When the clock struck 7 on the impossible date of February XXX, the empty metal frames immediately whirred to life as the starry essence of the galaxy poured into a swirling portal.

People from all over the vast continent of Aliaterra had been standing in line since the break of dawn, all hoping to get the best seats in the house for the most spectacular quadrennial event. Once the portals were opened and the overseer's gave the signal, the floodgates were opened and the people swept in. In no time, all 100, 000 seats of the glistening Colosseum were occupied and the portal ceased.

Of course, that was to be expected and preparations had already been made by the three Powers to accommodate.

"Please stand back!" one of the Gateway overseers called to the people as the portal began to flicker once more. A new light began to shift and twist until a brilliant red color took its place, signifying a destination change.

After a quick check to ensure the Gate was stable, people began to pour through those gates to find themselves stepping into another completely empty colosseum.

The people in line stared up at the sky and chatters of awe began to bubble. Suspended upside down, hanging above the grounded stadium was a structure identical to the one below. Even so, people milled around inside as if it was perfectly normal.

It was one of ASEAN's crazy ideas, naturally, to guarantee everyone a chance to enjoy the show. Two other stadiums dangled above the original in their own inverted spheres of gravity so no matter which stadium you were sitting in, if you looked up, you would be peering into another stadium.

Though it was an incredible experience sitting amongst the clouds, everyone still vied for spots in the prime colosseum which would house the contestants in the flesh while everything was mirrored to the others in crystal clear quality.

Of course, the projections were special so that they were semi physical, still able to interact physically with the surrounding environment to provide the maximum authenticity. Even so, there was just something about being able to witness the real ones in action.

Speaking of the contestants, the relatively peaceful atmosphere in the hotel was slowly replaced with sheer anticipation and the lively bustle of preparation.

Attendants scurried throughout the building to announce the opening of the breakfast hall, help run and fetch small errands and provide further assistance. It was a busy morning. After all, tensions were high and everyone was determined to stay in tip top shape. Luckily, all the Branches were having a relatively smooth start to the morning and everyone seemed ready to take on the day.

Well, all but one.

Germany, Poland and Canada exchanged wary glances as the mood in the room remained stifling all throughout the morning. When they had first arrived the previous evening, they had all agreed to leave their connecting walls open to further reinforce the feeling of unity within them yet here they were, staring at cold hard walls of the rooms on opposite ends.

"Y'know what," Canada piped up as he forced a smile onto his lips, "maybe all they needed was a good night's sleep. Perhaps they've cooled off and are back to normal now!"

Germany adjusted his newly cleaned glasses and sighed, "I'm gonna pray to god that you're right. Otherwise, we're dead."

By the time they went down for breakfast, the three of them knew that they were absolutely dead. After the commotion last night, Russia and America weren't even on speaking terms anymore. They weren't even on stand-in-the-same-elevator terms!

Japan brought over her plates of food and rejoined the boys with a beaming, refreshed smile, "Oh my god I don't remember the last time I slept so well!" Her face fell when she noticed the harrowed expressions and the concerning lack of noise coming from the group, "I didn't know I was gonna be stepping into a graveyard. What the heck happened here and where are the other two?"

Poland sighed and pointed to the right while Canada pointed to the left. Sitting on opposite sides of the giant room were Russia and America. They were sitting alone and eating in silence. Even Ame was silent, turning away every person who approached him with an uncharacteristically cold scowl.

"Holy shit... uhhh now I'm concerned," she muttered, "What did I miss?"

"A lot," Germany groaned before slumping onto the table. The day hadn't even started and he already wanted it to end.

...

Most of the Eastern Branch had already made their way downstairs for breakfast. However, one person still remained in the room.

"China? Are you coming?" South Korea called from the door, holding it open to see if he would come. The other country was sitting on the couch, still slightly drained from the commotion the previous night. He fiddling absentmindedly with his long scarlet locks when South had called. He snapped out of his daze and took a moment to process what the other had said before shaking his head.

"Don't worry about me. I'll meet you guys downstairs, "he promised with a small smile, "I just need to go check on something before we go."

South tilted his head for a second as if saying, 'are you sure' before walking out of the room to catch up with the others.

China stared blankly at the door for a few more seconds, seemingly trying to make up his mind before he sighed and got up. After pulling on a light robe and retrieving his mask, he walked out the door but not in the direction to the elevator. Instead, he walked up a flight of stairs before reaching a door hidden in plain sight.

He was by no means supposed to be there and even though it seemed rather unguarded at first, the truth was that it was nearly impossible to access whatever he was trying to find. Beyond the door was a long winding passageway that seemed to spin in circles, leading to nowhere. It was a massive labyrinth condensed into a single hotel hallway. Impossible in theory, but with what lay beyond, all logic ceased to function.

There was no such thing as impossible to the three Powers, the ones who lay in rest in their unseen chamber.

After who-knows-how-long of twisting and turning, the walls suddenly opened up to a spacious chamber where two figures were waiting.

"Well of course it would be you," the first boy sighed as he lowered his weapons which consisted of two spears and two unusual blades.  "No sane person would have made it this far in the labyrinth."

"Or would enter it in the first place," the other scoffed. The pulsing halo that hovered around their head lowered. The weapon they held a second ago was nowhere to be seen.

China was completely unfazed in the slightest. In fact, he had been wondering when they were going to show up. They were part of the elite members of the Eastern Branch, personal attendants to ASEAN and they were given the crucial task of guarding the Powers while they recovered.

"You do realize that we were given orders to kill any intruders that we catch?" a sly, mischievous grin slid onto the boy's face as he twirled his spear nonchalantly as a tease. The one with the halo simply rolled their eyes and with a flick of their wrist, the spears also vanished into thin air.

"Stop fooling around, Indo, you know that's not true. You just want an excuse to fight, don't you?"

"Wh- HEY!!!" Indonesia protested as he nearly lost his balance when the spear he had been leaning on disappeared. "Aw c'mon Phil lighten up. A little spar wouldn't hurt now! We've been walking around endlessly with nothing to do. I'm bored!"

"Well that's too bad," Philippines shot back as the other began to whine. "Just ignore him and pretend he doesn't exist. What are you doing here?"

China decided to heed their advice and reminded himself of why he was here, "I want an audience with the Powers. I have a message for them."

Philippines stared at him for a second, trying to decide if he was serious. When they saw that he was, they burst into a fit of giggles, "Do you realize what you just requested? An audience with the Powers? Now?"

"Yes. It's extremely urgent." China bit his lip under the mask to calm himself down as Indonesia began to laugh as well. Of course, it was a very reasonable response because he also knew that his demand was absurd at a time like this and that they didn't trust him very much. But still, China wasn't someone who reacted well to ridicule.

"If I must remind you, the Powers wish not to be disturbed at this time. If it's truly urgent, I can carry the message for you," Phil offered but China shook his head.

"No, it's a message I would like to deliver IN PERSON. There is no other way."

"Then we're sorry. We can't help you," Indo stated bluntly, his previous tomfoolery was nowhere to be found. Instead, it was replaced with an edge of hostility. China knew his time was up.

"Are you sure you won't reconsider?" A venomous glint shone in his eyes as the still air suddenly collapsed under a thick layer of belligerent intent. Thin, golden cracks broke through the floor as China's Awakening flickered into reality.

If it were anyone else, this intimidation tactic would have worked but it proved fruitless to these two who were nothing but ready for a fight to the death.

A sinister smile crawled onto Indonesia's lips as he unsheathed his twin daggers which he called kris swords. The spears also reappeared in his second pair of hands.

Philippine's halo pulsed in agitation and their aura magnified tenfold. The room suddenly felt swelteringly hot as the pressure made his vision waver in an array of blinding colors.

China's gaze faltered and backed down, knowing that it wasn't the right time or place for a scuffle with those two. So with a dismissive shrug, he turned the other way and disappeared back into the maze.

"Damn, bro!" Indonesia whistled as he lowered his weapons, "It's really not nice of you to go around frightening us mortals like that!"

"I don't do that," Phil replied but they continued to stare at where China was standing a moment ago. "That was sort of a trial by fire. But the fact that he backed down like that means that he had hesitation in his heart. Otherwise, he wouldn't have reacted like that."

"Hmph. Or maybe he was startled by your face. You should see how creepy you look when you're mad."

Once China had finally left the maze entirely, Philippines tapped on the wall, "Mal, are you there? Go tell Singapore to rearrange the hall as a precaution."

For a moment, nothing seemed to happen but then a string of shadows passed over them and slipped around the corner. A couple of seconds passed before the walls rumbled to life, shuffling and rotating in an array of mechanical patterns until a completely new arrangement appeared.

Indonesia sheathed his weapons for a second time and sighed, "So that's that then. Should we report this to the Powers? I mean China did come in and threaten us."

Phil, however, wasn't so sure. Something just wasn't clicking about the way China behaved. For one, China was never this tentative or easy to back down on anything. Two, if he was truly scheming to do something to the Powers, there was no way he would be this careless with his approach. He was far more devious than that. It might have just been their imagination but there was also a hint of true fear and urgency in his demeanor, as if he was in serious trouble.

What was so important that China needed to talk to the Powers at such a preposterous time like this?

"I'll talk to them about this. Something doesn't add up," Philippines decided as the path temporarily opened up for them. "I'll ask someone else to take over for me."

"Ooh, ask Thailand! I'd rather hang out with her than with you."

When China finally stepped foot in the breakfast hall, most people were either finishing up or had left already. South Korea glanced over his shoulder to see China make his way over to their table. Oddly enough, he looked a bit shaken up and slightly unwell as beads of sweat dappled his face.

"What the hell did you do? I thought you said you were just going to check up on something?" South demanded as China sat down with a teeny tiny plate of food. After his secret confrontation, his appetite was basically non-existent at that point.

'I was supposed to warn them,' he thought to himself as a chilling shiver of dread slowly crawled down his spine, 'so why couldn't I follow through?'

The crimson country grit his fangs in irritation as he recalled the confrontation he had a few nights ago where he was ambushed.

"I'm here to make you a deal."

They must have done something to him but no matter how much he wracked his brain, he couldn't seem to remember anything beyond that. All he knew was that time was running out until something catastrophic happened.

'I played right into their hands and now I'm trapped,' he thought, completely tuning out South's constant nagging for him to eat. 'Now what to do next-'

"HEY STOP MUTTERING AND EAT GODDAMNIT!"

China finally snapped out of his daze and blinked a few times when South Korea pulled down his mask and shoved a sweet bun into his mouth to plug his yapper.

"Seriously, man. The tournament starts today. We need you so stop losing your mind and get moving."

South left China speechless and alone with his thoughts again. At this point, the hall had completely cleared out and the waiters ran around to clean the rest of the vacant tables. Feeling slightly embarrassed about being left behind, China quickly dusted off his plate. Luckily, the quick meal left him energized but not completely full, just how he liked it.

'South Korea was right' he finally decided. He needed to calm down and focus on the fight ahead for now. Crying over spilt milk was not like him and he would probably find another chance to talk with the Powers soon.

"There's nothing I can do for now," China reassured himself as he strolled out of the hall and back up to his room. Settling on that, he began to collect himself for the tournament with a renewed sense of excitement for the days to come.

...

"Please arrange yourselves into your two pair teams, your supports and your substitutes to sign yourselves in. "

As soon as Germany heard that, he knew that things were about to go south. Russia and America shot irritated glances at each other, neither of them wanted to stand next to each other but eventually, they were forced to the front of the line where a secretary greeted them.

"Names?"

"United States of America."

"And?"

"Russian Federation."

She scrolled down her holographic screen and crossed out their names. "United States of America and Russian Federation, the first registered pair of the Central Branch," she read out aloud. "Correct?"

"Unfortunately," America muttered before he yelped as Russia jabbed him in the ribs. Sensing that it would be better to stay out of whatever storm was brewing, the secretary quickly handed them their keycards and dismissed them without another word.

Once our entire team was signed in, an escort showed us down the hall until we came across an intricately carved, dark indigo door with tiny blinking stars floating lazily around it. We all recognized it as nearly identical to EU's office door.

"Here's your waiting room! I'll return to fetch you for the opening ceremony but until then, please make yourselves comfortable." As soon as the door shut, the room was, once again, drowned in stagnant silence as we all continued to glare at the floor. It was pretty evident that we were standing on thin ice and one wrong step would probably end it all.

"And here I thought we had a good chance of winning this thing," Japan muttered under her breath. The mood in the room was so electric that it made her hair stand on end. All of them knew that they had to do something before the games officially began or else they would be better off just throwing in the towel. There was no way they were going to win.

"This is the worst time for you to be fighting!"

Russia's head slammed into the ground with a sickening lurch and the foul, metallic taste seeped into his mouth. A dry cough threatened to burst from his chest but he bit it down in the face of his attacker. His face stung, less from the pain and more from the sheer surprise.

America stood above him with his fist exposed in the moonlight. His eyes were wide with a strange mixture of anger, shock and instant regret as he watched the other country stumble to their feet. Russia's face was completely devoid of emotion as he lifted his hand to his bruising face, pressing it gingerly.

"Did... you just punch me?" he asked in disbelief.

Without waiting for an answer, Russia advanced with a ferocious swing towards America who managed to dodge in the nick of time. Now that he had retaliated, the gloves were off.

Blow after blow, they knocked each other to and fro relentlessly. Droplets of blood splattered the smooth stone ground as their attacks became increasingly ferocious and soon, they were fighting for keeps.

Noticing that fact, Russia slammed and pinned the smaller country to the ground to catch his breath, hoping to regain some composure before one of them got seriously injured but he didn't realize just how much force he had used. All the air rushed out of America's lungs as the world began to flash in red and white. A gurgled cry of agony barely made it out of his lungs before all sensations were lost to the blinding heat that suddenly burst forth from the depths of his being.

'Sunfire!' Russia immediately recognized before jumping back to avoid being singed by the flames. The wretched gold wisps seemed to dance in slow motion as they spiraled higher and higher into the air, hissing as they went. Though no sound came from America's frozen features, his body shook as the flames trampled over his figure, leaving searing imprints on his flesh. Without hesitation, the flames lunged forward but before Russia could counter, chains of smoke shot out from behind and dragged him back just in time to evade an intense column of the undying fire. The others had arrived.

"Are you two seriously insane?!" Germany exclaimed as he brandished his chains, "Care to explain WHY THE FUCK YOU TWO ARE FIGHTING IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT RIGHT BEFORE THE TOURNAMENT?!"

A massive gust of wind rammed into the incoming flames, forcing it sky high before a streak of jade light in the form of a dragon slammed America into the ground, forcing him down to further snuff the flames. Poland swooped down alongside Canada and with a bit of assistance from China, America finally managed to dispel the ravaging Sunfire completely.

The area was a wreck. The tub had been split in two and the water had flooded out onto the floor. Shards of glass from the empty cider bottle, splintered wood from the chess board and chess pieces were strewn as far as the eye could see, not to mention the abundance of scorch marks in the area.

Russia had stopped struggling against the chains and was let go after he had cooled down but it was clear that a large gnash had appeared in their alliance once again. They glared at each other for a second before America abruptly stood up. Without a hint of acknowledgement to anyone around him, stormed back into his room, clearly upset about what had just gone down though it was unclear whether it was directed to the others or at himself.

Russia followed suit. With nothing more to say, he also left without a word but frustration clearly boiled within him. Sensing the insufferably tense atmosphere, the others decided it was best to let them be at the time. Their only hope was that whatever was happening would all blow over when the sun rose the next morning.

Unfortunately for them, that was definitely not the case.

The crowds came to life as the grand ceremony began to welcome the start of the Tournament. Astral orchestras and performances showered the stadium with music and entertainment as all the contestants from the three branches stepped into the open air where cheering fans greeted them. The stadium was incredibly decorated and the sheer excitement was nearly enough to make a person faint. EU had obviously worked himself to the bone to prepare all this but all would agree that it was worth it.

When the final performance ended, the 18 chosen countries took center stage and waited for the master of ceremonies (MC) to address them.

They didn't have to wait long before a distinguished group led by an unfamiliar woman stepped onto the stage along with them. Though none of the contestants had ever seen her before, she was strikingly familiar, especially to the Central Branch contestants.

Her slender figure was wrapped in a shimmering black dress and a silk cloak so thin it was nearly translucent yet so black that it mirrored the desolate corners of space. Her long deep indigo hair trailed behind her, adorned with a crown of stars that matched her fiery amber eyes and the glowing marks that bordered her cheeks.

'Of course,' they thought to themselves. She was the spitting image of EU, but as a woman.

The rest of the odd but dignified looking group joined her in the front and with a raise of her hand, the entire stadium dimmed to only leave the stage illuminated, silencing the crowd in an instant.

With a deep breath, she spread her arms open wide and began the opening speech. Though she held no microphone or sound amplification device, her voice traveled perfectly to all of the

spectators with crystal clear quality.

"Welcome, gracious guests of all backgrounds and distinguished countries of the world. Welcome to this year's Rankings Tournament, where nothing but spectacles, entertainment and glory await us all! I am the Council of Europe (COE), your Master of Ceremonies (MC) and Supreme Judge for this tournament and on behalf of all of us executives, I hope you have a wonderful experience!"

The crowd hollered and whooped with cheers and the woman paused to let the sound die down before continuing. "This day will mark a turning point– a new chapter in history and you will have front row seats to witness it happen! Today, everything is put on the line for these incredible participants. Each and every one of them worked diligently to stand on this stage. Please give them a round of applause!"

As asked, the stadium once again erupted in rounds of applause. The contestants themselves waved up at the stands where their friends from their home branches sat.

America was also basking in the moment, his previous stormy mood forgotten. He was back to his old, boisterous self, waving at people, flaunting his gorgeous golden smile and blowing kisses at his giant mass of fans who shrieked with delight.

Poland was basically on cloud nine as a massive, goofy smile refused to leave his face. Germany glanced at him and couldn't help but laugh at the sight. His smile was contagious.

Japan glanced around furiously, hoping to see her brother. She finally noticed him in a reserved section and by the looks of it, he was on duty as an executive official for UN. He was speaking with Switzerland, the MC's assistant, but despite being busy, he spared a moment to wave back at his beloved little sister.

Canada found his family fairly easily because they always sat in the exact same spot every time the Tournaments rolled around. As the incredibly famed family they were, they were always given some of the best seats. The only difference this time was instead of sitting up there and watching America wipe the floor with everyone, he would stand right by his side until the very end. The only thing that bothered him was no matter how hard he looked, he couldn't find Ukraine anywhere which he couldn't help but feel a bit sad about.

Russia did not wave or smile like the others who stood around him. Instead, he stared up at the crowds with wonder. This wasn't something he was used to and he couldn't make up his mind on how to feel. All he knew was it felt good in a stinging way.

From here, he could see the entirety of the Central Branch, the same people who despised him for who he was, cheering for them at the top of their lungs. His eyes wandered through the crowd aimlessly until one holler got his attention. Sitting near the front was Belarus and Kazakhstan. Behind them sat the rest of their forgotten childhood family and they had all come to watch and support their eldest brother. There were no words that could describe the intricate mess of emotions that surged in his chest but Russia managed to keep most of them concealed. He did allow a smile to push past his stony demeanor as he waved back at them.

Through the darkness, a few droplets of seemingly condensed light began to bobble to life before they began to weave together a swirling chain of stars. The crowd oohed and ahhed as this mini galaxy zoomed by right in front of their faces and guided a new beam of light towards one of the upper frames where thick velvet curtains slowly peeled apart. The stars gathered and rested in a way that three distinct forms appeared on the upper balcony.

The three starry projections of the Powers strolled to the very edge and waved to the hollering crowd, clearly amused by the little light show they had put on.

"This day was only made possible," she continued, "because of the peace, stability and unending labor  brought by our great Powers, United Nations, European Union and Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Our beautiful and safe haven is sustained by them and here we will celebrate our everlasting peace by uniting all in this stadium today. May you all find enjoyment in your victories and pride in the mistakes to overcome. Only here will you be able to compete, not for hatred or war, but for harmony and progress."

With that, COE handed off the microphone to the slender young man of the group who glistened like he was coated in a sheet of silver. Five colored rings levitated around him, two of which had a pair of floating arms protruding from them. In one hand, he held a golden feather while in the other, he held a gold leaf wreath. The man and COE exchanged places so that he could speak.

"You look so much more beautiful when you actually try to smile," he whispered to her on the way over. She only responded with a stink eye and walked to the side.

"Thank you all for coming out today and thank you, our gracious MC for a wonderful opening speech," the man smiled as his playful demeanor slipped right off his metallic, mask-like face. "I am the International Olympic Committee (IOC) or you may address me as Olympia. I will be your Master of Events and your announcer for this tournament.

"As some of us may know, this year's tournament will be like no other from past years. Instead of the 1v1 round robin point system, there will be large events that will challenge both your teamwork and individual strength. After all the team and individual points are tallied and deducted, one branch will be eliminated to leave 10 final participants of the other two branches.

"However, if an individual from the eliminated branch has more individual points than the two lowest scoring members of another branch combined, they are allowed to switch places with the lowest scoring member. At that time, we will resume the classic 1v1 final battles to decide their order in the top ten."

A holographic display simulated exactly what he said.

There were three teams of five labeled branches A,B and C (substitutes were not tallied) and each member was assigned a point number. Branch C obtained the lowest team score and was eliminated. However, the first member of Branch C obtained an individual score of 100.

In Branch B, the last two members obtained individual scores of 30 and 40. The first member of the eliminated Branch C traded places with the member in Branch B who had 30 points, allowing them to remain in the competition.

This sent a small sliver of dread down everyone's backs knowing that even if they had a good team, they could still be targeted and eliminated as individuals. How humiliating that would be.

Smirking at the little ripple of panic he had just caused, he continued with a gesture to COE, "As mentioned before, Our MC will also be acting as the Supreme Judge for the remainder of the tournament."

On cue, a magnificent scale appeared in her hands. It was made of shining gold and on closer inspection, it doubled as a sword that was currently sheathed by a scabbard that a little snake had wrapped around. Olympia tossed the feather and wreath he was holding into the air and it fluttered gently onto each side of the balancing scale.

"If at any point in the tournament, you are suspected of foul play or any other misconduct, you will have to stand before her to judge your innocence. Those who are insincere..." the crown began to sizzle as the gold leaves withered away to reveal heavy dark thorns, tipping the scale down and the scabbard vanished to reveal the wickedly sharp blade, "...might find it quite unpleasant."

With that warning out of the way, Olympia continued his speech. It went on for a while about what was expected out of the contestants, et cetera et cetera but then the tone shifted a bit as a distant rumble of thunder echoed through the stadium. America, Russia, Germany, Japan, Canada and Poland all perked up as the familiar scent of an incoming thunderstorm washed over them.

"This year has been one filled with uncertainty and tragedy, that is undoubtedly true," Olympia said, his voice laced with a new sense of solemnity. "With many uncertainties and festering conflicts emerging, we were unsure if the Tournament would go on.

"Our worlds lost two incredible beings who gave their lives to ensure our continued peace. But through that darkness, we have risen to the occasion to carry on. To stand our ground unshaken but also to honor those who have given us everything."

At this, the starry holograms of the Powers began to reform until a massive tree, blooming with gorgeous white flowers emerged from the ground.

El Salvador's memories were carved upon every petal and branch. The flowers glowed pearly white and swayed gently in the light breeze. Everyone followed as Olympia bowed his head in remembrance.

The petals scattered along with the tree to encircled them from above before fluttering down gently like snow. A single flower landed on the palm of Olympia and he placed it into an intricately decorated vase upon the small altar that materialized before them. 

From where the starry tree used to stand, the air began to flicker and bend until a single figure dressed in all white appeared. In his hand, a magnificent rifle that seemed to be formed from the essence of lightning itself. He solemnly raised the rifle that brimmed with energy and fired off three volleys of supercharged energy  straight into the clouds. Flashes of lightning rumbled overhead and shadowy figures began to peek their heads out, seemingly in mourning. Olympia winced but recovered quickly before anyone could notice.

Finland's eyes were glued to the area beside him where a shadow of Greece rested on the balcony beside him. A few other items appeared upon the altar alongside El Salvador's Amate flower, such as an intricately carved, iron black sword with a hand resting upon it and an strange green amulet, that looked like a bejeweled eyeball, with a single falcon feather laying beside it. These items were the last possessions of the other victims, Iraq and Syria respectively.

When the final rounds of lightning ceased, the shadows returned into the darkness and Greece's shadow slipped back into the rifle, finally put to rest.

"May you be remembered and loved forever."

Olympia's eyes lit up and suddenly, his upper three rings burst into multicolored flames and the stadium acted in accordance, spewing gorgeous fireworks in all sorts of shapes and colors to break apart the artificial night sky.

As the sky cleared up and the mood in the stadium began to heat up, the gleaming silver man turned to America with a sly smirk, "Before we begin, would our little former champion like to say anything?"

"Nah not feeling it today. I'll pass."

"Very well. That's probably for the best since you'd just end up saying something along the lines of, I look forward to kicking all of your asses. Am I right?"

America responded with a simple middle finger.

For the very first event, the terrain began to morph before their very eyes as a massive rainforest burst from the lifeless stone ground in the matter of seconds. A hollow, watery sphere enveloped the entire arena to mimic the hot, humid climate. A portion of the rainforest was also being pounded by a rainstorm.

America blinked a few times as this Awakening felt oddly familiar. He looked up and standing above them were the casters, appraising their handiwork. As he had thought, it was Brazil and Amazon. They noticed America staring and waved down at him with a beaming smile.

"Hey dude! Surprised to see us?"

"Yeah I am," America replied as he pointed to the massive dome of water. "Since when could you do that?!"

Brazil chuckled nervously, "Ever since I awakened. The rainforest is Amazon's natural domain since she is a nature deity but the water is my doing. Haha, did I make you think I was weak? My bad but I'm pretty sure I'm still no match for you so don't worry."

America scoffed but before he could say anything else, more attendants guided them along towards the rainforest entrance and away from the stadium edge. The stage they stood on sank into the ground and disappeared into the dirt without a trace. All of the other pairs shuffled along together while the support members and substitutes were grouped to the side.

The thick forest environment now towered high above them, hiding the unknown within its flora. Olympia and the other Tournament executives stepped into the stands, allowing Brazil to shrink the watery dome to only enclose the rainforest and the contestants.

"Dear countries, your stage is now set. We will begin shortly with the first event that I shall now explain," Olympia smiled deviously. "The very first event will be a survival game within the rainforest. You will be playing a...modified version of the game, Manhunt.

"Prove to us that the spirit of friendly rivalry burns within you. I look forward to see how high into the stars you will reach."

"I look forward to the show you'll put on again, little thieving robin."

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

omg new character debuts?

new characters who have beef with Ame and probably knows his secrets debuts?

Jolly.