MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

Twenty three hours passed in the blink of an eye, and the time for battle arrived once more.

This time, only the top ten contenders occupied the floating seats.

The remaining champions had been relocated to observe from a safe distance, mere spectators to the unfolding clashes.

Some among the top ten wore faint, confident smiles, their expressions reflecting a quiet assurance in their abilities after thoroughly assimilating the fruits of their prior victories.

Unlike before, the seats were left unnumbered.

Instead, the selection screen now displayed the names of the participants, marking a shift in the solemnity of the proceedings.

The Overseer appeared once more, his expression stern and devoid of any trace of emotion.

His voice resonated across the chamber, carrying an undeniable weight.

"I trust you've all prepared adequately and assimilated the fruits of your efforts. Though, I suppose it makes no difference if you haven't"

As his gaze swept over the gathered contenders, his sharp eyes detected subtle changes in their auras.

Some now carried a keener edge, a silent testament to their growth, whether a significant stride or a mere fraction of improvement.

"Since you're all ready, let us begin. Remember, while you've been instructed not to kill, I sincerely hope none of you hold back. After all, this final round will determine the resources your planet will receive at the conclusion of the Starborn Tournament"

The faintest smile touched the Overseer's lips, a glimmer of anticipation sparking in his eyes as he awaited the clash of the remaining champions.

For a fleeting moment, the Overseer's gaze flickered toward Anthony, a subtle curiosity lingering in his thoughts.

'I wonder... just how far her son's power truly extends'

The question weighed on him as he reflected on Mitchelle's actions.

Despite his meticulous vigilance, she had managed to elude his notice, an unsettling revelation he had yet to unravel.

His attempts to understand how such a breach had occurred yielded no answers, leaving a gnawing frustration buried beneath his composed exterior.

Reporting the incident was out of the question.

Such an admission would tarnish his reputation irrevocably.

The fact that his Void Dimension, his ultimate defense, had been bypassed without his awareness was already a monumental disgrace.

To add that a human had been the one to achieve this feat would elevate the matter to an entirely unprecedented level of humiliation.

No, this was a problem he would resolve on his own.

No one else could ever learn of this lapse, this rare and damning vulnerability.

"Let us begin, shall we?"

The Overseer declared, a wide grin spreading across his face.

The atmosphere shifted instantly, the air growing dense and oppressive as the weight of destiny pressed down on everyone present.

The moment they had all awaited had finally arrived.

With a sharp snap of his fingers, the Overseer set the events into motion.

The large screen before them flickered to life, and names began flashing across it with dizzying speed.

Lucian, seated in the center with Anthony and Aaaninja flanking him on either side, leaned back and spoke casually, his eyes fixed on the screen.

"Do you think one of us will be picked for the first fight?"

Aaaninja, his head resting lazily on one hand propped against the armrest, didn't bother to shift his gaze as he replied.

"Nah, I doubt it. None of us will be chosen just yet. Maybe after this fight"

"Hoo... How do you know that? Are you spying into the future or something?"

Lucian asked with a teasing smirk, his tone light and playful.

Aaaninja's expression remained as deadpan as ever as he retorted.

"Why would anyone waste their mana and time peering into the future for something so trivial? That's just plain stupid"

"Well, it doesn't matter. What truly matters is watching a good fight, and winning the battles that are winnable"

Anthony remarked, his tone casual, yet laced with a hint of amusement.

As he spoke, an apple materialized in his hand.

He took a bite, the crisp sound of his nonchalant chewing cutting through the tense anticipation hanging in the air, momentarily easing the crowd's restlessness.

Suddenly, the screen froze.

Two names illuminated the display in bold, stark letters, commanding everyone's attention:

LUCIAN DARKHEART VS THYROS EMBERFORGE

A duel between a human and an Ignivore, a clash of two race.

Ignivores.

One of the most dominant races in the galaxy, known for their fearsome innate ability: the power to devour energy in all its forms, mana, aura, elemental attacks, nothing was beyond their reach.

Like Titans, they were known for their extraordinary physiques, immense strength, and unyielding stamina.

A race that seemed designed for combat and endurance.

'The human is about to be eaten alive'

This thought echoed in the minds of every champion present, their expressions shadowed with a smirk.

Lucian's face faltered for a brief moment as he saw the names appear on the screen.

His stomach churned with a mixture of disbelief and frustration.

Moments ago, he had casually asked Anthony and Aaninja about the likely participants, intending only to pass the time in conversation.

Yet now, it seemed fate had other plans, for he had been chosen.

Lucian's mind raced as he took in his surroundings, assessing the situation with a calmness he wished he could feel.

While Anthony might have been blissfully unaware, Lucian's preparation had been thorough.

He knew the terrifying potential of the Ignivore race, beasts capable of devouring any form of energy.

Mana, aura, elemental force, it all vanished before their hunger.

Their mere presence was an unsettling reminder of nature's primal savagery.

Thyros, an embodiment of that savagery, remained eerily silent as he landed gracefully in the battlefield.

His fiery orange hair rippled with the light of his aura, and his ember colored eyes glowed with a dangerous intensity.

He moved as though the air itself bent to his will, a hunter surveying its prey.
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The air around him hummed with the barely contained energy of his race, and the sense of menace he carried was palpable.

Aaaninja's voice broke through Lucian's focus, light-hearted and teasing.

"It seems you've been chosen after all"

He said with a smirk, the playful glint in his eyes never wavering.

Time element danced between his fingers, warping and shifting with effortless grace.

With a snap of his fingers, a bag of popcorn appeared in his palm, an absurdity in the midst of such tension.

His words followed, almost taunting in their cheerfulness.

"Anthony wasn't wrong earlier. Watching a fight is always interesting. So, do put on a good show, for our entertainment, at least"

Lucian's expression changed at Aaaninja's playful mockery.

He knew that his every move would be scrutinized, his every failure an opportunity for ridicule from those two.

With a curse suppressed behind clenched teeth, Lucian stood and, without another word, made his way to the battlefield.

The distance between him and Thyros felt infinite, as if the very space itself held its breath.

The weight of the moment pressed down on him and Thyros, the anticipation, the overwhelming sense of battle.

He would show Anthony and Aaaninja that he wasn't just another pawn for their amusement when he eventually battles them.

The battlefield stretched out before them, a desolate expanse of jagged rocks, crumbling stone, and towering mountains.

Hills rolled in the distance, and massive stone pillars reached skyward, their jagged peaks seemingly yearning to pierce the heavens themselves.

The landscape was unforgiving, the ground barren, as if it had long been ravaged by the storms of time.

The wind howled through the vast emptiness, whipping at their hair, sending it swirling like tendrils of wild energy.

Dust and sand particles swirled in the air, carried by the fierce gusts, clouding the vision for brief moments and adding an almost eerie weight to the silence that had settled between the combatants.

Then, the stillness shattered.

A single word rang out, sharp and commanding, reverberating through the air like a thunderclap:

"BEGIN"

In that instant, the tension that had held them both in place for what felt like an eternity snapped.

Thyros' ember colored eyes flickered with anticipation, his body coiling with barely contained power.

Lucian's stance was casual, muscles relaxed, but he was prepared to face the full wrath of his opponent.

The battle had begun.