"Hoho, I see the arena is flooded today. Are you all itching to see exciting fights? You wouldn't be disappointed. Our candidates are burning with desire. Let the final round of the Golden Seasons exam start!" the lady at the center of the arena cried out. The crowd was excited. This was the moment everyone had been waiting for. Who will that be? Agris, Kinty, Lyra???

Lyra climbed on the arena, dressed this time in a light combat robe, a belt at the waist. She had a full quiver of arrows on her back. Her long white hairs were tied behind. Her face looked ethereal, but her expression was resolute.

"Miss Lyra is taking things seriously now. Kinty, on the other hand, seems distracted, might be thinking of the strategy to defeat misfortune Lyra. We all saw it through her matches. Her bow houses tremendous power. I can't wait to find out," the lady said, rushing to get down from the arena.

Kinty just stood there, his head down, looked like he was in deep thought. Neo had not come; he was preparing everything for their departure. They intended to leave immediately after it was finished.

"Who do you think has a better chance of winning?" Calder asked, looking at both Mist and Amarok. "Kinty is strong and fast, but his sword is at a disadvantage," Amarok thought. "Don't focus on anything else, just their abilities," Mist added, looking at Amarok. He lifted an eyebrow. "I'm being honest here," he said. Amarok frowned at the weird look they were giving him.

"I know I can always count on my best friend, right, Wisdom?" He took the little beast in his hand. Wisdom had taken a few pounds in the meantime but was still very tiny. He lifted his head to look at Amarok, then at Lyra, and then at Amarok again. Amarok was speechless; what did he mean?

"Lyra, Rune Warrior: Initiate," she said, looking at Kinty. Determination could be seen in her face. "Kinty, Rune Warrior: Initiate," he said. He lifted his head towards the referee and called for her. She was confused as she looked behind to be certain she was the one. Then she climbed back and rushed back to the arena.

"Yes," she asked. "I am not fighting," his words fell. The crowd literally froze for an instant. Lyra's eyes blinked. Lyra's face quickly returned to normal; she asked, "Why?" The crowd stared at Kinty, all curious. He had been so overbearing in his fight that they were eager to see what he had reserved. He had dared to call himself invincible, and more than that, he defeated all his opponents with just three moves like he said. So why flee now? "I said I am not fighting. Find me another opponent. Agris should do the job," he said bluntly. Agris stood up, his gaze shooting daggers at Kinty.

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"Looks like you have a death wish. Miss Lyra has put great effort preparing for this, and you dare to say you won't fight?" he questioned. The crowd was nodding; his furtive eyes glancing at Lyra had an expression that little softened. He smirked in his heart. "Is he afraid to hit her because she is a pretty girl?" someone asked in a low voice. "Might be??"

"Bullshit! We have paid to assist in some real fights, not childish views."

"Hey, girl. You better make that fight start."

The crowd was getting angry. The referee felt wrong; she shot hateful gaze at Kinty. He was not fighting, and everything was falling back on her.

"Enough. Don't underestimate me," Lyra stepped forward; her demeanor shifted. She pulled the string of her arrow hard. Two whooshing sounds echoed as the arrows were launched. The arrows tore through the void, violent winds surrounding the tip. The air cracked.

Kinty stared at the approaching arrows. He shifted, stepping to the side. The arrows exploded upon impact. The arena was shattered upon impact. A huge hole had appeared where Kinty previously stopped.

"Amazing! Destroy that arrogant bastard!" the people kept encouraging. She dashed not letting him time to land; she fired a succession of arrows. Kinty had evaded, but the residual force had thrown him in the air; these three arrows came. Kinty tilted his body in midair, allowing the arrow to hit the sheath of his sword on his waist. He was sent flying back but landed on his two feet, stumbling several steps back.

"Stop already. I already said I am not fighting," Kinty said with a frown; his lower body was still lightly trembling.

"Not until you draw your sword," Lyra kept her assault.

"No, I won't. You are not at the top of your abilities. Winning like this is meaningless." Kinty kept dodging without

"Ha. What makes you think I am troubled? Is that a lame excuse to avoid defeat?" Lyra was startled. So, was that the reason he was unwilling to face her?

"Your eyes are those of someone who has lost something," Kinty said as he stood, dusting his clothes. He wouldn't fight no matter what.

"Is analyzing people the only thing you are good at?" Lyra was out of her mind. This time, an arrow whistled through the void.

"So what if I am. I can still win," she cried. The arrows suddenly accelerated in midair, a white glow covering them. The arrow was like a cannonball, unstoppable. Kinty frowned; he knew he could not avoid it. He raised his sword without taking it out of its sheath. He braced himself for impact, gritting his teeth. A violent explosion surged. Kinty was forced to take several steps back, almost falling off the arena.

His hand was numb, and the sword fell. He held his hand, staring at Lyra in shock. His hand was cold, as if it had been stuck in a refrigerator. He trembled, his body submerged by pain, falling to a knee. His entire left arm had turned white, it was fuming with a frosty white. Even his breath gave out condensed air when he breathed. Despite the pain, he still refused to yield in.

"Still not fighting?" Lyra asked. "Go on, do what you want, but I'm not taking out my sword," he said, forcing his way up. Lyra was startled; why was he so adamant not to fight? He said it was because he felt she was not at her peak, but she knew there seemed to be a deeper meaning to it.