Thirstfall - Memory of a Returnee

The magic camera finds Rahul Sharma at the top of the south tower.

The box rises above the stands, ringed by narrow columns and shaded by a dark awning. Rahul sits in his wheelchair, the glass cane resting across his legs, his assistant positioned behind him. When his image takes over the suspended screens, he lifts a hand to the crowd.

Rahul waves with practiced humility. He financed this event to hear his own name.

The announcer’s voice crosses the Oathring.

"Before we present this morning’s matches, Azure Prime must thank the man whose generosity made this spectacle possible. Investor, patron of the Academy, and friend of the royal house: Mr. Rahul Sharma!"

’Patron of the Academy?’

The crowd’s reaction sets the platforms shaking. Rahul keeps that serene smile while thousands of people feed his ego at once.

"Without Mr. Sharma’s kindness, none of what we’ll see today would be possible!"

Rahul’s kindness always arrives with a contract, interest, and witnesses to confirm the debt. Which is rarely paid in money.

The screens switch to the event card. The announcer runs through the preliminary matches, reserved for lesser-known teams, then moves to the main card. Names, images, and odds rise above the arena as each group is announced.

When he reaches the headline act, the lights around the field dim.

"And closing out today’s grand event, the return of the man who turned this Oathring into his home only a week ago!"

My image appears on the screens.

[Hadal Notoriety +16]

’Damn it. This is going too far.’

Then come the clips from the fight against Cassio. Royal Sailfish crossing the field, Eventide slamming against the halberd, and the moment the crowd started chanting my arena name.

"You remember! Seven days ago, Uncle Den faced Cassio Veil in a life-or-death battle and walked out of this arena with a victory all of Azure Prime is still talking about!"

The screen shows Oliver, Rhayne, and Veric beside me on that same day, right after Zhang Xi’s healing.

"Today he returns with a full squad to face a team assembled especially for this occasion!"

I wait for the names.

They don’t come.

"The identity of his opponents stays secret until the gates open!"

The cheering swallows the whole arena. The crowd loves it. I don’t.

Surprises sell tickets, but they guarantee only one side gets to prepare.

I cut away from the spectator traffic and head back to the coach. The panels are still shut, watched by House Azurea men. Leona is discussing something with Zhang Xi at the rear doors while a runic projection is assembled above the curved roof.

"On my signal," I say as I come closer.

Leona checks the projection’s position before turning her eyes to me. "Leave it with us, my disaster. When you want the arena’s attention, we’ll take whatever’s left over."

Zhang Xi confirms with a nod. She’s still hiding part of what she planned, but the way she’s organizing the area shows she’s already calculated the timing of the demonstration.

I gather the squad and head for the tower.

The entrance sits at the south edge of the Oathring, guarded by private men and far from the corridors the competitors use. One of them crosses his spear in front of the passage as we approach.

"Access restricted to Mr. Sharma’s guests."

"Dryden Sands."

The guard, a Rank B Diver, checks with someone on his comm. The name takes a few moments to produce a result, but his posture changes the second the confirmation lands.

"Mr. Sands. Go up."

The stairway curves along the inside of the tower until it reaches the box. The noise of the crowd fades as we climb, replaced by the sound of private screens and staff carrying trays between guests.

Rahul greets us before we even cross the entrance.

"Mr. Sands. What a pleasant surprise. I imagined you’d spend the minutes before your fight hidden in some corridor, repeating orders until your companions started to resent you."

The table beside his chair is covered with fruit, bread, hot meat, tea, and cold drinks. Other Divers occupy the box, some at the railing, others talking in small groups.

"I appreciate the hospitality, Mr. Sharma, but we only came to talk."

"Conversations go better when nobody’s hungry. Help yourselves to whatever you like."

"We’re fine."

"I’ll take something," Rhayne says beside me.

I look at her.

Rhayne touches one of the violet earrings before explaining. "You called me out early to cross an entire market and never let me stop to eat."

Rahul smiles and signals his assistant. "In that case, Miss Vesper, it would be a pleasure to correct your leader’s negligence."

I brought three people here to put pressure on him. One of them just ordered breakfast.

While the assistant arranges the order, I run my eyes across the box. I recognize a few faces from the Oathring circuit and others who built reputations in the past. Two of them are geared for combat, though their fights haven’t appeared on the screens yet.

Rahul catches me measuring the room.

"I imagine you’d like to meet some of my guests. They’re fighters scheduled for today, same as you. I like to host the people responsible for the success of my investments."

So some of these Divers could be our opponents.

A tall man in light armor with two short blades watches Oliver closely. Nearer the railing, a white-haired woman keeps a spear strapped to her back and tracks Rhayne every time she moves.

"Which of them faces my squad?" I ask.

Rahul rests a hand on the cane.

"You climbed my tower to remove the one surprise the public hasn’t been given yet. That would be discourteous to everyone who paid to watch."

"The other team knows our names, our weapons, and our formation."

"Consider it compensation for the pleasure of being the main attraction."

He turns his attention to the arena just as the announcer calls the first match.

"The battle’s starting, Mr. Sands. It would be a shame to waste this view arguing about the next act before its time."

Rhayne’s tray arrives. There are utensils and plates, but she takes a roll stuffed with meat and vegetables and stands near the railing, eating while she watches the two teams enter the field.

I move closer to her. "Don’t fill your stomach. You still have to fight."

Rhayne turns her face to me with her cheeks full and raises one finger, asking me to wait. She chews with an irritated expression until she manages to swallow.

"I know. I’m just having breakfast."

I go back toward Rahul before she decides to prove some point using the rest of the tray.

The barrier rises, and the first clash of metal echoes up to the tower. One team pushes through the center while the other tries to close the flanks. The crowd reacts to every impact, and the screens cycle angles over the arena.

Rahul follows the fight with genuine interest. When a blade passes an inch from one competitor’s face, he leans forward.

"Oh. A few more centimeters and that boy would have left his ear on the field."

The fight goes on, but some of the guests are still watching my squad instead of the arena.

A notification surfaces on the guild forum.

[NEW REPORT — RICHARD BOULEVARD]

I open the message.

Back with the extra potions. Brought everything that was ready, but the movement around the coach has picked up. What do you want to do with this stock?

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