Parallel Memory

"Elrond of the Elven Race vs. Zero Elea of the Human Race!"

As fate would have, the first fight of the fourth round was between Zero and Elrond. Two who couldn't wait to fight each other.

Elrond, although he felt scared yesterday, he wasn't feeling the same today. Yesterday, after that event, he went and thought about why he was feeling pressure when he looked at Zero and concluded that it might be some trick of Zero or that it was because of Mia who was near Zero.

After thinking logically, he concluded that there was no need to be scared of Zero who is just at Rank-A.

Zero also smirks looking at the name of his opponent. He thought that he might not get the chance if Elrond was eliminated early by someone else but it seemed like god was giving him a chance.

A chance to beat up Elrond!

"Unlucky Fellow!"

"He will suffer the same fate as the girl yesterday!"

"I don't like Elrond and want him to be eliminated. But it seems difficult for this round." 

"Maybe he will give up. There is nothing shameful about knowing one's limits!" …

The other geniuses all thought that Zero would be defeated. And some even pity him because it has become a well-known fact that Elrond didn't like humans after yesterday's match.

Moreover, it was Zero who had disrespected the Elven princess, so they knew his fate would be worse than Lisa's.

"Humph! Finally!"

"Teach that bastard a lesson! Show him what it means to challenge the Elven Royals."

"Elrond will teach that disrespectful bastard a lesson. I can't wait to watch this!" …

On the other hand, Elves were excited to finally get someone to beat Zero. 

"This will be interesting!"

Princess Elenia said while staring at Zero.

( But why is he smiling? )

Princess Elenia found it odd that Zero was smiling knowing that his opponent is Elrond, A Rank-S - Elve who is merciless with his opponent.

( Does he have some plan to defeat Elrond? )

Princess Elenia thought. In any case, whether Elrond wins or Zero, for her, it would both be a great thing.

Even if Zero wins, it would only mean that the chance of her getting to fight him will be greater. And obviously, she wants to teach Zero a lesson herself and like previously planned, have him beg for mercy from her.

"Good Luck, Zero!"

"Don't show mercy to him! Pay him back for what he did to Lisa."

Mia and Amelia said. Both weren't worried about Zero losing as they considered Zero as someone who could even take on Rank-S Monster.

Zero nodded as he had no intention of letting Elrond go.

Elrond walked confidently and excitedly with the support of other Elves.

Zero also headed towards the stage. He walked in without much hesitation and also seemed to be in a good mood.

Many were surprised as they thought that either Zero would give up or maybe shudder in fear. But contrary to their assumption, Zero looked as excited as Elrond. 

"Zero!"

Lisa was very worried about Zero. Although she didn't hate Elrond for what he did as it was part of the contest but she didn't like the idea of Zero going through the same experience as her.

"Don't worry! He will definitely not lose to that guy!"

Sylvia assured Lisa. Although a bit worried, Sylvia was confident that he was powerful enough to teach Elrond a lesson for what he did to Sylvia.

"Let's hope that Zero wins this!"

Misha prayed for Zero's victory. 

Hiro and Zion also looked at Zero. Hiro also hoped that Zero could teach Elrond a lesson. He couldn't as he was eliminated but hoped that Zero could.

Zero and Elrond stood at the stage glaring at each other. The tension in the air was palpable as the spectator watched with anticipation.

"Looks like god doesn't like you very much!"

Elrond said. 

"Same to you!"

Zero replied.

"It looks like god wants you to die!"

Zero continued. It wasn't just his words though as Zero emitted a dangerous aura with killing intention.

Elrond like yesterday, felt a bit scared but had been prepared. He thought that it was Zero's trick and he wasn't going to fall for it.

"Humph! Big word for a weakling. Although I commend you for not running away from me but don't expect mercy from me. Your fate will be the same as yesterday's girl!"

Elrond provoked. And it worked, Zero glared at Elrond, and the smile vanished. 

"Let's hope that you will be able to keep that word!"

Zero said sternly.

The referee raised his hand high and yelled, "Are you both ready?"

Zero gave a nod as he summoned his sword. 

"Yeah!"

Elrond said as he summoned his bow.

"Then let the battle begin!"

The moment the referee's voice echoed through the arena, the tension between Zero and Elrond reached its peak.

-WHOOSH!

Zero wasted no time. In a blur of motion, he closed the distance between himself and Elrond with astonishing speed. Before Elrond could react, Zero swung his sword with incredible force, aiming to strike down his Elven opponent.

"Ugh!"

Elrond's eyes widened in surprise, but he managed to bring up his bow just in time to block Zero's attack. He already knew that Zero had incredible speed but this was beyond what he had expected.

Elrond managed to block Zero's sword in time but in the next second, his stomach was kicked and he was sent flying on the ground.

"GAH!"

Elrond's breath was knocked out of him as he crashed to the ground, the force of Zero's kick sending him sprawling. 

The crowd gasped in shock at the sudden turn of events. Elrond, the proud Rank-S Elf, had been taken by surprise and was now on the ground, eating dust.

"Oh, proud S Rank Elve, what are you doing on the ground? Searching for a coin?"

Zero mocked. He wasn't just going to win but completely humiliate Elrond. He was going to show that his pride is nothing against absolute power.

As Elrond lay on the ground, struggling to catch his breath and regain his composure, some spectators in the arena couldn't help but burst into laughter at Zero's taunt. 

Elrond wasn't only kicked to the ground but Zero was making fun of his state. It was quite funny considering how arrogant and boastful Elrond was.

"Did you hear that? Zero just roasted Elrond!" 

"I can't believe he had the guts to insult Elrond like that. This match is turning out to be quite the spectacle!"

"It seems like Elrond underestimated Zero!" …

The laughter rippled through the crowd, creating a mixture of amusement and amazement at Zero's boldness. 

Elrond, lying on the ground, gritted his teeth in frustration. He was not used to being in this vulnerable position, and Zero's words only added insult to injury. 

His pride as an Elf and a Rank-S warrior had been wounded, and he was determined to get back on his feet and prove himself.

With a determined expression, Elrond pushed himself up from the ground, his eyes locking onto Zero with renewed focus. He wiped the dust from his clothes and readied his bow once more, determined not to let this humiliation stand.

"Y-YOU… I will kill you!"

Elrond threatened. He was being humiliated by Zero and his hatred had reached its peak.

The arena fell silent once more, the spectators now watching with bated breath to see how the battle would unfold. 

Zero's initial strike had been impressive, but Elrond was not one to be underestimated, and he was ready to unleash his own formidable abilities.

[ "Arrow Storm Barrage" ]

Multiple arrows rain down on Zero. It seemed quite difficult to defend against the arrow which were all powerful enough to pierce Rank-A defenses.

[ "Peerless Strike" ]

However, Zero didn't have to do much to tackle such attacks. He strengthened his sword with his technique and continued to deflect the arrows that were shot at him while also moving towards Elrond.

The clash of their weapons sent sparks flying, and the shockwave of their collision echoed through the arena.

The audience watched in awe as the two warriors engaged in a fierce battle. Elrond as expected was very powerful with his arrows leaving a strong impact on collision.

However, Zero's strength and speed were unmatched and something that none of them expected. Zero casually handled Elrond's attack like it was nothing despite it being very powerful.

"I think you should stop playing these little games and come with full strength!"