Harden and his friends returned to their lodge in silence.
"I guess that means the other participants have arrived," Raizo said, breaking the quiet.
"Yeah," Harden replied. "And they all seem talented in one way or another... even if some of them are jerks."
"At least that Kanye guy was dumb enough to show his cards early," Kyle added. "We don't know everything he can do, but we've got some idea. What I'm not sure about is whether he has more advanced assassin skills... and that poison of his seems really effective."
"The competition's the day after tomorrow," Amy said. "We've all trained hard. So what if our opponents are tough or talented? It's not like we're weak."
"Amy's got a point," Wang nodded.
The group entered the lodge. Harden went to freshen up while the others went about their own routines.
---
Meanwhile, at an arcade...
A boy in a trench coat stood in front of the Reflexive Gauntlet machine, his eyes locked on the high score.
"HB, huh?" he murmured. "I'm guessing that means Harden Blade. Impressive. When I saw him with Rory, he seemed strong... but not this strong."
He grinned. "This tournament is going to be a blast."
---
The next day, at Earnshaw Falls Lodge...
Tension hung in the air. Some were nervous. Some excited. Others felt both.
They gathered in the basement, a reinforced wide-open space they used for training. Each person trained alone.
Amy practiced her spells.
Kyle danced with his daggers, battling an imaginary foe.
Raizo mimicked him with his katana.
Harden and Wang sparred in a corner.
Harden took a deep breath, crouched, then lashed out with a whip-like kick. A loud bang echoed as his leg cut through the air, distorting it.
"Damn it," he muttered. "Still not good enough. Hawkins does it better..."
He clenched his fists. I need a real foe.
Then an idea struck.
"I bet the others feel the same way," he thought.
"Hey guys!" Harden called out, grabbing everyone's attention. "Why don't we train together?"
"As in, pair up?" Raizo asked, walking over.
"Yeah, or..." Harden grinned, eyes flashing. "We could spice it up a bit."
"What do you mean?" Kyle asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Let's have a battle royale!" Harden shouted excitedly, a broad smile spreading across his face.