End of Tournament

"What did we just witness, folks? That was nothing short of a clash between monsters!" the announcer's voice boomed across the arena. "Unfortunately for the genius rookie, there can only be one super rookie!"

The crowd erupted into a mix of cheers and jeers. The cheerings were more, but I couldn't ignore the jeers—primarily coming from girls who seemed to like Eirin too much.

A short break followed to repair the arena, which had been severely damaged during our battle. When everything was back in order, the next match began.

This fight took some time, not because of the competitors' strength but because of the unique ability wielded by Lyra's opponent.

First, he marked specific parts of her body. Then, he created several small, oddly shaped portals around himself. When he slashed through the portals, the corresponding parts of Lyra's body bore the cuts as if the attack had bypassed space itself.

I observed the technique with interest. "Just imagine an evolved version of that," I mused aloud. "It'd be like throwing slashes from another dimension. What a shame there is no mana in the human body."

Eventually, Lyra recovered and secured her victory. The crowd roared again as the match concluded, and then it was time.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen, we move to the final round of the tournament! This round will determine who will take ultimate victory: the ruthless beauty or the super rookie. Let the final round begin!"

The stadium erupted in applause. I stepped into the arena, greeted by the cheers of my growing fanbase. From the opposite entrance, Lyra walked in, her presence sparking an even louder roar from the crowd. Some of the audience booed me, as if I were some kind of villain.

"Nice to meet you again, Miss Lyra. I'm looking forward to your teachings. As you've seen, I'm quite weak," I said, letting a teasing tone slip into my voice.

"You…!" she hissed, pink tendrils of mana flaring around her.

"Man, does she have anger issues," I thought, watching her reaction.

The referee signaled the start of the match. In an instant, I vanished and reappeared right in front of her, our faces only inches apart.

She froze for a moment, unable to fully register my sudden appearance. When she did, a slight blush crept onto her cheeks. A second later, she swung a slap at me, but I easily dodged it, a smirk playing on my lips.

I activated [Flight], rising into the air. I didn't fly too high—just enough to hover above her. "Shall we start the lesson, Miss Lyra?" I said, looking down at her with a confident grin.

"I've watched your match with Eirin," she said, her voice confidant. "Even if you're powerful, you won't stand a chance against my unique skill. I've analyzed all your moves and gauged your strength."

She suddenly leapt from her position, aiming to grab me midair.

"How high will you go to catch me?" I teased, ascending higher and higher above the stadium.

To my surprise, she didn't stop. Lyra continued jumping, reaching incredible heights by jumping in the air by using some kind of skill. Her sheer determination impressed me, but I couldn't resist pointing out the flaw. "An impressive skill, but it's not enough to counter [Flight]," I remarked, stopping at a safe distance above her.

"Even if it's inferior, it's more than enough to defeat you," she replied, her tone serious yet calm.

Before I could fully process her words, she propelled herself upward with immense speed. Realizing her approach, I dove toward her, moving at full speed to intercept. Just as I closed the gap, she made a subtle movement, her body twisting gracefully to evade me entirely. In the process, she grazed both my arms with her fingers.

As I passed her, my trajectory was directed dangerously toward the edge of the arena. I realized that if I didn't stop in time I would be disqualified.

Reflecting on her earlier fights, I had assumed Lyra's status window would be perfectly balanced—nothing extraordinary, just enough to overwhelm weaker opponents. But now, facing her firsthand, it became clear that her previous matches hadn't revealed the full extent of her power. She had been holding back, just because her opponent weren't just strong enough.

I struggled to regain my balance, barely managing to stop myself just above the ground outside the arena.

"That was a clever move, Miss Lyra," I said, looking up—only to find her gone.

A sudden surge of mana alerted me. I sensed her approaching from the side, this time her speed wasn't great. Instinctively, I flew upward, narrowly evading her attack. It was a reckless move on her part, or so I thought, until she suddenly leapt again, her agility allowing her to close the distance.

This time, she grazed nearly every part of my body with the lightest touch—except for.... you know what. Before I could comprehend her intentions, she landed gracefully back in the arena.

I hovered midair, utterly confused. Why was she merely touching me? What was she trying to achieve?

"You've got quite the troublesome skill, especially paired with your agility," I said, remaking about her ability to jump on air. Smirking, I descended to the ground. "Is that your unique skill?"

Her confidence was palpable as she replied, "Well, It is the skill that made me hunt my ass off. And as for my unique skill, you'll know soon enough."

"Aren't you going to use your full power? I can tell you're holding back," she said standing firm.

I exhaled, realizing there was no point in restraining myself any longer. "I guess there's no use hiding it now," I said, releasing all of my mana at once. The sheer force of it erupted outward, flooding the entire stadium in a brilliant, overwhelming aura.

I ensured the audience remained unharmed, the forcefield surrounding them standing firm against the tidal wave of energy.

CLAP!

The sharp sound of clapping echoed across the arena. My gaze snapped to Lyra, her hands pressed together as a sly smile graced her lips.

Suddenly, I felt my power waning, as though an invisible force was suppressing it.

"How do you like my unique skill?" she asked, her tone laced with triumph as she launched herself toward me.

Before I could react, she grabbed my shoulders, using the momentum to flip me in an attempt to throw me out of the arena.

[Ding! You have acquired High Resistance to A-rank skill "Cursor's Seal."]

The notification chimed in my mind just as my strength surged back to its peak. A grin spread across my face.

In that fleeting moment, I twisted my shoulders free from her grip and caught hold of hers instead. "Cursor's Seal, huh? That's an incredible skill," I said, steadying myself as I effortlessly lifted her off the ground like a child.

Her face turned tomato, and she yelled, "Release me, you pervert!" Her embarrassment was so palpable that I almost laughed. At the same time, I felt a faint ripple of mana coming from the direction of the chairman.

"Alright, alright," I replied, suppressing a chuckle as I walked to the edge of the arena. With deliberate care, I set her down outside the boundary, a silent declaration of my victory.

Lyra stood there, frozen for a moment, before muttering a single word: "Huh?"

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Enjoy....