3-0 was the score to the Rising Heroes after Lila won her fight against Eva. Which meant that the Rising Heroes had already qualified for the next round. But there were still 2 bouts left to fight, and neither side intended to slow down. The Rising Heroes wanted complete domination, while the Order of the White Pike desperately wanted to salvage pride and points.
And now the fourth bout was about to begin.
Ifa raised his voice loudly across the arena.
"And in the fourth bout of this match… representing the Order of the White Pike, their leader 'Anton'! And from the Rising Heroes… 'Drakar'!"
The crowd erupted instantly.
Shai followed calmly.
"Another contrasting lineup. Drakar's fire is known for overwhelming destruction, while Anton, a Diamond element user, is famous for his defensive mastery. This should be a fascinating clash."
Both fighters stepped into the battlefield.
Anton calmly drew his sword.
Drakar rolled his shoulder once while holding his axe.
But something felt… off.
Normally Drakar carried an intimidating presence before fights even began. Yet today he looked quieter than usual. His eyes weren't fully focused. His grip tightened unconsciously around the axe handle.
And then, the referee signaled the start.
Drakar moved first.
He instantly closed the distance and swung his axe downward with force. Anton blocked with his diamond-coated blade, sparks flying from the collision. Drakar immediately followed with a second strike and then a spinning tail attack.
Anton narrowly avoided it.
But Anton noticed it immediately.
The attacks were strong…
Yet delayed.
Tiny hesitations existed between movements.
Anton stepped forward sharply.
'Diamond Edge'
His blade gleamed as he cut across Drakar's shoulder, forcing him backward.
Drakar retaliated with 'Fireball'.
Anton responded instantly.
'Shattering Prism'
A hexagonal diamond construct formed in front of him, splitting the fireball apart into harmless fragments.
The audience cheered.
Anton didn't stop.
He continuously pressured Drakar, forcing exchanges again and again.
Each time Drakar attacked, Anton punished the smallest lapse.
A delayed swing.
A distracted glance.
An opening.
Anton capitalized on all of it.
Meanwhile Drakar's mind was elsewhere.
Eternal Wings.
Solreth.
His chest tightened unconsciously.
And Anton noticed.
'Diamond Edge'
Another slash landed cleanly across Drakar's side.
The crowd gasped.
Lila's expression changed immediately. "…His flames are weak."
Not weak in temperature. Weak in intent.
Even Drakar's fire looked unstable.
Sera looked worried. "He's not even looking at Anton…"
Doran silently glanced toward the Eternal Wings bracket.
He understood immediately.
Drakar activated Overheat early.
Flames burst around his body.
Heat spread through the battlefield.
But something still felt wrong.
The flames flickered unevenly.
The pressure wasn't constant.
Even the audience could feel the difference compared to before.
Anton narrowed his eyes.
Then smiled slightly.
Good.
This was the Drakar he could fight.
Anton surged forward again.
'Oath of Clarity'
Diamond energy coated his body as he accelerated sharply and clashed directly against Drakar.
Boom.
The impact cracked part of Drakar's scales.
The audience became louder in shock.
Anton was genuinely pushing Drakar back.
Drakar retaliated with 'Burning Axe'.
His flaming axe descended with terrifying force, but Anton blocked it.
Then countered immediately.
'Hardest Crusher'
A devastating upward strike launched Drakar backward through the battlefield.
Dust exploded across the arena floor.
Even Ifa sounded shocked.
"What is happening right now!? Anton is overwhelming Drakar!"
Shai remained composed but serious.
"Drakar is fighting distracted… and against someone like Anton, that is fatal."
Drakar slowly stood up from the rubble.
His breathing had become heavier.
Anton pointed his sword toward him calmly.
"If your thoughts are elsewhere…"
Diamond energy gathered around him.
'Diamond Heart'
Massive diamond walls erupted upward, surrounding Anton like an unbreakable fortress.
"…you'll lose here first."
Silence.
That sentence struck deeper than any attack.
Drakar froze briefly.
Because Anton was right.
If he couldn't even focus on the opponent before him…
Then how was he supposed to face Solreth?
How was he supposed to protect his brother?
How was he supposed to face his past?
For a moment... Drakar closed his eyes.
Then, everything changed.
The flames around him suddenly stabilized.
The fire deepened into a darker crimson-orange.
The air pressure shifted.
The heat became suffocating.
This time, overheat became complete.
The battlefield itself trembled.
Lila's eyes widened immediately.
"…That's the real thing."
Even Anton's expression changed.
He instantly understood the difference.
Before this, Drakar was merely burning.
Now, He was erupting.
Drakar opened his eyes.
"Thanks."
Focused.
Terrifying.
Anton smiled and immediately made his move.
'Shattering Prism'
Multiple diamond barriers formed instantly.
Drakar walked forward.
Not rushed.
Not reckless.
Just advancing.
Anton swung first.
'Diamond Edge'
Drakar partially avoided it and answered with 'Fireball Barrage'.
Multiple fireballs rained across the battlefield, exploding violently against Anton's barriers.
Anton pushed through them.
But Drakar was already there.
'Burning Axe'
BOOM.
One barrier cracked.
Anton gritted his teeth.
Another barrier appeared immediately.
'Dragon's Breathe'
A massive stream of fire engulfed the battlefield entirely.
Anton crossed his arms defensively behind diamond walls as the arena shook from the pressure.
Yet through the flames, Drakar kept walking forward.
The audience fell silent.
Anton realized too late, Drakar was no longer reacting to attacks.
He was walking through them.
Anton counterattacked desperately.
'Shattering Prism'
'Diamond Edge'
'Hardest Crusher'
One after another.
Some landed.
Cuts appeared across Drakar's body.
But Drakar didn't stop.
One burning axe strike shattered another shield.
The second caved the next one inward.
Then the third, completely fractured the massive diamond construct protecting Anton.
The entire battlefield echoed from the destruction.
Anton stumbled backward breathing heavily.
But he smiled.
Finally.
This was the Drakar he wanted to fight.
Anton steadied his stance.
One final attack.
'Priceless Reflection'
Diamond energy condensed into a single precise strike aimed directly toward Drakar's chest.
And Drakar answered.
'Overheat Overdose'
An explosion of fire erupted instantly.
Anton's blade cut partially into Drakar,
But Drakar forced through it.
And his burning axe struck Anton directly.
BOOOOOOM.
The explosion swallowed the battlefield.
Heat waves surged through the arena.
As the smoke slowly cleared,
Drakar stood there breathing heavily.
Anton collapsed onto one knee before finally falling unconscious.
The referee immediately raised his hand.
Winner, Drakar.
The crowd exploded into cheers.
Ifa yelled loudly.
"UNSTOPPABLE! ABSOLUTELY UNSTOPPABLE! What a monstrous comeback by Drakar!"
Shai nodded calmly.
"Anton fought brilliantly. He forced Drakar into one of the hardest fights we've seen from him so far. But once Drakar regained focus… the difference became overwhelming."
Medics rushed onto the battlefield.
Drakar, however, didn't celebrate.
Didn't smile.
Didn't acknowledge the cheers.
Instead, he slowly looked toward the tournament bracket.
Toward Eternal Wings.
Only Solreth on his mind.
From deep within the shadows of the arena corridors, a few figures quietly watched him.
Members of Eternal Wings.
One of them smirked slightly.
"He's decent… isn't he?"
Another folded his arms.
"But that still won't be enough."
Solreth "Don't waste your time. We will be up next. Prepare yourself"
As their eyes remained fixed on Drakar as the flames around him slowly faded.
And for the very first time, the arena realized.
Drakar's true fire had not even fully awakened yet.