Third Round, the final round of the Elimination League Phase.
This was it.
For many teams, this match would decide everything. Qualification or elimination. Advancement or exit. No one knew how many points would be enough, and that uncertainty made every single bout even more important.
On one side stood The Rising Heroes.
On the other stood Silver Antlers from the Kingdom of Wyali.
Both teams had performed well so far. Both had gathered strong points. Both still had a chance.
But neither side wanted to leave it to chance.
They wanted victory.
They wanted all 9 points.
The arena buzzed with tension as the fighters walked in. The crowd could feel it—this wasn't just another match. This was a deciding battle.
At the center of the battlefield stood Lila, holding her spear firmly. Her eyes were calm, focused, and determined.
Across from her stood Orion, his sword resting lightly in his hand. His expression was sharp, confident, yet completely composed.
The referee raised his hand.
And then, the match began.
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Without wasting even a second, both Lila and Orion rushed forward.
Their weapons collided instantly.
Clang!
Spear met sword with force, sparks flying as both pushed against each other. Neither backed down.
Lila moved first.
She slipped to Orion's side, trying to land a quick hit, but Orion reacted instantly. He parried her strike smoothly and countered with a fast slash aimed at her midsection.
The blade barely missed.
It passed so close that Lila could feel the air cut across her skin.
She stepped back, regaining her footing.
Then, with a small grin, she spun her spear and charged again.
This time, she launched a series of diagonal attacks, fast, controlled, and precise.
Orion was pushed onto the defensive. Step by step, he moved backward, blocking each strike carefully. His sword moved with perfect timing, deflecting every hit.
But he wasn't just defending.
He was waiting.
And the moment came.
In a sudden shift, Orion stepped forward instead of back, closing the distance between them.
He swung his sword... but it was a feint.
Mid-swing, he released his grip on the sword.
For a split second, Lila's attention shifted toward the falling blade, and that was enough.
Orion moved to her other side and delivered a clean punch straight to her face.
The impact sent Lila flying backward.
Before his sword could even hit the ground, Orion caught it again with ease.
The crowd gasped.
Lila wiped the corner of her mouth as she stood back up.
And then, she smiled.
"Fireball."
"Water Bullet."
At the same time, she launched both elements toward Orion.
Streams of fire and bursts of water shot across the battlefield, forcing Orion to react.
He moved quickly at first, dodging them.
But soon, he shifted into defense.
"Refraction Parry."
A hexagonal energy shield formed along his blade as he began deflecting her attacks one after another.
Each fireball.
Each water bullet.
Parried.
But something subtle was happening.
Something Lila didn't notice.
With every attack he blocked, his sword began to glow slightly.
A faint energy built up.
Then stronger.
Then stronger.
Until finally, Orion stopped defending.
His sword vibrated in his hand, filled with absorbed energy.
From a distance, he swung it.
A straight line of compressed energy shot forward.
Fast.
Too fast.
Lila barely reacted in time. She shifted her body away, but the attack still grazed her arm.
A sharp cut.
She took a deep breath.
Focused.
Now Orion moved.
"Overload Flurry."
His movements accelerated instantly. He closed the gap and unleashed a rapid series of strikes.
Lila dodged as much as she could.
But each strike left behind a faint spark in the air.
One.
Two.
Three.
And then the final strike.
Orion jumped back.
The sparks detonated.
Boom!
An explosion erupted around Lila, smoke covering the battlefield.
The crowd held its breath.
And then, from the smoke, Lila stepped out.
Coughing. But standing. Not giving up.
"Thermal Jet."
Water flowed along her spear as heat surged through it.
In an instant, it turned into pressurized steam.
A sharp, high-pitched sound echoed, and she launched forward like a rocket.
Boom!
She struck Orion directly in the stomach.
The impact was clean. Unexpected. Powerful. Orion stumbled back.
Both fighters paused for a moment, breathing heavily.
They looked at each other.
Orion spoke first.
"Shall we finish this… once and for all?"
Lila took a deep breath.
Then nodded.
"Sure."
Both of them began gathering their power. The air itself seemed to change.
Orion raised his sword toward the sky.
"Nova Horizon."
Energy from the surroundings began to gather into his blade. It expanded Growing into a massive pillar of white light.
Blinding. Overwhelming.
On the other side, Lila spun her spear.
Faster. Faster.
"The Twin-Serpent Vortex."
Water rose, spiraling around her.
Flames followed, forming a second spiral.
Two opposite forces.
One freezing. One burning.
They circled her like living serpents.
And then, they moved...
The two attacks collided. A deafening sound shook the arena. Not an explosion.
Something deeper. Something heavier.
Orion's white energy cut through the water serpent like it was nothing.
But Lila didn't stop. She twisted her spear. Forced the fire and water to collide against his blade.
And then, it happened.
A massive wall of scalding fog erupted between them.
Thick.
Dense.
Blinding.
It swallowed everything.
No light could pass through.
No form could be seen.
And then, A shockwave.
Both fighters were thrown backward.
The ground cracked beneath them, steam rising into the air.
Silence fell over the arena.
As the fog slowly cleared, both were visible.
Struggling.
Trying to stand.
Orion pushed himself up slightly, then collapsed.
Lila, on her knees, tried to rise, but she fell as well.
Complete silence.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
The referee looked between them.
And then... Whistle.
The match ended. But no announcement came immediately. The tension lingered.
Until finally, Ifa's voice broke the silence.
"Ladies and Gentlemen… did you blink?"
"I surely didn't."
"What a wonderful fight… what incredible spirit these two have shown!"
Then Shai continued calmly,
"As for the result… after careful consideration, this bout is a tie."
"Both fighters gave everything they had."
"Both deserve recognition."
"Each team will receive one point."
Medics rushed in.
Lila and Orion were carried away.
The battlefield still steamed from their clash.
The score stood balanced.
Everything now depended on the next two bout.
And the arena waited.