----- 1 week before the Artand Red Desert Inter-Kingdom Tournament -----

  The Artand Desert stretched endlessly before Ao, a sea of red sand under a merciless sun. The heat shimmered in waves, distorting the horizon into a mirage of molten light.

  Ao walked slowly, each step crunching softly beneath his worn boots. His sunglasses reflected the vast emptiness around him, but his face betrayed no emotion, as if he were on a secret mission.

  “I’ve been here before” Ao thought, his hand brushing against the coarse grains of sand that clung to his poncho.

  “A few years ago… but back then, I had no plan. No goal. Just survival. This time’s different. This time, I’m here to win.”

  He reached into his pocket, pulling out a pair of sleek wireless earpieces. They glinted faintly in the sunlight as he adjusted them over his ears.

  A grin tugged at his lips as he tapped them to life.

  Ao: “Testing, testing. One, two. One, two. Do you copy?”

  A sharp sigh crackled through the earpiece.

  ???: “What is it, Ao?”

  Ao: “Just testing my gear. Oh, and uh, what day is it?”

  ???: “As usual, a real knobhead!” Sigh of exasperation

  It’s Friday, November 1st, 5382. The tournament is in one week, in case you’ve forgotten again.”

  Ao: “Oh, right. Thanks, Akemi!”

  Akemi: Her voice rising in frustration

  “DON’T SHOUT MY NAME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT! Want to broadcast it to the whole world?!”

  Ao: Snickering

  “Call me by my fake name, then.”

  Akemi: Grumbling through gritted teeth

  “Hmm… John.”

  Ao: Mocking

  “John what?”

  Akemi: After a long pause

  “John Smith.”

  Ao’s laughter burst out like an explosion, so uncontrollable that he fell onto the sand, clutching his stomach.

  Tears streamed from the corners of his eyes as he gasped for breath.

  Ao: “AHAHAHA! You didn’t even try! John Smith?! That’s the best you could come up with?!”

  Akemi: Through the earpiece, her voice sharp as a whip

  “GO REGISTER ALREADY, YOU IDIOT!”

  Still chuckling, Ao wiped his tears and stood, brushing sand off his clothes.

  Ao: “Yeah, yeah. I’m on it.. You’re the best, Akemi.”

  With a quick inhale, he crouched low, his body tensing like a coiled spring.

  And then, with a burst of energy, he launched himself forward, becoming a streak of blue light racing across the crimson dunes.

  ----- At the Registration Desk -----

  Near the outskirts of the kingdom of Artand, a small wooden registration desk stood baking under the midday sun. Two men lounged behind the counter, their faces weary with boredom.

  Man #1: Yawning

  “Gods, I hate this job. Nothing ever happens out here.”

  Man #2: Half-asleep

  “Tell me about—” He froze mid-sentence, his eyes narrowing at the horizon.

  “What the hell is that?”

  Man #1: Sitting up straight.

  “What’s what?”

  Man #2: Pointing frantically

  “That! That blue thing! It’s heading right for us!”

  The two men watched in stunned silence as a streak of blue light tore across the desert, growing larger and larger as it hurtled toward them.

  Man #1: Panicking

  "THAT BLUE SHIT IS GONNA CRUSH US!!"

  Man #2: Crouching behind the counter

  "GET DOWN!!"

  The streak of light came to a sudden, screeching halt just meters from the desk, kicking up a massive wave of red sand.

  The men coughed and sputtered, frantically waving their hands to clear the air.

  As the dust settled, the figure of Ao emerged, his sunglasses slightly crooked and a smug grin on his face.

  Ao: Adjusting his sunglasses and scratching the back of his head.

  “Hello, gentlemen. I’d like to register for the tournament…”

  Man #1: Glaring at the sand-covered counter.

  “DAMN IT! LOOK WHAT YOU’VE DONE—THERE’S SAND EVERYWHERE!”

  Ao: Feigning innocence, whistling as he looks away.

  “Oh… I wonder who could’ve done that…”

  Man #2: “IT WAS YOU!!!”

  Ao ignored their glares, leaning casually against the counter as though nothing had happened.

  Man #1: Sighing heavily.

  “Alright. Just give me your papers.”

  Ao handed over the documents with a smirk. The receptionist flipped through them with an exasperated grunt.

  Receptionist: “Full name?”

  Ao: “John Smith.”

  Receptionist: “Profession?”

  Ao: “Secret agen—uh, adventurer. Class SS.”

  Receptionist: “Allegiance?”

  Ao:

  Pausing dramatically

  “Kingdom of Sweets. (Does it really exist ?!!)”

  The receptionist sighed again and pointed to several lines on the forms.

  Receptionist: “Sign here, here, and here.”

  Ao’s eyes scanned the papers, stopping on one particular clause.

  Stalking contract? Authorized stalking? What the hell is this garbage?!

  For a moment, he considered tearing up the papers—but Thomas’s voice echoed in his head.

  Thomas (Flashback): “Don’t screw this up, Ao. If you do, we’re all dead.”

  With a begrudging sigh, Ao signed the papers.

  Receptionist: “Perfect. You’re registered. Come back in one week to compete.”

  Ao: “Thanks, gentlemen.”

  Receptionist: Blank stare

  “Don’t forget your papers.”

  Ao: Grinning sheepishly as he grabbed them.

  “Heh. What an airhead I am.”

  Receptionist: Still glaring at the sand-covered counter.

  “You don’t say.”

  As Ao turned and walked off, the desert wind picked up again, swirling the red sand in his wake.

  Well.. I'll see if I can land in a forest not too far away

  ----- On Gin's side -----

  ----- Hall of the Shakespeare guild, the tavern -----

  The Shakespeare Guild Hall was alive with noise. In the dimly lit tavern, guild members cheered and roared, their mugs of ale sloshing over wooden tables as they rallied around the center of the room. There, shirtless and drenched in sweat, Gin strained to do push-ups with his older brother Kin sitting casually on his back.

  Gin’s Thoughts:

  EUUUUAAAAARRRGH! HOW IS HE SO HEAVY?!

  Guild Members: Chanting in unison

  “GO GIN, GO GIN, AGAIN!”

  Kin: Smirking sadistically

  “Come on, Third-Class Warrior. Struggling already?!”

  Gin’s arms trembled violently as he tried to push himself up once more.

  Gin: “AAARGH! I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE!”

  A loud CRACK echoed through the room, silencing the crowd.

  Gin turned his head just in time to see his older sister Yumi approaching, a whip in hand and a sadistic smile on her face.

  Yumi: “Not so fast, little Gin. Again!”

  She cracked the whip, sending the guild members into a frenzy of laughter and cheers.

  I’m going to die before I even make it to the tournament…

  ----- 2 days before the Artand Red Desert Inter-Kingdom Tournament -----

  ----- On Ao's side, a forest surrounding Artand's red desert -----

  The forest surrounding the Kingdom of Artand was dry and brittle, every step crunching loudly underfoot as Ao walked. The air was parched, the faint smell of dust and old wood lingering in his nose. He sighed, his belly rumbling loud enough to scare off the occasional bird perched on the sun-bleached branches.

  Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

  The mushrooms in this forest are definitely not edible… berk

  Ao stuck out his tongue at the bitter memory, brushing the dirt off his clothes.

  Pulling a chocolate bar from his dimensional pocket, he took a bite and muttered to himself

  Good thing I packed supplies. Otherwise, I’d probably have to gnaw on bark out here…

  He took another bite, glancing over his shoulder. A faint whirring sound echoed through the dry air, and Ao’s eyes narrowed.

  Ao: “LEAVE ME ALONE, YOU DAMN CANNING BOX!”

  Behind him, a small robot peeked out from behind a tree, its metallic frame glinting in the sunlight.

  It quickly darted back into the shadows, pretending to hide as if it hadn’t been following him for the past five days.

  Ao sighed, adjusting his sunglasses.

  This is at least the tenth time I’ve told it off.

  Ugh. It’s probably some tracker from that cursed contract…

  He rubbed his temples, trying to ignore the persistent buzzing of the machine. His thoughts wandered back to the cryptic warning from Thomas.

  Thomas (Flashback): “Don’t screw this up, Ao. If you fail, we’re all dead.”

  Ao (Flashback): “So... no pressure then?”

  In a dimly lit chamber far from the red desert, a holographic screen displayed a live feed of Ao crunching his chocolate bar.

  The camera occasionally shook as the robot shifted positions, struggling to keep up with its target.

  Anne: Leaning back in her chair with an exasperated look.

  “I’m sorry, master, but this has got to be the worst mercenary of the century.”

  Master: A deep, rumbling voice filled the room.

  “Appearances can be deceiving, Anne. The Golden Order vouched for him, remember? They say he’s their best operative.”

  Anne: Raises an eyebrow. “If that’s true, then why are we spying on him?”

  Master: “Because the best are unpredictable… and unpredictability is dangerous. When you’ve lived as long as I have, Anne, you learn to trust nothing at face value.”

  Anne sighed, folding her arms. Her sharp green eyes scanned the live feed as Ao suddenly stopped walking and turned toward the camera.

  Anne: “What interests me most right now... is ending this war as quickly as possible”

  Master: "And we're working on it, despite the many defeats the neighboring kingdoms have suffered, we're getting closer and closer to our goal”

  Ao (Through the Feed): “And what is your goal?”

  Anne’s eyes widened in shock.

  Anne: “WHAT?! Can he hear us?”

  Ao (On-Screen): Sighing dramatically and brushing a mosquito off his arm.

  “Damn mosquitoes. Your goal is to STING ME UNTIL I DIE!”

  Anne’s shock turned into a deadpan stare as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

  Anne: “... Truly the worst mercenary of the century.”

  Behind her, the master chuckled darkly, his low growl reverberating through the chamber.

  ----- On Gin's side -----

  ----- Kamelott's elite training area -----

  Gin sat slumped against the cold white wall of the training room, his chest heaving as he drained the last drops of water from his plastic bottle. His siblings were still going at it, their enhanced bodies blurring as they traded blows that echoed off the metallic walls.

  “Enhance: Full Body” they shouted in unison, their auras flaring bright as their fists collided with bone-shaking force.

  Gin wiped the sweat from his brow, then clenched his fists in frustration.

  Gin’s Thoughts:

  I’m really struggling to keep up…

  The tournament is in two days. I have to focus… for Akane.

  He waved his finger in front of him, summoning a glowing orange holographic window that displayed his combat stats.

  Gin Shakespeare, Third Class

  Vigor: 20

  Stamina: 13

  Speed: 14

  Strength: 11

  Dexterity: 10

  Intelligence: 22

  Pendragon Alliance Recommendation:

  “We advise you to pursue the path of an Earth mage or consider a career in renewable building construction with Pendragon-approved training programs!”

  Gin scowled, swiping the recommendation aside.

  Tss... I don’t care about that.

  Honestly, I’ve never really thought about what I’d do after saving my sister. But one thing’s for sure—I don’t want to stay in the war branch.

  He clenched his fists tighter, his thoughts darkening as Zack Silver’s dying face flashed before him.

  I hate fighting… I hate everything about it.

  ...

  ...

  ...

  Kin : Appears and shouts in front of Gin “RISE UP, WARRIOR 3RD CLASS!!!”

  Gin: Rises quickly “YES BROTHER!!!”

  ----- 2 hours before Artand's Red Desert Inter-Royal Tournament -----

  Ao sauntered through the crowd of warriors, his sunglasses glinting in the blazing sunlight. Everywhere he looked, there were muscles—biceps bigger than his head, torsos like mountains of flesh, veins bulging like angry rivers under taut skin. He couldn’t help but smirk.

  Wow... muscles everywhere. I really feel like I’m standing out among all this testosterone.

  Maybe I should’ve done a few push-ups before coming here.

  The earpiece in his ear crackled to life, and a woman’s voice sighed heavily.

  Ao’s Earpiece: “Ao unit, have you prepared your portable star techniques?”

  Ao: “No need, I don’t intend to use any star techniques in this tournament.”

  Ao’s Earpiece: “Ao Unit, I—”

  Ao: “And it’s John Smith here, not Ao.”

  Another sigh crackled through the earpiece.

  Ao’s Earpiece: “... Alright, John Smith Unit, I advise you not to underestimate the participants of this tournament.”

  Ao smirked, lowering his voice to a mock-serious tone.

  John Smith (Ao): “And I’m not underestimating anyone, operator. Should the situation change, I won’t hesitate to use every gadget in my secret agent arsenal.”

  Ao’s Earpiece: “IF YOU FAIL AND WE GET KILLED, I’LL KILL YOU MYSELF!!!”

  Ao made a static noise with his mouth, grinning.

  John Smith (Ao): “Don’t worry, the mission will be a great success.”

  Ao's Earpieces: “AAAOOOOOO.. ” Communication cut off abruptly

  He sighed, slipping the earpiece out.

  I don’t need someone shouting in my ear during the tournament.

  Tournament organizer: “Gentlemen, ladies,

  Welcome to the Artand Red Desert Inter-Kingdom Tournament!

  I hope you've all read the rules carefully - if you don't, you'll be automatically disqualified and teleported out of the combat zone!

  Now, walk to the magical veil of Artand's Red Desert

  Once there, position yourself in your assigned teleport circle!

  As a reminder, you'll all be teleported to different parts of the desert, with food and structures to shelter you from the dangers of the desert!

  This tournament is a free-for-all, but teams within the tournament are allowed, even if in the end only one person will remain!

  If we consider that you are no longer fit to fight, you will be automatically teleported to our care center and eliminated from the tournament!

  We remind you that killing a participant is forbidden, and will automatically disqualify you!

  There are 2 ways to win this tournament: either be the last fighter in the desert, or find Artand's red desert relic and deposit it at the teleportation system located A10 on your map provided beforehand!

  We're expecting a great battle! Many people will be watching you from the broadcasters, audiences from every kingdom, and even people in very high ranking places!”

  It's much more organized than I thought, very cool!

  Ao arrives at the desert veil, in front of him is a global image of Artand's red desert in plan view, and sees the silhouettes of all the fighters all around

  He places himself on his teleportation circle, which bears the name “John Smith”

  John Smith (Ao): Pulls back his sunglasses

  “Let's see... what the elite of the Pendragon kingdoms are worth”

  ----- On Gin's side -----

  Gin, Yumi, Kin, and a large orc strode side by side toward their respective teleportation circles. The crowd of participants buzzed around them, a sea of warriors armed to the teeth.

  Gin couldn’t help but feel small next to the towering figures, their gleaming weapons and bulging muscles making him look even younger than he was.

  He clenched his fists, pushing down the creeping doubt.

  No. There’s no room for fear now. I have to win. For Akane.

  Yumi flicked her finger in front of her, summoning a holographic combat window. Her lips curled into a smirk as she scanned her stats.

  Yumi Shakespeare, SS-Class Adventurer

  Vigor: 35

  Stamina: 30

  Speed: 31

  Strength: 47

  Dexterity: 14

  Intelligence: 17

  Not bad

  she murmured, cracking her knuckles.

  Time to smash some heads!

  Beside her, Kin summoned his own stats window. His expression remained unreadable as he reviewed the numbers.

  Kin Shakespeare, SS-Class Adventurer

  Vigor: 48

  Stamina: 50

  Speed: 35

  Strength: 40

  Dexterity: 52

  Intelligence: 28

  Kin didn’t say a word, but the subtle lift of his chin spoke volumes. He was ready.

  The organizer’s voice boomed across the desert.

  “Get ready, participants! The tournament begins in three… two… one… TELEPORTATION!”

  Gin barely had time to blink before a blinding light engulfed him. The air shifted, rushing past his skin in a way that made his stomach churn. When the light faded, he stumbled forward, the red sand crunching beneath his boots.

  His earpiece crackled to life.

  Gin: “We're going to win this tournament.. Losing is out of the question!”

  Kin: “That’s what I want to hear, little brother!”

  Yumi: “WE’RE GOING TO SHOOT RED SAND IN THEIR NOSES!!!”

  Gin couldn’t help but smile, despite the fear gnawing at his gut. His siblings’ voices were a lifeline in this vast, unforgiving wasteland.

  ??? (Mu): Cries of great sadness “Uuuuuuh... Akane!!!”

  Gin’s grin faltered. His gaze hardened.

  Don’t worry, Mu. We’ll win. We have to.

  As our group of characters warm to the idea of winning the tournament, their disillusionment will soon turns.. to distress

  How do you think Gin is gonna react when he sees that Ao is also participating ? :p

  We'll see all of this very soon

  Have a good one, b??????????r??????????????????e????????????????????a?????????????k???????e??????????????r??????????????