The first match of the second round began.
It was a bout between Stifano and Tia.
A clash between the Devil Race and the Angel Race... I wondered if there was some sort of ancient history or deep-seated grudge between their peoples.
"Thank you for sharing those medicinal herbs with me the other day," Stifano said politely.
"Think nothing of it," Tia replied. "More importantly, I’m looking forward to showing you the fruits of my magic research today."
It didn’t seem like there was any bad blood at all.
Tia had utterly overwhelmed Granmaria in the first round, but I wondered how she would fare against Stifano. I didn’t know the full extent of Stifano's strength, but if she was on par with Bulga, it would likely be a close match.
Hakuren served as the referee. She didn't seem to be showing any fatigue from her earlier exhibition match.
"Begin!"
The moment the command was given, Stifano chanted a spell. Countless jet-black spears erupted from the ground at her feet, hurtling toward Tia. Instead of taking to the sky to escape, Tia spun gracefully, weaving through the dark projectiles as she moved to the side.
Then came Tia’s magical counterattack.
Stifano’s body suddenly burst into flames. I was startled by the sight. Was she serious?
Ignoring my alarm, the jet-black spears that had been protruding from the floor transformed into a massive cloak, wrapping around the burning Stifano. The fire vanished from view. When the cloak unfurled a moment later, there was no one inside.
Was it a magic trick?
Stifano had reappeared directly behind Tia. Just as she moved to grapple her, jet-black spears erupted from all over Stifano’s body, skewering Tia’s frame.
"Whoa!" I couldn't help but cry out.
However, Tia was unharmed.
"In terms of elemental affinity, I had the advantage," Tia remarked calmly.
The black spears piercing Tia crumbled into nothingness. There were no wounds where they had struck her. Conversely, three pure white spears had manifested and pierced Stifano's body when I wasn't looking.
"So it seems. I yield," Stifano conceded.
The match ended with Tia's victory.
"Stifano, are you alright?" I asked.
"Yes, thank you. A wound like this will heal in no time."
"Dear," Tia interjected. "Aren't you going to worry about your beloved wife?"
"I am worried, but I figured I should check on Stifano first, seeing as she still has spears sticking out of her."
"It’s fine. I made sure to avoid any vital spots," Tia said.
As she spoke, the white spears piercing Stifano dissolved into mist. The puncture marks remained, but there was no blood. The wounds began to knit back together right before my eyes. What a relief.
I took a moment to congratulate Tia on her win.
"Next up is Lu and Kudel. Fufu. I certainly hope Lu’s skills haven't grown dull."
Lu’s first-round match had been a bit of a slogging match, after all.
The second match of the round featured Lu and Kudel. Perhaps because she had just finished her lecture from Shiso-sama, Lu looked incredibly focused and determined. In contrast, Kudel looked like she had already accepted defeat.
"Kudel! You mustn't give up before the match even starts!" Granmaria shouted encouragement from the audience, but Kudel’s expression remained grim.
"Look, Lu-san is Lulushi herself, you know? She’s the one who used to go toe-to-toe with Tia-sama—the same Tia-sama that the three of us combined couldn't even touch."
"And I just fought that same Tia-sama! It’ll be fine. There's always a slim chance!"
"Well... a slim chance, I suppose."
The match began. As Kudel had predicted, it ended in an overwhelming victory for Lu. It made me wonder what had happened during her messy first-round bout. Was Ann just that strong, or was it simply a matter of a poor matchup?
The third match was Bulga versus Uno.
I had no idea how this one would play out. Based on the first round, I wondered how much Bulga’s clones would confuse Uno. I suspected the key would be whether Uno could sniff out the real body among the decoys. Those clones were like afterimages, but were they actually physical? They all moved differently... were they all "real" in some way? Well, it was right before the match, so I decided not to pester them with technical questions.
The match began. Just like before, Bulga created clones to pressure Uno. I expected Uno to try and dodge, but he charged straight into the fray. He began crushing the cloned Bulgas one by one. He looked as if he were hunting in earnest. What would happen if he accidentally hit the real one?
Bulga responded by producing even more clones. It felt like a long struggle, but the match actually concluded quite quickly. Uno was eventually pinned down by a massive saturation attack from the clones. The referee stepped in to stop the fight and declared Bulga the winner.
"Ugh, I pushed the clones too far..." Bulga raised her hands to acknowledge the crowd's cheers, but she looked utterly exhausted.
The defeated Uno was actually the more energetic of the two, but a loss was a loss. He lowered his tail and stepped down from the stage. He was met by Kurosan, Kuro, and the rest of the pack. After a brief exchange, Uno’s tail perked back up. He had certainly given it his all.
The fourth match of the second round was Makura versus Corone.
I had been curious about how this would go, but it ended in the blink of an eye. As soon as the match started, Corone tried to take to the air... but she couldn't. Without anyone noticing, threads had already ensnared her legs, slamming her down onto the stage with a heavy thud. She was immediately wrapped up in a cocoon.
"Our affinities are just too different! He's my natural enemy!" Corone cried out.
Makura was declared the winner.
With that, the second round came to a close. Only four participants remained. The matchups for the third round—the semi-finals—were as follows:
02 Tia (Angel Race) 04 Lu (Vampire) 09 Bulga (Devil Race) 13 Makura (Zabuton's Child)