Venue Selection, First Duel!

"Esteemed guests, passionate fighters, bloodthirsty spectators..."

"W-w-w-welcome to the Ground of No Return!"

After nearly all the reserved seats in the Audience Seats had been filled, the powerful battle anthem and passionate speech rang out from the center of the venue.

Under everyone's watchful gaze, the floor tiles at the very center of the Arena opened up. A metallic platform slowly rose, with a humanoid figure engulfed in flames standing atop it.

He held a microphone in his hand, while eight enormous speakers around the metallic platform thundered to life.

The flaming figure looked at the Players seated in the Audience Seats, his voice growing even more impassioned. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm the host, referee, and director of this match—and the most trusted aide and closest Divine Favor of the God of Fairness and Judgment!"

"You can call me Earl of Flames!"

As the host shouted, Grandmaster began applauding.

"Yeah!"

With Grandmaster taking the lead, the entire "Order" burst into thunderous applause. Even the spectators throughout the Audience Seats, including several members of the organizations seated opposite "Order," began clapping.

The applause seemed to please the host, Earl of Flames, immensely. He threw his arms wide and slowly turned around atop the metallic platform, savoring the applause coming from every direction.

Then he cleared his throat.

"Ahem. Now, let's see which 'Arena themes' will be drawn for today's Duel! Each 'Arena theme' corresponds to different Duel Rules. At the request of both sides, today's themes and their accompanying Rules will all be closely related to 'combat'!"

"Once the selection is complete, I'll introduce the specific Rules for each Arena theme!"

Earl shouted, and then bubbles filled with shifting illusions floated out from beneath the metallic platform.

A total of five bubbles floated out, each containing the illusion of