Scarlet

The rest of my tower defense goes along the lines of what I expected. I last all the way till I reach third place, beating out Leonidas in the process, at which point the competitors appear to grow so anxious that they start spending massive amounts of points just to bombard me with more void creatures. So many void creatures that they have to have been spending their own personal points as well.

Guess they just really didn’t want me getting first. Or even second.

So the seventh competition ends with Aria in first place, Purple in second, and me in third.

And I can’t help but notice the smug look on the Fae King’s face after we’re all teleported back to our towers.

Well someone’s rather immature for a king.

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that,” Tar comments, having returned again now that we’re done with that competition.

Good. You do that.

Anyways, did you have fun watching?

“That I did,” Tar answers, sounding slightly amused.

Our conversation is interrupted when the Fae King goes through his usual grand announcement of the competition winners. And this time I actually pay attention other than automatically waving at the audience. Simply because Aria won the competition this time.

After he finishes the announcement, he moves on to the next matter at hand.

The last competition of the day.

“Now, for the climax of the day!” King Oberon declares while flapping his wings and flying straight up towards the center of the stadium right as the description of the next competition appears. “We will be starting the Knockout Round!”

Knockout Round

Description: All of the competitors will be placed within one large arena and given five imaginary marks on their body for each of the ten rounds of the competition. These marks will act as targets for each competitor, and every competitor will be urged to shatter the marks of others. Every round will last for five minutes, and everyone who has not erased the mark of another within every minute of the five minutes will obtain a random corruption on their person at the end of each minute.

Rules: Anything goes. Those who have all five of their marks erased will be eliminated from the round, forcing them to wait until the next round to participate further.Stolen novel; please report.

Goal: Survive until the end of the Competition without getting all of your marks erased.

Rewards: All competitors will accrue points for every round of the competition they last through. Bonus points will also be awarded for every mark a competitor manages to save by the end of the competition.

“This competition will involve ten different rounds, each of which lasting for five minutes,” King Oberon declares with a grin on his draconic face. “Every competitor will receive five runic marks on their body every single round that they must defend from other competitors. And by the end of the competition, each competitor will receive five points for every mark they still have on their person!”

I narrow my eyes slightly while crossing my arms.

Hmm. Sounds interesting. And that bit about obtaining a random corruption…

A grin stretches across my face at that.

This’ll be fun.

“Of course, just to make sure everyone fights each other, every minute that you spend without shattering someone’s mark accrues you a new corruption,” the king continues, sounding just as excited as always. “And some of these corruptions,” he begins before glancing at me with a smirk on his face, “can kill in a single instant.”

Hey, Tar?

“Hmm?” Tar hums in response while landing on my shoulder, making me adjust my clothing there to make my Red Plague clothing move around him.

Do you think he may be forgetting about my immunity to corruption?

Tar doesn’t say anything for a few seconds before the smug look on the Fae King’s face suddenly crumbles.

Did you just tell him.

“No idea what you’re talking about,” Tar casually responds without looking at me.

Uh huh.

He flies off of my shoulder, letting my jacket and shirt reform over the part of my shoulder he was sitting on immediately, making it so that my shoulder doesn’t get exposed.

I look back up at the Fae King who looks like he’s trying not to sulk right now.

Hmm. Okay, yeah, I’m glad I was able to see his reaction.

If he found out when I was already in the competition then I wouldn’t be able to see it.

“Right!” Tar says immediately, sounding rather amused and joyful about this.

So you admit you told him.

He goes silent again.

I lightly chuckle at that as King Oberon continues talking about the competition, “Unlike the previous competitions, there is no ‘winning’ this competition. Only points awarded for having marks, with the corruption serving as a motivator for competitors to break others’ marks. Just in case some of them decided to laze around and do nothing during this competition.”

Why do I feel like that last part was directed at me?

Actually, why does it feel like the Fae King is purposefully targeting me with his bullying? This is just unfair.

“Scarlet…” Tar begins, only to sigh and mutter, “Never mind.”

What?

“It’s nothing,” he says from the void.

I frown for a second before shrugging. Then I look around the stadium again, only to find Allen with the little sphynx cat that I left him with before.

Such a cute cat.

Then I find myself teleported into some sort of dark forest.

And after searching for a few seconds around me for life sources, I let out a sigh and begin floating up into the air while creating a little lounge chair made out of Red Plague beneath me. All with a massive bubble spanning a couple dozen meters in diameter filled with Red Plague as I just relax.

No one should be able to bother me in a bubble this large. Not even Amelia or Leonidas.

Now then. Time for a nap.