The arena was silent, save for the faint crackle of residual magic energy and the distant murmurs of the crowd. Bloodied and battered, Rynhara pressed her palms into the icy, shattered ground, her fingers trembling as she forced herself up. Her katana clinked weakly against the ground beside her, its once-brilliant blade dulled by the relentless assault.
"I refuse to lose," she growled, her voice hoarse but defiant. Her legs wobbled beneath her, her entire body screaming in protest, but still, she stood.
Lyra stared at her, incredulous. "You're really something else, Rynhara. Most people would've stayed down by now.Your tenacity is indeed comendable .But…" A glint of cold determination flashed in her eyes. "I anticipated even this."
Raising her rapier, Lyra called out, "Reset!"
A brilliant light engulfed Lyra, erasing every wound and restoring her mana and aura to their peak. Her once-labored breathing evened out, her bruises faded, and her stamina surged as if she had just stepped into the fight.
The crowd gasped in astonishment, the commentators scrambling to make sense of it.
"Drollas, are my eyes deceiving me?!" Fira exclaimed. "Did Lyra just… reset everything?"
"Not deceiving you, Fira," Drollas replied. "That's Reset, a skill so rare it's practically unheard of! It's a complete reset button for the user! Unbelievable!"
Before Rynhara could even process what had happened, Lyra's rapier was already aimed at her.
"No time for you to recover," Lyra said coldly. "It's over."
With a flick of her wrist, a barrage of ice beams erupted from her rapier, striking Rynhara relentlessly.
The beams hit like freight trains, one after another. Rynhara's body was flung across the arena, bouncing against the ground and crashing into the walls. Each strike drew more blood, her once-imposing figure reduced to a rag doll in Lyra's relentless onslaught. To make matters worse the ice mana that had entered her body was starting to freeze her from the inside slowing her down even more.
"You can't win against me, Rynhara," Lyra declared, her voice ringing with confidence as she chained her special moves together. A cyclone of freezing energy engulfed Rynhara, slamming her into the ground with a deafening boom.
In the stands, the crowd began to chant, "Stand down! Stand down!" Their voices filled the air with cruel laughter and disdain.
Tiamora's eyes burned with fury. Rising to her feet, her voice boomed across the stadium. "SILENCE!" she roared, her aura flaring with a menacing darkness that sent chills through the onlookers. "My daughter will not be disrespected by weaklings who can barely wield a stick!"
The crowd fell silent, cowed by the Dragon Queen's wrath.
Meanwhile, deep beneath the arena, a hooded figure raised their hand as they adjusted their aim. From the shadows, a dark aura arrow shot upward, unnoticed by all but the most astute observers.
The arrow struck Rynhara square in the back, dissipating into a black mist. At first, it seemed like nothing had happened, but then Tiamora's eyes narrowed. She felt it.
"No…" she hissed, her claws digging into the railing. She made to leap into the stadium, but the King of Solaris grabbed her arm.
"Stay your hand, Tiamora," he said firmly. "To interfere now would disgrace her further."
"Disgrace?" Tiamora growled, yanking her arm free. "Do you feel that cursed energy? Someone is using my daughter as a test subject!"
Even as her body betrayed her, her limbs heavy and her breathing ragged, Rynhara stood once more. Blood dripped from her mouth, her movements sluggish, but her eyes burned with defiance.
"Why…" Lyra murmured, lowering her rapier slightly. "Why do you keep standing? You've lost!"
Rynhara spat blood onto the ground, her lips curling into a smirk. "Lost? Nah. I'm just getting warmed up."
The crowd murmured, some even beginning to cheer her resolve.
Tiamora leaned forward, her voice soft but audible. "Rynhara… it's okay to lose. Honor can be regained. Your life cannot."
"No, Mom," Rynhara said through gritted teeth, her voice barely audible. "If I give up here, I've already lost."
Lyra sighed, brushing her silver hair out of her face. "You're something else, Rynhara. But even you can't fight fate." She pointed at Rynhara's legs, which were slowly encased in a creeping frost.
Rynhara's eyes widened.
"That's the aftereffect of my Final Demolition Strike," Lyra explained. "Even if you survive, the residual magic freezes you solid within seven minutes. There's no cure. And the best part is that my ice mans is also freezingyou from the inside. Yo have found yourself in a most hopeless situation. Face the facts Rynhara, you've lost."
Rynhara's limbs felt heavier with each passing moment, the frost climbing toward her waist. But she refused to fall.
Lyra twirled her rapier, the blade glowing with an intense white-blue energy as she crouched low. "Enough of this. Time to end it all."
With a burst of speed, she dashed toward Rynhara, delivering a devious uppercut punch with her free hand. The blow sent Rynhara flying backward, slamming into the arena wall with a sickening crack.
Even the crowd, so bloodthirsty moments ago, fell silent.
But once again, Rynhara pushed herself up, her body trembling but unbroken.
"Stay. Down!" Lyra yelled, her voice tinged with frustration. She charged her rapier with a final surge of energy.
From the viewing booth, Fira's voice trembled. "Ladies and gentlemen, this… this is it. Lyra's charging her true Demolition Strike!"
The chapter ended with Lyra raising her glowing rapier high, the entire stadium bathed in an icy-blue light. All eyes were on the battlefield as she prepared to unleash her ultimate move.