After delivering another brief speech, the headmaster sent all participants to the Unnatural Heaven.
The crowd watched eagerly, curious to see how the battles would unfold, expecting exciting confrontations.
Due to Anya's unexpected presence, Raziel chose to keep a close eye on her. However, his focus soon shifted to one of the screens, which displayed Erick and Sylfi being cornered by four people.
Two summoners, a mage, and a tall, bulky fighter wielding a battle axe eyed the duo warily. While they were aware of Sylfi's power, the strength of the boy beside her remained a mystery.
The bulky warrior, who seemed to be in his thirties despite being a second-year student, took a step forward and spoke in a deep voice, "Greetings, Miss Sylfi. I am Belti Fosthern, the third son of the Fosthern family."
He rested his battle axe on his shoulder after introducing himself, his respectful tone revealing that he wanted something from her.
Sylfi, sensing his intention, replied, "It's a pleasure, but this isn't the time for introductions. What do you want?"
Belti scratched his nearly hairless head and chuckled lightly. He confessed that he was hoping she and her lover would join his team, pointing out that they would have a better chance of winning by working together.
She refused and clarified that Erick was not her lover, which led Belti to remark, "Really? I thought you left your fiancé for him."
"I... I didn't leave anyone, and besides, I'm not that type of woman!" she exclaimed, her face flushed with frustration.
Noticing he was delving into a delicate situation, Belti decided to change the subject. He still tried to convince Sylfi to change her mind, but the girl remained firm in her decision.
Upon realizing there was no way to make her his teammate, Belti's expression fell in disappointment.
"So that's how it is? Alright, I won't push you. Let's at least agree to keep things peaceful for now, okay?" Belti said, aiming to keep the conversation amicable.
"I can agree with that," Sylfi replied, appreciating his smart decision not to force the issue.
Although Belti appeared to be a stupid, pompous noble bully who might react indignantly to rejection, in reality, he consistently maintained above-average grades and was known for his willingness to help anyone he considered a friend.
His strength wasn't bad either, which earned him the admiration of several second-year students.
As Belti began to walk away with his group, Erick, who had been quiet until then, spoke up.
"Hey, big guy, before you go, how about a little fight between us?"
The moment Sylfi heard it, she shot a look at Erick and said, "Hey, Erick, I already settled this matter. What are you trying to do?"
"Don't worry, I just want to have a warm-up before we go confront the others," he retorted with a confident smile.
When Belti heard those words, he turned to face Erick. After sizing him up, he decided to accept the challenge.
Belti was curious to test the abilities of the only person capable of teaming up with the Fourth Queen.
"Alright, let's fight, but don't expect me to go easy on you just because of your girlfriend," Belti said, raising his battle axe and readying himself for battle.
"I'm not— sigh... never mind," Sylfi sighed, giving up on correcting him.
Erick stepped forward, unsheathing his sword and taking up a defensive stance.
From his seat, Raziel watched their interaction, swiftly piecing together what had just happened. Erick had a tendency to challenge strong opponents in order to test and improve his own abilities, and it was evident that he saw Belti as a worthy adversary to gauge his strength.
This side of Erick made Raziel refer to him as a "fightsexual," a person who prioritized fighting above everything else.
With both fighters already in their stances, Belti's teammates cheered from behind, while Sylfi stood to the side, thinking it was nothing more than a waste of time.
Though dissatisfied, Sylfi couldn't deny her curiosity about Erick's capabilities. She knew he was strong, but not how strong he truly was.
Since the day they first met, when she'd been furiously destroying targets in the training room, Sylfi hadn't had a real chance to see him fight.
The only time Erick had acted was when he punched Raziel, after that bastard tried to touch her butt.
Erick didn't pay much attention to Sylfi. Instead, he channeled his aura through his veins and vital points, guiding it toward his aura core to refine it into raw strength.
For Aura users, this was a basic technique that became increasingly effective as their aura reserves grew.
As Aura users advanced, their only real challenge was expanding their aura core while simultaneously stimulating the energy within their bodies.
Since the aura core resided in the heart, improper execution could cause the energy to overload and make the heart explode. In less severe cases, it could damage the aura core, veins, and vital points, potentially resulting in permanent paralysis.
And this was where Erick held a clear advantage, as his body naturally allowed more energy to flow through his aura core without any risk of harm.
Moreover, his heart was more resilient than others, and the aura within his body was purer, fueling his growth to be both extraordinary and limitless.
Despite being the bastard son of the Lionhearth family patriarch, his great potential was recognized, leading his father to enforce rigorous daily training under strict guidance, which ignited his obsessive passion for battles.
In a short time, the boy was regarded as a genius among the fighters of the Lionheart Household, even defeating the direct heirs in duels.
'This guy is leaving a lot of openings; he's probably going to feint,' Erick analyzed, holding his stance.
Belti, already ready to attack, charged toward Erick like a bull, channeling aura to boost his stamina and strength.
As Belti swung his battle axe toward Erick's head, the blonde boy swiftly dodged to the right, rolling and positioning himself beside him.
With precise movements, Erick delivered a powerful kick to Belti's leg and quickly following up with a sword strike. But before he could land the hit, a punch slammed into his face.
He fell to the ground, taken aback by how swiftly Belti had countered.
"Hahaha! You're tough, little guy. I almost thought you'd land that sword strike, but my fist was faster," the big guy chuckled, though his leg still throbbed from Erick's kick.
Erick stood up, adopting an offensive-defensive stance. He now saw that Belti was far more capable than he had initially appeared.
A trickle of blood ran down his forehead because, even with the aura enhancing his body, it was useless if his opponent was just as strong.
Belti charged at Erick once more, his battle axe swinging toward Erick's waist with deadly precision. Erick skillfully parried with his sword, the clash ringing out through the air.
The force of their strike sent sparks flying as each fighter pushed against the other, their auras fueling every blow.
They exchanged blow after blow, their weapons covered in aura. Belti pressed the attack, while Erick focused on countering, searching for an opening amid the relentless onslaught.
Then, he finally spotted a opening. With a swift deflection of the axe upwards, he left Belti's stomach wide open and vulnerable.
As Erick aimed a powerful kick at Belti's exposed stomach, Belti swiftly countered, bringing the axe down in a rapid vertical strike. Erick barely avoided the blow, rolling away to quickly regain his footing and create some distance.
"Didn't expect you to be this strong," Belti grunted, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"You're not so bad yourself, big guy," Erick replied, a grin spreading across his face as he savored the thrill of the fight.
Erick figured it was better not to drag the fight on and took a stance with his sword resting on his shoulder.
"Let's settle this with our most powerful techniques, and after that, we stop. What do you think?"
"Sounds good to me. I was thinking the same," Belti said with a smile.
From the sidelines, Sylfi's interest peaked as she watched the intense exchange. She was eager to see who would emerge victorious.
Meanwhile, Belti's friends murmured amongst themselves, mentioning a powerful technique.
"If Sir Belti uses the Infernal Dragon Axe, it's over for that guy," someone remarked loudly.
"Don't call me 'sir,' we have the same age!" Belti shouted, annoyed by the title.
Belti, having finished his scolding, channeled more mana into his weapon, aiming to strengthen his attacks, while Erick chose to focus on speed, directing his energy to strike with swift precision.
They charged at each other simultaneously, their bodies glowing with a faint blue aura. Their shouts echoed through the air, signaling the intensity of their final clash.
"{Infernal Dragon Axe Technique: Hellish Breath!}," Belti shouted, his battle axe glowing with an intense, fiery energy.
"{Great Lion Claw Technique: Verdana!}," Erick shouted, his sword blazing with a fierce, radiant light.
Belti sprinted toward Erick, his battle axe swinging down in a powerful vertical strike aimed at Erick's head.
The attack came with incredible speed, but just as it was about to land, Erick vanished from sight, dodging the blow and in the blink of an eye, he reappeared, his sword slashing toward Belti's neck in a swift counterstrike.
Raziel watched the fight with little surprise as Belti's axe slammed into the ground, while Erick stood beside him, his sword mere inches from Belti's neck.
Others spectators were stunned by Erick's agility and prowess. They watched in disbelief as he effortlessly overcame Belti, the third son of the Fosthern family, who held the 17th spot in the second-year Pharefal Rank List for aura users.
Many began to believe that Erick had a solid chance of advancing to the next phase of the tournament, given his impressive performance and skill.