The gates finally sealed behind the ten squads.
For a moment, the arena was almost unnaturally quiet.
Then Ryker's voice rolled across the complex and all the screen showing the event.
"ALL RIGHT!"
His six eyes widened, each one tracking a different section of the arena.
"YOU'VE SEEN THE TEAMS!"
The massive screens behind him displayed all ten squad insignias.
"YOU'VE SEEN THE COMPETITORS!"
The screens switched rapidly, showing faces from Squad One through Squad Ten.
"And you've probably already decided who's going to win!"
The crowd roared.
Ryker grinned.
"Good."
He leaned toward the cam drone.
"Because you're probably wrong."
The crowd erupted again.
Varsia laughed from beside him.
"That's a dangerous thing to tell nigh 3 billion people."
"That's why I said it!"
Professor Wolfsbane sighed.
Ryker raised both hands.
"THE AZERAN CIRCUIT HAS FOUR STAGES!"
Four enormous symbols appeared above the arena.
"FOUR!"
The first symbol illuminated.
"STAGE ONE!"
The screens changed.
"THE ASSESSMENT!"
The cheers were slightly more subdued this time.
Ryker grinned.
"That's right! Before anyone starts throwing each other through buildings, we're going to find out what you're actually made of!"
Nathaniel's eyebrows rose.
George looked toward him.
"You knew about this?"
"Not the exact format."
Ryker continued.
"Every competitor will undergo a series of individual assessments!"
The screens displayed several examples.
TACTICAL ANALYSIS.
THREAT IDENTIFICATION.
URATSU RECOGNITION.
OBSTACLE NAVIGATION.
COMBAT THEORY.
EMERGENCY RESPONSE.
ABILITY CONTROL.
DECISION-MAKING.
Varsia leaned toward her microphone.
"So basically, they have to prove they have a brain."
Ryker pointed toward her.
"EXACTLY!"
Professor Wolfsbane shook his head.
"That's an oversimplification."
Varsia smiled.
"Which is why I'm here."
Ryker continued.
"And here's the fun part!"
His grin widened.
"You don't necessarily know what we're scoring!"
That got the competitors' attention.
Nathaniel's expression sharpened.
Ryker laughed.
"You might think you're being tested on speed!"
A runner appeared on the screen.
"Maybe we're actually testing your control!"
The screen changed.
"Maybe that obstacle isn't an obstacle!"
Another image appeared.
A civilian stood in the middle of a simulated battlefield.
"Maybe that civilian is the actual test!"
The crowd reacted.
Ryker pointed toward the competitors.
"POWER DOESN'T MEAN MUCH IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHEN TO USE IT!"
Professor Wolfsbane nodded.
"Control, judgment and adaptability will all matter."
Varsia smiled.
"And if somebody decides to solve every problem by punching it?"
Ryker's six eyes widened.
"Then we'll learn something about them too!"
Nathaniel smiled faintly.
Interesting.
George glanced at him.
"You like this."
"I do."
"Why?"
"Because half the people here are probably going to assume the assessment is beneath them."
George looked toward the noble squads.
Nathaniel didn't need to explain.
Some of the competitors had been trained their entire lives for combat.
Formal tutors.
Combat instructors.
Noble academies.
Inherited techniques.
But this wasn't simply a test of who could hit hardest.
It was a test of whether they could think.
Ryker raised one hand.
"STAGE TWO!"
The second symbol illuminated.
The arena screens suddenly displayed an enormous battlefield.
Urban streets.
Forests.
Cliffs.
Rivers.
Industrial platforms.
Randomly generated Biome terrain.
And an enormous open combat zone.
"The GRAND CIRCUIT!"
The crowd erupted.
"ALL TEN SQUADS!"
The battlefield expanded across the screen.
"ONE MASSIVE ARENA!"
A series of glowing objects appeared throughout it.
"EVERY SQUAD WILL RECEIVE A SQUAD CORE!"
A large crystalline structure appeared.
"Collect points!"
Another objective appeared.
"Secure territory!"
Another.
"Complete objectives!"
Another.
"Defeat constructs!"
Then another.
"Steal points from opposing squads!"
Alucard's grin widened.
"Now we're talking."
Ryker pointed toward the arena.
"And if you're feeling particularly heroic..."
A group of civilians appeared on screen.
"...rescue designated targets!"
Varsia leaned toward him.
"So they can actually win without fighting the other squads?"
Ryker's grin widened.
"Exactly!"
The crowd murmured.
"Elimination isn't mandatory!"
Nathaniel's eyes narrowed.
That was important.
Very important.
The strongest squad didn't necessarily need to fight everyone.
A clever squad could avoid unnecessary battles.
Steal points.
Complete objectives.
Protect their core.
Exploit the terrain.
Form temporary alliances.
Or betray those alliances when convenient.
The Grand Circuit wasn't about proving who could punch hardest.
It was about who could actually win.
Ryker's voice boomed across the arena.
"STAGE THREE!"
The third symbol illuminated.
"THE SQUAD BRACKET!"
The screens displayed four positions.
Rank One.
Rank Two.
Rank Three.
Rank Four.
"ONLY THE TOP FOUR SQUADS ADVANCE!"
The crowd erupted.
"RANK ONE FACES RANK FOUR!"
Two positions connected.
"RANK TWO FACES RANK THREE!"
The other two connected.
"And this time..."
Ryker's grin became almost predatory.
"...you're fighting."
The screens displayed four separate match types.
ONE-ON-ONE.
TWO-ON-TWO.
OBJECTIVE MATCH.
SQUAD BATTLE.
Varsia whistled.
"Oh, that's cruel."
Professor Wolfsbane nodded.
"A squad cannot simply send their strongest fighter into every round."
Ryker pointed at him.
"THANK YOU!"
He turned toward the competitors.
"You'll need teamwork!"
The crowd cheered.
"Adaptability!"
Another cheer.
"And enough brains to know when punching someone isn't the answer!"
Alucard looked offended.
George quietly grabbed his shoulder.
"Don't."
"I didn't say anything."
"You were going to."
"I was."
Nathaniel smiled.
One-on-one.
Two-on-two.
Objectives.
Full squad combat.
The format forced versatility.
Nobody could carry the entire team alone.
Then the fourth symbol appeared.
The arena seemed to hold its breath.
Ryker lowered his voice.
"STAGE FOUR."
The words appeared across every screen.
THE GRAND BOUT.
The crowd exploded.
"The final two squads. each with a champion of their own,"
The battlefield on the screen expanded.
"One arena."
The camera pulled back.
"And one final battle."
Ryker raised both arms.
"THE AZERAN CIRCUIT CHAMPION!"
The stadium shook with the roar.
Varsia smiled.
"And there you have it."
She looked toward the competitors.
"Four stages."
Professor Wolfsbane adjusted his glasses.
"And several opportunities to discover that raw power isn't everything."
Ryker's six eyes moved across the arena.
His expression suddenly became serious.
"Remember something."
The crowd quieted.
"Every one of you walked into this arena believing you know what you're capable of."
His eyes moved across the squads.
"Now we're going to find out whether you're right."
A deep tone sounded throughout the stadium.
The assessment gates opened.
Ten squads were directed toward separate sections of the complex.
Nathaniel glanced at George.
George nodded.
"Stay sharp."
Alucard rolled his shoulders.
Ria checked her equipment.
Shirou quietly stepped forward.
Oliver disappeared into a nearby shadow.
Nathaniel smiled.
"Let's see what they actually consider a test."
The first stage had begun.