After the chaos of the tour, a quiet murmur began to spread among the departing spectators. Slowly, people started to return to their seats with their curiousity piqued by the promise of a new annou.

  The Announcer began her speech. “Well, folks, I re y’all are wonderin’ what’s after the wild spectacle we’ve just seen. It’s been one heck of a ride, hasn’t it?”

  A few chuckles and murmurs of agreement rippled through the audience.

  “Ladies as, with both Rawna and Kael out, we’re left with just three petitors: Roselle, Chal, and her than ning champion from st year’s Eastern Annual Tour, Cha.”

  The Announcer tinued, “Now here’s the juicy part! Over in the East, the reigning champ gets an automatic spot in the final showdown. And with all the ret hulbaloo, we’re gonna do things just like they do in the East for this practice tour. That means Cha’s got herself a guaranteed spot in the final battle!”

  The audience murmured while the Announcer tinued “We’re all set for the final round with Roselle, Chal, and Cha, who’s just waitin’ for her challeo step up! Stay tuned, ‘cause the Western Practice Tour’s fixin’ to hit its grand climax!

  The crowd responded with a standing ovation of cheers. The annouhen gave a look around the arena. “Now, I re y’all’ve noticed the arena’s lookin’ a bit worse for wear after that fierce tussle between Rawna and Kael. So, we’re takin’ a one-hour break to get the Grand Arena patched up and ready for the final shoe want to make sure everyone’s safe and sound wheion picks back up!”

  The crowd broke out into loud murmuring, but the Announcer tinued, “Hey now, I know waitin’ ain’t always easy, so I’ll be ba about 30 mio fill y’all in on the progress. In the meantime, why don’t ya grab yourself some refreshments, chat with your fellow fans, and maybe even do a bit of spe’ on what the final round’s got in store for us? We’ll be back before you know it, so hang tight and enjoy the break, y’all!”

  After the annou, Roselle, Risebelle, Runebelle, Kintovar, Haras, and Juliana decided to make the most of their free time. They left the stands and explored various areas of the Grand Arena.

  Roselle led the way. She had already ventured into the Cospy area and an Art test during the st break, and this time, she was on the lookout for something new aing.

  The first stop was an area dedicated to unique onry. Shiny bdes, magical staffs, and even a few artifacts resembling goddess items were on dispy. Roselle, with her curiosity, marveled at the craftsmanship, while Kintovar pted the potential of these ons in her experiments.

  , they came across a food court where people from different backgrounds were sharing meals. Roselle’s eyes lit up. She sampled various snacks, and even vinced Kintovar to try some unfamiliar dishes. Haras and Juliana eheir meals more reservedly, sav the fvors while discussing the events of the day.

  Finally, they stumbled upon a makeshift stage where a group of talented musis erf. The music resohroughout the area. Roselle couldn’t resist dang to the lively tunes.

  While the group tiheir exploration of the Grand Arena, they were unaware of a presence lurking in the shadows. Chal, the rough and rowdy young warrior, had been keeping an eye on them, just as he had done in the past; however, this time, his watchful surveilnce didn’t go unnoticed.

  Suddenly, Cha, Chal’s older sister and the reigning champion of the st Eastern Annual Tour, approached him.

  “Why do you insist on spying on that girl?” she asked with her hands on her sides. “Why not try to make friends with her if you’re so ied in her?”

  Chal’s face turned into a scowl. “I’m n to make friends. Roselle is my oppo, and I want to see if I gain any advantage by her.”

  Cha sighed. “You really don’t have to be so angry all the time, Chal, and you should give people a ce. You might learn something valuable from them. Besides, in the world of battles, strength isn’t always everything.”

  Chal was ready to retort, but couldn’t deny the wisdom in his sister’s words.

  Cha had a mischievous smile on her face. She said, “I’m going to help you, brother.”

  Chal’s shouted quickly, “NO, DON’T DO IT!”, but she was already making her way toward Kintovar and the others.

  Approag the group with a friendly smile, Cha greeted them with a nod. “Hello there! I noticed my little brother has been watg you all, and he’s ied iing to know you better.”

  Kintovar and the others exged surprised gnces by Cha’s sudden approach. Roselle, Risebelle, and Runebelle eyed the champion curiously.

  Before they could react, Chal burst out from behind Cha. Chal’s face turned a deep shade of crimson. He pointed up towards Cha. “Hey! I never agreed to this, Cha!”

  Cha simply chuckled at her brother’s rea. “Don’t mind Chal; he’s a bit rough around the edges. But he does have a good heart. He’s just trying to figure out how to make friends and uand the world better. So, if you don’t mind, he’d like to chat with you all.”

  Chal looked away from everyone. He crossed his arms and scowled. “I don’t need friends.”

  Roselle’s face shifted to a smile. “Aw, e on, Mr. Angry Boy. Friends be fun, you know?”

  Chal’s face flushed with anger, and he warned, “You’d better stop callihat, or I’ll slice you up before ht!”

  Cha intervened swiftly. She delivered a hard smack to her brother’s head, and then shook her head with a disapproving face.

  “Chal, don’t be so rude! Roselle’s just trying to be friendly. Besides, you could use a friend or two. Now, be nice!”

  Chal rubbed the sore spot on his head and muttered, “Fine, fine. I’ll try to ‘behave’.”

  Roselle walked up to Chal extended a hand toward him with a smile still on her face. “Great, that’s the spirit! Friends don’t slice each other up, though.”

  Chal eyed Roselle’s extended hand with skepticism. His gaze shifted to his sword, still sheathed at his side. “What kind of friends don’t slice each other up?” he grumbled. “I’ve always used my sword to fight…It’s not really a ‘friendly’ kind of tool.”

  Roselle’s smile softened. She shook her head gently. “Well, Chal, real friends don’t use swords on each other. They support each other and look out for each other. It’s about trust and uanding, not fighting.”

  Chal’s eyes widened slightly. He g his sister who gave him a reassuring nod. “Trust and uanding,” Chal repeated while turning his gaze to the sky momentarily.

  Cha stepped in with a supportive tone. “Exactly. Friends are there for you evehings get tough. They help you grow, and you help them iurn. It’s not always about fighting.”

  Chal remained guarded, but there was a flicker of ption in his eyes. He gnced back at Roselle, who was still holding out her hand. “Well…I guess if you’re all so keen on this ‘friendship’ thing, I’ll give it a shot. But don’t expect me to go easy on you in ht.”

  Roselle’s smile grew wider. “Deal. And I won’t go easy on you either.”

  Cha smiled warmly. “Thank you for being patient with him, Roselle.”

  Kintovar chimed in with one finger raised. “It’s important to have friends, Chal. They help you grow and learn in ways you might not expect. Plus, who knows, you might find that you have more in on with Roselle than you think.”

  Roselle turned her attention to Cha and asked, “So, Cha, what’s your secret to being the stro person from the Western Kingdom? “

  Cha’s eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. “Oh, I’d be happy to share some of my teiques with you, Roselle. It’s all about trol, precision, and… a bit of creativity. But don’t worry, we discuss that ter. For now, let’s enjoy the rest of the tour!”

  The group strolled through the practice tour grounds. They found themselves in a lively area filled with attras and activities.

  “Let’s try that game!” Roselle poio a booth where partits were testing their aim with darts, trying to pop balloons. She pulled Chal’s hand and said, “e on, Chal, it’s going to be so much fun!”

  Chal hesitated. “I don’t know, Roselle. It seems... kind of pointless.”

  Roselle csped her hands together, giving Chal a pleading look. “Oh, e on, Chal! It’ll be fun, and you might even be good at it! Please?”

  Chal’s resolve wavered. He was about to refuse again wheiced a shadow of sadness pass over her face. It was fleeting, but it was there. Normally, Chal’s first instinct would have been to dismiss it with irritation. But today, he was trying to uand this “friendship” thing.

  He studied her face for a moment and remembered what Cha had said about giving people a ce. It lead to an unfamiliar want—an urge to make Roselle happy.

  With a deep sigh, Chal said, “Fine. I’ll give it a shot. But don’t expect me to be good at it.”

  Roselle’s face brightened instantly, and she cpped her hands in delight. “Yay! That’s the spirit!

  The duo approached the game booth. The attendant hahem darts, and Roselle gave Chal a pyful grin.

  “Okay, Chal, let’s see who pop more balloons!” Roselle decred.

  Chal begrudgingly accepted the challenge, and soon they were both aiming for the balloons, their dart-throwing skills put to the test.

  Chal took a dart and, with a skeptical look, aimed at the balloons. He missed his first few attempts, but Roselle cheered him on. He felt a small sense of aplishment when he finally popped a balloon.

  After a few rounds, they moved on to explore other attras, from a mini roller coaster to a fortuelli and then the Arcade.

  Risebelle and Runebelle decided to split off from the group for a moment. They found a quiet spot to sit down.

  Risebelle decided to strike up a versation that surprised her younger sister. “Runebelle, I noticed that Roselle has made a new friend today. How do you feel about that?”

  Runebelle’s eyes met Risebelle’s. She seemed surprised by the question. “It’s fine. Roselle deserves to have a lot of friends, and I wao be happy.”

  Risebelle nodded. “I know you don’t talk much, but Roselle cares alot about you. She’s been trying to make sure you’re in a good mood, even if you keep that face. I just wao make sure you’re okay with her making new friends.”

  Runebelle responded.“I appreciate your , Risebelle. Roselle is my sister, and I wao be happy and have friends too... I may not express it well, but I’m gd for her…”

  The duo now set off in search for their sister, Roselle. It didn’t take them long to spot Chal and Roselle at the Arcade.

  Roselle and Chal were engaged in a rag game. Roselle eagerly held the troller .Chal, oher hand, had an aggressive demeanor. “e on, Roselle, you call this rag? My little sister drive better than you! You’re slow as hell!”

  Roselle’s tration wavered. She tried to respond but stumbled on her words, and it ultimately cost her the game. Chal’s character crossed the finish line first, and he was quick to revel in his victory.

  Roselle frowned. “You got lucky,” she mumbled.

  Chal ughed. “Lucky? You’re just a sore loser, Roselle!”

  Seeing her sister’s disfort, Risebelle and Runebelle decided to intervehey approached the duo at the arcade, and Risebelle spoke firmly. “Chal, you’re being too harsh on her. Remember, she’s trying to have fun. It’s just a game.”

  Chal stared at Risebelle with a dumbfounded look. He scratched his head. “What do you mean, too harsh? It’s just a game. If you ’t handle a bit of teasing, then maybe you shouldn’t be pying.”

  Risebelle’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Teasing someone who’s just trying to have a good time be discing.”

  Runebelle, standing beside Risebelle, added softly, “Roselle is here to have fun, not to be put down. It’s important to let her enjoy herself without feeling bad.”

  Risebelle took a deep breath. “Chal, it’s not just about the game. It’s about how you treat people. Roselle was trying to enjoy herself. If you want to be a friend, you’d say something nice like…”

  She trailed off, suddenly realizing the weight of her own words. A look of mild panic crossed her face. She muttered to herself, ‘Uh oh, what did I do? I don’t even pliment people myself. Why did I go and open my big mouth?’

  Chal, watg her ily, raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong?”

  Risebelle quickly shook off her internal embarrassment and folded her arms. “Never mind. Just try to be kind, okay??”

  Chal’s brows furrowed. “But isn’t that what friends do? Tease each other? I’ve always seen it that way.”

  Runebelle added quietly, “Not everyone sees it that way, Chal. You may be used to things being rough, but that doesn’t mean that everyone’s used to that type of behavior.”

  Chal’s gaze dropped to the floor, and he scratched the back of his head, trying to process their words. He gnced up to Roselle and then back to the floor. “I messed up, huh..”

  Roselle managed a small smile. “its okay, Chal. I just wao have fun. Maybe we try again ter?”

  Chal hesitated, then nodded slowly. “Yeah... maybe I went too far. Let’s…start over?”

  Roselle’s smile widened. “That sounds good.”

  “At the 30-minute mark, dies alemen,” the Announcer’s was heard through the viity,

  The group of friends looked around curiously, trying to pinpoint the source of the annou. Their eyes eventually settled on a rge television s mounted high above the arcarde.

  The Announcer’s face appeared on the s. Her face was both lively and informative.

  “Ladies as, at the 30-minute mark, I’m here to remind y’all that the Grand Arena is almost ready for the final round! Our crew’s been workin’ hard to get everything spid span for the climactic battle!”

  The group gathered he s, listening ily. Roselle leaned closer to Chal, whispering, “Looks like it’s almost time for the final round.”

  Chalodded. “Yeah. This is going to be intense.”