“I can’t believe it! Black Bull Omar has surrendered! The winner is Rory!”

The announcer’s excited voiced resounded through the entire stadium.

‘Is it me, or did that announcer really wanted me to lose?’

Omar thought to himself after being lowered to the ground by Rory’s Black Orochi.

“Hahaha! This was a good match!”

Rory approached him and said.

“Thanks for the technique. Let’s do this again when you’re stronger and developed another interesting Animus.”

“Just so that you can steal it?”

Omar asked.

Rory only smiled in response and walked off the stage. He received a lots of cheers as he left the ring.

Allen looked at Amelia beside him.

“You didn’t seem a bit worried for him no matter what happened during the fight.”

He said.

“Were you that confident that he would win?”

“There was no doubt that Rory would win. I’ve been around him for too long to doubt his strength.”

Amelia replied.

“However, to say that I wasn’t worried would be lying.”

“Oh? Why were you worried if you knew he was going to win?”

Allen asked.

“I wasn’t worried that he would lose.”

Amelia looked at the smiling Rory who was walking towards them.

“I was worried that he would accidentally kill his opponent, but I guess I was just worried for nothing.”

Allen was shocked to hear this. Amelia continued.

“If Rory had killed Black Bull, who wasn’t only a popular soldier for the kingdom but also a follower of the First Prince, then Rory would possibly become the enemy of the country.”

She looked at Allen and spoke with a serious face.

“I don’t want to see this country lose countless citizens over something so trivial.”

“………”

Allen was silent when he heard that. Amelia spoke with such a serious tone that it was obvious that she couldn’t see Rory losing if he had to face the entire country.

Such conviction was bone-chilling.

‘Just what kind of feat did he do in front of her to make her believe in his strength to such a degree?’

Allen asked himself. He then started to rethink if what the king said was really true. If so, then this man named Rory could lead to this country’s destruction if they weren’t careful.

“Yo! I’m back! Sorry it took so long, I was just so intrigued by his Animus.”

Rory said as he approached them.

“I’m just glad that you didn’t use the techniques you used to kill everyone in my country.”

Amelia casually said.

Allen looked at her as if she was crazy.

‘He did what now?’

He thought to himself.

“Oh, I can’t use those in this tournament. Those are killing moves. I don’t really have that much non-killing moves, so I have to use the basics in the tournament.”

Rory answered.

“That’s why I’m grateful for that fight just now. That Black Bull technique isn’t an insta-kill move and is very versatile; so I can use my own version Black Orochi in situation like this tournament.”

He said.

“The next match is about to begin.”

They all faced the ring and saw the mystery man Roc, who worked for the Third Prince, facing his opponent.

“Sir Allen, who do you think will win?”

Rory asked.

Allen looked at him and then at the stage.

“I only know of fighting abilities of one of them, and that’s lieutenant Bask. Ive only seen Roc, but I’ve never seen him fight before the tournament.”

“Oh? So he isn’t in the military?”

Rory asked.

“I can’t answer that question.”

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“I see.”

“You seem interested in him, Rory.”

Said Amelia.

“I’m not interested, just curious.”

Rory looked at Roc as he prepared to fight.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve met someone who practice the martial art that he does. I was pretty sure they weren’t any after Rei.”

“Huh?”

Amelia was confused by what Rory said. However, she could tell from his face that he wasn’t going to talk so she decided to watch Roc’s match.

“Ready? Start!”

At the announcer’s call, the match had commenced. The man called Bask rushed towards Roc, while pulling out a gun.

“He intends to cripple his legs.”

Said Rory.

Just like he said, Bask fired his gun at Roc’s legs. He was using bullets made from anima.

“It’s not going to work.”

Rory said with a smile.

He watched as Roc faded out and the bullets passed through his legs like he was a mirage.

“Wha?!”

This shocked Amelia and everyone watching. Shortly after, Roc appeared beside Bask, like he faded in.

This caught Bask off guard, and he tried to escape, but it was too late. Roc unsheathed his sword hidden by his mantle and slashed Bask with a single quick draw.

“Guah?!”

Bask screamed out in pain as blood spurted from the cut across his chest. He immediately tumbled over and bled on the floor.

“Impressive, he cut him in a way that won’t kill immediately. But if his victim doesn’t receive medical attention soon, he’ll die.”

Rory calmly said.

Tournament officials quickly dispatched a team to retrieve and treat Bask, showing the severity of his wound.

“What was that just now?”

Amelia asked.

She wasn’t able to follow Roc’s movements at all. She believed that if she was the one who fought him, she might’ve ended up like Bask.

“Just an optical illusion. Don’t try to figure it out, you’ll only waste your time. Only those who knows the inner workings of that technique can defend against it.”

Rory said.

“More importantly, you’re up.”

He patted her body telling her to get moving. She looked at him for a bit before heading to the stage.

When she reached, her opponent was already waiting for her.

“Seriously, first that stupid bull lost to that monster Rory, and now another monster appeared and cut down a lieutenant with easy. Just what is up with this tournament?”

Said Harley Brooks. She was Amelia opponent this time.

“Well, whatever. You don’t seem like a monster like those two.”

She took a fighting stance.

“Even if you were, I would still beat you in the name of the second prince!”

She declared loud and clear.

‘She’s going to be a tough opponent. My injuries are better, however I shouldn’t get reckless or they’ll reopen again. If that happens, I might not be able to reach the finals and win the bet.”

Amelia thought to herself. That’s when she remembered her conversation with Rory.

“Then force your way to the finals. You don’t have to do it to win the bet, you just need to focus on yourself. There’s nothing wrong with being selfish.”

These words played in her head, which caused her to calm down.

‘That’s right. I don’t need to think about the bet. I just need to give my all and selfishly enjoy myself.’

She thought, while taking a fighting pose.

“There’s no need to hold back, just let loose and worry about the consequences later!”

She said.

“Ready? Start!”

The announcer signaled the start of the match.

“I can’t afford to slip up like Black Bull.”

Harley’s anima suddenly spiked before concentrating at her feet.

“I’m going all out from the beginning!”

Amelia watched as silver boots appeared on her feet.

“Jet Boots!”

Harley suddenly disappeared from where she was standing.

*Bam!*

“Ugh?!”

Amelia was suddenly hit from behind. She quickly turned around, but didn’t see anyone there.

*Bam!*

This time she was hit from her side.

“Damn it!”

She threw at kick to her side, but only hit air. Amelia scanned the area with her eyes, but she couldn’t find Harley anywhere.

“Oh? A speed type Animus?”

Rory said as he watched the match.

He saw it all. The moment those silver boots appeared on Harley’s feet, her speed spiked. She could move with a lightning fast speed. She used this speed to circle around Amelia’s back and attack her from her blindspot. She repeated this when Amelia turned around to retaliate, and attack her from the side.

“Speed types are always tricky to handle, especially for novices like Elia.”

Rory said, as he watched Amelia search for her opponent.

“Well, they are several ways to deal with them. Especially one as simple-minded as this one.”

He said.

*Bam!*

Amelia was once again hit from the side while she was searching for Harley, and was forced to take a few steps to the side.

She took a step forward, but was suddenly attacked from the front and sent flying back.

She dug her feet into the ground to stop herself, and wipe the blood from her busted lip.

‘This little bitch….’

She started to get annoyed.

‘Her attacks don’t carry that much weight, but she can wear me down by attacking me over and over again. But that will be a battle of endurance. Will I fall first or will she run out of steam?’

Amelia jumped in the air.

‘That kind of battle is disadvantageous to me. So I need to test out how her ability works.’

She looked down on the ring. There she saw Harley stop for a second before disappearing again.

*Bam!*

The next time she appeared, it was above Amelia, who she forced to the ground with a spinning kick to the back of the head.

Amelia quickly manipulated the air to cushion her fall.

“So she has to stop to change directions, which means that while I was looking for her she was only running around the ring.”

She looked up and saw Harley falling back to the ground.

“She also can’t move in the air, like on the ground.”

Amelia covered her feet in lightning and activated Lightning Skates. She charged towards where Harley was falling and pulled her saber.

Just as she was about to enter her range, she noticed a smile on Harley’s face.

‘A trap!’

Amelia immediately changed directions since she couldn’t immediately stop.

“You’re not getting away!”

That’s when Harley appeared in front her.

‘She can move midair!’

Amelia came to the realization that she was tricked. However, it was too late. Harley spun around and it seemed as if her feet suddenly accelerated. She slammed her leg on the side of Amelia’s head.

*Bam!*

Amelia was sent flying to the side with blood flowing from her head.

“Argh?!”

However, the one who screamed out in pain was Harley. She fell on the ground holding the leg she used to kick Amelia.

“Ahhhh!”

She screamed and looked at her leg. There were spikes of earth in it that were at least 3 inches thick.

“That bitch! She created these spikes of earth and placed them at her head at last minute!”

Harley cursed.

Amelia who was laid out on her back, soon got up and smiled at Harley while blood flowed down the side of her head.

“No matter how fast you are, you can’t move with your legs like that.”

She stomped the ground, and earth erected from under the ring and lifted Harley into the air.

Amelia then sprinted and jumped above her.

“Bye, bitch!”

Amelia covered her fist in flames and slammed it into Harley’s midsection.

*Bam!*

The pillar of earth that Harley was on, shattered from the impact and flames engulfed her.

Amelia’s punch forced her through the earth pillar and onto the ring, and caused cracks to form in it as the flames spread.

When she lifted her fist, Amelia saw that Harley was out cold with burn marks on her stomach, and blood leaking from her mouth.

She walked away from her and didn’t look back.

“Harley Brooks is unfit to battle! Thus the winner is Amelia Rosa!”

The announcer’s voiced resounded in the stadium.

This was an unforeseen event by everyone watching. The first and second prince have both suffered loses in a single round, because of their subordinates defeat.

The last match saw an angry Emily Brooks butcher her opponent to reach the semifinals, after her sister was rushed to receive first aid. After her match she glared at the person she would face next, Amelia.

As for Rory, he had his eye on his opponent; the mysterious Roc.

The tournament had finally reached the semifinals!