The Elimination League Phase continued with high intensity as the eighth match between The Rising Heroes and The Roaring Spirits moved forward.
The first bout had already ended.
Doran had secured a strong victory against Enzo, giving The Rising Heroes an early lead. The crowd was still talking about the heavy exchanges and the powerful strikes that had shaken the arena.
Now, all eyes turned toward the second bout.
The atmosphere became tense again.
Ifa stepped forward with full energy, his voice echoing across the arena.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" he shouted. "Get ready for the second bout!"
He raised his hand dramatically.
"Drakar versus Curtis!"
The crowd reacted instantly with loud cheers.
Shai followed calmly, her voice steady and clear.
"Drakar belongs to the Dragonkind," she said. "They are known for their overwhelming offensive power and destructive abilities."
She then looked toward the other side.
"Curtis, on the other hand, is a former mercenary. Even though he no longer works as one, his fighting style still carries that same ruthlessness and precision."
Ifa grinned widely.
"This is going to be intense!" he shouted. "Ladies and gentlemen, please hold on to your seats for this fight!"
The two fighters stepped into the arena.
Drakar stood firm, gripping his battle-axe tightly. His presence alone felt heavy, as if the air around him carried heat.
Across from him stood Curtis.
He wore a thin, flexible armor that allowed fast movement. Blades were mounted on his wrists, shining under the light.
Unlike Enzo, Curtis did not rush in.
He moved slowly.
Carefully.
Step by step, he approached Drakar.
Drakar did not move.
He simply watched.
His eyes followed Curtis's every movement.
The arena grew quiet for a moment.
Then... Curtis made his move. In an instant, he dashed forward. His left wrist blade came down from above in a sharp slash. Before the motion even finished, his right wrist blade followed with a horizontal strike. A clean and fast combination.
But Drakar remained calm. He shifted slightly. Dodged the first strike. Then moved again. Avoiding the second slash without any panic.
Curtis immediately retreated a few steps back. He did not overcommit. He did not stay too close.
Now it was Drakar's turn. He stepped forward and swung his battle-axe. The swing was heavy and powerful.
But Curtis reacted instantly. He dodged the attack with ease. The blade of the axe passed through empty air.
Drakar stopped. He took a few steps back.
For a brief moment, both fighters stood still.
They looked directly into each other's eyes.
Neither spoke.
Neither moved.
The tension in the arena rose again.
Then... In a blink... Both rushed forward at the same time. Their weapons collided.
CLANG!
Sparks flew everywhere. The sound echoed loudly. They pushed against each other, trying to overpower the other. But neither gave ground. Both stood firm.
Then suddenly, Drakar opened his mouth. A faint spark appeared inside. And in the next moment, Flames burst out.
Curtis reacted instantly.
He jumped back, creating distance between them.
The fire passed through the space where he had just stood.
Curtis landed safely and gave a small smile.
The crowd reacted with excitement.
Without wasting time, both fighters rushed forward again.
This time, the exchanges became faster.
Curtis attacked. Drakar defended. Drakar attacked. Curtis dodged.
Every move was sharp. Every action was precise.
Sometimes their weapons clashed. Sometimes the attacks barely missed.
The fight became a constant exchange of offense and defense.
Then Drakar raised his hand slightly.
"Fireball Barrage."
In the next moment, multiple fireballs formed around him. They shot forward rapidly toward Curtis. The arena lit up with flames. Curtis did not panic. He enhanced his wrist blades with magic. Then he began moving. Fast. Precise.
One by one, he parried the incoming fireballs. Each fireball was deflected away with clean strikes. Some exploded in the air. Some were cut apart. The crowd watched in awe. Curtis did not stop there. As he cut through the final fireballs, he rushed forward. Closing the distance quickly. Now he was within melee range.
"Fury Edge."
His voice was low but sharp.
In an instant, multiple slashes appeared.
Each slash left an afterimage. It was hard to tell which attack was real. The strikes came from different angles. Drakar was forced into defense. He raised his axe and blocked.
Again.
And again.
And again.
The attacks felt like illusions.
Fast.
Confusing.
Relentless.
But Drakar did not try to escape.
He stood his ground. He chose to defend.
Carefully watching. Waiting. Looking for an opening.
He knew that one good counterattack could end the fight.
And soon,
He found it. In a sudden movement, Drakar jumped behind Curtis. He swung his axe. A powerful strike aimed directly at him. But Curtis reacted instantly. Without even turning fully, he swung his wrist blade backward. The blade grazed Drakar's abdomen. A small but clean hit. Drakar landed back. But he did not hesitate.
Without wasting even a second, his body began to change. Flames started rising from his body. Heat spread through the arena. The air itself felt heavier. Drakar had begun entering his Overheat mode. The temperature rose quickly. The crowd could feel it even from the stands.
Curtis stepped back slightly. He could feel the heat as well. He understood the situation immediately. Going into close combat now would be dangerous. But without going into close combat, he had no way to attack. His fighting style required him to be close. And against Drakar in this state, that was a risk he could not take.
For a brief moment, Curtis stood still. He looked at Drakar.
Then... Before Drakar could fully unleash his Overheat state, Curtis raised his hands. "I give up."
The words echoed clearly.
The arena fell silent.
Then confusion spread among the audience.
Some people were surprised.
Some looked disappointed.
The fight had ended suddenly.
The referee raised his hand.
The bout was over.
Ifa scratched his head slightly. "Well… that was unexpected," he said. He then smiled. "But still amazing!" He continued loudly. "This was more of a tactical decision to give up!"
Shai nodded calmly. "Indeed," she said. "Curtis understood the situation clearly. Without getting close to Drakar, he would not be able to do anything."
She continued, "And getting close in that state would have been dangerous." She paused slightly. "So instead of making a reckless decision, he chose to give up and conserve his strength for future matches."
Ifa nodded. "What do I say?" he added. "This fight was amazing… but it also feels like something was missing."
Shai gave a small smile. "Yes," she said. "As you may have noticed, Drakar did not use aerial combat in this fight."
She added, "Perhaps he is focusing more on ground combat for now."
Then she looked toward Curtis. "And Curtis… he definitely has more to show as well."
The crowd slowly began clapping.
Even though the fight ended early, both fighters had shown skill and intelligence.
Curtis walked away calmly.
Drakar returned to his team.
The second bout was complete.
The Rising Heroes had now secured this round.
But the match was not over yet.
There was still one more bout left.
Shai raised her voice again.
"The final bout of this match will now begin."
She looked toward the arena.
"Lila from The Rising Heroes…" She paused briefly. "…versus Nicole from The Roaring Spirits."
The next fight was about to begin.