As the teams prepared for their first match, Li took a moment to approach Drakar. Though he had stepped in at the st moment, she was grateful for his presence. He stood apart from the others, adjusting the straps of his armor with a quiet focus. Li hesitated for a brief sed before stepping closer. "Thanks for stepping in back there," she said, a grateful smile. Drakar barely g her, his golden eyes cool and unreadable. "o thank me. I'm not here fratitude." His voice was calm, almost indifferent, but there was a hint of resolve behind his words, a weight that suggested his involvement had deeper reasons.
Li studied him for a moment before nodding. She sensed he wasn’t one for unnecessary words. "Still, it means a lot. Let's win this." Drakar didn’t respht away. Instead, he finished adjusting his armor befiving her a small nod, aowledging her words in his own way. Then, without another word, he turned his attention to the warm-ups, stretg his wings slightly before folding them ly behind him again. The air around the training ground buzzed with energy as both teams fiheir preparations. The spectators—other adventurers from the guild—gathered along the edges of the field, eager to watch the matches unfold. Some murmured excitedly, pg bets on who they thought would win, while others whispered about the tensioween Raedon and Drakar.
Raedon stepped forward, his anding voice cutting through the chatter. "Alright, first match! Qyra, you're up." From the Rising Heroes, Li turo Seraphine, meeting her friend’s eyes with encement. "Sera, it's your turn. You've got this." Sera hough the nervousness in her expression was evident. She wasn’t the most fident fighter, and going up against Ptinum Edge felt intimidating. Still, she took a deep breath and walked to the ter of the field.
Across from her, Qyra moved with effortless grace, her steps light and measured. She carried herself with quiet fidence, her soft silver hair flowily behind her. Her expression was calm, almost soothing, and whe Sera’s gaze, she offered a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. Let's have a good match." Sera fidgeted, grippiaff tightly. "Y-yeah. I'll do my best." With both mages in position, Li and Raedon yelled "Begin!"
---
The opening moments were cautious. Sera and Qyra both started at a distance, sending out probing attacks to test each other’s defenses. Sera jured fiery blossoms that floated forward, curling like miniature explosions as they drifted toward Qyra. In response, Qyra summoned beams of radiant light, dissolving the fiery structs effortlessly. She didn’t terattack aggressively, instead waiting to see how Sera would react.
her seemed willing to go all out just yet. It was a game of patience, of reading the oppo’s rhythm before making a decisive move. "Are you okay?" Sera asked hesitantly, sending another wave of fire entwined with vioward her oppo. Qyra easily deflected the attack with a shimmering barrier of light. "I'm fine. What about you?" "I'm fioo!" Sera replied quickly, though her voice wavered slightly.
The duel almost resembled a dance. Each spell was met with a precise ter, eaent careful and deliberate. Sera was determio hold her own, but as the match progressed, the differences between their skill levels became apparent. Qyra's movements remained fluid, while Sera's started to falter. Her spells, oeady, grew slower, less trolled. Her breath came in quicker bursts, and a sheen of sweat formed on her brow.
Qyra noticed immediately. She had been Sera closely, reading her posture and energy. The hesitation in her movements, the slight dey in her spellcasting—it was clear that Sera was beginning to wear down. A flicker of hesitation crossed Qyra’s features, but only for a moment. She knew what she had to do. Raisiaff, she unleashed a burst of blinding light that engulfed the field. Sera instinctively raised an arm to shield her eyes, momentarily disoriehat was all the opening Qyra needed. With surprising speed, Qyra closed the distaween them. She moved elegantly, wasting no movement as she flicked her staff fently knog Sera’s on aside.
---
The match was over.
For a moment, there was silehen, realizing her defeat, Sera dropped to her knees, her shoulders trembling slightly. "I… I lost," she murmured, more to herself than anyone else. Qyra wasted no time in approag her, extending a hand. "Are you alright?" Her voice was filled with genuine , free of mockery ance. Sera hesitated, staring at the offered hand. Then, slowly, she reached out and accepted it, allowing Qyra to help her back to her feet. "I'm… I'm fine. I'm sorry, everyone. I couldn't do it." Li stepped forward without hesitation, pg a reassuring hand on Sera’s shoulder. "You did great. Don't be so hard on yourself." Adrian and Doran also moved closer, nodding in agreement. "Seriously, you held your own out there," Adrian said, a smile. "That’s more than most could say against a Ptinum Edge mage." Qyra, still standing beside Sera, nodded. "You fought well. You have potential—don’t doubt yourself." Despite her disappoi, Sera managed a small, appreciative smile. She still felt the sting of defeat, but the support from her team softehe blow.
Meanwhile, from the sidelines, Raedon smirked. "One down," he remarked, his voice carrying over the field. "Let’s see if the rest of you do better." Li ched her fists. She refused to let that smug arrogance go unanswered. Their team had suffered an early loss, but the fight wasn’t over yet. She turo her team, fire burning in her eyes. "Get ready for the round. We're not losing this."
Drakar watched silently from the edge, his golden eyes glinting with quiet ption. Though he hadn’t fought yet, he was already analyzing the battle ahead. He could feel the tension in the air, the determination from both sides. Whatever happened , ohing was clear—the real battle had only just begun. The Rising Heroes gathered, preparing their fighter. Despite the setback, their resolve remained unshaken. The match would decide everything. And they weren’t about to back down.
