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A palpable weight bore down upon the gathered crowd, like a mountain of pressure.

Moore struggled to catch his breath, sensing a profound shift in the young girl’s aura as she emerged from the giant crater. Once harmless, she now exuded the primal aura of an ancient beast, poised to devour anyone who stood in her path.

Her molten gold eyes seemed to drain the strength from anyone who met their gaze.

“I’m… afraid?” Moore whispered as he stared at his feet incredulously. He felt a tremor course through his usually steady limbs.

But alongside the subtle tremor, a wave of doubt crept in—a crack in the veneer of confidence he had meticulously built over a decade.

“Big Brother…” Myre’s gentle tug on Moore’s sleeve brought him back to the present, her worried expression offering a semblance of solace amidst the chaos.

That’s right. Why did I participate in this tournament in the first place? Is it for honor? Money? Or perhaps the allure of women? None of the above. I fight for my sister’s sake, and for my own liberation from the suffocating depths of my family’s struggles. That’s the reason why I reached out to Princess Estelle. I have to ensure her victory, and that means I cannot afford to falter here.

The first round of preliminaries operated on a point system, losing here did not signify the end. Yet, Moore understood that he would inevitably have to face this little monster again later.

If he could not overcome this challenge now, he would encounter the same obstacle in future rounds. It was better to confront it head-on now than risk facing it again with no room for error in the finals!

“Ooh, it seems you’ve made your decision,” Lilith remarked as she flicked her wrists. Her lips curled into a dangerous smile. “Shall I begin then?”

Moore tossed away his staff and tightened his grip on his longsword. With determination burning in his eyes, he replied, “Bring it on…”

Before he could finish speaking, Lilith had already vanished from his sight. By the time she reappeared, she was mere arm’s lengths away.

“What…!”

Moore’s expression twisted into horror as he realized Lilith’s speed had increased exponentially. Had he never truly pushed her to her limits?

With little time to think, Moore instinctively raised the Waybreaker in defense against Lilith’s incoming fist.

The sound of metal bending echoed through the air as the Waybreaker swiftly deformed under the force.

[ Ouch ]　
[ Ouch ]　
[ Ouch ]　
[ Ouch ]　

The anguished cries of Waybreaker’s artifact spirit assaulted Moore’s ears, each one piercing his heart like a dagger.

Waybreaker was a weapon he had meticulously crafted and cherished since childhood. Despite having other options for his companion weapon, he chose Waybreaker out of profound sentiment. To Moore, she was akin to a cherished family member.

Now, seeing Waybreaker on the brink of destruction was akin to watching a loved one suffer.

“Star Collapse!” Moore yelled, his eyes bloodshot.

He unleashed the stars surrounding him, each one erupting in a dazzling display akin to summer fireworks. As they faded, black hole-like distortions emerged in space.

In this crucial moment, Moore had chosen to shatter his remaining imperfect domain.

Lilith frowned at the sight of those ominous black voids that were blooming like flowers, choosing to evade rather than confront them.

Though not impossible to withstand, the prospect of enduring their devouring embrace held little appeal to Lilith. She was never a *********, so pain was the last thing she wanted to feel.

As Lilith stepped back, countless light swords descended from the heavens, raining down upon her like a relentless tempest.

Calvin, gasping for breath, summoned the last reserves of his magic to cast Divine Sanction once more.

Yet, Lilith simply tilted her head, allowing the deluge of light to cascade over her unyielding form. The attack left nothing but faint white traces upon her skin, which quickly faded away as if they had never been there in the first place.

Lilith shot Calvin a disdainful glare. “I hate that bird behind. It reminds me of some wretched b̲i̲t̲c̲h̲.”

Calvin’s lips quivered, but his resolve remained unyielding. “Such blasphemy against the Goddess of Light will invoke divine retribution!”

“Heh, divine retribution? I’m already accustomed to that nonsense,” Lilith retorted, her expression stoic, yet the fiery hue in her eyes betrayed her simmering anger.

“Stepping on my toes repeatedly and with gusto. Admirable or pitiable, I wonder?”

Moore’s mind screamed a warning as Lilith’s slender form began glowing with the luster of jade.

Though gentle and pure, to Moore, it bore the semblance of grotesque bloodlust.

“Run…” Moore’s face was pale as he endured the unprecedented humiliation of uttering that word.

“Run, hurry…”

“Brother!”

“Moore!”

Myre and Calvin’s panicked voices pierced the tense atmosphere, but Moore remained frozen in terror, his limbs refusing to respond.

It was not until Lilith withdrew her fist from Moore’s chest, blood and flesh spilling forth, that he convulsed and collapsed to the ground.

“BROTHER!” Myre mindlessly ran toward Moore.

“MOORE!” Panic laced Calvin’s voice, but fear of the looming threat kept him at bay.

Ignoring the danger, Myre rushed to Moore’s side, frantically attempting to staunch the bleeding of the fist-sized gaping wound in vain.

“Brother, please, no…” Tears streamed down Myre’s cheeks as she pleaded.

“Run… silly girl…” Moore’s voice was weak, his grip on Myre’s shoulders feeble as he urged her to escape.

“I’ll make her pay for this!” Myre’s eyes blazed with determination, her gaze fixed on Lilith. “I’ll avenge Big Brother.”

“No… it’s just… a match… I can’t die here…” Moore’s protest fell on deaf ears as a soft white glow enveloped him.

Myre shook her head and said, “Myre understands why you entered this tournament. I’ve always caused so much trouble for you. Now, it’s my turn to help you, Big Brother.”

“Are you thinking of…” Moore’s face contorted in surprise. He tried reaching out for Myre, but he disappeared into the brilliance of the white light.

Myre stood up and wiped away her tears. “It’s my turn to be your opponent, monster.”

Lilith raised an eyebrow at her, a smirk playing on her lips. “My opponent? You think you’re worthy?”

Among the three people before her, only one intrigued Lilith and it was the guy who had just vanished. The other two were useless punching bags.

Once Moore was incapacitated, Lilith’s interest waned.

“I’m sure you’ll find out soon!”