Soon I will face a rival, and you might think this is just another hero fighting for a title or some foolish prize. To be honest, I would prefer that, but it is not the true reason I am participating. For you to understand, I must tell you about my life from the very beginning. Yet, by a twist of fate, I do not know when I was born; I simply awoke in the middle of a field a week ago. Since then, I have been testing myself in various situations to regain my memory. Sigh… I hope they give me an opponent with battle experience so I can fully understand myself. If I want to remember who I am, I need to push myself to the absolute limit.
Suddenly, the announcer's noise caught his attention. An important announcement began, echoing throughout the entire stadium:
"Attention! Today, dear friends, we will determine who will fight whom, and the first in our bracket… Oh yes, she is the great and unparalleled warrior from the Legion of Pride, Ankideness."
Screams from the stands and stomping feet
What mortal would dare to face her? It seems I already know who it is. For the first time in our tournament, we have a participant whose origins are completely unknown, yet he calls himself Eros. By his own admission, even this name is an alias chosen for the tournament. Let's welcome him!
Silence
"Excellent, a warrior from the Legion of Pride is exactly what I need!" He glanced to the left and noticed that very warrior watching him. "Why is she staring at me so strangely?" he wondered.
But our brave contender did not falter and began to smile back at her. It seemed to him that she was slightly flustered:
"What an interesting participant! He stares so persistently into my eyes. His appearance alone draws attention. He is as tall as a child from the zeroth dimension. Apeira! Does it not seem to you that he is too weak for someone who knows how to fight?"
"Your words betray a desire to learn everything about him." She began to scrutinize the unknown participant carefully.
"Find out everything about him, study every detail, but if your search reaches a dead end, use the amulet of the all-knowing demon Goeti," she said roughly, for his calmness and strange demeanor stirred doubt and unease within her. "It is troubling enough that he shows no fear of me, though I am a powerful warrior in my own right. Given his confidence, he should at least have some doubts, yet he remains completely composed," she mused silently.
"Your wish is my command. I will execute it flawlessly and utilize the knowledge of King Paimon," said Apeira, adjusting the bandage on her forehead.
They likely still hadn't realized that he himself didn't know who he was. However, the brave and valiant warrior had no intention of engaging in combat against someone she knew nothing about. For her, as a true warrior, it was obvious: an enemy who openly displays their abilities inspires less fear than one who lurks in the shadows, shrouded in obscurity and mystery.
"That which is hidden and unseen breeds the greatest unease, forcing one to contemplate that which cannot be predicted or its full power comprehended. May we have a good fight."
Meanwhile, Eros:
"What are they chirping about? Probably discussing how I'm not worth their time, or perhaps admiring how cute I am. Though, considering she's a warrior of pride, that sounds like an absurd joke. Okay, I shouldn't get distracted by these thoughts. I need to prepare for the fight and find a weapon. I'd better get going." He suddenly stopped: but where should he go? He began to ponder. "Right! Where can I get some armor? Let's think... Hmm, wait, of course! Why didn't I think of it immediately!" he exclaimed joyfully. Without wasting a second, he left the arena to prepare for the tournament. He needed to find armor and a weapon. He knew where to find what he was looking for, of course—the local shop where an old collector sold various types of weapons. He knew everything about different weapons and had been familiar with this stall since his first day here. Slowly heading towards the stall, he thought that maybe he'd get lucky and acquire a cool sword.
He started walking towards the stall, and the path turned out to be less complicated than he had assumed, though with his appearance, so different from everyone else's, it was hard to tell where he was from.
"Hmm… It's fine that I left the arena early, even though only an hour has passed. I hope I make it back in time for the ceremony. I have half the distance left and just one turn," he muttered to himself.
Meanwhile, back at the arena, as soon as he left:
"Your Grace, Ankideness!" exclaimed Apeira. "It seems your rival is heading swiftly for the exit, and through the main gate no less. Should I stop him?" Apeira was not a joker; she was known for her honor and readiness for action. She had already prepared one of her abilities—the summoning of hellcats—she only needed permission.
"Unnecessary, Apeira, lower your hand. We need to learn everything about him, not kill him! You seem to forget that this is the perfect moment to find out who he is. I will follow him, but that doesn't cancel your search via the amulet. Understood?" she said insistently.
"But what about the ceremony?!" exclaimed Apeira.
"I've thought about that and decided to leave one of my shadow clones behind. It will be indistinguishable from me. If you need to ask anything, you can address it. Whatever it knows, I will know, just remember, it also possesses its own 'self'."
After a prolonged period of observation, during which she diligently tried to learn everything about him, it became clear to her—as a true warrior, she excelled in stealth skills. However, she still didn't realize that all her efforts were in vain:
Perched on a rooftop at a sufficient distance where even an experienced warrior wouldn't detect her presence, Ankideness felt secure. She had been watching him for quite some time but couldn't learn anything concrete about him. Just as she was about to give up and abandon this endeavor, she saw him exit the stall. To her surprise, he was holding a map!
"It's him! But with a map?!" she thought, bewildered. "I wonder why he needs it?"
Didn't he go there for a weapon? Now he's leaving the stall with a map, which only deepens my suspicions.
Noticing that the map was from a shop dealing in combat gear, an idea struck her. She gathered a wisp of her shadow and transformed it into paper and an ink pen. It seemed she had a very interesting plan.
"Greetings, my lady," Apeira appeared unexpectedly.
"Hm?" She set the pen aside and looked down. "Is that you, Apeira? How did you know I was here?" she asked in a calm voice.
"I asked your shadow clone, which is still carrying out your orders," Apeira replied with a slight smile.
"Ah, right, I'd already forgotten." She realized she looked foolish, having boasted about her shadow clones herself. But suddenly, Apeira's actions caught her attention.
Apeira produced the amulet. "As you wished earlier, I studied him. I managed to obtain only one piece of information, but it's very interesting," she said, adjusting the part of the bandage protruding on her forehead before delivering the news. "As I discovered, he has no legion, and he appeared relatively recently on this level of existence, to put it without delving into details."
"Pray clarify, is this the amulet's will?" Ankideness asked with a troubled voice.
"Yes, Your Grace. As both you and I know, this amulet is of an informational type, whose power of information flow permeates the subspaces of this world. Its archetype is a repository of thoughts, preserving all information within its mind. No matter the level of the information sought, it will always provide an answer, for this artifact belongs to the all-knowing demon of Goetia, Paimon, one of Lucifer's lords, who upholds your legion." And, strangely enough, Apeira said this very calmly, even though the news was shocking.
At that moment, Ankideness was already on edge. Discarding her idea of the perfect plan, she resolutely decided to act differently now.
"Apeira, you should already understand what I want you to be ready for," she said calmly, yet concealing her own disarray, for her thoughts were in chaos. In the same instant, she began uttering the incantation to create hellcats. Adjusting the bandage on her forehead, she recited the final and main part of the summoning magic, pronouncing the three primary magical sigils. She began reading the magic to summon not the most friendly of kitties from the depths of hell. Directing her gaze and simultaneously extending her palm towards Eros, she was ready to utter the words on her final breath. But it was not meant to be…
At the moment Eros exited the shop:
Strolling slowly along the road, he began conversing with himself mentally. "That was an interesting conversation," he said, closing the door. "An amusing old man. He gave me this map, but I don't understand why I need a map when I asked for a toy for a real battle." Letting his gaze fall, he began examining the map, feeling irritation mix with curiosity. On the old, yellowed paper, he found winding lines resembling a tangled labyrinth, and along the edges of the map, strange symbols were painted in bright strokes, seemingly holding secrets within. He needed a quality sword, not this pamphlet for a child's tavern—but unexpectedly, another detail caught his attention. The map began to be covered in a bright red color composed of patterns, revealing a path to uncharted lands. This coordinator seemed to live its own life, sparkling against the dull glow of the street. He squinted, trying to discern where this seemingly magical trail led.
Thoughts of unforgettable adventures and dangers swirled in his head, and he suddenly felt a slight thrill that gave hope for something greater than just battle gear:
Even after some time, he still couldn't figure it out, even though the map literally showed him where to go, but he found it suspicious, trying to find an alternative.
"I think that funny old man mentioned something about the map, but why can't I remember? The deeper I try to recall the details, the blurrier my thoughts become."
Strange memories came to his mind: how the old man advised wearing huge armor, saying the bigger you look, the more terror you inspire. "An interesting thought, but that's not what I'm thinking about at all?!" In the end, he came up with the best solution: why struggle with memories when I can just ask again?
He was so absorbed in thoughts about how he could have forgotten the information about the map that, just before turning back to the stall, he didn't notice himself bumping into a guard.
"Stop, where are you going?"
"Forgive me for what happened, but I need to get to the stall," he said, frowning from the impact he received.
"The stall? The nearest stall is three miles from here," discontent radiated from him.
Smiling, he said: "You have a good sense of humor."
"Do you think I'm joking? Show me your sigil that indicates your legion!"