The third day of the qualifiers had begun, and the participants had already gathered for the second round. Enrico would be the third to fight that day, which meant he would enter the arena among the first competitors, just as he had the previous day.
'He's taking too long.'
The fights in the other arenas had already begun, while his own was still waiting to start.
[He almost seems like a protagonist.]
'If that's the case, then this is going to be a pain.'
If Nicholas was using some resource from his original world to increase his own power, the difficulty of that battle might have risen from a known level to something completely unpredictable. Enrico didn't know exactly what to expect, but he was prepared to deal with the situation.
The referee, positioned outside the arena, raised his hand to announce what would happen if Nicholas failed to appear within the established time limit.
"If participant Nicholas does not arrive within three minutes, the match will be terminated, and participant Enrico will be declared the winner."
[I hope he doesn't show up. That way, we can finish this quickly.]
'You're such a coward, System.'
The System seemed apprehensive, probably because she had already witnessed similar situations in other stories. Enrico, however, thought differently. In fact, he was quite excited by the possibility of facing an opponent who could surprise him.
'Maybe he's the protagonist of his own world, but that doesn't matter to me in the slightest. If I can defeat him, it means my power level is good and that I'm on the right path.'
[You're crazy.]
'Come on. Don't you want to prove that you're a better System than his?'
[You're right! I'm better.]
In reality, Nicholas's System was probably superior to Enrico's. After all, Enrico's System didn't offer him any major advantages beyond pacts and rewards from constellations, which also had limitations and couldn't help him directly in that situation. Even so, Enrico had said that on purpose, simply to calm his companion down.
With only a few seconds remaining before the time limit expired, he began stretching while keeping his eyes fixed on the entrance to the arena.
The referee let out a disappointed sigh.
"The three minutes are over..."
"Wait! I apologize for the delay!"
Nicholas's voice interrupted the referee's announcement.
"You're late, boy. Get into the arena already!"
Considering the delay, some of the audience were probably already complaining, while other spectators had turned their attention to the other ongoing fights. Even so, Nicholas had finally arrived, preventing Enrico from securing a victory without having to fight.
As soon as the two stepped into the arena, the surrounding scenery changed. Instead of the usual platform, they found themselves in a forest surrounded by a mountain. Both stood on a flat area at the top of the rocky formation, with enough space to move around during the fight.
"If you're ready, you may begin!"
Nicholas wasted no time. As soon as he heard the signal, he placed his hands against the ground and unleashed his earth magic.
Several sharp stakes emerged from the mountain's surface and rushed toward Enrico, attempting to pierce him from multiple angles. The attacks were considerably fast, but Enrico activated his Fire Steps and began moving around the area, dodging the stakes with quick and precise movements.
Within moments, the attacks passed through nothing but the afterimages left by his movements, failing to hit his body.
'What kind of technique did he use?'
Even though he hadn't been hit, Enrico realized that this magic was far superior to conventional earth techniques. In his previous fight against Sakura, Nicholas had demonstrated considerably simpler abilities. Now, his magic seemed to have undergone a significant improvement.
This was absurd. As far as Enrico knew, Nicholas hadn't significantly increased his mana quantity. What had changed was the very quality of his earth affinity magic.
'Could he teach me?'
[I doubt it. People like him usually prefer not to reveal their secret techniques.]
Although Nicholas seemed quite innocent, that didn't mean he was naive in every respect. Enrico needed to consider the possibility that he was hiding far more than he had shown so far.
Taking advantage of an opening, Enrico accelerated his movements and appeared behind his opponent. Before Nicholas could turn around, he received a kick that sent him crashing into the very earth stakes he had created.
Without giving him time to recover, Enrico extended his hand and prepared his next attack.
"Triple Fire Arrow!"
Three flaming arrows shot out in different directions, striking the ground around Nicholas and forming a closed triangle of fire. His opponent immediately realized the danger, but Enrico was already preparing the next stage.
Raising his hand, Enrico began concentrating mana at one of the triangle's points. The energy accumulated rapidly, connecting to the flames that outlined the area.
"Explosive Triangle!"
'This is dangerous!'
Nicholas realized he wouldn't be able to escape in time. Therefore, he gathered all the mana he could control at that moment and created a layer of hardened earth around his own body, reinforcing his defense to the maximum.
The explosion shook the area and engulfed Nicholas in a thick cloud of smoke. The impact was powerful enough to completely obscure the area where he stood.
Enrico didn't want to waste that opportunity. Before the smoke even began to dissipate, he pointed his hand toward the area and launched another attack.
"Flaming Shot!"
The fire arrow pierced through the cloud at tremendous speed.
"Gah!"
Nicholas's cry echoed through the arena as the attack struck the right side of his abdomen. The force of the impact dispersed the smoke, revealing his injured body and the layer of earth that had been partially destroyed by the previous explosion.
The wound was considerable. Although the attack hadn't struck an area that appeared immediately fatal, the depth of the injury required caution. Nicholas needed to end the situation quickly; otherwise, he risked losing the ability to continue fighting.
Even so, he didn't give up.
"Enhanced Earth Sword!"
A sword appeared in his hand, but its appearance was quite different from the one he had used against Sakura. The blade had a more refined shape, and a constant layer of magical energy enveloped its surface.
Enrico observed the weapon carefully, realizing that the enhancement wasn't limited to its appearance.
'It seems he's completely abandoned that fighting style with his fists... or perhaps it's only a temporary abandonment.'
Nicholas thrust his sword forward and performed a thrust through the air.
"Mana Thrust!"
A wave of brown energy emerged from the blade and shot toward Enrico at an impressive speed for someone at Circle Two.
An ordinary mage of that level would have difficulty keeping up with the attack, but Enrico possessed a body far beyond what was expected for his rank. Even so, instead of trying to dodge sideways, he decided to take advantage of the space above him.
He stomped hard on the ground and leaped over the wave of mana, narrowly escaping the attack. The movement surprised Nicholas, who hadn't expected Enrico to overcome that speed so easily.
While still in the air, Enrico activated Charged Impulse and descended with his foot engulfed in flames, directing a powerful kick at his opponent.
The blow struck Nicholas and knocked him to the ground, aggravating his injuries.
'What is this feeling?'
Lying on the rocky surface, Nicholas felt something growing inside his chest. It wasn't just the pain caused by the attacks, but a much deeper feeling that was difficult to accept.
'I, who was considered the strongest in my world, am losing?'
Before he could process that thought, Enrico appeared beside him and landed a punch that sent him flying away.
Nicholas barely had time to react. Enrico used Charged Impulse again, catching up to him before he could fall and landing another kick. The impact altered his trajectory, but Enrico approached him again and repeated the movement.
The sequence continued for four more attacks. Every time Nicholas tried to regain his balance, Enrico appeared in front of him and struck him again, preventing him from finding an opportunity to counterattack.
It was as if Nicholas were nothing more than a rag doll, incapable of resisting his opponent's speed and strength.
'This can't be happening!'
As he was sent flying through the air once more, Nicholas finally managed to react. Gathering his mana, he created a wall of hardened earth in his trajectory and slammed into it, using the structure to halt his own movement.
The wall cracked under the impact, but it fulfilled its purpose. Nicholas managed to stop before Enrico could reach him again. However, the advantage didn't last long.
Enrico appeared above him and descended with a kick aimed at his head. The blow struck Nicholas with enough force to send him crashing into the ground, burying part of his body in the rocky surface. Beneath the ground, he bit his lips hard.
'I can't allow this!'
Enrico engulfed his fists in flames and began unleashing a barrage of punches against his opponent's body. The blows struck Nicholas repeatedly, preventing him from getting up and forcing him to endure the continuous pressure.
Suddenly, the air around Nicholas changed.
An intense energy began spreading across the ground, and several rocks rose around his body. The stones moved rapidly, forming a barrier that blocked Enrico's attacks. At the same time, some of them advanced toward the young man, attempting to force him to retreat.
Enrico sensed the danger and immediately moved away, avoiding being hit by the rocks.
Observing the scene, he noticed that Nicholas seemed to be protected by the earth itself. The stones moved in response to his movements, as if reacting directly to his will.
[I knew he'd pull something out of his ass.]
'I don't think it's quite like that. He seems to be aware of this power.'
When Nicholas finally stood up, Enrico noticed that his eyes had acquired a dark brown glow. The energy around him continued to intensify, and something in his opponent's expression had changed.
Every fiber of Enrico's body told him to be careful.
'This is interesting.'
With his heart racing in anticipation, Enrico assumed his characteristic combat stance. The Circular Breathing Technique was already active, allowing him to take advantage of this confrontation as another opportunity to train and improve his abilities.
Nicholas raised one hand.
"Dragon Rocks!"
The stones floating around him began to change shape, stretching and connecting until they took on the appearance of Chinese dragons made entirely of rock. The magical creatures moved through the air, surrounding Nicholas and forming a defense around him.
With a simple movement of his hand, he ordered half the dragons to advance toward Enrico, while the other half remained by his side, ready to protect him from any counterattack.
Enrico watched the dragons approach, keeping his breathing controlled and his eyes fixed on the creatures' movements.