( Would I have defeated him? )
Cyrrinthia couldn't help but wonder if she would have fared any better against Zero in a fight. As a powerful Rank-S Dryad, she was known for her exceptional combat skills and speed.
Her confidence as a genius had always been unshakable, but witnessing Zero's astonishing speed had left a lingering doubt in her mind.
There was no doubt that she couldn't properly handle his speed. Maybe if she had been the one to fight against Zero, she might as well have lost in the same way as Elowyn.
But now that she knew about the threat, she began thinking of a way to counter it. For Elowyn, it was okay for her to lose but she, as the strongest person from Dryads, cannot afford to lose, at least not to someone from Rank-A.
Meanwhile, Zero had returned to his designated area, where others looked at him with caution. Only then did they understand why William and his friend seemed to have been scared of Zero.
Amelia and Mia said. They already knew that Zero would win the fight, though even they didn't expect Zero to finish it within seconds.
Though Mia has to admit that against Dryads, Zero's way was the most efficient. As battle prolongs, Dryads become stronger while their opponent gradually loses their strength. So, the best way was to go all out at the start when you are at your strongest.
Well, even so, it wasn't as easy as it is to say. It is difficult to break past Dryads defense unless the difference in speed is like Zero and Elowyn.
As the tournament continued and more battles unfolded in the arena, geniuses were showing their all. Their fight didn't only depend on the rank of the person but also on other factors such as patiences and experience.
Many people had also lost to the other person due to the advantage in fighting style. Like against Dryads, Elves had an easier time as they could use bow and arrow to attack from a distance and their tactic of hiding behind the trees didn't work.
Then Misha's turn came and she headed out to fight with another human. And who could have guessed, it was one of William's minions.
Well, it could be considered Misha's fortune to have gotten them as her opponent. If there was someone who was weakest in this contest, it was William's group who couldn't last more than 5 rounds against anyone.
But it seems that her opponent also considered himself lucky to be able to get Misha as his opponent. As Misha was Rank-B+, she could be considered the one of the weakest present there, though she was still far stronger than the likes of William and his friends.
As expected, the battle ended very quickly.
Misha's opponent made the first move as he tried to utilize his ax. However, Misha easily parried it and counterattacked.
But it wasn't enough to end the fight. Misha's opponent persisted for a minute before Misha finally overwhelmed him.
The fight was as easy as it gets for Misha who returned without a single scratch.
The only one to advance to the next round from William's group was William. And that was because he was Rank-A while his opponent was Rank-B.
Even so, the battle was incredibly difficult and William could have very well lost the fight. But luck was on his side and the first one to be exhausted was his opponent.
Anyway, watching him struggle so much against Rank-B just shows how much lacking he is compared to a real Rank-A genius.
Then Amelia's turn also came. Her opponent was fortunately Rank-A Dwarf.
Because Amelia is primarily a healer, it took her some time to take out her opponent. Although she didn't struggle and the only reason the fight was prolonged was because Amelia didn't have a powerful attack and also because Dwarf had tough defense.
The dwarf had focused on defense until she could no longer take it and collapsed.
Frankly speaking, it was a bit disappointing that none of the Rank-S had fought with each other. If they did, the spectators might have been able to witness a truly great fight.
But they knew that they would get the chance from the next rounds.
Anyway, Humans have the most Rank-S fighters with 5. Elves were second as they had 3 Rank-S geniuses in this contest.
Afterward, it was the time for Lisa to make her appearance. Her opponent was Rank-B + Aasimar.
If one had to describe the fight, it would be elegance. Lisa had her enemy in her palm and she won flawlessly despite her opponent being as powerful as her.
One advantage was her opponent didn't have a good understanding of Lisa's skill while Lisa had already seen how Aasimar fought and already thought of ways to deal with them.
She gradually weakened her opponent using Plasma Discharge and using Violent Flash, she avoided having to fight head on with her opponent.
Then when her opponent was at his weakest, she finishes him off with Thunder Baptism.
( She had become stronger! )
Zero thought. Although obvious, Lisa had made great progress over the years that he didn't see her.
Although he only got to witness the tip of her power, Zero could already feel the change she underwent from 2 years ago.
Now, she has more experience and was decisive in her actions. Moreover, her control of the skill was on another level. If not for her appearance, nobody would believe that Lisa is a teenager with that kind of skill.
As the sun began its descent on the horizon, casting a warm, golden glow over the tournament arena, the battles of the first round slowly but surely came to an end.
With the last rays of daylight illuminating the arena, the announcer's voice echoed through the air, declaring the conclusion of the first round.
"That's the end of round one. The contest will continue tomorrow!"
As the contestants left the arena, some victorious and others nursing their wounds, there was a palpable sense of anticipation in the air. The first round had been a tantalizing taste of the talent and diversity of the geniuses assembled for the tournament.
The night was a time for rest and reflection, as each participant contemplated their experiences and strategized for the upcoming battles in the second round.
The contenders from various backgrounds and ranks knew that the competition would only intensify from this point onward.