As the sharp sound of a clang rang out, Harrison’s long sword, which had been held high, snapped cleanly as if severed by something, breaking off at the hilt and clattering to the ground.

What in the world was that?

In that instant, Harrison’s eyes widened, his body freezing abruptly as if struck by a paralyzing spell. Even the Battle Aura surrounding him flickered and dimmed due to the sheer shock.

The audience below was equally stunned into silence by the sight. They could hardly believe what they were witnessing!

They had seen it clearly: Robin had merely strolled forward serenely, never once making a move, yet Harrison’s longsword had inexplicably broken. Why?

Even if the sword was a cheap imitation, its quality couldn’t be that poor, could it? It broke without even touching anything, softer than tofu itself.

While everyone was still frozen in disbelief, Robin had already reached Harrison and stopped, standing perfectly still, utterly silent.

If any other Mage had deliberately walked toward a Swordsman, everyone would have assumed the Mage had gone mad. But when it came to Robin, not a single person dared to think that! The magic Robin had displayed was so perverse it allowed her to physically pound Swordsmen up close—and with such fluid, all-encompassing strikes!

Harrison involuntarily stumbled back a few steps. He glanced up at Robin, then down at the broken sword lying on the ground, completely at a loss.

For a Swordsman, losing his longsword was equivalent to losing his weapon; even the most exquisite sword techniques were useless.

Harrison cursed himself internally for not preparing a spare. Now, gripping only the hilt, he looked as ridiculous as a clown performing a trick!

Furthermore, this accident had completely disrupted his carefully laid plans.

He knew Robin possessed immense brute strength and direct confrontation was out of the question; his only viable strategy was to utilize his longsword’s advantage to maintain distance and maneuver. Now, without the sword, his only option, short of conceding, was to engage in bare-handed, close-quarters combat!

This placed Harrison at an extreme disadvantage. Against an ordinary Mage, he might have a fighting chance, but against Robin, this little powerhouse of brute force, his hopes were slim indeed.

Harrison had only studied swordsmanship; he hadn't learned freestyle fighting techniques like wrestling or Karate. All he could do was channel his Battle Aura to enhance his power, speed, and defense.

After watching him silently for a brief moment, Robin unleashed a spell with no warning whatsoever.

Suddenly, countless tiny dots emitting a brilliant red light materialized around Robin and Harrison, encircling them completely, leaving no path of retreat. Those with sharp eyes would notice that these luminous dots were actually condensed forms of Fire Essence—small in volume, yet radiating scorching heat.

This spell was created solely by Zhong Shenxiu and later taught to Robin; it bore a lovely name: Starlight!

As the saying goes: A single spark can start a prairie fire. What hope did Harrison have against such a dense swarm?

Harrison seemed to sense the danger, staring at the tiny flares with terror. He tried to evade them, but it was impossible. The Starlights had him completely surrounded, and though they hovered motionlessly, they seemed to broadcast a clear message: You are contained. Surrender immediately!

Just then, a sharp sizzling sound pierced the air, followed by a wisp of faint blue smoke curling up from Harrison’s thigh.

At first, Harrison was completely oblivious, but when a sharp pain shot through his thigh and hit his nerve endings, he finally reacted. He quickly dropped the sword hilt and began frantically slapping at the smoking spot on his leg, looking like a rat whose tail had been caught in a trap. Ugh, isn't that me?!

When Harrison stopped, a hole had been burned through his clothes, revealing skin slightly scorched brown.

That was just the power of a single Starlight. Now, five or six more Starlights flew toward Harrison. Fortunately, they did not target his face, or he would surely have been disfigured.

Harrison had nowhere left to move; any slight shift would bring him into contact with the surrounding, static Starlights.

Several more wisps of blue smoke rose from various parts of Harrison’s body—his chest, his back, his arms. The pain made him grimace and writhe in agony!

Encountering this little freak, Robin, was truly the worst luck of his eight lifetimes!

What is the highest form of torment? It is forcing the victim to endure, to accept the suffering, while leaving them utterly helpless!

It was suffocating, an uncommon degree of frustration!

In past matches, Harrison was the one chasing Mages around the arena. Now, the tables had turned completely; he was finally experiencing what it was like to be tormented!

The audience below had never witnessed such a bizarre and comical match. They burst into roaring laughter at Harrison’s wretched state; some were laughing so hard they leaned back and forth, tears streaming down their faces!

Indeed, a Swordsman losing to a Mage was unusual enough, but the Mage was only an eight-year-old girl! What made it even more laughable was that the Swordsman seemed determined to seek abuse, barely offering any resistance. How could this not provoke laughter? Especially as Harrison was rapidly turning into—

—A scorched piece of chicken. His clothes were burnt black, looking utterly ridiculous and embarrassing!

Perhaps influenced by the surrounding laughter, a heat rushed to Harrison’s head, causing him to lose his reason. He resolved fiercely in his mind: Damn it, I’ll go all out against you!

With that thought, Harrison executed a "Starving Wolf Pounce," completely ignoring the Starlights floating before him, intending to tackle Robin to the ground!

However, he failed to realize that any resistance would only accelerate his injuries!

Suddenly, the Starlights that had been hovering before Robin instantaneously condensed with blinding speed, forming a fireball the size of a coconut before Harrison could complete his lunge.

A dull thud echoed as Harrison was flung backward like a kite with a broken string.

His final action was akin to deliberately throwing himself into the fireball—a sight too terrible to watch!

And as for Harrison now, large patches of his clothing were engulfed in flames. He was struggling to extinguish the fire while fighting the unbearable pain! But the flames were too intense; a few casual slaps wouldn't do it! Where was the fire department? Why hadn't anyone called?

Just as Harrison was nearing his limit, a water projectile suddenly extinguished the fire on his body.

The one who launched the water projectile was none other than Robin!

See how kind Robin was? She noticed he was on fire and put him out! Though, perhaps she did it only to torment Harrison more effectively later...

Of course, the audience below did not know Robin's true intentions. They genuinely believed she was kindly offering assistance and began applauding and cheering loudly.

“Well done, little Robin, keep it up, we support you!” shouted some of the older spectators.

“Robin sister, we love you!” yelled some infatuated girls, disregarding their decorum.

“Go, big sister Robin!” cheered the children younger than Robin.

In short, everyone, young and old, was captivated by Robin’s magnanimity. What is ‘Friendship First, Competition Second’? This was a living example!

Yet, facing the surrounding cheers, Robin merely cast a detached glance, her eyes seeming to say: Don’t follow my example, I’m torturing the lonely!

The audience’s excitement seemed beyond control, lingering long after the moment, as if they had already declared Robin the undisputed victor!

It wasn't just them; even the leadership of the Doblai Magical Academy began to cheer. Edwin was the most animated, shaking hands with the leaders of other academies, his expression suggesting: Thank you for your support; our success is entirely thanks to you!

These people were clearly getting excited too soon. The match was still ongoing, and Harrison had not lost the ability to fight!

However, one couldn't blame them. Unless something unforeseen occurred, Robin’s victory in this match was absolutely certain. The outcome was sealed; there was no suspense left, only the question of how Robin would continue to break Harrison's will.

Robin watched Harrison quietly. Assuming he had recovered sufficiently, she initiated a new wave of attack. This time, she employed Water Element magic!

Meanwhile, Zhong Shenxiu, observing from outside the arena, had known the match's outcome even before it began. He paid more attention to his surroundings than the stage. To him, analyzing the backgrounds and origins of the people nearby was far more interesting than watching the fight!

Then, his body suddenly trembled, and his expression shifted, becoming exceedingly grave.

It wasn't that he had spotted someone surprising; rather, something was happening to him personally. He felt the second layer of the "Black Tortoise Art" on the verge of breaking through—meaning his Heavenly Tribulation was about to descend!

This was no small matter, and Zhong Shenxiu had not anticipated its arrival would be so sudden!

There was a massive crowd here. If the Heavenly Tribulation struck here, countless people would inevitably be implicated and instantly vaporized. Most critically, there were no defensive formations set up here; he absolutely could not undergo the tribulation in this location!

Zhong Shenxiu forcibly suppressed the surging power within him, sent a mental message to Robin, and then dissolved into an afterimage, vanishing from Rhys’s side.

Rhys had been engrossed in the match when he suddenly felt a strange wind rise beside him. He turned back to see that Zhong Shenxiu was gone. Where did he go?

In the arena, Robin, who was currently tormenting Harrison with Water magic, felt her small body tremble visibly, and her attack on Harrison ceased.

She had just heard Zhong Shenxiu’s urgent telepathic command: Follow me quickly!

Perhaps people wonder why Zhong Shenxiu would call Robin along for his Tribulation.

The reason is simple: Robin would one day face her own Heavenly Tribulation. Bringing her along was merely to give her insight and increase her chances of success when her time came!

Robin dared not delay. Using the cover of the water mist, she vanished from the stage before the eyes of tens of thousands of spectators.