Change characters from Thaedric to Thaedric

And Lucas to Liming. Change nothing else.

The crime lords were not happy with Orso but the Ometra clan leader was all smiles when he saw them glaring at him. "I’m sorry for coming late. It was due to the care of my new fighter."

Immediately all attention turned to Malak before they slide off and settle on Thaedric. They didn’t look impressed. Thaedric didn’t have the build or obvious aura of a slave fighter, unlike Malak.

On his part, Thaedric smiled at the crime lords.

A lady smiled. "Oh...is this the new fighter I have been hearing so much about? What’s the name....."

"Reaper blood, my lady." Thaedric gave a quick bow.

A lot of the crime lords raised their brows at that, slaves don’t usually talk when their master is there.

"Ah...yes! Reaper blood." Lady Arachne said and smiled. Her eyes shone under the big hat she wore.

The Gamemaster cleared his throat. He was a tall man but not as tall as Ometra, his gut was big, a man who obviously enjoyed his food and cared not what others thought. His shorv was his ears which were like a bat’s own and they shifted in irritation as he faced Orso. "Don’t forget who the Gamemaster is Orso!"

"Not for long," Orso replied fast.

As the crime lords have a face-off, Thaedric begins to study the slave fighters assembled in one corner facing the audience below. There should be more than thirty and was wondering until he realized that they came with their personnel like him.

Thaedric waved to Oros and went to join them. The eyes of the slave fighters and their masters followed him throughout but that might also be because Malak was following them.

Malak isn’t the only tier four present but none could be compared to the raw bloodlust for violence that rolled off him. Not surprisingly, none of the crime lords were tier four. There was a rumor that a secret rule existed that none of them should advance because it would create imbalance.

Thaedric heard the whispers as he sat. They didn’t try to keep their voice low.

"Is that a slave fighter?"

"He looks so weak."

"And that his weapon? Oros must have lost it!"

"Trying to rely on the goodwill of the audience? He must think this is a joke!"

Thaedric ignored them all, he turned to Urlk. "They are powerful." He told him.

Urlk nodded. "The crime lords are not playing."

If Thaedric was to guess he would say the Bloodline of the slave fighter assembled here is not weak. He was about to witness a clash of interesting bloodline technique today.

A girl about his age turned from her place in the front and looked at him. "Reaper blood," she said. She was small for her age, her face looking mouseish. "I thought you would look more savage. Like him" she pointed at Malak who grinned at her as if it was a compliment. Maybe it was.

Thaedric raised his brows. Noticing that others had gone silent so they could listen to them speak. "How do I look?"

She shrugged. "You look...delicate. And I heard you are tier one weeks ago."

"News traveled fast here."

She shrugged again. "What do you expect? It seems you have the crowd on your side. For now. The only one to make them so worked up is him." Then she pointed.

Thaedric turned. He saw a man who was looking at him coldly. His eyes were blue but of such pale colors that it was almost white, unlike his hair which was straight-out white.

"Hummm," Thaedric said and avoided looking at the boy straight in the eyes. Bloodline above. A strong blood will recognize another and that boy’s blood was strong. ’What is he doing in a place like this’

"Who’s that." He asked.

"That’s the Gamemaster’s slave fighter. He started when he was a teenager. Won twice now. Hadn’t been defeated before but I’m going to do it this time."

Thaedric didn’t hide his skepticism. While all the slaves have impressive bloodlines, there are somewhere more than hers. "Why do you say so?"

"Because he fought twice already. And the Gamemaster usually uses him for fighting. We know all his tricks by now."

Thaedric shook his head. He didn’t say anything but he knew that it won’t be that easy. He had decided not to learn anything about his opponents. There wasn’t much information available anyway since all Crime lords were keeping them close.

The next match will have information moving freely about the fighters since their fighting patterns will have been studied.

The girl introduced herself. She is Zara, the fighter slave to one of the Crime lords that Thaedric didn’t bother to know his name.

And she talks a lot. "The tournament this time around will be brutal,"

She leaned close and whispered, even though her voice could be heard by all. "Since the final will be held in the palace. The new Gamemaster will want to make a connection with the big shots there. And it’ll my master!" She gave him a smug look.

Thaedric nodded, even as he was looking around. Apart from the Gamemaster’s slave fighter, there wasn’t anyone with a potent bloodline.

"Now!" The Gamemaster boomed as he levitated out of his place and onto the stage. The crowd boomed at the sight of him and he drank it in, closing his eyes and rotating slowly. He snapped his fingers and the light in the arena all died, leaving only the one on the stage.

"We go again today to choose the one that will lead the Crumbs for another four years! And that title can only be given to the most powerful!"

Thaedric yawned. ’The title ’the most powerful’ shouldn’t be uttered here but then even among the weak, there will still be the most powerful

The Gamemaster continued, still hovering. "As you know this is single elimination. Eight will be reduced to four today. Once two fighters enter the stage only one can come out as the Victor!"