Parallel Memory

The Quarter final of the contest has reached. From hundreds of participants to 8. 

There were 3 Rank-S, 4 Rank-S - and finally one Rank-A.

The people predicted to win were Princess Elenia, Mia Frostine, and Seraphine. 

And although Zero was Rank-A, nobody dared to underestimate him, not after his win over Elrond. 

It was such that the four Rank-S - also wanted to avoid getting paired in the upcoming fights despite Zero being the lowest rank.

Nevertheless, the excitement was at an all-time high with the contest coming to an end.

King Tranduil was also satisfied with the battle and was more confident in Elara's plan after witnessing the power of various race geniuses.

He had also written down the names of the geniuses who deserved to be rewarded with more time in Luminary Spring. 

As he said, he wasn't just going to reward the winners but also those who had shown potential. Anyway, he was happy that one of the objectives of the contest was achieved, which was to find out the potential of the geniuses.

But his second objective was seemingly becoming difficult to achieve. 

Creating understanding between different races and having them get along with each other through this contest was becoming difficult with what happened to Elrond.

The Elves who were already angered by Zero for what they thought was being disrespectful to Princess Elenia had increased their hatred after what Zero had done to Elrond.

There wasn't much he could do. Even if he commanded the Elven geniuses to stop hating Zero, it wouldn't solve the fundamental problem.

They might appear to have stopped hating Zero but underneath, they will keep a grudge. His command will only increase the hatred and it wasn't a solution.

King Tranduil just hopes that in the remaining fight, maybe they will be able to resolve their feelings. 

Because of the disaster that will eventually hit the world, he knows that unity of every race is needed. 

The next day, as the contest resumed and the crowd gathered once more, King Thranduil took to the stage. 

"Ladies and gentlemen, geniuses, and spectators alike, as we stand on the precipice of the quarter-finals, I am filled with pride and excitement. This contest has showcased the extraordinary talents and abilities of every genius. 

I commend each of you for your remarkable achievements, and I urge you to continue pushing your limits. The world watches in awe as you showcase your skills, and I have no doubt that today's battles will be nothing short of spectacular.

May the contest resume with the same passion and enthusiasm that has brought us to this point. Best of luck to all, and let the quarter-finals begin!"

The contest resumed after a short speech from King Tranduil. 

The name of the first contestant was being chosen and everybody eagerly waited for the names to come up.

"Cyrrinthia of the Dryads Race VS Mia Frostine of the Human Race!"

The first match of the quarter-final was between Cyrrinthia who is Rank-S - and Mia who is Rank-S. Judging by their rank, Mia was obviously stronger.

Cyrrinthia sighed when her opponent's name was announced. She knew her limit and knew that the chance of her victory was very slim.

( It seems this is as far as I can go! )

Cyrrinthia thought. 

"Cyrrinthia, you can do this!"

"Best of Luck!"

"We believe in you!" …

Despite knowing that Mia Frostine is a formidable opponent, Dryads all cheer for Cyrrinthia and believe in her.

Cyrrinthia was the greatest and most powerful genius of Dryads and she had earned the trust of every one of them.

Listening to her fellow races encouraged her, she was determined and walked with confidence. Even if she were to lose, she wasn't going to give up easily.

"Mia, you can do it!"

"Best of Luck!"

Amelia and Zero said.

Mia gave a small nod as she proceeded towards the arena. 

"Professor Mia, best of luck!"

"Ice Enchantress, show them the strength of humanity!"

"You're the pride of our race, Ice Enchantress!" …

Other human geniuses also cheered for Mia as she walked towards the arena. She was the strongest genius in the Human Race and apart from Zero, she was only the one human genius left in the competition.

"This is going to be great!"

"Who do you think will win?"

"It should be the human girl! She is Rank-S, on par with Princess Elenia."

"But Dryads have lots of tricks up their sleeves. Maybe she could turn this around."

"Anyways, this is going to be a good fight!" …

Other spectators simply were excited about the fight and didn't care who won. 

The atmosphere in the arena was electric as Cyrrinthia and Mia Frostine prepared to face off in the quarter-finals. 

The crowd, a sea of diverse races and backgrounds, watched with bated breath. 

As the two geniuses stood at opposite ends of the arena, they gauged each other up. Although two of them had seen the other person fight seeing and feeling for themselves were two different things.

Cyrrinthia was a bit intimidated by the energy given off by Mia Frostine. Mia is probably the strongest opponent that Cyrrinthia has ever faced. 

"Are you both ready?"

Two of them gave a small nod but their eyes never left each other.

"Then let the battle begin!"

The signal to begin the battle was given, and the tension in the air was palpable. Cyrrinthia, with her deep connection to nature, summoned vines and roots from the ground, creating a formidable barrier of foliage to shield herself. 

She was determined to make this battle count, not just for her own honor but for the pride of her race.

Mia Frostine, on the other hand, channeled her Ice abilities. Frosty winds emanated from her, freezing the moisture in the air and creating a shimmering ice shield around her. 

She knew about Dryad's abilities and decided to freeze all the pores before they could even make it towards her body. 

Having protected against the illusion pores of Cyrrinthia, Mia Frostine decided to go on offense.

However, Cyrrinthia wasn't going to make it easy for Mia. She holed up in her protective place while also using vines to attack.

[ "Frozen Surface" ]

Mia tried to gain advantage again by turning the stage into ice just like Zero, however, that proved to be difficult with Cyrrinthia's abilities.

Cryrrinthia's plants which she summoned prevented the place around her from being frozen. She wasn't going to give advantage to Mia who was already stronger than her.

Despite the odds stacked against her, Cyrrinthia displayed incredible resilience and creativity. She manipulated the very earth beneath her opponent, causing ice formations to crack and crumble. 

Mia, in turn, turned all of Cyrrinthia's vine attack to ice and shattered it. 

The battle raged on for what felt like an eternity, neither genius willing to back down. 

As the intense battle between Cyrrinthia and Mia Frostine continued, the arena was filled with awe and excitement. The crowd watched in amazement as the two formidable geniuses clashed, their powers on full display.

Cyrrinthia, feeling the pressure of facing an opponent as strong as Mia, knew that she needed to pull off something extraordinary to turn the tide in her favor. 

She had exhausted many of her nature-based abilities, but she had one last, powerful ace up her sleeve.

[ "Arboreal Ascendance" ]

With her heart racing and her connection to the natural world deepening, Cyrrinthia began to channel her energy into the earth beneath her. 

The ground trembled as roots and vines shot out in all directions, weaving together and forming a massive, towering structure that reached toward the sky.

The crowd gasped as they witnessed the emergence of a huge Tree, a colossal embodiment of nature's power. Its branches stretched high, its leaves shimmered with vibrant energy, and its roots delved deep into the earth.

Mia Frostine, although startled by the sudden appearance of this magnificent entity, did not falter. She knew she had to act quickly. 

[ "Ice Spear" ]

She intensified her control over ice, conjuring a massive ice spear and hurling it toward Cyrrinthia and the World Tree.

The spear pierced the air, aiming straight for Cyrrinthia. But just before it could reach her, the World Tree came to life. Its branches moved with a graceful swiftness, intercepting the ice spear and shattering it into countless shards.

Cyrrinthia, standing at the heart of the Tree, felt a surge of power coursing through her. She raised her hands towards the heavens, and the Tree responded by moving its branch which attacked Mia.

[ "Primordial Ice Palace" ]

Mia summoned her Ice Palace and began defending by using the Ice Pillars. 

-BANG!

Mia was able to block Cyrrinthia's first attack but the attack didn't stop there and the tree branches fiercely continued to attack Mia.

Mia knew she couldn't just defend herself as her Ice Pillar was getting rapidly destroyed. But she also knew that going on the offense would jeopardize her safety.

Having no choice, Mia decided that she was going to use her most powerful skill.