Nolan walked slowly from the back of the arena, the roar of the cheering crowd still echoing behind me. I took a seat where I could still see the stage clearly.

Celia and Linda immediately rushed toward me.

"Master, your match was outstanding!" Celia said, her eyes glowing with excitement.

"Yes, Master! You were amazing!" Linda added, smiling brightly.

Nolan gave them a small, calm smile. "Thank you. I'm glad you both enjoyed it."

"I'm going to try to look just as amazing in my fight," Celia said proudly.

"Same here," Linda added confidently.

"Well," Nolan said, "I believe in both of you. Give it everything you've got."

Just then, Tharion stood up from his seat and walked over. When he stopped in front of Nolan, there was curiosity and respect in his eyes.

"Wow," Tharion said. "That was an incredible fight."

"Yeah, thank you," Nolan replied quietly.

Tharion crossed his arms. "Let me get straight to the point—who are you, really?"

"What do you mean?" Nolan asked, his tone sharp. "Be clear."

"I mean," Tharion said, "you fight like someone who's rank S. Maybe even higher. But your guild card says you're rank E. That doesn't make sense. Someone like you can't be that low."

Nolan's gaze hardened. "Why are you so bothered by that?"

"I'm not," Tharion said quickly. "I'm just… surprised. I knew you were strong, but not this strong."

Nolan frowned slightly. "I don't owe you an explanation. So back off."

The air grew heavy as both men locked eyes. The tension was thick—neither willing to back down.

Then, Tharion suddenly smirked. "Sorry if I made you angry. But still… that performance of yours was unbelievable."

Nolan leaned back slightly. "Yeah. You're not the only one who was shocked. Even my opponent couldn't believe it."

"So, tell me this," Tharion said, leaning forward slightly. "What skill was that you used back there? I've never seen anything like it. Was it telekinesis? You managed to stop the attack mid-air… but how did you turn the ice into water?"

Nolan gave a faint shrug. "I don't know. Let's drop that discussion."

"Oh, so you don't want to answer," Tharion said, smirking.

"Maybe," Nolan replied calmly.

"Fine," Tharion said with a small chuckle. "So, how's your friend Zevric? I saw him in the hall last night."

"He's fine," Nolan said. "Good as new. He's strong, and his injuries have completely healed. He's fully recovered."

"That's good to hear," Tharion nodded. "I wonder who's going to fight next. Who's the next opponent?"

"We'll find out soon," Nolan replied, glancing toward the arena.

Just then, a voice echoed behind them. "Master! Master! Master!"

Nolan turned, and to his surprise, saw Lyra running toward him. She dashed down from the audience stands—where only non-participants were supposed to sit—and headed straight for him.

"Lyra?" Nolan muttered, just before she reached him.

She threw her arms around him in a tight hug while he was still seated.

"Hey—get off Master!" Celia said immediately.

"Yeah, leave Master alone!" Linda added, frowning.

Nolan sighed, half-smiling. "Please, get off me. What are you doing here? Go back to your seat."

Lyra pouted slightly but stepped back.

Tharion, watching the scene unfold, chuckled. "Ah, you're such a playboy. Acting like you don't enjoy the attention, but you're surrounded by women."

"I'm not," Nolan said dryly.

"Yeah, sure," Tharion said, rolling his eyes as he turned away. "Annoying, honestly."

He walked off, muttering under his breath while Nolan shook his head, trying not to laugh.

Nolan sensed someone staring at him. He looked in the direction, but the person was invisible—yet he could feel the presence clearly.

"Damian, you're also here," Nolan said.

Then Damian became visible and sighed. "Master, so you saw me," he said.

The nearby participants, startled by Damian's sudden appearance, shifted back in their seats, whispering in confusion.

"Why are you and Lyra here?" Nolan asked calmly. "Weren't you both supposed to stay in the seats meant for the spectators who aren't participating?"

"Master, I wanted not to," Damian said, rubbing the back of his neck, "but she insisted. And I couldn't resist, because I wanted to be by your side."

Nolan sighed and gave a small smile. "Alright, you can stay here if you want. There are enough empty seats anyway."

Damian slowly sat down beside him. "Master," he said softly, "I wanted to tell you—your match was outstanding. I was truly amazed. It was… entertaining."

Nolan gave a faint chuckle, glancing toward the arena. "Glad you enjoyed the show."

Lyra slowly removed her hand from Nolan's neck.

"Master, your battle was truly amazing," she said, smiling with admiration.

"Thank you," Nolan replied with a calm nod. "You both should go and have your seats."

Lyra and Damian bowed slightly before walking back to their places beside Celia.

"Whoa, are you all ready?" Damian asked with a grin.

"Yes, we are," Celia said, her tail swaying with excitement.

"Then get ready," Damian said, glancing at the arena. "The next match is going to be fire."

The crowd's energy began to rise again. The announcer's voice echoed through the arena.

"The last battle, fought by the young warrior Nolan Thorne, was truly outstanding! He hasn't shown a single sign of weakness since the start of this tournament! And now…" the emissary's voice thundered, "for our next participants—Kyrion, return to the arena! And Tharion, head to the back and prepare yourself!"

The crowd erupted in cheers and murmurs.

"Tharion versus Kyrion? That's a brutal combination," someone in the audience shouted.

"I'm not sure about this one," Nolan said, leaning forward slightly. "Tharion is strong… but Kyrion is something else. The way he moved in his last fight—it wasn't normal."

"Yeah," Linda agreed. "This is a bad matchup for Tharion. He might not be able to win."

Lyra folded her arms. "Not just that—he won't come out of this unscathed. Kyrion's attacks are ruthless."

Tharion stood up from his seat, his sword resting against his shoulder. He looked over at Nolan and smiled confidently.

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