"Good luck in your matches today. I'll try to finish early so I can make it to the stadium before your final bouts."

Baron Camux is going to speak with some distributors recommended by his friends. Some product prices are currently too high, and these large shops might offer discounts if he brings a letter of recommendation. When I asked him why he tells me private matters about his territory, his answer was: "We're family. There's nothing wrong with it, and these kinds of topics aren't that important. You'll have to do this one day too—it's better if you start learning now." His words moved me, and I'm paying a bit more attention to his schedule today.

We sat in the carriage on the way to the coliseum/stadium. Our "guardian" sat next to the driver by his own choice. I'm still surprised at how little he speaks. He reminds me of a young man back in Mancor—quiet people who faithfully follow orders.

I've been using these carriage rides to gradually try to calm my Imra. Ever since I started paying attention to how my emotions disturb it, I've been trying to keep it under control at all times. So far, I haven't seen any improvement in the last few days, but I just need to keep practicing.

The stadium is pretty full—maybe at 50% capacity. Yesterday it was completely packed. Still, it's impressive to fill even half of it considering the number of seats.

I didn't even have time to sit down—I was one of the first called for a match. I quickly moved to the designated arena and arrived a little before my opponent. She's a girl, slightly taller than me, with long orange hair tied in a high ponytail. She holds a pretty spear in her right hand. As she walked past me, she didn't even glance my way—just kept walking to the center of the arena. Not a fan of friendly gestures before a match? That's pretty common among competitive people… Let's see if her skills match that competitive attitude.

Once we were both on the arena floor, the referee began explaining the rules—same as always. The girl kept staring at me the whole time, focused entirely on her opponent.

The referee gave the signal to start. I stayed in place with my hands in my pockets. The girl began walking toward my right side with her spear in hand. When she got behind me, she launched at me using her movement skill. I'm not falling for that. I turned my head slightly to look at her and dodged with a head movement. She was bold—aiming straight for my head. I kept my hands in my pockets, still not drawing my swords. According to the referee, I can draw them anytime during the fight—just not more than two.

She's stronger than Cubi. Her strikes are faster and have more weight behind them. She uses many feints and keeps her footing ready to retreat if needed. She's skilled for her age—but still far below my years of experience.

Her attacks came at different parts of my body, and her feints were very deceptive. Without my pseudo-dominance, I might have fallen for a few of them, especially with bare hands.

After analyzing her movements, I stepped back, out of her spear's reach. She tried to follow, but stopped when I drew my twin swords. She looked at me with more caution now. "Don't stop—come at me with everything you've got." My provocation didn't work. She paused, thinking about her next move. "If you're not coming, then I will."

Hearing my words, her brows furrowed. I appeared beside her using my movement ability. Her eyes widened like plates as she tried to back away. Too late, girl. My right sword was already slashing toward her right thigh while my left targeted her left shoulder. She managed to block my left sword with her spear and slightly deflected the right, only receiving a shallow cut on her thigh. Even though she blocked well, she almost lost her spear and was forced to sit due to the impact's force.

Her expression had changed—no longer serious. Her gaze now recognized me as a threat. She made a diagonal slash upward. I could've blocked it, but decided to step back, giving her time to think. This is what I was looking for!

If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. Her Imra started flowing through her spear. It was clumsy—reminding me of how I looked when I first unlocked my skill.

Once she got it under control, she charged at me again. The force of her blows now surpassed my physical strength—quite impressive for someone who trains daily and is only eight. My Imra helps, of course. We kept exchanging blows. She was making me give up a bit of ground. I was still better in technique, but the weight of her strikes made me lose balance if I blocked too quickly.

You've impressed me in this minute… You've earned the right to see my Imra. What was her name again? I didn't pay much attention. I vaguely remember reading it—she registered without a surname.

I activated my Imra at 60% of my usual output. It's harder to control at a lower level than normal. She was shocked to see me use Imra, and her next blow hesitated for a moment. I took advantage of that delay and struck with full (but reduced) power. She barely blocked in time and was sent flying backward. She hit the ground, rolled, and quickly stood up. Her eyes were filled with surprise as she looked between me and her spear.

Time to end this. I dashed straight at her. She couldn't keep up with my strength, speed, or technique. After just a few seconds, she had already received several superficial cuts. I saw her collar starting to glow as damage accumulated. A couple more would do the trick—or a well-placed "critical" blow.

It still makes me laugh to call them "cuts," since I'm not really cutting anything—just the mana layer on her collar.

??? POV

Who is this boy? How can he be so fast, strong, and skilled? No one my age has ever cornered me this easily. He's stronger than my cousin—the youngest son of the Marquis. Since awakening, he's had first-rate elixirs, gemstones, and top tutors. Even then, I'm still better in skill… This is so humiliating.

I signed up using only my first name, by my father's request. He's a Count—the Marquis's younger brother. He wanted me to remain unnoticed until the round of 64. I never planned on using anything beyond physical enhancement, movement skill, and Imra. But if I want a chance to win now, I'll need to use my mana.

Usually, Imra is more than enough for me. I'm a rare case—a newly awakened who can use it. This boy is only the second person I've met who has a similar skill. Usually, you need to be at least emerald rank to learn it.

If he lands a solid hit, I lose. I have no other option. What was his name again? Maki, right? He's charging at me. I need to catch him off guard. I concentrate my wind mana at the tip of my spear. Before he enters my range, I lower my weapon and, when it's level with his head, release a blade of wind mana toward him. Got you!

WHAT?! He broke my skill with his sword! How did he react? How did he break my mana with a sword? My metal affinity isn't enough to reinforce my body or block his next move. This is the end. I'm going to lose.

Maki POV:

She almost caught me off guard with that mana slash. My pseudo-dominance warned me just in time—still immature when it comes to reacting to mana shifts, but good enough for moments like this. I unleashed my full Imra to cut through that wind blade.

Her slash left her in a vulnerable position. When she tried to lift her spear again, I knocked it aside with my right arm and slashed across her chest with my left sword. Her collar lit up, ending the match.

This girl is definitely a level 18 or 19. She has more talent than Cris. With some more training, she'll surpass him soon. We bowed to each other in the center of the arena and walked off together.

"Your name is Maki, right?" Her voice surprised me—so sweet and delicate. I wasn't expecting to talk with her.

"Yeah… What's yours? I'm terrible with names." I scratched the back of my head while smiling awkwardly. Thankfully, she didn't look annoyed.

"I'm Arisa. Don't forget it. I won't lose again in this tournament—not until I face you in the finals. You better not lose either." Her eyes showed fierce determination, and her smile carried confidence. She looked quite pretty when she smiled. Being a bit taller, she could pass for someone over ten. She'll probably train hard in the next few days to improve.

"I'll be waiting for you, Arisa. We can put on a good show in the finals." My competitive side kicked in too. Although, if she makes it to the finals, I wouldn't mind letting her win.

Before we could keep talking, I heard my name being called again. Another match already? I just finished one and I'm up again? Oh well… I don't really mind.

"They're calling me, Arisa. See you later. Good luck in your next matches." I passed by her side, giving her a last glance as I walked toward the arena.

"Don't you dare lose, Maki." I raise my hand in approval as I continue walking.

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