"That's enough! The participants who passed, please step aside and exit the Arena." Witnessing the end of the preliminary round, the Exam Examiner raised his right hand while announcing the winner and further instructions.
Biscuit was sweating as she held her knee; thankfully, she passed. When she looked to the second Arena where Ives was placed, she smiled in relief, seeing him still standing.
The eight contestants who passed didn't know if the next round would be the same or a two-on-two, but what was clear was that now they could rest before the following announcement.
"Good job, Ives." Biscuit patted his back with a smile. "During the fight, I saw you almost get cornered several times, and phew~ I thought you were going to fail." She continued with friendly banter.
"More like being cornered on purpose." Ives chuckled. He was cornered, but it wasn't like he was overwhelmed... well, maybe a little. After all, ten people were in the Arena, so it was normal for something like this to happen. Besides, he was targeted by three people at once before his victory! Luckily, he was a little faster and could read their movements.
"What about you, Biscuit? You look pretty exhausted. Do you think you can make it to the next round?" Ives teased back.
"Eh, just a little sweat. Remember, unlike you, I have trained hard for this exam." She replied with akimbo.
"I know, I know. If I were to face you, I would surrender on the spot." Even though he said that, he didn't want to be matched with her.
The other six participants whispered to each other, and some were silent; they tried to discuss and guess who would go first.
"The first turn has been determined; that person is-" The Examiner announced the first two people to enter the Dueling Arena.
The first participant jumps onto the Arena, while the second participant walks.
"Who do you think will win?" Biscuit nudged Ives' arm.
"The first contestant looks pretty strong." While crossing his arms, Ives looked at the contestant with a world-class bodybuilder physique. While the second contestant is a bit smaller, he might be a martial artist. "Although I'm sure the martial artist has the advantage, sometimes the difference in weight class can determine who will be the winner."
"So, who do you choose?"
"Both have a fifty-fifty chance of winning." That's his answer. He would choose the muscular man if he were still on Earth, but this world was different. If Gon, Killua, Leorio, and several other characters could lift several tons with their skinny bodies, would muscle mass still be a factor?
"I see. I tend to lean towards that muscular guy." Biscuit nodded while giving her opinion.
"Fight!" The Examiner gave the command, followed by a loud gong sound.
"Let's take a good look at them; maybe we can learn something from this fight."
"Unn~"
The fight was more intense than they had expected, and as Ives had said, they both seemed evenly matched. One was full of destructive power, and the other had control and martial arts.
Punch after punch, kick after kick, fierce and bombastic. Even the arena floor cracked every time they clashed their abilities. After thirty minutes of intense fighting, the winner was the first participant with overwhelming strength!
The match was very close, and several times, it seemed that the second contestant would win. Unfortunately, due to negligence, the first contestant delivered a fatal blow that ended the match.
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