Tessa's eyes widened.
She had not even properly sat down when the carriage suddenly moved with force.
Before she could even do anything, she felt someone's arm wrap around her waist, stopping her from falling out of the carriage.
Her eyes were now fixated on Arin who caught her, trying to process what just happened.
'Oh shit,' Arin thought as he instantly pulled Tessa back and removed his hand from her waist.
"Ah, you were almost gone there," Arin said with a small laugh.
He wanted to make sure that no one thought nothing of it... especially Alex.
Alex instantly drew closer to Tessa. "Are you okay? Hope you didn't get hurt..."
Before Tessa could reply, he turned to look at Arin.
"Thank you very much, Arin," he said. "She would've fallen off if not for you."
Arin laughed. "Nah, it's nothing."
'Ah, I guess it's all good now,' Arin thought.
Tessa kept on telling Alex that she was fine and he didn't have to worry, though, Arin could notice the slight irritation on her face.
The carriage had long since continued moving without the man saying anything.
And they could all see the insignia at the back of the uniform he wore, showing that he was a royal guard from the castle, so it wasn't like they could yell at him.
This carriage was of a higher grade than that of the one that the Academy owned. It could levitate just like that of the Academy, but the main difference was the speed.
It was moving faster than that of the Academy, and it even levitated higher. Apart from that, the inside was VERY comfy. The seat was made with polished wood and a soft foam that was wrapped with a red soft material.
This made the seat very comfortable and they could all relax inside.
The carriage zoomed out of the Academy gate, entering the path in the forest.
'As usual, we're going to pass through Starshine City,' Arin thought, already recognizing the path they were following. The others also knew this.
About three minutes later, the carriage finally exited the path and entered the familiar meadow terrain.
Before long, they reached the gate where the guards were standing. Unlike before, they weren't even asked a single question. They were allowed to pass immediately.
'That's the power of a carriage that bears the royal family's insignia...'
With that, the journey to Blackstone City began.
"Ah, I guess we're almost there," Alex muttered.
"Yeah, we have to be almost there," Ron said. "There's no way we're passing another city."
Tessa chuckled. "I think we've arrived. I can see something written on the gate."
Arin smiled. They could all see that something was indeed written on the gate, but with his enhanced eyesight, he could read it.
Finally, the carriage entered the city, and they were greeted with the usual happenings of a city.
The citizens were walking around, going about their daily activities. Children were playing and running around while shop owners were shouting out the things they were selling to people who just got into the city.
Though, there were two major things that were the main attraction in the city currently.
"Now would you look at that..." Ron muttered.
As the carriage moved, they could see the rows of royal carriages that were moving, their insignias gleaming in the sunlight.
'This is similar to convoys of expensive cars I used to see back on earth,' Arin thought.
These carriages attracted the attention of many, which was to be expected.
As for the second thing, it was the place where these carriages were headed to.
Blackstone City was the city where the tournament holds. It was official, and had been like that ever since the Kingdom began doing the tournament.
This was also why Blackstone City was said to be the second biggest city in the Kingdom, because it was like two cities in one.
The citizens, their houses, the shops, the markets, and other multitude of places were occupied by the first part of the city which was as big as a normal city in the Kingdom.
As for the second city, it was what Arin and the others were currently looking at.
Not too far from them, a towering stone wall was present, with a gate in the middle.
The carriage finally reached the gate and it was instantly opened before it levitated in.
"So it wasn't an exaggeration, huh?" Arin muttered.
"Woah," both Ron and Tessa said at the same time.
As soon as they entered through the gate, they were greeted with another city.
"No wonder they said Blackstone City was two cities in one," Alex said.
Where they were coming from was just the first city, and where they just entered was the second city.
At the right side, an open space was available where all the convoy of royal carriages they saw were parked.
"Alright, come down," the Royal Guard said.
Instantly, the four of them exited the carriage before staring at the grandeur in front of them.
This second city was actually the arena for the tournament.
"So you're telling me that the arena is a city itself?!" Ron exclaimed, unable to believe his eyes.
Alex laughed. "Don't you remember what principal Orion said?'
Tessa squinted her eye before saying the exact words Orion said when the competition ended.
"The tournament is in two days time, and everyone will be able to watch it, because trust me, the arena is HUGE!"
"Exactly," Alex said.
"So yes, the city is the arena," he added.
And from what they were seeing, it was indeed true.
Just after entering this 'second city', they didn't have to enter any building or something. The structure of the arena was already present.
Rows of chairs, crafted from polished wood and reinforced stone, spiraled upward in ascending order, forming a colossal amphitheater that could hold tens of thousands.
And indeed, uncountable students were already seated on the chairs, with the banners representing each academy fluttering in the wind, their colors and insignias dancing against the open sky.
It would indeed, be one hell of a tournament.
[A/N: Unlock 10 advanced chapters now with Privilege, thank you!]