The second day of the elimination league phase continued with great intensity. The battle between the Rising Heroes and Jade Court had already taken a serious turn. In the first bout, Drakar had fought with everything he had, yet he was defeated by Sota. It was the first loss for the Rising Heroes in the tournament. The weight of that loss could be felt clearly among them, but it did not break their spirit. Instead, it made them more determined than ever.
Now, all eyes turned to the second bout.
Sera stepped forward slowly. She held her wand tightly in her hand. Her fingers trembled slightly, but she tried her best to hide it. Her heart was beating fast. This was her first match in the tournament, and the pressure was real. She did not want to let her team down. She did not want to be the reason they lost. At the same time, she wanted to prove to herself that she had grown stronger.
She took a deep breath and forced a small, brave smile on her face.
From the other side, Kaito walked into the arena. He looked calm, almost too calm. His grip on his spear, Yukira, was firm, and his eyes showed confidence. Unlike Sera, he showed no hesitation at all.
Ifa's energetic voice echoed through the arena, "And now, ladies and gentlemen, the second bout begins! Representing the Rising Heroes, it is Sera! And from Jade Court, the powerful ice user, Kaito!"
Shai followed in her calm tone, "Sera is known for her nature magic and support abilities, while Kaito specializes in ice-based attacks with his spear. This will be a clash of control versus power."
The referee raised his hand and then brought it down.
The match began.
Without wasting even a second, Kaito threw his spear forward with great force. It cut through the air sharply, heading straight toward Sera. The speed of the attack caught many by surprise.
But Sera reacted quickly. She raised her wand and called upon her magic. "Growing Roots."
From the ground, thick roots burst out and twisted upward, forming a barrier that deflected the incoming spear. The impact created a dull sound, but the attack was stopped.
However, Kaito was already moving.
He had rushed forward the moment he threw his spear. Using the very roots Sera created, he stepped on them and leaped into the air. In one smooth motion, he pulled his spear back into his hand.
Then, without pause, he attacked again.
"Ice Lance."
His spear became covered in spiraling ice, sharp and deadly. He threw it again with even greater force.
Sera stepped back quickly. "Verdant Hand."
The ground shook as a massive hand made of wood and leaves rose up from beneath. Its palm faced forward and blocked the incoming spear. The impact was strong, but the hand held firm.
Without hesitation, Sera commanded the hand to strike back. It moved downward, aiming to crush Kaito.
But Kaito was fast. He slid backward using his ice magic, avoiding the attack smoothly. At the same time, he used his magic to pull his spear back into his hand again.
The fight did not slow down even for a moment.
Sera attacked again with another strike from the wooden hand. This time, Kaito chose to counter.
"Fortress Breaker."
He raised his spear high and directed it forward. A powerful surge of ice energy gathered around it before it shot forward, clashing directly against the wooden hand.
The collision created a loud explosion. Leaves scattered, and mist filled the arena.
When the dust cleared, a large hole could be seen in the wooden hand.
Sera tried to repair it immediately. Her magic flowed as she attempted to regenerate the damage. But Kaito did not give her time.
He had already prepared his next attack.
"Fortress Breaker."
Another powerful strike came instantly.
Sera felt nervous for a moment. Her heart skipped a beat. But she did not hesitate.
"Verdant Hand."
Another hand rose from the ground just in time to block the attack. Still, the force was strong. Some shards of ice broke through and cut her skin.
She winced slightly, but she did not stop.
In the next moment, both the damaged hand and her own wounds began to heal. Her magic worked continuously, restoring everything.
Kaito saw this and clicked his tongue. He looked annoyed, but then he laughed.
Without stopping, he charged forward.
"Hailing Hollow."
His spear now looked even more dangerous, covered in dense ice energy. The pressure from his attack could be felt across the arena.
The audience watched in awe.
Sera responded calmly.
"Verdant Guardian."
Both of her wooden hands pressed into the ground. The arena trembled like an earthquake. Slowly, a massive wooden guardian rose from the earth. It stood tall, reaching up to its torso, its presence overwhelming.
Kaito lost his balance for a moment due to the sudden movement, but he still continued his attack.
The guardian moved.
Its hands clapped together, creating a powerful wind current that pushed Kaito away. His attack was completely nullified.
Kaito's frustration grew. His face showed clear anger now.
Once again, he used "Hailing Hollow" and charged forward. This time, he was more careful. He dodged the guardian's attacks and reached closer.
He struck.
A massive clash followed.
But only a small part of the guardian broke.
Kaito's eyes widened in shock.
Still, he did not stop.
Again and again, he attacked. Each time, he used all his strength. Each time, he managed to damage parts of the guardian, its chin, its eye, but nothing more.
What confused him the most was that Sera did not repair it.
She simply stood there, calm.
Kaito was breathing heavily now. His energy was running low.
Sera spoke gently, "Don't force yourself. You don't look good."
Kaito shouted angrily, "Shut up you trash! You are out of magic too! That's why you're not healing it!"
Sera tried to reply, "But you don't..."
"Hailing Hollow!"
He charged again.
This time, Sera gave a new command.
"Guardian's Fury."
A beam of energy fired from the guardian's palm. Kaito dodged it, but the beam followed him.
He pushed through and attacked again.
But this time, the other hand of the guardian grabbed him completely.
It tightened its grip.
Kaito struggled, but he had no strength left.
Finally, in pain, he shouted that he gave up.
The match ended.
For a moment, the entire arena was silent. Even Ifa did not speak.
Everyone had just witnessed something unexpected. Shai poked Ifa's arm. Then slowly, Ifa raised his voice, "The winner of this bout… is Sera!"
The crowd erupted in cheers.
Ifa scratched his head slightly and laughed, still in disbelief, "That… that was something else. I mean, we've seen power, we've seen speed, but that right there… that was control at its finest."
Shai nodded gently, her eyes still fixed on the battlefield where the remnants of the Verdant Guardian slowly crumbled away into leaves and dust. "Yes… Sera showed incredible composure. She didn't rush, she didn't panic. She understood her opponent and let him exhaust himself. That kind of thinking… is rare."
Shai added calmly, "What an incredible performance. No one expected this."
Sera walked toward Kaito and offered her hand to help him up.
He refused and walked away silently.
Sera had already stepped away from the battlefield.
Her breathing was slightly heavy now. Even though she had stayed calm during the fight, it still took a lot out of her. Her hands trembled a little as the adrenaline slowly faded. But before she could even think too much, Lila rushed forward and hugged her tightly.
"You were amazing!" Lila said with a wide smile, her voice full of excitement.
Sera blinked a few times, surprised, before smiling softly. "I… I just did what I could…"
Doran laughed loudly, placing his heavy hand gently on her shoulder. "What you did? That was insane! That big wooden giant thing? That was crazy!"
Drakar, standing beside them, simply gave a nod. But that nod carried respect. "You controlled the fight perfectly."
Fizzle floated around Sera happily, spinning in the air. "You were so cool! So cool! I want to do that too someday!"
Sera couldn't help but feel her heart warm. The nervousness she had before the fight slowly disappeared, replaced by quiet happiness. She had done it. She had not let her team down.
---
On the other side, in the Jade Court's tunnel, things felt very different.
Kaito walked slowly, his steps slightly unsteady. His body was tired, his magic drained, and his mind… frustrated.
He clenched his fist.
He had underestimated her.
As he walked deeper into the tunnel, he noticed someone standing ahead. A figure, calm and composed.
Kaito stopped.
His eyes widened slightly.
"Aren't you the prince... "
Before he could finish, the figure stepped forward.
It was Adrian.
He had a gentle smile on his face, but his eyes… were sharp.
"I was watching your match," Adrian said calmly. "You're strong. Very strong. That kind of destructive power isn't easy to achieve."
Kaito frowned slightly, unsure how to respond.
Adrian then placed his hand on Kaito's shoulder.
At that moment, the air around them changed.
It became heavy.
Tense.
Kaito felt it instantly. His body stiffened. His breath caught slightly.
Adrian leaned in a little closer and whispered near his ear, his voice still calm… but carrying something dangerous.
"You call Sera trash again…" he paused for a second, "…and I will make sure you don't leave this kingdom in one piece."
Kaito's eyes widened.
Before he could react, Adrian stepped back.
And smiled again, as if nothing had happened.
"Understood?"
Kaito swallowed silently.
Adrian nodded once and walked away, leaving Kaito standing there, still processing what just happened.
---
Back in the arena, the atmosphere had fully returned.
The crowd was still buzzing from the last match, talking loudly, discussing what they had just witnessed.
Ifa raised his voice again, bringing everyone's attention back.
"Ladies and gentlemen! What a second bout that was! The Rising Heroes have tied it up!"
Shai followed, "Yes, with one win each, it all comes down to the final bout. This will decide the outcome of the match."
The tension began to build once again.
People leaned forward in their seats.
Eyes fixed on the arena.
This was it.
The final fight.
Ifa spread his arms dramatically. "Everything comes down to this! Who will take the victory? Who will secure the points?"
Shai took a small breath before announcing, "The third and final bout… will decide everything."
The gates on both sides slowly began to open.
The arena fell quiet again.
Everyone waited.
The next fighters were about to step in.
And with that, the battle between the Rising Heroes and Jade Court was about to reach its conclusion.