<The battle begins!>

The loud cheers of the audience filled the arena as the bright morning sunshine grazed the battlefield. The entire stadium was roaring with anticipation for the match they were about to see.

It was the semi-finals, a battle between the strongest of the young generation in Vale City.

Alen immediately channeled mana into his feet, ready to launch forward, and clutched his sword tightly.

"I give up..."

*Slip~*

Alen suddenly halted his steps, almost losing his balance and slipping in the field. He looked at the girl in front of him with an incredibly surprised face.

’What the f*ck is this?’

’The match hasn’t even begun and she is giving up just like that?’

The referee looked just as shocked as Alen.

<Are you sure you want to give up?!> the announcer asked, his voice echoing in disbelief.

"Yes... I don’t think I can win against him..."

Elina muttered. She cast a nervous glance at Alen and quickly looked away, her cheeks slightly flushed.

Alen straightened his posture. It wasn’t his business to ask for her reasons, but he couldn’t believe she wasn’t even going to try.

<Ok... So judging by the participant’s declaration... Elina has forfeited the match! The winner is Alen!>

This time, the massive crowd remained completely silent. The explosive match they were expecting hadn’t happened at all.

Alen sighed, turned around, and started walking out of the arena, heading through the dark corridor and straight back to the waiting room.

<Ahem! Well then, let’s start with the next semi-final match...>

<Participants of the second match, please enter the battlefield!>

The crowd held its breath as both opponents slowly walked out onto the field.

From the opposite tunnel, Sai entered. He wore incredibly heavy armor and carried a massive battle axe over his shoulder. He looked like a juggernaut who was only here to completely crush his opponent.

From the tunnel Alen had just exited, L entered. He still wore his black cloak with the hood pulled up. He walked calmly, his sword resting casually at his waist. There was no hint of panic or urgency in his expression.

They stood at opposite ends of the battlefield.

The referee stepped forward and raised his hand.

<Now that both contestants are here, let the match begin!>

Sai didn’t wait a single second. He aggressively channeled a large amount of Earth magic, coating his heavy armor in rock to make it even stronger. He then channeled the magic into his weapon, expanding the battle axe to several times its normal size. He lunged forward like a giant, aiming to crush the boy in one strike.

Despite his heavy weight, Sai moved with incredible speed.

L stood completely calm. His hand rested lightly on his hilt.

He smoothly unsheathed his sword. A blinding silver light began to emit from the blade, illuminating the arena. He then used his true skill for the first time since the tournament started.

[Luminous Ascension Art: Cleave!]

He swung the sword horizontally in a beautifully elegant motion.

A concentrated line of silver light shot forward, flying directly toward Sai. Sai, who was already lunging through the air, didn’t have any time to dodge. The attack landed perfectly.

The silver line broke through his heavy defense instantly, cutting through the dense Earth magic as if it were butter. Sai’s massive battle axe was cleanly sliced in two, the heavy iron head falling uselessly to the ground.

But L wasn’t done. He disappeared from his original spot, moving like a swift breeze. He appeared directly behind Sai and struck the back of his opponent’s neck with the blunt side of his scabbard.

*BOOOOOOOOOM!* 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

The single impact from the scabbard slammed Sai into the ground with the force of a meteor. Sai immediately fell unconscious, and the earth beneath him cratered as debris flew into the air.

The entire arena fell into pin-drop silence. Everyone stared at the battlefield in pure shock. That couldn’t even be called a battle. It was a completely one-sided massacre.

<The battle has concluded in exactly 28 seconds...>

<And the winner of the match is... L!>

<Ladies and gentlemen, we finally have our two finalists! Since the semi-finals ended so quickly, let’s give the competitors a short rest. In half an hour, the final match of the tournament will begin!>

The holographic screen lit up in the center of the arena, displaying the names of the two remaining fighters.

[Final Match: Alen Vs L]

...

Inside the waiting room, Alen stood calmly, leaning against the wall.

The remaining competitors in the room looked at him with intense, jealous gazes. Alen completely ignored them. He was too busy eating the free snacks provided by the tournament clerks. Since the food for participants was free, he didn’t have to worry about spending money.

’Sigh... The food here is really bad,’

’It has absolutely no flavor...’

Just as he was stuffing a large bite of food into his mouth, a shadow fell over him. He looked up and saw the mysterious guy, L, who had just finished his opponent with a single attack.

Alen stared at him, his mouth still full of food.

The cloaked boy looked at Alen calmly and pointed to the empty spot on the bench beside him.

"Can I sit here?" L asked.

Alen blinked in confusion.

’Why the hell is he asking me? Does he need my permission to sit? It’s not like I own this bench... Whatever.’

"No," Alen said bluntly.

"Oh, thanks," L replied pleasantly, and sat down right next to him anyway.

Alen swallowed his large bite of food, glaring at the boy.

"I said ’no’."

He turned his face away, clearly annoyed.

"What is the meaning of ’no’?" L asked innocently.

Alen looked back at him, bewildered by the incomprehensible question. He opened his mouth to reply but honestly couldn’t find the words.

"Well... ’No’ means ’No’, It means you can’t refuse it. It means you aren’t allowed to do something. It means you have to listen to the other person’s demand."

L looked at him calmly.

"And who are you to order me around?"

Alen blinked.

’Well... he actually has a point. Who am I to stop him from doing what he wants?’

"Hehehe... I’m just joking. Calm down," L laughed softly, seeing Alen’s deeply conflicted expression.

L turned to face him fully.

"It seems the time is drawing near. I’ll see you on the battlefield, Alen. Don’t disappoint me."

Alen smirked confidently.

"You too."

L stood up from the bench and calmly walked away toward his side of the arena.

Alen watched the boy’s retreating figure for a moment, analyzing his relaxed posture. Shaking his head, Alen turned back to the bench to finish his meal.

But to his absolute shock, the massive pile of snacks on his plate had completely vanished.

"Damn! That motherf*cking bastard!"