The arena fell silent once again.
The cheers from the previous round had completely faded, replaced by a tense atmosphere hanging heavily in the air.
The announcement echoed throughout the arena:
"After Round Eight ended with the score tied..."
"We now enter Round Nine."
Some spectators began whispering, their voices no longer relaxed.
"If we lose here..."
"The score could immediately become one-sided."
The announcement continued:
"In Round Nine, the fighter who will step forward is..."
Lumina rose from her seat and walked forward.
Her steps were calm.
Her face remained expressionless, showing no sign of hesitation.
But the moment she became visible in the arena, the mood of the audience changed.
"She's the one going?"
"Is she strong enough to fight?"
"The pressure is enormous... this isn't an ordinary round."
Some people looked uneasy.
"If she loses, our position becomes difficult."
"Why not send another fighter?"
Arou watched with a serious expression.
"The pressure is huge... but Lumina doesn't seem shaken."
Nora clenched her hands.
"I hope she can hold this round."
Airi stared at Lumina longer than before.
"She knows the risks... but she's still moving forward."
The announcement echoed once more, cutting through the whispers.
"And the opponent Lumina will face is..."
The arena became silent again.
The tension was obvious, as if the entire stadium was holding its breath while waiting for the next name.
The announcement rang out.
"Lumina's opponent in Round Nine is..."
"Omega-X."
A cold light illuminated the center of the arena.
A figure clad in futuristic armor slowly appeared.
Its body was rigid yet stable, with glowing lines moving across the surface of its armor.
The announcement continued briefly.
"Technology Overload Entity."
"Primary abilities: technological control and prediction."
Several spectators grew uneasy.
"If it can predict movements..."
"Lumina will have trouble attacking."
Omega-X looked directly at Lumina.
Its mechanical voice echoed flatly.
"Analysis initiated."
Lumina remained silent.
She did not attack first.
The final announcement sounded.
"Round Nine... begins."
Omega-X immediately moved.
Its systems analyzed Lumina's posture and breathing patterns.
But at that exact moment, Lumina's body became shrouded in a thin mist.
In an instant—
There were now two Omega-X units standing in the arena.
The same armor.
The same movements.
An aura almost impossible to distinguish.
The audience was shocked.
"Wait... two?"
"Which one is real?"
Omega-X stopped for a moment.
Its prediction system trembled.
"Data error."
"Target duplicated."
One Omega-X stepped forward.
The other stood still before moving with a tiny delay—
so small it was nearly impossible to notice.
Arou watched sharply.
"She's disguising herself... that's not an ordinary illusion."
Nova narrowed his eyes.
"The disguise is perfect. Even the rhythm of movement is copied."
Airi stared at the arena without blinking.
"A clever strategy... against prediction."
Omega-X began attacking—
but hesitated.
For the first time,
the machine did not know which target should be calculated as the enemy.
Round Nine had only just begun,
and Omega-X's predictive advantage was already being disrupted.
In the arena, the two Omega-X figures stood facing each other.
Their movements were almost identical—
their steps, shoulder angles, even the tiny pauses before moving.
Omega-X's system shook.
"Data conflict."
"Unable to determine target."
Omega-X attacked one of the duplicates.
The strike was fast and precise—
but passed through empty air.
The figure vanished like thin mist.
At the same moment, the second Omega-X moved.
Lumina—hidden beneath the disguise—attacked from a blind spot.
A burst of magic struck Omega-X's shoulder, creating a small crack in its futuristic armor.
Several spectators held their breath.
"She actually got through..."
"Her strategy is working."
Omega-X stepped back.
The lights on its armor shifted as its internal systems accelerated.
"Adaptation required."
"Advanced Prediction Mode: Activated."
The glowing lines on Omega-X's body became more complex.
The sensors on its head rotated, rescanning the arena.
But Lumina didn't stop.
Her disguise remained active, creating microscopic differences in timing—
just enough to confuse the machine's calculations.
Omega-X attacked again—
this time faster.
But it still missed.
Arou clenched his fist.
"She's forcing the machine to think too much."
Nova nodded.
"Excessive prediction is becoming its weakness."
Omega-X stopped completely.
For a brief moment, the arena felt silent.
"Technology Overload."
"Full Synchronization."
Mechanical energy exploded from Omega-X's body.
Its armor transformed—
sleeker.
More aggressive.
The audience grew uneasy.
"It changed again..."
"This isn't over."
At the same time, Lumina canceled her disguise.
Her true form became visible once more.
She stood calmly, her breathing controlled.
Airi stared at the arena seriously.
"Now... the real battle begins."
The two powers faced each other once again.
A human wielding calmness and subtle magic—
against a machine that had forced itself beyond the limits of ordinary calculation.
Round Nine was far from over.
Omega-X stood tall in the center of the arena.
Its futuristic armor was now covered with rapidly moving lines of light, almost chaotic in appearance.
"Prediction limit removed."
"Full Power Mode: Activated."
The atmosphere immediately changed.
The air felt heavy, as though every movement was being restrained by an invisible force.
Several spectators became uneasy.
"The pressure is different..."
"It's much heavier than before."
Omega-X moved.
No longer hesitant.
No longer confused.
Its attacks were fast and precise, forcing Lumina backward.
Every tiny opening was instantly closed by the machine's calculations.
Lumina tried to defend herself.
Her magic formed thin barriers—
but crack after crack began appearing.
Arou clenched his fist.
"She's being overwhelmed..."
Nora held her breath.
"Lumina... don't fall now."
One of Omega-X's attacks pierced through Lumina's defenses.
Her body was thrown across the arena floor.
Some spectators looked away.
"Is... is it over?"
Lumina remained still for a moment.
Her breathing was heavy.
Her body no longer responded perfectly.
But slowly...
she stood up.
Lumina rose using the last of her strength.
Her eyes remained calm despite her obvious exhaustion.
"I'm... not finished yet."
She stepped forward again.
Not with tricks.
Not with disguises.
Only with the determination to keep standing.
Airi watched without blinking.
"Lumina..."
Omega-X did not wait.
Its systems had already calculated the outcome.
"Target has exceeded operational limit."
One final attack was released.
Not fast.
Not dramatic.
Just precise.
The strike pierced completely through Lumina's defenses.
Her body stopped moving.
Slowly, her form cracked into soft particles of light...
and then turned into dust that gently fell onto the arena floor.
The arena fell silent.
No cheers.
No shouting.
Several spectators lowered their heads.
"She stayed standing until the end..."
"What a difficult battle..."
Arou lowered his head.
"...She did everything she could."
Nora clenched her hands tightly.
"Lumina..."
Airi closed her eyes briefly.
Her expression remained controlled—
but the loss was clearly painful.
At last, the announcement echoed through the arena.
"Round Nine has concluded."
"The winner... Omega-X."
Lumina's dust still drifted slowly through the arena.
Round Nine ended with the machine's victory—
and a defeat that left behind a long silence.
The arena remained quiet.
The remnants of Lumina's dust slowly disappeared into the air.
No cheering.
No applause.
Some spectators lowered their heads.
Others remained silent for a long time.
"So quickly..."
"If it weren't for that machine..."
"What a cruel battle."
Arou stood without speaking.
His fists were clenched.
"...She didn't run away. She stood until the very end."
Nora lowered her head.
Her voice was barely audible.
"Lumina... you were amazing."
Priscilla stared at the arena with a heavy expression.
"She knew the risks... but she still stepped forward."
Tomo took a long breath.
"This round... felt different."
Haru simply nodded.
He said nothing.
Nova closed his eyes briefly.
"A loss like this... always leaves a mark."
Rei stared straight ahead.
"The machine won. But not easily."
Hikari stood silently.
Her expression was tense.
Her eyes never left the empty arena.
"...She lost, but she never broke."
Airi remained standing.
Her face was no longer cold.
Her hand trembled slightly before she clenched it into a fist.
"Lumina..."
Her voice was quiet.
Restrained.
"You weren't wrong for choosing to step forward."
Several seconds later, the announcement echoed once more, breaking the silence.
"Round Nine has concluded."
A brief pause followed.
"The current score is:"
"Invaders: 5"
"Warriors: 4"
The audience reacted quietly but clearly.
"We're behind..."
"The next round has to be a win."
Omega-X stood in the arena without expression before turning and walking away.
There was no celebration of victory—
only data that had finished processing.
Arou let out a long breath.
"There are still more rounds ahead."
Hikari turned toward him.
Her voice was firmer than before.
"We haven't lost yet."
Airi looked forward.
Her gaze became focused once again.
But now it carried something different—
a determination stronger than before.
The arena began preparing for the next round.
Everyone understood that the next round would not be just another fight.
It would be an attempt to turn the tide.