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“An underground labyrinth? What an inefficient choice of terrain.”

Moore surveyed the intricate, shadowy passages around him with a deep frown, clearly displeased.

“Just finding each other is going to take quite some time.”

While defeating the enemy was a matter of moments, spending ten or a hundred times that duration to find the opponents seemed incredibly foolish to him.

The opposing team was surprisingly lucky. Although not officially disclosed, it was no secret among participants that the underground labyrinth had the lowest probability of occurrence.

“It doesn’t matter. Even if they manage to prolong the match, they won’t be able to change the inevitable outcome of their defeat.”

With a graceful waved of her sleeve, Princess Estelle cleared the path of obstructive vines with an unseen force before elegantly gliding above the mud without letting a single speck of mud stain the soles of her shoes.

“I’ll go ahead.”
“Do you require my company?” Moore asked with a frown.
“No need. It’s better for us to split up to save time.”

Princess Estelle glided away, confidently choosing the deepest and most unpredictable narrow path. She left only a faint echo drifting along the breeze that seemed to come from nowhere.

“Heh, Princess Estelle truly lives up to her reputation. Even Lord Moore, the pride of our generation, seems to have trouble melting this piece of ice.” Mint snickered quietly.

Whoosh!

A dried leaf from one of the peculiar vines, transformed into a sharp blade and shot past in front of Mint’s eyes, snipping a few strands of his hair as it sliced through the air.

Mint stood frozen and could only gulp to suppress his shock.

Moore silently retracted his fingers, as if nothing had happened.

Calvin patted Mint’s shoulder and teased, “One of these days, that mouth of yours will be the death of you.”

Mint recovered his senses and shot him a glare.

“Mind your own business!” he retorted angrily.

“Hey, I was just concerned for you. As a comrade, I might feel a bit sad if you were to meet a sudden and violent demise.”

“You should worry about yourself first.” Mint sneered before continuing, “If Lord Moore doesn’t stand a chance, you stand even less of a chance!”

A brief silence ensued…

“Mint! I challenge you to a duel!” Calvin declared, his eyes ablaze as he drew his knight’s sword with determination.

“A duel it is! I’m not afraid of you!” Mint showed no weakness either.

“ENOUGH!”

Moore finally erupted and angrily interrupted the two, “If you want to settle the score then do it privately! The audience is watching us right now, do you want to embarrass Her Highness?”

“He was the one who started it…” Mint muttered in a low voice, but the rest of his words got stuck in his throat and he could not utter a single syllable.

Moore stared at him coldly with another dried leaf between his fingers.

Mint broke out in an instant cold sweat, silently waving his hand in a plea for mercy.

“Hmph.” Moore crushed the dried leaf in his hand, then turned to glance at the girl in the corner.

The inconspicuous dark-colored robe she wore made her face seem paler and more unhealthy than it actually was. She crouched in a corner, fixated on the ground since entering the underground labyrinth.

“Myre, did you find anything?” Moore’s tone softened considerably when addressing the girl.

“Underground. There’s something.”

“Underground?” Moore lowered his head and swiftly expanded his divine sense, an ability exclusive to a saint-level expert, into the depths below. Yet, his perception revealed nothing.

Myre shook her head and said, “You won’t be able to see it with divine sense. Need a more advanced means of detection.”
“So, what is it?”
“I don’t know. She’s slumbering. I heard her breathing. She’s about to awaken.”
“Is that another one of your premonitions?”
“Mhm.”

Moore felt an impending headache. The young girl in front of him often uttered strange things which she referred to as “premonitions” since she was little.

They always turned out to be true in the near future. The only challenge was that these premonitions were vague and surreal, impossible to verify until they materialized.

“Forget it. Let’s focus on the match.” Moore dismissed the distractions and said, “Myre, can you find out where the opponents are?”

Myre stood up and silently pointed in a direction.
Moore asked in surprise, “Is that another premonition?”
Myre shook her head. “No, I smell fish soup.”
Moore was rendered speechless.

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

The two winding narrow paths, after navigating unknown distances of darkness, surprisingly converged in the same location.

In the underground space resembling a perfectly symmetrical cooked egg, a massive ore rested at the heart, emitting an eerie green glow.

An arch bridge spanned both sides of the underground space, connecting the two winding paths.

On each side of the bridge stood two stunningly beautiful young girls who bore some resemblance to each other, their eyes locked in an intense glare.

“Yo, long time no see, my dear big sister.”
“Indeed, it’s been a while, my naughty little sister.”
“It’s such a pleasure to see you.”
“Likewise, this is an unexpected pleasure. I didn’t expect to encounter you so early.”
“This must be fate.”
“Indeed.”

The echoing sound of water filled their ears.

It was as if the water from the entire underground labyrinth had congregated here, forming a galactic waterfall under the arch bridge and creating a deep underground lake beneath it.

A more resounding noise than the rushing water occurred when both girls simultaneously turned into a blur before colliding violently in the middle of the arch bridge.

An invisible shockwave rippled out. The arch bridge was reduced to rubble in an instant, falling into the underground lake without making any big splashes.

The two sisters opted for an approach that was sinister, violent, and direct, forgoing any fancy footwork or elaborate strikes in their fight.

“You’ve grown stronger,” Luna remarked with a smile.

“You’re the one who’s truly remarkable,” Princess Estelle responded, studying Luna’s excited face up close. “In such a brief period, your strength has improved considerably,” she continued.

“There’s more to come later~” Luna chuckled delicately, her melodious laughter echoing ominously in Princess Estelle’s ears.

Luna’s strength far exceeded Estelle’s expectations. Her attacks were lethal, leaving no room for error. After a few exchanges, Estelle found herself at a disadvantage.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A deep sound like a drum beat echoed continuously in the underground space. Each resonance threatened to halt the waterfall, as the two figures repeatedly clashed against each other. Yet upon closer scrutiny, one figure persistently pursued the other, initiating attacks.

“What’s the matter, my dear big sister? Is this the extent of your capabilities?”

Princess Estelle remained silent as her entire focus was dedicated to fending off Luna’s onslaught.

Luna’s attacks resembled relentless tidal waves, each mightier than the last. After a few rounds, Estelle felt strained.

“I’d be sorely disappointed if this is all you’ve got.”

Luna accelerated abruptly, deftly avoiding Estelle’s defensive maneuvers to go on the offensive. She effortlessly spread open Estelle’s arms then lunged at her, throwing herself into her arms as if they were lovers.

Princess Estelle sensed trouble, but it was too late. Luna wrapped an arm around Estelle’s slender waist and rested her head on Estelle’s shoulder.

“Show me your true color, my dear big sister. If this is really all you’ve got, I’ll despise myself,” she whispered into her ear.

Princess Estelle felt a sharp pain in her abdomen as Luna’s fist struck her belly.

“How did I… actually lose to someone as weak as you in the past…”

BOOM!