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[Chapter 8]
After purchasing some snacks, Neptune and Angel had followed me to the Hades Building and up to the BSA room, which had been converted to a party room.
It was now filled with multiple long tables, a taller table where the district leaders, various staff along with Victor sat at and the tables were in a circular formation, surrounding a large golden goblet filled with water, a knife resting beside it.
All the tables were also filled with spreads of many varieties of foods, a plate, and silverware, in front of each chair.
"Oh, hey! Neptune, Sigi, Angel!" Hearing a voice from a table, we found Uzume sitting with Plutia, Vert, and Blanc. The three of us rushed to join them.
While Angel and Neptune began making conversation with the others, I took the time to examine the other tables.
Yami had his own table to himself. Shiri was at her own table, surrounded by many girls and guys who were pestering her.
Though many were here, Brindle, Noire, and Luna still weren't here yet.
"Sigi, what's up?" As if on cue, Luna suddenly appeared, taking a seat at our table. "Where are you looking at?"
I shrugged. "Actually, I was looking for you."
"Oh, sorry," Luna offered a smile.
I shrugged. "You're fine."
"Hey," Brindle found her way to our table, accompanied by Noire. They both took their seats. "What'd we miss?"
"Not much," I said. "We just got here, too."
"So, how were your dorms?" Luna asked us.
"They were the same as last year," Neptune said with a sigh. "The beds were the same..."
"I had such a comfy bed..." Plutia dragged out.
"It was really quiet and comfy," Blanc added.
"Our beds allowed us to adjust to our own personal settings," Vert said. "It was quite wonderful."
I looked over at my little sister. "Luna, what about you? How was being in the same room as Shiri?"
Luna shrugged. "She didn't really talk much. She was pretty quiet and kept to herself. The only person I saw her talking with was Jumon."
"Oh yeah!" Neptune turned to me. "Sigi, let's go introduce ourselves to her before the event starts!"
"Why do you care so much about this?" I asked. "Maybe she doesn't feel like talking with us."
"But what if we manage to get her to join our team before we enter the Hades Tournament?" Neptune questioned. "That would be a game changer! We'll have someone who is strong enough to beat the first Ruler!"
I let out a sigh. "Alright, fine. Let's go..."
We rose from our seats and made our way to Shiri's table. As she noticed us, the people around her became quiet and stared up at us.
Shiri stared up at us. "What do you two need?"
"Can we speak with you?" I started. "Just the three of us?"
Shiri smiled. "Sure."
She followed us away from the tables; we ended up in a corner of the room. Shiri faced us. "So what do you two need?"
"Well, we actually wanted to just introduce ourselves first!" Neptune said. "I'm Neptune!"
Shiri kept her smile. "It's good to meet you. What about you?"
As she addressed me, I returned with a nod. "I'm Sigi. Good to meet you."
"Good to meet the both of you," Shiri continued to smile. "If you didn't know yet, my name is Shiri. Anyways, is that all you two needed from me, or is there something else?"
Neptune shook her head. "We got some other things we need, too."
Shiri stared at us blankly. "As in?"
I started, "First, we want to know if you want to sit with us. Y'know, instead of being crowded by all of those people."
Shiri let out a heavy sigh. "Please. They've been bugging me ever since I sat down at a table."
Without realizing, a smile had found its way to my face. Even if she is the Second Ruler's daughter, she's also still a person at heart. Just like the rest of us.
"Cool!" Neptune and Shiri exchanged high fives. "But we still have a request for you? Do you mind, gal pal?"
Shiri shrugged. "I'm all ears."
"Well, you're entering the Hades Tournament, right?" Neptune asked.
Shiri nodded. "Yup."
"Do you want to join our group?" I asked.
At this, Shiri's eyes widened. "You two are going to be in a group?"
"Yepperoni!" Neptune shrugged. "I don't really have a goal for winning the tournament, only Sigi. But if you have a goal, you two can decide it if we end up winning."
"…" Shiri paused for a moment, thinking. She then formed another smile. "Sure, I'm up for it."
"Nep yeah!" Neptune exchanged high fives with me before doing the same with Shiri. "Awesome! Now we got our team of three! Right before the entries started too!"
"I'll be relying on you two, got it?" Shiri stared at us with a serious expression.
Neptune and I nodded in unison. "You got it!"
"Good," Shiri let out a laugh. "Now, can we go to your table and talk? I'm sick of those people bothering me with their dumb questions..."
"Sure."
With those last words, we led Shiri back to our table, many gazes fixated on us.
We arrived back at our table, all of them were staring at us. Though, most of them were staring at Shiri.
"Sigi," Noire looked over at us, "why is Shiri here?"
"Because she's with us now!" Neptune answered for me. "It's cause we're that awesome!"
I looked over at Noire. "Basically what she said, except it's actually not because we're awesome. It's because she's going to be in our group when we attend the Hades Tournament."
"Wait, you mean the three of you are going to be in a group together?" Brindle asked.
"Yeah, all three of us," Shiri confirmed.
Angel shook his head. "That's so not fair. Shiri, Neptune, and Sigi on one team is like trying to beat the First Ruler, except your whole body is crippled."
"But aren't you at least going to enter?" I asked him. "You said you were going to enter the tournament."
"I will," Angel let out a groan. "It's just that I'll probably have to get a partner to even be able to stand a chance against you three..."
"I think you'll do fine," I said. "Considering you managed to live after that bullet storm, I think you'll do fine."
"Hey, cheer up!" Neptune said. "Maybe the author will make it to where you win the Hades Tournament and you get what you want!"
"Don't forget about us," Noire piped up. "We're in this tournament too!"
"If you keep talking like that, you'll let your guard down and I'll kick your ass," Blanc said.
"It's no guarantee that you'll win, anyways," Vert said. "With so many people attending each time, it'll still actually be extremely hard for you to win."
"Yeah! But Uzume is gonna do her best and win!" She showed her best serious face, though it just came out as a cute one.
"I'm gooing to enter too..." Plutia added.
"We'll just have to see who ends up winning," I formed a grin. "But I call first dibs on beating on Victor's smug face if we end up winning! I've been waiting for that for so long!"
"Sorry, but I get first dibs," Shiri said.
"Look, we'll decide when we get to that point," Brindle let out a sigh. "Let's just enjoy the ceremony."
"Alright..." We let out sighs as the anthem for the Rouge played. Everyone became silent and turned to face Victor, who was now standing beside the goblet.
As the anthem ended, Victor smiled. "Students of the Hades Academy, welcome! To all of you that are new, I wish the best of luck to you all and hope you can make your dreams become realities here!
"If any of you are going to be entering into the Hades Tournament this year, please rise from your seats and step towards the goblet!"
Many of us rose from our seats and did as instructed.
I looked around. Several hundred students from each of the districts would be attending, even the district leaders.
Victor took the moment to examine all of the students who would be attending. "Now, when I call your name, step forward and take the knife. With the knife, draw a bit of your blood and let it seep into the goblet. Once your blood has spread through the water, that will be the moment when you pledge yourself to entering the tournament. Once you're in, you can't come out. Do I make myself clear?"
He stared at all of us. Nobody shifted from their positions. "Alright. So be it... Let's begin."
"Sigi Aurum!"
Hearing my name first, I smiled and stepped up to the goblet. Victor offered me the knife. "Take your time if you need it..."
"I don't need to take my time..." I swiped the knife from his hand and stepped up to the goblet.
"…" The whole room fell quiet as I held the blade at my finger. Biting my lip, I pressed the blade into my skin. The searing pain filled my finger for a second before the blood began trickling out.
As a trickle of blood made its way to the tip of my finger, I hovered it over the goblet's clear water.
The blood then dripped down and splashed into the water, rippling it and slowly turning its clearness to red.
"Sigi is now a contestant of the Hades Tournament! May the odds be ever in your favor!" Victor announced.
The room exploded into cheers as I stepped back, wiping the blood from my finger.
The rest of the participants repeated the same process that I did. Eventually, the last contestant let their blood trickle to the water and all of the entries had been recorded.
After another round of cheers, Victor quickly silenced them before beginning to speak. "Now, in honor of the participants, we'll celebrate with the spread of a feast laid out before you all! Please enjoy yourselves!"
"Welcome to all of the newcomers and congratulations to all of the Hades Tournament participants!"
