Chapter 273: Best 4

The tournament progressed further, and in A Block, Sheila, who won her first match with momentum, was unexpectedly defeated by Marjis in the next round.

Marjis demonstrated extraordinary defensive skill, using his reach to launch attacks and achieve a complete victory over Sheela.

He then won against Thread as well, earning two consecutive wins and advancing to the Best 4.

As expected from Yato’s prediction, Marjis proved far stronger than anticipated, making the semifinals highly exciting.

In B Block, Mika carried the momentum from her first match to defeat Leonore, securing the block victory.

Shannon also displayed her strength, but Mika proved a step ahead, showing superior skill.

C Block saw major upsets, similar to A Block.

Ren and Silva, who had drawn in the first match, were expected to dominate Rose for the win. However, Rose scored two consecutive victories.

Against Ren, who tried to finish the match early, Rose played defensively, dodging relentlessly with versatile magic. In the latter half, when Ren’s approach became sloppy, Rose countered, securing a 1-0 victory.

The match against Silva followed the same pattern. Silva needed a win, whereas Rose only needed a draw to advance. She maintained defensive maneuvers early and struck with magic near the end to claim victory.

While these matches might not have been the most thrilling visually, Rose cleverly exploited her opponents’ psychology to secure wins. Her consistently strong performance shows her exceptional tactical skill. The semifinals will be tough, but she’s proven capable.

D Block proceeded as expected.

Ashros immediately used Dragon Form, but Lime, with his unpredictable style, perfectly evaded and achieved a 3-0 victory, advancing to the semifinals.

Thus, the Best 4 were decided:

• Marjis
• Mika
• Rose
• Lime

Marjis and Rose were unexpected, making this tournament highly unpredictable.

The semifinal matchups were determined by a draw, efficiently handled by Sam.

• Semifinal 1: Lime vs Rose
• Semifinal 2: Mika vs Marjis

Honestly, Lime’s toughest opponent was Rose, making this a difficult match for him. Conversely, Rose had the highest chance of winning against Lime, promising an interesting battle.

“Semifinal 1 begins! Both competitors, take your positions!”

“…I didn’t expect Lime to be this strong… Please go easy on me.”

Rose’s comment was met with Lime bouncing lightly, responding energetically.

It was surprising to hear Rose underestimate Lime, but recalling that she didn’t participate last year’s tournament or the dungeon expeditions, it made sense. She had only seen Lime casually playing near the farm with his slime friends—hardly enough to gauge his strength.

Had they met earlier in the tournament, Lime might have been underestimated and lost immediately. Meeting in the semifinals was fortunate for him. I had been watching Lime’s matches closely and was eager to see what tactics he would employ.

“Begin!”

At the referee’s signal, Lime immediately moved. He began his usual split and invisibility technique.

With that, he could launch a one-sided, rapid assault—but Rose moved quickly too. Expecting no immediate attack, she began casting high-level magic spells.

Around Sheela, countless shards of ice hovered—far more than the number of Lime’s split bodies. If both attacked simultaneously, Lime would almost certainly take heavy damage, potentially ending the match.

It was tempting to hope for an upset, but Lime didn’t rely solely on unconventional attacks. He reformed his split bodies into one and canceled invisibility.

Though his intentions were unclear, it was surely part of a plan.

As Lime returned to normal form, Rose’s spell finished casting, and the ice shards around her surged toward Lime.

Lime, seemingly squished and motionless, leapt into the air at the last moment, avoiding certain disaster. Applause erupted at his daring escape.

However, Rose immediately guided the ice shards to follow him. It seemed Lime had no escape, but by drawing the shards into the air, Rose left herself completely exposed.

From the air, Lime charged toward Rose and split into three bodies.

Rose could no longer control the ice shards, and though she resisted with her sword, she struggled.

Perhaps due to pressure, she couldn’t replicate the precise movements she used against Ren and Silva, and Lime landed three clean hits on her.

The plan was perfect, and depending on the flow, Rose could have won. But the first semifinal ended with Lime’s clear victory.