Tournament final

Approximately five hours have passed since the tournament began, and during that time, the participants have proven to be up to the challenge. Most of the top contenders with the highest number of badges are the dragons, standing out from the rest.

As the tournament's duration grew shorter, the battles became more intense. In one area of the arena, a fierce battle was taking place.

**Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!**

**Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!**

Intense explosions resounded as trees were felled. In the midst of the battle was Selene, attacking in multiple directions with a pair of whips created by her magic.

**Boom! Boom!**

Just as she was about to attack again, she felt a mana disturbance. Clicking her tongue, she said, "Shield of Mother Earth." Within seconds, she was surrounded by a cocoon of roots.

At that moment, a powerful dragon roar was heard, and from the distance, a large amount of purple fire rushed straight towards where Selene was.

**Roooaaaarrr!**

The fire incinerated everything in its path. The ground turned into a sea of flames, and the air filled with smoke and ashes. Nearby trees were instantly carbonized, and the terrain around the cocoon of roots turned black.

Selene, sensing the attack had ended, canceled her ability and cautiously observed her surroundings.

Meanwhile, on the other side, the source of the previous attack rested on a tree after using his breath. It was a young man with purple hair and horns; none other than Thalgrim, who was facing Selene.

"Tsk... haah… Maybe I should take this a bit more seriously. If Ember finds out I lost, he won't let it go," Thalgrim murmured. With a leap, he jumped down from the tree and, with a burst of speed,

Boom!!

caused a sonic boom as he ran towards Selene. While running, he manipulated his mana, creating black lightning in his hands until it took the shape of two short scythes linked by a chain.

As he approached, his keen senses detected several attacks quickly directed at him. At that moment, time seemed to slow down. He saw several mana-created arrows and, instead of dodging, with precise and calculated movements, wielded his scythes while cutting and deflecting several of the arrows.

Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!

Slice! Slice! Slice! Slice!

Knowing the enemy seemed to want to avoid direct confrontation, Thalgrim went on the offensive, utilizing his greatest skills as a melee warrior, observing Selene from a distance and increasing his speed.

Selene, losing sight of Thalgrim for a moment, stayed alert as she watched her surroundings. Sensing danger, with a quick movement, she ducked to avoid a scythe's slash.

Whoosh!! Whoosh!! Whoosh!!

Performing several follow-up attacks, Thalgrim tried to land a blow, but Selene's quick reflexes allowed her to dodge.

While dodging, Selene thought to herself 'cocoon.' At that moment, several vines emerged from the ground, shooting towards Thalgrim. Reacting quickly, Thalgrim dodged the vines trying to ensnare him with calculated movements, while cutting those he couldn't avoid.

Whoosh!! Whoosh!! Whoosh!!

'Haah... how much mana does this elf have left?' thought Thalgrim while cutting several vines. 'I didn't want to use it, but since I have no choice...'

"Combat Art - First Move: Scorching Cuts!" exclaimed Thalgrim. His scythes began to burn, and with a motion, released fire cuts in rapid succession, cutting the vines.

"Second Move: Dragon Dance!" Thalgrim exclaimed, appearing before Selene in a blink, slashing downwards.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

"Combat Art - Second Move: Dragon Dance!" Thalgrim exclaimed. In a blink, he appeared before Selene, slashing downwards.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

"Movement Art - First Move: Gale Steps!" Selene exclaimed as her feet were covered by a layer of mana, drastically increasing her speed. Spinning the scythe, now transformed into something resembling a spear, Thalgrim slashed from various angles, similar to a dance.

'I can't lose…' thought Thalgrim while intensifying his movements.

'I must win...' thought Selene. "Combat Art - First Move: Wind Blades!"

"Second Move: Mother Earth's Punishment!" Selene proclaimed with determination. With that, several earth spears took shape and were launched at Thalgrim under her command.

'Well, sister... though I hate to admit it, sometimes using muscle is the answer...' "Combat Art - Sixth Move: Pandemonium!" Thalgrim exclaimed. At that moment, the surrounding area's temperature began to rise, making it difficult to breathe. One of his scythes started attracting heat, deforming and condensing into a purple sphere.

"With this, the fight ends here. Go and annihilate everything!" Thalgrim exclaimed while launching the orb with all his might.

Swoooosh!!!

"Combat Art - Fourth Move: Arcadia's Fall!" he said while releasing all the remaining mana, condensing it into an arrow.

Zzzzzzzzzz...boom!!

"Go," Selene said while releasing the arrow, aiming at the orb.

Swoooosh!!!!

Boom!!

The arrow and the orb collided, generating energy waves that propagated from the epicenter, shaking the ground and sending debris everywhere. Once the mana waves released by the collision ended, the devastating outcome of the battle was revealed.

Selene lay on the ground, unconscious. Her armor was destroyed in several parts, showing wounds and bruises on her skin. The bow she had conjured vanished into mana particles.

Thalgrim, on the other hand, was standing but barely conscious. His armor was also destroyed, with pieces scattered around him. His skin was covered in purple scales, and each breath was an effort. "Haahaaa... Uff, I wonder who she is to be so strong..."

"Hmmm...?" Observing the timer, Thalgrim said, "There are still several minutes left. With the elf's badges, I should be able to secure a place among the top ten." With that, Thalgrim lay down on a nearby rock, waiting for the end.

*************************

After a while, Calix's voice resonated: "To all remaining participants: you will be transported back."

"My sincere congratulations to all who have passed. All of you will be attended to by our mages. The opening ceremony will take place tomorrow. For now, you can rest in the rooms that will be assigned to you."

After he finished speaking, the final ranking with the top scorers was displayed as the participants were teleported back.

1. Ember Nefarius Darkstorm - 1200

2. Aurelius Skyfall Luminos - 1040

3. Thalia Sanguinis Lunaire - 1000

4. Thalgrim Nefarius Darkstorm - 989

5. Selene Initium Tempest - 945

6. Liliana Everstall Duskmire - 924

7. Adrian Darkheart Grimrot - 900

8. Kyra Sunfire - 880

9. Mordrath Grimsoul - 832

10. Thalion Evermoon - 814

[NT: Hello to everyone reading my novel. First of all, I would like to thank you for taking the time to read my work. I also want to apologize for the lack of recent updates. I'm taking summer classes that take up most of my time; that's one of the main reasons. I'm focusing on studying, but I'll try to update at least two or three chapters a week while my classes last.]