[Day 2 of the Tournament – Quarter-Finals]

[Location: The Arena Floor]

The atmosphere in the Colosseum had changed overnight.

Yesterday, the air was filled with mockery and laughter. Today, it was thick with tension.

The crowd wasn't jeering at Class F anymore; they were watching them with the morbid curiosity of people observing a ticking bomb.

"WELCOME TO THE QUARTER-FINALS!" the Announcer bellowed, his voice vibrating through the stands.

"THE ELITES VS. THE DARK HORSES!"

"MATCH ONE: LUKAS (CLASS F) VS. VANCE (CLASS S)!"

Lukas walked out of the West tunnel. He looked smaller than usual in the vast arena. He tugged nervously at the cuffs of his Salamander Gloves, his eyes darting around the packed stands.

From the East tunnel, Vance emerged.

Vance looked like a gladiator. He wore heavy blue magitech armor that shimmered with liquid mana.

His right arm, the one with the prosthetic brace, was encased in a gauntlet of flowing water.

He stared at Lukas with a predator's grin.

"Hey, Matchstick," Vance called out, stepping into the ring.

"Prince Nero told me all about your little rhythm. Burst. Cooldown. Burst. Cooldown."

Vance tapped his temple.

"I have you downloaded."

Lukas swallowed hard. He looked up at the VIP box. Damien was sitting there, calm as a statue.

'Don't use tricks,' Lukas remembered the Professor's words. 'Tricks are for magicians. Warriors use power.'

"BEGIN!"

Lukas didn't hesitate. He raised his hand instantly.

"Needle Fire!"

THWIP.

The compressed beam of blue fire shot across the arena, aiming straight for Vance's chest. It was fast, faster than any First Year spell should be.

Vance didn't dodge. He didn't even flinch. He simply raised his left hand.

[Water Magic: Mirror Shield.]

A pane of perfectly smooth, spinning water manifested in front of him.

HISS.

The beam hit the water. But instead of piercing through, the spinning liquid dispersed the heat instantly. The beam refracted, splitting into harmless sparks of light that scattered into the air.

Lukas's eyes widened. "What?"

"One," Vance counted out loud.

Lukas fired again. THWIP.

The water mirror absorbed it again. Steam hissed, but the shield held.

"Two," Vance counted, taking a step forward.

Lukas panicked. He fired a third time. THWIP.

Blocked.

The runes on Lukas's gloves dimmed. The 1.5-second cooling cycle began.

"Zero," Vance grinned.

[Water Magic: Aqua Whip.]

Vance lashed out. A tendril of high-pressure water snapped across the arena faster than a cobra strike.

CRACK.

It hit Lukas in the chest.

"Gah!"

Lukas was thrown backward, tumbling across the stone floor. The water whip cut through his uniform like a razor, leaving a red welt across his ribs. The force knocked the wind out of him.

"Get up!" Vance shouted, advancing. "I'm not done!"

Lukas scrambled to his feet, gasping for air. He tried to fire again, but his gloves were still cycling. He had to dodge.

He rolled to the left.

CRACK.

Another whip hit his leg. Lukas screamed, falling to one knee.

In the Class S suite, Nero nodded, sipping a glass of water. "Clockwork. He is helpless without his sniper rifle."

In the arena, panic began to set in for Lukas. Nero was right. They knew his timing. Every time he fired, Vance blocked it. Every time he cooled down, Vance hit him.

"Is that it?" Vance mocked, standing over Lukas with his water whips swirling around him like tentacles.

"Class F is just a one-trick pony. Once we figure out the trick, you're just garbage."

Lukas gritted his teeth. 'I need to be faster. I need to overwhelm him.'

He waited for the gloves to recharge. The moment the runes glowed blue, he unleashed a barrage.

THWIP-THWIP-THWIP-THWIP.

He fired ten shots in rapid succession, aiming for Vance's legs, head, and shield.

Vance didn't panic. He slammed his prosthetic hand into the ground.

[Water Magic: Tidal Wall.]

A massive wave of water rose up, creating a semi-circular barrier. The needle beams punched into the water, boiling pockets of it, but they lost all their momentum before reaching Vance.

The water wall crashed down, rushing toward Lukas.

"No!" Lukas yelled.

He tried to run, but the floor was wet. His boots slipped on the slick stone.

SPLASH.

The wave hit him. It wasn't just water; it was heavy, mana-infused sludge. It slammed him into the arena wall, pinning him there.

Lukas coughed, spitting out water. He was soaked to the bone. His clothes were heavy. His hair was plastered to his face.

And worst of all... his gloves were wet.

The runes flickered. The cooling mechanism hissed, struggling to vent heat through the layer of water.

Vance walked through the puddle, his boots splashing. He looked disappointed.

"You broke my wrist," Vance said, flexing his magitech prosthetic. "I spent three weeks in the infirmary because of your giant friend. I wanted to hurt you, matchstick. I wanted a challenge."

Vance raised his hand. A massive, rotating sphere of water formed above him, pressurized like a hydraulic cannon.

[Water Magic: Hydro Smash.]

"But you're just a disappointing little spark."

Lukas looked up at the hammer of water. He looked at the VIP box. He couldn't see Damien's expression behind the mask, but he could imagine the disappointment.

'I'm going to lose,' Lukas thought. 'I can't shoot through water. It's impossible. Water beats fire.'

He shivered. The cold water soaked into his skin.

Vance grinned, ready to drop the hammer.

"Say goodbye, Class F."

Author's Note:

I want to pause for a moment to extend a massive thank you to everyone who has stuck with the story this far. Your support, power stones, and comments mean the world to me and are the fuel that keeps these chapters coming.

We have finally reached the heat of the Tournament Arc, and watching Class F strike back has been incredibly satisfying to write. But trust me, we are just getting started, things are about to get even crazier!

I wish you all a fantastic, prosperous, and Happy New Year! Let's crush this year together, just like Alaric crushes... well, everything.

Thanks for reading!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.