At the referee's announcement, both the audience and the waiting room fell completely silent—not a single sound could be heard.
The silence was so deep that even Zarek's heavy breathing became painfully clear.
It lasted only a moment before erupting into a thunderous roar from the entire crowd.
The second match had unfolded and ended in a way no one had expected.
The display of technique and magic far surpassed what should have been possible for contestants of their age—especially Tris.
This was no longer the level of an ordinary genius.
People felt as if they were witnessing the birth of a legendary Mage—one who would leave an indelible mark on human history.
In the stands, discussions about the match and the two contestants spread endlessly. It had truly felt like an early final.
At the judges' seats, Veylor wore a quiet, contemplative expression.
Elder Orin looked at Arven with unconcealed envy.
Meanwhile, only Arven himself carried a burden he could not share. His worries had only grown heavier after the match. He let out a long, weary sigh…
* * * * * * * * * *
The ones most affected by the result were the contestants themselves.
In the waiting room, they were all talking excitedly.
"Hey, did anyone here actually see what happened after the smoke covered everything?"
"I couldn't see anything after that."
"Same here."
"I have a magic for observation, but I'm not completely sure.
At first, I saw Zarek's puppet launch a ranged attack at Tris, but it got blocked by a stone wall. After that, the view was almost completely obscured by all the walls popping up," Another contestant explained.
"Daren, could your magic eye see anything?"
The girl hesitated briefly before answering:
"Yes. After Zarek launched that long-range attack, he also moved into Tris's side of the field and began preparing a magic, just like you all saw at the end.
Since he was the one who released the smoke, he definitely had some way to observe—but it seems the boy used it against him somehow.
Those stone walls weren't for defense—they were to hide his approach.
At the exact moment Zarek activated 'Earth Wave,' the boy suddenly dashed out from behind a nearby wall and slit his throat with a knife.
He moved so fast and so stealthily that I barely caught a glimpse of him.
I'd bet even Zarek himself didn't understand what happened before he went down."
Hearing Daren's explanation, the surrounding contestants all went pale.
What the hell—who taught that kid to use a knife like that? Are we even supposed to survive against him?
Everyone here was happily competing with magics, and this one guy pulls out a blade and starts assassinating people—how is anyone supposed to keep playing?
Lira looked toward Tris, who was still on the arena floor, her face filled with despair. She already knew there was no point dreaming about the championship anymore.
No one pitied her—because even those who hadn't fought yet were thinking the same thing.
Win the first round… and then what?
To become a champion, you'd eventually have to face that thing.
And let's not forget—second place got you nothing.
The contestants here were all highly skilled. And the higher their level, the more terrifying Tris's performance appeared.
Masterful puppet control, integration of combat techniques, multitasking ability, deception through misdirection, exploiting the enemy's plan, assassination techniques…
Not a single one of these was something a seven-year-old should possess.
What were they doing at seven years old? Probably catching crabs or digging for insects.
Ironically, the very thing that had first impressed everyone—his ability to create a puppet—was perhaps what he did worst.
At this point, no one believed they could defeat the monster disguised as a child down there.
Their confidence shattered—just like Zarek's puppet.
* * * * * * * * * *
'Zarek is strong. I ended up revealing more than I intended, even though this was only the first match.'
Tris quietly evaluated himself after the battle.
That was not good.
His principle had always been to grow quietly and avoid standing out as much as possible.
If not for the valuable reward, there was no way he would have chosen to fight in broad daylight under so many watchful eyes.
Letting out a tired sigh, he slowly left the arena, reviewing the match to see where he could improve for the next rounds.
Near the end, when Zarek released the poisonous smoke, Tris was certain his opponent was using some form of detection magic. Anyone could guess that—the difficult part was figuring out exactly which one.
From Rina's earlier introduction, Zarek specialized in Wind and Earth magic. So Tris narrowed down the possibilities accordingly.
He then tested his hypothesis—raising walls, changing positions, even placing a rock of similar size and weight as a decoy.
By analyzing Zarek's reactions and movements through his Space magic, "Eye From Nothingness", he deduced the exact magic and set his trap.
At that stage, there had likely been no better counter.
However, for the final blow, perhaps he should have used magic instead to reduce attention.
He had worried that ordinary magic might lack lethality or stealth, so he resorted to a combat technique for assassination to ensure success.
But at this level, it might have been excessive—and brought unnecessary drawbacks.
Balancing minimal effort with optimal results was exhausting. He sighed again.
"Hey Tris, you must be tired. Here, have some water."
Out of nowhere, Rina appeared, smiling brightly as she handed him a water pouch.
After two seconds of silence, he looked down at the pouch, then back at her smiling face. No matter how he looked at it, something felt suspicious.
"It doesn't contain a laxative or anything, right?" - He asked calmly, eyes full of doubt.
'Laxative my ass! Do I look like someone who'd give that to others? Even if I may have done it before… no, that's not the point! I kindly brought you water, and this is the look you give me?!' She fumed internally (╬▔皿▔)╯
The truth was, after witnessing his methods up close as a referee, she had realized just how dangerous the boy was.
It was far better to befriend him than stand against him.
'Who was it that added fuel to the fire earlier? Definitely not me. Rina is a kind, beautiful girl loved by everyone. Anyone who says otherwise is just jealous.' (￣へ￣)
In the end, even as he walked away, Tris kept glancing back at her—like he expected a knife to come flying at his back the moment he turned around.
The tournament continued afterward, though many contestants chose to withdraw.
And unsurprisingly—
The final victor was Tris.