Chapter 156: First Victory
Watching the barrier rise slowly and the eight magic crystals around the arena emit dazzling light, Ron’s gaze turned solemn as he looked at his opponents. The match was about to begin—after all, this moment had long been awaited. Sensing the sharp eyes of his opponents, he returned their gaze with determination. Even before the match started, the atmosphere had become tense. This fight was crucial; it could even determine who would become the ultimate champion! Naturally, everyone was taking it extremely seriously.
When the referee announced the start of the match and explained the rules, drawing took place. Then it was announced: the first match would be between Viski from Holy Light Academy andXier from Wind God Academy! Upon hearing this result, Rod’s expression changed slightly. It seemed he had encountered the most troublesome opponent. Viski winning was almost certain, but facingXier meant trouble for him!
Everyone could see how unpredictableXier’s strength was. If it were Viski vs.Xier, there might still be a chance, but facing him directly was truly dangerous. Fortunately, he had become a Golden Warrior the previous day; otherwise, today’s fight would have been extremely risky. At this thought, Rod felt ashamed inwardly.
The second match was between Anna, a mage from Holy Light Academy, and Paul, a mage from Wind God Academy. Looking at Paul, Rod frowned deeply. That damned guy was proficient in both magic and combat—a terrifying opponent far beyond everyone’s expectations. For Anna to defeat him would indeed be very difficult.
Turning to look at Anna beside him, she also had a serious expression. Paul’s performance in the previous match had put immense pressure on her. Coupled with everyone’s high expectations, her stress only increased. This match was full of uncertainties; without an extraordinary performance, failure was inevitable. These tricky situations weighed heavily on everyone’s mood.
The third match was Rod vs.Xier. It seemed that with the grouping results, everything had become more complicated. Reality was always crueler than ideals.
“Do you all understand the rules?” the referee asked finally, looking at the contestants beside him after announcing the match pairings.
“Sure!” No one was unaware of those familiar rules, so they answered promptly.
“Alright, then for the first match, Viski from Holy Light Academy againstXier from Wind God Academy. The match begins! Everyone else, retreat to the sidelines. Without my permission, no one is allowed on the ring!” Nodding, everything was ready. The referee announced the start of the match. Rod led his team back to the resting area below, leaving only Viski andXier on the ring. They faced each other in silence, each drawing their weapons. At the same time, Viski summoned his beast soul, the Thunder Eagle, without hesitation—clearly aiming for a quick conclusion.
Rod wasn’t worried about this fight at all! After all, Viski had an overwhelming advantage.
The tension rose again as the referee started the match, and the two quickly moved to engage on the ring. From the start, Viski held a decisive edge, quickly suppressingXier under his attacks. With the Thunder Eagle’s support, combining attacks from above and below, his power was immense.
Hill tried hard to resist and dodge, hoping to find an opportunity to counterattack, but strength determined everything. Against such overwhelming power, he had no chance and could only take hits. As Viski delivered one fierce strike after another, forcing Hill into a corner of the ring, trapping him like a fish in a jar. In that tiny space, with the Thunder Eagle keeping an eye on him, it wasn’t long before Hill accepted defeat. After the referee announced the result, he walked back to his resting area in frustration.
Rod gave Viski a slight smile before turning his gaze to the opposing resting area, his expression turning slightly serious. What about the next matches? It was hard to imagine. Seeing Paul, Ciel, and the rest of the team, even Hill himself, looking relaxed, Rod’s frown deepened.
Seizing Rod’s attention, Ciel turned to look at him, offering a faint smile before it suddenly turned sharp, their eyes locking in another battle of wills, as if sparks were flying between them.
“Captain!” Just then, Viski returned to the resting area, interrupting the eye battle and drawing Rod’s attention away.
“Not bad. He’s already down one level. We must win this match!” Rod said firmly, looking at Viski, then turning to Anna, who had stood up, ready to enter the ring.
Seeing his nervous expression and looking at Anna, Rod stood up, walked over to her, patted her shoulder, and smiled warmly: “Don’t worry. Just do your best. We’re all here to support you. Even if things go wrong, the real concern is if Anna gets hurt while the other party remains unharmed—that would be the biggest problem. That would make things even more complicated.” Rod believed that if Anna truly wanted to protect herself, as a Earth magic user—known for having the strongest defensive capabilities—she should be able to handle it, especially since their strengths were not that far apart. “As long as you’re still here, you’ll always have a way forward!” That was the key. “Captain…” Anna was slightly stunned by Rod’s words and spoke in a low voice, looking troubled. “Go ahead. Remember my words—just do what’s right in your heart!” With his hand on Anna’s shoulder, Rod reminded her again. “Anna, remember the captain’s words. Don’t go against them!” At that moment, Wiski also arrived and spoke up. “Mm, just do your best. We believe in you. Don’t worry us—we’re here for you!” By then, all the team members had gathered around Anna, comforting her. The opponent’s magician, Paul, was a dual practitioner of magic and combat, which made things tricky. Everyone knew the chances of winning this match were slim, so all they could do was comfort Anna and ease her stress. Winning was great, but losing was also understandable—that was everyone’s mindset at the moment. “Mm, don’t worry!” Looking at all her teammates and the caring gaze of her captain, Anna forced a smile before speaking firmly. At that moment, she felt as if a warm current flowed through her heart, bringing a sense of comfort. “Go!” The referee’s voice came again from the arena, reminding her. Glancing back at the arena, she saw that Paul was already waiting on the stage. Not wanting to waste any more time, Anna nodded firmly and turned to leave. Watching her go, everyone’s expressions remained worried and anxious. As Anna stepped forward, the referee announced the start of the match. It was the usual scenario in a duel between magicians—Anna quickly began chanting spells while making complex hand gestures. Paul, on the other hand, wasn’t idle either; he quickly chanted his spells as well. In less than a moment, two beams of light flashed, and a magical beast appeared beside each of them. Anna’s was a snow-white fox, while Paul’s was a reddish-yellow tiger.
As the fantasy beasts appeared, the battle truly began. The confrontation between the fantasy beasts started first, while the two magicians continued to chant their spells. Defensive magic appeared—Anna formed a brownish-yellow wall in front of her, while Paul’s defensive barrier was striking, composed of deep blue lightning that created a mirror-like shield. Soon after, offensive magic was unleashed: earth spells such as earthdun, ground spikes, earthquakes, and fissures were all cast in response to the opponent’s magic. Anna’s magical attacks came from the ground, while the opponent’s attacks came from above, creating a unique battle filled with cheers. The excitement never ceased. The fact that there was no one-sided outcome as expected relieved Rod. There was still hope. He couldn’t believe that the idiot opponent didn’t take advantage of his dual mastery of magic and combat by attacking directly with martial skills. If he had, he would likely have gained a huge advantage by now, or even ended the battle already. Clearly, he had lost tactically completely. However, seeing the relaxed expressions of the Wind God Academy’s team members made Rod feel something was wrong. He couldn’t figure out what it was, but their expressions clearly told him—and everyone else—that they were doing this on purpose! After all, a genius with dual mastery of magic and combat couldn’t be that stupid. He shouldn’t make such a basic mistake. “No good!” Suddenly, an idea struck Rod, and he couldn’t help but exclaim in shock. The scene of Thayer competing against Loz appeared in his mind once again. With an absolutely overwhelming advantage, Thayer had chosen to play around. Could this damned Paul do the same…? If so, Anna’s confidence and morale would surely be severely damaged. By the time it came to team battles… Rod didn’t dare to think further, his expression grim. Viski beside him seemed to have noticed some problem as well, his expression not much better. As expected, as time passed, Paul seemed to lose patience and began to show his true strength.