Eleazar’s demonic head fell on the arena amidst the cheering of the crowd.
The representative from the Demonic Continent had crossed many people because of his unmerciful display during the tournament. All the opponents he faced in battle were killed, which made the family and friends of the contestants out for his blood.
Unlike his previous battles, Kenneth didn’t have an easy time because Eleazar was indeed a very powerful fighter. As a representative of the demon race that was bred for slaughter, the elf had no choice but to end the match as soon as possible.
Kenneth didn’t allow Eleazar to use his dirty tricks and other underhanded methods. The crowds applauded the elf for killing the Demon whom they wished to kill with their own hands.
Zagarl looked unperturbed even when the last candidate from the Demon Continent died. This demeanor made the rulers of the Central Continent frown. They had long noticed the seeming indifferent attitude of the Demonic General in regards to the young prodigy of the Demon Race.
It was as if they were just sending cannon fodders, instead of prodigies to participate in the Tournament of Champions.
Even Emperor Leonidas thought that something was wrong, but there was no way to pry any answers from Zagarl. As the right hand man of the Demon Lord, he was not someone that was easy to deal with.
After Kenneth’s Victory, two of the main divisions finally had their semifinalists.
—–
Bracket A
– Jason Hal Kraetor
Bracket B
– Kenneth Xin Ashleigh
—–
After a ten-minute break, the fighters of Bracket C walked towards their battling stage.
Ephemera Fortuna stood tall at the center of the arena. She was one of the crowd favorites that hailed from the Gunnar Federation.
The Gunnar Federation was composed of several kingdoms that had united under one banner, which gave birth to the only Federation in the world of Hestia.
Her birth country was the Kingdom of Edelweiss. It was a kingdom known to foster Magic Swordsmen who specialized in both swordplay and various types of magic.
Her opponent, Sylvanus Rah, hailed from the Dwarven Empire known as the Halle Empire. Among the various Empires in the Central Continent, no one could beat them when it came to craftsmanship.
Weapons, armor, artifacts, accessories, and other miscellaneous items that came from the Halle Empire were hot commodities in the Central Continent. No one dared to attack them because the dwarves were notorious for their advanced military weaponry.
They had made entire mountains their fortresses, and their ferocity in battle was recognized by all the races that shared their borders.
Sylvanus raised a giant hammer that was at least twice the size of his body. With just a glance, one could tell that it was a very deadly weapon that could crush boulders with a single strike.
Some of the audience hoped that the beauty from the Gunner Federation wouldn’t suffer too much at the hands of the dwarf who had a confident smile on his face.
“Girl, why don’t you surrender now?” Sylvanus asked. “I’m not confident that I will be able to hold back once I start swinging my hammer.”
Ephemera smiled at the dwarf who was showing concern for her.
“Thank you for the offer, but I have to pass,” Ephemera replied. “Feel free to swing your hammer as much as you like. Even if I die, my family or my people will not find any trouble for you.”
Sylvanus sighed and nodded his head. Since his offer was rejected then there was no other choice but to fight.
Ephemera pulled out the Rapier from her scabbard. The thin golden blade was quite eye-catching. Those who didn’t have an eye for weapons would think that the beautiful lady’s weapon was just for show. However, those who were veterans in the battlefield could tell that this blade had already claimed countless lives.
It was not a sword for special ceremonies, but a true sword meant for killing.
Sylvanus’ expression became serious when he saw Ephemera’s sword. In the previous matches, she only used an ordinary rapier as her weapon. For her to take out her soul-bound weapon meant that she was taking this fight seriously.
The judge glanced at both participants and raised his hand.
“Battle Start!” the referee shouted before retreating outside of the arena.
Sylvanus slammed his hammer on the ground, and something unexpected happened. The tiles under his feet rose up in the air and transformed into an Earth Dragon that was over ten meters long.
“Gaia Force!” Sylvanus roared.
The Earth Dragon opened its mouth and released a concentrated ball of Earth Energy.
The referee made several hand seals and five barriers surrounding the arena appeared simultaneously. He had estimated that this particular attack could be blown out of proportion, and might endanger the audience’s lives.
Although several protective measures were set in place, they didn’t want to take any chances and opted for the safest option.
Ephemera stood straight like a sword as the Energy Blast that looked like a miniature sun descended upon her.
“Exterminegra Imperfi!” Ephemera shouted as she slashed forward.
The golden blade shone brightly. A few moments later, a giant sword that was over six-meters long sliced the Earth Dragon’s attack in half.
A powerful explosion resounded within the arena as the barriers took the brunt of the attack.
Ephemera’s long purple hair fluttered in the breeze, and her light-red eyes glowed in power. She had a determined look on her face, which made her beauty shine even more.
Sylvanus smirked as he slammed the ground with his hammer for the second time. Just like what happened earlier, another Earth Dragon formed above the dwarven prodigy.
“Gaia Tempest!” Sylvanus ordered.
The two Earth Dragons floated high above the arena before unleashing two Dragon Breaths that were imbued with Earth Spikes.
“Deflectundis Angelegra,” Ephemera calmly chanted as she took a defensive position. The Giant Golden Sword transformed into a four-layered, golden shield that was over three meters tall.
The collision between the dragon breaths and the shield caused another powerful explosion.
The ground under Ephemera’s feet was crushed as she withstood the might of Sylvanus’ Earth Dragons. Half a minute later, she skidded a few meters away from where she stood.
The Dragon Breath of two Earth Dragons was not something that any ordinary sword mage could block. Even though these beasts were created by Sylvanus’ ability, their firepower was not in any way inferior to real Earth Dragons.
A smile appeared on Ephemera’s face as she held her ground from the powerful attack. Flashes of golden light appeared all over her body as she activated her Virtue.
“Right is right even if everyone is against it,” Ephemera said softly. “Wrong is wrong even if everyone is for it.”
Two golden wings sprouted behind her back, and the shield in her hand grew in size.
“I will fight for what I believe in,” Ephemera roared. “This is my justice!”
With a powerful flap of her wings, Ephemera flew towards Sylvanus with the golden shield in front of her. Seeing that his opponent intended to bash him with her shield, the dwarven warrior pulled back his hammer and prepared for one mighty swing.
“Earth Smash!” Sylvanus swung with all of his might.
A resounding ringing sound echoed across the arena as the giant hammer and the golden shield met. It was as if a giant bell had been struck, causing it to emit a ringing sound that rang unimpeded.
“This is a battle worthy of the Semifinal round,” Empress Andraste commented as the corner of her lips curled up into a smile.
The rulers also nodded their heads in agreement.
A brief moment later, a loud cracking sound spread across the Grand Coliseum. The barriers that were holding back the chaotic powers within the arena were starting to break.
Emperor Leonidas raised his scepter at the exact moment the barriers broke. Fortunately, the Emperor had already erected several other barriers that protected the audience from the aftershock of the powerful collision between two strong fighters.
“Extermiite Gargantinius!”
A giant golden sword slashed the two Earth Dragons hovering in the air in half, before descending towards the ground.
Not long after, a loud grunt was heard. A figure flew out of the arena, hitting the barrier in place.
Sylvanus coughed a mouthful of blood before his body slid down towards the ground. His armor was in tatters, and he was seriously injured. Fortunately, he would live to see another day as the Clerics of the Kraetor Empire rushed in his direction.
Ephemera flicked her rapier to the side before sheathing it back to its scabbard. Her clothes were a bit dirty, but aside from that, she was fine.
The crowds cheered for the victor without waiting for the referee’s announcement. The latter shook his head helplessly, but he still raised his hand to do his job.
“The Winner of this match is Ephemera Fortuna!” the referee declared. “She will now proceed to the Semi-Finals!”
The purple-haired beauty gave a curtsy to the audience before leaving the arena.
On the way to the resting area, she saw Lilith with a smirk on her face.
“So, Justice has come to the Central Continent,” Lilith said in a casual manner. “Where are the rest of your compatriots?”
“That’s none of your business, you sinful lady,” Ephemera replied as she walked past her. “I’ll wait for you in the finals.”
“Confident aren’t we? I suppose I will meet you there, but only if you win your next match.”
“Of course I will win. Justice always wins.”
