Parallel Memory

[ "Thundering Blaze" ]

[ "Thunder Baptism" ]

[ "Lightning Strike Apocalypse" ] …

Even if he was Rank-S, taking on so many spells from Lisa wasn't easy. Some of Lisa's attacks managed to go through his defense and hit him.

Although it was very powerful but it wasn't enough to seriously injure him but that hurt his pride as Rank-S and also because he was looking down on Lisa.

The spectator widened their eyes in surprise. Lisa's attacks were very powerful for Rank-B, moreover, Lisa was continuously firing them.

That meant that she was very good at controlling mana and also that she had a very large reserve of mana to be able to do that.

However, there is always a limit and Lisa's man was running out quickly.

Lisa's energy was waning, and her shoulder wound continued to throb with pain. She had given everything she had in that last desperate assault, and it hadn't been enough to finish Elrond.

"Hah… Hah… I will kill you!"

Elrond was enraged by Lisa. He was literally backed into a corner by a Rank-B and that was seen by thousands of people. It was a truly humiliating situation for him. 

Now, it was Elrond's turn to strike back. He unleashed a devastating attack, a wave of pure energy that blasted Lisa off her feet and sent her crashing into the arena ground. 

The impact was brutal, and Lisa felt her bones ache as she crumpled to the ground.

Gasps of shock and horror rippled through the crowd as they witnessed the power of Elrond's attack. 

Elrond, with an unrelenting fury, approached the fallen Lisa. He was no longer taunting her; he was determined to put an end to this battle decisively. 

Without a hint of mercy, he unleashed a series of punishing blows, landing kicks and punches with precision and brutality.

Lisa could barely defend herself. Every blow sent waves of agony through her battered body. She had given her all, but it was clear that she couldn't overcome the overwhelming difference in power between her and Elrond.

It seems like Elrond didn't want to win instantly and wanted to torture Lisa for the humiliation he faced. He threw strong attacks but not something that would knock out Lisa.

As Lisa lay on the ground, battered and bruised, the crowd watched in shock and disbelief. It was clear that Elrond had no intention of showing mercy, and Lisa's situation grew increasingly dire with each passing moment.

"Enough!" 

Hiro shouted, his voice filled with righteous anger. 

"This fight is over!"

Hiro along with others appeared and stopped Elrond from further continuing the fight. Sylvia and Misha quickly went over to help Lisa.

"Winner! Elrond!"

The referee, seeing the interference of Hiro, declared Elrond as the winner. 

Earlier, Lisa didn't surrender nor did she get knocked out, so the referee couldn't interfere nor declare the winner despite the winner being obvious.

The crowd was silenced by the brutal outcome of the battle. No one in their right mind would cheer or applaud after what had transpired.

Zero watched with a mixture of anger and frustration, his fists trembling with rage. His mana was also leaking, reaching the limit of Rank-A.

"Calm down, Zero!"

Misa said as she grabbed hold of Zero's shoulder so that he wouldn't do anything. 

She was also angry at Elrond for torturing her student but since Elrond didn't break any rule, she could only endure it.

Zero didn't try to resist Mia and just stood there glaring at Elrond. He gritted his teeth in anger as he looked at the state that Lisa was in.

Seeing Zero like this, Mia has mixed feelings. She was happy that Zero cared about his friends but also a bit sad that Zero seemed to still have feelings for Lisa.

"Mia! I will go and help Lisa!"

Amelia said as she quickly went to heal Lisa. As the Rank-S Saintess, her healing spells were much better than the healers of Elves.

On the stage, although Elrond seemed unsatisfied, he didn't continue the fight. He looked at Hiro and others with a disgusted expression.

"Humph! Weaklings! Losers should just stay back and watch. Humans are always so pathetic just like her."

Elrond spat out in disdain.

Hiro's eyes blazed with anger as he confronted Elrond. "You take that back!" 

Elrond smirked, seemingly unfazed by Hiro's anger. "Why should I? It's the truth," he replied arrogantly. His words only served to further infuriate Hiro and the humans.

Before the situation could escalate further, Misha stepped in, trying to defuse the tension. "Hiro! There is no need to fight with such a man!" she urged, her voice calm and reasonable.

She felt incredible hatred towards Elrond, however, it wouldn't mean anything for them to argue and fight with Elrond.

Hiro took a step back. Still frustrated by the insult that he gave to Lisa. 

"Humph! Every one of you is a coward! Don't you dare overestimate yourself!"

Elrond said loudly and was referring to the human race. He wanted to warn Zero, especially, and turned to look at his face.

However, Elrond's smug expression slowly faded as he locked eyes with Zero, who was seated in the spectator area. There was an intensity in Zero's gaze that sent a shiver down Elrond's spine.

The intense glare that Zero was directing at him was not one of anger or frustration—it was a cold, calculating look that seemed to pierce straight through Elrond's soul.

Elrond couldn't fully describe the feeling but felt that his death was just at his doorstep, staring down at him.  He couldn't say what he wanted to Zero after that feeling.

Elrond, feeling an unexpected chill in his bones, took a step back, his arrogance momentarily replaced by uncertainty.

The spectators were a bit surprised by how Elrond, who was acting so arrogantly, suddenly turned quiet. 

-THUD! -THUD! -THUD!

Elrond turned away, making a hasty exit from the arena. This behavior surprised many of the audience once again. 

Meanwhile, Amelia had been working diligently to heal Lisa's injuries. Her powerful healing magic began to take effect, and Lisa's battered body slowly started to mend. 

Hiro, Zion, Sylvia, and the others gathered around Lisa, offering their support. 

Hiro felt a mixture of relief and anger. He was relieved that Lisa was going to be okay, but he couldn't forget the brutality she had endured.

"Thank you, Amelia," Lisa said weakly, her voice filled with gratitude. She was still in pain, but the worst of it had subsided, thanks to the Saintess's healing abilities.

Amelia smiled warmly at Lisa. "You're welcome. Just rest and recover now," she advised.

Soon, they all exited the stage as well. 

Although the fight had been brutal, the contest had to be resumed. 

The third round ended with a bitter situation. The tension between the human race and the Elven race was at an all-time high.

The humans couldn't accept Elrond's brutality and his mockery of humans. 

On the other hand, while some Elves didn't like Elrond for what he had done, they agreed that humans deserve that. They thought that arrogant humans needed to be taught a lesson.

Anyway, it seems like the next round of the fight will be much more brutal with animosity between the two races.

As for the other races, they thought that what Elrond didn't wasn't very good but overall, there weren't any other changes.

That night was still the same as yesterday with every genius trying to come up with a plan to defeat their potential opponents.

However, Zero was different!

He was thinking of a million ways to beat up Elrond. He was going to make Elrond cry and would break all his bones.

Anyways, the fourth round was going to start and most of the participants were Rank-S - and above. There were only four Rank-As including Zero.

After this round, it is expected that only Rank-S - and above would remain. As for the Rank-As, only if they were extremely lucky and got each other as their opponent did people think that they would advance.

Otherwise, under the hands of Rank-Ss, they could only accept their defeat.

King Thranduil, the wise and regal ruler of the Elven Kingdom, stood before the assembled competitors and spectators in the grand arena. His silver hair shimmered under the soft glow of the arena's magical lights, and his piercing green eyes held the attention of everyone present.

"Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed participants, and honored guests," King Thranduil began, his voice carrying the weight of centuries of wisdom. "We have witnessed a day of remarkable battles, where the strength, skill, and determination of warriors from various races have been put to the test."

The crowd fell silent, hanging on every word of their Elven monarch.

"Today's events have shown us that while strength is important, it should always be tempered with mercy and respect for one's opponent," Thranduil continued. "It is not merely victory that defines us, but how we achieve it, and how we treat those who stand before us as rivals."

King Tranduil was obviously talking about the battle between Elrond and Lisa.

"In the heat of battle, it's easy to forget that the one facing you is not just an adversary, but a fellow warrior," Thranduil emphasized. "We must remember that the Tournament of Unity is not just a test of physical prowess, but a celebration of the diversity and unity of our world."

"As we enter the fourth round of this tournament, remember that the true measure of greatness lies not only in victory but in how we treat those who fall before us," King Thranduil reminded them. 

"Let us not allow competitiveness to overshadow the spirit of mercy and compassion that this tournament represents."

King Tranduil was trying to prevent another battle such as what happened with Elrond but Zero wasn't interested. He didn't care nor was he going to show mercy to Elrond.

"May the battles ahead be not just tests of strength, but demonstrations of our capacity to show mercy towards our opponents."

With a regal nod, King Thranduil stepped back from the podium, and the crowd erupted into applause.

Then the names for the first match of the fourth round were selected. After a few seconds, the name of the two participants came up.

"Elrond of the Elven Race VS Zero Elea of the Human Race!"