Could it be?

The Demon Youth sneered. “You truly boast––”

The word ‘shame’ caught in his throat, unspoken, as Maple’s flying spear struck him directly. He plummeted from his nightmare steed.

“Strike first, strike hard,” Maple declared, discarding the spear and drawing his longsword.

“What just happened? I didn’t even have time to react!” I was dumbfounded, as were the three remaining contestants.

The Cat-eared Youth was the first to recover. With a cold declaration, “Watch this!” he began forming hand seals upon his wolf’s back. In a flash, his form split into three afterimages, all surging towards Maple.

“It’s the Cat-eared tribe’s secret technique, Shadow Clone!” Luo Bing’ai’er explained.

I couldn’t help but grumble, “Isn’t that a foul?”

Maple calmly surveyed the approaching figures, then advanced with unhurried confidence.

“This one has a shadow!” Maple pinpointed the true body instantly. With a single exchange, he thrust his sword, knocking the Cat-eared Youth from his wolf.

The entire spectacle left me utterly speechless.

Having dealt with the Cat-eared Youth, Maple swiftly equipped his shield. An arrow, launched precisely then, was perfectly deflected by its surface.

The timing was impeccable, almost impossibly so.

I pointed excitedly at the Elf Man. “Hey! He’s shooting arrows! Isn’t that a foul?!”

Luo Bing’ai’er offered a weak smile. “Archery is the elves’ specialty. You can’t ask them not to shoot; that wouldn’t be fair.”

“????”

Thus, the promised knightly duel devolved into a relentless barrage of arrows aimed at Maple.

“Elf brother, I’ll assist you!” the Dwarf Contestant bellowed, driving his mechanical scorpion, pincers clacking menacingly, straight towards Maple.

“Nonsense! By age, I’m your grandfather!”

The Elf Man, growing agitated from his repeated misses, scoffed, “Hmph, I’d like to see how you dodge this arrow, blessed by the Wind Spirits!”

He then began murmuring incantations over an arrow.

I exclaimed, “He’s casting spells now! How is that not a foul?!”

Luo Bing’ai’er merely chuckled. “That’s their racial skill.”

At that, I was utterly speechless.

The mechanical scorpion swung its two massive pincers, attempting to trap Maple. Simultaneously, the arrow, imbued with the Wind Spirits’ blessing and wreathed in azure flame, hurtled towards him.

Seeing this, Maple spurred his horse into a continuous circle around the mechanical scorpion.

The Dwarf Contestant fumbled with the control levers, his gaze darting back and forth, quickly becoming flustered.

“That mechanical scorpion doesn’t seem very good at turning around,” I observed.

“After all, controlling eight legs is quite difficult. They might as well have designed it with wheels from the start,” Luo Bing’ai’er replied.

I cast a sidelong glance at her, unable to resist quipping, “Everyone else is riding horses, but he’s driving a vehicle. What happened to the knightly duel we were promised?”

As Maple circled the mechanical scorpion on horseback, the enchanted arrow relentlessly pursued him, mirroring his every turn.

It was an arrow that could curve! Today truly opened my eyes to new possibilities.

The Elf Man delivered a harsh warning. “Hmph, running is useless! This arrow will chase you to the ends of the earth!”

No sooner had he spoken––

Maple charged his horse straight towards the mechanical scorpion!

The pincers snapped shut with menacing force, but he used one as a springboard, leaping high into the air.

‘He and his horse just flew…?’ I watched, utterly dumbfounded.

Before the arrow could react, it hurtled directly towards the mechanical scorpion’s cockpit! (Slow motion)

(Normal speed resumed) As Maple and his horse soared over the scorpion’s head, he abruptly hurled his shield downwards!

The shield descended like a bolt of lightning, severing the arrow mid-flight before crashing onto the control panel!

Black smoke billowed from the control panel, and moments later, it exploded.

The mechanical scorpion hissed with escaping steam, collapsing to the ground like a deflated beast, rendered motionless.

For a moment, the entire arena was enveloped in a cloud of thick steam.

As the steam gradually dissipated, Maple had already arrived silently, taking advantage of the cover. By the time the Elf Man realized what was happening, a sword was already pressed against his throat.

The Elf Man dared not move, only a few words escaping his lips. “I… I concede.”