Translation: Word (Microsoft), there are probably errors in the masculine and feminine pronouns.
Chapter 5
The deafening roar of the coliseum shook the air, while the commentator, with overflowing energy, announced the next confrontation.
Lilia Arcadia swung her bastard sword, Aurora, into a wide arc before stopping it with both hands, feeling its weight perfectly balanced. The golden light radiating from the blade shone brightly, projecting its reflection in the sand. Her gaze was serene, but in her eyes shone the determination of a knight trained in precision and honor.
On the other side, Viola Grayson clinked her twin swords, Crimson Phoenix, creating a flash of flame that burned for a few moments in the air before dissipating. A reckless smile was drawn on his face, while his posture reflected confidence and inexhaustible energy.
"I hope you're not afraid to approach, Lilia," Viola said, swinging one of her swords with ease.
Lilia maintained her position, without letting herself be provoked. "It's not my style to doubt. Attack whenever you want."
The commentator raised his voice above the din of the crowd.
"Let the combat begin!"
Viola struck the attack with a scorching momentum, her speed leaving a trail of flame in the sand. Its twin blades sliced through the air with precision as it unleashed Fire Dance, a series of chained attacks that left small explosions after each hit.
Lilia reacted with impeccable calmness. His Claymore intercepted each blow with calculated movements, deflecting the flames without losing stability. However, the combat pressure increased as Viola turned on herself and created a circle of fire with Crimson Storm, raising the temperature around her and reducing Lilia's movement space.
"Viola is imposing her combat rhythm with sheer aggressiveness!" the commentator exclaimed, as the crowd held its breath.
Lilia frowned, realizing that she couldn't stand on the defensive alone. Clenching the handle of his sword, he channeled his energy into Luminary Slash and launched a golden wave at Viola, who nimbly leapt to dodge it, but the flash forced him to cover his eyes for an instant.
That was Lilia's moment. With a swift step forward, he activated Celestial Light, increasing his speed enough to position himself behind Viola before she could react.
"The golden cavalry counterattacks with absolute precision!"
Viola, sensing the danger, turned in a desperate counterattack, but Lilia was already prepared. Its Guardian Glow activated instantly, blocking the flames and dissipating them with a blast of light.
The energetic impact pushed Viola back, and she landed firmly, but felt the first signs of mental fatigue. Sweat was running down her forehead, and although her body was intact, the spiritual struggle was wearing her down.
"I won't be left behind!" Viola shouted, her energy increasing as Fury of the Phoenix activated. Their swords burned more intensely and their speed skyrocketed.
Lilia did not hesitate. He raised his sword and channeled his last attack: Radiant Judgment.
Both warriors charged at the same time.
"Here comes the final clash!"
Viola leapt with Rebirth Blast, a maelstrom of crimson fire engulfing her figure as she descended like a fiery meteor.
Lilia, with absolute precision, traced a downward cut in the air, releasing a column of light with Radiant Judgment.
The clash of energies blinded the crowd for an instant. A shockwave swept through the coliseum, shaking the ground and momentarily muffling all sound.
When the glow dissipated, both combatants were standing... but only one held her gun.
Lilia Arcadia, her breath heavy but her posture still firm, lowered her sword. In front of her, Viola Grayson stood motionless for a few seconds... until their swords fell from his hands and his body bowed slightly, unable to continue.
The commentator wasted no time.
"Lilia Arcadia is the winner of this incredible duel!"
The coliseum exploded in cheers and shouts of excitement. Aurora's light shone proudly as Lilia bowed her head in respect to Viola, who smiled wearily.
"Damn it... I almost succeeded," Viola murmured with a laugh, before dropping down in the sand.
Lilia held out a hand. "You were a formidable opponent."
Viola looked at her for a moment before accepting the help. "I know."
The crowd continued to celebrate as both warriors left the field, leaving behind the echo of a combat that would remain in everyone's memory.
The roar of the crowd echoed like a raging sea, a current of excitement and expectation. The combatants of the sixth duel were already face to face, their weapons glistening in the sunlight that filtered through the clouds.
Cassandra Fleuret, with her pair of chains in hand, deftly twirled them in the air, emitting a metallic echo that seemed to resonate deep within the Colosseum. The tide of energy radiating from her was palpable, as if the air itself was imbued with her power.
Elise Marchand, with her black rapier in her hand, advanced with elegance and grace, her figure blurring at times in disturbing shadows. The edge of his sword seemed to absorb the light, leaving a dark and disturbing trail in its wake. Both combatants faced each other in silence, watching each other with an intensity that reflected the magnitude of the duel that was about to begin.
The commentator, visibly moved, raised his voice.
"The match between Cassandra Fleuret from Alpha Theocracy and Elise Marchand from Valeria Region begins now!"
The duel broke out instantly. Cassandra was the first to move, throwing her chains at Elise with deadly speed. The floating blades swirled like a whirlwind, creating a deadly dance that cut through the air. Elise dodged nimbly, moving like a shadow, but she was unable to completely avoid the reach of the chains that were tangling around her, reducing her mobility.
"Blood Iron Prison," Cassandra muttered, and the chains tightened around Elise, slowly draining her energy. The pressure mounted, but Elise didn't budge. With one swift movement, it merged with the shadows, disappearing from everyone's sight.
Cassandra realizing that her opponent had vanished. But before he could react, Elise appeared at his side, throwing a thrust with speed and precision. Elise's sword left a dark mark in the air, affecting Cassandra's concentration.
"Grim thrust," Elise murmured, as Cassandra stepped back, seeking to create distance.
The elementalist of chains did not allow herself to be intimidated. With a swift gesture, he released Dance of the Crimson Emperor, creating a circle of spinning attacks that surrounded Elise from all angles. The intensity of the floating blades made it difficult for the elementalist to move, but Elise stood her ground. Taking advantage of a moment of hesitation, Elise activated Crimson Eclipse, creating a distortion on the battlefield that altered Cassandra's perception, leaving her vulnerable to her next attack.
Cassandra, feeling the pressure, lunged forward with a defiant roar. With a quickness that took the crowd's breath away, he activated his Crimson Fang, hurling his floating blades at Elise with unstoppable force. Elise, being surprised, tried to dodge, but one of the blades hit her squarely, momentarily weakening her.
"The battle is at its peak!" the commentator shouted, as the air became even more tense.
Elise, her eyes shining with determination, took a deep breath. He wasn't going to give up so easily. "Curse of the Abyss," he whispered, and his rapier covered himself in dark energy. With a precise turn, he launched himself towards Cassandra with terrifying speed, looking for a decisive blow.
The coliseum was left in absolute silence. The energy between the two combatants was so dense that it seemed as if the air itself vibrated.
Both attacked with the strength of their most powerful abilities. The clash of energies was so violent that everything trembled under his feet. Light and dark intertwined, creating a blinding glow that made viewers cover their eyes.
When the glow dissipated, Cassandra was standing, though visibly exhausted, as Elise fell to her knees, her rapier already out of reach. His breathing was agitated, and his body was covered by marks of physical and mental exhaustion.
"Cassandra Fleuret is the winner of this epic fight!" the commentator exclaimed.
The crowd erupted in cheers, but Cassandra, instead of celebrating, approached Elise respectfully. "It was an honor," he said, holding out his hand.
Elise, still with her head bowed, looked at Cassandra and, with a tired smile, accepted her help. "Thank you," he murmured, rising with difficulty.
Both elementalists left the battlefield, leaving behind an indelible memory of their confrontation. The arena was tinged with tension, but also with a deep respect between two exceptional fighters.
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The air was fraught with tension as Sophia Bianchi, the elementalist of the Dragon Empire of Dracunia, prepared to face Ren Ashbell, an independent elementalist. The onlookers could hardly believe their eyes, as Sophia, her axe engulfed in fire, looked like a volcano about to erupt, while Ren, standing in front of her, maintained an almost deadly calm.
The arena trembled under the feet of both, the crowd in the coliseum held their breath, eager to see how this confrontation would unfold.
"Draconic frenzy!" Sophia shouts, unleashing her fury. In an instant, his movements became a firestorm. The burning axe in his hands moved with destructive speed, and every blow he unleashed sounded like an explosion. Spectators watched the air distort in the heat, but Ren was unfazed.
As soon as Sophia attacked with a flurry of rapid blows, Ren reacted in the blink of an eye. His body moved with unearthly agility, gliding left and right, dodging each impact with smooth, almost invisible movements, as if dancing in flames. The speed with which he moved was such that the eyes of those present could barely keep up with him.
Sophia, seeing that her attacks failed to connect, decided to escalate her aggression. A downward blow from the axe engulfed in fire was launched directly at Ren, intending to split the ground in two. But Ren, without hesitation, jumped back with incredible speed and landed gracefully, barely losing a second in his movement.
"Is that all?" she thought, as she took advantage of the space to regain her posture. Ren wasn't just fast, he also possessed incredible physical strength, something he would demonstrate in the following moments.
Sophia, furious, tried to follow him with a series of sweeping blows with the axe, but Ren took advantage of the gap, advancing quickly towards Sophia and with a movement of great force pushed his arm back, managing to push the warrior back a few meters. The crash made the air vibrate, but Ren didn't stop. Without using his sword skills, Ren's physical blow was what managed to push Sophia back, leaving everyone surprised by his power.
Sophia, however, was not someone to give up easily. Unleashed by her fury, the warrior charged with a ripple of fire around her and unleashed a Dragon Hellstrike. The air warmed and the flames swirled furiously toward Ren, quickly reaching an extreme temperature. Sophia saw the possibility of ending this match with that punch.
At the exact moment, Ren calculated accurately. Before the attack reached its destination, he unleashed a beam of dark energy from his sword, crossing the air in a straight line. The ray of darkness cut the fire attack in two, deflecting the explosion sideways. The power of the Sword of Darkness was enough to reduce the strength of Sophia's technique, but Ren didn't waste a second.
Incredibly fast, Ren took advantage of the opening created by the energy beam, advancing in a turn and attacking Sophia with the sword. A bright and clean trail hit Sophia, but it wasn't just about her speed, but also about the strength of the attack, enough to stagger the elementalist, who took several steps back, shocked by the mental damage she was receiving from a simple attack.
The fire around her axe was momentarily extinguished, and Sophia was forced to retreat, breathing heavily, while Ren took advantage of the gap to continue attacking. Without using special abilities, Ren followed up with a series of quick slashes that weakened Sophia.
Leaving the fight over.
"Winner, Ren Ashbell!" The commentator exclaimed.
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The combat arena was covered by a cold breeze. The two combatants looked at each other intensely. Rimuru Tempest, wielding her Voracity scythe, felt the scythe's energy flow into her. In front of her, Amara Weiss, with her gigantic mallet, was preparing for an unstoppable attack. The fight was about to begin.
Amara wasted no time and raised her mallet into the sky, unleashing a brutal blow that sent a wave of energy towards Rimuru. However, Rimuru reacted quickly. She moved Voracity gracefully, and immediately a layer of ice began to form around her, covering her in a glacial shield. Amara's mallet slammed into the icy barrier, causing the impact to rumble through the air, but the ice sheet resisted, minimizing the damage.
"It's strong...Rimuru thought, as he stood his ground. He knew that Amara would not stop so easily.
With a swift move, Rimuru raised Voracity and launched a series of ice attacks at his opponent. Sharp ice crystals flew through the air, pointing directly at Amara, who quickly raised her mallet to block them. The battle seemed like a dance between ice and metal, with Rimuru using his agility and control over the ice to keep his distance.
Amara, however, was powerful. He moved his mallet with great dexterity, causing the ice crystals to shatter on contact. With a growl, she charged towards Rimuru, ready to end the fight immediately.
But Rimuru was undeterred. As Amara advanced, Rimuru raised Voracity into the sky, summoning a snowstorm that began to cover the entire combat arena. The air became colder, and large blocks of ice began to fall like meteorites. Amara tried to dodge them, but the snow was falling so quickly that it was almost impossible to avoid the impact of the ice blocks.
"I must act fast," Amara thought, raising her gavel once more and unleashing a powerful wave of energy to blast her way through the storm. However, the ice that Rimuru controlled was relentless. The blocks of ice falling from the sky formed an unstoppable barrier, and the sand beneath his feet transformed into slippery ground.
Rimuru saw his chance. He moved Voracity with speed, creating a line of ice that stretched all the way to Amara. With a cry of concentration, Rimuru unleashed an avalanche of ice on his opponent, enveloping them in an impenetrable layer of crystals.
The force of the avalanche was too much for Amara, who was trapped by the ice. She tried to break free, but the ice had not only trapped her, but had begun to absorb her energy, turning her into power for Rimuru.
"I can't...!Amara thought, as her mallet fell to the ground and her body was completely immobilized in the ice. The snowstorm ceased, and the field fell silent.
Rimuru, breathing calmly, watched his opponent trapped in the ice. I knew I had won. The ice avalanche had been enough to dismantle Amara's defense and leave her unable to continue fighting.
"I made it...Rimuru thought, as snow fell softly on the battlefield, signaling the end of the fight. With one last move, Rimuru broke up the ice around Amara, dropping her to the ground, defeated.
The commentator, in a clear voice and full of emotion, resounded throughout the stadium, announcing the result of the fight.
"And there you have it, friends! With an impressive display of control on the ice, Rimuru Tempest has defeated Amara Weiss in a thrilling match! A round of applause for both elementalists, who gave everything in this confrontation!"
The crowd erupted in cheers, some surprised by Rimuru's victory, others simply admiring his ability to easily beat his opponent. The commentator continued, his tone filled with anticipation for what was to come.
"With this result, Rimuru Tempest advances to the next round. But before continuing, we will have an hour of rest for the participants to recover and prepare for what will be one of the most intense rounds of the tournament. Don't leave, the action is not over!"
The crowd nodded in agreement, as the arena began to calm down, and the elementalists retreated to their resting areas. The atmosphere was charged with energy, anticipating the rounds to come.