficiently.

But Jun did none of this; he simply sat and meditated in silence.

He had been advised not to eat or drink anything given to him at this place, much less take a shower. Only the heavens knew what they had done to the water or food; no one trusted anyone right before the ceremony.

"Any news?" Jun asked as he sensed a presence in front of his door.

"The ceremony has been moved up; it will be in a few hours. I think many have pressured our village because we have been winners for forty years."

That was feasible; villages needed strong representatives to avoid feeling inferior. It was normal for them to insist on accelerating the ceremony a few hours after the representatives of the Asura village arrived.

Jun estimated that many had been here for days already, rested, and eager to win; they would all be tough opponents.

Cheng would have many problems if he decided to go against him; the smartest thing they could do was join forces to kill the other participants and then kill each other in the final round.

Still, Cheng's pride would be his downfall, and Jun's arrogance would end any possible negotiation.

"The mere fact that they think we're exhausted from the journey makes them weaker against us," Jun murmured as he took his sword, ready to leave.

"The warlocks use longer swords; be careful of the hounds too, as they often attack unexpectedly."

"We have information that there is someone strong in the Storm Village; he's called Albion, a twenty-year-old boy who is favored to be the winner this year."

Jun stood up and said, "Don't mention the participants to me anymore; many things are unnecessary to learn."

"You are right, as always."

"Don't agree with everything I say either. If I die here, I wasn't good enough to deserve getting out of here." Jun took his sword and took a deep breath.

…

"We will leave you at midnight and return tomorrow morning; there must be only one survivor, so don't try to escape. There is a perimeter of fifteen kilometers that is the ceremony area, although I recommend trying to end it in the center."

Jun and Cheng nodded at Astaroth's words, who always acted calmly; this was, after all, for the benefit of the clan. Whoever wins deserves it.

As they approached their position, Cheng averted his gaze and said, "Don't expect any help from me."

"They'll crush us together; things will get very ugly if we don't unite at the beginning." Jun wasn't making an effort to ally with Cheng; he was simply saying what came to mind.

"I'd rather die than team up with you." Cheng hated Jun because of his attitude.

Jun hadn't known Cheng was so resentful just because he boasted about being better in the trial. He thought Cheng would have forgotten it over these four years, but it seemed not.

"They're going to kick our asses; at least I'll use you as a shield," Jun said with a slight smile, but since the scarf around his neck covered half his face, Cheng didn't know he was smiling.

"Why do you speak so strangely?"

"It's not strange to me; it makes perfect sense."

"Better keep quiet."

Jun sighed; he hadn't expected to have such an idiot as a clanmate. He thought about Vargo's suggestion and seriously considered killing Cheng first.

When they reached their position, there were many more participants, some of average height for their age and others quite large.

"Aren't they ashamed to come here at twenty years old to compete? If I were them, I would have slit my throat at the thought of fighting a fifteen-year-old kid." As always, Jun started speaking without anyone asking him to.

Suddenly, an old man walked towards the center of the circle and said, "The Blood Ceremony will begin with the sound of thunder coming from the mountains; no one should move before that."

Jun circulated his energy and began to stabilize his breathing to take the first move.

'The biggest one will be the first to die; after killing him, I'll see how the competition unfolds,' Jun thought, and at that moment, a loud sound came from afar.

There was no one else around, only the competitors. That's why there were no rules; everything was allowed, and Jun was prepared for all of it.

Boom!

But just as he thought everything would be fine, Cheng stepped back, and everyone stared at him intently without moving.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"