The crowd was still holding their breath after Akari's defeat.
The atmosphere remained tense, though some people began calming themselves as they prepared to watch the next round.
Hikari stared at the arena.
She spoke firmly:
"I'll be fighting in Round Eight."
Arou looked at her, slightly surprised.
"Huh? You?"
Nova looked at Hikari seriously and asked:
"Are you sure?"
Hikari nodded confidently.
"Yes. I was always supposed to fight in Round Eight."
Lumina added:
"And I'll be fighting in Round Nine."
Tomo looked at Lumina in surprise.
"Huh? You? Round Nine?"
Lumina answered casually:
"Yeah."
Hikari turned toward the stands, preparing to head to the preparation room.
"Then I'll go get ready first."
Lumina tapped Hikari's shoulder.
"Hey, wait... I'll come with you."
The two left the stands.
Not long afterward...
An official announcement echoed throughout the arena.
"Round Eight will begin shortly."
"On the first side, a young warrior who possesses dragon blood..."
"She is... Hikari."
On the opposing side, the announcement continued:
"And on the other side... a giant creature of evil, infamous for being extremely dangerous..."
"He is... Satan."
Satan appeared in the arena, his massive dark body towering over the battlefield, crimson eyes glowing as an aura of evil surrounded him.
Small streams of lava and dark energy radiated from his body, making the arena feel hot and oppressive.
The crowd held their breath.
Hikari stepped forward into the arena, her Dragon Blood Spear in hand, ready to face Satan.
Satan growled, signaling the beginning of the battle.
The fight had begun.
Hikari's Dragon Blood Spear against a gigantic creature of evil—
right here in the real arena.
The arena was still hot, remnants of dust from the previous round drifting through the air.
Hikari stared at her opponent, dragon energy swirling around her spear.
Satan stood firmly, his enormous dark body making the air itself feel heavy.
The crowd watched nervously.
"She's still young... but she looks confident."
"That creature seems incredibly strong, but the girl doesn't look afraid."
Arou looked at Hikari.
"Hikari... be careful."
Hikari gave a short nod.
"Yeah. I will."
She took a deep breath and focused the dragon blood flowing through her spear.
Then she stepped forward.
Light, yet unwavering.
Satan growled and swung his arm, releasing a wave of dark energy.
Hikari blocked it with her spear, dragon sparks flashing through the air.
Airi spoke from the stands:
"Her focus... it's incredible. That energy is real."
Hikari rushed forward and swung her spear with tremendous speed.
Satan blocked it with one hand, but his body trembled slightly from the power contained within the Dragon Blood Spear.
The crowd began cheering softly.
"That attack is surprisingly powerful for someone her age."
"She's brave enough to fight a monster that size head-on."
Satan fired another wave of darkness from his body.
Hikari leapt high into the air, spinning her spear and slicing through the dark aura, causing part of it to explode into black sparks.
Lumina spoke from the stands:
"She actually managed to keep up with that attack."
Nova watched carefully.
"She's using her dragon blood very efficiently."
Rei added seriously:
"Don't let your guard down. That creature definitely has more techniques."
Hikari landed smoothly, spear ready for the next attack.
Satan growled louder, preparing to unleash his true power.
The battle had only just begun.
Every movement in the arena kept the audience on edge.
The arena remained scorching hot as dust drifted through the air.
The battle between Hikari and Satan continued for a long time.
Every movement was measured with precision.
Hikari's Dragon Blood Spear against Satan's gigantic body.
The crowd watched nervously.
"Wow... that girl can really endure."
"That creature seems even stronger than we imagined."
Satan finally revealed his true power.
His body grew larger.
Long claws emerged from his hands.
His movements became incredibly fast, almost impossible to follow.
His defense became overwhelmingly durable.
Hikari was gradually pushed back.
She blocked each attack with her spear, though her body trembled under the pressure.
Arou spoke tensely:
"Hikari... be careful. That's Satan's forbidden technique!"
Airi watched from the stands.
"That energy... it's incredibly powerful. Hikari needs to use something too."
Hikari closed her eyes briefly.
She took a deep breath.
Then activated her forbidden power.
Suddenly—
A gigantic purple dragon descended from the sky.
Its roar shook the entire arena.
The audience fell silent.
"What... a dragon?!"
"Is that real?!"
"That's impossible... she can summon something that huge?!"
Hikari merged with the dragon.
Immediately—
Dragon Armor appeared across her body.
Thick scales covered her completely.
Her spear grew larger, wrapped with a purple dragon that continuously channeled energy into it.
Bright purple wings emerged from her back, allowing her to fly and evade Satan's rapid attacks.
Lumina stared in disbelief.
"She... she actually merged with the dragon?"
Nova looked serious.
"This is incredible. Her forbidden power is perfect."
Rei added:
"Now the battle could become even... or Hikari might turn the tide."
Satan roared and charged forward at tremendous speed.
Hikari swung her spear, cutting through his attacks while her dragon scales reflected part of the dark energy.
Purple dragon energy burst from both her spear and wings, causing the arena to tremble.
The crowd remained stunned.
"Wow... she's really using everything she has!"
"That dragon... that forbidden technique... incredible."
The battle had entered an entirely new level.
Hikari, united with the purple dragon, was now ready to fight Satan with the full power of her dragon blood and forbidden technique.
The arena remained blazing hot.
Dust filled the air.
Hikari, clad in Dragon Armor, wielding her enlarged dragon spear and spreading her bright purple wings, faced Satan, whose massive body and giant claws were ready to destroy everything.
The crowd held their breath.
"Wow... they're fighting brutally now."
"That dragon is amazing!"
Satan roared and attacked with his enormous claws.
Hikari dodged briefly, but Satan continued trying to tear through her defenses.
Then—
CRACK!
His claws shattered upon striking Hikari's dragon scales.
The dragon energy within her spear reflected the remaining force of the attack, filling the air with purple and black sparks.
The crowd fell silent for a few seconds.
Then erupted into cheers.
"Did you see that?! Dragon Armor is insanely strong!"
"His claws broke! Hikari clearly has the advantage now!"
Hikari didn't hesitate.
She leapt high into the air.
Spun her dragon-powered spear.
Then unleashed a powerful slash that pierced through Satan's final defenses.
Satan roared loudly.
His body exploded into dust and slowly drifted into the sky.
The audience cheered with relief and admiration.
"Hikari won! I never expected her to defeat Satan!"
"Incredible... her forbidden technique was perfect!"
"That dragon energy was amazing!"
Arou smiled with relief.
"Excellent... Hikari truly showed her strength."
Airi spoke emotionally, though still calm.
"She... was incredible."
Lumina patted Hikari's shoulder from the stands.
"Great job. You truly deserved that victory."
Nora and Priscilla smiled.
"Incredible... she really dared to face a creature that huge."
Nova looked serious but satisfied.
"She used all of her power perfectly."
Rei added:
"The battle is over now... and Hikari showed her full potential."
The arena gradually became calm again.
Dust slowly settled.
The brutal battle had ended.
Hikari stood in the arena with her Dragon Blood Spear in hand and her purple wings spread proudly.
The audience watched with admiration.
The arena slowly returned to silence.
The dust from the battle settled onto the ground.
The oppressive aura gradually faded away.
Hikari stood quietly for a few moments before walking away from the center of the arena.
She looked exhausted.
But calm.
The announcement echoed throughout the arena:
"Round Eight has concluded."
"The winner is... Hikari."
The crowd's voices were not overly loud.
Only filled with relief and admiration.
"She won..."
"Amazing..."
Arou let out a quiet sigh.
"Good... she made it out safely."
Lumina turned toward Hikari.
"Nice work."
Nora smiled softly.
"She's strong."
Priscilla nodded.
"And not reckless."
Nova crossed his arms.
"The right decision at the end of the battle."
Rei added briefly:
"Her focus never wavered."
Airi looked at the now-empty arena.
Her gaze lingered longer than everyone else's.
"She... fought with a strong heart."
The announcement echoed once again:
"The current score after Round Eight:"
"Invaders: 4"
"Warriors: 4"
Some spectators began whispering.
"A tie..."
"That means the next round is important."
Lumina stood from her seat.
She took a short breath and stepped forward.
"I'm next."
Arou looked at her.
"Lumina... be careful."
Lumina nodded.
Then walked toward the preparation area.
The arena fell silent once more.
Waiting for the next announcement.