"The winner of the match is Aislyra Elenlora!!!" declared Pinusalin a solemn voice.
Immediately afterward, a wave of thunderous applause swept through the arena in honor of the silver-haired elf.
The exposed parts of Aislyra's body were covered in bruises, and her armor had sustained several dents—most likely caused by the chunks of earth the tornado had torn from the arena floor and hurled against her at tremendous speeds.
Even so...
The triumphant smile on her face betrayed not the slightest trace of pain.
With Aislyra's greatsword resting against her neck, Emeralda needed a few moments to fully process what had just happened.
Everything had unfolded far too quickly.
Although she still didn't entirely understand why Aislyra hadn't done it sooner, the silver-haired elf had ultimately destroyed the tornado created by Elreno Arrow using one of her strongest techniques: Iceberg Sword: Enhancement
Of course, Emeralda had seen that technique before.
She knew perfectly well that, if she were capable of using it, a tornado that had not yet reached its maximum size could be dispersed without much difficulty. However, it was Aislyra herself who had once explained to her that Iceberg Sword: Enhancement was an extraordinarily difficult spell to perform unless the user had a firm foothold beneath their feet. That should have made it practically impossible to cast. Aislyra had nothing solid beneath her to use as a foundation...
A deep sigh of defeat escaped Emeralda's lips.
"Yes... You're right. You've won, Aislyra..."
Her voice carried both disappointment and quiet resignation.
"But... How did you manage to use Iceberg Sword? Don't you need solid footing to perform it?" she asked, unable to keep a faint trace of bitterness from creeping into her voice.
Aislyra rested Ice Burn behind her back before replying,
"Well, normally, yes. It's an incredibly difficult spell to perform while you're suspended in midair without anything to stand on. And whenever that happens under normal circumstances, it simply means I'm falling. I will hit the ground long before I have enough time to get used to fighting like that. But this time, I spent six whole minutes being thrown around through the air by your tornado. That gave me plenty of time to adapt. Although...
I have to admit it wasn't easy at all. At first, I thought I'd get the hang of it in about three minutes. But all the debris the tornado kept throwing around—and the way the winds constantly hurled me in different directions—made things much more troublesome than I'd expected. So in the end it took me twice as long. Still it's not the first time I've seen that spell in action."
Her tone sounded almost as though she were complimenting both Emeralda and herself.
An irritated click of the tongue escaped Emeralda.
"I see, so once again, it was thanks to the instincts of a woman whose muscles are far bigger than her brain..." she muttered under her breath in an unmistakably annoyed tone.
"Quit mumbling and come on, Eme. I'll take you to the infirmary," said the Queen's bodyguard as she extended a hand toward her best friend.
Another sigh escaped Emeralda.
"It's humiliating to have you carry me... But I suppose it's still better than being wheeled out on a stretcher."
With that, Aislyra helped Emeralda back to her feet. Supporting her as she walked, she guided her through the now-open arena gate—the very same gate Emeralda had been desperately clinging to only moments earlier.
The audience said goodbye to both of them with another roaring round of applause.
"So Lady Aislyra won... I'm sorry for Emeralda, but that was exactly the outcome I expected," said Caesar as he silently reviewed the battle he had just witnessed.
"Hero Caesar, are you certain you can say something like that? Emeralda is one of your own companions," Luvrio remarked as he looked the Hero of Leore directly in the eyes.
"Don't misunderstand me, Luvrio. Emeralda is an indispensable member of my party and unquestionably an exceptionally capable warrior. But that doesn't make her invincible. Accurately assessing both the strengths of your own soldiers and those of your enemies is one of the most important skills a general can possess. Only then do you know whom you can defeat and whom you cannot. And if victory isn't possible, you know both when and how to provide the support necessary to make victory possible. In this particular case Lady Aislyra was an opponent Emeralda was almost certainly incapable of defeating alone. Had this not been a tournament match, but rather a true battle to the death, I most certainly would have ordered Roterberg to accompany Emeralda. That alone would have increased their chances of victory considerably," Caesar explained in a solemn voice.
Sequoria nodded quietly in agreement.
"Quite right. I apologize for my words, Hero Caesar. It wasn't my intention, but I realize they may have sounded as though I were implying that you don't care about Emeralda as a companion. However, when it comes to the people of our kingdom, I do tend to become a little overprotective—especially when it comes to exceptional talents like Emeralda," Luvrio apologized in a gentle voice.
"But I think we can all agree that Emeralda gave absolutely everything she had in this match," Lucas interjected.
Caesar and Luvrio both nodded.
"Yes, my daughter. And above all, she has improved tremendously since the last time we saw her fight—wouldn't you agree, Luvrio?" Sequoria said, also in a gentle voice.
"Yes, I agree, Sister Sequoria. From what I've been told, Emeralda trained under Brasto during her stay in the capital of the Kingdom of Leore, and it's obvious that all that training has paid off," replied her younger brother.
Meanwhile, Aislyra and Emeralda were making their way toward the infirmary. After silently staring at her rival for several minutes, Emeralda finally spoke, her face flushed bright red.
"Aislyra…"
The silver-haired elf immediately stopped walking, forcing Emeralda—whom she was helping along—to stop as well.
"Before you leave again with Hero Caesar… would you come hunting with me in the Yggdrasill Forest…? Just the two of us," the girl asked, her face now as red as a ripe tomato.
Aislyra looked at her childhood friend with a puzzled expression for a brief moment.
Then a huge smile spread across her face.
"Of course I'll come! It's been ages since the two of us went hunting together!" Aislyra exclaimed excitedly.
She instinctively raised a hand, about to give her best friend one of her usual hearty pats on the back. But then she remembered Emeralda's condition and stopped herself just in time.
Giving her head a quick shake, Emeralda looked away from Aislyra before saying, "Hmph! Fine, then. I'll let you know the date soon… though obviously it'll be after this tournament is over. Just make sure you show up on time," the golden-haired elf said in a fiery voice, trying to conceal her true feelings.
After that, the two resumed walking. As they drew closer and closer to the infirmary, a thoughtful expression gradually appeared on Aislyra's face. Then, seemingly unable to hold back her curiosity any longer, she asked,
"Eme, there's something I've been wondering ever since you left for Leore. Why did you agree to go on that mission? I'm sure the thought of being separated from Fo for so long isn't something you'd ever like."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"It's true that, technically speaking, this mission is the duty of the kingdom's best Ranger. But if you'd refused, I'm certain Her Majesty Alberia wouldn't have forced you to go. She would have simply looked for a replacement among the Rangers... or perhaps even asked the Primoro to take your place. With someone like him accompanying the party, I doubt the Kingdom of Leore would have had any objections," she said, her voice filled with curiosity, yet carrying a faint trace of concern.
At first, Emeralda looked genuinely surprised by the question.
After a brief silence, however, she began to answer.
"How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me Eme…" she grumbled with an annoyed huff before continuing.
"It's true that I hated—and still hate—the idea of being separated from my beloved for an indefinite period of time. But what exactly do you take me for, Aislyra? I'm the Greatest Ranger in this kingdom. As you know, that has been my dream ever since I was a little girl. And that title is every bit as important to me as my feelings for my beloved Fortore. This mission is one of the official duties entrusted to the kingdom's Greatest Ranger. It's a responsibility I've known about ever since I was a child. I know perfectly well that, thanks to the generosity of Her Majesty Alberia, I could have declined the assignment without suffering any consequences. But even though I despise being separated from my beloved... I also consider it an immense honor to have been chosen for this mission. Precisely because the fact that I was entrusted with it is tangible proof that I truly am the greatest Ranger in this kingdom. Even if my beloved Fortore himself had asked me not to accept this assignment... I still would have accepted it!"
Her voice remained solemn throughout her explanation, although it grew noticeably more irritated whenever she had to speak about being forced to remain apart from Fortore.
Aislyra let out a long whistle before grinning.
"Now that's my best friend!"
Emeralda's face instantly turned bright red again.
"SHUT UP!" she shouted.
And with that, the two continued walking side by side toward the infirmary.
"Ladies and gentlemen, did you enjoy this clash between two of the Kingdom of Yggdora's greatest celebrities?" Chiacchera asked the audience after returning to her usual position at the center of the arena.
A practically unanimous roar of "YES!!!!!" erupted from the stands.
"Excellent, because, as you already know, the next match is another showdown between two famous figures from our kingdom…" she said in a voice perfectly suited to building suspense.
"But there's a surprise!!!!!!!" the elven announcer suddenly shouted.
"I've just been informed that this match will not only decide who advances to the quarterfinals of this tournament, but also who will henceforth inherit the title of master of the famous martial art known as The Leaf Falling from the Tree style!!!"
Sequoria and Luvrio were both quite surprised by the announcer's revelation, as was a large portion of the audience.
The former queen, however, quickly regained her composure and murmured in a low voice,
"So this is the stage you've chosen to help her…"
"As most of you already know, the two people about to face one another are both ministers of this kingdom—and, at the same time, master and disciple: Aurola, the Minister of Education and current master of the Falling Leaf Style, and Agratà, the Minister of Agriculture and a brilliant disciple of the Falling Leaf Style!" Chiacchera announced before adding,
"...And it seems Agratà made her teacher promise that if she wins this match, her master will step down as head of the Falling Leaf Style. In other words, this duel will determine whether the student can finally surpass the teacher!!!!" she exclaimed with great excitement.
"But enough beating around the bush! Let's welcome the participants in the match that marks the halfway point of the first day of the main tournament!!!!"
Two gates—one on the right and the other on the left—opened, and almost simultaneously, two elves stepped through them.
Both were dressed in the traditional uniforms of their dojo, though each wore it differently.
Aurola had secured the upper half of her uniform with a dark reddish-brown belt, while several bands were wrapped tightly around her chest. Her attire revealed an elegant yet powerfully trained physique, marked by numerous small scars scattered across her body, but above all by the leaf-shaped tattoo engraved upon her back—the unmistakable symbol of the master of The Leaf Falling from the Tree style.
Agratà, on the other hand, wore her uniform properly, maintaining a simple air of solemnity.
Both women wore solemn expressions, although the faint smile on Agratà's face had never disappeared.
But Lucas immediately noticed something unusual about Aurola's expression. It was certainly solemn, yet it seemed to contain something more as well. He simply couldn't tell whether that hidden emotion was exhaustion, fear, regret, or something else entirely.
The two elves immediately locked eyes. Within that single glance, they conveyed everything they wished to say to one another.
Then, with calm but steady steps, they took their places opposite each other.
Pinusal immediately sensed that neither of the two warriors had anything left to say before the battle.
Nevertheless, as protocol required, he asked,
"Is there anything either of you would like to say before the match begins?"
Both women silently shook their heads.
"All right, then. The match will begin on my signal…" said the ancient referee before beginning the countdown.
"Ready…"
"Set…"
"GO!!!" the referee shouted!
Yet neither of them moved.