Really cool battle theme! In the 1996 version, you did a great job making a lot interesting variations and changes throughout the song, so nothing ever felt boring despite the limited sound palate. I also really enjoyed a lot of the little details in the 2026 version like the chanting in the background, small stuff like that can really elevate tracks (also that genre shift near the end is awesome). I don't really have any obvious critiques, good work!
btw, I'm also just impressed that you managed to make 2 really strong submissions in such a short period.