Dean...
There was only another week before the start of the tournament when he showed up with a piece of paper and waved for Marcus to walk over to him.
"What's going on?" he asked him.
"Oh this? Its a list of the names of all the champions that will be participating in the Contest of Champions, but I'll announce that in a little bit. Right now, I need to talk to you about something," he said as he walked over to a corner in the room and Marcus followed.
"Alright, what do you want to talk about?" Marcus asked.
"Your behavior the other day, regarding the Hero Moyako. The level of disrespect you showed her as well as your blatant disregard for authority towards me. If you don't get your act together-" he said but he was cut off mid sentence as he felt the edge of a sword rest upon his throat.
How the hell did he...he thought to himself before a new intake of information filled his mind. He was able to sense the positions of the people all around him just based off of how their bodies affected the flow of spiritual energy in the air all around them. For a split second, he could tell where everyone was in perfect detail, but then in the next second he lost track of everyone until their new locations in the hall reached his senses. It was as if Marcus had shut off Dean's sense of perception of time and senses for a moment. Long enough to take away his sword and place the edge of it on his throat.
Marcus had done the exact same thing to Moyako when he took her sword from her and claimed that it was his. In her case however, she was able to counteract it when it was done to her a second time. Dean however, he couldn't even comprehend when it had happened or what the cause of it was. Not only that but his own well of spiritual energy was absolutely dwarfed by Marcus's own gargantuan soul. Even if he found a method to counteract whatever Marcus was doing to him, his own power wouldn't be strong enough to resist it.
Staring down at Marcus with the edge of his own sword resting against his throat, he swallowed nervously and said, "Don't go getting any ideas..."
In a low and threatening voice, Marcus replied, "Ideas of what? Of you drawing your sword, preparing to use it against Selene and kill her if she became too dangerous and powerful for you to handle? Why the hell should I respect your so called 'authority' if you're prepared to kill your own vice-captain."
Dean's heartbeat started pounding in his head from fear.
"S-So...you saw that huh...," he said.
"I saw everything. I saw that you were perfectly willing to cut her down in that very moment if you thought she was dangerous. Be warned though, that armor is more powerful than anything you are capable of doing to it. Good luck trying to kill her now that she has that on," he said.
Marcus then leaned his head back, looking down his nose as if to look down on Dean himself before lightly flicking the edge of Dean's sword against his throat. The sharp edge cut a small slit in which a light amount of blood started to leak from. Dean didn't dare react to it in any way for fear that he might be killed on the spot.
"'Don't go getting any ideas', yeah?" Marcus said to him in a mocking tone before sheathing Dean's sword and giving it back to him.
"I shouldn't have to explain to you what will happen if you try to use Thalia as some kind of leverage against me. You understand, right?" he said with deep and menacing tone that left Dean unable to muster a response.
Marcus felt like a feral animal to him. One wrong move, even a whisper, and he would pounce and tear him to shreds. His expression then twisted in disgust at Dean's cowardice before he turned around and begun to make his way back to the bar counter.
His had left his back exposed and he was completely vulnerable...He could kill Marcus right here and now...
Dean's hand twitched as he wanted to draw his sword and take him down. He figured this would be the best moment to kill him, when he was confident that his fear tactics were working. However...his instincts screamed at him to run away and avoid a fight with him at all costs. He would surely die if he tried to fight that man. His hand clenched into a fist as he realized he didn't have the nerve to follow through with it. There was no hope for him in a direct conflict with Marcus for it would be suicidal.
For the moment, he will have to keep a close eye on him.
He shouted for attention and the rest of the members in the hall gathered to hear him announce the names for the contest.
"Alright, so this year there's a pretty large number of contestants, sixty four of them in total. Which means that this event will last for almost two months before it ends."
As Dean was about to continue, Selene pointed at his throat and asked, "What happened to you?"
Before he could even answer, Marcus looked at him with his piercing eyes as he said, "Probably just a shaving nick, am I right?"
Nervously, Dean replied, "Y-yeah. Just a shaving nick. Anyways. Not only do we have all the names of the contestants but we have a schedule set up for all the fights too. The first thirty two fights will happen in four rounds of eight fights a day with a day in between them. The next sixteen fights after that will happen in two rounds over the course of two days with three days in between them for rest. The eight fights after that will also happen in two rounds with four fights taking place in each day and three days of rest. The quarter finals, semifinals, and final fights will happen in the last stretch, with two days of rest in between each fight."
Thalia scrunched her face up as she tried to think about it but got confused.
"Wait a minute, you said that the contest would last for two months but from what you described, that's only one month's worth of time, isn't it?"
Everyone in the hall looked at her like she had said something alien, and even Dean wasn't sure what she meant by that.
Marcus seemed to understand her confusion though as he answered, "Erebus's calendar year has twenty four months, with fifteen days in each month and five extra days at the start of the year compared to our twelve month year with its varying days. Those five days serve as a sort of 'New Years' period for them."
Thalia's expression changed as she seemed to understand it when he explained it.
"Alright, now listen up everyone. I'm going to announce the names of the sixty four champions of the tournament," he said and everyone focused their attention on him.
He held out the list in front of him and said, "Okay, for the first round of the tournament, the Immortal Hero, Moyako, formerly known as the leader of the Nøkkran assassins, will be facing off against Orsted, the Champion of the Ordovian sect."
Thalia then raised her hand to ask a question as if she were in a school question.
"Yes Thalia?" Dean said, accepting her question.
"What are the Nøkkran Assassins and what is the Ordovian sect?" she asked and Marcus turned to look at him as if wondering the same.
"Uh...well, the Nøkkran Assassins were a group of all female warriors that Moyako founded, but they disbanded about seventy years ago. If the stories about them are true, the Nøkkran Assassins had the power to manipulate fate. Whether it was manipulating their own fate to win a seemingly unwinnable battle or to kill those who were originally fated to live for something greater. Each one of them was powerful enough to storm a castle and wipe out an army by themselves. As for the Ordovian sect, they are a religious, almost cult-like group, dedicated to preserving the magics and teachings of the fallen god Ordovis. I think their fight will be pretty interesting to say the least," he said as he continued reading, "Anyways. Onto the next one. Terrance North..., a veteran soldier during the Mordrinite war against Ranni of the Mist Blade, also formerly of the Nøkkran Assassins."
He then listed off two more veteran soldiers and a sorcerer from the southern union of kingdoms before he mentioned the name 'Nashandra' and noticed that Marcus had frozen up.
"What? You recognize that name?" he asked, to which everyone in the brotherhood hall turned to look at Marcus as if wondering the same.
"I do. In Dagon's temple, there are inscriptions written on the walls which are still yet to be translated by the people of this world but...I can read it," he said and Dean called bullshit but Marcus shook his head, "No, I mean it. Its written in my native language, Ancient Greek of my world."
Thalia gave him a weird look as she asked, "You can speak Ancient Greek?"
He replied, "I tried teaching you multiple times like my mom did with me but it never stuck with you. Anyways, on the temple walls, it describes an encounter between Athena, the former queen of New Athens, and Dagon. She wrote about how she had brought a small group of warriors with her to face him while Dagon only brought two. One of those two was a woman named Nashandra. But she would have to be over ten thousand years old by now."
Selene then gave him a look, as if to call him stupid with her eyes, and said, "You do remember killing the Archdragon Malthael, right? The same dragon who was alive at the time and was made as their kingdom's flag insignia?"
"Good point."
Dean didn't like the sound of that. A ten thousand year old warrior woman from the days of the Amaskian War? She must be some kind of walking disaster...
He then continued down the list of champions until he came across the name, 'The Golden Dragon'...
Were nicknames really allowed...?
Whatever, it didn't matter to him.
Upon reaching the champion named Frosk, Marcus's eyes lit up and he smiled.
"Glad to see he's joining too. That should be interesting," he said.
"Someone else you know?" Selene asked.
"I met him in Forrosa. The armor you're wearing is based off another set of armor I had designed for him. I'm excited to see what he'll be able to do with it," he said and the other brotherhood members voiced their interest in it as well.
"Alright, moving on...," he said before listing off some names until he came across one that he personally knew, "Ah shit..."
"What? What's wrong?" Selene asked.
"Just someone I know...Camilla Lykos, former second in command of the Nøkkran Assassins...and also my elder sister," he said and as soon as the words left his mouth, everyone in the hall, Marcus included, seemed absolutely flabbergasted.
Selene however, looked confused as she asked, "Why does the name Lykos sound familiar...?"
"Don't worry about it," Dean said dismissively as he decided to move on.
The next few names were pretty unimportant until..., "Princess Hilda of Brunhildt? What the hell? Since when do they ever participate in these things?"
Even Selene looked puzzled as she asked, "I thought their queen hated the Duranell kingdom."
"She does...," Dean replied as he shook his head and decided to move on.
He listed off several more names, Raum being among them.
Good god...how many of these Nøkkran women are going to participate in this damn thing... he thought to himself.
"Artemis will also be participating in the tournament...but I'm sure most of you already heard about that so...moving on."
The name 'Heimdall' also showed up as one of the champions on the list and although Marcus tilted his head and showed a bit of interest, he didn't say anything.
Several more unremarkable names popped up until he came across the name of the Orc Prince 'Torrs'.
Alta, who had been dozing off for most of it, whistled in mild surprise when he heard the name.
"Three time tournament champion Torrs. That guy is something else...," he said in appreciation.
Confused, Dean asked, "I thought the dark elves hated the orcs because of the elf war or something."
Alta shrugged as he said, "Eh...I'm indifferent about it."
Seemingly losing interest, he was about to go back to napping when Dean then listed out the name 'Fayebel'.
For the first time in a very long time, Dean witnessed as Alta's ears folded back in shock and horror at the name. He stared at Dean for a moment before he said, "ah crap. I guess we both have to suffer the company of our annoying older sisters."
Dean gave him a nod of sympathy before he move on.
The next name that popped up, Gomori, didn't sound familiar to anyone.
"-and she will be fighting someone by the name 'Julian Romano'," Dean said, also not recognizing the name.
He was about to move onto the next one when he noticed that Thalia had gone completely pale.
"The hell is wrong with you?" he asked but she didn't respond. She looked absolutely terrified.
When Dean looked at Marcus, he too, froze up in shock.
He was absolutely livid.
Marcus squeezed a glass of water at his side so much that it shattered in his hand and for a brief moment, a pulse of red energy seemed to glow from his veins and from his eyes.
"Can you repeat that name for me?" he asked, the low undertone of his voice making Thalia step away from him. For some reason, she looked almost afraid of her own brother.
"Um...the name here says Julian Romano...Do you know this person?"
Marcus suddenly stood up from his chair, turned around to look at his little sister and said, "Thalia, we need to go. Now."
He then started to quickly make his way out of the brotherhood hall with Thalia following after him.
"What? Hey, wait!" Selene shouted at him in protest as she chased after him.
Everyone watched as the three of them left the brotherhood hall with no explanation why while Dean pondered something.
Just who was this 'Julian' person for Marcus to be so enraged at the mere mention of his name?