As the fourth match approached, the atmosphere in the arena crackled with anticipation. Teeios, a striking male Suncian with impeccable body proportions standing tall at 185 cm, commanded attention amidst the buzzing crowd. Clad in a vest that accentuated his muscular arms, he exuded confidence while wielding a 2.5-meter-long spear at the west side of the battle platform.
On the opposite side stood Runi, an average-sized female Bamborean, draped in a mage robe with a special belt for her Grimoire. Positioned on the east side of the battle platform, she leaned on her one-and-a-half-meter magic staff crafted from a type of darker wood.
Grimoire is a handheld book that contains a collection of enchanted outer magic diagrams, typically used in conjunction with a Magic Staff. This book is equipped with a mechanism that automatically links the open page to a special thread connected to a weapon. As a result, casters can channel mana from the displayed enchanted outer magic diagram into their weapon.
Mages prefer to use Magic Staffs for casting spells instead of swords, spears, shields, or other types of weapons because these staffs are crafted from a special material unsuitable for other weapon types. As mentioned in the note about Attributes & Elemental Affinities & Resistances, larger beings are noted to cast bigger spells with longer ranges, albeit at the cost of consuming more mana. Crafted with this principle in mind, Magic Staffs utilize materials such as the branches of large trees or the bones of larger beings to replicate their casting abilities. Consequently, spells cast with these staffs are larger in scale and have longer ranges, though at the expense of consuming a greater amount of mana. It’s also worth noting that the size of the staff required to emulate a larger being corresponds to the size of the being they wish to emulate.
The referee stood calmly in the center of the ring as Teeios and Runi stood across of each other on the battle platform. Teeios assumed his battle stance, gripping his spear tightly, while Runi held her grimoire open in her left hand, ready for the impending match. With a solemn nod to each of them, the referee raised his hand, signaling the imminent start of the fourth match, before swiftly dropping it to commence the bout.
After the fourth match began, Runi immediately began casting spell by channeling mana into the grimoire she held in her left hand.
[Fire Conjuration: firewall] (L2 Fire Magic Skill)
*Hiss* a sudden eruption of flames shattered the air, and Teeios that was sprinting towards her, ground to a sudden halt. Before him, a two meters tall curtain of flame surged from the ground, daunting him to cross over.
*Rustle –Rustle* as Teeios considered his next course of action, he suddenly heard a rustling sound of book flipping. So, knowing the next batch of spells was coming his way, he backed away from the curtain of flame that was blocking his view.
*Sizzle – Sizzle – Sizzle* three fireballs suddenly passed through the flame curtain, one heading in Teeios's direction. *Boom* One fireball hit him as he couldn't see it coming and was too close to the flame curtain.
Surprisingly, Teeios was unscathed even after the fireball directly hit him. He silently mused in his mind: ‘Looks like I’m being overly cautious. Of course, with that shrimp’s fire affinity, her fire spell isn’t strong enough to damage me.’
In the Royal Seating Box, Clay was amused by Runi’s strategy. ‘Interesting,’ he mused. ‘That was a creative use of a firewall. However, it’s a pity that she overestimated the effectiveness of her fireball spell – she should have utilized spells from other elements against a Suncian! Another drawback of her strategy was that only one of her three fireballs managed to hit him, as the firewall not only blocked Teeios’s view but also obstructed her view as well.’
Teeios sprinted through the firewall, eager to get close to Runi, confident that the flames wouldn’t harm him. However, as he passed through the firewall, he noticed small spikes made of earth magic surrounding her while she flipped through her grimoire.
[Earth Conjuration: Earth pillar] (L2 Earth Magic Skill)
*Rumble* as Runi cast her spell, a two-meter stone pillar surged upward from beneath her feet, carrying her atop its sturdy surface.
Teeios aimed his palm towards Runi, preparing to cast a fireball spell of his own. However, he soon realized that his shot’s trajectory posed a risk, as there was always the possibility that Runi dodged the fireball, potentially allowing his fireball to endanger random spectators in the seating area. In such an event, the referee might issue a warning in the best-case scenario, but in the worst-case scenario, Teeios would face immediate disqualification.
Teeios shifted his target, casting his fireball spell and aiming it toward the earth pillar instead.
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*Boom –Rumble* Runi tumbled to the ground as the stone pillar crumbled upon being struck by Teeios’s fireball. Fortunately, she was lucky enough to narrowly miss the spikes she had previously created using earth magic.
Teeios dashed towards her, only for her to swiftly drop her weapons and raise her hand, signaling her forfeiture of the match.
Runi exclaimed loudly with raised hands: “I GIVE UP!!!”
*TWEEEET* at the sound of Runi’s exclamation, the referee immediately blew the whistle to indicate that the match was over.
Teeios looked displeased by her premature surrender, but could only stand in disappointment.
After the match was over, the spectators began booing her. Despite the reverberating boos echoing throughout the arena, she calmly walked off the platform. The medics didn’t come to the platform, as her injuries from falling off the stone pillar were minor.
The referee waited for the crowd to calm down before proceeding to announce Teeios as the winner of the fourth match. After the announcement of his victory, the referee concluded today’s preliminary matches and informed the crowd about the semifinals, which would be held at the same time tomorrow morning. Subsequently, the referee instructed the crowd to wait for the principal to deliver her closing speech for today’s tournament.
In the Royal Seating Box, Prince Clay refrained from applauding this time, but neither did he boo. “Well, the fourth match ended prematurely,” he mused, “but I do understand her plight. Using a grimoire in a one-on-one match is cumbersome; it’s very clunky as you need to get used to the thread attached to your staff and adept at opening the page with one hand. And considering how expensive grimoires are, she chose to forfeit the match instead of risking her grimoire being destroyed in close combat with Teeios, a risk he could easily exploit.”
“Maybe Runi is destined to always lose during the preliminaries,” Lydia interjected. “In her previous tournament match, she was eliminated in the preliminaries as well. If I recall correctly, she was defeated even more swiftly. She barely managed to create a stone pillar, and her opponent simply leaped over it and knocked her down before she surrendered, losing the match.”
Clay nodded. “She has shown some improvement compared to last year, but unfortunately, her opponent is Teeios. Not only is he a Suncian, but he also has a prodigy talent. With him at the peak of his game, he’s not just a formidable warrior, but also an adept magic user.”
“Did you see the fireball he launched?” Clay continued, gesturing towards the rubble in the battle platform. “It easily demolished Runi’s stone pillar. I’m starting to think Teeios has a better chance of winning the tournament than even Sarya!”
After Clay's words settled in, Hikaru couldn't help but ponder: ‘Looks like Prince Clay didn’t even consider the possibility of Masaki winning the tournament! Well, I can only hope that he is wrong. Even if Masaki does lose, I hope her opponent won’t inflict serious harm.’
Clay then asked Hikaru’s opinion: “What do you think of the match, Hikaru?”
“Teeios’s fireball spell is certainly destructive," Hikaru answered, “but, i just hope he doesn’t accidentally cause any serious injuries with it.”
Clay wanted to say something but stopped himself. But in the end, he couldn't hold back and decided to voice his thoughts. “Well, the thing is,” he began, “during the whole match, Teeios only showcased one spell — the fireball. But that may not be the limit of his magic capabilities. Other combatants have mastered more advanced special skills, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he has also mastered a more advanced spell, considering he is a prodigy.”
Sensing Hikaru worries, Lydia consoled him by offering her opinion: “Don’t worry, even if Teeios has a more advanced spell, he won’t be able to cast it as fast as his fireball spell, even with his talent. So he likely can’t use it in a normal one-on-one battle!”
Shortly after, the principal stepped onto the battle platform to deliver her closing speech, marking the end of the tournament’s preliminary rounds. She began by expressing gratitude to the crowds, the combatants, and the esteemed guests for their attendance.
She then conveyed her amazement at the battle capabilities demonstrated by the combatants, thanking them for their fantastic displays of skill and dedication. Next, she congratulated the winners of the matches and expressed appreciation for their integrity in ensuring that no major incidents occurred during the competition.
Finally, she wished all the participants the best of luck as they continued their journey, expressing hope that the most deserving combatant would emerge victorious as the champion of the tournament.
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After the preliminary rounds of the tournament ended at dusk, both Hikaru and Lydia bid their farewell to Clay. As they prepared to part ways, Clay informed them that they could skip the aristocrat seating and head directly to the Royal Seating Box tomorrow to watch the semifinal rounds with him.
They then boarded their carriage and headed back to the Purple Walnut. On their way there, Hikaru informed Lydia that he would go to meet his little sister, Masaki, alone to congratulate her, so they didn’t need to wait for him for dinner. Lydia gave Hikaru her consent, knowing he would probably be okay as long as he stayed within the kingdom.
After arriving at the Purple Walnut, he removed his mask and changed into his casual attire the one without the Royal Insignia. Since Hikaru had no way of contacting Masaki, he decided to visit the restaurant near the university where he had previously met her, hoping to find her there. He speculated that she might be celebrating her victory with her classmates at the restaurant. While he was aware that Masaki was likely celebrating with her family inside the Kaya clan compound, he preferred not to intrude if she was with them. Thus, he took the chance and went to the restaurant where they last met.
As the sky had already dimmed, he reasoned that his face would be difficult to discern in the dark. Consequently, he opted to fly to his destination to hasten his journey.
Stepping into the bustling restaurant, he was welcomed by the lively atmosphere, filled with students buzzing about their classmate’s victory. Laughter and cheers echoed off the walls as he scanned the room for an open table amidst the jubilant crowd. Finally finding a spot, he settled in and placed his order, all the while keeping a hopeful eye out for Masaki’s arrival.
As time passed, he finished his meal, yet he remained seated, lingering in the lively ambiance even as most of the diners had already left. Despite his patience, Masaki still hadn’t appeared. He couldn’t shake off the feeling of foolishness, realizing he had been waiting for someone he was unlikely to encounter just by relying on coincidence.
While waiting for Masaki, he spotted Sarya, Masaki’s opponent in the semifinals. She swiftly passed by the restaurant gate, while being trailed by dozens of individuals. His curiosity piqued, so he decided to follow them. Quickly settling his bill, he dashed out of the restaurant, secretly pursuing them.