The first trial begins in a roaring colosseum divided into glass-domed enclosures, with Oraya trapped alongside several other contestants, including Raihn, Kiretta, a Bloodborn vampire, and multiple Hiaj fighters. Before Oraya can understand the rules, monstrous demonlike creatures attack, tearing one contestant apart. When a Bloodborn competitor uses blood magic to briefly freeze Oraya in place, she barely survives by driving one of Vincent's poisoned swords into a demon's mouth and learns that the poison can hurt them, though not kill them outright.

As the fight continues, the demons overwhelm the group. Raihn proves to be a powerful swordsman, Kiretta's shadow magic slows the creatures only slightly, and a Rishan archer's attacks have little effect. The Bloodborn contestant is killed after a demon bites him, and Oraya notices strange signs around that death: a red mist, a burning sensation on her skin, and behavior that suggests the monsters are using blood magic themselves.

Watching the battle more closely, Oraya sees Raihn unfurl feathered wings and realizes he is Nightborn and therefore Rishan. More importantly, she notices that one demon flinches when Raihn strikes another in the ribs. From that reaction, the Bloodborn magic, and the demons' almost human cries, Oraya deduces that these are not ordinary demons but transfigured Bloodborn vampires connected like a pack. She reasons that one marked creature may be the original or leader, and that killing its heart could be the only way to stop the rest.

Oraya tries to communicate her insight to Raihn and directs him toward the marked demon with a white spot between its eyes. Raihn understands and helps pin the creature with his sword while Oraya forces her way into the pack to strike its heart. Just as she drops to make the killing blow, an arrow slams into her thigh, knocking her down. The chapter ends with Oraya wounded on the sand as all the demons converge on her.