"The second fight for the day! Let's welcome Sword Master and Ruler of Light to the stage!" The commentator's voice sliced through the arena, brimming with excitement.

​The audience hushed as a man in a traditional, dark samurai outfit, carrying a long, sheathed sword, stepped onto the stage. He stood opposite the serene figure of the Ruler of Light.

​"Did I hear that right?! Ruler of Light?! Isn't that the new commander under the Three-Eyed Nation?" someone in the audience whispered in surprise, drawing on fresh gossip.

​"That's still a rumor; not yet made official," another man exhaled, shaking his head. "Sword Master is strong, a solid celestial Rank warrior, but compared to the Ruler of Light... He will lose in an instant."

​"What?! I say he can last more than ten minutes!" an old man sitting beside him yelled, defending the honor of the Sword Master.

​"Ten minutes?" a lady scoffed, crossing her arms with an air of superior knowledge. "He won't even last one minute."

​"She is just a lady; she can't be that strong," the old man protested, clinging to outdated assumptions. "Besides, they're both in the Celestial Rank!"

​"Okay, what about we make a bet?" the lady asked with a sharp smirk, sensing an easy win.

​"What are we betting on?" the old man asked, a competitive glint in his eye.

​"Ten thousand Galaxy Crystals," the lady offered, her smirk widening.

​The old man hesitated, moving his gaze around and seeing several pairs of eyes focused on their exchange.

'Fine! It'll just show her how naive she is about true power,' he thought, swallowing his pride.

​"Deal!!"

​"Good," the lady confirmed, victory already tasting sweet.

_

​"Okay contestants, you already know the rules!" The commentator yelled at the top of his lungs. "Start!!"

​Sword Master instantly drew his long katana, the sharp steel hissing as it left the sheath. He threw the sheath aside, adopting a lethal stance.

​"You should be happy there's the no-kill rule, lady... Otherwise, you would be—"

​WHOOSH!!!

​Everyone saw nothing but a blinding flash of light. The Ruler of Light had moved. She instantly materialized behind the Sword Master, her arms still folded neatly over her chest, not a single strand of white hair out of place.

​"This?!"

​The audience was stunned into momentary silence. They watched as Sword Master's sword clattered onto the stage. His body went rigid, then he collapsed, falling face-first onto the ground.

​"You should be the one who should be happy about the no-kill rule," the Ruler of Light said coldly, her voice echoing in the sudden silence. She turned and walked off the stage, her gaze flat, treating the fight as a necessary formality.

​"Wow!! The winner of this round is Ruler of Light!!" The commentator finally found his voice, and the audience burst into thunderous cheers, half awe, half shock.

​"Hahaha!! Old man! My ten thousand!" the lady crowed, pointing at the still-collapsed Sword Master. "Look at your man—he didn't even last ten seconds, and you were saying ten minutes!"

​The old man gritted his teeth, humiliation burning his cheeks. He reluctantly brought out a pouch of Galaxy Crystals and handed it over.

​"Thanks! It's so good doing business with you!" She smiled brilliantly, then turned to those around her.

​"Who else wants to bet?! I am open arms!"

_

​"Told you Brother is in for a real battle," Lewis said, his smile turning into a satisfied smirk. His prediction was based on hard data, and the visual proof was shocking.

​"If this wasn't a friendly match... Sword Master would have been instantly killed," Jessica muttered, still processing the speed. "I didn't even see her move."

​"Of course," Lewis boasted. "She moves with the speed of light. That's her element."

​"Aren't you exaggerating too much?" Falkor questioned, frowning skeptically. "How can she move with the speed of light? I can still detect her movements, but I can't even target God Wolf. Who do you think is the fastest?"

​Lewis immediately grew serious. "Dad, don't compare her to God Wolf. That King is a monster; he's too powerful. Ruler of Light is still growing, but even at her peak, she will still lose to him." Lewis turned his head toward the royal platform, paying his dues to the true power residing there.

_

​"I can't believe this girl has this much power," Hazel, the Phoenix Queen, observed with an impressed smile. "Remarkably disciplined."

​"My Queen, should we try to buy her?" Brittney asked in a low voice, suggesting a lucrative recruitment.

​"No," Hazel replied, shaking her head, her tone instantly becoming serious.

"Ruler of Light is under the protection of the Three-Eyed Nation, and the Three-Eyed Nation recently submitted to the influence of Eldoria. I don't want to make enemies with Lola, or her Brother." Hazel stated.

​"Yes," Brittney nodded, chastened.

_

​In the royal platform, Jinx suddenly stood up, her gaze fixed on the screen where the Ruler of Light's victory was still replaying. Her face was tight with cold disapproval. Her abrupt movement caused everyone in the high box to turn toward her.

​"What now?" Sunny asked with a slight frown, deliberately not looking back at her. He knew that look.

​"That Ruler of Light or whatever is too arrogant," Jinx declared, her voice laced with challenge. "Can I go down there and partake in this competition?"

​"What? No. You can't," Sunny refused immediately, his tone firm.

​'This girl also has the new skill Ellen gained. I don't know how it's possible, but there's no way I'm letting her loose right now. She'd break the no-kill rule just to spite someone,' he thought, prioritizing the stability of his tournament and her safety.

​"Why?" Jinx argued. "In the last round, the five survivors will face five of the strongest members in the Shadow Team. You can also consider me a part of that team; I protect my sister, always. Not only that, only I can shut her up!"

​"Why? She hasn't done anything wrong," Star pointed out innocently.

​"Trust me," Jinx insisted, sitting down with a frustrated groan, the chair protesting under her weight.

"She will. I know this type of person—they thrive on superiority."

​"Just wait and see," she muttered under her breath, watching as Peter and his opponent got on stage for the next bout, the arrogance of the Ruler of Light still burning in her mind.

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