Inhuman Warlock

Amongst the two people in his team, Maya was supposed to be the weakest. She was considered to be the Strategist. She could certainly fight using her tech, but her raw strength was the bare minimum. That's why no one had seen her properly fight before.

That's also what she considered to be her biggest advantage at this point. For a moment, the opponent could even take Malin seriously, but her... She was the weakest from all the trials, despite not being ranked last.

Maya went on the giant stage, seemingly a bit hesitant, as if she was already worried about what was going to happen. In response to her, another woman stepped on the stage, dressed in a beautiful yellow gown.

"This is going to be a short fight. It might even be the shortest of this tournament. I wish Lucifer had come in your place. That would've made things a bit fun at least."

"I-i don't want to fight, but I have no choice. Please go easy on me." Maya lowered her head in respect.

"Heh, I just had to match with this coward." Mai rolled her eyes. "I've seen you in the trials before. You're the weakest link. Even that other girl would've been a better opponent than you. At least she wouldn't have begged before the battle even started. You're an embarrassment."

"Whatever, I'll finish it fast for your sake."

Mai was so disappointed in her opponent, yet she was also pleased that she didn't have to worry about losing this one.

Her hands transformed into a beast's claws. Two bat-like wings appeared behind her back.

"I won't even have to transform entirely for you," Mai's sharp-pitched voice echoed in the surroundings as she flew straight to Maya, reaching out her claws to grab Maya by her throat.

Since she didn't take Maya seriously, she treated her like an ordinary human that could be taken out easily.

Her claws reached the throat of Maya, but before they could even touch her throat, something happened.

"Spatial Displacement." Maya softly muttered before her figure disappeared.

She appeared behind Mai. "Boosting Gauntlet!"

She changed. Her steel bracelet started expanding, transforming into a black gauntlet that covered her hand, providing a mechanical boost to her strength.

"Boom."

Maya punched the back of Mai, who was already in forward motion. The fist landed on the back of Mai, shocking him. Mai was taking it so easy that she hadn't even considered the possibility of this.

Maya had kept such specialties hidden throughout the trials since this was the only advantage she had. She didn't have more strength than others. She didn't have more defense than others. She didn't have more speed than others. If it came to raw strength, even with her mechanical boost, she couldn't defeat others.

The only thing which changed this to her advantage was the element of surprise. If everyone considered her weak, they weren't going to take her seriously. This was also a reason why she didn't show such things even to Lucifer. She was saving it for the right opportunity, and this is where that opportunity came.

The explosive punch landed on Mai's back, adding to her own speed. It easily sent Mai flying off the stage straight in the direction of Lucifer.

Lucifer casually flicked his fingers, sending a gust of wind that not only protected him from the clash but also tossed Mai aside.

Mai's face fell flat on the ground.

"You!" She roared, infuriated. "You sneaky rat!"

She flew back toward the stage, but the old man stepped before her, blocking her. "That's enough. You've left the boundary of the battle."

"The winner of the first battle is Maya." The old man declared, making Maya sigh in relief.

It seems her plan had worked. Even though she used a sneaky trick, in the end, it worked and gave them the initial advantage they needed. Now they had the win they needed! All they needed was one more win, and they were going to be through.

Maya got off the stage and walked back to her team, smiling. "Told you it'll work."

Mai had her face red in anger, not only because of Maya but also Lucifer, who tossed her away like a fly even though he could've stopped her with his win. It was as if it was intentional.

"Sooner or later, we will leave this world. I'll see you two then." Mai glared at Lucifer and Maya before walking back to her team.

She was so embarrassed at losing to such a weakling. Noticing others' gazes, she felt as if everyone was mocking her for losing such an easy battle.

"Don't consider them weak. They are really sneaky. Treat them like a powerful enemy, or you'll end up like me," Mai reminded Jaek, who was the next participant from their team.

"Don't worry. I know we can't afford to lose this battle. They can't fool me. I won't take them lightly."

Jaek jumped on the stage. Based on the initial rankings, he was even higher than Mai. Moreover, unlike her, he didn't depend on close-range attacks, so he was sure he couldn't make the same mistake as her. Still, he was careful.

"This battle will be hard for you. They'll take you really seriously. You won't have the element of surprise like I did, so be careful. Give it your all."

"I've come this far. I'm not going to lose now," Malin smiled, glancing at Lucifer. "Someone taught me that ranking was just an empty number that didn't define who we are. It's time I forget my initial rankings and give it my all. I will win this battle and bring us to the finals!"

Filled with determination, Malin jumped on the stage.

Lucifer's team had the initial advantage. They only needed to win one of their next two battles. On the other hand, Mander's team needed to win both of their battles. They had no other choice.

Malin knew Lucifer was strong, but Mander was a nightmare. She didn't want Lucifer to have the burden of winning, so she wanted to win her battle. That way, he could fight without any excess burden.

She knew it was hard for her, but it was the only option. Lucifer had brought her this far. It was time for her to return the favor to him.

"Are you also going to depend on a trick like your friend? If yes, they let me remind you. It's not going to work. So you might as well give up now," Jaek rubbed the back of his neck lazily. "Don't waste your time and mine."