(The Morning of the Quarter-Finals – Sky God Arena, Warm-Up Room)
The lineup from the previous match remained unchanged heading into the Quarter-Finals, as Yu Shen, Leo, Su Yang, Minerva, and Enzo geared up for battle.
Their opponents today were the Nature Military Academy—ranked 10th overall in last year's Power Rankings.
It was the first time in four years that Nature Academy had clawed their way into the Quarter-Finals of the Interstellar Circuits, and this year, their momentum seemed to be the real deal.
With two Grandmaster-level fighters anchoring their roster, they didn't just look strong.
They looked like genuine threats, and within the Rodova warm-up room, they were given the respect they deserve.
"Minerva opens the fight today. It's our safest play, given her versatility as an archer," Yu Shen began, his voice steady.
"If she loses the first match—Leo goes in next. Handles the cleanup."
"But if she wins, then Su Yang follows up, keeping our momentum strong."
"While I serve as the fail-safe incase all hell breaks loose."
He paused for a moment, glancing at each of them in turn.
"Their Grandmasters are no joke. I don't expect clean victories or easy exchanges. You might not win every bout. You might not even walk away unscathed."
His eyes hardened.
"But if you fall—take something with you. An arm, a leg—anything. Make sure the next guy has an easier job finishing the fight than you did….. understood?" He asked, as Su Yang and Leo nodded back in response.
"Good— although there's no chance in hell that we lose today, we must not fuck this up!" Yu Shen concluded, clapping his hands, as the team pooled in for a huddle.
"Strength above all! Heart beyond strength! Rodova Forever!"
They said together, as Yu Shen patted Minerva on the back, before she made her entrance out to the arena.
—----------
(The Quarter-Finals – Sky-God Arena, Main Stage)
The atmosphere inside the Sky-God Dome was absolutely electric.
Unlike the earlier days of the tournament, where a few empty seats could still be spotted in the nosebleeds, today the arena was filled wall to wall with spectators. Not a single space remained unclaimed, as the Interstellar Circuits had officially entered its most thrilling stage.
From this point forward, every match promised fireworks—and the crowd knew it.
They didn't just cheer—they howled, sang, banged drums, and waved glowing banners with the names of their favorite fighters, turning the arena into a roaring storm of noise and passion.
"First Quarterfinal match of the day, Lee—and it's Rodova taking on Nature!" Derek's voice boomed across the stadium with barely contained excitement.
"It's sure to be a thriller, Derek. A mega clash for sure," Lee replied. "Rodova ain't moving past Nature easy, that's for damn sure."
"The Rodova side is unchanged today. No surprises there. Captain Yu Shen is sticking with the same five—Minerva, Leo, Su Yang, himself, and Enzo as backup," Derek noted.
"But on Nature's side?" Lee interjected, "Big changes. Aside from their Grandmaster Elf duo—Captain Jahong, the Eleven Swordsman, and Orion, the Elemental Mage—they've swapped out Harlan, Sylva, and Paige."
"In come Dru, Maher, and Joni. All three Shield Paladins."
"I think they're going to pull off the Turtle, Derek," Lee said with a knowing tone. "Send one Grandmaster in to open strong, then rely on their tanks to stall and buy recovery time for the rest."
"Ahh, the classic Turtle Strategy," Derek chuckled. "I think it was Rodova Military Academy that invented it 30 years ago in one of the most thrilling wins. But now they're on the receiving end of their own creation.
Nature Academy today is not trying to win every match. But if they can last twenty to thirty minutes per fight and grind down Rodova's stamina, it could be game on as that would be enough time for the Nature Grandmasters to recover….. what a bold strategy call by Captain Jahong."
At that moment, the battlefield shimmered into view as the arena's surface transitioned to the famed classic terrain.
A flat, open field blanketed with just two inches of light beach sand.
To the untrained eye, it looked simple—but every seasoned fighter understood its complexity.
The sand improved footing for powerful strikes and pivots, offering incredible traction. Yet at the same time, it betrayed stealth and finesse—each movement leaving subtle trails that made deception harder. For defensive fighters, it was paradise. For assassins and scouts, it was treacherous.
"It's a fan favorite for a reason," Derek said. "Clean footing. No obstacles. Just raw skill on display. That's all you want at this stage."
Then—
The lights dimmed slightly, as two figures stepped onto the sand-grip field.
Minerva emerged first, clad in sleek archer's gear, her longbow resting against her back as her eyes locked onto the center. There was no smile on her face—only cold focus.
Across from her came Orion, the Elf Elementalist. Draped in layered robes that shimmered with embedded mana veins, he walked calmly, hands loose at his sides, as arcs of elemental power danced faintly around him.
The referee stood between them and raised a hand.
"Fighters ready?" he asked, as both nodded in acknowledgement.
"Then begin!"
—--------
Orion acted first, raising a single hand as a curved [Water Wall] surged up behind him, while two spheres of flame materialized over each shoulder and began to orbit him in slow, deliberate circles in what had to be [Flaming Orbs].
Minerva wasted no time either, as she side-stepped across the sand, her movement smooth as her boots barely disturbed the grains beneath her.
As within the first three seconds of the fight starting, she unleashed her first arrow with a sharp snapping sound of her bow.
*FWOOSH—!*
The arrow travelled at breakneck speed, looking poised to impale Orion in the chest, but it was unexpectedly blocked by an invisible [Wind Wall], as it collided and bounced off harmlessly against the invisible shield.
"An invisible Wind Wall when you've already summoned a visible Water Wall? What an interesting strategy by Orion–" Derek said, as Minerva rolled to the side, already nocking her next shot—
Orion's feet barely moved, but the battlefield did—as pillars of stone rose abruptly to intercept her lines of sight, while snaking vines slithered just beneath the sand, trying to catch her ankles.
"Beautiful control from Orion!" Lee shouted. "He's manipulating all four basic elements in perfect harmony!"
"But Minerva's not backing down!" Derek countered. "She's dodging everything coming her way with finesse—if she finds a clear angle to shoot from, she can pin him down.
It was at this moment that Minerva launched three arrows in rapid-fire, the third one splitting mid-air into a scattershot of glowing flechettes, that forced Orion to raise a second [Wind Wall] to absorb the impact.
However, seizing the moment, Minerva sprinted across the right flank and drew a volatile arrow crackling with red light—an [Explosive Shot].
*FWOOM!*
The impact sent a plume of steam roaring into the air as it collided with Orion's [Water Wall], creating a brief visual smokescreen.
And Minerva didn't waste it.
She fired a grappling bolt into one of the raised stone pillars that Orion had summoned earlier and zipped upward into the air, using the elevation to her advantage as she began to rain down arrows from above like a divine storm.
*Swoosh*
*Swoosh*
*Swoosh*
Her arrow rain forced Orion to move for the first time in this fight, as he carved a sigil into the air with both hands, causing the sand beneath him to crack open, launching him sideways via a burst of compressed air— as he used the evasive move [Jet Geyser].
Then came his counter.
He extended his arms wide as the elements converged.
Fire, water, wind, and earth spun together in a spiraling surge of energy—a devastating technique known as [Elemental Spiral].
The vortex erupted outward in all directions, whipping sand into a storm and catching Minerva mid-reload.
*BOOM!*
She hit the ground hard, rolling to absorb the fall, her armor scorched and scraped—but she rose again, wounded but not broken.
Orion now hovered slightly above the field, his aura blazing with elemental energy—
As Minerva's instincts screamed at her to run.
This was his known finisher.
She had studied about it in the tapes, and hence to avoid the fate of being caught in his strongest attack, she reached back and pulled her strongest arrow—a radiant, mana-charged shot known as [Piercing Moonlight].
She pulled the string taut, her fingers shaking under the strain.
As Orion brought both palms together, condensing the elements into a singular lance— unleashing his strongest attack, the [Primal Judgment].
The duo fired at the same time.
*BAAAAAAAAAAM—!*
The collision of mana rocked the arena. Heat and pressure swept across the sand as the resulting shockwave made even the audience flinch.
As the dust settled...
Only one figure remained standing.
Orion.
Minerva, bow shattered and shoulder seared black from the blast, knelt in the sand. She tried to stand—but her legs gave out.
As the referee stepped forward, raising his hand.
"Winner—Orion of Nature Academy!"
*CHEERS*
A roar burst from the Nature supporters, their voices elated and thunderous.
They had drawn first blood—and their strategy was working.
"What an opener!" Derek exclaimed.
"That was a monster Grandmaster Fighter match-up," Lee added. "Rodova just took a heavy hit to start the Quarterfinals….. MINERVA IS OUT"