The entire arena was in an uproar.
Those who bet on the underdog, Ruby were disappointed by the result but couldn't complain as she performed magnificently.
The sentences, "She fought so well." And "She turned the tide so well, if only she had been well rested" Could be heard from the spectators.
From my seat, I couldn't help but analyze every detail of the fight.
At least the winner didn't change, but its still a good idea to keep an eye on Ruby.
I leaned back, my mind racing.
Something was definitely off. Even my instincts were screaming at me that.
My thoughts were interrupted by the AI referee's announcement,
"The next match will commence in 2 minutes. Participants, please prepare to enter the arena."
I glanced at the next, and todays last, lineup on the holographic display.
[Sam Dagon vs. Cain Stark]
Would the story go off course once again? I could do nothing but watch as every piece fell out of their places.
As the crowd settled down for the next fight, I couldn't shake the feeling bothering me.
Sam and Cain both started walking towards their places.
Now that I looked at Sam, he seemed a little... nervous unlike his usual calm and collected demeanor shown in the novel.
But it must just be the excitement not shown on the novel.
Cain Stark, on the other hand, carried around a feeling of raw aggression.
The atmosphere grew tense as they took their positions.
The AI referee's voice cut through the murmurs of the crowd.
"Begin!"
The crowd roared as the fight started, both parties immediately dashing into action.
Sam swung his sword in a wide arc towards Cain, but Cain just dodged it by sidestepping.
Cain started striking with his punches but Sam countered by makin yellow, shimmering lightning barriers.
Cain growled and pressed harder, his strikes becoming more ferocious as he tried to break through Sam's defenses.
It was clear that this was a battle of endurance and tactics.
I could see it. Sam was already analyzing Cain's fighting style, searching for weaknesses to exploit.
But this wasn't how it was supposed to happen.
In the story he didn't spend this much time analyzing and like a veteran, immediately crushed Cain to go onto the finals against Lucas to barely win.
Sam's sword glimmered as he adjusted his stance, his eyes locked onto Cain with sharp focus.
Cain's fists, strengthened by his innate strength and reinforced gauntlets, pounded against the yellow lightning barriers that Sam conjured in quick succession.
Cain growled again, this time with a hint of frustration.
"Is that all you've got, Dagon? Hiding behind those pretty shields of yours?"
Sam didn't respond. His calm demeanor didn't waver, but I noticed something in his posture. His barriers were holding, but they were appearing a little slower than before.
Was he tiring already?
Cain noticed it too. With a grin, he took a step back, then leaped forward with surprising speed for someone of his size.
He punched against the barrier with his own brownish energy and collided with Sam's barrier.
This time, the barrier shattered.
The crowd gasped, and Cain pressed his advantage.
Sam gritted his teeth.
From my seat, I could see that Sam wasn't just defending, he was using the time to gather information.
But he should've already known all of these.
I was really confused.
Did my presence effects things so much that it somehow regressed Sam's information?
Or was it because I affected a law or something?
Maybe in the future I time travelled to the past somehow and changed the past?
I couldn't help but think of countless possibilities.
Cain continued his assault.
Then it happened.
Sam shifted his stance, and in a split second, his sword shot forward in a perfectly timed thrust.
Cain barely managed to dodge, the blade grazing his shoulder and leaving a shallow cut.
The crowd erupted in cheers at the sudden shift in the tides of this battle.
Sam didn't stop there. He stepped forward, his sword dancing with electricity as he began to press Cain back.
He also used Ice to slowly but surely corner Cain into one place.
Cain's grin faltered as he realized he was being forced onto the defensive.
But his grin slowly came back, this time seemingly more enthusiastic.
"Yes, show me everything you have, Dagon!" He shouted.
It was clear that this match would be decided by who made the first critical mistake, but none of the two seemed to make that.
I leaned forward in my seat, my instincts on high alert.
As the fight continued on, I couldn't shake the feeling that something about this match was more important than it seemed.
This feeling of mine was probably related to Sam.
Because if he struggled with Cain this much, then how could he win against Lucas?
That thought gnawed at me.
I couldn't help but notice that Sam's movements, though still precise, lacked the decisiveness they were supposed to have in the original story.
Why?
Was he fatigued for some reason?
Cain, on the other hand, seemed to be thriving.
His strikes were becoming faster, his movements sharper.
Sam finally made his move.
With a burst of lightning energy, he swung his sword in a wide arc, creating a wave of electricity that surged towards Cain.
Cain responded by slamming his fists into the ground, creating an earth wall to block this lightning energy.
The two attacks collided in an explosion of lightning and debris, forcing both fighters to jump back.
The crowd was enjoying this fight, I was not.
Something was wrong.
Sam should have dominated this fight by now. Instead, he was struggling to maintain control.
I clenched my fists, the weight of the situation pressing down on me.
Right now, the important thing was to find out the reason behind Sam becoming like this.
And to do that I had to become close to him.
I hate socialising.
When I got out of my train of thoughts, I saw that both fighters were ready to do their last attack and they leaped forward.
Sam's sword crackled with lightning, the blade glowing as he poured every ounce of his remaining mana into it.
Cain, on the other hand, roared as he surged forward, his fists cloaked in a heavy, brown mana.
Their attacks met each other.
The arena was silent.
Both of them stood motionless for a moment, their bodies battered and bruised.
Then, with a groan, Sam fell to one knee, his fists trembling as he struggled to stay upright.
The AI referee's voice broke the silence.
"Participant Cain Stark, Advances to the next round."
Cain had won.