Right before dawn, the selected champions got ready. It was best to be prepared because at the first light of dawn, they would be automatically teleported away from their beds or wherever they happened to be.

So long as their names had been written on the selection scroll, there was no stopping it.

The moment the first light rose, the selected champions disappeared in a flash of light from their rooms and all appeared right outside the barriers protecting their fortresses.

They were automatically dressed in colored robes that signified the continent they represented. For Valaross, it was a yellow robe, and all forty champions from the eight kingdoms were standing beside each other.

Then they heard a voice, as though it resounded through the whole field like a booming announcement.

It said, “This is the All-Father speaking. Day one has officially begun. Good luck out there, champions!”

The voice then went silent, and in the next instant, a folded mini map and a glowstone appeared floating before each of them, and they took it as they already knew what those were for.

The mini map showed the layout of the entire dimension, including terrain features like the dense forest, mountain ridge, ruined citadel, and river.

The glowstone, fixed inside a small casing, would glow white when pointed in a direction where at least one enemy was nearby, and red if there were at least three enemies in that direction.

Syra exchanged acknowledging nods and smiles with Katherine and Elena, who nodded back. If this wasn’t a circumstance where they had to go into battle soon, they would have moved closer to have a little chat.

The members of Ravens Grave had come to know Syra and who she was during the two weeks she had spent with them at the guild, right before she moved in with Alaric’s family in Xathia.

Somehow Thamoryn took charge of the situation and said, “I suggest we all spread out in pairs of two. We keep our numbers small but enough to fight anyone.”

They all seemed to agree, and before long, people started finding their pairs and taking different directions across the map.

Katherine turned to Elena and said, “My dear Elena, you’re with me.”

Elena nodded. “Yes, Captain.” She was still used to calling Katherine that.

Katherine then raised her hand and spoke in dragon tongue, a whisper that carried power. Right then, a certain dragon of blue and black scales that had been hovering over the Citadel of Gods reacted. This was her dragon, Qasag. It quickly diverted and flew all the way toward her.

Right before it landed, there was a majestic roar, but these champions weren’t scared. Instead, they only took a few steps back to give it space.

It landed in front of Katherine, and she caressed his head gently. She turned to the others and said, “We’ll be heading off now.” Then she climbed onto the dragon’s back, which dropped low, and helped Elena up. Elena felt wobbly but excited as she settled in. And after that, Qasag roared, then lifted up into the skies.

With this, they would barely need the glowstone as they’d be able to see their targets from an aerial point.

Kayden seemed like he didn’t care enough to want to pair with anyone and had started walking off in a different direction by himself. But one of the female mages from the Kingdom of Orathia noticed this and fell into place behind him.

Talen headed out with a warrior mage from Jogunmount.

Ursula went with one of the female elf mages of Elandria, who turned out to actually be one of Queen Arnarra’s daughters.

Finally, Thamoryn headed out with the Supreme Asura of Zahka, Tzar.

——

Back at each castle in each continent’s fortress, everyone else not participating were gathered around the main hall of their building, where magical screens floated at different corners.

In Dragonhold’s building, everyone watched intently at their screens. The screens there displayed their own champions more specifically.

Just like how in other castles within this fortress and the others, their own screens displayed their own champions more specifically.

“Show them, my love,” Piers whispered to himself as he watched a certain screen on the left showing Katherine and Elena flying through the skies.

Oliver watched the same screen as Piers too, because it revealed Elena.

Innis couldn’t help but watch Kayden’s screen. She felt some tingling feeling in her chest when the girl followed behind him, just that little spike of jealousy. Somehow, that also made her realized she missed him.

Even Oberon watched his wife’s screen. “Bring me this win today, Thamoryn.” He trusted her capabilities more than anyone else on that field.

Right at the Citadel, some gods watched through screens. Laela and Arianna also fell in this category as they watched from their room with Uriel, while breastfeeding their babies.

Some gods watched directly from the cliffs. This included Aiden, who also preferred it this way.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

——

On one part of the field, there were two others in a pair, wearing brown robes over their bare skin that was covered in black markings.

These were warriors from the continent of Anane.

One was a man and the other a woman. Both were bare-chested and barely covered by their brown robes.

Beside them walked their beasts.

The woman’s companion was a massive, heavily armored creature that resembled a sabertooth from ancient times, and it moved with this predatory grace.

Its body was plated with thick, dark armor that covered its shoulders, back, and legs. Tufts of wild fur jutted out from the gaps in the armor, and its fangs were long and curved like twin blades.

The man’s beast was a winged creature with a reptilian build and its body covered in furs of varying colors.

These Anane champions were specifically from the Dreria Dynasty, and the Drerians were beast tamers.

The monsters who walked by their side were beasts from the days of the first men. Sure, over time they had crossbred a lot, forming new combined breeds, but the Drerians did the most to preserve these beasts who were as old as the history of earth itself.

It is said that other normal animals today were descendants or residues of the beasts of the Dreria Dynasty of Anane continent.

These beast tamers spoke inaudibly to themselves while one watched his glowstone and the girl watched the map.

Then the stone suddenly glowed white, and they knew for certain something was approaching in their direction.

What followed almost immediately was the sound of a dragon’s roar that echoed through the air, causing up them to look up.

A massive dragon descended from the sky, its blue and black scales gleaming as it cut through the air with terrifying speed. And atop it, were two figures in yellow robes.

Katherine leaned forward slightly and whispered, “Naras.”

Qasag, on hearing the dragon tongue command for “breathe flames,” opened his mouth wide and a stream of hot blue flames erupted from his jaws, rushing toward the targets below.

The winged creature instantly carried the Drerian male away in flight, out of the range of the approaching flames. At the same time, the armored sabertooth leaped forward and covered its female tamer with its massive plated body.

The flames slammed onto the ground with a resounding boom as the earth ignited in huge blue fire. The heat flared outward, scorching the grass and sending smoke billowing into the sky.

Qasag flew past, banking hard and making another wide circle before releasing another stream of flames at the direction of the beast and the tamer cornered on the ground.

In that moment, the winged creature carrying the male beast tamer surged toward Katherine and Elena from the side. The man now had a sword drawn and was ready to strike with it.

His winged creature screeched as it closed the distance, and like that, the first battle of this Holy Grail War had just begun.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep