"I see... Finally getting serious, huh? This is becoming interesting. He-he-he,"
Carol giggled, her crimson eyes alight with pure bloodlust.
The whole arena trembled violently as her aura flared. The crowd gasped in fear, some clinging to their seats as cracks began to form in the battlefield.
Thankfully, the protection array held firm, deflecting the destructive energy into the ground.
Amidst the chaos, Taguchi stood motionless, his face calm but his body tense, like a mountain bracing for a storm.
Carol smirked, vanishing in a blur as she darted around him at an impossible speed.
"Even if you shatter the entire battlefield, you'll never catch me!"
Carol taunted, her voice echoing from every direction.
Taguchi didn't flinch. His eyes remained focused ahead, as if he were in a trance. This unnerved Carol, though she hid it behind her mocking tone.
(What is this pressure? It's... heavier than before. What's changed about him?)
Despite her unease, Carol seized an opportunity. She noticed a gap in his defense—his unprotected back.
"An opening!" she whispered with a predatory grin, lunging forward like a bullet.
She aimed a strike at his back, only to be stopped mid-attack by a massive rock pike erupting from the ground.
"What?!" Carol cried, barely evading the impact as she landed on her feet.
She stared at the pike, her mind racing. (When did he cast a spell? I didn't even sense him channeling mana!)
Taguchi turned to face her, his expression calm, but a mocking grin spread across his lips.
"What happened, Your Highness? Did you miscalculate?" he sneered.
Carol's fists clenched. His newfound confidence stoked her irritation, but she forced herself to stay composed.
"This doesn't change anything," she muttered, brushing dust off her sleeve. "I'm still faster than you."
"Are you?" Taguchi countered. His grin widened as veins pulsed across his body, and the ground beneath him began to quake. Massive stone spikes erupted around him, spiraling into a whirling formation.
"Upper Intermediate Earth Magic—Earth Drill!"
The spikes spun at high speed, tearing through the battlefield as they surged toward Carol. The crowd gasped.
"Can she dodge that?" someone whispered.
Carol remained still, her lips curling into a smirk as the deadly spikes closed in.
BOOM!
The battlefield exploded in a cloud of dust and debris. For a moment, nothing was visible. Taguchi turned away, certain of his victory.
"The match is over. Referee, announce the resul—"
"He-he-he..."
The eerie giggle stopped him mid-sentence.
The dust cleared, revealing Carol standing unscathed, her crimson eyes gleaming. Two golden blades floated beside her, their edges glowing faintly.
"Taguchi Masaru," she called out, her voice soft yet menacing. "Did you really think that would finish me off? How disappointing."
Taguchi froze, his confidence shattered. (How? How is she unhurt?!)
Carol walked toward him, her golden blades spinning ominously. "Now," she whispered, "it's my turn to play."
Before Taguchi could react, one of the blades shot forward, piercing his side.
"Ahhh!" he screamed, clutching his wound as blood dripped onto the ground.
Carol didn't stop. She pointed at him again, and the second blade struck his leg, forcing him to his knees.
"Is this all you've got?" Carol mocked, her voice laced with sadistic glee. "Stand up, Taguchi! I thought you wanted to prove yourself!"
Taguchi tried to rise, but his limbs trembled. Every time he attempted to move, one of Carol's blades would strike him again.
"H-help... anyone... please!" he whimpered, his voice weak and desperate.
The crowd fell silent, their expressions shifting from shock to pity.
Carol laughed, her maniacal cackle echoing through the arena. "Begging already? You're pathetic!" She raised her hand for another strike, but before the blade could descend—
"STOP!"
A thunderous voice cut through the chaos. Tomoki Naoto, the chief referee, stepped onto the battlefield, his aura suppressing Carol's bloodlust in an instant.
"That's enough, Carol Johansson!" he roared, his piercing gaze locking onto hers.
Carol's eyes widened, and she quickly lowered her hand, bowing her head in apology. "My apologies, Chief. I got carried away."
Tomoki ignored her, his focus shifting to Taguchi, who lay battered and bleeding on the ground. Medical staff rushed in, lifting his limp body onto a stretcher.
As they carried him away, Taguchi's half-conscious eyes fixed on Carol. His lips moved, barely forming words:
"C-Carol Johansson... I... will make you... pay..."
He fainted, his hand falling limply by his side.
Tomoki turned back to the audience. "The winner of this match is Carol Johansson!"
A murmur spread through the crowd, but their excitement was tempered by unease. Carol's brutal display had left many shaken, her beauty now overshadowed by the image of a bloodthirsty maniac.
As the medics left the arena, Tomoki announced, "The first round of solo battles is complete. Prepare for the next stage. The second round begins soon!"
Carol smirked as she walked off the battlefield, her golden blades vanishing into thin air. Her gaze flicked to the stretcher carrying Taguchi.
"Don't take it personally," she muttered. "You were just unlucky to face me."
The crowd roared as the announcement ended, but the tension lingered. The matches were far from over, and everyone knew the worst was yet to come.....