Alexa had already engulfed the entire battle ring in flames. It felt as if everything inside would be consumed by her fire.

The temperature around the ring began to rise rapidly. Alexa didn't want to give her opponent any chance to react.

But it wasn't that easy. David had already grasped the situation and vanished from his previous spot. Using his movement technique, he darted closer to Alexa.

The sudden wall of fire had snapped him into full seriousness. He knew that unless he went all out, he wouldn't stand a chance of reaching Alexa.

David possessed a clear advantage in terms of power level, but that didn't mean he could defeat her or approach her with ease. He lacked any fire-resistance skills, and he could feel the biting heat pressing in.

Worse, Alexa could amp up her flames the moment she sensed danger, making things even harder for David.

In response, he activated another technique called Dragon Heart. Immediately, a powerful energy surged around him.

Were it not for the chaos Alexa had unleashed, people would have noticed the change in David's aura. His overall power doubled.

"It's time to finish this."

In the very next instant, David used his movement technique again to close in on Alexa. His speed was so great that Alexa didn't realize how close he'd gotten.

"Clang!"

A sharp metallic sound rang out inside the battle ring as David's sword struck Alexa's armor.

He didn't relent, swinging his sword at her relentlessly. In less than a second, he'd swung nearly fifteen times.

Suddenly, Alexa felt sharp pain in her stomach, and the force of the blows sent her flying backward.

She hadn't seen David coming. Before she could gather her wits, he was upon her again, attacking.

Luckily, Alexa had prepared for just this. Even if she couldn't match David's speed, she could at least anticipate another close-range assault.

Another loud clash exploded in front of her. It didn't stop there; more collisions followed in rapid succession.

David's sword hammered at the barrier Alexa had conjured. He was doing everything he could to break through and defeat her.

But it wouldn't be easy. Realizing the danger, David suddenly leapt backwards.

Alexa's barrier was special—it had a repulsive force. Not only did it absorb any attack, it rebounded the damage right back at the attacker.

A powerful shockwave rippled outward. Fortunately, David had already created some distance and didn't suffer the backlash directly.

Alexa, meanwhile, deactivated her barrier and immediately began hurling fireballs at David.

She looked like a living flamethrower, firing off shot after shot. The fireballs themselves weren't huge—about the size of tennis balls—but they were packed with elemental fire.

She fired without stopping, but the power behind each was nothing to underestimate.

If David was even a bit careless and took a direct hit, it could prove dangerous. For that very reason, he was intent on dodging every one.

As soon as he saw the balls of fire streaking towards him, David narrowed his eyes, sensing their threat.

In the blink of an eye, he began slicing at the incoming fireballs with his sword. Sometimes he even used his blade like a bat, swatting the fireballs away.

Alexa didn't stand still. She kept moving, shooting continuously at David while pushing forward. Unlike typical spellcasters, she didn't shy away from close combat.

Though close quarters were her weakness, she refused to back down. More than that, she wanted to close the gap to unleash even greater power.

David noticed Alexa closing in—a dangerous development. At once, he triggered his movement technique again.

He appeared behind Alexa and attacked suddenly, leaving her no room to respond.

"Boom!"

With David's doubled speed, Alexa was nearly helpless. Before she could react or even sense the threat, he struck again.

She was knocked back, pain flaring in her body. If not for her armor, she might have been gravely injured.

Luckily, Alexa managed to stabilize herself before David could press his attack again. Suddenly, she was shrouded in fire, the flames spreading outward.

In the next moment, more fireballs exploded toward David. Everything happened so quickly that he couldn't react in time.

"Boom!"

Fifteen fireballs struck him simultaneously in a fierce blast.

"Cough… Cough…"

He barely managed to retreat in time, in poor shape and coughing hard.

Fortunately, his powerful armor absorbed most of the explosion's impact. Only about ten percent of the force reached his body.

Even that was enough to send pain throbbing through his chest.

*******

"She's a real warrior. My children should look up to her,"

someone in the audience said.

"You're right. Even I feel inspired by her determination,"

another replied.

"Who would have expected to see someone like her among the juniors? Our future looks bright—we'll have many strong pillars to guard humanity from monsters and supernatural threats."

Back in the ring, Alexa and David were still locked in combat. Compared to an hour earlier, both were battered and worn.

Alexa was in worse shape than David, clearly exhausted. It was sheer willpower keeping her upright.

Anyone could see she was faltering, her spiritual energy running low. How much longer could she last?

All around, the crowd buzzed, inspired by her perseverance.

Alexa herself had no idea that she'd become even more popular, a role model countless children would want to follow.

'Damn it!'

Alexa urgently tried to put some distance between herself and David—only to realize her body wouldn't move. It was as though she'd suddenly been rooted in place.

She struggled desperately, but her legs felt stiff as stone. Thankfully, she managed to conjure a barrier around herself.

It was a dire situation, and if she hadn't reacted in time, she would've already been eliminated from the semifinals.

As expected, another violent clash erupted in the ring the next second when David's sword smashed against her barrier.

This time, cracks appeared in the barrier—she was too exhausted to maintain it much longer. Even just keeping it up was a struggle.