Parallel Memory

Anyway, soon it was the turn of Amelia and luckily for her, her opponent was Rank-A +.

The fight was long but Amelia did manage to win without any problem.

Then it was the turn of Mia!

Her opponent was Rank-S - Therianthropes. It seems she is not very good these days with her previous opponent also being in Rank-S -.

However, more than Mia, the one who was more unlucky was obviously her opponent who got Rank-S as her opponent.

You could see from Mia's opponent's face that she wasn't very happy with Mia as her opponent.

By now, everybody could tell who was the strongest in the contest. Though every Rank-S fighter was strong but Princess Elenia, Mia Frostine, and Seraphine took the cake as the strongest.

Whether you are Rank-S or not, nobody wants to have them as their opponent. And it was true for Rank-S - Therianthrope.

Mia stepped onto the arena, her eyes locked onto her opponent, the Rank-S - Therianthrope. The crowd fell into a hushed anticipation, fully aware that Mia Frostine was the stronger one.

The Therianthrope's fur bristled as she readied herself for the fight. It seemed like she was going to fight in full power which was a good choice.

The referee's voice broke the silence, "Are you both ready?"

Mia nodded while Rank-S - Therianthrope, her claws extended, snarled in response.

"Then let the battle begin!"

In an instant, the Therianthrope lunged forward with incredible speed, her claws slicing through the air like a whirlwind.

But Mia was no ordinary opponent who could easily be overwhelmed by her speed.

With a flick of her wrist, Mia conjured a barrier of ice, blocking her opponent's ferocious attack. She proceeded to freeze the arena, taking away significant speed from the Therianthrope.

Mia didn't waste a second. She channeled her magic into her hands, forming sharp icicles that shot toward her opponent like deadly projectiles.

The Therianthrope leaped and dodged, displaying her agility, but some of the icicles grazed her, leaving frostbite in their wake.

The Therianthrope growled in pain and frustration, realizing that she was being played around by her opponent.

She retaliated with a powerful swipe of her claws, creating shockwaves on the arena floor. Mia danced away, avoiding the deadly strikes.

The battle raged on, each combatant displaying their unique skills. Therianthrope's brute strength and speed clashed with Mia's precise control over ice.

As the fight reached its climax, Mia used Ice Wave to end the fight.

She extended her arms, and a freezing blizzard engulfed Therianthrope. Ice crystals formed on the Therianthrope's fur, slowing her movements and encasing her in a frozen prison.

The crowd erupted into applause and cheers as the referee raised his hand and declared,

"Winner! Mia Frostine!"

-CLAP! -CLAP! -CLAP!

Mia stood there calmly without much reaction over her victory.

The spectators were in awe of her abilities. Once again, it was a flawless victory from Mia Frostine.

King Tranduil and Princess Elenia also watched with keen interest. Princess Elenia hasn't forgotten the promise of King Tranduil when she defeats Mia Frostine.

Although more than her battle with Mia Frostine, she was looking forward to her fight with Zero.

She was most of them imagining Zero begging at her feet for mercy. And she being the nice person she is will magnanimously forgive Zero in front of all the people.

She thought that with that method, she would show what happens to people who mess with her and also how forgiving she was.

It was a perfect plan!

Well, at least that is what she believed.

The contest continued and the battle was coming to an end.

It was then Zion's turn! He was one of the two geniuses who were ranked B and managed to survive until this round.

This was a testament to the talent that he has. However, it was a pity that his rank wasn't any higher as that would have given Zion more chance to win the contest.

Nonetheless, Zion achieved a difficult feat!

But his luck seemed to have run out. For this round, his opponent was Gimli, the Rank-S - Dwarf and also the strongest of their race.

Zion didn't give up and went to challenge the Dwarfs' strongest men. Gimli seemed impressed by Zion's bravery and seemed to have taken the fight seriously since he took out his weapon.

Anyway, the fight went as expected. Zion threw a lot of powerful attacks, even going as far as using his Sovereign Will II which exponentially increased his strength.

While it was impressive and surprised many of the spectators, against Rank-S - opponent, it fell short. Gimili had very high defense and his strength was also top-tier.

Sadly, none of Zion's attacks worked and he was knocked unconscious by Gimli.

However, Gimli did compliment Zion which might not have really affected Zion's bad mood. He didn't need counseling or anything as he knew how to take a loss.

And for him, any words by Victor were more like an insult to him. Well, that is what he feels, after having listened to many compliments by Hiro even though he always loses.

Although for Zion, it didn't matter how he fought as the result was that he lost, it wasn't the same for others.

Others acknowledged Zion and it included King Tranduil. He thought that Zion was very talented for his rank and maybe even in the Rank-A category.

Anyway, after some battle it was the turn of Lisa, the last Rank-B.

Well, it seems that her hope of going to the next round was also not possible.

Her opponent was Rank-S - Elve, Elrond.

As Lisa stepped into the arena, she couldn't help but feel a wave of anxiety wash over her. However, she refused to give up and also showed others what she could do.

Elrond sauntered into the battleground with an air of superiority, her features marred by a condescending smirk.

The crowd fell silent, knowing that they were about to witness a battle where the odds were heavily stacked against Lisa.

"You," Elrond sneered, addressing Lisa with a contemptuous tone. "I can't believe they paired me with a lowly Rank-B like you. Moreover, a dirty human to boot."

Elrond said. He didn't try to hide his hatred for the human race, though the reason for his hatred was obvious.

One was because of Zero who dared to disrespect Princess Elenia which he still remembers. Another one was for personal reasons which was Aricen was his brother. The same Aricen who was defeated by Zero.

So, he wasn't trying hard to hide his hatred for humans. And since Lisa was his opponent, he insulted her.

Lisa clenched her fists, trying to ignore the insults. She knew that she had to focus on the fight ahead and not let Elrond's words get to her.

Zero, who was watching the fight, wasn't exactly thrilled by Elrond's words. It could be seen by how he was tightening his fist and giving Elrond a death glare.

The referee's voice broke the tension, "Are you both ready?"

Lisa nodded, determination burning in her eyes, while Elrond responded with a dismissive wave.

"Then let the battle begin!"

The moment the signal was given, Elrond swiftly notched an arrow onto his bowstring, his movements so fluid that it was as if time had slowed down. With unparalleled accuracy, he released the arrow, and it soared toward Lisa with deadly precision.

Lisa barely had time to react. She summoned her magic, attempting to create a protective barrier, but before she could complete the spell, Elrond's arrow found its mark. It struck her shoulder, causing an intense and searing pain.

Pain shot through Lisa's body, but she refused to give in. She had endured worse pain and she wasn't going to let Elrond underestimate her and the human race.

Elrond continued to taunt her, his voice dripping with disdain. "Is that all you've got? I expected more from the arrogant human race."

Despite the searing pain, Lisa gritted her teeth and focused her resolve. She couldn't let Elrond's insults break her spirit.

She knew she had to fight with everything she had to prove her worth and show that humans were not to be underestimated.

However, that proved to be difficult as she couldn't defend against Elrond's attacks. Soteria Blessing: Goddess protection wasn't strong enough to block off his attack and there was no time for her to heal herself either.

Everybody could see that Elrond was just playing around with Lisa. If he wanted, he could have ended the battle long ago but he continued to torture Lisa.

Zero at the sideline seethed in anger. It was the same for Hiro and other humans.

It would have been easy for Lisa if she just gave up but she still didn't.

Summoning her inner strength, Lisa channeled her magic once more.

[ "Violet Flash" ]

She quickly teleported behind Elrond's back, giving her the opportunity she needed.

[ "Thundering Blaze" ]

[ "Thunder Baptism" ]

[ "Lightning Strike Apocalypse" ] …

Elrond was taken aback by Lisa's sudden resurgence, struggling to keep up with her relentless assault. He realized that he had underestimated her, and his contemptuous smirk faded into a look of surprise.