"Do you really think it's just a coincidence that the West and the South fight each other twice in a row? Or is something else at play?" Owen asked.
"I heard terrorist groups have been giving you trouble down here in the South," Lucius said cheekily.
"You misheard," Finn replied, visibly annoyed.
"If you guys keep chatting like this, you'll miss the fight," Alvan cut in, pointing down at the stage.
On the arena floor, Raizo was swiftly evading icicles hurled at him by Chase, one of Kanye's goons. Chase was skilled in ice magic and kept his distance with calculated precision.
This guy's better than I thought. He's intentionally stalling… but that won't stop me, Raizo thought, dodging a shard aimed for his head.
With a sharp movement, he unsheathed his blades and charged forward. Chase stomped on the ground, sending two icy trails crawling toward Raizo's sides while a massive icicle speared up from the center.
"You're done now," Chase declared confidently.
But Raizo leapt into the air, his swords forming an X as he activated X-Slash, slicing the central spike into shimmering fragments. He landed without losing momentum, blades glowing as he unleashed Six Path Slash, cutting down every icicle in his way.
Chase, now panicked, erected a wall of ice in desperation.
It didn't help. A pink aura bloomed across Raizo's blades. Cherry Blossom Slash! In a single stroke, the ice wall shattered, exposing Chase—who immediately threw up his hands in surrender.
"W–Wow, that was… surprisingly one-sided," Mark stammered.
"The incompetent kid from the West lost to the swordsman Raizo," another announcer groaned.
"I knew if I bet on the South, I'd have doubled my money by now," lamented a man in the stands.
"If you had given me the money, we'd both be rich right now, damn it!" he cursed, glaring at the woman beside him who still looked smug for refusing to lend him any.
"As expected of Raizo, he didn't even take long," Kyle remarked.
"Seems like the next match doesn't involve the South," Harden noted, glancing at the big screen as the shuffling device spun again.
"The next match will be… between the Northern and Western continents! Let's see how this one goes!" Mark announced as the crowd erupted once more.
---
Meanwhile, deep in the mountains…
The shadow of a hulking man loomed, his forehead marked with a massive X-shaped scar. Before him knelt a woman, head bowed, delivering her report.
"So far, how's the tournament?" the man asked.
"It's progressing smoothly," she replied. "We've managed to track the mana veins. As we suspected, the Abyss of Flames will open in a few weeks. However, we've accelerated the process—it will manifest inside the arena. Once it does, we'll retrieve the necessary materials."
"And the boy?"
"Game has successfully infiltrated the arena grounds. He should deal with Harden Blade. But just in case, I've prepared a plan B."
"Failure is not an option, Linda," the man rumbled, his tone intimidating.
"I understand, sir," Linda bowed lower.
"That will be all. Keep me informed."
"Yes, sir." She departed swiftly.
---
Back at the arena…
A masked figure slipped through the backstage corridors, his eyes locked on the arena floor.
"Harden Blade…" he whispered, lips curling into a snicker. "I'm coming for you."