The following morning arrived with even more excitement than the tournament's first day.
When I left the inn with the girls, it was already possible to hear the bustle in the streets. Merchants were setting up their stalls, visitors were walking toward the arena, and groups of adventurers were talking about the matches that would take place that day.
The tournament had become the city's main topic of conversation.
And, to be honest, that was understandable.
It had been a long time since I had taken part in something so simple.
No wars.
No demons.
No battles where the fate of the world was at stake.
Just people competing to find out who was stronger.
It almost felt strange to think that way after everything that had happened over the past few months.
We finished breakfast and headed to the arena.
This time there were even more spectators.
Some sections of the stands were already completely full.
The event was clearly attracting people from many nearby regions.
When we arrived, the organizers were still making the final preparations before the matches began.
I took the opportunity to observe the remaining participants.
Their number had decreased significantly.
Of the many competitors who had started the tournament, only a small group remained.
And that was making the differences in strength much more obvious.
The weaker ones had already been eliminated.
Now only the best remained.
Or at least the best in that region.
Scarlett stood with her arms crossed, watching the arena.
She looked quite satisfied.
Rai'kanna was sitting nearby.
The two of them kept a safe distance from each other.
Which usually meant they were trying to avoid an argument.
At least for the moment.
Liriel's assistant sat beside Elara.
"Today seems much busier."
"Because the fights are getting better."
Elara replied.
"Yesterday was just the beginning."
The assistant nodded.
She seemed genuinely interested.
Perhaps because it was the first time she had witnessed something like this up close.
Shortly afterward, the announcer appeared once again.
His voice echoed throughout the arena.
"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen!"
The crowd responded immediately.
Applause erupted from various sections of the stands.
"Today we continue the Tournament of the Strong!"
The audience's excitement grew even more.
Some people even began shouting the names of the participants.
It was obvious that some competitors had already gained their own admirers.
The matches began shortly afterward.
The first fights were quite interesting.
Unlike the previous day, many of the remaining participants possessed real experience.
Physical strength alone was no longer enough.
Now it was possible to see refined techniques.
Calculated movements.
Strategies.
The ability to read their opponents.
Some matches lasted several minutes.
Others ended quickly.
But almost all of them were better than those of the previous round.
I watched everything carefully.
Not because I was worried.
But because I liked analyzing fighters.
It was a habit I had developed after so many battles.
At one point, I noticed something curious.
Some participants began withdrawing before their matches even started.
At first I thought it was strange.
But I soon understood why.
The draw had matched some of them against very well-known opponents.
Especially Scarlett.
Or Rai'kanna.
Or me.
Some people simply saw no point in continuing.
The announcer even declared a match that ended before it had begun.
The participant stepped into the arena.
Looked at Scarlett.
Thought for a few seconds.
Then raised his hand.
"I forfeit."
The entire arena burst into laughter.
Even Scarlett seemed surprised.
"You didn't even try."
She said.
The man shrugged.
"I'd rather go home in one piece."
The crowd laughed again.
The judge officially declared the forfeit.
Scarlett won without having to move a single muscle.
When she returned to our group, she looked almost offended.
"That was disappointing."
"You wanted to fight."
I replied.
"Of course I did."
"Not everyone shares your enthusiasm."
She sighed.
"Cowards."
Rai'kanna immediately took advantage of the opportunity.
"Or intelligent."
Scarlett shot her an irritated look.
The argument almost started again.
Fortunately, another match caught everyone's attention.
One of the remaining competitors was facing an enormous fighter.
Probably the heaviest man in the entire tournament.
Every blow made the arena tremble.
The crowd cheered with every impact.
The fight lasted several minutes.
In the end, the smaller fighter won through speed and technique.
That earned plenty of applause.
Mine included.
It had been a good fight.
The assistant looked impressed.
"Humans really like competitions."
"It's not just humans."
Liriel said.
"Nearly every race has something similar."
"That's true."
I agreed.
The giants had tournaments.
The elves did too.
Even some demi-humans organized similar events.
Competition was part of many people's nature.
The hours passed quickly.
Fight after fight.
Competitor after competitor.
The number of remaining participants continued to shrink.
Until finally, only those who would reach the decisive stages remained.
That was when the organizers officially announced the quarterfinals.
The crowd immediately became even more excited.
The names were displayed on a large board near the center of the arena.
Many people gathered to take a look.
I went as well.
When I read the complete list, it confirmed what I had already suspected.
My next opponent would be a warrior named Roven.
He seemed strong.
But nothing beyond that.
The real highlight was elsewhere.
Scarlett.
Rai'kanna.
The two of them would finally face each other.
The announcement immediately stirred the crowd.
Comments began spreading from every direction.
"That fight is going to be incredible."
"Finally."
"I've been waiting for this."
"The two heroines."
"The match of the tournament."
Even some eliminated participants decided to stay just to watch that fight.
And honestly, I completely understood.
Scarlett and Rai'kanna were strong.
Very strong.
Even among high-ranking adventurers.
Their rivalry only made everything even more interesting.
I returned to the group.
The two of them were staring at the tournament bracket.
Neither looked worried.
In fact, they looked excited.
Dangerously excited.
"So the time has come."
Scarlett said.
"It has."
Rai'kanna replied.
"I don't intend to hold back."
"Neither do I."
They exchanged glances.
Then smiled.
Once again, that same competitive smile.
I was already starting to feel sorry for the arena.
Perhaps the organizers should start worrying as well.
Elara watched the scene.
"This is going to end badly."
"For whom?"
Vespera asked.
"For the arena."
Her answer drew several laughs.
Even Liriel seemed to agree.
Because, honestly, there was a very good chance that would happen.
As the afternoon went on, the final preparations for the quarterfinals were completed.
The staff inspected the structures.
The judges spoke among themselves.
The healers reinforced their teams.
The anticipation grew with every passing minute.
It was almost possible to feel the excitement of the crowd.
The tournament had begun as a simple local competition.
But now it had something special.
A fight everyone wanted to see.
A battle between two warriors famous across many kingdoms.
Scarlett and Rai'kanna.
Strength against strength.
Pride against pride.
Rivalry against rivalry.
As I watched the two of them talking in a surprisingly friendly manner before the match, I noticed something curious.
Neither of them seemed nervous.
Neither of them seemed worried.
Because both believed they would win.
And that was exactly why the fight promised to be unforgettable.
As the sun slowly began to descend toward the horizon and the organizers officially announced the quarterfinal schedule, the entire arena fell into eager anticipation.
The next stage was about to begin.
And everyone knew which fight they truly wanted to see.