"Oh~, Not planning to throw in the towel?"

  Watching his opponent assume an attacking stance, Boguna spoke with a sharp edge of mockery.

  "Hmph! I wouldn’t have stepped into this tournament if I was going to cower just because my opponent is stronger!"

  "Hehe~, Is that so?"

  Ding——!

  The match bell rang out sharply.

  Boguna’s opponent immediately darted toward the arena’s edge, chanting an incantation at a frantic pace.

  "Admirable courage~!"

  Boguna stood his ground unflinchingly, lifting his right hand and pointing it at the man.

  "But! It’s pure foolishness——!"

  Boom!

  A massive pillar of flame shot into the sky, swallowing the opponent whole in the blink of an eye.

  "Ah——!"

  A blood-curdling scream tore through the venue, and the arena’s dome was seared black by the blistering heat.

  Ding——!

  The bell rang again, far sooner than anyone anticipated.

  "The winner—Boguna Sind!"

  As the referee boomed the result, the arena erupted into a thunderous roar of cheers from the audience.

  "Boguna!""Boguna!""Champion!""......"

  "Hurry! Get the injured contestant medical aid!"

  Lost amid the endless waves of applause, few spared a glance for the charred, critically wounded warrior. Most didn’t even notice when he was carried off the field......

  "......That crossed the line."

  Bars frowned deeply, his gaze fixed on Boguna as he strode away from the arena amid the crowd’s adulation.

  "You’re right. He had countless ways to defeat his opponent without resorting to such brutality......"

  Hulim nodded in full agreement.

  Boguna could have ended the match cleanly and mercifully, yet he’d chosen a cruel tactic that could have easily killed his rival. This tournament was meant to be a test of skill, not a fight to the death.

  "......Cruelty runs deep in his nature."

  Hulim tore her eyes away from Boguna and glanced around the venue.

  Boguna’s reputation as the runaway tournament favorite had drawn not just spectators, but legions of fellow contestants. In stark contrast to the cheering crowd, his actions had sparked quiet resentment among the other warriors.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  After all, no one could guarantee they wouldn’t draw him as an opponent in the coming rounds......

  Following Boguna’s match, the small arena’s contests were temporarily suspended. The scorched dome now posed a risk of falling debris, which could endanger future matches. Repairs would be mandatory before competitions could resume.

  The Royal Martial Arts Festival capped the age limit for human and beastman contestants at 24. Elves and dwarves had different age criteria, but restrictions still applied—and the blackened dome was a stark reminder of why.

  Without age limits, this world-class tournament would inevitably attract Grade A warriors. If two such powerhouses clashed, even the sprawling Grand Arena would be reduced to smoldering rubble!

  Even Grade B warriors could unleash enough destructive force to wreak havoc on the venue......

  Hosting a tournament for top-tier warriors was simply unfeasible in Shimrill. Rebuilding the Grand Arena after every event would be financially ruinous for anyone.

  ......

  "Hulim, this is your final preliminary match, isn’t it? Win this, and you’ll punch your ticket to the Top 100!"

  "That’s right. This is my last one. But you’re close too, Miko. The remaining contestants are all elite—don’t let your guard down."

  "Don’t worry! I’ll definitely make it to the next round!"

  After exchanging a quick word of encouragement, the two headed toward their respective arenas.

  With only a few hundred contestants left, the match schedule had kicked into high gear. There was no time left to wander. Both had to stay rooted at their assigned venues until the preliminary round wrapped up, lest they miss their matches.

  Back at Arena No.7.

  Unlike the early matches, where seats had sat half-empty, the venue was now packed far beyond its intended capacity.

  Most of the crowd had flocked here specifically to watch Hulim.

  Though she’d always ended her matches in lightning-fast fashion and never revealed her full strength, the audience wasn’t naive. Her ability to dispatch opponents in an instant was clear proof that her power dwarfed her rivals.

  Thanks to this, Hulim had also climbed to a lofty position on the Top 100 Rankings......

  "No wonder the White Cat Clan brought you in as a ringer. Your strength truly lives up to the hype!"

  Before the match bell could ring, Hulim’s opponent suddenly spoke up.

  Hulim didn’t bother to respond.

  Undeterred, he rambled on, showing not a trace of nerves despite facing a far stronger rival.

  "You’re strong, but...... you’re mistaken if you think you’ll keep advancing unscathed!"

  "I—"

  The man jabbed a thumb at his chest, brimming with arrogance.

  "Will take you down right here! I’ll break into the Top 100 and shatter the White Cat Clan’s hopes once and for all!"

  "?"

  Hulim raised an eyebrow in confusion.

  ......What on earth was he talking about?

  "Hehe~, Surprised?"

  Not exactly surprised. More like...... perplexed.

  "That’s the reaction I wanted!"

  "......"

  "Let me lay it out for you! I’ve come specifically to take you down!! To avoid alerting the White Cat Clan, I’ve been holding back my true power this entire time. If you think I’m only as strong as my mid-tier ranking suggests, you’re in for a brutal awakening!"

  "My real strength—"

  "Is easily enough to land me in the top three!!!"

  "......"

  "Excuse me, but I have a question......"

  "Huh?"

  "Who sent you?"

  "Hahaha! Scared now, are you?"

  Hulim’s opponent let out a boisterous, triumphant laugh.

  "Do you really think I’ll spill that~? Just resign yourself to being the stepping stone that launches me to fame!"

  "......"

  Ding——!

  The match bell rang.

  "Haha, Prepare to meet your end—!"

  The instant the bell sounded, the man unleashed his full power and charged at Hulim. True to his word, his current strength was nearly double what he’d shown before—he’d hidden his capabilities remarkably well.

  Bang——!

  In the arena, a figure suddenly arced high into the air in a parabolic trajectory. After a brief, helpless free fall, it crashed heavily onto the ground outside the boundary line......

  Ding——!

  The bell signaling the end of the match rang out immediately.

  "The winner—Hulim Hayelar!!! Congratulations on advancing to the Top 100!!!"

  Amidst the audience’s thunderous cheers, Hulim turned and slowly strode toward the exit tunnel.

  A single thought lingered in her mind:

  So......

  Who exactly had sent such a man to target her?

  "Never mind. It doesn’t matter anymore......"

  Incidentally, the self-proclaimed "top three" assassin hadn’t lasted any longer than Hulim’s previous opponents......