The melee began in earnest.  Flesh ripped, cloth flew, weapons scraped against one another, and blood spattered into the thirsty sand.  A number of relics, with powers as distinct and far-ranging as those poor Evokers who wielded them, wrought special havoc.  Their use demanded a somewhat more defensive bloodbath than one might normally expect from such a barbaric sport, since each so-called demon needed to figure out the others' abilities and work around them, lest their lives be extinguished by some gimmick.  It was a task that demanded constant vigilance, yet amid the murderous chaos, a pair of eyes lay not on his fellows.

Harold shook his head, more than dubious, as one of the Evokers called forth blasts of flame against Kheris himself.  [i]Fool.  Do you think he would be out here if not completely assured of his safety?  Even if we can see this tyrant face-to-face, that does not make him vulnerable.[/i]  It was with resignation, however, that Harold realized a moment later that Kheris appeared to have no particular tricks up his sleeve; he simply remained and withstood the burning onslaught, unfazed.  “What a monster,” the foreign scholar bemoaned, making sure to keep his voice low.  With a morose look on his face he watched as the executioner appointed by Kheris appeared and swelled to enormous size.  Though he'd known it already, Harold couldn't help ruminate over how the god-king's society functioned.  [i]Since magic is gone from the world, such a feat is only accomplished by a relic.  Since both are Evokers, what is the difference between a god and a demon?  Only Kheris' say-so.  This realm's law has no principles—just the whim of the powerful.[/i]  The over-the-top spectacle ended with somewhat anticlimactic suddenness, with the son of Kheris crushing the offender beneath his heel.  The other warriors of the arena had ceased fighting, meanwhile, and backed as far away from the colossus as they could.  So truncated was the supposedly terrifying execution that Harold almost needed to stifle a chuckle. 

What came next, however, made Harold freeze in place, for it was no joke.  The tyrant announced that his nation would be going to war, not just with one enemy, but with all the world...a global conquest.  When Harold recovered a few moments later, releasing his breath in a wheeze somewhat like a sigh, he  bore an expression of amusement rather than grimness.  “So it's war, then.”  That meant mission complete, though in an odder fashion than Harold would have ever anticipated.  To declare global war not with a crippling surprise attack but over a bloody colosseum, with a day for rumors to fly before the first attacks even began...it beggared belief.  While Harold knew for certain that Kalnach recognized Kheris as a threat, he could not imagine that the other nations remained ignorant of either his ambition or his barbarity, and his intention of conquering them all would, if backed up by an attack on Elenoir, make nothing more apt than a temporary alliance between every other power with the soul purpose of putting Kheris down.

Pausing for a moment in his contemplation, Harold made a start toward the nearest exit, thinking, [i]I'll need to round up Levi and Flora before heading straight home with the news.  To think that Kheris himself would eliminate the need for subterfuge.[/i]  With plans set, however, he could continue to ponder the god-king's plan, finding the cracks deeper and broader with every moment.  [i]If he means to topple each nation, he'll need to minimize his losses and shorten his campaigns, lest his forces deplete or his enemies' strength grow overwhelming.  That means hitting each target one-by-one with all he's got.  Which means all the others would be able to rally their strength in the meanwhile, and possibly assault Kheris' domain itself while his army is away.  If he split his forces between attacking and defending, there's no way he could take down the other powers decisively.[/i]  He wanted to laugh.  [i]What could he even do if he gained some ground?  His people might be brainwashed, but the other countries know him for what he is.  He could not possibly maintain any control over such a massive area, and even if he and his family are strong, they cannot be everywhere at once.[/i]

He would have plenty to think about, and plenty of time to think about it.  For now, an obstacle had reared its head before him.  At the gate he approached, a few guards stood watch where none stood watch before.  Their thorough scrutiny of every person seeking to leave had already created a bottleneck, even though the majority of the crowd stayed behind to continue watching the blood sport.  Harold wagered that he knew who their targets were.  Given the unpredictable powers of relics, an arena fighter might have conceivably been able to make a run for it, and Kheris clearly meant to allow no 'Demon' the slightest chance at escape.  To his fortune, however, Harold had thought ahead.  Only a fool would have marked himself as a member of the dominion's most fanatically hated and persecuted caste.  Furthermore, he carried no incriminating evidence of being an intelligence agent of Kalnach, aside from his skin and clothes, which he did hope with some feverishness would not be enough.  

There was nothing for him to fear, so he strode up to the guards with no hint of trepidation or something amiss.  After making sure to study the reactions of the few civilians that preceded him in line, he followed in turn.  As a foreigner, he made sure to be a touch more surprised.  “Oh, inspection?  Yes, sirs.”  He gave no hesitation or resistance, allowing himself to be searched over.