The entire crowd falls into silence. All eyes are locked on the battlefield.
Lyra. Ari. Kai. Zeran. They all watch intently.
Then, Magna collapses to the ground.
But as he falls, a soft smile lingers on his face—one of pride, not defeat.
Suddenly, the silence is broken by a thunderous eruption of cheers.
"Imperial! Imperial!"
But alongside it, another chant rises—
"Magna! Magna!"
The crowd roars, not just for the victor, but for the commoner who gave them a battle to remember. The intense duel has come to an end.
Imperial stands as the winner.
The audience rises from their seats in unison, clapping and whistling in admiration—not just for the result, but for the fight itself.
They cheer even more loudly for Magna—a fighter from humble roots who stood toe-to-toe with a royal and made them feel every moment of it. His strength, grit, and strategy left a mark.
Imperial slowly walks back and takes his seat, his expression unreadable. His arm still tingles slightly from the wound, though healed. But what echoes louder than pain is the memory of the fight—the clash of wills, the close call, the eruption of Magic Waves in the heat of the moment.
From the commentary booth, the announcer speaks:
"And that concludes the final match of this round! We now have our four semi-finalists!"
He lists the names, one by one:
Zeran Drake.
Kai Alden.
Leo.
Imperial Alden.
"And here is the order of the semi-final matches!" the commentator continues.
"First Match: Kai Alden vs Leo.
Second Match: Zeran Drake vs Imperial Alden."
"For now, all contestants may receive medical check-ups if needed. Rest well, warriors—your next battles await!"
---
Imperial heads toward the medical room. Inside, he sees Magna sitting silently on one of the beds, his arm bandaged, bruises across his chest.
Magna notices him, stands up slowly, and approaches.
"...Sorry, Imperial," Magna says quietly. "I think I was just… too overconfident. No—arrogant." His voice cracks. Tears well in his eyes.
"I thought I could prove something out there, but… I lost my chance."
Imperial steps closer and places a hand on Magna's shoulder.
"Don't be so hard on yourself," he says gently. "Did you hear them? The cheers? They weren't just for me. They were for you. They loved your spirit. Your determination."
He pauses, looking Magna in the eyes.
"That… is a true victory."
Magna wipes his face, chuckles a bit. "Yeah. I guess you're right."
He extends a hand. "Alright then. Promise me—next time we meet, we duel again. Just you and me."
Imperial nods, shaking his hand firmly. "Deal."
"I guess you should go," Magna says. "Your brother's match is about to begin."
Imperial smiles. "Yeah. Thanks. Take care."
---
Imperial returns to the spectator seating.
Only Zeran is there, arms folded, watching silently.
Imperial's eyes shift toward the battlefield—
Kai and Leo stand across from each other in the center of the arena.
They don't speak, but their eyes lock. Magic churns in the air like colliding storms. The tension is palpable. The arena feels smaller under their presence.
Referee raises his hand.
"Are you ready?"
Both nod without words.
"Three…
Two…
One…
Begin!"
---
The arena trembles.
A shockwave of magic pulses out from both fighters. Spectators lean forward, eyes wide.
On the field—
Kai vanishes in a blink. A flash of lightning marks his movement.
He reappears in front of Leo, swinging his sword in a precise arc. Leo barely blocks in time with his metal club, sparks flying from the collision.
The ground cracks beneath them from the sheer force.
They leap apart, but only for a moment.
Leo slams his club into the ground.
"Stone Chain!"
Chunks of rock erupt from the ground, dancing in the air, connected by magical energy. He sends them flying toward Kai like living whips.
Kai charges forward—his blade slicing through the stone like butter, shattering them mid-air.
But Leo isn't done.
He lifts his club high and strikes the ground again.
"Earth Binding!"
The earth beneath Kai splits, locking his feet in place.
"Damn it—!" Kai grits his teeth.
Leo charges, roaring:
"Stone Devastation!"
A surge of stone energy builds at the head of his weapon, glowing violently.
He swings.
The moment feels endless—
But Kai activates Lightning Walk, vanishing just before impact.
The blow crashes into the ground, leaving a massive crater where Kai stood just seconds ago.
Dust clouds rise. Debris flies. The audience screams in excitement.
Back in the stands, Zeran's expression turns serious.
"They're not holding back," he mutters. "This fight… it's on another level."
He smirks, eyes narrowing slightly.
"Watch closely," Zeran says to Imperial. "This isn't just a match. This is a clash between two captain-level warriors."
Imperial's eyes widen.
"What?!"
Even from the stands, he can feel it—the dense energy, the way the atmosphere tightens.
He clenches his fist slowly, watching Kai leap back into the fray, sparks crackling around his body. Leo's club glows with runic patterns, stone energy rising around him like a cyclone.
The battle is just beginning, but already the difference in caliber is undeniable.
And Imperial knows...
Soon, he'll be standing in that arena too.