"Ember can no longer fight! Wan Li and Xiao Bing wins!"
As soon as the announcement was made, I immediately went to Ember's side. The icy field was cracking with every step I took.
"Ember!"
As soon as I reached her side, she weakly tried to reach for my hand. From the link I have with her, I can feel her sense of disappointment and sadness. I almost burst into tears from feeling her extremely pure and straightforward emotions, but I forcefully held my tears back. Now isn't the right time to wallow in a sense of loss.
A few meters away from us, God Zeshion was healing Xiao Bing. Although it didn't look too serious from the outside, her injuries should be something pretty dangerous. If either I or Wan Li was hit by Ember's last attack, then we would probably have our ears pop and even have a few internal injuries. Xiao Bing who's smaller in size should have received significant damage.
After a few seconds of healing, Xiao Bing returned to her usual energetic and healthy self. Nodding in satisfaction, God Zeshion healed Ember with a wave of his hand. After that, the almost shattered cores were repaired and even her energy was recovered fully.
"Will, what was that last attack you did? It completely ignored our [Physical Damage Nullification]!"
Wan Li, who finally reached our location after walking briskly, agitatedly asked.
"Ah, that? It was an upgraded version of a sonic boom. With the epicenter of the waves focused on the tip of Ember's form, as soon as she crashed against the vines, she caused enough pressure variance to shatter everything in the periphery. That which includes Xiao Bing's eardrums and soft internal organs."
"Sonic-what? Pressure?"
Wan Li was filled with more questions after hearing my response. Forgetting how Science is not a thing in this world, I almost slapped my forehead.
"Well, in simple terms, Ember used a shockwave attack. Since it's not technically a physical attack but uses natural phenomenon, it managed to bypass the [Physical Damage Nullification]'s barrier."
Hearing this, Wan Li quickly nodded in deep thought.
"I see... So not just magic attacks but also naturally occurring phenomena can avoid the [Physical Damage Nullification]. It's a good thing to know! Many thanks!"
I smiled wryly after hearing her thank me. Although my hypothesis regarding what counts as physical damage was pretty much on point, I and Ember just didn't possess enough skills to overcome such an overpowered monster.
"You're welcome. But next time, I'll win!"
I may be willing to admit my defeat, however, I'll never admit that Ember will stay weaker than them. In this battle, if Ember managed to close the distance even once, then she would have taken Xiao Bing on a trip into the stratosphere. With little breathable oxygen available, a violent increase in G-Force, and the unearthly freezing temperature there, Ember should be able to win in seconds.
The next time we meet, we would definitely be stronger than her!
After we shook hands, the audience exploded in a wild cheer. I guess having such a beauty as a champion will be a plus for the committee too in terms of publicity since they didn't even try to silence the rowdy crowd. God Zeshion, on the other hand, kept his stare on my back which although made me feel honored, honestly scared me.
---
After our battle, we were allowed a few minutes of rest before the awarding ceremony. Although I called it a ceremony, it wasn't much to mention. We just stood on a layered podium with Wan Li at the highest, I at the second highest, and a man with little to no presence on the third highest.
The fourth and lowest podium was set for fourth place, but since Aster was kicked out of the tournament, it remained empty. The three of us stood there and received our trophies as the crowd cheered in celebration.
After that, we were led to a private room to speak with the tournament's committee. There, a total of five people were waiting. There's God Zeshion in the center. On both sides sat beauties on the level of Fina. Beside each of those beauties, sat an elderly man and a hunk respectively.
For some unknown reason, I felt irked when I looked over to the "hunk" who was smiling as he scanned the three of us.
"Congratulations to you three, champions of this year's Newbie Tamer's Tournament."
The old man at the right edge of the long table spoke in a gentle tone. His voice had a magical feel to it that makes one feel sleepy just by listening to it for a short while.
"Then, first, let's get the awards you'll receive as prizes. First, in third place, Hiden, forward."
As he called a name, the man which vanishes from my mind when I'm not looking at him, took a step forward. His movement was a strange mix of lethargy and sharpness which makes me want to look away by reflex.
"Hiden, as you are in third place, you will receive a grand prize of 1,000,000 Credits and a C-Grade artifact of your choice. This is the list of available artifacts for you, choose wisely."
After saying so, a piece of paper popped into being right in front of Hiden. He quickly took the floating paper before saying his choice. It was a bracelet-type artifact that can greatly decrease a person's presence for a short while.
"Alright. Next, in second place, Will, forward."
As the old man called, I quickly took a step forward.
"Will, as the second place, you will receive a grand prize of 2,000,000 Credits and three C-Grade artifacts of your choice. This is the list of available artifacts for you, choose wisely."
Despite feeling that the old man was just reading a script of some sort for his speech, the same paper from before appeared in front of me with a flashy pop. I quickly took it to my hand, but before I could even read it, a messenger-cum-guard looking man slammed the room's door open. His face was as pale as white snow.
"B-Bad news! The capital's prison has just had a jailbreak! Hundreds of criminals are on the loose!"
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