Themis Academy had been pushed to the brink in its battle against Almireas Academy. Sitting in Training Hall No. 7, few spectators could remain calm as they witnessed the unfolding crisis with their own eyes.
The expressions of most reporters in the press box were complex. On one hand, they were citizens of Fira Planet and naturally favored the local Themis Academy. On the other hand, a headline proclaiming “Almireas Academy’s Physical Combat Division utterly crushes Themis Academy” would be far more sensational than a simple “Themis Academy sweeps Almireas Academy” story.
As for those spectators who had specifically come to support Themis Academy—especially the men—most had already clenched their fists tightly and stood up, gritting their teeth. Even the Imperial nobles who deliberately maintained aristocratic decorum and refrained from standing with the crowd could hardly maintain their composure.
Themis Academy’s Physical Combat Division was undeniably among the top five in the entire Empire—a truly formidable force!
The nobles of Fira Planet had specially carved out time from their busy schedules to come watch Themis Academy’s matches precisely to witness their dominance, to see them crush their opponents and bring forth excitement and honor—not to see them crushed themselves!
Themis Academy was pushed to the brink in their battle against Almysis Academy. Sitting in the No. 7 training ground, the spectators who witnessed this unfolding drama could hardly remain calm! Most of the reporters in the press box wore complex expressions. On one hand, as residents of the planet Fira, they naturally leaned toward the local Themis Academy. On the other hand, compared to the news of “Themis Academy sweeping Almysis Academy,” the headline “Almysis Academy’s Combat Department Crushes Themis Academy” would undoubtedly pack a far greater punch!
As for the audience who had come specifically to support Themis Academy—especially the men—most of them had clenched their fists, gritted their teeth, and stood up. Even the imperial nobles, who prided themselves on maintaining their aristocratic demeanor and refrained from standing with the crowd, could hardly keep their composure.
Themis Academy’s Combat Department was undoubtedly one of the top five in the entire empire, a force to be reckoned with! The nobles of Fira had taken time out of their busy schedules to watch Themis Academy’s matches, expecting to see them dominate their opponents and bring glory and excitement, not to witness them being humiliated!
Especially since Themis Academy was now facing those damned, contemptible Cassares bumpkins! If Themis Academy’s Combat Department were to lose to Almysis Academy, wouldn’t these Fira nobles be laughed out of the imperial capital the next time they visited?
What? You actually lost to the perpetually defeated Almysis? Hahaha…
Unbearable! Just imagining such a scenario made the Fira nobles want to curse.
Of course, in the No. 7 training hall, the ones with the most ashen faces were undoubtedly Governor Karayan and Chief Instructor Gelt. Governor Karayan’s iron-gray expression showed that he was on the verge of an explosive outburst. Chief Instructor Gelt’s face was equally dark, almost dripping with fury. The only reason the two hadn’t erupted like volcanoes was that they still held onto their last hope on the field.
If Link could hold out until the end and win this match, Themis Academy would remain the undisputed champion of the Southern Realm. The previous failures and mockery would naturally vanish into thin air.
Otherwise…
Governor Karayan gripped his cane so tightly that it creaked several times.
“…Although the situation has suddenly taken a turn for the worse for Themis Academy, they are clearly not yet in despair. After all, their greatest trump card, Link, the most talented combat student in the Southern Realm, is still fighting tenaciously!” Bolter’s voice boomed over the broadcast, rallying the Themis supporters.
“Exactly! Themis Academy was far too complacent this time, far too complacent! In fact, their earlier losses weren’t due to a lack of strength. In terms of ability, Themis Academy is still far superior to Almysis Academy.” Sir Wilson, unwavering in his support for Themis, lamented loudly. They had completely overlooked Almysis Academy’s tactics. Almysis had used three low-tier fighters to tie up Link himself, then disrupted Themis Academy’s rhythm with a surprise assault. That’s why Themis had fallen behind.
“However, now that the obstacles have been cleared from Link’s path, it’s entirely possible for Link, a ninth-tier all-round genius, to defeat the remaining four on his own! The time for the genius to strike back is at hand!” Sir Wilson declared resolutely, even as he continued to lament.
And the situation on the field seemed to validate Sir Wilson’s prediction.
Under Link’s relentless onslaught, Amelie and the others gradually exhausted their combat energy and stamina. Soon, Zack accidentally strayed from the protection of his two companions while enduring Link’s attack. Link seized this golden opportunity without hesitation.
Blue combat energy, like lightning, instantly enveloped the crystal sword in Link’s hand, hissing like a venomous snake as it thrust toward Zack’s right shoulder.
Despite Zack’s desperate evasion and Amelie and Claude’s best efforts, the trio, now exposed, couldn’t withstand Link’s full-powered strike.
Earlier, the three had managed to hold their ground against Link’s attacks solely due to their impeccable teamwork. Whenever Link targeted one of them, he would always face interference from the other two, while the targeted one would counterattack, preventing Link from unleashing his full power. At the same time, the two blocking Link’s attacks wouldn’t directly confront his terrifying ninth-tier combat energy but instead cleverly redirected it elsewhere.
But now, Zack’s misstep left Amelie and Claude without the proper distance to react. Link, an all-rounder, attacked with such speed that Amelie and Claude had little time to respond.
In their desperation, Amelie and Claude had no choice but to grit their teeth and clash head-on with Link.
Four swords, brimming with combat energy, clashed in succession. Although Amelie and the others outnumbered Link three to one, the gap in combat energy left them utterly defenseless.
Amid the explosions from the collision of combat energy, Link emerged unscathed, while the three from Almysis Academy were forcefully pushed back several meters. Zack, who bore the brunt of the attack, was sent flying.
Even with only a fifth of his true power, a ninth-tier warrior’s full strike was more than Zack, who was barely at the sixth tier, could withstand. The energy surge from the attack tore through the combat suit on his right shoulder, leaving deep gashes.
“Hahaha!!” Link’s ferocious assault instantly ignited the Themis supporters.
“Crush those Almysis bumpkins!” The men leaped from their seats, raising their fists in excitement, while hurling jeers at Xiao Xi, who still stood at the far end of the field.
In their eyes, Zack and the others, having taken a hit from Link, were no longer capable of fighting. It would be a miracle if they could even stand. Link’s only remaining opponent was Xiao Xi, also a ninth-tier fighter.
Unlike the women, the men wouldn’t show any mercy just because a beautiful woman stood in the arena. A beauty in the arena only fueled their violent desires.
“Hey, little beauty, come here and let Uncle spoil you!” A crude-looking man, dressed in a garish outfit and adorned with gaudy gold rings, leaned over the edge of the spectator stands, making obscene gestures toward Xiao Xi.
Standing in the midst of the chaotic arena, Xiao Xi gritted her teeth so hard they creaked, and the always half-curled strand of hair on her head stood straight up in anger.
“Haha! Angry? Come on, baby, Uncle Fei is waiting for you!” The ugly man continued to shout shamelessly, laughing and boasting to those around him.
The ugly man wasn’t blind to the anger on Xiao Xi’s pretty face, but he didn’t care. He didn’t believe Xiao Xi would risk disqualification by retaliating against him.
In inter-academy combat matches, it was explicitly stated that “competitors must not engage in disputes with spectators.” Of course, this rule was often treated as a mere formality. But now, the Themis referees were all watching Xiao Xi’s every move. Even if she flipped the bird at the foul-mouthed upstart, they would immediately remove her from the field.
Without their ninth-tier ace, wouldn’t Almysis be doomed? Would that red-haired beauty dare to shoulder such a responsibility? Heh! It seemed no matter how much he humiliated her, she would have to endure it. The upstart man thought smugly, his gaze on Xiao Xi as if he wanted to strip her naked.
“Ah! It’s unclear what’s causing the delay, but Almysis Academy’s Xiao Xi seems hesitant to act. From her expression, she appears to be struggling with something. Ah… we can see that Xiao Xi seems to be influenced by some of the spectators outside the arena!” As Bolter’s commentary continued, the screen coincidentally showed Xiao Xi and the upstart man in the spectator stands behind her.
As a commentator clearly biased toward Themis Academy, Bolter naturally glossed over the upstart’s indecent behavior. The telekinetic responsible for recording and transmitting the footage also let the image flash by briefly. However, it didn’t escape Zhang Wen’s notice.
“Hey, hey, Themis people, no matter how much you want to be the strongest in the Southern Realm, you can’t stoop this low… Xiao Xi is still a minor!” Zhang Wen shook his head, then suddenly smirked, quickly pulling out his communicator and placing it to his ear.
In the No. 7 training hall, the upstart by the arena continued to dance excitedly, spurred on by Xiao Xi’s anger.
Meanwhile, Link didn’t take advantage of Xiao Xi’s distraction. He quickly re-engaged Zack and the others in a second round of combat. However, the injured trio clearly lacked their earlier composure. Under Link’s increasingly fierce sword strikes, they were like a small boat in a raging storm.
“Ugh!” Seeing Zack and the others in constant peril, Xiao Xi stomped her foot in frustration, finally raising her head as if making a decision.
Although the disgusting upstart made Xiao Xi want to tear his foul mouth apart, she had promised Zhang Wen that she would do her best to win the match today. Xiao Xi wasn’t the type to break her word.
“Oh! It seems Almysis’s ace is finally ready for the final showdown. Ninth-tier all-rounder Link versus ninth-tier speedster Xiao Xi—what will the outcome be? Sir Wilson?”
“Without a doubt, ninth-tier all-rounder Link is a cut above his opponent! This isn’t even a fair fight! Link will undoubtedly defeat… huh? Wait… wait! What are the Almysis people up to now?” Sir Wilson’s impassioned speech was interrupted as he suddenly exclaimed in shock.
“This… another shocking scene has unfolded on the field! The Almysis people must be insane!” The experienced commentator Bolter also shouted in astonishment.
“Damn it! Those cursed Almysis people!” Sitting in front of the flickering screen, the combat enthusiast driver gritted his teeth in frustration, yet he had no idea what was happening. For him, this was destined to be a day of nerve-wracking torment.
As for the spectators watching the match live in the No. 7 training hall, they once again witnessed a scene beyond their imagination.
Just as everyone thought Xiao Xi would join the fray against Link, Jialit suddenly rushed out from the rest area.
Naturally, when Jialit reached the door leading from the rest area to the hall, she was stopped by Themis students maintaining order.
“Fine, I won’t go over then!” Seeing that the Themis students showed no intention of budging, Jialit pouted. Then, she took a step back, cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone, and took a deep breath.
“Xiao Xi, Teacher Zhang says, forget about the match! Go slap that scumbag’s mouth shut! He won’t stand for this nonsense!”
Jialit’s clear, melodious voice, amplified by telekinetic energy, instantly echoed throughout the training hall, drowning out the clamor of the thousands of spectators.
“Alright, bye-bye.” After shouting, Jialit playfully waved at the stunned Themis students, covering her mouth to stifle her laughter as she ran back into the rest area.
The training hall fell silent. All the spectators were startled, searching for the source of the voice. The upstart making obscene gestures at Xiao Xi blinked in confusion, still not understanding what was happening.
“Hmm…” Although Zhang Wen’s request was tempting, the red-haired girl was still hesitant. After all, she had promised Zhang Wen she would help him win the match.
“Hey, Xiao Xi, what are you waiting for? Don’t let that guy get away!” Taking advantage of a lull in Link’s assault, Amelie pointed at the upstart.
“But…”
“Humph! At this point, everyone knows we’ve won! Teacher Zhang means the match doesn’t matter anymore. We Cassares people don’t take insults lying down! Xiao Xi, go beat that bastard!” Amelie waved her fist menacingly, bolstering Xiao Xi’s resolve.
“What? You actually lost to the Almireas losers who never win? Hahaha…”
Unacceptable! The nobles of Fira Planet couldn’t even bear to imagine such a scene in their minds without feeling the urge to curse.
Of course, among the spectators in Training Hall No. 7, the two with the most grim expressions were undoubtedly Governor Karajan and Chief Instructor Gelt. Karajan’s ashen face revealed that the governor of Fira Planet was on the verge of an explosive outburst. Chief Instructor Gelt’s expression was equally dark and gloomy. The only reason neither had erupted like a volcano was because there was still one last hope remaining on the battlefield.
If Link could endure until the end and win this match, Themis Academy would still emerge as the undisputed number one in the South. All previous failures and humiliations would naturally vanish.
Otherwise…
Governor Karajan tightened his grip on his cane, producing several creaking sounds.
“Although the situation has suddenly turned dire for Themis Academy, the battle is far from over. After all, their greatest trump card—Link, the most talented physical combat student in the South—still fights on!” Boerte loudly encouraged the Themis supporters through the broadcast.
“That’s right! Themis Academy was simply too arrogant this time—far too arrogant! In fact, their earlier defeats weren’t due to inferior strength. In terms of actual power, Themis Academy still far surpasses Almireas Academy.” Sir Wilson remained equally steadfast, continuing to vocally support Themis. With heartfelt indignation, he lamented their complete failure to anticipate Almireas Academy’s tactics. The Almireas team had used three lower-ranked fighters to stall Link while launching surprise attacks to disrupt Themis Academy’s rhythm, which led to their current disadvantage.
“However, now that the nuisances have been cleared from the battlefield, Link—the ninth-stage all-around genius—might very well defeat the remaining four opponents on his own! This is the moment when the genius will launch his counterattack!” As he lamented, Sir Wilson declared with absolute certainty.
And indeed, the situation on the battlefield seemed to validate Sir Wilson’s prophecy.
Under Link’s relentless, increasingly powerful attacks, Amylis and her two companions gradually exhausted their combat energy and physical stamina. Soon, Zack accidentally broke formation while enduring Link’s assault, separating himself from his two teammates. Link seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity without hesitation.
A surge of blue combat energy, like lightning, instantly filled Link’s crystal-energy sword. With a hissing sound like a venomous snake, it stabbed directly toward Zack’s right shoulder.
Despite Zack’s desperate evasive maneuvers and Amylis and Cloud’s utmost efforts, this time, the trio’s exposed vulnerability left them unable to withstand Link’s full-force strike.
The reason Amylis and her companions had managed to barely endure Link’s attacks earlier was entirely due to their exceptional coordination. Whenever Link attacked one of them, he always faced resistance from two opponents, while the targeted member would counterattack, preventing Link from unleashing his full strength. At the same time, the two blocking Link’s attacks never directly absorbed his terrifying ninth-stage combat energy but skillfully redirected it elsewhere.
But now, Zack’s exposed position gave Amylis and Cloud no suitable distance to maneuver. Link, the all-around genius, moved with incredible speed, leaving Amylis and Cloud with practically no reaction time.
In desperation, Amylis and Cloud could only grit their teeth and engage Link head-on.
Four swords, brimming with combat energy, clashed one after another. Although Amylis and her companions fought three against one, the gap in their combat energy left them utterly helpless in counterattack.
Amidst the explosion of colliding energies, Link emerged unscathed, while the three from Almireas were violently blown backward several meters. Zack, who bore the brunt of the attack, was sent flying.
Even at just one-fifth of his true power, a full-strength ninth-stage strike was still far beyond what Zack, who had barely reached the sixth stage, could endure. The energy wave from the impact shredded his battle uniform at the right shoulder, carving several deep wounds into his shoulder.
“Haha!!” Link’s fierce assault instantly ignited the Themis supporters.
“Crush those Almireas bumpkins!” The men leapt from their seats in excitement, raising their arms in triumphant cheers while sending mocking jeers toward Xiao Xi, who still stood at the far end of the arena.
In their eyes, Zack and his companions, having suffered Link’s blow, were already incapable of further combat. That they could still stand at all was nothing short of a miracle. Thus, Link’s sole remaining opponent could only be Xiao Xi, also a ninth-stage fighter.
Unlike the women, men didn’t spare any sympathy for a beautiful opponent simply because she was a woman. In fact, a beautiful fighter on the battlefield only further ignited their brutal desires.
“Hey there, pretty girl! Come on, let Uncle show you some real love!” A vulgar-looking man, dressed tastelessly and adorned with flashy gold rings on every finger, resembling a nouveau riche, actually ran to the edge of the spectator stands, leaning halfway out while making lewd gestures toward Xiao Xi.
Standing in the center of the noisy arena, Xiao Xi clenched her teeth so hard they nearly cracked. Even the ever-slightly-askew strand of hair atop her head stood upright in fury.
“Haha! Getting angry? Come on, baby! Big Brother Fei is waiting for you right here!” The hideous man continued shouting shamelessly, laughing as he proudly showed off to the surrounding crowd.
The ugly man certainly noticed the anger on Xiao Xi’s pretty face, but he didn’t care in the slightest. He didn’t believe Xiao Xi would dare retaliate against him at this moment, risking disqualification from the match.
In inter-academy dueling competitions within the Empire, it was explicitly stipulated that “competitors must not engage in disputes with spectators.” Of course, this rule was practically meaningless in most situations. However, right now, the Themis referees were all staring wide-eyed at Xiao Xi’s every move. Even if Xiao Xi so much as flipped the bird at the vulgar, foul-mouthed nouveau riche, they would immediately remove her from the match.
Without their ninth-stage ace, wouldn’t Almireas be doomed to defeat? Did that red-haired beauty have the guts to bear such a massive responsibility? Heh! It seemed no matter how much he insulted the red-haired girl, she would have to swallow her humiliation and endure it. The nouveau riche man thought smugly to himself, his eyes fixed on Xiao Xi as if trying to strip her naked with his gaze.
“Ahh! For some unknown reason, Almireas Academy’s Xiao Xi has yet to take action. Judging from her expression, she seems somewhat hesitant… Ah… We can see that Xiao Xi appears to be affected by some audience members off the field!” As Boerte narrated, the screen conveniently displayed Xiao Xi and the vulgar nouveau riche man behind her in the stands.
As a commentator clearly favoring Themis Academy, Boerte naturally skillfully glossed over the nouveau riche man’s disgraceful behavior. Similarly, the telepathic projectionist handling live imagery merely let the scene flash by briefly. However, it didn’t escape Zhang Wen’s notice.
“Hey! No matter how much Themis wants to be the strongest in the South, they shouldn’t stoop this low… Xiao Xi is still a minor!” Zhang Wen shook his head, suddenly smirking as he quickly pulled out a communicator and pressed it to his ear.
Back in Training Hall No. 7, the nouveau riche man near the arena continued dancing around excitedly, Xiao Xi’s furious expression only fueling his performance further.
Meanwhile, Link didn’t take advantage of Xiao Xi’s distraction. He quickly engaged Zack and his companions in a second round of combat. However, the injured trio, particularly Zack, clearly lacked their earlier composure. Under Link’s increasingly fierce attacks, the three resembled a small boat in a raging storm.
“Ugh!” Seeing Zack and his companions in such dire straits, Xiao Xi stomped her foot in frustration before finally lifting her head decisively.
Although she longed to tear apart that disgusting nouveau riche’s foul mouth, she had promised Zhang Wen that she would do her utmost to win today’s match. Xiao Xi was no one who would break her promises.
“Oh! It seems Almireas’ ace is finally ready to begin the final showdown. Ninth-stage all-around Link versus ninth-stage speedster Xiao Xi—what kind of outcome will this be, Mr. Wilson?”
“Without a doubt, ninth-stage all-around Link is clearly in a completely different league! This isn’t even a fair fight! Link will undoubtedly defeat… Wait… Wait a minute! What are the Almireas people planning now?” Just as Sir Wilson reached the climax of his passionate commentary, he suddenly shrieked in shock, as if he had seen a ghost.
“This… This is another shocking moment on the battlefield! The Almireas people must have gone mad!” Experienced commentator Boerte also shouted in astonishment.
“Damn it! Those damned Almireas bastards!” Sitting in front of the screen that had begun jumping around again, the dueling enthusiast driver gritted his teeth in frustration, completely confused about what was happening. For him, this was destined to be a day of endless torment.
As for the spectators watching the match live in Training Hall No. 7, they were about to witness yet another scene beyond their imagination.
Just as everyone assumed Xiao Xi would join the battle against Link, Karla suddenly burst out from the locker room.
Naturally, as Karla reached the door from the locker room to the arena, she was immediately blocked by Themis students maintaining order.
“Fine, if you won’t let me through, I won’t go!” Seeing the Themis students showed no sign of yielding, Karla pouted. Then, she took a step back, cupped her hands into a megaphone shape around her mouth, and took a deep breath.
“Xiao Xi, Teacher Zhang says—forget about the match! Go beat that vulgar creep’s mouth to a pulp! He won’t hold it against you!”
Karla’s clear, melodious voice, amplified by telepathic energy, instantly echoed throughout the entire training hall. Even the surrounding cacophony of thousands of spectators shouting was drowned out by Karla’s voice.
“Okay, see you later!” After shouting, Karla playfully waved goodbye to the stunned Themis students, covering her mouth to suppress her giggles as she ran back into the locker room.
The training hall fell silent. All the spectators turned in surprise, searching for the source of the voice. The nouveau riche man who had been making lewd gestures toward Xiao Xi blinked in confusion, not yet understanding what had just happened.
“Umm…” Although Teacher Zhang’s suggestion greatly tempted Xiao Xi, the red-haired girl still hesitated. After all, she had promised Zhang Wen that she would help him win the match.
“Hey! Xiao Xi, what are you waiting for? Don’t let that guy get away!” Taking advantage of the momentary pause in Link’s assault, Amylis pointed toward the nouveau riche.
“But…”
In the battle between Themis Academy and Almicus Academy, Themis Academy was unexpectedly pushed to the brink. The spectators sitting in Training Ground Seven, witnessing this unfold, could hardly remain calm! Most of the reporters in the press box wore complex expressions. On one hand, as residents of Planet Fira, they naturally leaned towards the local Themis Academy. On the other hand, compared to the news of “Themis Academy sweeping Almicus Academy,” the explosive potential of “Almicus Academy’s Combat Department completely crushing Themis Academy” was far greater!
Those who had come specifically to support Themis Academy—especially the men—had mostly clenched their fists, gritted their teeth, and stood up. Even the imperial nobles, who prided themselves on maintaining their aristocratic demeanor and refrained from standing with the crowd, could hardly keep their composure.
Themis Academy’s Combat Department was undoubtedly among the top five in the entire empire, a force to be reckoned with! The nobles of Planet Fira had taken time out of their busy schedules to watch Themis Academy’s matches, expecting to see them dominate their opponents and bring glory, not to witness them being crushed!
Especially since Themis Academy was now facing those detestable, lowly Cassares bumpkins! If Themis Academy’s Combat Department were to lose to Almicus Academy, wouldn’t these Fira nobles be laughed at by those damned imperial nobles when they visited the capital?!
What? You actually lost to the perpetually defeated Almicus? Hahaha…
Unbearable! Just imagining such a scenario made the Fira nobles want to curse.
Of course, in Training Ground Seven, the ones with the ugliest expressions were undoubtedly Governor Kalayan and Chief Instructor Gelt. Governor Kalayan’s ashen face indicated that he was on the verge of an explosion. Chief Instructor Gelt’s expression was equally dark, almost dripping with anger. The only reason they hadn’t erupted like volcanoes was that they still held onto their last hope on the field.
If Link could hold on and win this match, Themis Academy would remain the undisputed champion of the Southern Realm. The previous failures and mockery would naturally vanish.
Otherwise…
Governor Kalayan gripped his cane so tightly it creaked several times.
“…Although the situation has suddenly taken a turn for the worse, Themis Academy is not yet in despair. After all, their biggest trump card, Link, the most talented combat student in the Southern Realm, is still fighting stubbornly!” The announcer, Bolt, loudly encouraged the Themis supporters.
“Exactly! Themis Academy was too complacent this time, far too complacent! In fact, their previous failures weren’t due to a lack of strength. In terms of strength, Themis Academy is still far superior to Almicus Academy,” Sir Wilson, unwavering, continued to stand firmly on Themis’s side. He lamented that they had completely overlooked Almicus Academy’s tactics. Almicus had used three lower-tier fighters to tie down Link himself, then disrupted Themis Academy’s rhythm with sudden assaults. This was why Themis Academy was now at a disadvantage.
“However, now that the obstacles have been cleared, if we’re talking purely about strength, Link, a ninth-tier all-round genius, could very well defeat the remaining four opponents single-handedly! This is the moment for the genius to strike back!” Sir Wilson declared with both anguish and conviction.
And the situation on the field seemed to validate Sir Wilson’s prediction.
Under Link’s relentless, increasingly fierce attacks, the combat energy and stamina of Amelie and her two companions were gradually depleted. Soon, Zack accidentally strayed from the protection of his two comrades while enduring Link’s assault. Link seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity without hesitation.
Blue combat energy, like electric sparks, instantly enveloped the energy sword in Link’s hand, hissing like a venomous snake as it thrust towards Zack’s right shoulder.
Despite Zack’s desperate dodge and the full efforts of Amelie and Cloud, the trio, now exposed, couldn’t withstand Link’s full-powered strike.
Previously, Amelie and her companions had managed to hold their ground against Link’s attacks solely due to their impeccable teamwork. Whenever Link targeted one of them, he would face resistance from the other two, while the targeted individual would counterattack, preventing Link from unleashing his full power. Simultaneously, the two blocking Link’s attack wouldn’t directly confront his terrifying ninth-tier combat energy but would cleverly redirect it elsewhere.
But now, Zack’s misstep left Amelie and Cloud without the proper distance to intervene. Link, an all-rounder, attacked with such speed that Amelie and Cloud had little time to react.
In their desperation, Amelie and Cloud had no choice but to grit their teeth and clash head-on with Link.
Four energy-laden swords clashed in succession. Although Amelie and her companions outnumbered Link three to one, the disparity in combat energy left them utterly defenseless.
Amid the explosions from the clashing energies, Link emerged unscathed, while the three from Almicus Academy were forcefully pushed back several meters. Zack, bearing the brunt of the attack, was sent flying.
Even with only a fifth of his true strength, a full-powered strike from a ninth-tier combatant was more than Zack, teetering on the edge of the sixth tier, could withstand. The energy surge tore through his combat uniform and left deep gashes on his shoulder.
“Haha!!” Link’s ferocious attack instantly electrified Themis’s supporters.
“Crush those Almicus bumpkins!” The men leaped from their seats, cheering and jeering, directing their taunts towards Xiao Xi, who still stood at the far end of the arena.
In their eyes, Zack and his companions, having taken a hit from Link, were no longer capable of fighting. It was a miracle they were still standing. Link’s only remaining opponent was naturally Xiao Xi, also a ninth-tier combatant.
Unlike the women, the men wouldn’t show mercy just because a beautiful woman stood in the arena. A beautiful woman in the arena only fueled their violent desires.
“Hey, little beauty, come here, let Uncle give you some love!” A vulgar-looking man, dressed in a mismatched outfit but adorned with gaudy gold rings, leaned over from the spectator seats, making obscene gestures towards Xiao Xi.
Standing in the midst of the noisy arena, Xiao Xi gritted her teeth so hard they creaked, the usually half-curled strand of hair on her head standing straight up in anger.
“Haha! Angry? Come on, little darling, Uncle Fei is waiting for you!” The ugly man continued to shout shamelessly, laughing and boasting to those around him.
The ugly man wasn’t blind to the anger on Xiao Xi’s pretty face, but he didn’t care. He didn’t believe Xiao Xi would risk disqualification by retaliating against him.
In inter-academy combat competitions, it was explicitly stated that “competitors must not engage in disputes with spectators.” Of course, this rule was often ignored. But now, the Themis referees were all watching Xiao Xi’s every move. Even if Xiao Xi flipped the bird at the foul-mouthed upstart, they would immediately remove her from the field.
Without their ninth-tier ace, wouldn’t Almicus be doomed? Would that red-haired beauty dare take on such responsibility? Heh! It seemed no matter how much he humiliated her, she would have to endure it. The upstart man thought smugly, his gaze on Xiao Xi as if he wanted to strip her clothes off!
“Ah! It seems something has caused Xiao Xi of Almicus Academy to hesitate. From her expression, she seems uncertain. Ah… we can see that Xiao Xi seems to be affected by some of the spectators outside the arena!” As Bolt’s commentary continued, the screen coincidentally showed Xiao Xi and the upstart man in the spectator seats behind her.
As a commentator clearly biased towards Themis Academy, Bolt naturally glossed over the upstart’s indecent behavior. The telepath responsible for recording and transmitting the images also let the scene flash by quickly. However, it didn’t escape Zhang Wen’s notice.
“Hey, hey! Themis people, no matter how much you want to be the strongest in the Southern Realm, you can’t stoop this low… Xiao Xi is still a minor!” Zhang Wen shook his head, then suddenly smiled, quickly pulling out his communicator and putting it to his ear.
In Training Ground Seven, the upstart by the arena continued to dance around excitedly, Xiao Xi’s anger only fueling his performance!
On the other side, Link didn’t take advantage of Xiao Xi’s distraction. He quickly re-engaged Zack and his companions in a second round of combat. However, the injured trio clearly lacked their earlier composure. Under Link’s increasingly powerful sword strikes, they were like a small boat in a raging storm.
“Ugh!” Seeing Zack and his companions in constant peril, Xiao Xi stomped her foot in frustration, finally raising her head as if making a decision.
Although the disgusting upstart made Xiao Xi want to tear his foul mouth apart, she had promised Zhang Wen she would do her best to win the match. Xiao Xi wasn’t a girl who broke promises.
“Oh! It seems Almicus’s ace is finally ready for the final showdown. Ninth-tier all-rounder Link versus ninth-tier speedster Xiao Xi—what will the outcome be? Mr. Wilson?”
“Without a doubt, ninth-tier all-rounder Link is a cut above his opponent! This isn’t even a fair fight! Link will undoubtedly defeat… huh? Wait… wait! What are the Almicus people trying to do now?” Sir Wilson’s impassioned declaration was interrupted by a sudden, ghostly scream.
“This… another shocking turn of events on the field! The Almicus people must be insane!” The experienced announcer Bolt also exclaimed in disbelief.
“Damn it! Those blasted Almicus people!” Sitting in front of the flickering screen, the combat enthusiast driver gritted his teeth in frustration, yet he had no idea what was happening. For him, this was destined to be a day of nerve-wracking torment.
As for the spectators watching the match live in Training Ground Seven, they once again witnessed a scene beyond their imagination.
Just as everyone thought Xiao Xi would join the fray to assist in the fight against Link, Jialit suddenly burst out from the rest area.
Naturally, when Jialit reached the door leading from the rest area to the hall, she was stopped by Themis students maintaining order.
“Fine, I won’t go in then!” Seeing the Themis students showed no intention of letting her pass, Jialit pouted. Then, she took a step back, cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone, and took a deep breath.
“Xiao Xi, Teacher Zhang says, forget about the match! Go slap that pervert’s mouth shut! He won’t stand for this nonsense!”
Jialit’s clear, melodious voice, amplified by telepathy, instantly echoed throughout the training ground. Even the clamor of the thousands of spectators around her was drowned out by her voice.
“Alright, bye.” After shouting, Jialit playfully waved at the stunned Themis students, covering her mouth to stifle a laugh, and ran back into the rest area.
The training ground fell silent. All the spectators were shocked, searching for the source of the voice. The upstart making obscene gestures at Xiao Xi blinked in confusion, not understanding what had just happened.
“Hmm…” Although Zhang Wen’s request was tempting, the red-haired girl was still hesitant. After all, she had promised Zhang Wen she would win the match.
“Hey, Xiao Xi, what are you waiting for? Don’t let that guy get away!” Taking advantage of a pause in Link’s assault, Amelie pointed at the upstart.
“But…”
“Humph! At this point, everyone knows we’ve won! Teacher Zhang means the match doesn’t matter anymore. We Cassares people don’t take insults lying down! Xiao Xi, go beat that bastard!” Amelie waved her fist menacingly, bolstering Xiao Xi’s resolve.
In fact, Amelis had already noticed that foul-mouthed guy long ago. She wholeheartedly supported Zhang Wen’s decision.
In fact, Amelia had already noticed the foul-mouthed individual. She wholeheartedly supported Zhang Wen’s decision.
“Got it!” Xiao Xi, who had been holding back her grievances, was persuaded by Amelia. The red-haired girl nodded gratefully at Amelia, then turned around with a sinister, half-smiling expression and walked towards the nouveau riche.
The more innocent and cute a girl usually is, the more terrifying she becomes when she turns dark. The nouveau riche from Phila Planet had, of course, never heard this truth summarized by Earth’s otaku. When he saw Xiao Xi approaching, he foolishly tried to threaten her.
“What… what do you want? This is the spectator area. If you come up here, you’ll be disqualified!”
“Oh? Disqualified, huh?” Xiao Xi, standing at the boundary between the arena and the spectator area, looked up at the man with a smile and then leaped onto the platform.
“Ah!” The man, completely unprepared for Xiao Xi actually giving up the match, stumbled back in terror, tripping over the steps and falling flat on his back.
“Huh? Why are you running? Didn’t you just call me over, saying you wanted to ‘take care of me’?” Xiao Xi, maintaining her eerie half-smile, slowly approached the terrified man. Her voice was soft, but for some reason, it sent chills down the spines of everyone around, as if a cold wind had swept through.
“You… you…” Seeing the glowing ninth-tier psychic needle in Xiao Xi’s hand, the man scrambled to his feet and backed away in panic.
“Don’t worry, I won’t kill you,” Xiao Xi “mercifully” smiled at him, then unleashed her ninth-tier combat energy, appearing in front of him in an instant.
Without hesitation, Xiao Xi swung her right hand, aiming a fierce slap at the man’s face. However, to her slight surprise, the slap, which she had only put half her strength into, missed!
To completely dodge a half-strength attack from Xiao Xi, one would need at least seventh or eighth-tier strength. But Xiao Xi hadn’t sensed that the vulgar nouveau riche had such power!
Could it be that he was playing the fool to hide his true strength? Just as this thought flashed through Xiao Xi’s mind, she heard a loud thud as something heavy hit the ground.
Then, to her mixed amusement and frustration, she realized that the man she had thought was a seventh or eighth-tier expert was now lying motionless on the ground, having fainted! It turned out he hadn’t dodged her attack—he had fainted from fear before she even struck, thus avoiding the slap.
With her slap missing and the man unconscious on the ground, Xiao Xi lost interest in dealing with the despicable man any further.
“Hmph… lucky you. Hey! You all saw it—I didn’t touch him! He fainted on his own!” Xiao Xi kicked the man, who lay like a dead pig, then vaulted over the spectator railing and ran back to the rest area of the Almitis Academy’s combat department.
Still unsatisfied that she hadn’t been able to teach the man who had insulted her a lesson, Xiao Xi returned to the rest area with a look of displeasure. Little did she know, the man’s fate wasn’t much better than if he had taken the slap.
When the man fainted, he happened to be standing on the steps between two rows of seats. As he fell, his nose first hit the armrest of a wooden chair, then he landed face-first on the steps.
When the disciplinary students from Themis Academy rushed over and helped the man up, they found his nose unnaturally crooked, blood streaming down his face, and four front teeth scattered in the pool of blood.
Xiao Xi’s bold move of charging into the spectator area to confront the man, while on one hand made the Themis people realize that the Almitis people were not to be trifled with, on the other hand, it also gave them a great sense of relief.
Without Xiao Xi, the ninth-tier powerhouse, the Almitis Academy was left with only three fighters below the sixth tier. Recalling how Link had dominated them earlier, the Themis people had no doubt that they had already secured victory in this match.
“Without a doubt, the impulsive act of Almitis Academy’s ninth-tier ace has destroyed all their previous efforts. This is the price they must pay for their immaturity. If the odds of Themis Academy winning were only 60% before, now they’ve firmly pocketed the victory! The three pitiful fighters left on the field for Almitis Academy can only hold their heads and let Link kick their butts off the stage!”
With Xiao Xi gone, Sir Wilson immediately went full throttle, spewing venom at Almitis Academy.
“Haha. Sir Wilson, you do make a good point. However, those three Almitis students did engage in a fierce battle with Link earlier. Isn’t it a bit premature to say that Themis Academy has already secured the victory?” After witnessing countless unbelievable situations, commentator Mr. Bolt was much more cautious.
“No! It’s not just a sure thing—it’s 100% certain! From Link’s performance earlier, he’s already seen through the tricks of those three low-tier fighters,” Sir Wilson confidently corrected Mr. Bolt’s mistake. “Almitis Academy has no chance! If they still manage to win, I’ll run naked around Babylon City!”
“Oh! It seems Sir Wilson has full confidence in Themis Academy. Indeed, all the unfavorable factors are now on Almitis Academy’s side. Their hopes are slim!”
“Hopeless!” Sir Wilson tirelessly corrected Bolt’s “slip of the tongue.”
Of course, the trio from Almitis Academy on the field had no idea they were being underestimated. After fighting Link for so long, they had come to fully appreciate just how powerful a ninth-tier all-round combatant was!
Speed, strength, technique—they found no weaknesses in Link. Even after using all the techniques Zhang Wen had taught them, they couldn’t find any openings in Link’s attacks. In other words, after racking their brains, they still couldn’t figure out a way to defeat Link on their own.
“Hey! Heh heh!” Zack grinned at his two companions, occasionally making sounds that were somewhere between a laugh and a gasp. Cloud and Amelia were also breathing heavily.
Xiao Xi’s charge into the spectator area had caused quite a commotion in the training hall. Link had paused his attacks, and Amelia and the others were more than happy to take the opportunity to recover some of their rapidly depleting stamina.
“You should just withdraw,” Link suddenly raised his sword, pointing it at Zack and the others from a distance.
“Huh? Withdraw? Are you kidding?” Zack straightened up, sneering.
“You have no chance of winning if you keep fighting,” Link’s voice was deep and steady. Even after fifteen minutes of intense combat, he remained calm.
“Pretty confident, huh? It’s just annoying to hear! What do you guys think?”
“Ah! Trying to make us surrender with just words—that’s too cheap a victory,” Cloud coldly responded to Zack’s question.
“Oh? You make a fair point,” Link nodded calmly, his energy sword once again enveloped in a lightning-like aura.
“Since you don’t want to withdraw, I’ll just send you off myself,” Link said as a shockwave-like burst of air exploded beneath his feet.
The nearly twenty-meter distance between Link and Amelia’s trio was covered in less than half a second. Immediately after, a blue lightning strike aimed straight at Zack, who was at the forefront.
After Zhang Wen’s hellish training, Zack and the others had grown accustomed to staying alert even while talking. So the moment Link disappeared from his spot, the three of them reflexively sprang into action.
Cloud and Amelia, following closely behind Zack, swung their energy swords with all their might, intercepting Link’s strike aimed at Zack. Meanwhile, Zack also unleashed a burst of energy beneath his feet, darting to the left while thrusting his energy sword, charged with combat energy, towards Link.
Up until now, Zack and the others had always used similar tactics to counter Link’s attacks, and it had worked well. But this time, things went differently.
First, Cloud and Amelia, who had intercepted Link’s attack, suddenly felt that Link’s combat energy had increased slightly. This small change, though subtle, was enough to prevent them from completely deflecting Link’s attack.
Cloud and Amelia’s hearts sank. They knew it wasn’t that Link’s energy had increased, but rather that their own energy, after being depleted over time, had become unstable and could no longer maintain the precise balance they had at the start of the fight.
Sssss…
After a harsh metallic screech, Link, for the first time, forcefully pushed aside Cloud and Amelia’s entanglement, his energy sword still aimed straight at Zack!
Fortunately, Zack’s thrust at Link had only been a feint, so he hadn’t committed all his strength to it. In a panic, he quickly retracted his sword to block Link’s attack, but he was still a split second too late!
Boom!
Link’s sword smashed Zack’s block from the side, sending him flying back while also tearing a finger-deep wound into his left shoulder!
“Zack!” Amelia and Cloud hurriedly chased after Zack, who had been struck by Link, while Link, without hesitation, took advantage of the situation and launched another lightning-fast strike. However, this time, Link’s attack wasn’t aimed at Zack—it was directed at Cloud, who was rushing to help his companion!
“Watch out!” Zack, barely landing, gritted his teeth against the searing pain in his left shoulder and threw himself back into the fray.
“Tch!” Cloud frowned tightly, joining Amelia in intercepting Link’s attack once more. But without Zack’s cover, the two of them couldn’t handle Link’s overwhelming combat energy.
With a single strike, Cloud and Amelia were forced back several steps, both sustaining injuries. In the blink of an eye, Link had managed to wound all three members of Almitis Academy’s team while also splitting them apart.
“Whoa!” The training hall erupted in cheers once again, as Themis supporters jumped to their feet.
Link’s assault didn’t stop there. Taking advantage of the trio’s separation, he launched a relentless barrage of attacks at Zack. Although the three were still relatively close, Link’s swift strikes always managed to outpace Cloud and Amelia. In just a few dozen seconds, Zack had accumulated several more wounds.
Finally, it was only when Cloud took a hit meant for Zack that Link was temporarily forced back. However, Zack, who had borne the brunt of Link’s attacks, was now covered in wounds, his white combat suit stained red. He clenched his teeth, the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth betraying the unbearable pain he was enduring.
In the rest area of the psychic department, Karlet clenched her fists, almost unable to bear watching the brutal scene on the screen.
The instructors of the psychic department had also fallen silent. They stared in disbelief at the three figures on the screen, covered in wounds but still gripping their weapons tightly. Could it be that Almitis Academy’s combat department had such resilient young fighters?
“Enough! They’ve fought hard enough!” After watching Zack and the others for a long time, Katerina suddenly stood up.
“Huh? Chief Instructor Katerina! What do you mean?” The psychic department’s female instructor, Moshi, looked at Katerina in surprise.
“Have them withdraw!” Katerina said firmly.
“But… they’re combat department students. They’re not under our jurisdiction…” Moshi hesitated.
“No! After Zhang Wen was expelled, the combat department’s matches have been under our supervision.”
“But…”
“No buts! The match between the two academies’ combat departments hasn’t been decided yet, but I believe the combat department students are no longer in a condition to continue. I’ll take full responsibility.”
“What?!” As soon as Katerina finished speaking, the other instructors in the psychic department exchanged shocked glances.
It was clear that if the match continued, Almitis Academy’s combat department’s defeat was almost inevitable. When that happened, Governor Temiso would hold Zhang Wen, who had allowed Xiao Xi to withdraw, primarily responsible for the loss!
The cuter and more innocent a girl usually appears, the scarier she becomes when she turns dark. Naturally, the nouveau riche from the planet Fira had never heard of this truth summarized by Earth’s otaku men. When he saw Xia Xi approaching, he foolishly tried to threaten her.
“What…what are you doing? This is the spectator area! If you come up here, you’ll be disqualified!”
“Oh? Disqualification, right.” Xia Xi reached the boundary line between the arena and the spectator area, smiled sweetly at the nouveau riche man, then leaped onto the platform.
“Ahh!” The nouveau riche man had never expected Xia Xi to actually forfeit the match. Horrified, he stumbled backward and tripped on the steps, falling flat on his back.
“Ah? Why are you dodging? Weren’t you just asking me to come over and said you’d take good care of me?” Maintaining her eerie smile, Xia Xi slowly approached the terrified man. Her voice was soft and gentle, yet somehow it sent chills down the spines of everyone nearby, as if a cold wind were blowing through them.
“You…you…” Seeing the ninth-rank battle energy glowing from the needles in Xia Xi’s hand, the nouveau riche man scrambled to his feet and fled in panic.
“Don’t worry, I won’t kill you.” Xia Xi smiled “mercifully” at the nouveau riche man, then suddenly released her ninth-rank battle energy and appeared right in front of him in an instant.
In fact, Amelia had also noticed the foul-mouthed guy long ago. She fully supported Zhang Wen’s decision.
“Got it!” Xiao Xi, who had been holding back her grievances, was persuaded by Amelia. The red-haired girl nodded gratefully to Amelia, then turned around with a sinister, half-smiling expression and walked towards the nouveau riche.
The more innocent and cute a girl usually is, the more terrifying she becomes when she turns dark. The nouveau riche from Fira Planet had never heard of this truth summarized by Earth’s otakus. When he saw Xiao Xi approaching, he foolishly tried to threaten her.
“What… what do you want? This is the spectator area. If you come up here, you’ll be disqualified from the match!”
“Oh? So I’ll be disqualified, huh?” Xiao Xi smiled as she reached the boundary between the arena and the spectator area. She glanced at the nouveau riche, then leaped onto it.
“Ah!” The nouveau riche never expected Xiao Xi to actually give up the match. In sheer panic, he stumbled backward, tripped on the steps, and fell flat on his back.
“Huh? Why are you running? Didn’t you just ask me to come over and said you’d take good care of me?” Xiao Xi maintained her half-smiling expression as she slowly approached the terrified man. Her voice was soft, but for some reason, it sent chills down the spines of everyone around, as if a cold wind had blown through.
“You… you…” Seeing the glowing ninth-level psychic needle in Xiao Xi’s hand, the nouveau riche scrambled to his feet and backed away in fear.
“Don’t worry, I won’t kill you,” Xiao Xi “mercifully” smiled at the nouveau riche. Then, with a burst of ninth-level combat energy, she appeared in front of him in an instant.
Without hesitation, Xiao Xi swung her right palm, aiming a fierce slap at the vulgar man’s face. However, to her slight surprise, the slap, which she had only used a fraction of her strength for, missed!
To completely dodge a slap from Xiao Xi, even with only a fraction of her strength, one would need at least seventh or eighth-level combat power. But Xiao Xi hadn’t sensed that the vulgar nouveau riche had such strength!
Could it be that he was playing the fool to catch the tiger? Just as this startling thought crossed Xiao Xi’s mind, she heard a loud thud.
Then, to her mixed amusement and frustration, she saw that the nouveau riche, whom she had just thought was a seventh or eighth-level expert, was lying motionless on the ground, having fainted! It turned out he hadn’t dodged her attack; he had fainted from fear before she even struck, thus avoiding the slap.
With her slap missing and the man lying unconscious, Xiao Xi lost interest in dealing with the despicable man.
“Hmph… lucky you. Hey! You all saw it, I didn’t touch him! He fainted on his own!” Xiao Xi kicked the pig-like nouveau riche on the ground, then jumped off the spectator railing and ran back to the rest area of the Almis Academy’s combat department.
Because she hadn’t managed to teach the nouveau riche who had insulted her a lesson, Xiao Xi returned to the rest area with a look of dissatisfaction. Little did she know, the nouveau riche’s fate wasn’t much better than if he had taken that slap.
When the nouveau riche fainted, he happened to be standing on the steps between two rows of seats. As a result, when he passed out, his nose first hit the armrest of a wooden chair, then he fell face-first onto the steps.
When the disciplinary students of Themis Academy hurried over and helped the nouveau riche up, they found his nose unnaturally twisted to one side, blood streaming down his face, and four broken front teeth scattered in the pool of blood.
Xiao Xi’s bold move of charging into the spectator area to teach the nouveau riche a lesson, on one hand, made the Themis people understand that the Almis people were not to be trifled with. On the other hand, it also gave them a great sense of relief.
Without Xiao Xi, the ninth-level powerhouse, Almis Academy was left with only three fighters below the sixth level. Recalling how Link had dominated them earlier, the Themis people had no doubt that they had already secured victory in this match.
“Without a doubt, the impulsive act of Almis Academy’s ninth-level ace has ruined all their previous efforts. This is the price they must pay for their immaturity. If the chances of Themis Academy winning were only 60% before, now they have firmly secured victory! The three remaining weaklings from Almis Academy on the field can only hold onto their heads and let Link kick their butts off the stage!”
With Xiao Xi gone, Sir Wilson immediately went full throttle, spewing venom at Almis Academy.
“Haha. Sir Wilson, you make a very good point. However, those three Almis students had previously fought Link and engaged in a fierce battle. Isn’t it a bit too early to say that Themis Academy has already secured victory?” After experiencing countless unbelievable situations, commentator Mr. Bolt was much more cautious.
“No! It’s not just a sure thing; it’s 100% certain! From Link’s performance earlier, he has already seen through the tricks of those three low-level fighters,” Sir Wilson confidently corrected Mr. Bolt’s mistake. “Almis people have no chance! If they still manage to win, I’ll run naked around Babylon City!”
“Oh! It seems Sir Wilson has full confidence in Themis Academy. Indeed, all the unfavorable factors are now on Almis Academy’s side. Their hopes are slim!”
“They have no hope at all!” Sir Wilson tirelessly corrected Bolt’s “slip of the tongue.”
Of course, the trio from Almis Academy on the field had no idea that someone was looking down on them. After fighting Link for so long, they had fully realized just how powerful a ninth-level all-round combatant was!
Speed, strength, technique—they found no weaknesses in Link. Even after using all the techniques Zhang Wen had taught them, they couldn’t find any flaws in Link’s attacks. In other words, after fighting this long, they couldn’t think of any way to defeat Link on their own.
“Heh! Heh!” Zack grinned at his two companions, occasionally making sounds that were either laughter or heavy breathing. Cloud and Amelia were also panting heavily.
Xiao Xi’s charge into the spectator area caused quite a commotion in the training hall. Link also paused his attacks. Amelia and the others were more than happy to take this opportunity to recover some of their heavily depleted stamina.
“You should just withdraw,” Link suddenly raised his sword and pointed it at Zack and the others from a distance.
“Huh? Withdraw? Are you kidding?” Zack straightened up and sneered.
“You have no chance of winning if you keep fighting,” Link’s voice was deep and steady. Even after fifteen minutes of intense combat, he remained calm.
“Quite confident, aren’t you? It just sounds so annoying! What do you think?”
“Ah! Trying to make someone surrender just by talking, that would make victory too cheap,” Cloud coldly responded to Zack’s question.
“Oh? What you say makes some sense,” Link nodded calmly, and his energy sword once again wrapped itself in a layer of electric-like combat energy.
“Since you don’t want to withdraw, I don’t mind sending you off,” Link said his final words, and a shockwave-like air burst erupted between his feet and the ground.
The nearly twenty-meter distance between Link and Amelia’s trio was covered in less than half a second. Immediately after, a blue lightning bolt struck Zack, who was at the forefront.
After Zhang Wen’s hellish training, Zack and the others had long been accustomed to staying alert even while talking. Therefore, the moment Link disappeared from his spot, the three of them reflexively sprang into action.
Cloud and Amelia, who were right behind Zack, swung their energy swords with all their might to meet Link’s strike aimed at Zack. Meanwhile, Zack also erupted a burst of air at his feet, darting to the left while thrusting his energy sword, now charged with combat energy, towards Link.
Before this, Zack and the others had always used similar methods to deal with Link’s attacks, and it had always worked well. But this time, things went differently.
First, Cloud and Amelia, who were facing Link’s attack, felt that Link’s combat energy seemed to have increased slightly when their energy swords clashed. This slight change, though minimal, was enough to prevent Cloud and Amelia from completely deflecting Link’s attack.
Cloud and Amelia’s hearts sank. They knew this wasn’t because Link’s combat energy had increased, but because their own combat energy, after prolonged consumption, had started to become unstable, unable to maintain the precise balance they had at the start of the fight.
Sssss…
After a sharp metallic screech, Link forcefully pushed aside Cloud and Amelia’s entanglement for the first time, and his energy sword continued to thrust straight towards Zack!
Fortunately, Zack’s strike towards Link was just a feint, and he hadn’t used all his strength. In shock, he quickly retracted his energy sword to block Link’s attack, but he was still half a beat too slow!
Boom!
Link’s sword blasted Zack’s block from the side, sending him flying back while also tearing a finger-deep wound on his left shoulder!
“Zack!” Amelia and Cloud hurriedly chased after Zack, who had been hit by Link, while Link took advantage of the situation to pursue relentlessly, thrusting out another lightning-fast strike. However, Link’s second attack wasn’t aimed at Zack, but at Cloud, who was rushing to help his companion!
“Be careful!” Zack, who had just landed, was already enduring the intense pain from the wound on his left shoulder and threw himself back with all his might.
“Tch!” Cloud frowned tightly, and together with Amelia, they once again faced Link’s attack. But without Zack’s cover, the two of them couldn’t handle Link’s immense combat energy.
With one strike, Cloud and Amelia were forced back several steps, both sustaining injuries. In the blink of an eye, Link had injured all three members of Almis Academy’s trio and split them apart.
“Whoa!” The training hall erupted with enthusiastic cheers once again, and Themis supporters all jumped to their feet.
Link’s attacks didn’t stop; he took advantage of the trio being separated to continuously launch fierce attacks at Zack. Although the three of them were still not far apart, Link’s swift attacks always managed to outpace Cloud and Amelia. In just a few dozen seconds, Zack had sustained several more wounds.
Finally, it was Cloud who took a sword strike meant for Zack, which temporarily forced Link back. However, Zack, who had borne over 70% of Link’s attacks, was now covered in wounds, his white combat suit stained red. He gritted his teeth, and the slight twitching at the corner of his mouth was enough to show just how unbearable the pain he was enduring was.
In the rest room of the psychic department, Juliette clenched her fists tightly, almost unable to bear watching the cruel scene on the screen.
The instructors of the psychic department had also stopped their discussions. They stared in disbelief at the three figures on the screen, covered in wounds but still tightly gripping their weapons. Could there really be such resilient young people in Almis Academy’s combat department?
“Enough! They’ve held on long enough!” After watching Zack and the others for a long time, Katerina suddenly stood up.
“Huh? Chief Instructor Katerina! What do you mean?” The female instructor of the psychic department, Moshi, looked at Katerina in surprise.
“Make them withdraw!” Katerina said decisively.
“But… they’re students of the combat department, and it seems they’re not under our jurisdiction…” Moshi hesitated.
“No! After Zhang Wen was expelled, the combat department’s matches have been under our supervision.”
“But…”
“No buts! The match between the two academies’ combat departments hasn’t been decided yet, but I believe the students’ condition is no longer suitable for continuing the match, so I’m ordering them to withdraw. I’ll take full responsibility.”
“What?! You…” As soon as Katerina finished speaking, the surrounding instructors of the psychic department were all shocked and looked at each other in disbelief.
It was clear that if the match continued, Almis Academy’s combat department’s defeat was almost inevitable. By then, when Governor Temiso investigated the responsibility for the loss, the first to bear the brunt would be Zhang Wen, who had let Xiao Xi withdraw on her own.
To completely dodge a strike from Xia Xi with just a bit of her strength, one would need at least seventh or eighth rank power, right? Yet, Xia Xi hadn’t sensed any such strength from that lecherous nouveau riche before!
Could it be that the guy was pretending to be weak to catch her off guard? Just as this thought flashed through Xia Xi’s mind, she heard a loud “thud” of a heavy object hitting the ground.
Then, Xia Xi could only helplessly watch as the nouveau riche, whom she had just thought was a seventh or eighth rank expert, lay motionless on the ground, already unconscious! It turned out that he hadn’t dodged Xia Xi’s attack at all—he had simply fainted from fear before she even struck, and thus avoided the slap.
Her slap had missed, and the opponent was already lying on the ground unconscious. Xia Xi no longer felt like dealing with this despicable man.
“Hmph…you’re lucky. Hey! You all saw it—I didn’t even touch him! This guy fainted on his own!” Xia Xi grumbled as she kicked the nouveau riche, who was lying on the ground like a dead pig, then climbed over the spectator rail and ran back to the Almace Academy martial arts division’s rest area.
Because she had failed to punish the nouveau riche who had insulted her, Xia Xi still wore a dissatisfied expression when she returned to the rest area. She had no idea that the nouveau riche’s fate wasn’t much better than if he had been slapped.
When Mr. Nouveau Riche fainted, he happened to be standing on the step between two rows of seats. As a result, as soon as he fainted, his nose slammed heavily against the armrest of a wooden chair nearby, then his face hit the steps below.
When the discipline students from Thymes Academy rushed over and helped Mr. Nouveau Riche up, they found his nose grotesquely twisted to one side, blood pouring from it onto the floor, with four broken front teeth scattered in the pool of blood.
Xia Xi’s bold act of charging into the spectator area to confront Mr. Nouveau Riche had, on one hand, shown the Thymes people the indomitable spirit of the Almace students, but on the other hand, it also brought them a great sense of relief.
Without ninth-rank Xia Xi on the field, Almace Academy was now left with only three students below sixth rank, right? Recalling how Link had easily dominated those three earlier, the Thymes students had no doubt that they had already won the match.
“There’s no doubt about it—the impulsive ninth-rank ace from Almace has ruined all their previous efforts. This is the price they must pay for their immaturity. If Thymes Academy’s chances of victory were only sixty percent before, now they’ve already secured the win for sure! Now, the only thing those three pitiful Almace students left on the field can do is protect their heads while Link kicks them off the stage!”
With Xia Xi out of the picture, Sir Wilson immediately went all out, spewing venom at Almace Academy once again.
“Haha. Sir Wilson, what you said makes perfect sense. However, those three Almace students did fight Link earlier, and the battle was quite intense. Isn’t it a bit too early for you to declare Thymes Academy’s victory with such certainty?” After experiencing countless unimaginable situations, commentator Mr. Bolt had become much more cautious.
“No! Not just certain, but one hundred percent! Judging from Link’s performance just now, he has already figured out the little tricks of those three low-rankers.” Sir Wilson confidently corrected Mr. Bolt. “Almace has no chance at all! If they somehow still win, I’ll run naked around Babylon City!”
“Oh! It seems Sir Wilson is extremely confident in Thymes Academy. Indeed, all the unfavorable factors are now on Almace’s side. Their hopes are slim!”
“No hope at all!” Sir Wilson tirelessly corrected Mr. Bolt’s “slip of the tongue.”
Of course, the three Almace students on the battlefield had no idea that someone had underestimated them. After fighting Link for so long, they had fully realized how powerful a ninth-rank all-around martial artist could be!
Speed, strength, technique—there was no weakness in Link that they could find. Even using all the techniques taught by Zhang Wen, they couldn’t find the slightest opening in Link’s attacks. In other words, they had fought this far, racking their brains, but still couldn’t think of any way to defeat Link on their own.
“Heh! Hehe!” Zack grinned at his two companions, occasionally making sounds that were neither laughter nor panting. Cloud and Amelis were also breathing heavily.
Xia Xi’s act of rushing into the spectator area caused quite a stir in the gym. Link also paused his attack. Of course, Amelis and the others were more than happy to use this opportunity to recover some of their heavily depleted stamina.
“You should just forfeit,” Link suddenly raised his long sword and pointed it at the three of them from a distance.
“What? Forfeit? Are you kidding?” Zack straightened his back and mocked.
“You won’t win if you keep fighting,” Link said in a deep, steady voice. Even after fifteen minutes of intense combat, he remained calm.
“Wow, that’s pretty confident! But it’s also kind of annoying to hear! What do you think?”
“Ah! Talking your way into a victory is just too easy.” Cloud coldly picked up where Zack left off.
“Oh? What you said does make a bit of sense.” Link calmly nodded, and once again, his crystal blade was wrapped in a layer of electricity-like battle energy.
“Since you don’t want to forfeit, I’ll send you off the stage myself.” With those final words, Link’s feet exploded with a shockwave-like burst of energy.
The nearly twenty-meter distance between Link and Amelis’ group was covered in less than half a second. Then, a blue lightning bolt slashed toward Zack, who was right in front of him.
Thanks to Zhang Wen’s hellish training, Zack and the others had long gotten used to staying alert even while talking. Therefore, as soon as Link vanished from his spot, the three of them reflexively sprang into action.
Right behind Zack, Cloud and Amelis swung their crystal blades with full force to intercept Link’s sword aimed at Zack. Meanwhile, Zack himself also exploded a ring of energy beneath his feet, dodging to the left while his crystal blade, charged with battle energy, stabbed toward Link.
Up until this point, Zack and the others had always used similar tactics to deal with Link’s attacks, and the results had been pretty good. But this time, something went wrong.
First, Cloud and Amelis, who rushed to meet Link’s strike, suddenly felt that Link’s battle energy seemed to have slightly increased. Although this change was subtle, it was enough to prevent Cloud and Amelis from completely deflecting Link’s attack.
Cloud and Amelis’ hearts sank. They realized that it wasn’t that Link’s battle energy had increased, but rather that their own battle energy had started to become unstable after prolonged consumption, no longer maintaining the precise balance they had at the beginning of the fight.
Zzzzz…
After a grating metallic screech, Link finally forced his way through Cloud and Amelis’ defenses, and his crystal blade still headed straight for Zack!
Fortunately, Zack’s initial strike toward Link had only been a feint, so he hadn’t used all his strength. Startled, he hastily pulled back his blade to block Link’s attack, but it was still half a beat too late!
Boom!
Link’s long sword smashed aside Zack’s block from the side, sending him flying back while also tearing open a wound nearly an inch deep on his left shoulder!
“Zack!” Cloud and Amelis rushed toward Zack, who had been hit by Link, while Link relentlessly pressed his advantage, once again slashing forward like lightning. However, this second attack from Link wasn’t aimed at Zack, but at Cloud, who was rushing to help his comrade!
“Watch out!” As soon as Zack landed, he gritted his teeth against the searing pain in his left shoulder and threw himself back into the fray with all his might.
“Tch!” Cloud furrowed his brow tightly and, together with Amelis, once again met Link’s attack. But without Zack’s cover, the two of them couldn’t handle Link’s immense battle energy.
With one strike, Cloud and Amelis were forced to retreat several steps, both of them sustaining injuries. In the blink of an eye, Link had wounded all three members of the Almace team and separated them.
“Woah!” The gym erupted once again in thunderous cheers as the Thymes supporters jumped to their feet.
But Link’s attack wasn’t over yet. Seizing the opportunity that the Almace trio had been split up, he continuously launched fierce attacks on Zack. Although the three Almace students were still close to each other, Link’s lightning-fast attacks always reached them a step ahead of Cloud and Amelis. Within just a few dozen seconds, Zack had sustained several new wounds.
In the end, it was Cloud who took a sword strike meant for Zack, finally managing to temporarily force Link back. However, Zack, who had endured over seventy percent of Link’s attacks, was already covered in wounds, his white combat suit stained red. He clenched his teeth tightly, and the slight twitching at the corner of his mouth was enough to show just how unbearable the pain he was enduring had become.
In the spellcasting division’s rest room, Carrie clenched her fists tightly, almost unable to bear watching the brutal scene on the screen any longer.
The spellcasting instructors also stopped talking. They stared blankly at the three figures on the screen, battered and wounded but still gripping their weapons tightly. Deep in their hearts, they couldn’t believe it. Could there really be such strong-willed young people in Almace Academy’s martial arts division?
“Enough! They’ve endured enough already!” After watching Zack and the others for a long time, Kaelena finally stood up abruptly.
“Ah? Head Instructor Kaelena! What do you mean?” The female instructor from the spellcasting division, Mushi, looked at Kaelena in surprise.
“Make them forfeit!” Kaelena declared firmly.
“But…they’re martial arts students, and don’t seem to be under our spellcasting division’s jurisdiction…” Mushi hesitated.
“No! After Zhang Wen was expelled, the martial arts division’s competition has been under our spellcasting division’s supervision.”
“But…”
“No buts! The martial arts division match between the two academies hasn’t concluded yet, but I believe the martial arts students’ condition is no longer suitable for continuing the match. I’m ordering them to forfeit, and I will take full responsibility.”
“Ah?! You…” As soon as Kaelena finished speaking, the spellcasting instructors around her couldn’t help but look at each other in shock.
In fact, Amelia had already noticed the foul-mouthed guy. She fully supported Zhang Wen’s decision.
“Alright, I understand!” Xiao Xi, who had been holding back her grievances, was persuaded by Amelia. The red-haired girl nodded gratefully to Amelia, then turned around with a sinister, half-smiling expression, heading towards the direction of the nouveau riche.
The more innocent and cute a girl usually is, the more terrifying she becomes when she “darkens.” The nouveau riche from Fila Planet had, of course, never heard this truth summarized by Earth’s otaku. When he saw Xiao Xi approaching, he foolishly tried to threaten her.
“What… what do you want? This is the spectator area. If you come up here, you’ll be disqualified from the match!”
“Oh? So I’ll be disqualified, huh?” Xiao Xi, standing at the boundary between the arena and the spectator area, looked up at the nouveau riche with a smile and then leaped onto the platform.
“Ah!” The nouveau riche never expected Xiao Xi to actually give up the match. In sheer panic, he stumbled backward, tripping over the steps and falling flat on his back.
“Huh? Why are you running? Didn’t you just ask me to come over and say you’d take good care of me?” Xiao Xi maintained her half-smiling expression as she slowly approached the terrified man. Her voice was soft, but for some reason, it sent chills down the spines of everyone around her, as if a cold wind had swept through.
“You… you…” Seeing the glowing ninth-tier psychic needle in Xiao Xi’s hand, the nouveau riche scrambled to his feet and stumbled backward in fear.
“Don’t worry, I won’t kill you,” Xiao Xi “mercifully” smiled at the nouveau riche, and with a sudden burst of ninth-tier combat energy, she appeared right in front of him in an instant.
Without hesitation, Xiao Xi swung her right hand, aiming a fierce slap at the vulgar man’s face. However, to her slight surprise, her half-strength strike missed its target!
To completely dodge a half-strength strike from Xiao Xi, one would need at least seventh or eighth-tier strength. But Xiao Xi hadn’t sensed that the vulgar nouveau riche had such power!
Could it be that he was pretending to be weak to catch her off guard? Just as this thought crossed Xiao Xi’s mind, she heard a loud thud.
Then, to her amusement, she realized that the nouveau riche, whom she had thought was a seventh or eighth-tier expert, was lying motionless on the ground, already unconscious! It turned out he hadn’t dodged her attack—he had fainted from fear before she could even strike, thus avoiding the slap.
With her slap missing and the man lying unconscious, Xiao Xi lost interest in dealing with the despicable man.
“Hmph… you’re lucky. Hey! You all saw it—I didn’t touch him! He fainted on his own!” Xiao Xi kicked the unconscious nouveau riche like a dead pig, then climbed down from the spectator railing and ran back to the rest area of the Almis College’s martial arts department.
Still dissatisfied because she hadn’t been able to teach the insulting nouveau riche a lesson, Xiao Xi returned to the rest area with a frown. Little did she know, the outcome for the nouveau riche wasn’t much better than if he had been slapped.
When the nouveau riche fainted, he happened to be standing on the steps between two rows of seats. As a result, when he collapsed, his nose first hit the armrest of a wooden chair, and then he fell face-first onto the steps.
When the disciplinary students from Themis College rushed over and helped the nouveau riche up, they found his nose unnaturally twisted to one side, blood streaming down his face, and four broken front teeth scattered in the pool of blood.
Xiao Xi’s bold move of charging into the spectator area to teach the nouveau riche a lesson, on one hand, made the Themis people realize that the Almis people were not to be trifled with. On the other hand, it also gave them a great sense of relief.
Without Xiao Xi, the ninth-tier powerhouse, Almis College was left with only three fighters, all below the sixth tier. Recalling how Link had dominated them earlier, the Themis people had no doubt that they had already secured victory in this match.
“Without a doubt, the impulsive actions of Almis College’s ninth-tier ace have destroyed all their previous efforts. This is the price they must pay for their immaturity. If the chances of Themis College winning were only 60% before, now they have firmly secured victory! The three remaining weaklings from Almis College on the field can only hold onto their heads and let Link kick their butts off the stage!”
With Xiao Xi gone, Sir Wilson immediately went full throttle, spewing venom at Almis College.
“Haha. Sir Wilson, you make a good point. However, those three Almis students did manage to engage Link in a fierce battle earlier. Isn’t it a bit premature to say that Themis College has already secured victory?” After witnessing countless unbelievable situations, commentator Mr. Bolt was much more cautious.
“No! It’s not just a sure thing—it’s a 100% certainty! From Link’s performance earlier, he has already seen through the tricks of those three low-tier opponents,” Sir Wilson confidently corrected Mr. Bolt’s mistake. “Almis College has no chance! If they still manage to win, I’ll run naked around Babylon City!”
“Oh! It seems Sir Wilson has full confidence in Themis College. Indeed, all the unfavorable factors are now on Almis College’s side. Their hopes are slim!”
“They have no hope at all!” Sir Wilson tirelessly corrected Bolt’s “slip of the tongue.”
Of course, the trio from Almis College on the field had no idea that someone was looking down on them. After fighting Link for so long, they had come to fully appreciate just how powerful a ninth-tier all-round martial artist could be!
Speed, strength, technique—they found no weaknesses in Link. Even after using all the techniques Zhang Wen had taught them, they couldn’t find any flaws in Link’s attacks. In other words, after fighting this long, they still couldn’t come up with a way to defeat Link on their own.
“Heh! Heh!” Zack grinned at his two companions, occasionally making sounds that were either laughter or heavy breathing. Cloud and Amelia were also gasping for air.
Xiao Xi’s charge into the spectator area had caused quite a commotion in the training hall. Link had also paused his attacks. Amelia and the others were more than happy to take this opportunity to recover some of their heavily depleted stamina.
“You should just withdraw from the match,” Link suddenly raised his sword, pointing it at Zack and the others from a distance.
“Huh? Withdraw? Are you kidding?” Zack straightened up and sneered.
“You have no chance of winning if you continue fighting,” Link’s voice was deep and steady. Even after fifteen minutes of intense combat, he remained calm.
“Quite confident, aren’t you? It just sounds so annoying! What do you think?”
“Ha! Trying to make us surrender with just words? That would make victory too cheap,” Cloud coldly responded to Zack’s question.
“Oh? You make a fair point,” Link nodded calmly, and his crystal energy sword once again crackled with combat energy.
“Since you don’t want to withdraw, I don’t mind sending you off myself,” Link said his final words, and a shockwave-like burst of energy erupted beneath his feet.
The nearly twenty-meter distance between Link and Amelia’s trio was covered in less than half a second. Immediately after, a blue lightning bolt struck Zack, who was the first in line.
After Zhang Wen’s hellish training, Zack and the others had become accustomed to staying alert even while talking. So the moment Link disappeared from his spot, the three of them reflexively sprang into action.
Cloud and Amelia, following closely behind Zack, swung their crystal energy swords with all their might, meeting Link’s strike aimed at Zack. Meanwhile, Zack also unleashed a burst of energy beneath his feet, darting to the left while thrusting his combat energy-infused sword at Link.
Up until now, Zack and the others had always used similar tactics to deal with Link’s attacks, and it had worked well. But this time, things went differently.
First, Cloud and Amelia, who had met Link’s attack head-on, suddenly felt that Link’s combat energy seemed to have increased slightly. This subtle change, though minor, was enough to prevent Cloud and Amelia from completely deflecting Link’s attack.
Cloud and Amelia’s hearts sank. They knew it wasn’t that Link’s combat energy had increased, but rather that their own combat energy, after being heavily depleted, had become unstable and could no longer maintain the precise balance they had at the start of the fight.
Sssss…
After a sharp metallic screech, Link forcefully pushed aside Cloud and Amelia’s entanglement, and his crystal energy sword continued to thrust straight toward Zack!
Fortunately, Zack’s strike at Link had only been a feint, and he hadn’t committed all his strength to it. In a panic, he quickly retracted his sword to block Link’s attack, but he was still a split second too late!
Boom!
Link’s sword smashed through Zack’s block from the side, sending him flying back while also tearing a finger-deep wound in his left shoulder!
“Zack!” Amelia and Cloud hurriedly chased after Zack, who had been struck by Link, while Link took advantage of the situation to press his attack, thrusting out another lightning-fast strike. However, Link’s second attack wasn’t aimed at Zack—it was directed at Cloud, who was rushing to aid his comrade!
“Watch out!” As soon as Zack landed, he gritted his teeth against the pain in his left shoulder and threw himself back into the fray.
“Tch!” Cloud frowned tightly, and together with Amelia, they once again met Link’s attack. But without Zack’s cover, the two of them couldn’t handle Link’s immense combat energy.
With a single strike, Cloud and Amelia were forced back several steps, both sustaining injuries. In the blink of an eye, Link had wounded all three members of Almis College’s team and split them apart.
“Whoa!” The training hall erupted with enthusiastic cheers once again, as Themis supporters jumped to their feet.
Link’s attacks didn’t stop there. Taking advantage of the trio’s separation, he launched a relentless assault on Zack. Although the three of them were still relatively close, Link’s swift attacks always managed to outpace Cloud and Amelia. In just a few dozen seconds, Zack had sustained several more wounds.
Finally, it was Cloud who took a hit from Link on Zack’s behalf, temporarily forcing Link back. However, Zack, who had borne the brunt of over 70% of Link’s attacks, was now covered in wounds, his white combat suit stained red. He clenched his teeth tightly, and the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth was enough to show just how much unbearable pain he was enduring.
In the rest room of the psychic department, Juliette clenched her fists, almost unable to bear watching the cruel scene on the screen.
The instructors of the psychic department had also stopped their discussions. They stared in disbelief at the three figures on the screen, covered in wounds but still gripping their weapons tightly. Could it be that Almis College’s martial arts department had such resilient young people?
“Enough! They’ve held on long enough!” After watching Zack and the others for a while, Katerina suddenly stood up.
“Huh? Head Instructor Katerina! What do you mean?” The female instructor of the psychic department, Moshi, looked at Katerina in surprise.
“Have them withdraw from the match!” Katerina said decisively.
“But… they’re students of the martial arts department. They’re not under our jurisdiction…” Moshi hesitated.
“No! After Zhang Wen was expelled, the martial arts department’s matches have been under our supervision.”
“But…”
“No buts! The match between the two colleges’ martial arts departments hasn’t been decided yet, but I believe the students’ condition is no longer suitable for continuing. I will take full responsibility.”
“What?! You…” As soon as Katerina finished speaking, the instructors of the psychic department exchanged shocked glances.
It was clear that if the match continued, Almis College’s martial arts department’s defeat was almost inevitable. When Governor Temiso investigated the failure, the first to bear the brunt would be Zhang Wen, who had allowed Xiao Xi to withdraw from the match!
However, if Katherine were to step in now and stop the match from continuing, it would mean she would be taking full responsibility for the failure of the Physical Arts Department!
“Chie… Chief Instructor, I admit that Zhang Wen does have some talent. But for you to go this far for him… it’s just… just…” The instructors from the Magic Arts Department didn’t know what else to say.
“That’s settled then.” Katherine’s gaze swept across her colleagues, carefully adjusted her immaculate uniform—the official attire of the Magic Arts Department at Almystis Academy—and proudly walked out of the lounge.
“Teacher Katherine!” Carrie suddenly lifted her head, shouted loudly, and chased after Katherine’s figure.
Following that, the other Magic Arts instructors snapped out of their daze and rushed out of the lounge as well.
This time, perhaps because Themis Academy already felt victory was assured, the Themis students wearing armbands no longer attempted to block the Magic Arts instructors of Almystis Academy.
Zack immediately noticed the group of Magic Arts instructors arriving at the rest area. He immediately spoke to his two companions in a mocking tone, “Hey! Look at that! All our academy’s Magic Arts teachers have come out!”
“Oh? Probably here to watch us struggle, thinking we’re about to collapse, right?” Cloud shared the same cynical assumption about the Magic Arts instructors.
“I don’t think so…” Amyls awkwardly shook her head. After all, Amyls herself was from the Magic Arts Department, and she didn’t harbor the same intense hatred toward the Magic Arts instructors as the Physical Arts students did.
“Then why do you think they’re here?”
“Who knows… Wait, why is Teacher Katherine talking to the referee? Teacher Katherine!” Startled, Amyls couldn’t help but cry out.
However, Katherine merely cast a calm glance at her before firmly nodding at the referee.
“Alright then.” The referee at the edge of the field solemnly gestured, then quickly strode to the center of the arena. “The match is over! Almystis Academy has declared forfeit!”
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