Raziel and Castyel strolled through the corridor, fully immersed in a lively discussion about novels.
Castyel then retrieved a brown book from his storage ring, one he had been reading recently, and, grinning, began to introduce it.
"Check this out. It's called Ascension of the Thunder Body. It's a new release and quickly became one of my favorites," He said, handing the book to Raziel.
Raziel took the book and, in exchange, pulled one from his own ring, offering it to Castyel.
He gave a brief summary of the book, causing the blonde boy to let out a small gasp. Castyel had been eager to read this one for a long time but could never find any more copies.
Without hesitation, he accepted, thanking Raziel with a tear brimming in the corner of his eye, as if a lifelong dream had just come true.
While they continued their small talk about novels, Raziel suddenly remembered he needed to return to watch the important fight that was about to happen
When Raziel told Castyel he needed to leave, the boy nodded in understanding and mentioned that he also had something he needed to take care of.
The duo shared another friendly handshake, agreeing to chat again sometime, before parting ways to head to their respective destinations.
A few minutes later, Raziel returned to his seat. To his surprise, the first thing he saw on most screens was four familiar figures.
Sylfi and Erick were in the desert biome, facing Anya, with Nozomi by her side.
Raziel remembered that Nozomi and Anya were friends. Seeing them together now made him feel like something was about to happen.
In the Unnatural Heaven, Sylfi crossed her arms, glaring sharply at Anya with a deep frown.
"What do you want?" Sylfi asked, her tone cold and direct.
"Hello, Sylfi. It's been a while," Anya said, smiling warmly.
"Tsk," the silver-haired girl clicked her tongue, clearly irritated.
She still remembered the day they fought, when Anya defeated her in a duel, causing Sylfi to lose her position as Third Queen and fall to Fourth.
But, what made Sylfi even more furious was that Anya always seemed to be provoking her with veiled words.
Moreover, just by looking at her, Sylfi could tell that these two hadn't come simply for a visit, and that was definitely bad news.
Fighting Anya alone would be manageable, but if Nozomi joined in, it would make winning incredibly difficult for them.
"Sylfi, I know you don't like me because I took your position as Third Queen, but it was a fair duel," Anya said, offering a slightly apologetic smile.
"I don't care about that anymore. Just get to the point," Sylfi said, rolling her eyes, wanting to end the conversation.
Noticing Sylfi trying to mask her nervousness, Anya suppressed a smile and explained that she wanted to have a duel between teams.
"So, what do you think? Your new boyfriend is probably fine with it," Anya said, a teasing glint in her eyes.
"He's not my boy—"
"Yes, let's fight!" Erick interrupted, cutting Sylfi off before she could finish her sentence.
He accepted Anya's proposal without a second thought, not caring how strong the two girls might be, which left the silver-haired girl staring at him with her mouth agape.
As much as Sylfi wanted to beat the hell out of Anya, she knew that with Nozomi involved, it would only result in a troublesome conflict.
If it had been just one of them alone, it might have been doable, but facing both together without backup was a reckless choice.
Before she could protest his reckless decision, the guy unsheathed his sword, activated his aura, and charged at Nozomi.
Erick could feel the overwhelming power of Nozomi, but his desire to challenge strong enemies pushed aside any hesitation.
Nozomi grabbed one of her two katanas, taking a defensive-offensive stance, ready to defend herself.
She effortlessly parried his attack, redirecting his sword to the side. In a flash, Nozomi vanished from his sight and landed a sharp blow to his face with the pommel of her katana.
The hit threw Erick off balance, and as he tried to regain his stance, he sensed a threat to his leg. Forced to roll backward.
Noticing the girl didn't advance, Erick quickly retreated, positioning himself beside Sylfi.
Nozomi held back, aware that Sylfi was already poised to unleash a spell, waiting for the right moment to act.
"
The moment Sylfi finished reciting the incantation, a massive transparent ice wall shot up from the ground, encasing both her and Erick in a protective dome that rose three meters high.
Outside the dome, ice spikes began to form from the ground, shaping themselves into lances of various sizes and sharpness. The lances aimed directly at Nozomi and Anya, poised to strike with deadly precision.
With a wave of her hand, Sylfi launched the lances toward them.
However, Anya effortlessly dodged them with her speed, while Nozomi swiftly cut through the lances that she couldn't evade.
After a few seconds, the attacks stopped, as Sylfi had only been buying time for Erick to advance while she prepared to offer him support.
Erick enveloped his body in aura as he passed through a gap in the icy dome Sylfi had formed for him. With his sword in hand, he rushed toward the two girls.
While assuming a defensive stance, Nozomi decided to focus on counterattacks, guessing Erick wouldn't be able to match her speed.
They quickly locked in close combat once more, the sounds of their blades clashing growing louder with each strike.
Sylfi observed that Nozomi hadn't even activated her aura yet, while Erick was giving his all.
To assist him, Sylfi swiftly conjured more ice spears, directing them at Nozomi. But as the spears took form and hurtled toward her, a large white wolf materialized, its imposing presence effortlessly shattering the ice lances into fragments.
"Let them have their fun, because I'm going to be your opponent~ You can even try to get revenge for last time," Anya said, casually leaning against the ice dome.
"Tsk, I forgot about you," Sylfi muttered angrily, clicking her tongue before summoning an ice spike aimed directly at the spot where Anya stood.
Before the spike could strike her, Anya vanished from her position. Sylfi immediately began conjuring more ice lances, now aiming to hit Mojnir in an attempt to weaken Anya.
Meanwhile, the battle between Erick and Nozomi was taking a toll on him, as he struggled to find an opening against her.
The intensity of their clash reminded him of his training with the captain of the Lionheart Mansion, as he felt a familiar aura coming from the girl.
Feeling embarrassed at the thought of losing, Erick started using the Verdana technique and a few others, mixing in as many moves from the Claws of the Great Lion King swordsmanship as he could to get the upper hand.
The Claws of the Great Lion King swordsmanship revolves around delivering powerful blows while emphasizing the use of parries to block enemy attacks.
Only the Verdena technique is the exception, as it focuses on shifting the cutting direction to target vital areas like the neck or stomach, and incorporates a unique footwork.
As the battle went on, Nozomi felt the weight behind Erick's strikes grow heavier, making it harder to defend.
She found herself being pushed back, struggling to predict his movements as his footwork changed unexpectedly.
His aura had already grown beyond what his core could typically support. Thanks to his pure aura, it didn't affect him immediately, aided by his ten percent tolerance for exceeding his usual limits.
However, pushing beyond this threshold risked damaging his body.
Knowing the risk, he aimed to finish the fight quickly with his final move, Cry of the King. Usually, he would announce it loudly, but this time, the situation didn't allow for such a distraction.
In the original plot, Nozomi was forced to face both Erick and Sylfi in a 2-on-1 confrontation. As the fight dragged on, she was pushed to use her family's advanced swordsmanship technique, Kusoken.
This style merges dual-wielding sword techniques with potent aura slashes, crafted to disarm opponents and inflict significant damage.
Before Nozomi could fully unleash her strength, Erick gave Sylfi a signal. She responded by hurling ice lances, drawing Nozomi's attention as he prepared his attack.
Caught off guard by the lances, Nozomi realized too late as Erick unleashed a powerful dark blue slash, its overwhelming force knocking her unconscious.
With the plot having changed and Nozomi no longer fighting alone, Erick found himself in a difficult position.
Sylfi, occupied by Anya, left Erick to face the full force of Nozomi's relentless assault. She even drew her other katana, ready to unleash her dual sword arts infused with aura.
Sensing the danger, Erick shouted for Sylfi to assist him, prompting her to launch more ice lances. However, Anya and her spiritual beast destroyed them with ease while relentlessly attempting to breach the dome with their powerful strikes.
With no other option left, Erick decided to take a gamble. As he fought Nozomi in close combat, he began charging his sword with aura.
Sensing his aura increasing rapidly, Nozomi could tell something big was about to happen.
As Nozomi missed a strike, Erick seized the opportunity, swinging his sword toward her head.
She leapt to avoid the blow, but just as she did, his sword glowed a brilliant blue, releasing a powerful energy slash that sped toward her with devastating force.
To the onlookers, it seemed like there was no way for Nozomi to avoid the attack, and even Raziel believed the same.
Erick's strike passed through Nozomi as though she were a phantom, her figure dissipating into thin air, making it look as if she had been cleaved in two.
Suddenly, Nozomi appeared behind Erick, her aura flaring around her as she wielded her two katanas. With lightning speed, she slashed across his back, carving an X-shaped mark into his clothes.
As he attempted to turn and face her, she disappeared once again. In an instant, his body was caught in a violent explosion, the force of it shaking the very ground beneath him.
Raziel stood in shock, his mouth hanging open in disbelief. He couldn't believe that Nozomi had taken down Erick.
"Did he lose? No, no, no, he's the protagonist, he can't lose!" Raziel thought to himself, trying to deny what had just happened.
As the dark cloud cleared, Erick's body was revealed, lying motionless on the ground. Sylfi halted her fight with Anya, staring in disbelief at him
Taking advantage of the moment, Anya and her summon launched a devastating combined attack, breaking through the ice dome and charging straight at Sylfi.
The silver-haired girl quickly conjured an ice shield in a desperate attempt to defend herself.
When Nozomi moved closer, Sylfi felt an even deeper sense of helplessness than before.
"Well, Sylfi, what are you going to do now?" Anya said, satisfaction gleaming in her eyes.
"I... I surrender," Sylfi said, biting her lip and clenching her fists in frustration at the humiliation of being cornered.
Anya's smile widened, clearly delighted by the opportunity to dominate Sylfi once again.
"Good~ That was a wise decision. If you're done fighting, we won't trouble you any longer. And, oh, don't hold a grudge against Nozomi for taking down your boyfriend," Anya said with a playful smirk, her tone dripping with satisfaction as she watched Sylfi's reaction.
"He's not-"
"I'm joking, I'm joking. For an ice mage, you certainly aren't chill," Anya remarked while waving her hands in mock surrender.
Nozomi held back her laugh, her lips twitching as she tried to stay composed, while Sylfi clicked her tongue in frustration, her expression clearly displeased.
The onlookers erupted in cheers for Anya, with her fan club leading the charge, shouting her name with fervor.
Meanwhile, Raziel remained frozen in his seat, his mind struggling to process the unexpected turn of events. He never imagined Erick would actually lose.
'The mister blessed by plot lost? What the hell! Can he still save the world in the future?' He thought to himself, completely stunned by the outcome.
As the first day of qualifiers wrapped up, Raziel made his way home, the events of the day lingering in his mind. He decided to rest and focus, understanding that the next day held something that would demand his full attention.