Tuxedos and gowns filled the seats of every table in the luxurious waterfront ballroom. The Vytal Tournament's opening ceremony, the live-streamed gala complete with interviews, speeches, and all sorts of formalities, was about to start. Golden pillars supported an ornate marble roof of white and gold several stories above. Two layers of horseshoe-shaped grand balconies extruded from above the main door to the hall, opposing a velvet curtain that hid the stage. A red carpet ran between the stage and the doors to split the sea of guests and cameras in two.
The event was exceedingly lavish, even for Lazula's tastes.
The voices of all the tournament's participants coalesced into a low rumble in the preparatory room. The front doors opened, and for a second Lazula froze. The eyes of thousands of spectators she was used to. She thrived in their gaze, even. But she hadn't quite prepared for keeping up a public image as cameras and reporters closed in on her like a pack of Beowolves. Luckily, it was just Midas returning from a speech at the stage. He waved, and walked over.
"How'd your speech go? I got here late, just now managed to change," Lazula greeted. Like all other members of the top teams, she wore her combat attire instead of formal wear.
"Not bad. They called me 'Sentinel's Heartthrob' this year, though."
Lazula chuckled. "Sentinel's Heartthrob?" she repeated.
"You definitely got the cooler nickname," Midas acknowledged. "They called me the 'Golden Boy' last year. I would have preferred that, even." He shrugged. "I'm not quite sure why they're still making such a big deal out of me. It's no secret you're the stronger one."
"You're more marketable," Lazula stated. "You actually like these kinds of events."
"We're backstage, just minutes before the Opening Ceremony to the 60th Vytal Tournament!" Lazula heard from behind her. She grit her teeth as she felt a hand on her shoulder. "We're here with The Indomitable Girl herself, Lazula Skye, for an exclusive interview!"
"Who let you in the prep room?"
The reporter ignored her question, and a bulky camera shoved Snow from beside her. A microphone dangled just inches from her face. "Are the rumors true, that you and Midas are the Academy League's newest power couple?!"
"We're the what?" Lazula recoiled. "No! Absolutely not!"
"We've heard word of the two of you spending quite a bit of time training together!" the reporter continued to prod. Had Lazula not been thoroughly irritated, she would have admired the woman's bravery.
"We spar. That's all."
"Hold on, Viola," the microphone-holder interrupted. He adjusted his headphones. "We're not picking anything up from your mic."
The cameraman heaved the equipment off his shoulder, and started adjusting a dial on the side with a look of confusion on his face. "Yeah. The camera cut out too."
"Oh- okay," Viola, the reporter, stumbled. She raised her Holoband up to her chin. "Looks like we're having some technical difficulties. We'll get back to you all as soon as we can!"
"Lucky break..." Lazula muttered as the news crew wandered off.
Sitting at the wall a few feet away and striking the keys of his laptop, Ichigo flashed a thumbs up.
"
...Without further ado, we now kick off the Opening Ceremony of the 60th annual Vytal Tournament!" the once-muffled voice from the main hall announced with sudden clarity. The doors had opened.
"Team LSLI?" a suited man addressed. "Please, line up next to the door."
Lazula sighed, waving Ichigo toward the rest of her team. "Alright. Let's get this over with."
Her team was ushered to the wall, next to a handful of others in their combat attire. Midas's team, as well as the four who took second place the year before, stood before the door. She didn't recognize the team behind her, apparently led by the young man in black, with countless thin silver belts crossing his body. His hair matched the color of his outfit. It was styled up and pulled back to a point, with a lock of hair draping down over his forehead.
"Lazula Skye..." he assessed. His steely eyes didn't match his forming smirk.
Lazula's eyes narrowed. "Who are you?" she returned.
"You'll find out soon enough."
"The moment you've all been waiting for, the walking in of top participants!" the announcer declared. The room burst into cheer, and Team MDLN was ushered onto the red carpet. "Now give a warm welcome to last year's winners, Midas Baine and Team MDLN, of Sentinel!"
Lazula couldn't see into the main hall, but judging by the noise, the crowd had gone feral.
The next four approached the hall. The towering team leader's long mane of silver hair contrasted with his skin and all-black outfit. Lazula knew he was Kiran Ardanne, from Haven. Instead of mastering a single weapon, his semblance allowed him full manipulation of hard-light, and he crafted them on the fly. Following him was a lanky boy in blue and white, a pair of bat ears jutting out of his unruly spikes of sky blue hair. His eyes were milky white, and he looked to no one in particular as he neared the stage. 'The Blind Sniper,' Lazula recognized. The tournament last year made a big deal out of him. She also recalled the next girl, who looked far too short and petite to wield the massive flaming hammer she called her weapon. Last, a tall and lean woman in cream colored robes, tightened around her waist by a belt of fabric. It and her short cloak matched her dark brown hair cropped short and neat, bangs sweeping down the side of her narrow face.
"Next up, last year's runners-up are back for revenge! Give it up for Kiran Ardanne and Team KRAT!"
Another wave of cheer, and Lazula approached the door.
"Next up, the rookies to watch!" the announcer continued. "The near-unstoppable team from Sentinel, led by The Indomitable Girl herself! Lazula Skye and Team LSLI!"
"Unstoppable," Lazula reflected. As much as the wall of flashing lights on either side aggravated her, she didn't mind the introduction. Plus, Lazula couldn't help but notice the cheer was loudest for her and her team. She felt a smile bubbling up under the surface.
As she took her place next to last year's top two, she watched as the last team paraded down the carpet.
"And finally, the dark-horse team making waves in Atlas! Welcome in Sterling Platton, and Team STLG!" First was the boy in black. Sterling, apparently. Behind him, a tall and haughty looking young woman with bushy green hair, wearing a grey tweed jacket and a newsboy cap tilted down over her gaze of disapproval. A young man with a dignified look and a well kept goatee followed, snow leopard tail and brown ponytail trailing behind his silk robes of maroon and black. The outfits of the first three were drowned out by the vibrance of the last woman's gown. She followed in a patterned green, red and gold gomesi, drawing a horde of cameras to her side as she strode to the stage.
Next, after Lazula had to stand on the stage against a wall of cameras, were interviews. The host and her accompanying cameraman started with the woman in the vivid gown opposite Sterling, working their way up the team. When Sterling's turn came, screens around the hall flickered on to show his highlights from past tournaments. Lazula had to admit he was quick- quick enough she couldn't quite tell what his weapons were. It looked as if he fought with a dozen straight blades, whipping around his body like a honed liquid in an onslaught few could keep up with.
"Sterling. This will be your first appearance in the Vytal Tournament. What would you say you're looking forward to most?" the host asked. The microphone prompted his answer.
"Well, I'd personally like to knock the Indomitable Girl down a peg. An undefeated contender gets stale after a while, wouldn't you agree?"
"Ooooh!" the host replied, joining the crowd in their excitement. "Lazula has had incredible showings in her last several tournaments, and many consider her to be the strongest in the Academy League. Do you think you have what it takes to beat her?"
Sterling nodded. "She may be the strongest huntress, but I think I've still got her beat."
Laurel leaned in. "Who is that guy?" she murmured.
"Apparently he's won a few smaller tournaments up in Atlas, and naturally his sights are set on me," Lazula sneered. "He isn't the first, and probably won't be the last."
"So you've said you have your sights set on Lazula, whose dominating performance in previous tournaments is largely due to the strength of her semblance," the host continued. "Does lacking a semblance make you feel uneasy about facing her? Most would agree you're at a disadvantage."
"I'm not worried. Without a semblance, my victories are the result of pure skill." His accompanying shrug and self-approving smirk made Lazula's blood boil.
"Well there you have it, everyone! Give it up for Team STLG!"
"All this cheer will be for me soon enough," Lazula anticipated.
"And now moving onto Team LSLI. Let's start with you!"
Ichigo froze up at the microphone, then smiled sheepishly. "I'm just here to fill up the fourth spot. It's them you should be interviewing," he said.
"Well, I'm sure you're all excited to be on the premier Academy League stage!" the host turned the microphone to Laurel. "What are you most excited for?"
"My concert! My band Pit Viper will be playing on the second night of team matches, 7pm in Lot B!" Laurel proudly announced, her golden viper eyes flashing with excitement.
"Oh! And what kind of sound can we expect from you?"
"Our sound is unique but the best way I can describe it is a hybrid between old-school punk rock and thrash metal. Pretty hardcore stuff! Admission is free so anyone can come!"
"And how do you balance training for the Vytal Tournament and your concert?" the host prodded.
"Honestly, I just sink as much time as I can into each, and whatever's left is for school," Laurel replied. She laughed. "I don't have much free time!"
"Well, I certainly admire your drive!" the microphone moved onto Snow. "As Lazula's partner, you probably see a whole different side of her than the rest of us. What kind of person is she, behind the scenes?"
"She's my friend."
"...I see," the host said, after waiting a few seconds for elaboration. "Well, what kind of friend is she?"
"She's a good friend."
"Got it. This is going to be your team's first tournament, what kind of emotions are you feeling right now?"
Snow paused. "...Lazula wants to win, so I want to help her."
"Well, your team is one of the top contenders!" the host supported. "Are you excited for the tournament?"
"Excited..." Snow reflected. "I suppose."
"Onto the 'Indomitable Girl' herself! You've gone 12-0 in Junior League tournaments, and you've never once lost a sanctioned match. Quite a few people are watching your transition into the Academy League closely, but some don't think you're ready for the increase in skill level between leagues. What do you have to say to them?"
"Those people haven't been watching me very closely then. I don't intend to lose," Lazula answered sternly. The crowd had gone silent entirely, apart from some excited outbursts of hoots and cheers. "I'm going to keep up my undefeated streak through all four years at Sentinel Academy."
The crowd's silence vanished with an excited rumble. "That's a lofty promise!" the host replied. "Sterling Platton had something to say about you earlier. Do you have any words for him?"
"I'd rather settle things in a match," Lazula said. "He's talked himself up a lot, I just hope for his sake he has the skills to back up what he said."
The excited rumble crescendoed into applause and cheer, and Lazula smirked into the camera. For how much disdain she held for the media, she knew exactly how to work up an audience.
The event dragged on longer than Lazula cared to stay. After some speeches, an out-of-place musical performance, and an intermission, the one event Lazula looked forward to began- the announcement of first-round matches. A screen displayed in front of the stage, four blank spots near the top, and four blank spots near the bottom. The faces of various challengers appeared on both sides, accompanied by the eager chatter of those the screen showed.
Finally, Lazula saw her own team.
Below her face were the chiseled features of Kiran Ardanne, along with the rest of Team KRAT. She smirked. For her big debut in the Academy League, she would be against the team that nearly took it all the year before.
Note: KRAT is pronounced Karat, and STLG is, unsurprisingly, pronounced as Sterling.