Top 3? - Part 1

A couple of minutes before Rin and Jack fought, Wendall aka Rainbow Girl and Cory aka Anime Guy could be seen running around the arena as they defeated one opponent after another. Using only the most basic of attacks and the least amount of energy to accomplish their goal.

Resulting in the seventy-five contestants that remained due to Rin's earlier stunt being reduced to nothing but thirty in only five minutes. After both Wendell and Cory each defeated twenty opponents without an ounce of rest. 

"Hey, Wendall do you want to take a break and allow those two lazy bums to eliminate the rest?!" Cory asked as this was starting to get boring and quite repetitive, before stopping and glancing at Franz Black, a strong contender for the top ten, however, it would seem his journey ends here.

"Sure… however, don't you think it's rude to keep an opponent waiting, Cory?" Wendell giggled as she gazed at the guy who wanted to fight Cory and just shook her head as she found somewhere to sit and watch their fight.

"True, but I'm sure our little friend doesn't care as it isn't like he was going to win to begin with," Cory stated confidently as he winked at Franz who was starting to get irritated by Cory's nonchalant attitude.

"Sigh… O Deus de Lumine, benedic famulum tuum in virtute percutere gentes istas!" Franz shouted after he clasped his hands together and did a quick prayer to his Lord and Savior, Phoebus, causing a beam of light to fall from the sky that merged with his body and led to his hair turning blonde and his eyes taking on a bluish tint.

As a halo appeared above his head along with a suit of translucent armor made from light energy and a sword and shield made of light manifested in his hands.

'Hmm… I thought I smelled the scent of a lackey, now I just got to discover which God you worship, and everything should be history. So that I could go rest for a while before leaving as it would be pointless to marry a woman that barely even has mileage.' Cory thought as he tapped his multi-K and retrieved a white and red katana that had a circular guard and a long grip for easy mobility and quick attacks.

"So, am I finally worthy to be your opponent, Cory Ken?" Frazn asked after undergoing his transformation which granted him the temporary power of a Demigod.

"Yes, but still power granted is not power earned friend… yet I guess some people just never, so please do entertain. Oh, Paladin of Light and Worshipper of Phoebus," Cory said sarcastically as he gripped his katana and smiled.

"How dare a mortal say the name of My Great God with such contempt!" Franz shouted as he dissipated his shield and went for a more offensive battle by gripping his sword tightly before flapping his wings once and instantly appearing before Cory.

Boom! Clang! Whoosh!

"Hmm, Phoebus has gotten stronger… I wonder how he would fair against Nyx?" Cory muttered as he deflected Franz's attack before doing a backflip and barely evading his next attack.

"Stop talking and fight as this is not a competition anymore, Cory but a dance to death," Franz stated as he suddenly summoned his shield and slammed it into the ground as he shouted, "Sanctify!"

THUD! CRACK! BOOM!!!

"Sigh why must religious people be so defensive like all I said was his man for God's sake," Cory frowned as he sensed the area around them begin to brighten up as light seeped from cracks underneath them.

That resulted in tiny crosses forming as a ring of holy light began to surround them which formed a barrier of light that separated them from the outside world. Giving them a chance to fight without any constraints or worry of the announcer interfering in the fight.

***

"Hmm, it seems my fellow brothers and sisters have gotten stronger?" Wendell muttered to herself as she clenched her fist to the point blood was drawn, 'Tsk, if only that bastard had not stripped me of my Divinity and humiliated me in front of father… would I need to now fight some kids for a drop of diluted Void Blood.'

She thought before glancing at the sky with nostalgia as she remembered how beautiful life used to be before that incident which stripped her of her position and title, "Give up, Wendell as even you should be aware of how difficult it is for a previous Goddess to gain back their Divinity."

Wendell told herself before dispelling such thoughts as she knew that if she had breath in her body and strength to stand up again after defeat. There was nothing she could not achieve in life if she put her mind to it.

'Good luck, Cory and please don't kill him for my sake,' Wendell smiled as she gazed at Cory and Franz who battled like two beasts seeking hegemony of a Nine Patterned Jackal Tree.

A fabled tree, that was believed to reshape a person's talent, depending on the number of Yin-Yang patterns on its outer skin.

***

Meanwhile, as Jack defeated one opponent after another as if he were trying to catch up to Cory and Wendell in points, Rin just strolled around the arena with a bored expression as he defeated anyone he came across.

"Tsk, just why is this taking so long to end?" Rin wondered as he felt as if an hour had passed even though only four minutes were left on the clock, until the first phase of the competition concluded.

[Just have patience, Rin as in no time the competition will be over, and you can return home and rest.]

"I know, Rose but still can't time move faster…" Rin muttered tiredly as this felt more draining than fighting Cypress and that was saying something.

***

As the competition's first stage was ending, the audience and the announcer could only watch in amazement at the scene caused by a bunch of youths. 

Since whom would have thought a newly ascended Lower God could not destroy the barrier of a temporary Demigod or that in just under seven minutes six contestants could defeat a total of seventy-five contestants?

Leaving only three minutes and thirty seconds left on the clock...