The rest of the room was equally as surprised and curious to see who this new challenger would be, the air heavy with anticipation.

  The person approached, and it was a face Alice was familiar with: Chelsea.

  Chelsea strode her way to the stand, her gear wristlets clinking with every swing, looking at Ennis with that infectious smile she's known for.

  Ennis, meanwhile, gave the girl a once-over, her poker face betraying no thoughts or emotions as she studied Chelsea's appearance.

  The crowd, which was still a bit worked up from Marcus' argument, seemed confused, and even somewhat amused by this new competitor.

  After a moment or two of silence, Ennis finally spoke up. "So—I take it you'll be my next challenger, hm?”

  "That I am," Chelsea chirped, not the least bit intimidated, her smile never wavering even as she spoke to the old (and somewhat intimidating) witch towering over her.

  The crowd muttered amongst themselves, several of them making comments about how cute and fearless Chelsea was, others wondering what sort of argument she would try and bring to the debate.

  Ennis merely hummed in response, her grip on her cane shifting slightly as she met Chelsea's smile with a cool, almost bored demeanor.

  "And what is your argument?" she asked, waiting patiently to see what this seemingly fearless biker girl would have to offer.

  Chelsea grinned, clearly excited to finally get her turn. "Well," she started with a playful bounce in her voice, "it's simple really! Humans aren't all bad!"

  The crowd murmured at that statement, some nodding along while others rolled their eyes or scoffed.

  Ennis merely waited for Chelsea to continue before speaking again herself.

  "So let me ask you this: If humans aren't all bad...then why did they use it strictly for destructive purposes throughout history?" Ennis countered calmly but firmly. "There's the Fairy Genocide of Year 105, the Fairylyl's first World War in the 1100s, chattel slavery during the 1400s to the late 2000s, Black Mensa during the 2100s, the massive witch hunts that occurred at the same time Black Mensa took place, the second World War in 2600, the third one in the 3300s...and those are only a few examples of humanity using Void Magic to push wicked agendas and make other humans, including other races, suffer.”

  The murmurs in the audience grew louder at that, some people whispering back and forth in agreement with Ennis' points while others seemed almost annoyed by the fact that the old witch had an answer for everything.

  Chelsea, on the other hand, didn't seem deterred in the slightest, her grin unwavering as she continued to speak: "I'm not denying those things happened, but that doesn't change the fact that humans are still capable of being good! We're not all power-hungry monsters, y'know!”

  Ennis let out a long, slow breath through her nose before responding. "The problem isn't all humans," she said carefully, as if explaining something simple to a child. "It's the ones who can use Void Magic."

  She gestured with one hand toward Chelsea, almost like an accusation.

  "You say they're not all power-hungry monsters? Fine. But what happens when those same people get their hands on Void Magic and decide they want more than just 'good' things?”

  Chelsea's smile finally faltered slightly, the realization of what Ennis was implying finally setting in.

  The rest of the audience was completely silent now, all of them hanging on to every word Ennis spoke as if she had them in a sort of trance.

  Ennis took advantage of the silence to continue: "History's proven time, and time, and time again that it's impossible for humans to resist the temptation of power. They'll always use it for selfish, destructive purposes, so why, why risk letting them use Void Magic?”

  The crowd was tense now, every single person waiting on Chelsea's response. Chelsea, for her part, seemed deep in thought, her cheerful demeanor from before completely gone as the reality of Ennis' words hit her.

  Finally, she spoke, her voice quieter than usual. "Well...I can use Void Magic but I'm not using it for nefarious reasons, what about me?”

  At that, Ennis let out a scoff, a small, mirthless laugh that seemed to hold all the bitter knowledge in the world.

  "Oh, please. You're just one person," she said, her voice filled with a mix of scorn and pity. "One person who's somehow 'good'...compared to the millions of others who aren't. Are you seriously going to argue that one person is enough to justify giving this power to the rest of your species?”

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  Chelsea was clearly unprepared for such a response, her mind racing to come up with a good response and coming up empty.

  The crowd was utterly silent now, all eyes fixed on Chelsea to see what she would say to counter Ennis' words.

  Ennis, meanwhile, wasn't finished: "Your argument is na?ve, and unrealistic."

  She leaned forward slightly, her gaze like a blade as she held Chelsea with an almost mocking stare.

  "One good person cannot redeem the rest of your species, dear girl.”

  At Ennis' comment, Chelsea felt a small pang of hurt in her chest, the old witch's cold logic and harsh words cutting deep.

  But instead of breaking, or backing down, Chelsea simply squared her small shoulders, met Ennis' stare with her own defiant one. "Well, maybe they can't," she said quietly, "but…I think it's worth a shot, don't you?"

  This time, it was Ennis' turn to be caught off guard.

  The old witch's smirk faltered slightly as her gaze narrowed, confusion and interest warring with the old bitterness.

  The audience exploded at that, some in outrage, others clapping or cheering Chelsea's defiance.

  Ennis' smirk was long gone now, her expression completely unreadable as she watched the small biker girl stand up for something so…so hopelessly optimistic.

  For a few seconds, there was only silence before Ennis finally spoke again: "And what if they don't? What then?"

  Chelsea grinned, just slightly this time, but it carried more weight than any of her earlier ones had.

  "Then I guess I'll just have to keep trying until they do.”

  An almost amused scoff left Ennis' lips. "Oh, you're persistent, I'll give you that," she said, a trace of something that almost sounded like approval in her tone before it disappeared again. "But your optimism is na?ve. You're just one person. You think you're going to make a difference?"

  Chelsea's smile widened a bit more, a hint of determination and…hope in her eyes. "I know I can.”

  For a moment, Ennis was taken aback by the sheer conviction behind Chelsea's words. She could feel her own icy composure slipping slightly, her heart strangely moved by the biker girl's determination.

  But just as quickly as the emotion came, Ennis smothered it, returning to her cold, logical side as she gave Chelsea a cool glance up and down. "One person against billions. You're playing a fool's game.”

  Another pang hit Chelsea in the chest at Ennis' words, but she pushed it aside, determination shining in her bright green eyes.

  "Maybe I am," she agreed, a hint of vulnerability laced in her tone despite the firm set of her shoulders, "but that doesn't mean I'm wrong."

  The crowd, meanwhile, was still completely silent, watching this strange, quiet battle between the two with baited breath.

  With one more look at Chelsea, Ennis asked flatly: "How do you feel about discrimination?”

  Chelsea blinked in surprise at the sudden change in topic, confusion clear on her face.

  "I, uh…hate it. Obviously," Chelsea answered, wondering where on earth Ennis was going with this. "The idea that someone would look down on, screw over or even physically harm another purely on the basis of their skin color, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and what have you? It boils my blood, and a world full of hate like that is not a world I want to live in."

  The crowd clapped in approval at that, and a hint of something almost like approval flickered in Ennis' gaze, but it was so faint that it was practically unnoticeable.

  "Good answer," she said, the tiniest bit of warmth creeping into her voice as she continued. "You're not a bigot, then. Now, as I've mentioned a bit earlier, humans used Void Magic to discriminate against other races. The Fairy Genocide, most notably. And even against fellow human beings. Elbrastion's chattel slavery. South Yushalia's Apartheid regime. And most infamously, Black Mensa, which led to humanity nearly causing its own extinction. So my question for you is: if humanity continues to have Void Magic at their disposal, then what if another tragedy strikes just because they hate anyone who doesn't look like you?”

  And there it was, the million dollar question.

  Chelsea felt like her heart was being squeezed in her chest the moment those words left Ennis' lips.

  The audience seemed to realize the weight of Ennis' words too, several people muttered amongst themselves as they waited for Chelsea's answer.

  Chelsea swallowed the huge lump in her throat, fighting back the sudden sense of helplessness that threatened to overwhelm her.

  She had to admit, in a way, Ennis' point was...spot on.

  But she wouldn't give in. Not yet.

  It was clear Ennis saw that Chelsea's resolve was wavering a bit, and a cruel spark of satisfaction flickered in her gaze as she saw the slight crack in Chelsea's stubborn optimism.

  "You know this to be possible," she said, almost like she was rubbing the point home, "So tell me, could you sit back and just watch humans destroy themselves, and everyone else, with Void Magic if it meant that one 'good' person could use it well? Would you?”

  And there it was: the crux of Ennis' argument.

  Chelsea felt the weight of the question hit her like a punch to the chest. Her mind was working desperately to come up with a response, something to rebut Ennis' words and keep her optimism from being snuffed out completely.

  But no matter how hard she thought, there was just no way to get around it.

  As if Ennis knew just how to twist the knife, she spoke again: "You're hesitating. You know I'm correct. It also doesn't help that Void Magic users can just choose their ability. That's quite the dangerous weapon for a race as destructive as humankind.”

  And that was it, the final blow.

  Chelsea's shoulders sagged slightly as she realized Ennis had her. The old witch had been building up to this moment, and now, after all of Chelsea's defiant optimism…she couldn’t think of a single counterargument.

  Ennis smirked faintly at the sight before speaking again:

  "Good girl."

  Her tone wasn't mocking anymore; instead, it carried something almost like approval, or pity? Either way...she won this debate fair and square.

  The crowd erupted into murmurs once more as they processed what had just happened…while Chelsea stood there silently defeated for once in her life.

  "I...I concede. Maybe someone else here can take on your point, but thanks for giving me a chance," Chelsea concluded, shaking Ennis's wrinkly hand.

  As they grasped hands, Ennis' smirk grew a bit wider. "You've got a good heart, Chelsea. Unfortunately, that kind of thing can only get you so far. Thank you for your time."

  The crowd clapped for Chelsea, while Ennis glanced at the rest of the crowd, her gaze sweeping over the other people that had lined up just for the chance to take her on. "Perhaps the next one will have something more…substantial to offer," she said, almost as if she were already thinking about how she'd tear the next argument apart, too.