CHAPTER 62: FINAL FIVE STANDING

Raskin stayed buttoned up with a stone face, refusing to cave to Sabina.

He had his pride too!

As the two squared off, Warden Clementine laughed sweetly and tried to smooth things over:

"Sister Sabina, don’t get your feathers ruffled.

Raskin just shot his mouth off. How could we let such a refined young man join the garrison full of knuckle-draggers?

Right, Commander-in-Chief Raskin?"

With the lifeline Clementine threw him, Raskin could save face and immediately nodded.

He was really sweating bullets that this woman Sabina might spill the beans in a fit of rage.

"Ha! I was pulling your leg. Such a refined young man joining our garrison would be a square peg in a round hole."

Having gotten what she wanted, Sabina tucked away the cards while warming up to Clementine—turns out she had a potential ally here.

’Potential ally’ Clementine kept pushing her agenda:

"The garrison’s definitely out of the question.

I think the most fitting place for the young man should be..."

While talking, Warden Clementine shot Sabina a look, who gave her an encouraging smile.

She started mulling over what kind of payoff to give this potential ally...

"...naturally my place, the Underground Prison!"

"???"

Hoodwinked Sabina’s eyebrows shot up like rockets as she snapped:

"Well, I’ll be! You want to snatch little Carlos too!"

Warden Clementine looked put out:

"What do you mean snatch? Obviously my place is the perfect fit. Can you find anyone in Ember City more skilled in the Death Herald path than me?"

"Being skilled doesn’t mean you can teach worth a darn. There are plenty of Death Herald masters in Ember City—I can hire the best!"

Sabina fired right back. She wouldn’t let anyone mess with Carlos’s future, especially someone with twisted hobbies like Warden Clementine.

"Sabina! Are you calling my Death Herald abilities into question?"

Warden Clementine’s pretty eyes turned frosty as pale mist started creeping around.

"Clementine, don’t think I don’t see right through you!

Training little Carlos—you’ve probably got some scheme cooking!"

Sabina smiled like ice as a blood-red bat on her shoulder opened its eyes, radiating bloodthirsty vibes.

As the two women got ready to throw down, Disciplinarian Yade, who’d gotten his clock cleaned in the last power struggle, suddenly piped up:

"I’ve made up my mind!

This young man will be the next in line for the Disciplinary Office!"

Golden light blazed, butting right into the two women’s standoff.

"Yade, what’s got into you?"

Warden Clementine was stumped. She finally had her eye on someone, and now another rival showed up.

"Yade!"

Sabina ground her pearly whites. This guy kept getting in her way—sooner or later she’d have him run out of town!

In a flash, golden light, white mist, and blood energy formed a three-way Mexican standoff, all facing off.

Covert Operations Chief Warner and Monster Research Institute Director Marcellus quietly bit their tongues.

They still had some horse sense—now wasn’t the time to add fuel to the fire.

Garrison Commander-in-Chief Raskin felt a pang of regret. If he’d known better, he should’ve dug in his heels longer. What were a few love children? If word got out, so be it—at worst his reputation would take a hit, but he wouldn’t lose any hide.

"Have you all forgotten?

Five years back, the young man was already penciled in with our half-elf guards!"

Constance’s casual remark instantly made the three leaders call a cease-fire and freeze like statues.

"What? For real? Five years ago?"

Warden Clementine looked like she smelled something fishy as the other leaders waited for Constance to spill.

Constance gave a little flick, and an unactivated guard token appeared floating in the air.

The front showed Carlos as a little tyke, while the back had the name: Carlos Valois.

High Priest Aulina jumped in at just the right moment:

"At the regular council five years back, Constance specifically brought this up.

She said she had her eye on a certain child and wanted to put him on the books early. Everyone was fine with it and gave the thumbs up across the board.

That child is the young man down there."

"..." X6

All six leaders stared at this ice queen of a woman.

Their old ideas about her being lazy and not caring about competition went up in smoke, replaced by thoughts of deep scheming and cunning!

She’d played her hand five years ago!

And she’d dressed it up as no big deal, getting them all to go along with it.

Too slick—she didn’t give them a prayer of competing!

Sabina stared at Constance’s perfect ice princess face, her guard way up now.

’Just great, I figured you ice cube was the least dangerous, but you’re actually the slickest one!’

She was steamed but stuck. Darn it, who told her she’d also agreed back then?

You take this round!

Next time! Just you wait!

Sabina’s phoenix eyes blazed with fire, locking horns with Constance’s icy stare...

...

Carlos had no clue that right then up on the big platform, the leaders had another dust-up because of him, with Constance coming out on top.

But he could sort of feel the scary auras occasionally rolling off the platform, especially that familiar icy chill.

He sighed to himself:

"Sister Constance’s power has jumped up another notch."

Thinking back five years, after he let slip his demigod mark, sure enough, it caught the leadership’s attention.

This leader was none other than Iris’s direct boss, Constance.

After getting the lowdown, she immediately snuck over to the mansion and personally checked out Carlos’s body and the demigod mark.

After getting confirmation, she immediately ’suggested’ Carlos join her guard unit.

Carlos sure wasn’t going to say no—his whole point in showing his hand was to get leadership protection.

Then... he ended up with a lot more guards.

Otherwise, where did all those guards around Carlos come from?

Their numbers and tight security were way beyond what a family on the skids could manage.

...

After the announcer called the first qualifier, contestants in the Crimson Maze went completely off their rockers.

No longer bothering to keep their powder dry, they pulled out all the stops, hell-bent on nabbing a spot!

...

Time dragged on, and when Carlos was getting pretty drowsy from twiddling his thumbs, the second qualifier finally showed up!

It was ’Little Statue’ Galahel!

A hotshot of the Ranger pathway who, using her breakthrough skill - Statue Transformation, became a stone statue person with scary defensive power.

She even pulled off an incredible ’Rolling Stone Crush’ in the home stretch, successfully getting through!

After her, the third qualifier ’Little Violent Flame’ Buck and fourth qualifier ’Little Green Bone’ Atrice actually burst out of the same gate at the exact same time!

The last spot went to ’Little Giant’ Leo, who scraped through looking like he’d been hit by a freight train!

And that wrapped up the Crimson Maze!

...

"Congratulations to the four... no, five hotshots who made it through!

Here we..."

"...tomorrow will kick off the individual finals!

Ember Gladiatorial Combat!

Duking it out for the ultimate winner!

Warriors, get ready with everything you’ve got! Who can grab the glory! Let’s see what happens!"

The announcer’s fired-up voice rang throughout the entire colosseum...