The battle between the few of them began almost as if it had been prepared long ago.
He was somewhat speechless as he watched the scene. Battles in situations like this were far too common; there was no chance of seeing the kind of fights that happened elsewhere. At most, one could only spot battles between people of different levels.
"Don't think this will make me give up. Impossible."
The warrior who had originally been somewhat reluctant to fight no longer held such thoughts. All he wanted now was to fight.
Because he knew that only battle could solve the problem. Only battle could allow him to hold on to his current position. If he chose to give up his spot, that would only mean retreating.
How could a powerful warrior choose to retreat? That was absolutely impossible. It had been unacceptable in the past, and it was even more unacceptable now. He wanted to step onto the arena and seize the rank he needed.
"Whoosh."
A burst of powerful energy erupted, and the surrounding contestants immediately left their original positions, finding safer places nearby to watch the show.
They knew this was perfectly normal. Before the tournament even began, there would be a contest like this—a rather obvious way to distinguish the strong from the weak.
Though this would leave many people unwilling to accept it, was it truly fair once they stepped onto the arena? Of course not.
There had never been true fairness in martial contests. If you had the strength, first place on the arena belonged to you. If you did not, someone else would replace you. This was an eternal rule, something passed down through every person.
Basically, everyone understood the issue and knew to maintain this arrangement without casually disrupting its key balance.
Because