"Dad, I'll be going down now," Laura said. So far she hadn't taken part in the tournament due to Lloyd's desire to gauge the strength of the participants.
He would try as much as possible to ensure his precious daughter didn't end up facing off against a foe stronger than she could handle.
Thankfully, apart from Cedric, most contestants were at a similar level to her, thus he was willing to take the risk.
"Alright then, but be careful," Lloyd replied as he reached into his pocket and pulled out an unassuming bangle. "Take this, it will help you to unleash your true potential."
Laura's eyes sparkled as she took the bangle. "Thanks, dad." Wrapping her arms around him in an embrace, they stayed that way for a few seconds before Lloyd reminded her to go.
"Wish me luck," Laura said as she got to her feet and made her way from the audience toward the combat changing room.
"Good luck." Lara and Max said as they watched her retreating figure.
***
A certain noble seated at the opposite end of the coliseum, far from Laura's seating position, had a smile on her face as she was informed of Laura's participation in the tournament.
"So that bitch finally decided to join. I will make sure to show her that offending a noble will never have a good end." She said.
A middle-aged woman that looked a lot like the young girl, reached out and stroked her cheek. "Would you like us to send someone out to deal with her?"
The young girl shook her head. "No mother, I will handle her myself. Giving others the satisfaction of humiliating that bitch won't calm my anger."
The middle-aged woman sighed. "Fine then, I have long since wanted to put that bastard Lloyd in his place, isn't that right, honey?"
Besides the two ladies, a man sat with his eyes trained on Lloyd in the distance. Not surprisingly, he was one of the two nobles that had approached the businessman not too long ago about a profitable endeavor.
Unfortunately, Lloyd wasn't too keen on working with nobles, especially ones that saw his money as something they could obtain for themselves.
"You can do whatever you want, just make sure to destroy her face. I would like to see that bastard's reaction after we are done with his darling daughter." The man spoke in a tone laced with malice.
The girl gave a slight now. "Don't worry, father, my name won't be Lisa if I don't help you regain your lost face. Just leave it to me."
The man nodded. "Good, do what you must."
Lisa rose to her feet and made her way toward the combat changing room. "Wash your neck, Laura, because once I'm done with you, you'd regret ever stepping on my toes."
Meanwhile, back at the location where Lloyd and the others were seated, Max had an amused expression as he muttered. "Well, this is quite interesting. I wonder how things will turn out."
***
Laura walked out of the combat changing room a few minutes after a match was just concluded. She was dressed in a black leather suit that accentuated her developing curves.
"I, Laura Webber, come before the audience seeking to challenge for the ultimate prize. Is there anyone that dares to accept my challenge?"
A few moments of silence followed before a familiar voice replied. "I, Lisa Stromborn, accept your challenge. So tell me, do you dare to fight?"
Laura looked over and saw her opponent. A red-haired girl with fair skin and green eyes, dressed in a gown that would best be used while attending a tea party.
Laura saw her attire and frowned. "Are you sure you want to fight me in that?"
Her question was indeed required as the reason why the combat changing room was made was to cater to most females that would need to change into a more comfortable dress more suited for combat.
Lisa snorted. "If I dared to come out dresses like this, then what is the need to question me further?"
Laura sighed. "Okay then, do what you want."
This time it was Lisa's turn to frown as Laura didn't seem to have a serious reaction to her presence. "Doesn't she remember our clash last week?... Or is she feigning ignorance?"
Why she failed to realize was that Laura wasn't one to keep grudges especially when the problem was solved.
The old man was healed and his daughter was safe, the young man that helped them was also safe and she did not suffer any losses. After such an ending, Laura saw no need to hold any grudges and at this point only cared for one thing.
The ultimate prize of the Magic tournament.
Lisa pondered for a moment. "It doesn't matter though, once I'm done with you, then the expression I want to see would surely come out."
The pedestal at the center of the coliseum had long since been taken down, giving the contestants enough room to fight to their hearts' content, especially with the arena being the size of a standard football stadium.
Laura took a deep breath to calm her nerves. This was her first time in a real battle if one was not counting the near-death experience in the forest with Lara and Max.
As a Magician, cultivation was not the only way for one to get stronger, because, without experience, one would still be a novice at combat, no matter how high their cultivation level was.
This was one of the reasons why the Magic tournament was created after all. To provide a stage for the younger generation to test their mettle against each other in a controlled environment.
Of course, there would be accidents that may or may not lead to death but it only added to the overall experience needed for the young ones to grow.
Taking a look at her first opponent that stood a few meters away from her, Laura clenched her fist. "Let's do this."