After trying his best to close the distance, Adrian once again found himself standing exactly where he had been at the beginning of the fight.
Now, he was going to try again. But this time, his approach would be different. His sword shone brightly as he activated Praito Butham. His eyes glowed as well.
The calm expression he had worn throughout the fight was replaced with a much more serious one.
On the other side, Sarenya stood ready.
Once again, Adrian charged forward.
Sarenya immediately began firing her arrows.
Then "Comet Pierce!"
A massive energy arrow shot toward Adrian.
Unlike her normal arrows, this one wasn't small enough to simply dodge. It accelerated like a falling comet as it rushed across the battlefield.
Adrian knew he had to face it head-on.
"Horizon Breaker!"
A powerful forward slash released a wave of sword energy.
The two attacks collided.
A deafening screech echoed across the battlefield before a massive explosion followed.
When the dust finally settled, the aftermath between them looked almost majestic. The battlefield glowed with scattered energy while the ground around them had been heavily destroyed.
Adrian charged once again.
Sarenya continued firing her arrows.
With Praito Butham active, Adrian was able to deflect each incoming shot.
He knew he had to close the distance quickly before Sarenya could prepare her stronger attacks.
However, time and time again, she disrupted his movements while continuously repositioning herself, making it increasingly difficult for Adrian to catch her.
Adrian quietly concentrated his magic. He deliberately fought in a way that made it appear as though Sarenya had the upper hand. It looked like he simply couldn't get close enough. But that was exactly what he wanted.
It was all a trick. He waited patiently.
For one loose shot. For one slight mistake. For one tiny opening.
Then... it appeared.
Adrian immediately charged with full force.
His sword stayed in front of him, ready to block any incoming attack.
Sarenya was caught by surprise. She quickly began firing her normal arrows while taking one step backward at a time. But it wasn't enough.
This time, Adrian was moving while using his future sight. Every movement was precise. Every step was filled with confidence. One step at a time, he avoided each arrow while steadily advancing.
"Nova Shot!"
An arrow that exploded into a burst of energy upon impact.
But Adrian reacted instantly. He flawlessly avoided every Nova Shot fired at him. The distance between them shrank rapidly. Yet Sarenya remained calm.
Finally... Adrian had closed the distance.
Sarenya hesitated for a brief moment before firing an arrow at his feet.
Adrian jumped above her while swinging his sword downward.
Sarenya smiled.
She had already pulled back the bowstring. As she fell backward, she released another arrow upward. Adrian was still airborne. He saw it coming. But with nowhere to move, his options were limited.
He raised his sword and blocked the arrow.
However, the explosion still engulfed him.
Sarenya quickly rolled away from the blast before standing back up.
She believed she had caught Adrian in the explosion.
The smoke had barely begun to clear when... a sword suddenly flew past her.
Her eyes widened in shock. She instinctively turned toward it.
At that exact moment, Adrian burst through the smoke, grabbed the sword out of the air, and continued his attack without losing momentum.
Sarenya hurriedly pulled back her bowstring once more.
But this time, she wasn't fast enough.
"Sacred Arc!"
Adrian released a crescent slash of divine energy.
A direct hit.
Sarenya fell to one knee.
Frustration was clearly visible on her face. Slowly, she stood back up.
Adrian was already preparing his next attack.
Then... Sarenya smiled.
"Nope... this isn't good. I give up."
The entire arena fell silent in shock.
Well... Not everyone.
Some had already expected this outcome.
The moment Adrian successfully closed the distance, the result was no longer a huge surprise.
Yes, Sarenya could have continued fighting. But facing someone who could see her next move at close range would only become more troublesome as the battle continued.
Sarenya walked over to Adrian and smiled.
"Kid, you're good. But if it weren't for me, the others wouldn't have given up so easily. So tell your teammates, it isn't going to be as simple as this one."
She gently patted Adrian on the head before leaving the battlefield.
Ifa announced "And with that, the Rising Heroes and Hands of Karma are now tied at one victory each! Will the Rising Heroes take this matchup home as well?"
Shai nodded. "That was a very tactical fight rather than a battle of overwhelming force. But in the end, Adrian simply proved to be far too troublesome for Sarenya to deal with."
With that, the second bout came to an end.
Hope returned to the Rising Heroes once again. They knew the remaining fights would be difficult. But they also knew victory was still within reach. The crowd gradually settled once more.
Ifa raised her voice. "With the score now tied at one-one, let's move on to the third bout! Introducing, from the Rising Heroes, 'Verdant Bloom' Sera! And her opponent from Hands of Karma, 'Sovereign of Avalanche' Vashari!"
Shai smiled. "This one is going to be unpredictable. A nature mage against an ice shield user."
Ifa nodded. "Certainly. I don't know who will win, but I do know we're about to witness a spectacular display between these two."
On the battlefield stood Sera and Vashari.
Vashari, in her unusually calm tone, looked at Sera and said, "Don't you worry. I will not hold back."
Sera gulped before replying, "Please do not."
She smiled afterward, trying her best to appear confident.
Both fighters took their stances.
And the fight began.