When they separated to return to their respective areas, Larissa felt significantly better than she had moments before. The defeat still hurt, especially the broken bond with the fairy that would take time to heal completely.
But Ren was right about the realities of the situation.
She had done the best she could with what she had, and she'd forced Ren to work harder than he'd had to with any other opponent except possibly Liu.
And when she finally mastered the ice element, when she had fusion as an additional option in her arsenal...
Then future battles would be considerably more interesting.
Larissa smiled to herself while walking.
The path toward improvement was long, but Larissa was committed to walking it completely.
One defeat at a time if necessary.
♢♢♢♢
THE SEMIFINAL TEAMS
With Larissa's defeat, the bracket on Ren's side became clearly defined.
