Reasonably speaking, when your skills aren't having any effect, the standard choice would be to stay on the periphery and poke from the sidelines to wear the opponent down.
After all, Ursula was on her Magic Broom; her stamina consumption was bound to be far lower than Alisa's, who was constantly on the offensive.
No one expected her to make such an impulsive move at a time like this.
In truth, Ursula's transition from dodging to charging was simply too fast.
Combined with the fact that her speed in third gear was no slower than a car taking off, there was simply no time for anyone to react.
This applied not just to the onlookers or Lan Qingyou, but even to Alisa herself.
However, for Alisa, whether she reacted or not didn't actually make much of a difference.
Clang!
While everyone was still dazed, the diving Ursula slammed headfirst into something.
The deafening crash echoed through the arena. She immediately fell from a height of about six or seven meters, knocked out cold on the spot.
This sudden turn of events left the crowd, who were already reeling from Ursula's sudden charge, in a state of stunned silence once again.
They couldn't understand how she had lost the match.
No, more importantly, what exactly had the Black Witch crashed into?
Was it some kind of transparent shield? There had been a slight shimmer at the moment of impact.
And it had produced such a heavy, satisfying thud.
“It's over,” Alisa muttered, shrugging as she looked at the unconscious Ursula.
Fortunately, her defensive measure—which doubled as a second form of attack—had worked.
Otherwise, the rest of the battle would have likely turned into a grueling war of attrition.
Of course, it wasn't that she only knew those few tricks; she simply felt that these spells and abilities were sufficient to deal with Ursula.
She intended to save the rest of her repertoire for the grand finals.
Or more specifically, she was saving them for Lan Qingyou, the Witch of the High Tower.
Pop!
Alisa pulled a test tube containing a potion from her robes and splashed it over the unconscious Ursula.
This was a life potion she had developed herself.
Unlike Lan Qingyou's version, Alisa's potion was milky white and focused more on healing external injuries, with the restoration of mana points being secondary.
Given how hard she had slammed into the barrier, Ursula's injuries were far more serious than they looked.
Luckily, the angle of the collision wasn't perfectly direct.
Otherwise, permanent facial disfigurement wouldn't have been out of the question.
Of course, even if she had been disfigured, Alisa was confident she could restore the girl's face to its original state.
【It's... it's over! The first match of the semi-finals has concluded!】
【The winner is... A-li-sa!】
Snapping out of his surprise, the transparent referee raised his hand and announced the end of the battle and the victor.
Normally, there would be a post-match interview or some reflections.
However, after seeing Alisa's utterly disinterested expression, the referee decided it was better to skip that part.
【Well then... let's let both contestants return to the rest area to prepare for the upcoming matches.】
Immediately after the announcement, the referee sent both of them back to the rest area.
Since they still had to determine the third-place winner later, even the unconscious Ursula had to be returned to the rest area for the time being.
As soon as the two entered the rest area, Lan Qingyou immediately caught Ursula and laid her down on the chaise longue.
“Although I'm not very willing, I have to thank you for holding back.”
Lan Qingyou pulled out a potion, slightly lifted Ursula's veil, and poured the liquid into her mouth.
The match was still being broadcast live, after all.
She couldn't very well let Ursula's face be exposed under these circumstances.
“I haven't fallen so low as to strike a person who's already passed out.”
Caught slightly off guard by Lan Qingyou's sudden thanks, Alisa gave a cold nod and walked toward her own chair.
“...”
I feel like there's a hidden meaning in that.
Lan Qingyou grumbled inwardly as she watched Alisa's back.
She then pulled out a blanket and covered Ursula to keep her from catching a cold.
Once that was done, Lan Qingyou sat nearby with her Magic Broom in hand, waiting for the referee to teleport her.
The referee didn't keep her waiting long.
After just over a minute, once the arena had been restored to its pristine state, he announced the two contestants for the second match.
Lan Qingyou and Xin Tianle were then teleported onto the stage.
【The second match: Nightmare Demon Xin Tianle versus the Witch of the High Tower, Lan Qingyou!】
【Both contestants have taken the stage!】
【As our tournament follows the principle of direct, no-nonsense combat, we will skip the boring trash talk segments.】
【Without further ado, are both contestants ready?】
Xin Tianle tossed aside her wine bottle and grinned coldly at the referee.
The referee turned to confirm with Lan Qingyou, only to find that she had already flown ten meters into the air.
【...Then, let the second semi-final match begin!】
Not wanting to waste time, the referee—who clearly wanted to get off work early—dropped his raised hand, officially starting the second match.
“Hey, hey, Witch! Isn't it a bit unsporting to fly up into the sky right from the start? Or are you just scared of my skills after seeing them?” Xin Tianle shouted provocatively, looking up at Lan Qingyou.
She seemed to be trying to bolster her own spirits, a sight that made Lan Qingyou shake her head repeatedly.
Lan Qingyou had certainly looked at her skills.
Whether she was afraid was one thing, but the unique nature of the Demon race alone was enough to give her a headache.
Unlike the Succubi or Lesser Imps she had encountered before, Xin Tianle was the first 'standard' demon Lan Qingyou had met.
She was the most conventional kind found in novels and manga.
Yes.
Compared to Frenna the Succubus or the Huang family's Lesser Imps, Xin Tianle's demon race was much more common.
But even if it was a run-of-the-mill race, its racial talents were anything but poor.
Aside from the dual Attribute Corrections to Strength and Spirit, they possessed a racial trait similar to that of the Witch race.
The Witch race was ageless; no matter how many years passed, time would never leave a mark on their faces.
This common Demon race, however, was undying. No matter the situation, even if they were truly killed, they would not die.
Or more accurately, they could be killed, but upon death, they would turn into a pile of ash and then be reborn at the right time and in the right environment.
It sounded incredibly powerful, but in reality, it was also a kind of restriction.
It was somewhat similar to the phoenix of Blue Star legends, yet fundamentally different.
For a phoenix, death was merely a cycle, a stage of life.
But the Demon race was like any other living being; who would want to die if they didn't have to?
Rate on N.U.
