Scarlet

All of the competitors of this competition – which number somewhere around four to five hundred – are sent scattered throughout the edges of the maze. But at the same time, they’re all at least five to ten walls away from each other. Initially.

Quite a few of them are already beginning to rush towards other nearby competitors. Specifically those with sensatory skills or natural powers. Just highly sensitive senses in general.

Because killing other competitors does give points in this competition, unlike in the normal Demon Hunt competition where killing other competitors only steals their points.

Of course, it also steals points in this one. But not as many.

These changes, from what I understand, are because of the much, much smaller gap in power between the competitors. Since the normal Demon Hunt competition has Guardians ranging from Class I all the way through the peak of Class III. Unlike this one which only has Class I Guardians and demons, ranging from level one to one hundred.

Although I’m pretty sure the lowest level Guardian out there is around level eight, so not even level one.

No one in their right mind would let a brand new Guardian who has never even fought before or leveled fight in a competition like this.

Their parents would tear the schools apart if that was allowed.

Parents can be scary like that.

Putting that aside though, I quickly focus on Aria amongst the competitors, finding her to be ignoring all of the other competitors and rushing straight towards the center while slaughtering demons along the way.

Good girl. Heading towards the Captain, which is worth a hundred points.

The demon knights amongst the demons there are also worth more points than the other demons, albeit not by that much. And the demon knights are all located a lot closer to the center of the maze.

Now I just have to get used to seeing Aria slinging herself through the maze using massive tentacles that used to be her hair. Because that is not a sight I’m used to.

Black and the other commentator whose name I have no idea what is begin commentating over the competition, getting into detail about who is doing what, where, and why. Meanwhile the others in the booth with me start talking amongst themselves as well, no longer keeping silent.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

But I tune everything out as I focus on Aria.

Right now Aria is around level ninety-six. Close to reaching Class II, but still in Class I.

Unlike with me and other Guardians, child Guardians like her can’t always go out to fight in Fractures. They’re too weak after all. And after the demon war ended, there really isn’t much opportunity for that anymore.

Some people have resorted to going to Tartarus to level though. Fighting in the wilds of Tartarus, which are still rather rough, since Gramps didn’t really change all that many laws on Tartarus.

After all, the place is entirely built on survival of the fittest. They can’t just go changing their entire society.

All they did do was make the cities and other civilizations set up around the planet a lot safer and make a bunch of things illegal while inside of the cities. Not to mention giving the Noble demons the rights to make more laws in their regions, such as making killing illegal in their territory.

Which not many Noble demons actually did.

Some did though, which is something.

And some humans also set up a small little nation within Tartarus that Gramps gave them dominion over. Of course, Gramps still has the final say, but he hasn’t interfered with anything they’ve done yet. So they’ve been living nicely over there.

But kids can’t exactly go to Tartarus to fight. Which has left these children all unable to level up any more.

Especially since the Corrupted Fractures don’t level up Guardians at all. Seeing as void creatures have no life force.

So only I can grow stronger from them. And that’s through devouring them with the Red Plague.

Kind of ironic, if I’m being honest. Titania’s actions of starting the universe’s instinctive reaction to make the Fractures really was the only way for humanity and demonkind to survive.

The only way for us to grow stronger.

So no matter how much a lot of people hate on Titania nowadays, everyone still admits that much at least.

Aria begins tearing apart demons within the maze once she reaches them, using both water magic and tentacles to do so. In various ways.

It’s hard to believe sometimes that her magic has a rather large focus on healing as well when I see her fighting like this…

Can’t really imagine a healer going around like that.

Now then.

I look around the maze, trying to find the other person of interest within this particular competition.

Where are you…

My eyes narrow as I search for a few moments until locking directly onto the other person to keep an eye on for this competition. For this year.

The child is a young girl wearing a regular black jacket over a white shirt with black pants and her long black hair tied up in a ponytail.

The daughter of another rather special Guardian, similar to my grandfather on Amelia’s side of the family. Except this one is in the System.

She’s both. The mother of this child, I mean.

She supposedly knew how to do magic before entering the System and then entered the System by contracting. So she can bypass some of the System restrictions that way.

And in addition to all of that, she has a special magic called Nirvana. Which is a mixture of life and death magic.

A magic that her daughter inherited. Along with a few etched skills.

But unlike her mother, who almost never participates in Fractures or any affairs unrelated to her direct family, the child is a very different story. She fights regularly in the Corrupted Fractures despite gaining nothing from them.

She’s also at around the same level as Aria and may actually be able to give her a run for her money.

Although I doubt she’ll be able to beat Aria.

It will be interesting to watch, nonetheless.