The fight concluded with Belti admitting defeat and exchanging a firm handshake with Erick, a gesture of respect for their hard-fought battle.
Belti signaled to his teammates to leave, eager to seek out new challenges in the tournament.
Erick and Sylfi also left the area, making their way toward the center of the arena. They hoped to find a good spot where they wouldn't waste time trying to escape the dark fog that was slowly creeping through the surroundings.
Seeing they were preoccupied, frantically dodging the dark fog, Raziel redirected his focus to his original objective of observing what a certain nuisance wanted to achieve by entering the tournament.
A guy sitting beside him, chatting with his friend, pointed at another screen and began excessively praising the person shown on it.
When Raziel glanced over, he wasn't surprised to see that the person the guy was talking about was the very one he had been seeking.
He could see Anya standing in a swamp biome, surrounded by five girls. The girls' eyes burned with malice as they shot cruel words in her direction, clearly intent on provoking her.
"You think too highly of yourself, don't you, Anya? Just because you're pretty and a little strong, you think you're better than everyone?" the leader taunted, stepping closer with a mocking grin as the others behind her laughed in agreement.
Anya feigned fear, trembling slightly as she glanced around at the girls.
"I-I don't want any trouble," she stammered, her voice laced with false vulnerability as she took a step back.
Seeing Anya's fearful expression, the leader of the group smirked, a sense of satisfaction gleaming in her eyes.
"Oh, but we want trouble, so let's fight and show everyone just how pathetic you really are."
She unsheathed her sword and took a step forward, her voice laced with mockery.
The leader of the girls charged at Anya, her aura boosting her speed as her sword glowed faintly.
However, just before she could land a hit, Anya vanished in a blur. A second later, she reappeared and landed a powerful kick to the girl's face, throwing her off balance.
Without hesitation, Anya disarmed her and delivered a powerful kick to her stomach, launching the girl backward and slamming her into a tree several meters away.
The pink-haired girl's display of speed and strength left the other four girls visibly shaken. The mages in the group started reciting their spells, while the other two charged ahead, attempting to close the gap.
One summoned her spiritual beast, a gray wolf, while the other tightened her grip on a mace, preparing for battle.
Before they got close, Anya darted forward in a flash, her speed overwhelming. She delivered a sharp kick to the head of the girl with the mace, knocking her off and leaving her unconscious on the ground.
Noticing the gray wolf attempt to sneak up on her, Anya quickly reacted, pivoting to face it. With a swift and forceful punch to its face, she sent the beast crashing backward, vanishing in a burst of light.
The two mage girls finally launched their coordinated spells, but Anya leaped high, evading the fire and wind attacks with ease.
As she landed, Anya charged at them, kicking one mage in the stomach before spinning and delivering a swift kick to the other's chin, taking them both down in an instant.
Only the summoner girl remained, and she activated Synchronization, enhancing her speed to the maximum as she sought to escape from Anya.
Anya, on the other hand, had barely used any special abilities during the fight, relying more on her raw power and combat techniques to overpower her opponents.
Just as the summoner girl attempted to flee, a sharp pain struck her side, sending her crashing into the dirty swamp water, unconscious.
It was Mojnir, Anya's spiritual beast, who landed the blow.
When Anya saw that her summon had returned, she dashed toward him and hopped onto his back.
As she snuggled into his soft fur, Anya patted Mojnir's head and said, "Thanks for taking care of this bitch, Mojnir. Now that you're here, did you find the two I mentioned?"
The big white wolf nodded, and Anya couldn't help but flash a slightly mischievous smile.
"Good, so let's find them after I visit someone," she said, her mind lingering on the thought of that person.
Mojnir, understanding her intent, surged forward, leaping effortlessly through the trees with Anya riding on his back, her mind consumed by malicious thoughts.
Various spectators from outside the Unnatural Heaven cheered as they watched her fight, with Anya's fan club shouting her name wildly and waving flags adorned with her photo.
Raziel was somewhat surprised, as in the game, she wasn't very useful in combat, despite being described as someone very strong. Usually, he only included her in the party to help farm more experience.
While she provided valuable bonuses to other characters at higher levels, she often needed protection in combat, as her strength in direct confrontation was limited.
'Maybe she's just strong against weaker opponents,' Raziel thought, attempting to analyze the situation.
His thoughts were interrupted as he glanced at another screen, where a striking girl with long black hair tied in a ponytail appeared.
She was dressed in a black kimono, wielding two black-bladed katanas, and fought fiercely alone against three opponents in a dense jungle environment.
Her movements were swift and calculated. In an instant, she dispatched a summoner and its summon, who had charged at her without hesitation.
The mage and the spear-wielding warrior were left standing in stunned silence, realizing too late that they had picked the wrong opponent.
To Raziel, who quickly identified her, it was evident that the three opponents had no chance.
She was Kazenari Nozomi, a powerful heroine ranked second on the Pharefal Rank List for second-year aura users.
Moreover, she was renowned as one of the academy's five strongest swordsmen, earning both fear and respect under the moniker "Eclipse."
Raziel recalled her upcoming confrontation with Erick and Sylfi, where, after being defeated by them, she would eventually become their friend.
On the screen, the girl had already subdued the mage with the back of her katanas and quickly dispatched the spear-wielding warrior with two precise light blue aura slashes. The unfortunate fighter seemed to accept his fate, collapsing unconscious onto the ground.
After a few minutes of watching the matches, Raziel found himself growing bored. He figured he wouldn't miss anything significant, as the protagonist and other heroines were still busy effortlessly dispatching 'extras.'
With that thought, he decided it was a good time to head to the bathroom.
As Raziel rose from his seat and made his way through the arena corridors toward the bathroom, the tournament continued to unfold.
In the Unnatural Heaven, near the desert biome, Sylfi and Erick engaged in minor fights with other students, easily besting them.
Meanwhile, Nozomi darted through the jungle, aiming to reach the center. Her movements were precise and graceful.
Suddenly, Nozomi sensed something speeding toward her like a bullet. Reacting swiftly, she executed a double jump, propelling herself into the air before landing gracefully on a sturdy tree branch.
Nozomi's eyes followed the figure that had just passed her, mounted on a large white wolf with patches of red fur. The duo landed smoothly on a tree branch ahead, exuding a commanding presence.
"A-Anya?" Nozomi asked, surprise evident in her voice.
"Yes, it's me~ Sorry if I scared you, Nozomi," Anya replied with a playful tone, a sly grin spreading across her face.
The black-haired girl, recognizing Anya, leaped gracefully from the tree branch and landed on the ground.
Moments later, Anya followed suit, dismounting her wolf as it landed smoothly beside Nozomi. The two began conversing in a friendly manner.
To Nozomi, Anya was a trusted friend, but Anya didn't share the same sentiment. Her cautious nature made her wary of everyone, including Nozomi.
Her carefully crafted facade was impeccable; even her father, the only person she still cared about, remained unaware of her true nature.
Yet, somehow, someone had uncovered both her hidden personality and the dark secret she had vowed to keep buried.
Such a variable was dangerous but also intriguing to observe. So, she decided to toy with him, aiming to uncover his true intentions, as his simple request to send her away made no sense at all.
Anya had entered the tournament mostly to vent her frustration. She knew victory was unlikely, particularly with a certain fourth-year woman participating.
"Hey Anya, did you accept my proposal that I suggested in the waiting room?" Nozomi asked, eager to hear her friend's answer.
"Of course, why would I refuse? You're my friend, so it's only natural we'd team up for this qualifier," Anya replied, putting on a bright smile.
Upon hearing her friend agree to team up, Nozomi's face lit up with a bright, innocent smile. She didn't have friends, as she often struggled with communication, but with Anya, it felt effortless.
Since their enrollment at the academy, Anya had always been by Nozomi's side, offering unwavering support, which led Nozomi to trust her almost completely.
"Nozomi, now that we're teaming up, let's head toward the desert. I've spotted an interesting duo I'd like to challenge," Anya said, her voice tinged with excitement.
Nozomi placed a hand on her chin, considering the suggestion for a moment, before nodding. Together, they sprinted toward the desert, dispatching any opponents who stood in their way.
Unaware that something significant was about to unfold, Raziel returned from the bathroom, his mind occupied with ideas for efficiently training both mana and aura.
The recent fights ignited his desire to grow stronger, and he knew he would need to put in the effort to catch up with the others.
Raziel's thoughts were cut short when he accidentally bumped into someone, almost losing his balance.
"Oh, sorry, I wasn't look—" Raziel started to apologize, but his words caught in his throat as he looked up at the person he'd bumped into.
A blond-haired guy with round black glasses shot Raziel a frown as he crouched to pick up his fallen book.
It was Castyel.
"I-I'm really sorry for bumping into you. I was lost in thoughts and didn't pay attention," Raziel apologized sincerely, trying to avoid any tension.
Although Castyel wasn't a particularly prominent character in the game, appearing only a few times after befriending Alizze, Raziel knew he was strong and didn't want to get on his bad side.
He often seemed uninterested in talking to others besides his sister and rarely displayed much emotion. However, when truly angry, Castyel was merciless.
Castyel, noticing his sincerity, nodded his head and said while cleaning some dirt from his book, "Don't worry, it's my fault too. I wasn't paying attention either."
Raziel sighed in relief, seeing that the boy didn't care. Just as he was about to leave, he recognized the book Castyel was holding.
"Hey, I think I've read this one before. Isn't it about an immortal returning for revenge after his disciples betray him?"
"Do you read Muxing novels too?" Castyel's eyes widened in surprise, thrilled to find someone else interested in novels from the Eastern Continent.
"Yes, I like to read them," Raziel answered with a slight smile.
Like an excited child, Castyel asked, "What's your favorite character?"
It didn't take a second for Raziel to give his answer.
"Of course, it's the Empress of Darkness!"
Upon hearing his answer, Castyel smiled slightly and adjusted his glasses, striking a pose like an anime character. The lenses of his glasses even gleamed brightly for a moment, adding a dramatic effect to his expression.
"Ah, I see you're a man of culture as well," he replied, acknowledging their shared appreciation.
Castyel then extended his right hand in a gesture offering a handshake and said, "My name is Castyel Marsheil, a wizard apprentice in the first year."
Surprised by the sudden turn of events, Raziel smiled and introduced himself too.
And so, after a firm handshake between the second king and one of the worst students of Revery Academy, a future beautiful friendship was born.