Although Katerina was stunned by the complete lack of damage to his opponent's body, she did not give up. Still within striking distance, she immediately launched another attack with her claws, this time using even greater force in the hope of achieving a different result.
She knew that, thanks to her overwhelming speed advantage, Caesar would not yet have time to counterattack.
This time, rather than attempting a slashing strike, Katerina clenched her fingers—each covered by razor-sharp wooden claws—until her hand took on the shape of a spear.
Without hesitation, she thrust forward.
The attack possessed enough penetrating power to bore a hole clean through a large mountain.
Yet even this strike failed.
It could not pierce the Roman general's armor. In fact, it failed to leave so much as the slightest scratch.
But there was something strange about the situation.
And it went beyond the fact that it should have been physically impossible for what appeared to be ordinary armor—even exceptionally high-quality armor—to remain completely unharmed by such an attack.
The truly bizarre part was that Katerina's claws had also emerged completely unscathed.
Under normal circumstances, striking an object with such force and failing to penetrate it should have at least slightly dulled the claws.
They would not have broken—their durability was far too high for that—but some degree of wear should have been visible. Not that it would have mattered. Katerina could regenerate them almost instantly.
Yet there was absolutely nothing.
No scratches.
No blunting.
No signs of impact whatsoever.
It was as though she had never attacked at all. And yet she was certain her claws had made contact with Caesar's armor.
This had to be the effect of Hero Caesar's History Magic.
'It seems somewhat similar to the History Magic used by King Demetrius who fought Lady Aurola two days ago…' Katerina thought. 'Does that mean Hero Caesar has become invincible? And has he been invincible since the very beginning of the match?!'
Fortunately, the sheer absurdity of what had just happened shocked her enough to suppress the predatory mindset induced by Natural Predator, allowing her usual calm and rational thought process to reassert itself.
'No. The second possibility makes no sense.' She immediately rejected the idea. 'If he had already been invincible from the beginning, many of his actions during the opening stages of the battle would have been completely pointless.' Her mind raced. 'Besides, he himself stated that his History Magic requires certain conditions before it can activate. Those conditions are probably connected to the three strange words he has spoken throughout this match—'
Her train of thought was abruptly interrupted. Caesar's counterattack had finally arrived.
With his golden-yellow sword, he thrust toward her leg. The attack did not appear particularly fast. Nor did it seem especially powerful.
A strike like that should not even have been capable of scratching her.
Still, Katerina decided to dodge.
She still had no idea whether the apparent invincibility Caesar had gained was the sole effect of his History Magic.
Quickly pulling her right leg backward, she easily avoided the thrust. The blade passed harmlessly beneath it.
Or at least...
That was what should have happened.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her right leg. Katerina immediately looked down.
Her eyes widened.
Caesar's sword had completely pierced her thigh. The blade protruded from the opposite side of her leg.
A shocked cry escaped the lips of the normally composed maid.
"What?!"
She was absolutely certain the sword had never touched her. She had watched it pass beneath her leg. And yet reality itself seemed to have rewritten what had occurred. In this new version of events, her leg had been pierced.
And as shocking as that was, another impossibility demanded attention.
Caesar's sword had passed through the wooden armor generated by Natural Predator as though it were nothing more than soft butter. Given the speed and force behind the thrust, it should have struggled to penetrate even ordinary iron armor. Yet the armor created by Natural Predator was durable enough to withstand—even if damaged—a direct hit from Katerina's own Energy of Nature spell.
Nothing about what had just happened made sense.
Not to Katerina.
Not to the spectators.
Not to practically anyone present.
But Caesar gave her no time to analyze the situation.
Before she could even begin to fall, the Hero of Leore elegantly withdrew his sword from her right thigh and immediately aimed for her left.
As he moved, he spoke in a regal and unwavering voice devoid of arrogance.
"I am sorry, Lady Katerina, but the moment I spoke the first word of this encounter, the die was cast."
"And a moment ago, my victory was sealed."
It happened again.
Katerina shifted her left leg aside to evade the attack. She was completely certain she had avoided it. And yet, for some inexplicable reason, Caesar's blade still pierced her left thigh.
The pain exploded through her body.
Then the Roman general withdrew his sword once more.
Only then was Queen Alberia's personal maid finally allowed to collapse to the ground.
The moment she hit the ground, Katerina immediately tried to put as much distance as possible between herself and the Hero.
She had not surrendered yet, but she needed time—time to analyze what had just happened and understand the nature of Caesar's History Magic.
Unfortunately, her severely wounded legs made even walking an ordeal. As she descended the slope of the crater, enduring the searing pain as best she could, her weakened legs finally gave way beneath her, causing her to stumble and tumble down part of the crater.
Even then, she refused to give up.
Grimacing through the pain, she forced herself back to her feet and continued moving, determined to get as far away from Caesar as possible.
But with one of her greatest advantage—her speed—now gone, escape was impossible.
Galloping atop his Horse Golem, Caesar caught up to her almost instantly.
He dismounted in one smooth motion and lowered the tip of his sword toward the throat of the now nearly crawling Katerina.
Then, in a regal and commanding voice that nevertheless carried a note of magnanimity, he declared:
"Katerina, personal maid of the queen of this kingdom, I hereby declare my victory in this match. Therefore, I ask you to acknowledge it and surrender. I see no purpose in continuing this fight."
The beast-like armor covering Katerina's body vanished.
In its place remained only a patchwork of intertwined branches covering the areas necessary to preserve her modesty.
Another drawback of the Natural Predator spell was its immense mana consumption.
With the little mana she had left, Katerina could not have maintained the spell for more than another two minutes regardless.
For several long seconds, a determined and defiant expression remained on her face as she stared directly into Caesar's eyes.
The entire arena fell silent. Not a single voice could be heard.
Then a long, heavy sigh escaped the lips of Queen Alberia's personal maid.
The stubborn determination faded from her face, replaced by her usual calm, professional composure, accompanied by the gentle kindness that almost always seemed present in the lynx beastkin's expression.
Then, in that same calm voice, she said:
"Yes, you are right, Mr. Caesar. I surrender."
She paused briefly.
"The victory in this match is yours."
Upon hearing those words, the Roman Hero calmly sheathed his sword.
At the same moment, Pinusal descended naturally into the arena and approached him. Grasping one of Caesar's arms, the referee raised it high into the air and announced in a booming voice:
"The winner of this match is the Hero of Leore, Gaius Julius Caesar!"
The crowd exploded into a thunderous storm of applause.
But really, what else could they do?
The first match of the day had undoubtedly been one of the most spectacular and highest-level battles the tournament had witnessed so far.
It was only natural for the audience to respond with overwhelming applause.
"So in the end, Caesar/Hero Caesar won," said Lucas and Sequoria almost simultaneously after both taking deep breaths to calm themselves.
A small smile appeared on Luvrio's face as he watched mother and daughter in exactly the same way.
'Damn, I'd love to ask Sequoria to explain those two incredible spells Katerina used, but…' Lucas thought.
His gaze briefly shifted toward his uncle.
'...but I guess I'll have to ask Katerina later when it's just the two of us,' he finished regretfully.
Under normal circumstances, two conflicting emotions should have been competing for dominance within Lucas's heart.
On one hand, there was the excitement and happiness of seeing Caesar win and the opportunity to learn more about one of the most famous historical figures from the country where he had been born.
On the other hand, there should have been sadness for Katerina, who had lost despite clearly giving everything she had.
Yet neither of those emotions occupied the forefront of his thoughts.
There were two reasons for that.
The first was that Katerina herself did not seem particularly devastated by her defeat. Disappointed, certainly. But not crushed by it.
The second reason—and by far the more important one—made Lucas feel slightly guilty.
The truth was that his mind was fixated on something else entirely.
He had just witnessed another History Magic in action!
Unlike Katerina's spells, however, this was something he could freely discuss with Luvrio, since it was knowledge that Alberia herself almost certainly did not possess either.
And fortunately for Lucas, he did not even have to be the one to bring up the subject.
Luvrio was the first to speak.
"So that was Hero Caesar's History Magic. Interesting... based on Aurola's description, It seems similar to the one King Demetrius used in his match. It appears to grant Hero Caesar a form of invulnerability, but there seem to be certain conditions that must be fulfilled before he can activate it..." Luvrio said thoughtfully, resting a hand on his chin.
Then he narrowed his eyes and added, "But I'm almost certain it has another effect as well, because simple invulnerability is nowhere near enough to defeat Katerina while she has the Natural Predator spell active."
Those words immediately captured the attention of the two "dragons" seated beside him, and before long, a passionate discussion about the possible abilities and limitations of Caesar's History Magic broke out among the three members of the royal family.
Meanwhile, following the referee's announcement, Caesar took off his cloak and, with a gentle yet regal gesture, draped it over Katerina's nearly naked body—much to the disappointment of a portion of the male audience.
"It was a splendid battle, Lady Katerina," he said. "I hope this can be of some assistance."
Then he extended a hand toward her.
Katerina accepted it and managed to rise to her feet.
"Thank you, Mr. Caesar," she said once she was standing again.
She then attempted to make her way toward the arena exit, but after only a couple of steps, her injured legs nearly gave out beneath her. Before she could fall, however, Caesar immediately offered her his shoulder.
Practically without hesitation, the lynx beastkin accepted.
"Thank you again, Mr. Caesar," Katerina said at once.
Then, as they began walking toward the exit, a mischievous little smile appeared on her face.
"But are you sure this is the proper way to escort a lady?" she asked.
Her voice remained calm as always, but this time there was a faint trace of sarcasm hidden within it.
"Do not underestimate me, Lady Katerina," Caesar replied in a charming voice. "In my previous life, I was a man who had many lovers, and I know perfectly well how to treat a woman. That is precisely why I chose to help you in this manner. At the moment, you are seeking not only comfort, but also a way to preserve your dignity. Am I mistaken?"
A small smile appeared on the maid's face.
"No, you are not mistaken at all," she replied. Then, after a brief pause, she added, "But..."
By that point, they had reached the edge of the crater.
"It seems we do not have much choice."
"Will you allow me, Lady Katerina?" asked the Hero of Leore in a gentle voice.
Katerina responded with a simple nod.
With that, Caesar carefully lifted the maid into his arms and, aided by a physical enhancement spell, effortlessly crossed the crater.
Once they reached stable ground, he helped Katerina back onto her feet, offered her his shoulder once more, and together they made their way out of the arena.
Shortly afterward, with Pinusal assistance, Chiacchera descended into the crater.
After reaching what now served as the center of the devastated arena, the announcer addressed the audience once more.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I hope that first match of the day excited you as much as it excited me!" she exclaimed enthusiastically.
Satisfied cheers erupted from practically every section of the stands.
"And now would normally be the moment when I introduce the next two fighters..." she continued excitedly.
Then a slightly disappointed expression appeared on her face.
"But! Unfortunately, we'll have to ask for a little patience, because as you can clearly see, the arena needs a few repairs first. Still, I assure you the wait will be worth it!"
She waved energetically toward the spectators.
"So please stay tuned—we'll be back in just a moment!"
Immediately after Chiacchera's announcement, the arena's barrier shifted from transparent to pitch black, preventing the audience from seeing what was happening inside while repairs began.
Meanwhile, in the arena's corridors, Caesar continued helping Katerina make her way toward the infirmary.
"Mr. Caesar," Katerina began in her usual calm and professional voice, though a slight hint of embarrassment could be detected within it, "I understand this may be a question you would rather not answer, but would you be willing to explain how your History Magic works? Specifically, the magic you used to defeat me."
As they continued walking, Caesar considered the request for a moment.
Then he replied, "Certainly. The only condition is that you promise not to tell anyone else, at least until this tournament has concluded."
Katerina answered instantly.
"You have my word, Mr. Caesar. I will not tell anyone unless my queen specifically orders me to do so."
A small smile appeared on the face of the former Roman dictator.
"Good. In that case, since I can trust you, I will explain exactly how my History Magic works..."