"Ahem. Anyway—time to begin the third match," Kobe said, voice cutting through the murmurs. As the hourglass rose once again, names began to shuffle across the projection.
Taro leaned toward Rin. "You've only got two attributes, right? Fire and electricity?"
Rin nodded. "Yeah, though… I can't really control electricity yet. Not properly."
Taro chuckled. "Yeah, you never could. Even back when we were little, you were always shocking yourself."
Before Rin could reply, Kobe announced, "Third match: Elira Vaelwyn versus Hana Greenthorn. Step forward."
From opposite ends of the field, two girls moved toward the arena. Elira, the elf girl, carried herself with calm grace. Her long green braid swayed as she raised a willow-carved wand. Across from her, Hana, a human girl in practical gear, stood tall with a firm grip on her vine-wrapped staff.
The wind stirred.
Elira raised her wand, and the air obeyed. It didn't just blow—it clawed. Thin scratches of wind hissed forward, lashing like unseen whips.
Hana responded without flinching. Vines erupted from the ground, forming a dense, twisting barrier harder than steel. Spikes bloomed along its surface, launching out like a living trap—both defense and offense at once.
Elira called forth a plant too, but it was smaller, frail-looking. Its leaves withered midair. A few chuckled from the stands.
But only the elves could do what came next.
As a leaf began to fall, Elira leapt—landing on it as though it were solid stone. She sprang from one drifting leaf to the next, weightless, graceful. No one could tell whether she had become lighter, or if the leaves had grown stronger.
Hana's eyes narrowed. She dashed forward, a sword of thorn and bark forming in her hand. Elira dodged and spun, launching a gust that should've knocked Hana out cold.
But Hana shimmered. The form flickered and vanished—an illusion.
"Dark attribute?" Rin muttered, surprised.
Elira's eyes darted around, suddenly cautious. She hadn't known her opponent had a dark element.
A thick root burst from the ground beneath her.
She twisted away, but Hana anticipated the dodge. Her real self emerged from the side, plant blade gleaming, sharper than steel. With a clean arc, she slashed.
Elira staggered, a deep gash across her side.
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Some shouted, "Why didn't you stop it?!" at Kobe.
He simply raised a brow. "There are no rules restricting how you use your magic or how much damage you cause. The only thing forbidden—" his voice grew serious, "—is killing. Fatal wounds are a possibility in real combat."
Then he lifted a hand and declared, "Winner: Hana Greenthorn."