The fourth hour had passed by now and all those in attendance had well and truly begun to get into the tournament. This was doubly true for Rudy who was at the edge of his seat, ready to jump down onto the platform even before his name was called.

If it wasn't for the fact over a thousand people were in attendance, he might have been even more rowdy.

But he didn't need to wait for much longer.

With the conclusion of the fourth-years first round, it was now time for the first-years again. And since Rudy was the number one seeded first-year, he was up right away.

"First match of round two, Rudy Graves vs Stephanie Harosh, second match—"

Michael blinked in disbelief. Rudy was fighting against Stephanie in his first match?

But when he thought about it, it kind of made sense. The fixtures were as such that it was completely reliant on the seedings.

Before her previous fight against Jennifer, Stephanie was not rated very high. The fact that she had only just showcased her true prowess was likely because she had held back during class for this very moment.

Just a casual glance at her confident figure was enough to realize this was the case.

But as Michael's gaze moved to Rudy beside him and saw the expression on his friend's face, he realized he didn't have to worry. He chuckled softly and smiled, "Go get her tiger."

"I'll be back soon." He said with a nod, making his way to the stairs nearby.

As he left, Michael saw Melody fidgeting slightly beside him, prompting him to raise an eyebrow. "What, you don't think Rudy will win?" he asked incredulously.

She was silent for a moment before shaking her head, "I think he's definitely strong enough to win—easily at that. I'm just worried he gets caught off guard." She admitted.

"Oh… How interesting."

"What?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Oh nothing," Michael said noncomittally. "I just wonder how Rudy would react if he knew you were worried about him." He said with a crooked grin.

It was well known that the two often butted heads, so to see the girl show care and concern was rather comical. Michael wouldn't miss the opportunity to tease her—not after they'd reconciled.

Instead of the incoming physical violence that he expected, Melody simply poked her tongue out and ignored him, turning towards the platform below.

The students had already gathered and were waiting for Quinn to signal the start of the match. Rudy looked confident, his wiry frame much more built than it had been at the start of the year.

Across from him stood the calm and confident Stephanie, her high ponytail and upright posture almost in direct opposition to her opponent. Even if they hadn't suspected before, it was certainly clear that the girl had been holding back throughout the year.

But was her full strength enough to take down Rudy, the number one seeded first-year?

"Begin!" Quinn shouted, chopping her hand through the air.

"LET'S DO THIS!" Rudy roared out with glee, rushing towards his opponent with reckless abandon. Judging by his speed, he had already saturated his muscles with mana—employing the combat technique to practiced precision.

But Stephanie didn't look panicked. She raised her left hand and muttered an incantation, causing an orange magic circle to appear in front of her.

A bright red fireball manifested from the center of the array before shooting out towards Rudy with blinding speed.

But before it even got close, the guy dodged it with ease, closing the gap between them with frenzied enthusiasm.

It would only take less than a second for the guy to reach her, giving her no time to cast another spell, or even utilize her own combat technique. It seemed as if her defeat was only moments away from materializing.

But just when it seemed like all had been lost, the bright fireball reversed its momentum, shooting back towards Rudy who was bounding towards his target.

"Look out!" Melody screamed, now on her feet.

But there was no time.

The fireball landed squarely between Rudy's shoulders, exploding on impact, borrowing his forward momentum and sending him hurtling along the ground. The sound was sickening, and the sight made Michael's stomach turn with worry.

But Stephanie didn't stop there. Before Rudy had even come to a stop, she surged forward and lifted her right leg high into the air before sending it down with amazing force.

A dull thud echoed within the arena as the ax kick found its target.

The shock was too great for Michael who had just a moment ago expected his friend to put an early end to the fight. Yet as he looked down from his spot in the crowd, he was left shocked and outraged.

"You bitch…" Rudy's annoyed voice called out, his hands securely wrapped around Stephanie's ankle, hovering just above his exposed ribs. Only after the smoke cleared was the result visible to the audience.

The girl didn't respond, instead she began to mutter an incantation—only for Rudy's eyes to widen in shock once again.

An orange magic circle appeared between them once more before another fireball emerged, this time in close range.

"Fuck—"

Another explosion echoed out. Pieces of the dirt and debris shot into the air from the impact, showering upon the translucent shield that encased the platform.

But Rudy was not there anymore.

Instead, a crimson magic circle floated in the air, followed by a wind that began to kick up within the enclosed space. Both Stephanie and Rudy's hair billowed from the spell, yet it did not leave the confines of the shield.

The guy was wearing a terse expression, clearly not happy with how things had progressed so far. The fact that he had used the fleetfoot spell was an indication of how serious he'd become.

Before she could react, Rudy closed the distance in an instant, sending a chopping right hook towards the girl's face mercilessly. The sheer speed and power of the blow seemed even stronger than the ferocious boar they'd faced last semester.

Stephanie's shield flashed into existence, placing itself between her face and the approaching fist. Yet in the next moment it shattered like glass, barely resisting when met with such a force.

The fist and face impacted, forcing the girl's limp body to shoot backwards, rolling along the ground before she came to a stop on the edge of the platform.

Rudy's breathing was labored and the guy was clearly in pain, but his expression morphed slightly as he saw his downed opponent. Instead of celebrating, he bowed slightly towards the girl—giving her the respect she deserved.

"Winner, Rudy Graves." Quinn announced.

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