The crowd reacted immediately.

Some got up to buy drinks and snacks, others went to place new bets for the next round.

But most just stayed in their seats, talking excitedly about what they’d just seen.

Theo glanced back at Iris, smiling warmly.

"Shall we go back now?"

Iris nodded immediately.

"Yeah."

Without lingering any longer, the two of them turned and began walking towards their individual exits.

Only once they’d passed through the large doors did the noise finally begin to dull.

Theo let out a deep breath, rubbing his temples as he stared at the ground.

’So I can use a big Silver Core spell and a few Bronze Core spells,’ he thought, feeling his core ache. ’That’s my absolute limit.’

’Now, I wonder how much that limit will increase with my next breakthrough...’

Normal people would be able to use up to three to four times their previous mana. But how much stronger his would be was a complete mystery.

Theo shook his head, pushing the thoughts out of his mind.

"No point thinking about that yet," he muttered, clicking his tongue. "I’ll have to recover before the finals first."

The winner of the next match wasn’t that obvious to him anymore. Sure, Owen could crush his opponent with that special ability.

But they’d already discussed that he wouldn’t do that, as it’d just expose his talent.

’And if he does lose... I’d like to be fully recovered before the finals.’

The corridor ahead finally opened up.

As soon as Theo stepped out, a voice rang out.

"THEO!"

He barely had time to react before Owen appeared right in front of him, a wide grin stretched across his face.

"That was insane!" he continued, his eyes practically shining. "What the hell was that at the end?"

Theo raised an eyebrow slightly, lowering his hand from his temple.

"Something new," he replied.

Owen let out a short laugh, shaking his head.

"Something new, he says..." he said in an almost mocking tone. "You delayed my match by destroying the arena and almost killing Iris!"

Theo pressed his lips together.

He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment as he hadn’t thought of it like that.

"I hadn’t expected it to be this strong either," he muttered.

Owen scoffed, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, right!" he said. "I’d say the exact same if I were you."

He paused for a moment and leaned in slightly.

"What happened to staying low-key, hm?"

A grin spread across his face.

"Might as well start throwing lightning around if you’re going to make a scene anyway."

Theo rolled his eyes.

"You’re fighting next," he said. "Focus on that."

Owen huffed, straightening up.

"...Yeah, yeah."

Just then, the door on the other side of the corridor slid open.

Iris stepped forward, a small smile on her face. It was clear that her emotions were still very mixed from the fight.

But no one said anything about it.

Owen clapped his hands together, attracting their attention again.

"I’m going in there now," he said. "Make sure you don’t miss the show."

Theo snorted quietly.

"Win," he said. "And try to set a better example of staying low-key if you can."

Owen’s expression changed, looking almost offended.

"Of course I’ll stay low-key," he said, pressing his hand on his chest while acting shocked. "Do you really think I need to use all my strength to fight her?"

Right on cue, a soft voice echoed through the lobby.

"Lyra Miller and Owen Wilson, please go to the preparation rooms. There are ten minutes left before your match starts."

Owen’s grin widened. He rolled his shoulders, almost unable to contain his excitement.

"Perfect timing," he said, cracking his neck once. "I’ll see you guys in a bit."

With that, he entered the open door Theo had stepped out of earlier.

The door slid shut behind him immediately, leaving just Lyra’s door open.

Beside him, Iris let out a quiet breath.

"...He’s really excited," she said.

Theo huffed, shaking his head.

"He always is."

Then he turned to her.

"Do you want to go up to the stands to watch?"

Iris smiled warmly and nodded.

As they left the corridor, Lyra walked past them without a word. The tension on her face was visible from miles away.

By the time they reached the VIP stands, there were only a couple of minutes left.

’Perfect time to cultivate a little,’ he thought.

Minutes ticked by slowly.

Then, Iris tapped him on his shoulder.

"It’s starting," she said quietly.

Theo’s eyes snapped open immediately.

Inside the arena, Owen stood at one end, rolling his shoulder with his sledgehammer over it.

Lyra stood on the other side, still taking deep breaths to prepare herself.

"Ladies and gentlemen — let me hear your loudest cheers for our contestants!"

The cheers only grew louder, making the entire arena vibrate softly.

"Quarter-final match two!" the announcer’s voice rang out. "Lyra Miller versus Owen Wilson!"

Both had approached the center of the arena, their eyes locked on each other.

Finally, the countdown began.

"10... 9... 8..."

Owen cracked his knuckles and tauntingly pointed his sledgehammer toward Lyra.

"6... 5... 4..."

Lyra just stared at him, a white glow appearing around her hands.

"3... 2... 1..."

A split second of complete silence fell over the arena.

"GO!!!"

Both Owen and Lyra reacted in an instant.

Owen lunged forward, raising his sledgehammer far above his head.

Earth began to clump around it, enlarging the hammer to five times its size.

A white swirling mass appeared around Lyra in an instant.

That same tiger-like beast jumped out of it, its long tail shooting toward Owen.

Owen’s smile widened.

He swung down with all his might.

The massive hammer tore through the sky.

But as it came down, the tiger’s tail wrapped around it.

’Come!’ Owen thought, pushing forward.

For a split second, neither side gave way.

Then—

A sharp ripping noise echoed through the air.

The tail split apart under the pressure.

Owen pressed forward immediately.

BOOM!

The sledgehammer collided with the ground, sending tiles, rubble, and dust flying into the air.

For a moment, silence fell over the arena.

As the dust slowly settled, everyone saw Owen’s figure standing within a large crater.

Owen tilted his head slightly, glancing up.

Above his crater, Lyra stood with her jaw clenched.

Behind her fluttered a bird-like creature with its mouth wide open.