"Well, we're halfway through the event, and it's stirring up quite a buzz online. Though, some people are annoyed about that one unexpected delay," I remarked, before glancing at Iseul pointedly as I scrolled through social media.

"Heh, yeah, my bad. The event staff confiscated my booze, though they did agree return one of my bottles before my next match, since I need to have a buzz going to fight at my best," She replied, before perking up as the door opened, a young woman stepping in with a bottle of vodka.

"Hm? Wait, 'one of my bottles'? I'm sorry, just how many bottles of alcohol did you bring here? Where did you even hide them?" Responded Aria in bemusement, as Iseul took the bottle from the woman and opening it, taking several deep gulps.

"Ahh!! Mm, yesh, that'sh the shtuff...shorry, what did you shay?" She inquired as she glanced at Aria.

"I, uh...never mind."

"M'kay. Alright, let'sh do thish!" She exclaimed, starting to head for the door.

"Ahem...the bottle, please," The event staff cleared her throat sternly, holding her hand out.

"Aw, come on...fine, I guessh it'sh fine," She mumbled, as she reluctantly handed the bottle over.

She chugged down about a third of it, she's definitely a lot more drunk than she was when she fought me.

"On the bright side, my participation in this event will come to a close after this next match. But on the other hand...I have to fight her," Jin sighed wistfully, before dragging his feet towards the door.

"Cool, the only two X-Aces who don't have Arcane Classes, this should be interesting," Remarked Jaden, an intrigued look on his face.

"Uh, I don't have an Arcane Class either, you know," Chimed in Aria.

"Huh? Oh, right...yeah, since you've got those Demonic powers, plus that original Fire Attribute power boost Skill, I guess I was subconsciously perceiving you as an Arcane Hunter too," He mused thoughtfully.

Yeah, I'd say that's fair.

She's been pretty unconventional from the start...focusing on Agility over Strength and Vitality despite the opposite being the standard with the Brawler Class, and the immensely rare distinction of developing her own, original Skills as a Hunter with a standard Class.

And, of course, the power she got from the Demonic Art: Demonization, which is exclusive to me and her.

On another note, I've now met all but one of the six other active Arcane Hunters in the world. I wonder what the one I haven't met is like?

"Looks like it's about to start," Remarked Beatriz, as the countdown began, both participants having taken their places in the arena.

Let's see how this match goes...

Three.

Two.

One!

The instant the countdown ended, Jin took aim and fired out a rapid wind arrow towards Iseul, who suddenly spun out of the way at the last second, before whipping her arm out and firing a rapid lightning bolt towards Jin.

He swiftly raced across to evade the bolt, before firing out three wind arrows in rapid succession, one aimed straight at her and the other two shooting towards her right and left.

As the arrows closed in on her, she arched her body back with impressive flexibility, the back of her head almost touching the floor, the Mana Orb at the end of her staff glowing as she snapped her upper body forward, before unleashing a devastating blast of lightning as she got back upright again.

Jin swiftly fired out a couple of wind arrows, an intense eruption of wind and lightning exploding around the middle of the arena as the attacks collided and canceled out.

Iseul then shot towards him, her Mana Orb gleaming brighter and brighter with an ominous electric hue, before she twisted her body across as a wind arrow came shooting towards her, grazing her right elbow before erupting in a burst of slicing wind streaks, shredding her sleeve and tearing her skin to ribbons.

Jin began backing away as she continued to sprint towards him, blood streaming down her right arm, before he swiftly sprang back as she began to close in and fired a wind arrow straight at the ground in front of her.

She came to an abrupt halt and crossed her arms in front of herself defensively, the arrows erupting as it hit the floor of the arena, several cuts appearing across Iseul's arms as her feet skidded back a couple of meters.

She quickly leapt off to the right as another wind arrow came shooting towards her, before springing back onto her feet and unleashing a devastating blast of lightning as a barrage of wind arrows came shooting towards her, a sharp crackle ringing out before several crashes echoed out as the lightning collided against the arrows, sparks of lightning and streaks of wind erupting upon impact.

She raced towards Jin rapidly as the force of the collision of their attacks petered out, getting low as he fired a wind arrow at her head, which whizzed past the top of her head and hit the floor of the arena behind her, before she lunged forward as she closed in.

She swung her blade across as Jin began to take aim at her with his left hand, striking his forearm with the jagged edges of her blade and dragging his arm across, the wind arrow shooting out and veering off to the left, right as she pointed her staff at his stomach, the Mana Orb glowing intensely.

Jin raised his right hand as fast as he could, taking aim at her head, a bright flash of lightning erupting out, both of them vanishing from sight in the next instant, reappearing outside the barrier simultaneously.

Jin managed to generate and fire out a wind arrow aimed at the side of her head in the split-second that she fired out the lightning she'd charged up, which means...it's a draw.

Also, it definitely looked like Iseul was moving faster and more unpredictably than she was during my fight against her...guess she wasn't lying, alcohol really does improve her combat ability.

"That got me fired up, it was short but intense! And that best part...it's my turn next," Grinned Jaden, an excited gleam in his eyes.

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