The moment the start signal was given, the giant boy charged toward the white-haired elf with all his might. Though he had shrunk down to the size of an average human, he still retained the strength and mass of a true giant, causing the ground to tremble with every thunderous step.
The elf boy, however, remained completely still. He was completely unfazed by the giant charging at him, his hands stayed tucked in his pockets, and his face remained calm. His face was almost expressionless, almost like he was bored out of his mind.
As the giant boy closed the distance, he reached over his shoulder and grabbed the massive hammer strapped to his back. And with a loud roar, he swung it at the white-haired elf with all his might.
The hammer came at the elf at full speed, cutting through the air as it moved, but the elf still remained unfazed.
He moved only at the last possible moment, leaning back just enough to let the hammer slice through the air in front of his face. He dodged the hammer effortlessly, as if he were mocking the giant.
In the same breath, the elf pulled one hand out from his pocket and drove a sharp punch straight into the giant's face.
The blow caught the giant off guard, making him stagger a step back. But he recovered quickly, planting his feet on the ground with a heavy thud and absorbing the hit like it was nothing.
With a grunt, the giant twisted his hammer in a full arc, swinging it at the elf again with all his might. This time, as the hammer closed in on the elf, it unleashed a violent gust of wind like a tornado. The wind tore across the arena, so powerful it lifted the elf off the ground and hurled him through the air.
The elf moved with the momentum and twisted his body mid-air into a clean backflip, landing in a crouch at a safe distance from the giant.
Watching this, the giant's eyes narrowed with a stunned expression on his face. "No one has ever gotten out of that attack unscarred. He's good," the giant said with an acknowledging smile. "You're obviously a skilled fighter, and I respect that. You've earned my respect, so I will now tell you my name. I'm Jack Arnold," the giant introduced himself. "What is your name?" he asked.
"I don't have time to chat with you. Let's get this fight over with. I'm already getting bored," the elf boy said with a cold tone and expression.
"Very well then, let's proceed with the match. May the strongest man win," the giant said.
"I intend to," the elf boy said in confidence.
The elf boy slowly raised his right hand from his pocket and extended it toward the giant, his bland expression unchanged and cold as ever.
"Time to end this," he muttered. "Ice Vortex, Ice Shards of Conviction."
He chanted the exact same incantation Drake had used against Jericho earlier. And just like before, a swirling vortex of ice formed in the elf's palm, and from its spinning center, dozens of razor-sharp shards launched toward the giant at high speed, slicing through the air like frozen bullets.
On seeing this, the entire arena fell into stunned silence. Everyone knew that awakened abilities were unique to the individual, so watching this elf cast the exact same spell as Drake left the crowd rattled.
Jericho's eyes narrowed in disbelief. "That's Drake's move..." he whispered. "Does he have the same ability? No, that can't be it. Even if they shared a similar element, that was an exact copy... right down to the name. That must be his ability... he's a Copycat."
Drake, who was standing a few feet away from Jericho and Cody, was already fuming. "That bastard! How the hell is he using my move?!"
Back in the combat zone, the giant held his ground. As the shards closed in, he gripped his hammer tightly and roared, swinging it in a wide arc.
As he swung his hammer, a sudden blast of wind erupted from the swing, knocking the shards off course and blasting them high into the air.
Distracted by the ice shards, the giant left his defense wide open. And like a blur, the elf vanished and reappeared in front of the giant, closing the distance in a single instant.
He drew his fist back and, with a burst of silent, terrifying force, he slammed it into the giant's face. The impact was powerful like a thunderclap.
The punch sent the giant flying backward and crashing hard against the arena floor, erupting a trail of dust as his massive body skidded to a stop. The giant was instantly knocked out by the punch, securing the elf as the winner of the fight.
Without waiting for the announcer to declare him the winner, the white-haired elf turned on his heel and started walking back into the crowd. As he walked back into the crowd, he glanced back at Jack with his cold and expressionless eyes.
"You were strong," he whispered as he walked away.
Moments later, a team of healers rushed onto the field. They quickly surrounded the unconscious giant boy, lifting him onto a stretcher and carrying him away for treatment.
Immediately after the elf returned to the crowd, the announcer's voice finally echoed across the arena once more, wasting no time as he called out the next fighters.
"Will the next fighters please take the stage."
Jericho and Cody watched closely as the next pair of fighters stepped into the combat zone: a giant girl and a dwarf boy.
The giant girl had long, flowing pink hair that shimmered in the sunlight, and eyes to match. She stood at an imposing height of twenty feet, just slightly shorter than Jack had been. In her massive hand, she carried a gleaming golden war axe, its head as wide as a human torso.
Then, just like Jack, immediately after she entered the combat area, she began to shrink. Her towering frame condensed smoothly down to the size of a regular human, though her powerful build remained intact.
The war axe shrank with her, adjusting proportionally as she stepped confidently into the arena.
The dwarf boy, though short in stature, was built like solid stone. He was broad-shouldered and densely muscular, with arms like forged iron.
Despite his height, it was clear that the dwarf was very powerful. He stepped into the combat area with quiet confidence and stood firmly opposite the giant girl.
Both fighters faced each other in silence, waiting for the announcer to give the start signal for the match to begin.
Meanwhile, in the crowd, Cody nudged Jericho with his elbow, a playful grin tugging at his lips.
"So… who do you think is going to win this one?" he asked, his eyes fixed on the fighters.
Jericho folded his arms, considering for a moment. "If I had to guess, I'd say the giant girl. But honestly… I'd rather see how they fight before making that call."
Cody chuckled. "Fair enough. But me? I'm betting on the dwarf." He flashed Jericho a lopsided grin. "Little guys always surprise you."
Without wasting a moment, the announcer's voice echoed through the arena from the floating cube.
"Begin!" he shouted.
The instant the signal was given, the dwarf raised one hand skyward, and in a flash, a dozen gleaming weapons materialized out of thin air above him.
Swords, axes, and spears hovered like deadly ornaments, catching the light as they spun over his head.
Then, without warning, he flung his arm forward, and the weapons launched toward the giant girl in a vicious barrage, whistling through the air like a storm of steel.
As the barrage of weapons approached, the giant girl didn't even flinch. She gripped her golden war axe tightly, spun it in a wide arc, and then slammed it into the ground with a thunderous crash.
Upon impact with the ground, the ground before her split open, and a massive stone wall erupted upward like a living barricade, rising just in time to intercept the flying blades.
After blocking the weapons, she dropped the stone wall back into the earth and charged forward, swinging her massive axe in wide, fluid arcs as if it weighed nothing.
The dwarf reacted instantly, raising both of his hands to the sky and summoning more weapons from thin air. He hurled them at the charging giant, sending sharp blades streaking toward her like arrows in a storm.
The giant girl weaved through the barrage of weapons, dodging what she could and deflecting the rest with the spinning momentum of her axe. All the while, she closed in on the dwarf step by step.
The moment she entered close range, the giant girl swung her axe down with a roar, aiming to crush the dwarf into the arena floor with one swing. The dwarf sidestepped, just narrowly dodging the devastating blow.
But in dodging the hammer, he walked straight into her trap. With perfect timing, the giant girl slammed her foot on the ground, and a stone pillar burst upward from beneath the arena, smashing into the dwarf and launching him into the air like a ragdoll.
Before he could even hit the ground, the giant girl leaped into the air and intercepted him mid-fall. She twisted her body and slammed her axe into his ribs with just enough force not to slice him in half, the impact echoing like thunder as his bones cracked on contact.
The dwarf was sent flying and tumbling violently across the arena until he crashed into the ground with a heavy thud. He groaned in pain, trying to rise, but his body gave out under the weight of his injuries.
The giant girl landed lightly, spinning her axe once before resting it on her shoulder in a victorious pose. The crowd stood frozen for a moment, stunned by the efficiency and power of her assault.
"She ended the fight with one blow," Jericho said, his eyes wide with awe. "That's a seriously impressive feat."
Cody let out a laugh, scratching the back of his head. "Well, looks like I bet on the wrong guy."
Just then, the announcer's voice rang out across the arena, firm and clear. "The match is over."
Immediately, the giant girl was declared the winner. A team of healers and medics rushed in and carefully lifted the dwarf boy onto a stretcher. He groaned faintly as they carried him away, ensuring he received swift healing without halting the flow of the exam.
As the giant girl returned to the crowd, the candidates began whispering amongst themselves.
"She's really strong. I wouldn't want to get in a fight with her," one girl said.
As the giant girl rejoined the crowd of candidates, the sparring tests continued. One by one, other contestants were called up, and gradually, the final stage of the entrance exam came to an end.