The match proceeded to the last individual match of the day, the Mage section.
*
Mage Section Match 4
Selena, level 46 Elementalist (human) Vs Rudeflower, level 46 Warlock (elf)
*
The two women stood inside the arena, waiting for Pallas' cue, which he gave soon, "Begin!"
Rudeflower cast Mana Bullet and Energy Bolts, just as how all the matches of Mage section had started with since match two. Selena, on the other hand, didn't follow the norm. She readied her Magic Shield and received the range spells. Only after she had blocked all the attacks that she cast her Mana Bullet and Energy Bolts. She started forming spell formation after those basic spells.
"Shit!" Rudeflower cursed as those basic spells came at her. She could choose to start casting and just tank these basic spells, but that was a chance her concentration might slip, so she blocked using Magic Shield. By the time she was done blocking, Selena was already halfway with her spell casting.
The spell took effect. The area around Rudeflower lighted up. It was the Ice Field spell. Ice Field covered a five-meter radius area. A slow-moving Warlock didn't have movement speed fast enough to escape such a large area. She received cold damage and worse, she was frozen.
Selena cast Fire Enhancement on herself. All her attacks now carried additional fire damage. She shot her normal range attacks that were boosted by fire element at the frozen Rudeflower.
When the short duration of Frozen ended, Selena started casting her next spell, Flame Turbulence. Rudeflower might have come out from the Frozen status, but she was still slowed.
Flame Turbulence covered a lesser area of three-meter radius, but since Rudeflower was slowed, she had no hope of escaping the area.
After getting a slow status, Rudeflower was resigned to not being able to escape the spell's radius, so she started casting her spell instead. She only managed to finish half of her spell formation when the Flame Turbulence erupted around her.
She focused her mind to endure the pain and the heat as she maintain her casting, trying her best so her spell formation didn't break. Due to that, her casting became even slower than normal. The spell finally took effect and she was protected by Barrier.
She then started casting her big spell, Hell Gate. Once her hellhounds came out, she could reverse this loss.
However, Selena's Fireball came. Between the Fireball and Flame Turbulence that was both boosted by Fire Enhancement, the damage was enough to gobble up the barrier. Selena added by sending normal range attacks again.
Before Rudeflower could complete even one-third of Hell Gate's spell formation, her HP had been depleted.
Selena had won the Mage section match again.
Rudeflower was full of regret after she was revived. She had lost simply because of a wrong first move. But a loss was a loss, she congratulated Selena for the win. Selena returned the courtesy and said that she was lucky.
The crowd cheers on the display of sportswomanship between the two.
*
They had a twenty-minute break as usual before the team match. Jack and Paytowin again mingled down there while enjoying refreshments. While they were enjoying, Jack found Grace to be nearby, also enjoying refreshments. Their eyes met.
"You will be fighting next," Grace said to him.
"I am," Jack answered. In his mind, he was wondering why Grace was suddenly friendly? Wasn't she still consider him a lecher? He at first thought that she would be scolding him again when their eyes met just now.
"I wish you luck," Grace said next.
"… Thanks."
"Do you have a plan on how to deal with them?"
Jack shrugged, "Beat them till they were all down?"
Grace laughed. Jack thought her laugh was very sweet. "You better be careful with the Bard, though. The one that can turn invisible. You never know when they will strike with that skill."
"Don't worry, I have an ability that can detect people even if they are invisible."
"Really?"
"Yes. It is a martial technique called mana sense."
Jack then explained to her about the mana sense. How that martial technique allowed one to detect attacks. In this world with dense mana, the ability was further enhanced, giving people superhuman's senses.
They continued to chat about other things. When Grace started talking with Jack, Paytowin had intentionally moved away slowly, leaving the two to chat.
"By the way, I just realize. Where is your boy band?" Jack asked Grace during their conversation.
"What boy band?"
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"That group of boys that keeps on following you around."
"Oh, them. I asked them nicely to stay. I want to enjoy these snacks by myself." She did not. She threatened them to not follow her, or else she would do to them what she had done to the last one that insisted on following her. They were currently at the spectators' seats staring dagger at Jack who was talking to their Goddess.
There was another pair of eyes staring at the two. Red Death didn't come down to the refreshment table. She stayed in her seat.
"Good. You shouldn't let yourself be shackled by those people. You should enjoy this world more freely," Jack said to Grace.
Grace nodded, she then asked, "Do you mind if I add you to my friend list?"
"Oh? I certainly won't mind. Who wouldn't want such a beautiful girl as a friend?" Jack said as he worked with his friend interface, not noticing Grace's face that turned slightly red.
After the two added each other to their Friend list, Jack bid Grace farewell. "My match is coming up. I will prepare first."
"Good luck," Grace said and lifted her fist at Jack.
Jack almost bumped his fist on hers out of instinct. The three of them with Paytowin used to do this fist bump gesture in the past before battle. He stopped himself and looked at Grace questioningly.
Grace said, "I used to do this with my friends to wish them luck. Since we are friends now…"
"Oh, okay. Thanks! Now, I will surely win after receiving a pretty girl's blessing," Jack said and bumped his fist on hers.
When he walked away, he again didn't notice Grace's cheeks that were getting redder. Paytowin, who observed from afar, could only shake his head.
Jack, who was walking away, had seen Jet nearby enjoying the snacks as well. He approached the old martial artist.
"You seem rather relaxed," Jack said.
"I can say the same about you," Jet talked back.
The two stared at one another for the longest time before Jet said, "Let's have a good fight, eh, lad? Whoever wins or loses, I hope there is no hard feeling."
Jet remained smiling as he went to take other snacks. Jack watched him for a while before turning in another direction. Jack saw Princess Purple was also down there, enjoying refreshments. He went to her.
"Hey," Jack called.
Princess Purple turned with a frown, who dared to call her with such a manner? Her frown turned deeper when she saw it was Jack. "What do you want?" She asked curtly.
"I think that we can't underestimate the dwarf team. Let's go discuss our coming match with the others," Jack said.
"Not interested," Princess Purple replied swiftly and took a plate of cake from the table. She then started eating while acting as if Jack was not there.
Jack was helpless with the girl. Since she was unwilling, Jack could only try another. He turned and saw Red Death and Yellow Death at the spectators' seats. They were not interested in the refreshments. Jack went over there.
"I think we need to talk about our next match," Jack said when he arrived before the two.
"What for?" Yellow death asked, curtly as well.
"I think the dwarf team is not simple. We need to talk about how to deal with them."
"Easy, you just go in and kill everyone, just like what you did the last match," Red Death said.
Jack felt some annoyance in Red Death's tone. Was it just his imagination?
"Well, I plan that, but I don't think it will be that simple."
"Why not? Do you think any of those five dwarfs can beat you?" Red Death asked.
"Um… No?"
"Then there's nothing to worry about, right?"
Was she angry about something? Jack thought.
"If there's nothing else, move aside! You are blocking the view," Yellow Death uttered.
"What view? There is no match!" Jack talked back.
"I like to see the sky, and you are blocking it!" Yellow Death scolded.
"Fine, whatever!" Jack uttered and walked away. It's impossible to talk with these people, he thought. Whatever, it would be just like Red Death said then. He would simply charge into the opposite force and killed everyone. Uncle Jet might be a problem. He studied martial arts under the same master who taught his grandfather. He was not as strong as his grandfather, but he is also not your average martial artist. But still, in this world, with Jack's current equipment, stats, and skill sets, he didn't think he would have trouble dealing with that old dude.
The twenty minutes passed by very fast.
"Match four of the tournament will begin.. Human team and dwarf team, come down to the arena!" Pallas called.