"In that case, I'll trouble you."
After getting the King's consent, Lakyus entrusted Vier with the task of resurrecting the Warrior Captain.
After all, resurrection magic consumed a good deal of Lakyus's magic power, and considering the second match was about to begin, having more magic power wouldn't be a bad thing.
"Royal Tournament, second match! Please, both teams, enter the arena!"
At this moment, the announcer's voice rang out.
Lakyus looked at her companions beside her, an encouraging smile on her face. Although their chances of winning this match might still be slim, they still needed to boost their morale. "Everyone, let's go!"
"Oh!"
"Alright!"
The burly Gaguran immediately picked up her great hammer, responding to Lakyus's words.
The five men beside her also echoed; they were also participants entrusted by the King to join this competition, an Adamantite-ranked Adventurer team.
Of course, in this match, they were only serving as support; the main fighting force was Blue Rose, led by Lakyus.
The ten people slowly walked out of the camp and entered the center of the arena.
Lakyus focused her gaze on the other side, waiting for the opponents they were about to fight.
It should be the Tiger Knights team, right?
Lakyus guessed, still feeling a chill recalling their previous battle.
Just a five-person Tiger Knights team could display such combat power; if it were ten people, they probably wouldn't even have room to dodge.
To be honest, if not for her friendship with the princess, Lakyus would definitely not participate in this doomed battle.
And Lock's previous act of killing the Warrior Captain—did it also indicate that this match would be a deathmatch where participants' lives were at stake?
If that were the case, she would choose to surrender if necessary.
Just as she was lost in thought, Lock's representative appeared.
Hmm?
Not only Lakyus and the other combatants, but also the spectators on the edge of the arena were very surprised.
A blonde girl, wearing a dress and a large magic hat, walked towards them.
She exuded a lively aura, and a kind smile graced her adorable face.
"Hi! Hello everyone!"
The girl greeted Lakyus and the others enthusiastically, gently waving her white-gloved hand.
"Uh… Hello! Lady Catherine!" Having witnessed Lock's cunning, Lakyus found the girl's gentleness a bit hard to adjust to. Were these two really siblings?
Yes, the representative from Lock's side was none other than his sister, Catherine.
"Excuse me, are you here alone?"
"Hmm~ Although Older brother also arranged other teammates, I think it's too much trouble, and so many people aren't necessary." Catherine gently tapped her finger on her lips, thought for a moment, and then a confident smile appeared on her face. "After all, I'm very strong too, and it's time to show my older brother that I can stand on my own."
Looking at her energetic appearance, Lakyus was at a loss for words.
Although Catherine herself might not have meant it, wasn't she underestimating Lakyus and her team too much?
"In that case, let us experience Lady Catherine's strength. As fellow Adamantite-ranked Adventurers of the Kingdom, we, Blue Rose, have long admired you," Lakyus said with a light chuckle, a fighting spirit slowly burning in her green eyes.
"Our Dragon God team too," the captain of the Adamantite-ranked Adventurer team, who was just there to make up the numbers, chimed in.
"Then let's begin!"
Catherine nodded and raised her heart-shaped staff.
Although the team battle had turned into a solo fight for Catherine against two Adventurer teams, the announcer of the match didn't seem to mind at all and directly declared the start of the match.
"Match start!"
With the command, Lakyus's two teams immediately spread out, surrounding Catherine.
Gaguran, Tia, Vier, and another sword warrior immediately charged at Catherine. In the rear of the battle, Lakyus and another priest immediately cast buffing magic on the four.
"Even if there are many people, I won't be afraid."
Catherine waved her magic staff, and summoning magic circles appeared simultaneously in four directions: front, back, left, and right. "Intermediate Elemental Squad Summon!"
Four elemental spirits, roughly the size of humans, slowly emerged from the magic circles. The wind and fire spirits floated in the air, Catherine, while the water and earth spirits guarded her on both sides.
The first to reach Catherine was Gaguran, wielding a great hammer. She raised her weapon high and brought it down fiercely on the earth spirit blocking her path.
Thump!
The earth spirit condensed a two-meter-high giant shield in its hands, completely covering its body. Gaguran's great hammer struck the shield, which was made of aggregated earth, producing a sound like metal clashing.
Gaguran, pushed back a step by the recoil, was secretly alarmed. The level of this elemental spirit was probably not low. Although earth spirits were inherently good at defense, her warhammer was a weapon enchanted with magic power, and this was the first time she had seen anything that could withstand her attack.
The earth elemental only blocked Gaguran; she still had other teammates.
The sword warrior had also arrived by Catherine's side, but she didn't even spare him a glance. This indifferent attitude immediately infuriated the sword warrior.
"Martial Art: Slash!" the sword warrior roared, swinging his longsword and leaping to strike the opponent.
Such reckless behavior made one truly wonder how he became an Adamantite-ranked Adventurer.
The wind spirit floating beside Catherine extended its palm towards the sword warrior, and a basketball-sized elemental wind orb shot out, precisely hitting him and blasting the warrior away.
Catherine's silver eyes gently shifted. She raised her staff and softly uttered, "Lightning Shield!"
A lightning-infused protective shield immediately enveloped her. Almost at that instant, two figures appeared close to her, one with an enchanted dagger aiming for her back, and another for her fair neck.
Clang!
The daggers struck the protective shield, and electricity immediately surged along the weapons, transmitting to Tia and Tina's arms. Both reacted quickly, immediately withdrawing.
At the same time, roaring dragon lightning and a massive explosive fireball attacked Catherine. It was Ibiruei and another Magic Caster who had made their move.
Facing the two attacks, Catherine immediately commanded the earth elemental in front of her to raise an earthen wall to block. Although the wall was instantly pulverized by the magic power, it caused her no harm.
"Hm~" As a powerful Magic Caster, Catherine immediately counterattacked. After a moment's thought, she aimed her staff at Lakyus and the others on the edge of the battle circle. "Magic Effect Expansion: Minor Meteor Shower!"
Small orbs of light, about fifty in number, began to condense in the air around her head. After a brief pause, they shot out like meteors, attacking the non-warrior members on the outer layer.
"Watch out!"
Lakyus shouted, grasping her magic sword and beginning to maneuver to dodge. What she didn't expect was that ten of the light orbs, which should have fallen directly to the ground according to their trajectory, seemed to have eyes and curved directly towards her.
"What?!"
Although the Minor Meteor Shower magic was only a fourth-tier spell, by consuming additional power, it could achieve a guaranteed hit effect.
At Lakyus's speed, the light orbs couldn't catch up to her for a while, but the members of the other team didn't have her agility.
The Magic Caster and priest of the Dragon God Adventurers team, seeing that they couldn't dodge, immediately cast a protective skill on themselves, attempting to make a last stand.
But unfortunately, fourth-tier magic was already the limit for normal humans. Their defenses were as fragile as paper in front of the minor meteors, and they were directly injured by the explosive energy, falling heavily to the ground.
"Rock!"
"Barry!"
The captain of the Dragon God team and another ranger, who were still dodging the pursuing light orbs, were suddenly greatly alarmed. But there was no need for them to worry; in that moment of distraction, they were struck by the light orbs attacking from both front and back, and fell to the ground.
In the blink of an eye, the Adamantite-ranked Adventurers who were just making up the numbers were all wiped out, a whole family neatly arranged.
Seeing the situation, Lakyus stopped running, immediately halted her steps, and gripped her magic sword with both hands. As magic power was injected, the sword's blade rapidly expanded.
With a powerful swing, an energy explosion appeared in mid-air, engulfing all the pursuing meteor light orbs and completely neutralizing them.
On the other side, Ibiruei used a crystal barrier to block the light orbs attacking her, suffering no damage.
"This is bad!"
Lakyus pointed her sword at Catherine, who was thoroughly protected by the elemental spirits, and couldn't help but frown.
She then saw the opponent suddenly wave her staff and shout to the spectators outside the arena: "Hey! Someone come and carry them away for healing!"
Lakyus paused slightly, quickly took two steps to the nearest Magic Caster of the Dragon God team, and checked on him. Although he was severely injured and bloody by the light orb magic, he was not in immediate danger of death.
"So that's it, she deliberately controlled the magic's power, didn't she? Although she's that guy's sister, she's surprisingly a good person." Looking at Catherine, who was still shouting nearby, Lakyus couldn't help but smile faintly.
Perhaps this match wasn't as cruel as she had thought; at least her companions wouldn't be in mortal danger.
This small interlude didn't last long. As all members of the Dragon God team left the arena, the battle still had to continue.
"What should we do? That earth elemental beside her will probably be hard to eliminate quickly, won't it?" Gaguran gripped her warhammer with both hands, her eyes fixed on the opponent, asking Lakyus for a strategy.
Tia chimed in, "Her strange magic shield is also very troublesome. We probably can't attack her."
"…For now, we'll take it one step at a time." Lakyus also had no good ideas and could only hope to find the opponent's weakness during the battle.
At this moment, the short Ibiruei suddenly said, "You all help me tie down those four elemental spirits and create an opportunity for me to fight her one-on-one."
"Is that really a good idea?"
"It's the only way."
Lakyus was silent for a while, but finally made up her mind. She would entrust the hope of victory to Ibiruei; after all, she was the strongest being in Blue Rose.
"Then let's go!!!"
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A/N: Advance Chapter Has Been Uploaded. Please Check It Out. It will really help me out and will keep me motivated to continue.
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