Thunderous cheers erupted across the arena.
Sparks of magic, clashing steel, and explosions of mana illuminated the entire battlefield.
The first two matches had ended swiftly, leaving the audience breathless in suspense.
Then, as the third pair stepped into the ring, Soren suddenly shouted: "Hey... isn't that the masked guy who helped us in the forest? Mira, look!"
Mira froze. Her eyes wavered slightly as her voice trembled: "Y-Yeah… I think so… I'm not too sure though… ha ha."
The rest of the group exchanged puzzled glances.
Lyra frowned. "If that man really saved the two of you, that's strange. He's part of Team Luminous Star, right? How come we never noticed him before?"
Soren laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "Good point. He's been around since the start, how did we miss him till now?"
Mira forced a smile, but her gaze dimmed for a split second.
"Maybe he's just… the type who doesn't show up often. Comes and goes, you know? And wearing a mask even during the finals kinda weird, ha ha…"
The group nodded, accepting her explanation, it did sound reasonable enough.
Then, all of a sudden, the stands exploded with noise.
On the stage, the masked fighter slowly lifted a hand… and removed his mask.
The light of mana reflected off his face so divine, so perfect, that for a heartbeat the entire crowd fell silent as if time itself had stopped.
Then came the screaming.
"Aaaaaaaah!!"
"Kaelino! Kaelino, you're the best!!"
His name was Kaelino, member of Team Luminous Star.
Lyra froze, cheeks turning red.
"He's… so handsome…"
Soren shook her shoulders violently: "Lyra! Snap out of it!"
Meanwhile, Mira simply sighed, her eyes lowering with a hollow expression.
Kaelino's opponent sneered, unleashing his strongest spell convinced he had won.
But in the blink of an eye, he was blasted out of the ring, unconscious before even realizing what had happened.
"Sorry…" Kaelino said calmly, his voice clear and cool as glass.
"…But I have to win this tournament. Otherwise… things will get complicated."
For a moment, silence fell once more, then the arena roared like a storm.
Kyran's eyes widened. He hadn't even seen Kaelino move. That strength… was on an entirely another level.
Lyra, Soren, and Aria were stunned.
"What the heck was that?! I didn't even see him cast!"
"He's as strong as Everen!"
"Thank goodness we're not fighting him…"
Mira smiled awkwardly, nodding stiffly: "Y-Yeah… he's… really strong… heh…"
The match ended in overwhelming victory.
Three of the five members of Team Luminous Star had won their rounds, the other two awaited the final judgment based on crowd votes.
The screen above the arena shifted again.
Next up that is Team Shooting Star vs. Team Overlord.
The names of the matchups appeared one by one.
Round 1: Lyra Helvar vs. Michael Hal Lumerious
Round 2: Soren Novad vs. Meverdet Likhail
Round 3: Aria Ice Lumerious vs. Lisha Halstard
Round 4: Mira Caster vs. Everen Fredrick
Round 5: Kyran vs. Damian Von Rozen
The entire audience gasped.
Especially at Round 4 Mira against Everen. A matchup that could only be described as… cruel.
Team Shooting Star fell silent.
They couldn't object, the rules were absolute. Anyone who protested would be instantly disqualified.
Lyra was the first to speak, her voice steady and resolute.
"Mira, don't be afraid. I promise you this no matter what, the five of us will stand together in the Royal Army."
Soren pounded a hand over his chest: "That's right! As long as I'm here, you've got nothing to worry about!"
Aria smiled gently: "Do your best, Mira."
Finally, Kyran spoke his tone calm and deep, carrying a warmth that reached straight into Mira's heart.
"Mira, you've come so far. No matter what happens out there, we'll always be teammates."
Mira nodded, her eyes shimmering: "Yes… Even if I lose today, I'll never forget you all."
Amid that tender moment, Damian suddenly sneered: "Ugh, what's with all the sentimental talk? No matter who she fights, she'll just... "
He froze mid-sentence.
A wave of killing intent cold and razor-sharp swept over him from behind. He swallowed hard, trembling.
"U-uh… right. Go on, keep talking… don't mind me."
The others ignored him, assuming he'd lost his mind, and focused on their preparations.
The arena trembled under the deafening roars of the crowd as both teams Shooting Star and Overlord stepped onto the stage.
Hundreds of glowing mana orbs floated in the air, reflecting off blades and armor, illuminating the burning determination in each young warrior's eyes.
No matter the outcome, today's battle would be written into history, a fight that would decide the future paths of them all.
The first match of the second round began.
Lyra Helvar, the Count's daughter, and Prince Michael Hal Lumerious, the Second Prince, stepped into the arena amid an uproar that shook the entire stadium.
"Oh my gods, a prince and a noble lady facing off so exciting!"
"Your Highness, you have to win!"
The screams of Michael's fan club hit like a wall of sound, reverberating off the stone arches high above.
Lyra frowned.
She disliked noisy crowds and all this chaos only made her want to end the fight as quickly as possible.
Across from her, Michael smirked arrogantly.
"This won't take long," he said, eyes glinting with superiority: "Try not to embarrass yourself."
Lyra smiled coldly. "Keep dreaming."
Without another word, the two lunged at each other like colliding storms.
Lyra struck first...
"Burst Impact!"
A violent gust surged forth, swirling into a tornado that ripped toward Michael's position.
But he was ready. Layers of shimmering barriers surrounded him, solid as steel.
"Using such a tired old spell on me? Useless." He scoffed.
Then he countered: "Raging Gale!"
The ground quaked as the air shattered into a series of razor-sharp sound waves.
Even spectators in the outer rings had to cover their ears from the sheer force.
Lyra staggered slightly, eyes narrowing.
"That technique… it's an evolved form of Sonic Storm, isn't it?"
Michael laughed, his voice echoing through the arena.
"Correct. Surprising that a mere Seven-Star like you even recognized it!"
Lyra clenched her teeth, rage burning so fiercely it felt like glass cracking inside her chest.
"Fine then. Let's see how long that smug face lasts, you arrogant brat!"
Focusing every ounce of her holy power, she summoned a massive sphere of wind a swirling vortex with a hollow, glowing center, the energy within raging like a hurricane.
"Storm Orb!"
She hurled it straight at Michael.
The winds consumed the light, forming a vacuum that threatened to trap and crush everything inside until nothing remained.
It was Lyra's strongest attack one that had forced even Eight-Star duelists to retreat.
From the stands, Soren and Mira watched, breathless.
"Lyra's so cool…" Mira whispered.
"Yeah… she's seriously strong!" Soren exclaimed, awed by her power.
But Michael only smirked: "Too bad… I already figured out how to counter that a year ago."
Dark energy gathered around his hand, condensing into a cube-shaped mass crackling with violet lightning.
"If you're giving me a Storm Orb, then here's my return gift, Thunderfall Cube!"
The cube twisted the very air around it as it collided with Lyra's attack, shattering it instantly.
The explosion shook the arena, dust and light flooding every corner.
Through the chaos, the cube pressed forward, enveloping Lyra completely.
Lightning struck within the cube again and again, each bolt tearing through her body, each shock slicing down to her very soul.
She tried to resist, but her limbs refused to move. Her mana scattered, dissolving into the air.
And then… she fell.
The referee stepped forward, voice cutting through the deafening silence: "Winner is prince Michael of Team Overlord, victory over Lyra Helvar of Team Shooting Star!"