The atmosphere in the arena buzzed with excitement as Nyla and Rio, both wearing their face veil and mask, walked toward the center. The earth beneath their feet vibrated from the stomping and cheering of the audience, the air thick with thrill.
The duo stood facing each other, only twenty meters apart, their loving gazes locked, and the tension in the air nearly tangible as the murmur of the crowd grew louder.
The referee was about to arrive to commence their battle when Nyla unexpectedly broke the silence.
"I want to forfeit the battle," she declared, her voice echoing through the arena. A hush fell over the crowd, their astonishment evident.
Rio had been considering the same course of action, but the magenta-haired beauty beat him to it. Caught off guard, he looked at her with a hint of coldness, but she just offered him a warm, sweet smile.
Her love for Rio remained evergreen as if she saw him as her old crush, the one she had been head over heels in love with despite being married. Even now, she was still hopelessly infatuated with him.
Nyla continued, her loving gaze fixed on the boy, "I am no match for Rio, and I want him to win in the final and bring victory for me." With her words resonating in the air, she turned and walked out of the battle arena, her steps steady and resolve.
She didn't feel any regret about forfeiting the battle for her man. In fact, it brought her happiness to see him win. She knew that it was more important to support him in his journey to the top rather than fight against him in front of the audience to prove her worth in the international tournament.
To her, victory in the international tournament was nothing compared to the love she had for Rio.
The sudden development left the audience in a state of shock, struggling to process what had just happened. The once-exciting atmosphere in the arena was now replaced with a wave of disbelief and bewilderment, as everyone tried to make sense of Nyla's unexpected decision to forfeit the battle.
Although they were aware that Rio had reached the final, the audience had been eager to witness the battle between the two teammates and rumored lovers who had made history together at the National Military School Tournament, even breaking Lily Havenglow's record.
As the next round of the tournament began, the audience's excitement was still noticeable, but there was a sense of disappointment that the expected battle between Nyla and Rio wouldn't take place.
Nonetheless, they were eager to have a glimpse of their Goddess Lily, the world-renowned champion, back in the arena even if she didn't fight today.
The following battle commenced with Lily Havenglow, veiled and ready to compete, facing off against George Garcia.
However, since Lily was widely known to be a preordained contender in the final, it had been arranged that anyone who fought her would forfeit on their own accord, acknowledging they stood no chance against her.
This gesture was not only to show respect for Lily and the Havenglow family but also to ensure that she would not become fatigued or sustain any injuries prior to the final. Everyone wanted her to be in the best possible condition for the final battle, where she would confront a formidable opponent sent by the Dhovrix race.
George Garcia's respectful voice echoed in the audience as he said, "I accept defeat, and wish for our Beautiful Goddess Lily Havenglow to reach the final."
The girl knew all too well that her quarter-final opponent was likely to forfeit the match, as others who had faced her did. She disliked winning without a fight and preferred facing her opponents head-on.
She turned around and walked away from the audience, but couldn't shake the feeling of a stronger gaze upon her, causing her to turn back and look.
As she glanced back, her heart skipped a beat as her eyes met a pair of sea-green eyes. She knew they would be facing each other in the semi-finals the next day, and she silently hoped that he wouldn't forfeit like the others, but instead, choose to fight her.
After the quarter-finals ended and the two semi-finalists exited the stadium, they were immediately swarmed by reporters and camera crews from various news channels.
One reporter asked Rio, "Is it true that you and Nyla are childhood sweethearts?"
He replied, "No, we aren't childhood sweethearts."
Another reporter inquired, "Will you also forfeit tomorrow in the semi-finals?"
Rio narrowed his eyes at the reporter, asking, "Why would I do that?"
"The government has arranged for Lily Havenglow to be in top condition for the final battle, which is just two days away," explained the reporter, insinuating that Rio should also forfeit tomorrow and support the government's plan.
"Let her prove herself in the arena. If she defeats me, she'll deserve to move on to the finals. However, I won't give her victory without a fight," Rio replied in a calm tone.
As he responded, the atmosphere around him turned sour, with disapproving looks from the crowd and murmurs of ill words. It was clear that his statement did not sit well with them.
A voice from the crowd chimed in, "Aren't you being selfish and ungrateful to the Havenglow family for adopting someone like you off the streets? You should support their true heir by forfeiting in the semi-finals tomorrow."
As everyone turned to identify the source of the voice, they found no one there. The person had already blended back into the crowd, likely fearing repercussions from Aliyah Havenglow.
"I don't know who you are, but if the true heir is worthy, then she should be able to defeat Rio and not beg him to accept defeat," Nyla's fierce voice resounded as she grew increasingly irritated by the barrage of questions.
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