The next section of the battle would be between Mushroom Soup and Defiant Soul, myself and Stone Guardian, a knockout round between the losers of the first and second fight, then finally Maun against Black Flame. This schedule was bomb, and I could tell the arena would be packed to watch the match between top one and top two. I, too, looked forward very much for the confrontation between the two hegemons of this tournament. It would help vent some anger and indignation from me if Maun could pummel Black Flame to the ground too.

Eren was very enthusiastic about the match and had, once or twice, shaken Maun senseless, telling him firmly that he must win and take revenge for her and me. Maun seemed confident enough, so I was not very worried about it. He'd gone back to carving on his wood blocks in a better mood than before.

I, on the other hand, was in a bit of a pinch. If I lost my round here, I would definitely have to tire out myself in that knockout fight. And I was in no mood to put myself in such a difficult position

Nonetheless, my opponent this time would be Stone Guardian. While I did not underestimate him, I would have to say he was currently among the weakest in the lineup after Defiant Soul. I had also thoroughly documented his style during the previous fights, so I was confident I could deal with whatever he would be throwing at me.

I had also learned a lot from the match against Black Flame. If anything, his constant suppression of me during our confrontation had helped enlighten me to some extent. I'd spotted my weaknesses and seen my own shortcomings. Armed with this new knowledge, I continued sparring against Elion with the goal of polishing off these rough points of mine. This time, Erenol began to join in my nightly exertions as well. It seemed she was very determined not to fail the test for Dragoon Academy this time.

When the next round came, we all gathered in the arena once more.

The excitement was high. Even before the day began, the audience were clamoring for action. I heard the town was abuzz and there were already bets going around wondering who would win. In the dugouts, I could feel the energy exceeded the previous days.

Surprisingly, though I felt some rush, I wasn't at all anxious. I did not have a clue where this calm was coming from, but I would like to preserve this state of mind. So while I quietly spectated the battle, I did not act like I did before. I did not take notes and solemnly focused on the fight instead.

Mushroom Soup, as expected, won against Defiant Soul, securing a place in the top five.

By the time it was my turn to come up, the cheers were very enthusiastic too.

The announcer made it the point that the audience were looking forward to seeing some more amusing scenes from me. In fact, many were betting and hoping that I would win just so I could match up against Black Flame again.

It seemed we have been branded the "comedic duo" title.

I hoped to disappoint them. After all, I was not really always so...silly.

Perhaps it was my somber and numb mood that allowed me to proceed with a hint of savagery. This time, I was in no mood for nonsense. Unlike my calculative and prodding self that went up against Black Flame prior—overthinking, overplanning—I came up to Stone Guardian with aggressiveness and decisiveness I did not know I was capable of.

The results were not unexpected, but still surprising. I did not waste a lot of time fighting against Stone Guardian this time. Compared with my previous fight, I slid into it with ease.

Stone Guardian was slow. And though he tried to make up for it by supplementing it with his element, I did not have a lot of trouble breaking through his defenses. Of course, I could not completely suppress my overactive brain from jumping on a lot of ideas mid-fight. Though its activity was not as hyped as my last fight, it was still quite jumpy.

"Lionheart today is not a kitty, I must admit! Today she's a lion!" the announcer reluctantly declared.

Surprisingly enough, the audience's support did not diminish. It was still as enthusiastic as the start. Whenever I would land a critical hit on the enemy, the cheers that would follow would reverberate throughout the arena. The thundering chorus of hollers ignited some fighting spirit inside me. It pushed me to move my best.

Because of my straightforwardness, the fight ended within fifteen minutes. The outcome was in my favor.

This win had finally secured me a spot within the top, which eased off much of the burden that, until now, I hadn't been willing to acknowledge. I looked to the audience area and found myself being showered with deafening cheers.

Though I could not find the faces which I wanted to see among this crowd, I dedicated this win fully to Erenol and the mistresses. I wanted to at least reassure them that I would fulfill my part in this whole trial. Now that my entry to the temple was guaranteed, at least the first phase of my plan for redemption had finally advanced a step.

It seemed I would be up against Mushroom Soup next. Whoever would win between the two of us would move up a rank and fight against the loser of the match between Maun and Black Flame in order to decide second and third place. Consequently, whoever won between that fight between dragons would also be ranked overall champion.

I walked down to the dugout into the waiting embrace of Maun. He was so excited that it seemed as though he had fireworks lit at his feet.

"You did it, Evy! You did it!" he said, clapping his hands like a seal.

Infected by his enthusiasm, a smile lifted my lips under the mask. "Yup!"

"I can see a celebration happening in that one corner. I've noticed for a time that these two seemed to be very close, actually! It's a good thing they hadn't faced each other yet. If they actually do so, it will also be so interesting!" the announcer said.

I rolled my eyes under the mask. Interesting, yes, but I expected there would be a lot of conflict and trouble that we wouldn't be expecting if it would be me against Maun. I thanked my luck I hadn't actually faced him until now.

"Now, for Stone Guardian and Defiant Soul—we'll be having an intense knockout round to determine which one of them stays! But before we proceed to that, we will first take a break to eat some lunch. Let's leave them some breathing room as well as allow time for rest for Stone Guardian before we proceed!"

"They did say it would be intense," I whispered as I sat on the side. "So they're diving straight in to the final elimination without rest. Defiant Soul's in a bit of a dilemma here. He's had more injuries than Stone Guardian did."

"Who are you betting for, though?" Maun asked.

I smiled softly. "Stone Guardian is strong, and he does have the advantage..."

Maun tilted his head to the side. I could imagine a questioning look under his dragon mask.

"But Defiant Soul's unpredictable," I said. "It's anyone's game."

Though I wasn't happy with that guy for defeating Eren, I had to give it to his resourcefulness and clever tricks at least. A guy like that wouldn't come into battle without hiding his aces.

The healer came over to me, asking if I was injured anywhere.

"I got hit on the back, I think. It hurts a bit. It'll probably bruise," I replied.

Maun tugged on my sleeve. "I'll be learning to heal from Mistress Kora! Be my first patient!"

I pondered for a bit, then I looked at the nun.

"Why don't we treat you inside?" she offered.

"It's okay, I've got it covered," I told her.

"Are you sure?"

I glanced at Maun, then nodded. "Yes. All good. Why don't we grab something to eat first and then come back after an hour to watch the fight? Oh...you probably shouldn't eat though," I said. "Never mind. Let's just stay here. I'll just pick up some drinks and then come back."

"Can you give me the watermelon juice?" he requested.

"Hm...but make sure to go to the restroom before you go up to the arena," I told him.

He nodded.

After bringing the both of us drinks, I casually lounged on the benches and began sipping on my cup of orange juice. The drink was cold and refreshing, with pulp bits floating here and there. It hydrated my dry mouth and relieved the discomfort of being thrown to and fro.

At least now, I could finally relax a little.

"Do you think Erenol would be okay in the academy?" he asked me.

"I think she will be fine," I replied. "This is just a small setback. Since we're down this path, we'll definitely encounter bigger obstacles in the future. It's a good thing these inconveniences happen occasionally. They will help us become strong," I said.

"Become strong?" he repeated.

"Being exposed to pain makes you numb to it after some time. You harden, you get callouses, and you become stronger. Whatever bad thing happens to you...it might sound naïve and cliché, but those things can break you, or make you," I told him. "Eren is just becoming stronger, like you and me. It's just that she may have a different journey." I laughed. "Now isn't that inspiring?"

Maun looked forward and was silent for the rest of the time. I spoke no longer either and waited for the resumption of the event. Thankfully enough, I did not have to wait too long. The announcer picked up his station and began to cheerfully declare the impending commencement of the fight.

This was the last elimination round. I could tell that things would get heated up very soon. Both of them, after all, would be competing for that final spot within the top five.

It would really be nice to have some popcorn...but there was none of that here.

When Stone Guardian and Defiant Soul finally came up on the stage, the tension I expected to see was actually much thicker than I had anticipated. Though I had no way of seeing the faces under those masks, I could glean their mood just by observing their bodies.

Defiant Soul was not in a good condition. Stone Guardian was much better than him, especially considering how his fight with me was wrapped up within fifteen minutes. Logic would say that Stone Guardian had about an eighty percent chance of winning, and it did seem that he would when the match started.

During the first half of the fight, he moved sluggishly. Stone Guardian took advantage of this and dealt some very critical blows. I raised a brow because each time a hit would fly towards Defiant Soul, he would somehow be able to evade it at the last moment—close enough it would graze him, but not enough to deal him sufficient damage. Stone Guardian was still so convinced that his opponent was weakened by his fight that he wished to end the fight fast, probably the way ours did, and perhaps redeem some dignity.

I didn't know if he could see it, but Defiant Soul had clearly relied on the preconceived notion that he was more injured than he was and took this as a launch point that allowed him to regain some advantage. Stone Guardian was being played, and if he continued down this track, he would exhaust himself and eventually deliver himself straight into Defiant Soul's plate.

"As expected, that guy's tricky," I whispered.

So when the fight ended in Defiant Soul's favor, I was not at all surprised. I straightened my back and turned to Maun.

"It's your turn now," I told him.

The finale of the day.