A Bug In Fate

While Liam and Kael were fighting, the other eight participants watched their movements with attention, as one of them might become their opponent later.

Marcus, who was also immersed in the fight, narrowed his eyes at Liam’s speed before a grin formed on his lips.

"Hey, guys, who do you think will win?" he asked, glancing at the others.

Beside him, Nyx was standing calmly. She answered without even looking back.

"Hmm... I think Liam has the advantage. His Wind affinity is effective against Wood, and it seems like he’s faster too," she said in an analytical tone.

Mina, who overheard their conversation, smiled faintly as her gaze followed the battle. Liam had just used Wind Lock to distract Kael while thrusting his spear forward.

"Of course, Liam is going to win. He trained with me after all," she said.

"You’re Mina, right? From Ravenhold as well?" Marcus asked with a smile as he stepped closer and extended his hand for a handshake.

"Yes," Mina replied simply as she moved her hand forward as well.

Their hands were about to meet when, suddenly, a hand appeared between them and grabbed Marcus’s hand.

"Oh, hello..."

A young man with blue hair had somehow appeared between them, shaking Marcus’s hand with a relaxed smile.

"I’m Amon, from Ravenhold as well," Amon greeted him.

Marcus looked confused, but he smiled as well because he didn’t know what else to do.

"H-Hello. I’m Marcus, from Redmont City," he said with an awkward smile.

Meanwhile, Mina, who was standing beside them, glanced between the two with a confused expression. She didn’t know how or why Amon had appeared there, especially at such a strange moment.

Elara and the others, who had witnessed the scene, seemed to sense something and couldn’t help but chuckle.

Meanwhile, Amon took a small step back with the same casual smile.

*..Sorry, bro... but no third-wheeling. She’s already taken.*

He had just stopped a major arc where Marcus was about to become Liam’s love rival while Liam was busy fighting.

And history had proven one thing: childhood friends almost always seemed to lose when a love rival appeared, for whatever reason.

While Amon was on his mission to stop a potential love rival, the crowd was busy chanting Liam and Kael’s names in loud voices.

Their respective cities’ people were supporting them because, believe it or not, support also played a role in a participant’s mental state. An overwhelming crowd could even cause someone to lose confidence before the fight had even begun.

There were some people who were doing their best to support their chosen participant. For some reason, they were particularly loud, their voices ringing throughout the arena and causing nearby people to cover their ears for safety.

Apparently, these people were the ones who had placed bets on the two participants who were fighting at this moment.

Every time Liam landed a successful attack, his supporters immediately cheered for him.

"LIAM!"

"RAVENHOLD!"

"SHOW THEM!"

Meanwhile, whenever Kael managed to defend himself or launch a counterattack, another part of the crowd responded with equal enthusiasm.

"KAEL!"

"BLACKWOOD!"

"DON’T LOSE!"

The constant shouting made the atmosphere even more intense, and neither side seemed willing to let the other overpower them.

For the spectators, the fight had become more than just a battle between two participants.

Their money was also on the line.

Back on the battlefield, the fight had been going on for nearly ten minutes, and the two had been continuously attacking and countering each other without giving their opponent a chance to rest.

Liam’s spear thrust forward with all his strength behind it, while Kael used his sword to deflect the attack before swinging it in a horizontal arc.

Liam tightened his grip around his spear as mana began flowing through his body before he charged toward Kael, his speed increasing with every step.

"Wind Step."

A magic circle appeared beneath his feet as wind gathered around his legs, pushing his body forward with greater speed.

Kael’s expression became serious as he planted his feet firmly on the ground and raised his palm.

"Wood Bind."

Several thick vines erupted from the ground and rushed toward Liam from different directions, forcing him to change his path while still maintaining his balance.

"Wind Blade."

A magic circle appeared in front of Liam’s palm as several crescent-shaped blades of wind shot forward, cutting through the incoming vines and sending pieces of wood flying across the battlefield.

Kael didn’t give him any time to recover as another magic circle appeared on his palm.

"Thorn Barrage."

Dozens of sharp thorns formed from the vines and shot toward Liam like arrows.

Liam swung his spear in front of himself as he stepped back, his eyes remaining focused on the incoming attack.

"Wind Barrier."

A magic circle appeared before his palm as a wall of wind formed in front of him, deflecting the thorns in different directions.

The moment the attack stopped, Liam rushed forward again, his spear thrusting toward Kael with tremendous force.

Kael raised his double-edged sword and blocked the attack.

CLANG!

The impact produced a loud sound as both weapons collided, and a shockwave spread through the battlefield, forcing dust and small stones away from them.

Kael’s feet dragged across the ground as he was pushed back several meters, but he quickly regained his balance and swung his sword in a horizontal arc.

Liam lowered his body and avoided the blade before thrusting his spear forward again.

Kael barely managed to move his sword in time to deflect the attack, but the spear still struck the ground beside him.

BOOM!

The ground cracked under the impact as a small crater formed where the spear had missed, sending dust into the air and forcing Kael to step back.

Neither of them stopped.

As the dust began to settle, Kael charged forward with his sword raised while Liam tightened his grip around his spear and moved toward him.

Their weapons collided once again.

CLANG!

The ground beneath their feet cracked from the force of the clash as both of them pushed against each other, neither willing to give even an inch.

Unlike them, Alice could clearly see every movement on the battlefield, and she didn’t waste the opportunity to hype up the fight.

"Liam seems to be in the lead!"

"Wait... Kael has just used a feint!"

"Look at that! Liam almost fell for it!"

The crowd immediately became even louder as Alice continued to describe every exchange with an excited voice.

"Kael is pushing forward now!"

"But Liam isn’t backing down!"

"Their weapons clashed again!"

"Who do you guys think will win?!"

Her voice rang out as she followed the battle closely, while below, Liam suddenly twisted his spear, causing Kael’s eyes to widen as he realized what was coming.

Liam didn’t let the moment slip.

He quickly changed the direction of his spear and thrust it toward Kael’s hand.

The tip of the spear touched his bracelet.

For a moment, everything became silent.

Kael looked at his bracelet before his figure disappeared from the battlefield and appeared among the eliminated participants.

The crowd remained silent for another second as they processed what had just happened.

Then the arena erupted.

"LIAM!"

"RAVENHOLD!"

"HE WON!"

Alice’s voice soon rang throughout the arena, louder than the crowd.

"THE WINNER IS LIAM FROM RAVENHOLD!"

The crowd erupted into even louder cheers as Liam stood in the middle of the battlefield, his spear still in his hand and his breathing slightly heavy.

Meanwhile, Kael looked toward the battlefield before letting out a small sigh.

"That was a good fight."

Liam glanced toward him and nodded.

"Yeah. It was."

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