I tried my best to ignore the waves, winks, and blown kisses from my waifus seated on the other side of the arena. They clearly weren’t paying attention to the brutal matches playing out—too busy teasing across the battlefield of blood, sweat, and pride.
But then, the spotlight shifted.
A hush fell over our section of the stands as Anna slowly rose to her feet. It was now her turn to fight. She took a deep breath, fingers gently reaching into her cleavage to retrieve a green-pendant necklace. With closed eyes, she kissed it, her lips trembling.
"Wish luck," she murmured, her voice barely audible over the thunder of the crowd.
I offered her a smile. "All the best..."
Her steps toward the battlefield were hesitant and uncertain. Her nerves were visible in the way she clutched her fists and walked stiffly under the watchful eyes of thousands.
Then ca Cammy—swaggering out from the other side like the arena belonged to her. The cocky brat from the Willson family who is always trailing behind Lorraine like her shadow. Rumor had it she was only a C-rank... but her power felt more like a B-rank, and the pressure she gave off was undeniable.
"LADIES AND GENTLEN!!!" the announcer’s voice exploded through the arena, making the floor tremble. "THIS IS A MATCH YOU DON’T WANNA MISS!! On the right side of the arena, we have Anna Rembrandt!! Born from nobility, daughter of the legendary Sword Saint, Ivy Rembrandt! Unfortunately, also known as the weakest of the Rembrandt line!"
The crowd erupted in boos and jeers, so even chanting "Loser! Loser!"
"And on the left side—we have CAMMY WILLSON!! Born and trained under the service of the prestigious Alvado family, she’s got more bite than bark! Who’ll take the win? Let’s find out!!!"
Pweeeeeeeeeeeet!
The referee’s whistle pierced the air, and the match began.
Anna glanced at once, then took a one-leg forward stance, fists raised but shaking. Cammy, on the other hand, bounced like a seasoned boxer, grinning with every hop.
"Well, well, well," Cammy sneered, her voice ringing out through the noise. "My opponent’s a worthless noble? This must be a joke! Soone must hate to give a warm-up match like this."
The crowd laughed cruelly. Bottles clinked, snacks were thrown. But Anna stayed silent.
Then Cammy rushed in like a bullet, delivering a devastating uppercut that launched Anna off her feet. She slamd hard onto the arena floor—but a green glow surrounded her body. She was healing herself up with her passive skill that automatically heals her body when shes injured. She stood up again, quiet and determined.
"Just give up already!" Cammy barked. "Don’t embarrass yourself more than you already have!"
"No... I won’t!" Anna said, her voice sweet but failing to intimidate.
Cammy chuckled coldly. "Then I’ll beat you into the ground! For summoning that Reaper monster and killing our classmates at the field trip!!"
That fired the crowd up. The arena beca a storm of hatred.
"DESTROY HER, CAMMY!!" "MAKE HER BLEED!!" "She killed my sister!!! Don’t hold back!!!"
Soone hurled a bottle. Another, a slice of cake, which splattered over Anna’s head. Laughter burst like fireworks around us. Anna’s lip trembled. My fists still clenched in fury.
"By the goddess, why doesn’t she surrender and save herself the sha!?" the announcer mocked. "She’s a disgrace to her mother—one of the finest hunters in the kingdom!"
As the crowd roared, Anna raised her head. She stopped shielding herself, letting the debris they were throwing at her hit her as her healing magic flared even brighter.
"Surrender, huh?" she muttered, staring daggers at Cammy. "That’s sothing I’ll never do—not today, not ever!"
Then she charged.
Cammy was quick and brutal. Her strikes were powerful, and practiced. But Anna’s body glowed with constant healing. Every ti she was hit, she rose again. Her own strikes lacked power—but Cammy couldn’t regenerate. Slowly, but surely, Cammy started to tire.
After a series of backflips, Cammy distanced herself.
"No more playing nice!" she snapped. "Ti to end this!!"
She began to chant. A low hum echoed, then—
SCREEEEEEEEECH!!
Anna collapsed, clutching her ears as blood poured from them. Her screams were drowned by the amplified roar of the crowd.
"WHAT IN THE WORLD?!! Anna Rembrandt is writhing in agony!! What spell is this?!" the announcer bellowed.
My heart raced. Why wasn’t the referee stopping the fight?!
"Surrender!!" Cammy yelled. "KNEEL and I might cancel the spell!"
Then—
[System Analysis Complete]
[Cammy is using a Sonic Amplification Curse: All sound heard by the target is magnified 100-fold.]
My eyes widened. So, Cammy’s spell made the noise in the arena a 100 tis louder to Anna. That spell could rupture Anna’s eardrums. It could kill her.
"System... is there anything you can do?" I asked frantically.
[Analyzing counterasures...]
On the battlefield, Anna was trembling. Her face contorted in pain, blood staining her jawline. But then, the glow around her flared brighter. No—stronger. It was no longer just healing. It was as if she was awakening.
She stood, despite the roar, despite the blood.
Her aura surged. A brilliant green wave burst from her body like a pulse of life itself. The crowd gasped. The noise suddenly seed to stop—for everyone.
Cammy’s eyes widened in fear. "H-How are you moving?!"
"OH, OHHHHH!!! THE TABLES HAVE TURNED, LADIES AND GENTS!!!" the comntator roared.
"GO, BABY!!!" Ivy shouted from the crowd, fists in the air.
"That’s my daughter-in-law!!" my mom yelled proudly.
Anna walked—no, marched—across the arena. She punched Cammy in the face, sending her flying backward. Cammy scrambled to stand but wobbled. Her mana was gone. Her spell must’ve used a considerable amount of her mana, but now, it was ineffective on Anna.
Anna approached, grabbed her by the neck, and lifted her high, then slamd her into the floor like a ragdoll.
The crowd went dead silent.
"Surrender," Anna said, pressing her foot on Cammy’s face. "Kneel and beg. Maybe I’ll forgive you."
Cammy whimpered, pride shattered. She collapsed forward, her forehead thudding against the arena floor.
"F-Forgive ... please..."
Anna delivered one final kick to the gut. Her aura faded. The referee stepped forward—
"WINNER—ANNA REMBRANDT!!!"
But before the cheer could rise, Anna collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
What kind of power was that?
Anna had never shown strength like that before! My mind swirled with questions, unable to make sense of what I’d just witnessed. As the stunned silence in the arena slowly gave way to murmurs and whispers, the stationed dics rushed in, gently lifting Anna and Cammy from the stage. Without delay, they carried them out of the arena toward the school clinic—where only the best healers in all of Eldoria were stationed so they would heal the injured students.
To be continued...
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