"Three, to be precise."
Delphi corrected him. "I've been watching him. Some Contestants are full of confidence... They think he can beat us."
The only Girl among the Contestants gazed into the distance.
"He really is handsome."
"What?"
The Girl twirling a thorny blue rose smiled slyly. "Have you fallen for him?"
"...Damn it, we're in the Gladiator Arena!" Delphi did not want to discuss his private tastes here. "I'm serious. My instincts are usually sharp. That boy is no ordinary opponent."
"So you want to sleep with him?"
"Enough!"
"Then wear him down. Even if each of us only stalls him for five minutes, he'll be exhausted."
"Our Delphi could exhaust him all by himself~"
Delphi ignored the Girl, sat back down, folded his arms, and said nothing more.
The burly Mage clapped his hands to rally them. "Focus! We haven't won yet! We might have six people left, but if he wins two more matches, we lose!"
The students abandoned their planned second-round contests, and the weaker ones conceded voluntarily.
Once the spectators realized they were taking precautions against Solz Magic Academy's lone remaining contestant, anticipation swept through the crowd.
Annan's second-round opponent was a gloomy young man. "Two things. First, we're being treated like circus animals, put on display for these people," he said with disappointment after the match began. "Second, you're just the animal drawing the most attention."
"Are you trying to provoke me?" Annan looked eager. "Then say something nastier!"
The gloomy Mage had more Sorcerer jokes ready, but Annan's excitement made him shut his mouth. He was no Elite, so Annan once again won "with difficulty" in the second round, swaying with exhaustion even as he walked back to the waiting area.
The gloomy Mage returned to his companions. "Two things. First, Delphi was