Born in Blood

As the monstrous sword came into view, Liam ran a hand along its edge. It didn't cut him. In fact, it was duller than rock.

However, Liam realized why the weapon was allowed in the first place.

It was the size.

And its function.

Lowering the sword's tip to the floor, Liam let go of the handle, causing the Breaker to merge into the ground like liquid.

Controlling it via his shadows, Liam made it swim like a shark around the boundaries of his Position.

This was why he could take it out.

It could be used as a defense!

Of course, Liam could just use Transfiguration to become a creature consisting of nothing but hands.

But that would involve showing off too much than he was comfortable with. 

Using a bit here and there was fine. 

It was impossible for the powerhouses to win this if they withheld their strength, let alone him.

But being conservative was wise.

Liam looked around.

Alucard was still the same.

Most of his powers came from his body and blood.

Kuan looked the same, along with the Adjudicator and Spirit of Nature.

On the other hand, Eyes of Knowledge took out a small coin-shaped item that had twelve little circular engravings on it.

It looked like any other coin.

That's all he brought out.

In fact, he was the only person to take something out, other than Liam.

Just then, the Dragonmancer removed one of the trinkets from his clothes. 

Then, he crushed it in his hand!

WRSH!

Crimson hot flames surged behind the Dragonmancer's back, roaring as it blossomed like a flower.

Slowly, the burning silhouette of a pair of wings emerged from the blaze's sides.

A long, curved beak followed from its front.

Along with long, fiery claws.

It was a phoenix!

Burning fiercely, it hovered just behind the Dragonmancer's back. 

The lower half of its body was connected to the man's torso, like it was emerging from him!

It was twice the size of an adult human.

Silence ensued.

"That's… allowed?" Kuan muttered under his breath, arching his brow. "How?"

The Dragonmancer grinned, displaying his sharp teeth. "Do you feel its heat?" he asked.

…Despite burning fiercely, there was no warmth radiating from the phoenix's form!

But that didn't make it any less strong.

In fact, this was borderline cheating!

But no one complained.

They all had a few cheat codes they could use.

Liam took out the gauntlets he had reaped from the Dual Empire. 

They were also allowed. 

The Sage's white eyes crackled with lightning. 

'Ah,' Liam thought. 'So he's a Dual Elementalist.'

"The Formations dictate whether or not something is fair," the Mayor cut in firmly. "Please trust its reliability."

Liam sighed, but didn't complain.

"Why are you called Dragonmancer if you use a phoenix?" Spirit of Nature laughed. "That defeats the purpose of your name."

"It's a translated moniker that I didn't even authorize," the Dragonmancer said with a deep frown behind the blindfold. "My real name is Urzek."

"Enough talk," Queen Thyress said with subtle annoyance in her voice. "Don't waste my time."

"Hahaha!" the General laughed sonorously. "A little girl roleplaying as monarchy will never not be funny."

"I'll have you hung, rat-lip," the Queen said calmly, not even looking back. "You and the little Legion."

The General had thin lips, hence the insult.

"Oh, please," the Shadow Weaver responded with a sharp glare. "As if your pathetic family is worth the dust on our shoes."

The Queen gracefully chuckled to herself.

"Remember, Vanessa," Queen Thyress said with a calm, almost happy smile, still not looking back. "It was I who butchered your sisters."

Silence.

Woah…

That was… that was too harsh and heavy to drop at once!

'The Queen butchered the Shadow Weaver's sisters…' Liam thought pensively. 'Is that why she's with the General now?'

'Or was she with the Queen, then joined the General?'

'Or did her sisters get executed because she had defected to the General?' 

Too many questions ran through his mind.

In an instant, the air turned heavier than stone. 

Shadow Weaver remained silent.

But the distant look in her eyes suggested that she was imagining the Queen being killed repeatedly and in the most gruesome of ways.

Sweat formed on the Mayor's concerned face. 

"Please," the Sage said placatingly. "Don't fight one another, we're a tea—"

"Be quiet, Milkie," the General responded with an acrid insult. "Let us watch." 

Naomi leaned towards Liam's Position a little and whispered past his ear.

"I think I lit the fuse to all this."

"You did?" Liam asked, surprised.

Spirit of Nature raised a brow. "You don't think I… oh. You're playing with me, aren't you?"

Liam said nothing.

The Adjudicator said nothing either, watching with bored eyes.

Eyes of Knowledge suppressed his giggles.

Rin remained silent as her team slowly degenerated deeper into their insults. 

She gave Liam a glance, who responded with a smug grin.

Despite his attempts to hide it, a tinge of enjoyment appeared on Alucard's face.

"Can we start already?" Hand of Light said loudly with a frown. "This is getting out of hand. If the world knew what we were really like, they'd never believe it."

DING! DING! DING! DING!

Just then, a loud pinging sound resounded above the court, similar to the sound of a pinball machine's chime. 

Above air, the volleyball was rapidly being bounced between the two sides of the court. 

And slowly, its speed was lessened the more it bounced. 

"Get ready!" Eyes of Knowledge shouted, a little excited. "It's starting!"

The ball was going to fall on either side, which would mark the game's beginning!

To distance himself from all the drama, the Mayor had already started it!

The ball continued slowing. 

The tension mounted. 

Liam crouched lightly.

Everyone's focus was on the ball. 

DING! DING! DING! DING!

Left, right, left, right, left… right.

Time slowed.

And slowly…

…it settled on the Queen's team, falling gently towards her.

The Bloodsuckers versus the Rag-tag Royalists…

Begin!