Haras’s grin widened while continuing to feed Risebelle. “See? Sometimes a little sweetness is all you need to brighten up your day.”

  Risebelle, still flushed, nodded reluctantly. "Yeah, it’s…good."

  Roselle beamed at her sisters. "Great! From now on, we'll make sundaes a special treat for us to enjoy together. Runebelle’s the only one who didn’t get any. Can you get her one, Haras?"

  Runebelle, who had remained silent throughout this exchange, softly said, "I don't want any, really."

  Roselle’s face fell. She turned to Runebelle with a concerned look. “Oh no, I’m so sorry, Runebelle. I should’ve offered you some sundae first. I didn’t mean to make you feel left out.”

  Runebelle gave a small sad smile. “It’s fine, really. I’m not jealous.”

  Roselle nodded. “I just need to do better as your big sister. I want us all to be happy together.” She then tried to pump herself up and give a confident look. “I’ll make sure we’re all included and have a great time.”

  Risebelle was still slightly embarrassed but now also amused. “Sheesh. Even though I’m the oldest, today it feels like I’ve been treated like the youngest!”

  Haras, having overheard, chuckled. “Runebelle fought hard today. She deserves a treat, even if she didn’t win her match.” With that, Haras dashed off to get a sundae for Runebelle.

  Roselle watched Haras go and then turned back to her sisters with a warm smile. “Let’s make sure we all enjoy this break together.”

  While watching her creations, Kintovar suddenly came to a realization. She turned to Juliana and said, "Juliana, would you mind coming with me for a moment? There's something important I need to talk to Haras about. Your input will be mandatory."

  Juliana nodded, "Of course, Kintovar. I'm here to assist in any way I can."

  With that settled, Kintovar turned to her sisters. "Roselle, Risebelle, Runebelle, you have some free time now. You can explore the area, enjoy some treats, but please, don't cause any trouble or blow up hotdog stands or anything like that."

  Roselle laughed nervously at what Kintovar said. Risebelle elbowed her sister to stop her laughter and added with a smirk. "You can trust us. No hotdog stand explosions on my watch."

  With that, Kintovar and Juliana walked away.

  Roselle, Risebelle, and Runebelle set out to explore the area. They moved through crowd, taking in the sights and sounds of the Western Practice Tournament. The lively atmosphere was filled with fans and participants.

  Unbeknownst to the sisters, Chalcon trailed them from a distance, moving with a fluid grace that allowed him to blend into the crowd seamlessly. He maintained a careful distance, remaining unnoticed while keeping a close watch on the trio.

  The sisters made their way to the food stalls, sampling local delicacies and sharing laughters. They savored the unique flavors of the region. From street performers to merchandise vendors, they immersed themselves in the vibrant culture of the tournament.

  They soon came across a booth where an artist was creating stunning manga-style illustrations. Roselle's eyes sparkled with delight. Risebelle was impressed by the artist's talent. Runebelle observed quietly.

  The three sisters decided to join an art drawing competition put on by the Artist. The host, a lively individual with a microphone, announced the challenge: “Ladies and gentlemen, get ready for some artistic magic! Our incredible contestants have got just 15 minutes to unleash their creativity and draw a stunning lady holding an apple! That’s right, elegance meets nature in this epic art showdown!”

  He waved his arms outwards“Who’s gonna capture the perfect blend of grace and charm? Who’s gonna make that apple look like a piece of art? Stick around and witness the masterpieces unfold!”

  The timer started, the artists in the competition, including Roselle, Risebelle, and Runebelle, dove into their work.

  5 minutes into the competition, Roselle’s pencil snapped suddenly. She let out a small gasp. She glanced over at Risebelle, who was focused intently on her drawing. “Psst, Risebelle, I need a pencil!”

  Risebelle, absorbed in her work, ignored Roselle’s whisper. Roselle huffed and then tried to sneakily reach for one of Risebelle’s neatly arranged pencils. “I’ll just borrow one of these, okay?”

  Before she could grab one, Risebelle’s hand shot out and swatted Roselle’s hand away without even looking up. “Stop trying to steal my stuff!”

  Roselle pouted, looking defeated. Meanwhile, Runebelle, observing from her seat, saw her sister’s plight. With her usual somber look, she quietly got up from her seat and handed Roselle a pencil.

  Roselle’s face lit up with gratitude. She scooped up Runebelle and hugged her tightly “Thank you so much, Runebelle! You’re the best!”

  The announcer, noticing the commotion shouted, “Hey, hey, hey! Contestants are not supposed to leave their seats! What’s going on over there?”

  On cue, a tournament staff member approached and gently escorted Runebelle back to her seat. Runebelle, still with her usual gloomy face, took her place once more.

  Roselle gave Runebelle a quick thumbs-up before returning to her drawing,

  10 minutes later…

  "Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to reveal your artistic masterpieces! Who will capture the essence of elegance and nature in their art? Let's start with participants."

  The announcer began to go through the drawings with a practiced eye; however, his enthusiasm started to falter upon observing the artwork. Each drawing presented had some glaring issues.

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  One drawing was missing the apple entirely, with the lady simply holding her hand out. Another featured an apple, but the lady was nowhere to be seen, leaving only a floating fruit. Yet another piece had a lady, but the apple was so poorly drawn it looked like a squished tomato.

  The announcer's smile wavered. He had an increased bewilderment come on him. He cleared his throat and said, “Uh… Alright, let’s… let’s just take a moment here.”

  He flipped through the drawings again and tried to find something positive to say. “Well, uh, looks like we’ve had a bit of a, um, creative interpretation of the challenge. There’s certainly a lot of… unique approaches here!”

  Roselle held up her drawing, a beautifully detailed woman, but there was something missing. The audience noticed, and Risebelle didn't hesitate to point it out. “You forgot the apple, Roselle."

  Roselle quickly scribbled an apple onto her drawing, trying to fix the oversight. She held up the paper triumphantly.

  Risebelle pointed out with a smirk, “You forgot to color it, Roselle.”

  Roselle comically cried, and the audience chuckled at the mishap. Risebelle's turn came, and her drawing was quite unconventional, to say the least.

  "And next up, Risebelle! Let's see her artistic interpretation."

  Risebelle proudly presented her stick-figure woman holding an apple, complete with angry eyebrows and a stern glare.

  Risebelle stood next to her drawing and mirrored the stern look of her creation. Her posture was rigid, her gaze intense, and her arms crossed in a show of seriousness.

  The audience had been trying to hold back their laughter. After 5 seconds, they could no longer contain themselves. A wave of chuckles turned into outright laughter at Risebelle's deadpan portrayal of her own drawing. The announcer's laughter joined the crowd's.

  The announcer wiped tears of laughter from his eyes. He then managed to say, “Well, I think it’s safe to say we’ve had a truly unique display of artistic talent today.”

  Risebelle with a bit annoyance by the reaction, mumbled, "I tried."

  The crowd's attention shifted to Runebelle's drawing next. They had appreciative "ooh" and "ah" spreading through thethem. The detailed, graceful depiction of a woman holding an orange stood out distinctly from the other drawings.

  The announcer took a deep breath and addressed the crowd. “Now, this is a truly impressive piece of artwork! The detail, the craftsmanship—it’s incredible. But there’s one small issue…”

  He turned to Runebelle and asked, “You’ve drawn an orange instead of an apple. Can you tell us why?”

  Runebelle with a gloomy face looked up and tilted her head with a hint of confusion. “Wait, I thought you said orange.”

  The entire audience burst into uncontrollable laughter. Even the announcer, trying to maintain his professional demeanor doubled over. Tears of mirth streamed down his face.

  The competition of Art concluded. Roselle, Risebelle, and Runebelle continued their exploration of the tournament grounds for the next 15 minutes.

  Roselle's eyes lit up with excitement. She saw an area with with people dressed as cat girls. The colorful costumes and playful atmosphere intrigued her. She approached a group of cosplayers and began to chat with them about their outfits.

  Risebelle observed her younger sister's enthusiasm with amusement and mild concern. She leaned over to Roselle and whispered, "You're enjoying this a bit too much, aren't you, Roselle?"

  Roselle beamed and responded, "It's all in good fun, Risebelle! Look how cute these costumes are! Aren't you tempted to try one on?"

  Risebelle raised an eyebrow. "There's no way I'm dressing up like that."

  Chalcon approached Roselle, Risebelle, and Runebelle. He had a stern and somewhat frustrated look on his face.

  "Hey, is that a boy or a girl," Roselle asked.

  Chalcon's eyebrows furrowed in irritation. "Of course, I'm a boy! Don't be ridiculous!"

  Roselle laughed. "Oops, sorry, didn't mean to make you mad.”

  Chalcon huffed and crossed his arms. "Just don't make any more assumptions.”

  Chalcon's frustration seemed to shift from anger toperplexity. He looked at Roselle, Risebelle, and Runebelle and said, "I've been following you to gather information, but all you've done is wander around aimlessly. I can't even sense your presence, and that's strange. You're like robots or something. So, why can you transform like that?"

  The sisters exchanged glances, a bit taken aback by Chalcon's direct question. Risebelle replied, "Well, it's a secret. We can't just tell anyone."

  Roselle chimed in with a mischievous grin, "But you can join us for a little fun if you promise not to tell anyone, ‘Mr. Angry Boy.’"

  Chalcon crossed his arms with a pout. "Absolutely not! I have no interest in your little games," he retorted and pointed towards Roselle. "Just you wait, Roselle. If we meet in the tournament, I'm going to kick your ass and make you eat those words!"

  Roselle was puzzled by Chalcon's strong reaction. "I don't get why you're getting so worked up about this...”

  Roselle gave Chalcon a smile. “Anyway, good luck, Mr. Angry Boy!"

  Chalcon's anger escalated. Without waiting for further discussion, he swiftly drew his sword. "Fight me right now! I'll make you stop insulting me, once and for all!"

  Roselle stared at Chalcon, taken aback by his sudden aggression. "Hey, I wasn’t actually trying to insult you," she said while raising her hands up and waving them infront of her. "We were just having some fun. No need to get all worked up."

  Chalcon's face was flushed with anger. He gripped his sword tightly. “Enough with the excuses! If you’re so keen on playing games, let’s settle this right now. Summon your big cannon and let’s have it out—one-on-one!”

  Chalcon started to charge forward at Roselle. He suddenly felt a sharp, precise karate chop land on his head. The unexpected blow halted him in his tracks, and he stumbled back, momentarily stunned.

  Standing there with a warm, almost sweet smile was Chala, Chalcon's twin sister. Chala gently chided her brother, "Chalcon, you really don't have to be so angry all the time. Let's not spoil the tournament with unnecessary fights."

  Chalcon rubbed his head where Chala had delivered the karate chop. Roselle nodded towards Chala. "Yeah, we're here to have fun, right?"

  Chala's smile remained. She added, "Fun, indeed. Remember, dear brother, there's a time and place for everything."

  After the tension betweeen Chalcon and Roselle had subsided, a large TV screen nearby flickered to life, capturing the attention of the group. On the screen, the tournament's announcer appeared.

  “Alright, folks, listen up! The first round of the Western Practice Tournament has been nothing short of spectacular, and now, we’re cranking it up a notch for the second round!”

  She flashed a wide grin, “In just 15 minutes, we’ll dive into even more heart-pounding action. Let’s break down these matchups for ya!”

  With a dramatic pause, she continued, “First up, we’ve got Chalcon squaring off against Myra! Oo la la! This one’s gonna be interestin!”

  She then announced next match. “Next, brace yourselves for Faelan versus Roselle! Expect nothing but fireworks when these two throw down!”

  The announcer grew even more excited. “And hold onto your seats, ‘cause Muiler G’s taking on Chala in a battle that’s gonna be fierce and unrelenting!”

  “And in the last bout of the second round, it’s Rawna versus Kael! These two are sure to bring the heat!”

  The crowd that was back at the arena roared with excitement.

  “Get ready, y’all, this round’s gonna be explosive! You don’t wanna miss a second of the action!”

  Chala's shifted while recognized her opponent, Muiler G. Muiler G was renowned for her versatility in combat and the frightening ability of her Kyosa. It was not a matchup to be taken lightly.

  Chalcon got straight to the point. "Chala, can you win this match? Muiler G is no ordinary opponent."

  Chala's response was confident She met her brother's eyes with confidence. "Of course, I can win. I conquered the Eastern Annual Tournament last year, and in this practice tournament, I aim to show them all a taste of what they can expect this year. Besides, you worry too much, Chalcon. I've got this."

  Chalcon nodded. "Alright, Chala. Just don’t croak to Muiler G's Kyosa. That Sword magic’s bad news."

  Chala smiled in response."I can handle it. And who knows, maybe I'll even have a little fun."

  Roselle, Risebelle, and Runebelle couldn't help but notice a subtle, sadistic undertone in her smile.

  Roselle thought to herself, ‘There’s something about the way she smiles…’