Tensions ran high as the contestants began to gather at the Plaza. Four distinct groups formed, each one representing the remaining members of the four Empires.

Verdant Empire Quarter.

..

Amell silently stared at the Nurs Ancifas group.

The moment he caught sight of a certain figure, his entire body shook slightly.

How come Ive never noticed him before?

It was hard to not notice him. With his appearance, coupled with the attention he was receiving, it was obvious to Amell that he was someone with a reasonably high status. Perhaps he wasnt a noble, but he was at least respected.

Amell clenched his teeth.

.Could it really be him?

The more he looked at Leon, the more he noticed the resemblances to his father. It might have been his imagination, but the thought lingered, refusing to leave his mind.

It got to the point where it started to eat at his mind.

Amell?

It was only when someone from his group called for him that he snapped out of it.

Yes?

He glanced down to see a young man with green eyes and black hair, standing a head shorter than Amell.

He wore the standard Verdant Empire uniform: a green blazer adorned with golden embroidery and the Empires insigniaThe ancient turtle of Barilon.

With Agatha eliminated, this young man was now the second most powerful person in the group.

Charles looked at Amell.

He had been acting rather weird ever since he had come to the Plaza.

While he was usually indifferent to everything around him, he still took the lead when the time came. But right now? He was out of it.

His attention had been fixed toward the other groups, never paying any attention to them.

Why did you call me?

Hearing Amells sharp words, Charles pursed his lips before pointing behind him.

Our situation isnt good.

He spoke honestly,

Of all the other groups, weve lost the second in command and while we used to have the most people, we now have the least amount.

Charles shifted his attention toward the other groups, his gaze locking onto the members of the Nurs Ancifa Empire and the Aurora Empire. He was shocked to see how many people they had.

The Nurs Ancifa and Aurora Empires both have the most remaining participants. And not by a small margin. Its a little embarrassing.

What does that matter?

Amell asked while frowning.

So long as I reach the top spot, this will be a trivial matter.

That

Charles wasnt sure how to put it into words, but it all boiled down to the fact that this event was being streamed across all four Empires. Even if they managed to secure a victory with Amell winning, it would only prove that they had the best talent. Beyond that, though?

What were they? A one-man team?

It wasnt a good look for them.

Especially since an Empire wasnt run by a single person but by many. This was beyond embarrassing.

Dont worry.

Not noticing his worries, and perhaps not caring for them, Amell patted him on the shoulder.

Its true that weve lost Agatha, and weve got the least number of participants.

His attention shifted back toward a certain individual. He stood with a stoic face, looking around and not speaking much.

.But its not like we lack talents.

***

<We would like to welcome everyone back to the Second Round of the fights>

The broadcast began with Karl and Johanna seated side by side, staring at the recording device aimed at them. As they introduced the next round, clips of the previous fights began to replay on the screen, allowing everyone to relive the action.

Karl began the broadcast,

<Its been a rather exciting first round with a lot of twists and turns that we didnt expect>

By the twist, he was referring to the last fight.

The one involving Kiera and Agatha. Following their fights, a lot of interest fell on Kiera as many started to inquire about her.

Coupled with the fact that she was a beauty, she also started to gain a certain following.

<Theres a lot of dark horses in this competition, and who knows, the winner might not necessarily be as set as people think>

Karl teased the audience as he pressed down on the table.

<After much thought and deliberation, weve updated the power ranking for the remaining competitors, based on their previous performances and the information we have available. These rankings reflect who we believe has the strongest chance of winning the competition>

A table with a list of names appeared for all to see.

===[Power Ranking]===

1 Caius Aetheria

2 Amell Mantovaj

3 Kaelion Mandrale

4 Aoife Megrail

5 Leon Ellert

6 Kiera Mylne

7 James Bergham

8 Charles Darlot

9 Julien Evenus

10 Klora Yillo

===[Power Ranking]===

The list stopped at the tenth spot.

<As you all noticed, theres not much of a gap between the top four, but theres been a massive shift in everything beneath that. Its surprising how many talents have emerged from the Nurs Ancifa Empire. In particular, Kiera Mylne, who seemingly appeared from out of nowhere.>

Kiera not only gained more followers following her success. But her power ranking rose dramatically as a result.

To be able to defeat someone as powerful as Agatha, one would without a doubt need to be powerful, and Kiera proved her capabilities.

Everything else remained relatively similar to how it had been in the past, except one other name.

<Julien has also made a significant rise, moving from thirtieth place all the way to ninth. While hes not yet one of the top favorites to win, hes closing in on that position. After all, we still havent seen his true specialty in action!>

Following those words, Karl went on to ramble about the other contestants, giving the audience a little overview of everyone present until Johanna stopped him.

<The matches are about to start>

<Oh?>

Her words brought an immediate silence to the studio as everyone focused their attention on the platforms that hung suspended in the air.

Figures started to emerge one after another, and soon enough, each platform contained two contestants.

With a smile, Karl spoke,

<Let the Second Round begin>

***

After pressing the cube, I was transported to the top of a familiar platform. The air was dry, and the relentless heat from the sun felt uncomfortably intense.

To my right, the referee stood with an impassive expression while opposite me a figure appeared.

.I dont recognize her.

With long brown hair and brown eyes, she had a rather plain appearance. Freckles marred her features while her small nose squinted slightly. Dressed in the attire of the Verdant Empire, she tensed the moment she saw me, but quickly took a deep breath and assumed her position.

I did so as well.

The surroundings fell silent as we stared at each other from our end.

Julien Evenus of the Nurs Ancifa Empire versus Veronica Chandler of the Verdant Empire.

It was only when the referee spoke that she moved.

Begin!

Crack!

The ground beneath her feet cracked and shattered, propelling her forward with explosive force. She shot toward me like a bullet.

Having watched her previous fights, I was somewhat familiar with her style, but I was still curious.

.As far as I saw, shes not a body type user. She should be more of an Elemental mage with her element being [Ice].

The fact that she broke the ground beneath her showed that she had already reached the fourth tier.

Extending my hand forward, I prepared to use [Grip of Pestilence] when she pressed her foot forward and came to a sudden stop. Then, before I even had a chance to understand what she was trying to do, her body sank into the pavement.

?

I stood stunned for a second.

This was the first time I had seen her do this, and was taken aback somewhat. I instinctively looked downward where two hands emerged, trying to grip my ankles.

Not this again.

The sight of the hands made my body shudder as I was reminded of a scene from the past.

Without hesitation, I kicked off the ground and leaped into the air to avoid her attack. However, as if she anticipated my move, her body shot up rapidly from the ground in an attempt to grab me. Since I was airborne and unable to stop, I couldnt activate Step of Suppression. Nonetheless, I brought my hand down with decisive force.

In a matter of a second, my entire hand turned purple as I pressed down to grab her face.

Her eyes widened at the sight of my hand, but it was too late. Unable to adjust her attack in time, she clenched her teeth and pressed forward. Steam began to rise from her hands and mouth as ice started to form around her hand.

The temperature dropped significantly, and my heart squeezed for a brief moment.

In that brief instant, just as our hands were about to connect, I extended my left hand, sending a thread shooting toward the ground at an angle. Using the little force provided, I twisted my body mid-air.

..!

Before she could react, my hand pressed against the back of her head.

Gripping her face tightly with one hand, I flicked my head to look around me before pressing my finger from my other hand against her temple.

A voice fell shortly after that.

Match over! The winner is

Thump!

The both of us landed on the ground.

Julien Evenus of the Nurs Ancifa Empire.

Hoo.

Following the announcement, I let go of my opponents head and stood up. I had been a little nervous at first considering how hard my first two matches had been. However, things went a lot smoother than I had anticipated.

This is the first time a fight went so smoothly for me. Didnt have to almost die for once.

In the previous matches, I found myself struggling quite a lot, sustaining quite a lot of injuries at the same time.

This match felt like a breath of fresh air.

As the cube materialized in front of me, I clenched it tightly and reappeared beneath the platforms. Being one of the first to arrive, I looked around and my gaze immediately fixed on the Statue of Liberty. Despite its worn appearance, my heart raced at the sight of it towering above me.

There was something about the statue that made me feel oppressed as if it were challenging my sanity.

Was this really a game world?

Or a remnant of what earth used to be?

The thought weighed heavily on my mind, and as I pursed my lips and looked away, another figure appeared beside me.

Youre done?

Leon looked at me up and down before showing a surprised look.

And youre uninjured?

Whats surprising about that?

I frowned.

It felt as though he expected me to be injured.

I got an easier match-up.

Oh, I guess thats possible.

Leon scratched the back of his head before taking out the tablet that displayed the broadcast and passed it on to me.

Wanna have a look?

Sure.

There was nothing else to do and I wanted to see how the other matches played out.

We had just turned on the stream when I felt my expression pause. Leons reaction was the same as he watched the ongoing match.

On either end stood two figures we knew all too well: one with red hair and the other with purple. As their hair fluttered slightly, the two began to move.

Thats when I turned to look at the side of the tablet;

Platform [3] Aoife Megrail versus Evelyn Verlice