"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome back to the Grand Arena! Today, we’ll witness the showdowns between the Round of Sixteen contestants! Who will advance to the Quarterfinals and continue their quest for the championship title? Let’s wait and see!"

  Amidst the cheers of nearly 100,000 spectators filling the venue, George Glevin, Lore Kling, and Rad Vail took their places at the commentary desk as usual.

  "To our two distinguished commentators—what are your thoughts on the Round of Sixteen matches?"

  When George tossed the question over, Rad replied with his usual calm composure:

  "I’d like to say this—these sixteen contestants have fought tooth and nail to make it this far, and that alone is a testament to their extraordinary strength. I have no doubt that these powerhouses will treat us to even more thrilling battles between elites in the upcoming rounds!"

  "Oh——! It seems our commentator Rad is incredibly excited for what’s to come! And rightfully so—I share his enthusiasm! I bet you all feel the same way——!!! Are you ready, ladies and gentlemen?!"

  "YES!""YES!""......"

  Deafening chants erupted from every corner of the arena.

  "And what about you, commentator Lore? Any words to share?"

  "Well, like George, I’m eagerly anticipating the matches. But personally, I wouldn’t mind a few more surprises—like seeing certain contestants face off against championship contenders ahead of schedule. Having a finals-worthy showdown happen early might just add an extra layer of excitement to the tournament!"

  "Uh... Thank you for that, Lore! What an intriguing take! Though come to think of it, such a scenario isn’t entirely impossible. For all our spectators, this could mean getting a taste of the pinnacle action ahead of time!"

  "That said, it wouldn’t be very fair to the contestants themselves. Let’s just hope fate doesn’t throw them such a curveball."

  "Alright! The time has come! Let’s kick off today’s matches!"

  "I declare——the first match of the Round of Sixteen... OFFICIALLY BEGINS——!!!"

  As George’s booming voice echoed across the arena, the venue erupted into another thunderous roar of applause and cheers.

  ......

  Inside the VIP Box of the White Cat Royal Clan,

  "Hulim, you’ve got this!""Sis Hulim, good luck——!!!"

  Miko and Mirei were giving Hulim a final pep talk before her match.

  "I will. Thank you," Hulim nodded firmly.

  Just then, Bars approached her, his expression grave and solemn.

  "Hulim......"

  "Mr. Bars?"

  "Today...... everything depends on you."

  Hulim met Bars’ gaze, understanding the weight of his words.

  For the White Cat Royal Clan, the finals mattered little. This match—today’s match—was what truly counted.

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  It was a moment that would shape the entire clan’s future.

  After a brief pause, Hulim replied with equal sincerity:

  "Please rest assured, Mr. Bars...... No matter who my opponent is, I will make it to the Quarterfinals."

  "Hmm......" Bars nodded, his eyes filled with trust. "I believe you."

  "As the King of the White Cat Royal Clan, yet having to place such a heavy burden on your shoulders, I carry a constant sense of guilt. But I have no other choice...... At this point, all I can do is wish you victory in battle."

  With that, Bars bowed deeply to Hulim.

  "Mr. Bars......"

  Hulim stared in surprise at the clan leader bowing before her. In that moment, she finally grasped the full gravity of the situation.

  "......Thank you for your well-wishes. I will not fail you."

  "Then......"

  Hulim turned slowly toward the exit,

  "......if you’ll excuse me, I must head to the arena now."

  ......

  "Alright! The two contestants for our next match are making their way out! Who are they, you ask?"

  "Let’s take a look! There they are——!"

  "Hulim Heyerar!!! And her opponent——"

  "Lazis!!!"

  As a tidal wave of cheers washed over the arena, Hulim got her first clear look at her adversary.

  He was a young man dressed like a knight, wielding a mithril sword and clad in elaborate armor.

  Based on intelligence circulating among various organizations, Lazis ranked just below Boguna and Violet in strength—roughly on par with Hulim herself.

  Naturally, aside from a small handful of naysayers, most people expected this to be a closely contested match between two evenly matched powerhouses.

  "I didn’t draw any of the three Rank B contestants. It seems Mr. Bars was right—I do have good luck......"

  Hulim muttered softly to herself.

  "Lady Hulim——"

  Lazis, her opponent for the match, spoke up first.

  "I’ve heard that despite your young age, your strength is truly exceptional. Frankly, I’m not entirely confident that I can defeat you. But I will fight with every ounce of my power. I hope you will do the same—so that we can both walk away from this match with no regrets."

  How refreshing......

  Hulim thought to herself, a touch of admiration crossing her mind.

  It was rare to meet such a polite opponent!

  Recalling the various foes she’d faced in the tournament so far, she couldn’t help but sigh inwardly—that had been quite the mixed bag.

  "Very well, Mr. Lazis. I will ensure neither of us has any regrets."

  Since he was one of those rare decent individuals...... she’d go easy on him—just a little.

  Ding——!

  The match bell rang out.

  In an instant, both contestants sprang into action.

  Almost simultaneously, they chose to create some distance between themselves.

  Hulim had used a magic wand throughout the tournament, so her tactic came as no surprise to the audience.

  But Lazis wielded a mithril sword—a weapon that seemed more suited for a warrior than a mage. In reality, however, he was an unapologetic mage through and through. His true weapon was a bracelet-type magic artifact strapped to his right wrist.

  Still, his knightly attire paired with the exquisite mithril sword made him look anything but a typical spellcaster......

  As he put space between them, Lazis focused his mind intently, chanting an incantation at breakneck speed. He knew Hulim had mastered silent casting, so he couldn’t afford to waste a single second on lengthy chants—otherwise, he’d quickly find himself at a severe disadvantage.

  In mere moments, his incantation came to an end. Raising his mithril sword toward the sky, he shouted:

  "Lightning Strike——!"

  Boom!

  A bolt of thunder came crashing down from the heavens, hurtling straight toward Hulim.

  Hulim remained unflustered. The moment she saw the lightning gathering in the sky, she waved her wand gently upward.

  Whoosh!

  A towering pillar of fire erupted from the ground, surging skyward along the exact path the lightning was taking. It collided head-on with the descending bolt of thunder.

  BOOM——!

  The shockwave from the explosion sent a powerful gust of wind sweeping across the entire arena.

  Seeing his fastest, nearly unavoidable Lightning Strike blocked so effortlessly by Hulim, Lazis immediately switched tactics.

  "Wings of Wind!"

  Channeling wind magic, he soared up into the air.

  Hulim watched him calmly, then pointed her wand in his direction. Flames began to converge rapidly at the tip of her wand.

  Noticing this, Lazis quickly countered with a fire spell of his own.

  "Fire Curtain!"

  Flames roared to life, forming a circular wall of fire that surrounded Hulim completely.

  But in the next instant, another wall of fire erupted from inside the first, blocking its advance and preventing it from closing in. It even seemed to be pushing the outer fire wall back, threatening to overwhelm it entirely.

  Lazis didn’t panic. He’d never expected this spell to deal any real damage—its true purpose was to obscure Hulim’s vision.

  With her line of sight blocked by the fire and him moving constantly through the air, he was confident she wouldn’t be able to hit him.

  And so, he turned his full attention to preparing his next, more devastating attack.